New era at Franklin begins quite smoothly

Franklin - The Tony Kathrens era for the Franklin girls basketball team is off and running.

That was apparent last Friday night, when just three days after Kathrens and the Sabers had opened their campaign on a successful note with a 57-29 rout of area rival Greendale on Nov. 29, they blitzed hapless Burlington to the tune of a 35-2 steamrolling in the first quarter en route to an easy 78-34 victory.

Even Kathrens, who has been associated with the program for many years before taking over the head job this season, was stunned at the efficiency of the attack.

"I've never seen anything like that," he said, "but it is what we want to do. We want to force turnovers and we want to get out on the break and we were able to do that quite effectively."

The Sabers will try to build on that success when they visit Kenosha Bradford Friday in their Southeast Conference opener. Then on Tuesday they host area rival Oak Creek in a 7:15 p.m. tilt. The Knights are 1-1 so far, but have on their résumé a season-opening upset of De Pere, which had been ranked No. 1 in the state in preseason polls.

Still, Kathrens is being careful not to read too much into these first two games.

"One thing we're looking for out of this group," he said, "is a little moxie. One of our problems last year was managing momentum. Sometimes we would get a lead and we couldn't hold on. That happened in one of the Oak Creek games last year. We had a lead and we didn't protect it. This year, the idea is to get a lead, cherish it and then build on it."

They did that in spades against Burlington, as they just turned the first period into one eight-minute long lay-up drill. It didn't hurt that junior guard Jenny Eickhorst also hit five three-pointers in the stanza.

Franklin didn't let up in the second quarter and a 54-12 halftime laugher was the result. For the second consecutive game, everyone on the Sabers' bench played and 11 players scored.

Eickhorst finished with 23 points to lead all scorers while fellow junior guard Cassidy Mihalko had 21 and sophomore forward Morgan McCuen nine. Kathrens figures the team can legitimately go 11 deep this season.

"And we're going to use that to the fullest extent possible," he said. "We found out we're very happy playing man defense. We can generate a lot more turnovers that way."

The only issue the Sabers had was an 8 for 18 free throw shooting effort.

Kathrens admitted being very nervous before the first game with Greendale. The Sabers tried to ease his mind with a 19-8 run-out in the first quarter which was expanded into a 27-10 halftime margin.

"I always said to myself after I took the job, that the first two games would be the hardest," he said. "The first one was a road game but the second one was a home affair and it was my first one replacing a legend (program mentor Ron Kluth).

"When we got those two done, I felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off my shoulders."

Nine players scored this time around as Mihalko had 19, Eickhorst 12 and Katie Nord six.

Kathrens is pleased with the play of Nord and is also excited with the effort shown by 5-8 senior twins Samantha and Sarah Devcich.

"They've surprised me with their improvement and assertiveness," said Kathrens.

A trait they apparently share with the rest of the team.

Sabers sail into fast start

Serious challenges await in Rathke Tourney after Christmas

Rathke field set: It's weeks away, but the annual Christine Rathke Memorial Tourney will again be a centerpiece of the girls' regular season. The Sabers, who won a WIAA sectional title last year, will play defending state D1 champion Nicolet in a 5:15 p.m. quarterfinal on Dec. 27. In their half of the bracket will be state D1 semifinalist Pius XI, which will take on Waunakee at 3:30 p.m. In the top half of the Dec. 27 quarterfinal bracket will be Oshkosh Lourdes and Wisconsin Lutheran at noon and Arrowhead playing 2011 state runner-up Middleton at 1:45 p.m. Middleton beat Franklin in the super-sectional last year. Play will continue Dec. 28 and 29 with the championship set for 3:15 p.m. on Dec. 29.

Kathrens said that the Sabers' pairing with Nicolet was deliberate. "If we want to be the best, we have to beat the best," he said. Franklin lost to Pius in the final of the Rathke Tourney last season after Pius beat Nicolet in the semifinal.