Continuing the Dream: Students turn to rec basketball league for fun, competition
March 1, 2022
Looking for a fun, competitive basketball league to help pass the winter months? Look no further than the Oshkosh Rec Department High School Recreation Basketball League.
Currently, four teams are playing in the league with North students. With the playoffs coming up, teams are preparing for a championship run.
“I like that the league has some competitive teams and it can be pretty fun at times,” says senior Skyler Smith of the Ball Stars.
The league, founded in 1995, runs every Saturday (excluding Christmas break) from early December to early March, and is available to all high school students who do not play basketball for their high school team.
“The friendly competition and knowing everyone you’re playing makes it fun,” says sophomore Ryder Lyon of the Senams.
There are some basic guidelines: you must have a minimum of eight players on your roster, and a maximum of ten. Someone who is not already on your roster cannot play for you at any point. If you can’t field at least five players for a game, you have to forfeit. You must field your own jerseys with ironed or sewn numbers (no duct tape). Additionally, you are not allowed to dunk or shoot from beyond half court; both of which will result in a technical.
Registration is typically due around mid-November, and the paperwork should be available at the rec department office by September. It’s wise to start planning your team early in the school year, as time flies, and guys always seem to drop out at the last minute. Unfortunately, there is a team fee of $420 that varies by year, however with ten players, it’s only $42 a person.
Game start times range from 8AM to 12PM depending on the number of teams in the league(last year there were seven, this year ten). At the end of the season, there is a bracket style tournament to decide who wins the league. Seeding and eligibility are determined by the Oshkosh Rec Department (eligibility based on if you have too many technicals or not).
The playoffs for the 2021-22 season will be played on Saturday, March 5 in a single elimination tournament. Expect the games to become more competitive, and therefore more entertaining to watch.
Tournament seedings are out, the final bracket looks like this:
8:00 AM (8) Bricklayers (Langue) vs (9) Splash Mountain
9:00 AM (7) Senams vs (10) Bricklayers (Brandl)
10:00 AM (1) Wasted Potential vs Winner 8 vs 9
11:00 AM (3) Frat Boys vs (6) John Cena Select
12:00PM (4) Island Boys vs (5) Kool Aid Jammers
1:00 PM (2) Ball Stars vs Winner 7 vs 10
The Final Four will be played at 2:00 PM and 3:00 PM with the championship game at 3:00 PM.
2021-22 North Teams:
Ball Stars: Current Record: 9-2
Roster: Jack McNamara, Ehren Lenz, Cole Spanbauer, Skyler Smith, Hollin Sias, Ethan Phillips, DeShawn Henry, Andrew Schaedl
Player Spotlight: Skyler Smith
- Why did you choose the name you did?
“We looked up some cool names for basketball teams and thought this one was funny.”
- Who is your favorite team to play against?
“Wasted Potential because it’s competitive – a lot of the games aren’t so fun because they aren’t competitive.”
- Who can you beat 1 on 1 every time in a game?
“I feel I can beat 90% of the players in the league 1 on 1 because of my basketball experience.”
John Cena Select: Current Record: 6-5
Roster: Jack Kese, Max Bittner, Ethan Bennett, Mason Springer, Isaac Geffers, Ryan Mesa, Evan Olson, Jasiah Nolan, Wesley Pyle
Player Spotlight: Ethan Bennett
- Why did you choose the name you did?
“Because we love John Cena”
- Who is your favorite team to play against?
“The Ball Stars because we go to the same school and it’s competitive.”
- Who can you beat 1 on 1 every time in a game?
“Sawyer Higgins (Bricklayers) because he’s slow and a little boy.”
Senams: Current Record: 4-7
Roster: Peyton Lyon, Ryder Lyon, Daniel Chopp, Pahlevon Senam, Liam Murphy, Jon Brown, Logan Briggs, Charlie Venderhei, Andrew Urban
Player Spotlight: Ryder Lyon
- Why did you choose the name you did?
“Because it’s Pahlevon’s last name”
- Who is your favorite team to play against?
“The Bricklayers because they’re all North students”
- Who can you beat 1 on 1 every time in a game?
“Sawyer Higgins or Camden Watson (Bricklayers) – they’re both trash cans”
Bricklayers (Brandl): Current Record: 1-10
Roster: Evan Brandl, Sawyer Higgins, Clayton Sagataw, Connor Palmquist, Camden Watson, Andrew Weideman, Sam Lenz, Nolan Zificsak
Player Spotlight: Sawyer Higgins
- Why did you choose the name you did?
“Because we suck.”
- Who is your favorite team to play against?
“Splash mountain because they also suck.”
- Who can you beat 1 on 1 every time in a game?
“Ethan Bennett (John Cena Select) because he’s an old head.”
