G-E-T boys exposed to COVID-19 in win
An already turbulent season for the Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau boys basketball team sustained another blow last week, as a COVID-19 exposure will reportedly shut seven players down for two weeks.
The exposure stemmed from last Monday’s win over Viroqua, after which an undisclosed number of Blackhawks tested positive for coronavirus. Per Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) regulations, the seven Red Hawks deemed to be close contacts were sidelined from all games and practices for two weeks from the exposure.
G-E-T head coach Jared McCutchen said as of Thursday that his team was healthy and seeking approval to return sooner if his team continues to test negative. G-E-T activities director Rick Schmidt added that because there were three players not deemed close contacts, varsity practices can continue with junior varsity players filling out the roster. The WIAA requires a five-day reacclimation period after the two-week quarantine and prior to the scheduling of any games, which would get the rest of the Red Hawks’ players back in action just in time for Feb. 16 regional play. As of Monday, G-E-T had cancelled all games through Thursday of this week, with a scheduled game against West Salem still on tap for Friday.
G-E-T 65 Viroqua 59
G-E-T tallied their second win of the season last Monday, downing the Viroqua Blackhawks on a barrage of three-pointers.
The Red Hawks got out ahead on a 14-7 run that included triples from Luke Vance, Jack Beedle, Cody Schmitz and Riley Kirkey. Viroqua answered with a 7-0 run, before Sawyer Schmidt broke the 14-14 tie with a three from the top of the arc.
After a Viroqua basket, G-E-T began to pull away later in the half on another Kirkey three, followed by a pair of layups from Schmitz. The sixth Red Hawk three of the half came from Beedle a couple possessions later, contributing to a 30-20 G-E-T lead at half. The lead held around double-digits for most of the second half, before an 8-0 run by Viroqua closed the deficit to 55-51 with five minutes remaining.
G-E-T would pull away at the free-throw line down the stretch, as they held off the Blackhawks to secure the Coulee win.
Leading the Red Hawks in scoring were Schmitz’s 22 points, followed by Beedle’s 14, Vance’s 11, Kirkey with nine, Schmidt with seven and Will Thompson with two. Beedle led the team in rebounds with nine, and Schmidt led in assists with eight. G-E-T as a team hit 10 three-pointers on the game.
