Milwaukee area sends 4 boys basketball teams to WIAA state tournament
· Yahoo Sports
HARTFORD – The furthest any Milwaukee Juneau boys basketball team had gotten in the WIAA playoffs prior to March 14, 2026, was a sectional final appearance in 2003.
First-year head coach Torre Johnson remembers it well. He was on that team. Like many fathers, he wanted better for his son, Gonzaga commit Dooney Johnson. It was also important to them both to represent the city and school they call home.
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"This is the main reason why we really didn't go to prep school for Dooney," Torre Johnson said. "We want to be here for the Milwaukee City kids and put on for the city and give these kids some hope."
That hope was exemplified in the roar of a crowd that saw the Pioneers advance to the WIAA state tournament for the first time as the final buzzer sounded March 14 at Hartford Union High School. Juneau defeated Howards Grove, 75-69, in a Division 4 sectional final on the strength of Johnson's 36 points.
Johnson got involved early, scoring the first seven points for the Pioneers. A couple possession lead slimmed to 35-34 at the half. A 66-61 Juneau lead with just over three minutes lefts was cut to one Howard Grove's Harry Schroeder (24 points) converted a four-point play, but productive trips to the free throw line held the Pioneers in front through the final two minutes. Senior Jaden Hardiman and Johnson each said trust in one another helped them deliver in the clutch.
"I never feel nervous before a game, always know I'm the one," Johnson said. "I know I got my team's back, and I know they got my back."
Juneau became the first Milwaukee City Conference team to advance to the WIAA boys state basketball tournament since 2019. Two more wins would make the Pioneers the first state champions from the City Conference since Rufus King in 2004.
"It means a lot to the city, gives us hope, you know?" said Hardiman, who had nine points. "We've got a lot of young Pioneers looking up to us, gives us a lot of hope for the City, man. A lot of positive energy for Milwaukee, Wisconsin."
Joining Juneau among D4 state qualifiers were Regis (77-58 over Clear Lake), Bonduel (78-68 over Marathon) and Cambridge (58-56 over Lomira in overtime).
Four Milwaukee-area teams make it to state with sectional final wins
Sectional final boys basketball games were spread across two windows during the afternoon and evening of March 14. In the early window with Juneau, local competitors Brookfield East, Slinger and Whitefish Bay were playing for state title berths. Tipping off later were Wisconsin Lutheran against Racine Case, and New Berlin West against McFarland.
Wisconsin Lutheran came out of halftime with just a 29-21 lead over Racine Case in their D1 sectional final but quickly pulled away for a 74-46 win. The Vikings are just two wins away from a three-peat and just the third 30-0 season in WIAA boys basketball.
Brookfield East saw its deepest run since a 2018 state runner-up finish come to an end at the hands of De Pere, 97-74. The Redbirds are back at state after winning the title in 2023. Also advancing in D1 was Appleton North, which defeated Kaukauna, 58-53. The fourth and final qualifier in D1 was Madison Memorial, which edged past Verona, 58-56.
Slinger advanced to state for just the second time, as the Owls knocked off Notre Dame, 53-42, in Division 2. Whitefish Bay may have had its fanbase split with the girls competing for a WIAA title in Ashwaubenon the same day, but the boys are also headed back to state for the first time since winning it all in 2011. The Blue Dukes boys defeated Waterford, 60-40.
New Berlin West's magical 2025-2026 run ended just shy of a second state berth, as the Vikings fell, 86-60 to McFarland. West Salem defeated Menomonie, 61-54, to become D2's fourth semifinalist.
Seeding for the WIAA state boys basketball tournament is expected to be released on March 15. The Journal Sentinel will have a preview of all area state semifinal games, live blog coverage of the state semifinals and recaps of area state title games throughout the week from Madison.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: WIAA boys state basketball tournament includes 4 Milwaukee-area teams