Panthers advance to state title game in classic semifinal

By David Nordby

The Brillion News

MADISON – The collective heart rate of Reedsville was working its way back down late Friday morning.

Regardless of what happens in the Division 5 state championship game on Saturday, everyone will remember watching the Panthers erase a nine-point deficit with 5:41 left on their way to a 75-72 win over Sheboygan Lutheran in the state semifinal at the Kohl Center in Madison.

With force down the lane that Panthers’ fans have seen so many times, senior Ben Prochnow made a driving layup that gave the Panthers a 73-72 lead with 13 seconds left for the final go-ahead basket.

“I knew I had to get downhill. We had a play called to try to get me to attack the rim because shots weren’t falling from deep right away, so I saw the rim and I just wanted to try to get downhill and finish any way possible or get to the line,” Prochnow said.

Two free throws from Prochnow with four seconds left helped seal the win.

It was all part of a thrilling game where both teams traded runs and momentum.

There were 15 lead changes, and the game was tied seven different times. Both teams had a lead of nine. The Crusaders had a 54-36 scoring advantage in the paint. Reedsville had a 26-2 advantage on fastbreak points.

“I think you just watched the state championship competition right there,” Sheboygan Lutheran Coach Nick Verhagen said. “It’s unfortunate that one of us doesn’t get to play tomorrow, but credit to Reedsville.”

It helped that both teams are tied to the Big East Conference and know each other well from years past.

“I’m calling a play and he’s telling them what it is, and he’s calling something and I’m telling our guys what it is, so we both know each other really well,” Reedsville Coach Ron Prochnow said. “It’s that intense. Very stressful … but with being good, comes a little bit of pressure.”

Reedsville started the second half on a 16-4 run after trailing by three at halftime; the Crusaders had a 23-5 run in response to that.

“That’s how we play this game. It’s who we’ve been all year, faced a little adversity, get a lead and all of a sudden, you’re behind,” Coach Prochnow said.

With the Panthers on the ropes, they responded quickly. Arden Strenn made a 3-pointer assisted by Ben Prochnow. Moments later Zach Prochnow connected on a 3-pointer assisted by Strenn to make it a 65-62 game with 4:39 left. Two free throws by Ben Prochnow on the next possession and the Panthers were within one.

Brennen Hackbarth, who scored a game-high 32 points, brought the Crusaders’ lead back to four, but a driving layup by Jack Schwahn pulled the Panthers back to within two. Strenn drew a foul and made both free throws to tie the game on the next possession.  

Zach Leonard, who helped lead the Crusaders to last year’s state title game and has worked his way back from a torn ACL this year, gave the Crusaders a 70-68 lead with 1:08 left.

That lead was gone by the 30-second mark as Ben Prochnow made a floater in the paint to tie the game at 70. After Hackbarth made the second of two free throw attempts, Prochnow had his moment to go the length of the court and score the go-ahead basket with 13 seconds left.

“He’s a special player, player of the year, leads the state in assists. It’s not an accident. The kid works his tail off,” Verhagen said.

Prochnow finished with 26 points off of 10-for-26 shooting. Zach Prochnow had shining moments in the game, finishing with 15 points and three 3-pointers.

“The other Prochnow boy (Zach) hit huge shots, and those are the sacrifices, the adjustments that we have to make, and if their role players are hitting shots like that, and Ben can get to the point and we have to bring some help, and they can to kick it (to) shooters, that’s a tough task,” Verhagen said.

“I don’t know how many games this year he’s scored double digits. He’s kind of just played his role, played defense, but today he came up big,” Ben Prochnow said.

Schwahn scored 15 points. Strenn finished with 10. Will Taddy grabbed nine rebounds; Ben Prochnow had nine assists. Connor McDonald stole the ball as time ran out for Sheboygan Lutheran.

As they have been all season, the Panthers were a team on Friday.

“It’s just a different type of love when you’ve got off the court and on the court teammates as family," Strenn said.  

The state semifinal will go down as one of the great moments in Reedsville sports history.

“That was a heck of an opponent, a heck of a game. If you paid $12.50 to come watch that game, you got your money worth already,” Coach Prochnow said.

“If I ever watch it one day, I’m sure it’ll be a great game,” Verhagen remarked.

The final chapter of the 2026 Panthers will be written on Saturday in the state championship game, which tips at 11:05 a.m. It’s the first state title game since that famed 1946 team.

“It’s been 80 years in the making, right, since we won 1946,” Coach Prochnow said.

Prior to tip-off on Friday morning, the WIAA rotated statistics on the scoreboard in the Kohl Center. One of them shared how the 1946 Panthers are still the smallest town to win a state title.

“We’re all the way up to 1,100 people now, so we’ve come a long way in 80 years,” Coach Prochnow said with a smile.

S. Lutheran            38 34 – 72 

Reedsville              35 40 – 75

Sheboygan Lutheran: Brennen Hackbarth 32, Oliver Leibham 23, Zach Leonhard 8, Mccoy Michael 4, Ben Verhagen 3, Jame Schulze 2. Total: 29-56; 3-point: 2-11; F: 12-13. Fouls: 12. Fouled out: none. 3-point: Verhagen, Hackbarth.

Reedsville: Ben Prochnow 26, Zach Prochnow 15, Jack Schwahn 15, Arden Strenn 10, Will Taddy 5, Connor McDonald 2, Nathan Christensen 2. Total: 28-57; 3-point: 8-20; FT: 11-12. Fouls: 11. Fouled out: Taddy. 3-point: Z. Prochnow 3, Schwahn 3, Strenn 2.

Tip: 9:05 a.m. Time of game: 1 hour, 20 minutes.