GREEN BAY, Wis. — The WIAA Girls State Basketball Championships happened this weekend in Green Bay.

What You Need To Know

  • The Division V matchup saw the Lena Wildcats face the co-op Albany/Monticello Comets

  • The two teams have faced each other in the championship before in 1991, when Monticello beat Lena for the title

  • This was Albany/Monticello's first appearance as a co-op team

  • The Comets beat the Wildcats 57-54

The first game of the day Saturday saw the Lena Wildcats facing the co-op team Albany/Monticello Comets. The two teams have faced each other in the championship before in 1991, when Monticello beat Lena for the title.

“I had alum from Monticello from those teams those years reach out to me the last couple of days and talk about their experience and talk about how proud they are of the four Monticello girls and the Albany girls,” said head coach Derik Doescher of Albany/Monticello.

This year, each team came with a score to settle. The teams fought for the lead throughout both halves and throughout overtime.

“When overtime started hitting in, it’s a whole new game,” said Lena forward Eva Brooks. “It’s 0-0 overtime so, it gives us a whole new chance.”

While these two teams may have had history, it was new territory for Albany/Monticello, making their first appearance as a co-op team. They came into the competition with the mantra “Together We Are Stronger.”

“When this started, I didn’t know if we could get there, ‘together we are stronger,’ if we could get to that point just because there’s so many factors in a co-op that we’d never been a part of,” Doescher said.

Both teams had quite the fan club, with packed stands and vocal student sections. That support paid off for the Comets, as they took the title in overtime.

“It just shows what two small towns can do,” said Albany/Monticello forward Dalana Trumpy. “Clearly, like, they had height on us and that did not affect us at all. It just shows anything’s possible.”

Both teams said having the arena full of fans cheering them on made the experience one to remember.

“It’s crazy the amount of teamwork, what it can do to bring you here,” Brooks said. “I’m so excited that I got to be a part of everything and I got to contribute to everything.”

The Comets said they are excited to bring the golden ball back home.

“There’s no feeling like we let people down tonight,” Doescher said. “I think we gave the whole state a heck of a show. Lena and Albany Monticello. So much to be proud of.”

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