Fall River men’s basketball marks a historic start backed by transfers, recovery and chemistry

The Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association placed the Pirates in second place in the 5th Division with a 10-0 record. The Pirates top 5-0 in the Trailways West Conference.

Prominent among the factors contributing to their success is Cullen Rauls’ return from the knee, which he experienced during a homecoming event, forcing him to miss most of his junior season.

“It was awful, I was in every practice and game,” said Rauls, who watched Fall River go 16-12, 7-7 in the Trailways West Conference and lose to league rivals Cambria-Friesland in the WIAA Division 5 regional semifinals. “It was awful that I couldn’t contribute to the games. I’ve been working hard to get back there. Every time I saw my surgeon, we pushed him further back. I was never cleared until the last game.

As a sophomore for Ceegan Rauls, he created an opportunity to replace his older brother as quarterback.

Oelke said in a roundabout way that Ceegan Rauls’ development skyrocketed last season with averages of 6.6 points, 3.2 assists and 1.1 steals. Along with his brother, Ceegan Rauls took another step forward, averaging 10.8 points and 3.1 steals per game.

“He did an admirable job,” Oelke said. “I really think it’s working for this year. He knows where to fill the gaps this year where he struggled a bit last year. He’s gotten stronger as he grows. He’s more confident when attacking. He doesn’t want to touch the defender, he’s absorbing the contact this year. That’s a big difference in his growth. ”

Veteran forward Colin Vieth also had to step up his game, leading the Pirates with 16.9 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. With both Rauls brothers on the court, Vieth has scored 14.9 points and 9.1 rebounds this season.

The trio grew up together in Sun Prairie and transferred to Fall River when Cullen Rauls and Vieth were sophomores and Ceegan Rauls were freshmen before the 2020-21 season kicked off.

Cullen Rauls and Vieth led Fall River into an 11-15 campaign in their first season as the Pirates in 2020-21, losing to eventual WIAA Division 5 state champion Hustisford in regional events.

While the chemistry between the former Sun Prairie trio was at an all-time high, the expectations were just as high as we entered this season.

“It starts with getting back into the flow of playing back with Cullen,” Vieth said. “We work really great together now. Eventually it clicks between us.”

Cullen Rauls is back through vigorous physical therapy and had the opportunity to play against the Hilltoppers last season. However, he believed the series was 50% healthy, causing it to play limited minutes.

Oelke says he’s seen the senior quarterback work hard to strengthen his knee this summer by lifting weights, doing cardio, and getting plenty of shots in the gym.

The result of his efforts has allowed Cullen Rauls to lead Trailways West this season with an average of 18.6 points and 4.8 steals per game. He is third in the league with 3.6 assists per game.

“When you take a year off and you sit there and watch from the sidelines, it’s hard for a high school player to do that because they know they can’t get that year back,” Oelke said. To his credit, he focused on getting better. He gave everything he could to be better.”

The return of Cullen Rauls led to a one-on-one game winner on December 15 to help the Pirates beat Markesan 55-52. The Hornets won 4-1 in conference play, which drew second-placed Randolph after Fall River.

The defense of the Rauls brothers, Vieth, and other Pirates led to victories. Cullen Rauls (4.6 steals) and Ceegan Rauls (3.1) lead the team in steals. Pirates also leads the conference with 15.2 steals and 3.6 blocks per game.

“Our defense makes up our offense,” said Cullen Rauls. “We’re going to get a lot of points for playing a lot of steals. We have the most steals in the conference. Our defense is a big part of our success.”

All of this will lead the trio to their ultimate goal that set out from the very beginning.

“We have to keep working harder in practice because we’re after a golden ball,” Ceegan Rauls said. “We’re striving for that. That’s what we wanted to do when we first signed up here – win a state championship for Fall River.”