By Reagan Hoverman

It’s been less than two weeks since the Prescott girls basketball team ended its season in the sectional semi-final against Saint Croix Falls and since then, the individual accolades have poured in for yet another special Cardinals girls basketball team.

It was quite the season for the 2021-22 iteration of the Prescott girls basketball team, as four Cardinals were honored with either First Team All-Conference, Second-Team All-Conference or Honorable Mention accolades this season. Including junior point guard Katrina Budworth, who not only made the First Team All-Conference roster but also won the 2021-22 Middle Border Conference Player of the Year honors.

Joining Budworth in the recognition was sophomore forward Lila Posthuma on the First Team All-Conference list. Junior guard Izzy Matzek earned Second Team All-Conference honors and senior guard Brynley Goehring received an Honorable Mention. Prescott head coach Joan Korfhage spoke about those individual accolades.

“We would always like more girls to make the list, but I kind of expected (what we got),” Korfhage said. “I thought Brynley (Goehring) could have made the second team. We’re happy with it.”

Budworth received the Player of the Year accolade in large part to her being a two-way player who can drive the ball effectively, shoot it well from the three-point line and play physical defense on the perimeter. Her play throughout the season not only translated to impressive individual statistics but also helped carry the PRESCOTT GIRLS

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team to a 12-2 record in Middle Border action. It was Prescott’s third consecutive conference championship.

“Katrina (Budworth) is aggressive when she (attacks the basket),” Korfhage said. “She doesn’t mind getting knocked around when she drives in there.”

Budworth finished the season averaging 12.2 points per game and 3.2 assists per game, first and second on her team respectively for those categories. She shot it well from the three-point line this season. Budworth was one of three Prescott players to shoot over 100 threes this season and only one of two players who shot over a 33% clip this year. The other was the aforementioned Matzek, who was statistically one of the four best three-point shooters in Division 3 basketball this year – not bad company for Budworth.

While the three-point shooting was important, her defensive ability separated her from every other player in the conference. Budworth finished the season with 105 total steals, averaging 3.7 per game, the most on the team. Her 105 steals were more than double the next closest players, Goehring and Matzek, who both had 50.

Budworth’s defensive prowess on the perimeter was integral to Prescott’s regular and postseason success this year and it earned her the MBC Player of the Year title. While Budworth had a great year, she wasn’t the only Prescott player who received accolades.

Lila Posthuma, First Team All-Conference

Sophomore forward Posthuma also received First Team All-Conference honors. Throughout the season, she averaged 11.2 points per game, 9.7 rebounds per game and three assists per game. Her points per game average was secondhighest on the team, trailing only the aforementioned Budworth’s 14.2. However, Posthuma’s best ability isn’t scoring, it’s her passing and gifted court vision.

“Her passing ability is, oh my gosh, it’s just special,” Korfhage said. “If I were scouting us, the one thing I’d try to do is take (Posthuma) out of the game. We know that we need her in the game.”

Prescott is simply a different team when Posthuma is on the floor. Defensively, she’s excellent. Her 33 total blocks this season were a team-high, and she was the only Prescott player with double-digit rejections this year. Perhaps the best part is that she’s only a sophomore and has two more years to continue developing as a high school player.

Izzy Matzek, Second Team All-Conference Junior guard Matzek received Second Team All-Conference honors. While there are several aspects of Matzek’s game that make her one of the 12 best players in the Middle Border Conference, none is more important than her threepoint shooting.

She’s a certified sniper, to say the least. Matzek shot 61-134 from the three-point line this season. A ridiculously high 45% clip from deep that led not only Prescott in three-point percentage but was one of the four highest threepoint shooting percentages in Division 3 girls basketball in Wisconsin.

Matzek averaged 10.1 points per game this season. Her season-high game was a 20-point performance on Thursday, Dec. 30, in a 59-57 overtime win against the Saint Croix Falls Saints. While she may only average 10 points per game, everything changes when she’s on the floor for Prescott.

Her ability to shoot the long ball changes how teams play defense against the Cardinals. They often overextend to protect against her shooting, which opens up driving lanes for Budworth and gives Posthuma extra space to operate in the paint. Matzek doesn’t receive any credit in the box score for that, but without it, other players likely wouldn’t have as much success.

Brynley Goehring, Honorable Mention

Goehring is the fourth and final Prescott player who received accolades for her season when she got the Honorable Mention nod. She is one of Prescott’s four seniors and the only senior who was in the regular starting lineup.

She averaged 7.5 points per game, 4.4 rebounds per game and 3.5 assists per game. While her overall statistics don’t jump off the page, she did a little bit of everything for the Cardinals and was an unsung hero in the locker room in terms of leadership.

“They’re an amazing group of girls and we have an amazing group of seniors that we’re going to miss deeply next year from a leadership standpoint,” Korfhage said of Goehring and the rest of the senior girls.

Some players can step up and play better when everything is on the line. Goehring is unquestionably one of those players. Prescott went into the 2021-22 postseason as a #3 seed favored to win its second-round game against the Somerset Spartans.

Trailing by two with less than 30 seconds remaining in overtime, Goehring hit a corner three-pointer to give Prescott a one-point lead. She then picked off the Somerset inbound pass and essentially sealed Prescott’s victory. Without those two plays, the Cardinals don’t advance to the regional final, much less the sectional semi-final.

The following night, Goehring led the Cardinals in scoring during the regional championship game against Baldwin-Woodville with 15 points. Her leadership in the locker room, as well as her ability to perform in big games, will be missed next season.

While Goehring is graduating, Posthuma, Matzek and Budworth all return next season. The roster remains talented and Prescott is expected to compete for another conference championship next year.

Junior Izzy Matzek of the Prescott girls basketball team shoots a corner three-pointer during the sectional semi-final against Saint Croix Falls. Matzek was statistically one of the best shooters in the state this season and received Second Team All-Conference honors.Photo by Reagan Hoverman

Prescott sophomore forward Lila Posthuma plays defense during the regional championship game against Baldwin-Woodville. Posthuma’s passing ability and defensive prowess helped her earn First Team All-Conference honors.Photo by Reagan Hoverman

Senior Brynley Goehring of the Prescott girls basketball team takes the ball up the floor during the sectional semi-final. Her play throughout the playoffs, especially against Somerset in the regional semi-final, was critical to Prescott’s success. She also earned All-Conference Honorable Mention. Photo by Reagan Hoverman