De Pere boys win fifth consecutive FRCC title

GREEN BAY – For the fifth consecutive season, the De Pere boys’ basketball team is the Fox River Classic Conference (FRCC) champion. 

Behind a dozen three-pointers and five players in double digits, the Redbirds pulled away in the second half to defeat Notre Dame Academy on Feb. 26. 

Leading by eight at the break, De Pere coasted from there in an 82-59 victory before a loud and energetic crowd at Notre Dame. 

“It doesn’t matter how many conference titles we’ve won in a row – it’s still always special to win another,” De Pere Coach Brian Winchester said. “I couldn’t be prouder of what this group did over 18 conference games. It’s hard to win when every team is coming after you.” 

With both teams coming into the contest with identical 15-2 FRCC records, the Redbirds got big games from Will Krueger (19 points), Jack Bookter (16), Noah Maniscalco (15), Isaac Herlache (12) and Silas Cohen (10). 

“That’s pretty much been what we’ve done all season,” De Pere Coach Brian Winchester said of his team’s balanced scoring. “We did a great job in transition tonight and pushing the ball.”

Shooting 50% from beyond the three-point arc, Winchester said his team created a lot of open looks with its play. 

“Having Noah Maniscalco come back after missing about a month with a knee injury was a big lift,” he said. “I think we’re finally getting back to full strength heading into the postseason tournament.” 

The senior Maniscalco hit a trio of three-pointers in his return. 

“My knee felt great,” he said. “Going into the game, I had a great week of practice, and we were ready. It was a great atmosphere in front of a sold-out crowd, but we knew what to expect.”

Trailing 20-16, the Redbirds (21-3 overall) went on a 10-0 run halfway through the first half to grab a 26-20 lead – De Pere never trailed again. 

For the Tritons (18-6 overall), Jack Warden had a strong game with his 15 points, including the first seven points of the second half for his team. 

In the upcoming WIAA postseason, both De Pere and Notre Dame each earned No. 1 seeds – the Redbirds in Division 1 and the Tritons in Division 2.