The weather outside is frightful
By Chris Bennett
Sports Correspondent
Look outside. Go ahead – it’s alright. Accept that winter is here, buy a new sweater and some gloves, and get over it.
You’re going to miss winter’s fun if you spend time complaining about chilly temperatures, frozen roads and howling winds.
Enjoy the offerings of the season – cocoa, throwing snowballs, being cozy, snowmen, throwing more snowballs and the joy of winter prep sports. The winter prep sports season begins over the next few weeks.
The Elkhorn Area High School girls basketball team opens its 2014 season tonight at 7 p.m. with a non-conference game at Clinton. The Elks open the home portion of their schedule Nov. 21 against non-conference foe Edgerton.
This season is the final in Jim Henriott’s long career with the Elks. Henriott led Elkhorn to the 1997 WIAA Division 2 girls state basketball title. He is retiring at the end of this campaign.
The Elks play hated rival Delavan-Darien Nov. 25 at Delavan and Jan. 23 at home in Southern Lakes Conference games.
Burlington ended the Elks season last year in the WIAA Division 2 regional semifinals. The Demons visit Elkhorn on Dec. 5 and the Elks play at Burlington Jan. 8 in SLC games.
The boys basketball team is playing its first season under new head coach Josh Skartud, who replaces John Handel on the Elks bench. Skatrud coached under Handel for seven seasons and teaches social studies at Elkhorn High.
The Elks open their season Nov. 29 at home against non-conference opponent Verona. Elkhorn opens its SLC season Dec. 9 at Westosha Central.
The Comets visit Jan. 23 and the Elks venture to Delavan on Feb. 20 in SLC games. The Elks ended the Comets’ 2013 season with a 55-40 victory Feb. 25 in a WIAA Division 2 regional semifinal game at Elkhorn.
The Elks finished last season with an overall record of 9-15, and went 4-10 and finished in sixth place in the Southern Lakes Conference. The Elks play host to Badger on Jan. 20 and visit Lake Geneva on Feb. 13 in SLC contests.
The gymnastics squad, coached by Melissa Fuller, begins its regular season Dec. 5 with an invitational against Sun Prairie, Waupun and Jefferson at Sun Prairie.
The Elks will be looking for a member to advance to state this season after getting shut out last year. The WIAA Division 2 State Gymnastics Meet is March 7 and 8 at Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln High School.
Elkhorn finished fourth last season in the six-team Southern Lakes Conference. The Elks compete against Burlington Co-Op, which finished as the state Division 1 runner-up in each of the last three seasons, Jan. 27 at Burlington.
Jamie Richardson and the Elkhorn boys swimming team start their season Nov. 25 at home against non-conference opponent Waukesha West.
The Elks are aiming for a fifth consecutive Southern Lakes Conference Relays title, and will try on Dec. 4 at UW-Whitewater. The Elks finished third overall last season in the SLC.
Elkhorn is looking to establish a new swimming legacy this season after the graduation of long-time standout Sam Johnson.
Johnson finished second in the 200-yard freestyle swim and fourth in the 500 Feb. 21 at the University of Wisconsin Natatorium in Madison as the Elks’ lone representative at the WIAA Division 2 State Swimming and Diving Championships.
Wrestling coach Ken Reynolds returns three wrestlers who advanced to last season’s WIAA Division 1 Individual Wrestling Tournament – Bryce Fitzgerald (120 pounds), Konnor Mohr (138) and Dylan Linhart (220). Linhart finished sixth.
Last season the Elks also won more than 20 dual meets for the first time in school history and finished undefeated in SLC dual meets (7-0).
The Elks scrimmage Whitewater Nov. 25 at home and open the regular season Dec. 4 at home against Delavan-Darien in a SLC match.
