There’s gonna be a new sign coming to Reedsville.
Drive through the small village anytime in the past 80 years and you see the recognition of the first state championship in school history, winning the boys basketball championship in 1946.
Football was added to that sign in 2021 and now the Panthers boys basketball team has done it again, defeating Southwestern 56-48 in the WIAA Division 5 state final on March 21 at the Kohl Center in Madison.
And helping lead the way was Ben Prochnow, son of Reedsville coach Ron Prochnow and great grandson of 1946 team member Hank Behnke.
Ben Prochnow had 19 points and eight assists while Arden Strenn had a 20 points and 14 rebounds to finish with a double double.
With the Panthers preferring a fast-pace offense, Southwestern was running up and down the floor with Reedsville but both teams had tired legs in the second half.
Playing two games in two days at that tempo clearly had a big impact as both teams shot 50% from the field before halftime while Southwestern shot just under 26% in the second half.
It was almost like after metaphorically rushing through the season, with a state championship on the line it seemed like time was standing still for the Panthers.
The game grinded to a halt and the clock kept ticking closer and closer to Reedsville lifting the gold ball over their heads in celebration.
Already the school’s all-time leading scorer, Prochnow crossed over 1,800 points for his career and has over 800 assists showing he was looking out for his teammates but more than capable of getting the job done himself.
What’s more remarkable is the run of excellence Reedsville has been on in the last decade or so across multiple sports now.
For more than three quarters of a century that state title in 1946 was the village’s calling card.
When the football team won state in 2021, the community rallied and supported the team like nothing else. Finally, 75 years later another state title was coming home.
Then adding another in boys basketball with an entirely different set of players, although like with any small community the last names are generally the same.
No matter the sport you’ll find a Strenn or a Schwahn, such as standout 3-point shooter Jack Schwahn and his twin brother Caleb Schwahn.
Then there’s the Taddys, represented in 2026 by defensive dynamo Will Taddy.
That’s what makes high school sports great, especially in little towns and villages.
State championships are remembered and celebrated long after playing days, or even lifespans, come to an end.
Reedsville is about as quintessential small-town Americana as you can get.
Heck the varsity basketball teams plays in the elementary school, meaning no matter how old you get there’s always time to remember your roots.
For now, there’ll be celebrations and excitement and decades later the citizens of Reedsville will tell stories about how Prochnow hit a spinning layup to win the state semifinal.
Or how Jack Schwahn made two big 3-pointers to start the championship.
After 80 years its certainly time for new legends to be talked about.
If history is any indication, Reedsville’s state title will be the talk of town for a long, long time.
Contact Tom Dombeck at 920-686-2965 or tdombeck@htrnews.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Tom_Dombeck.
This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: After 80 years, Reedsville boys basketball has new legends | Dombeck
Reporting by Tom Dombeck, Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter / Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter
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