Heights girls off to fast start

Their last outing didn’t go according to plan. Overall, though, Wisconsin Heights’ girls basketball team is off to the kind of start coach Tyler Fuchs dreamed of. The Vanguards fell to visiting River Valley, 50-31, on Dec. 3. Overall, though, Heights is 3-1 and already just one win shy of matching its win total from last season. “Starting our season off 3-0 has built a lot of confidence in the girls as individual players and as a team,” Fuchs said. “To be one win away from our total from last season by the end of November is a great tribute towards the work the girls did during the offseason and the first month of the season.” Heights couldn’t keep its momentum going against River Valley, but there were some positives. Sonja Serverson led the Vanguards with 12 points, five rebounds and three steals, while Jocelyn Brabender had 11 points, seven rebounds and four steals. R.J. Kalscheur added four points, five rebounds and three blocked shots, while Lydia Crowe chipped in with four rebounds. Heights got off to a slow start and trailed, 30-7, at halftime. “We got off to an uncharacteristically slow start and found ourselves in a hole pretty quickly,” Fuchs said. “Giving up offensive rebounds and turning the ball over prevented us from establishing any type of momentum.” Heights played with far greater passion and improved its execution in the second half, closing within 13 points on a pair of occasions. But the deficit was simply too great to overcome “The girls came out in the second half playing the way he did the first three games,” Fuchs said. “I am very proud of how the girls played in the second half.  “Our effort and energy were contagious. Being down by that much at half, it’s easy to let the game slip away and give up.  However, we didn’t even think of doing that as we battled hard until the final whistle. That shows the determination of this team and how badly they want to be successful and get this program on the right track.” Overall, the first month of the season has provided many signs that the program is back on the right track. “We won a couple games by 20-plus points and won a game by two points after leading by double digits most of the second half,” Fuchs said. “Winning by different margins shows us that we are capable of extending a lead and maintaining it throughout the game, but also we are able to stay composed and win when it comes to crunch time.  “I have been excited for this season since the summer and the excitement has only grown with our fast start. We have a couple tough matchups in December and I can’t wait to see how we compete against those teams.” • On deck: Heights hosts Lodi Friday at 6 p.m., then hosts Juda Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.