GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — The Seymour boys basketball team is headed to Madison for the first time in more than a decade.
The top-seeded Thunder (27-1) will face No. 4 seed St. Croix Central in a WIAA Division 3 state semifinal Thursday at the Kohl Center.
It marks Seymour’s first state appearance since 2011.
“We're feeling great. I know we worked for this the whole season,” senior Xavier Salzman said. “We had this on our calendar, and we’re just really excited as a team.”
Senior Kyler Marks said the team has been especially focused in practice leading up to state.
“I think we’ve been really locked in on defense, trying to perfect that,” Marks said. “I think defense is what’s going to take us to the next level. And then just getting a lot of shots up — we’ve got to hit our 3s.”
Head Coach Bobby Kuchta said the team’s success comes from its balance and unselfish play.
“We’ve got a lot of guys that can score, a lot of guys that can shoot it,” Kuchta said. “They really don’t care who’s scoring as long as we find a way to win.”
During practice this week, the Thunder received a visit from former longtime head coach Jon Murphy, who led the program for 33 seasons, including 12 state tournament appearances and three championships.
Murphy shared advice with the team ahead of the big stage.
“Compete, stay connected and play with confidence,” Kuchta said of Murphy’s message.
For players like Salzman, the visit was especially meaningful.
“It was cool because I remember when I was a kid he would run camps for us,” Salzman said. “It’s kind of a full-circle moment.”
Despite recent snow canceling school, the excitement around Seymour continues to build.
“I feel it everywhere,” Marks said. “Even walking into Kwik Trip, people are saying good luck. Having a lot of fans gives us energy and helps us a lot.”
Seymour will tip off against St. Croix Central at 1:35 p.m. Thursday at the Kohl Center in Madison.
