MADSEN ALWAYS ENJOYS HOMECOMING: When Viborg-Hurley qualifies for the State B tourney, which it has four of the past five seasons, it provides assistant coach Mason Madsen an opportunity to reconnect with the community.

Madsen is a 2014 graduate of Groton High School and always enjoys a homecoming in March.

“It’s always a fun time. That’s always a goal at the beginning of the season is to make the state tournament,” Madsen said. “The fact that it is in Aberdeen, growing up playing 3 on 3’s here, going to Northern games, and even coming back to some football games, it’s always fun to come back.”

Madsen said he still likes to keep track of teams in the area, especially his alma mater, which played in last year’s State A tournament.

“It’s always fun to watch, doing after school program, working that when I was younger, some of those kids that were seniors this year actually went through there,” Madsen said. “It was fun to kind of keep track.”

Because Madsen is a local, it allows him to share a little bit of knowledge with some of the players from the Viborg-Hurley squad.

“It’s fun to know about the area so whenever anybody asks about fun items and stuff like that, it’s always nice to have a little bit of say,” Madsen said.

Madsen expects to have plenty of family members attending the tournament.

“It’s good to just come back. You just have so many connections,” Madsen said. “You see so many people that you know from high school and everything here.”

Dave Vilhauer

SCHAUER COMPLETES FAMILY TRADITION

The name Schauer is synonymous with Faith basketball.

Doug Schauer led the Longhorns to multiple state tournaments in his days as a head coach. His three daughters, Brooklyn, Sydnie and Kambelle each played in a state tourney. And now his son Jackson has completed the cycle as a standout member of the Faith boys’ squad playing in this year’s state tournament.

“I have three girls and they’ve all gotten to play in a state tournament and Jackson now gets to play in state tournament, too,” said Doug, now an assistant coach for the team. “Pretty special.”

Jackson has actually been a part of state tournaments in the past as the team’s waterboy. Now, he will get a chance to play on the sport’s biggest stage.

“It was probably one of my first dreams I had ever since I was with my dad going to the gym every day, seeing all those boys work hard and get here,” Jackson said of his opportunity to play in the state tourney. “It feels amazing. A dream come true.”

Doug said he hasn’t said much to his son about what to expect at the state tournament.

“I haven’t really said much,” Doug said. “He’s excited and they know what they’re doing and coach is taking care of that stuff. I’ve just tried to help out and kind of keep my mouth shut, and try to help.”

Still, there’s no denying that the father has had a huge impact on the development of his son throughout the years.

“He helps out a lot in practice,” Jackson said. “We see eye-to-eye on most things and when we don’t see eye-to-eye, we have the other three guys that also will help us to figure things out.”

The junior is looking forward to a fun weekend of basketball in Aberdeen in his new role.

“It should be a lot different,” he said. “I had a great experience being water boy, but now being able to play, it’s the real deal now.”

Dave Vilhauer

WHITE RIVER CARRIES ON STATE B TRADITION

The White River Tigers have become very familiar with the Barnett Center and the city of Aberdeen over the years. The boys basketball team has now qualified for 18 consecutive State B tournament appearances, and the community of White River embraces the expectation.

“Over the years I think the expectation is there, so it’s like you know it,” White River coach Eldon Marshall said. “But it’s tough every year to make it, and every year the team is new and different, and you’ve gotta go through the process of getting better every day. I think maybe some fans don’t see that, but I think we have the best fans in the state. We’re grateful to have great fans like that.”

In the 18-year stretch that began in 2006, the Tigers have played in six state championship games, all in consecutive seasons from 2008-2013. In that span White River claimed four state titles (2008, 2010, 2012, 2013), along with runner-up finishes in 2009 and 2011.

In addition to the state title game appearances, the Tigers have never finished a tournament in eighth place, while claiming just one seventh place finish. Couple that with a pair of sixth place, fifth place, and third place finishes, as well as a trio of fourth place finishes, and it all adds up to 18 years of memories for many fans, players, and coaches. However, for Marshall, the past 18 years has come and gone like the wind.

“It’s been a blur, to be honest. It’s gone by so fast, and that’s why it’s so important when you are here and when you are in high school competing, you go out and do your best every time you step on the floor in practice and in the offseason, and when you go out and compete against other teams,” Marshall said. “It goes by fast, but at the same time it’s been a great, great experience. It’s been an amazing run, but we’re not done. It’s hard to go back and think on it because you’ve got to focus on what you got right here in front of you right now.”

Jacob Wuertz

ETHAN RUSTLERS BUILDING LASTING MEMORIES

While many of the teams in this year’s State B Tournament have been at recent state tourneys, the experience is a new one for the Ethan Rustlers, who last played in the event in 2014.

Current coach Bryce Roth guided the squad in that season so he knew what to expect, but it’s different for those competing on the court.

“There’s all those things looking back, you think of some tips at least you think it would help,” Roth said, “but when it comes down to it, these kids have been dreaming of this their whole lives and it’s pretty tough to calm those nerves when they get to step out on that floor.”

Roth said there is way more to the games than the final outcome.

“To win or lose, the scores of the games will be lost over time unless you’re checking the annuals,” Roth said following a setback Thursday night, “but how you played, how you conducted yourself, that’s what’s really going to last, and I thought we left a lasting memory out here tonight.”

While Roth has many fond recollections of his earlier trip to the state tournament, he is happy that his current players are also getting to experience the event.

“A lot of good memories, a lot of good memories,” Roth said, “but it’s always fun to make new ones with these kids, too.”

Dave Vilhauer