Arrowhead’s run sparked by stellar defense
Rick Witte never wants to lose, but he has found the experience to be a great teaching tool.
“We talk about failure being the greatest thing,” the Arrowhead girls basketball coach said. “We spend a lot of time in the weight room and the weight room is all about failure. … Sometimes wins mask weakness and sometimes losses can be your best wins.”
Arrowhead has made the most of its failures. After it opened the season with a 17-point loss to Oak Creek, it went on a 19-game winning streak. After it lost by 10 to Mukwonago on Feb. 13, the team ripped off five straight wins, all by double digits, to reach the state tournament for the first time since 2015.
The late-season run helped Arrowhead claim the top seed in what appears to be an evenly matched Division 1 bracket that includes Mukwonago, Oak Creek and Appleton North.
The lesson the Warhawks took from their latest setback: stay true to your strengths.
For Arrowhead to stay true to itself means to win with defense. Fifty-five has been the magic number for the team. Three times opponents reached that mark this season. Twice they won.
Long, athletic players like 5-foot-10 senior guard Megan Peterson are symbolic of the kind of player that fills the Warhawks’ roster and sparks the defense.
Peterson is the last holdover from the Warhawks’ 2015 state tournament team. They’ve returned with a veteran group that features Classic 8 co-player of the year Caitlyn Harper and point guard Karissa Hucke.
Arrowhead at a glance
Coach: Rick Witte, sixth season (12034).
Record: 24-2, 15-1 Classic 8 (first). Key players: Caitlyn Harper, 6-1, sr., P, 14.8 ppg, 7 rpg; Megan Peterson, 5-10, sr., G, 10.5 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 3.1 apg; Karissa Hucke, 5-7, sr., G, 7.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.0 apg; Kylie Ballmann, 5-6, sr., G, 6 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1 apg; Lauren With, 6-1, jr., P, 4.6 ppg, 4 rpg; Maddie Walson, 6-2, soph., G, 4.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg; Karina Smits, 5-7, sr., G, 3.2 ppg, 2.1 rpg; Lauren McDonald, 6-0, jr., G, 2.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg.