Each victory came by double-digit margins. The only difference was when the Madison Warhawks girls and boys basketball teams took the leads for good and pulled away in their doubleheader sweep over the host Marshall Statesmen in the opening games of the 2021-22 high-school season for all four teams.
The two-time defending Class 6 state champion Madison girls won 60-24, taking a quick and dominating 17-0 lead in the Nov. 30 contest, and were up 34-11 at halftime.
The Madison boys won, 63-52, after trailing 12-8 at the end of the first quarter, then starting the second on a 9-0 run to move ahead. The lead seesawed from there, until a layup by Madison’s Jack Kaminski with 5:17 left in the third period gave the Warhawks the lead for good at 34-32.
Madison gradually pulled away a bit from there, leading 47-39 at the end of three quarters.
Senior guard Andrew Gorkowski was Madison’s leading scorer with 14 points and he made two of the Warhawks’ eight three-pointers. Joey Chalabi scored 13 for Madison and senior point guard Bo Kuhblank (two threes) had eight points, five assists and four steals. Madison’s Will Giery added two three-pointers, with Miles Franklin and Kaminski making one each.
For the Marshall boys, Matt Lenert scored 19 with five rebounds and two steals, and Adien Hrnjez had 16 points.
For the Madison girls in their win, senior sisters Grace and Alayna Arnolie were active scoring offense and getting steals and deflecting balls on defense to help the Warhawks build the dominating early lead. Madison’s other starters were seniors Mia Chapman and Kiera Kohler and junior Kayla Dixon.
Alayna Arnolie had 19 points, three assists and three rebounds and Grace Arnolie added 12 points, four assists and four steals. Chapman had 13 points and nine rebounds, Kohler grabbed six boards, Dixon had four assists and Sarah Link four rebounds.
The starters for an inexperienced Marshall team were senior Katherine Murphy and freshman Emma South, sophomores Anna Musgrove and Alexandra Nassif and junior Brennah Lee-Pawlak.