MADISON – Chris Zwettler has been waiting for this since mid-December.

The Madison Edgewood boys basketball coach has a team that looks like it is finally hitting its stride with three big wins, all of which came down to the final minute and possessions.

It could not have come at a better time as the Crusaders (8-1, 11-6) who go to Monroe to take on their arch rival Cheesemakers (7-2, 12-4) Thursday night.

“They have beaten us in 12 of 13 and something like nine in a row,” Zwettler said. “We’re not going to change much. In a game like this, you just do what you do, but hope you do it good enough to win.”

Going against the likes of Bryan Tordoff, who is averaging 16.2 points per game, Michael Barrett (13.2 ppg) and Kevin Frint (11.2 ppg) is not going to make Thursday night easy.

Things are definitely on the upswing for Edgewood with Stoughton (45-39), Monona Grove (50-48) and Madison West (61-60) in the last week and Zwettler is hoping it helps the team’s mental toughness.

“Anytime you can go on the road and get wins against teams directly behind us in the standings, you’d hope it helps you mentally,” Zwettler said of two of the wins that the Crusaders pulled out on their final possessions. “If that doesn’t help your psyche, I don’t think anything will.”

The Crusaders have won six of seven and sit in first place in the Badger-North, but it was a little rough sledding at the start of the season.

But he has spent since the start of December trying to emphasize smart decisions with this team.

“The key for us has been decision making for our guys,” Zwettler said. “There were games we were shooting 21 or 22 three-pointers. We’ve cut that down to about 11 or 12 and our percentage of the two-point shot has gone, up with it.”

Sophomore forward Austin Ariens has started to take things over offensively at the start of this current four-game win streak with a 29-point performance against Milton in a 52-44 victory on Jan. 29.

“That was the first time he really went off for us,” Zwettler said. “He went 6 for 7 from three and really got hot for us.”

The fact that the team is beginning to flourish now after the loss of Michael Eshun, the team’s point guard, speaks for what the guys have been able to accomplish.

“It’s a holdover injury from football season and it looks like he’s going to be out for the rest of the year,” Zwettler said of the injury which force him out of the Jan. 3 game and every contest since. “He is our spiritual and emotional leader on the floor. It took a while for the guys to step up and fill what Mike gave us.”

The Crusaders have filled in nicely since and have won six of seven games. They hope Thursday they can reverse recent fortunes against the Cheesemakers.

UPSET SPECIALS

All of the No. 1 seeds on both the boys and girls polls last week. On the boys side, Racine Park (18-0) is atop Division 1, New Berlin Eisenhower (17-0) is No. 1 in Division 2, Cuba City (18-0) is on top of Division 3 and Randolph (15-2) reigns over Division 4.

In Division 1, No. 7 Superior (15-2) fell to Duluth East (Minn.) while No. 9 Waunakee (13-3) fell in nonconference play to Randolph, cementing the Rockets as one of the top teams in Division 4.

In Division 2, Waupun (16-2), playing without star guard Austin Armga, fell to Eastern Wisconsin Conference foe New Holstein, 76-61.

Port Washington (13-3), ranked No. 5 last week, fell to Nicolet, 62-58, but kept pace in the North Shore Conference with a victory over Whitefish Bay Friday, 55-34.

In Division 3, second-ranked Racine St. Catherine’s fell to St. John’s Northwestern, 44-41. Fellow Midwest Classic Conference rival, Whitefish Bay Dominican, ranked No. 6, fell to Whitnall, 49-48.

Also falling in Division 3 was No. 10 ranked Blair-Taylor, as Arcadia knocked off the Wildcats.

In Division 4, No. 5 fell to Oconto, which is ranked No. 7 in Division 2. There were too more upsets in Division 4 as No. 8 Prentice fell to Chequamegon while No. 10 South Shore fell to Hurley.

On the girls side, only Division 1 was that crazy as No. 2 ranked De Pere fell to Green Bay Preble, 49-44.

Also, No. 4 ranked Mukwonago fell to Milwaukee Pius XI, which was receiving votes, only tightening up the battle in the ever-tough Classic 8.

Racine Case, which was receiving first-place votes a couple weeks ago, fell to Franklin, 65-63 in the Southeast Conference.

In Division 2, only No. 10 ranked Lakeside Lutheran was knocked off, falling to Lake Mills, as No. 1 ranked Monroe held court.

In Division 3, No. 5 ranked Orfordville Parkview was one of two teams to fall, getting knocked off by Brodhead and No. 8 Oostburg fell to Ozaukee. Cuba City holds on to the top spot with two convincing wins last week.

In Division 4, Prentice should hold on to the top spot with two big victories while No. 10 Weston was the only ranked team to fall, getting knocked off by Seneca.

GAME OF THE WEEK

Tuesday night’s Wisconsin Flyway Conference girls showdown between Lomira, ranked third in last week’s Associated Press Division 3 poll, and Kettle Moraine Lutheran is our Game of the Week, receiving a big chunk of the vote.

Here’s the full preview of the game. The game is scheduled for Tuesday night, but Mother Nature may have a hand in that. Be sure to check back Tuesday for updates.

BIG GAME HUNTING

The build to the madness that comes in March is on. Here are the ones that add to it.

Girls

1. Neenah (10-2, 13-3) at Kimberly (10-2, 12-4), Tuesday: The two teams jockeying for position behind Oshkosh West in the Fox Valley Association meet. With Kimberly’s meeting on Friday, they have the most to lose here.

2. Kettle Moraine Lutheran (7-2, 11-3) at Lomira (9-0, 15-1), Tuesday: The Lions won the first meeting between the two teams by eight points. Lomira has gotten better since then while the Chargers look to do what the rest of the WFC hasn’t been able to to; beat Lomira.

3. Oshkosh Lourdes (9-0, 13-3) at Markesan (8-1, 12-5), Thursday: This Trailways Conference crossover pits the top two teams in the Central and North Divisions. Both have high expectations for the postseason and a win would show which team is most ready for the big time.

4. Milwaukee Pius XI (9-1, 15-3) at Catholic Memorial (7-3, 11-4), Friday: Pius won the first meeting between the two teams, 55-39, but in the unpredictable Classic Eight Conference the Crusaders could come away with a win on their home court.

5. Kimberly at Oshkosh West (11-1, 13-3), Friday: Yes Kimberly is on here twice, but playing the first and second-place teams in the FVA warrants it. The Papermakers need Tuesday to make this one matter though.

Boys

1. Green Lake (10-0, 15-1) at Randolph (8-0, 15-0), Tuesday:  Randolph showed its strength with a win over a Division 1 ranked team in Waunakee Saturday. Green Lake could give the Rockets a test with its size up front that will need to keep Kyle Kelm from going off.

2. Roncalli (13-0, 15-2) at Valders (12-1, 15-1), Tuesday: The Jets won the first matchup between the two teams on their homecourt back on Dec. 17 and hope for much of the same in this battle. This one could be a battle of Roncalli’s Ben Stelzer and Valders’ Andrew Schwoerer.

3. Monroe (7-2, 12-4) at Madison Edgewood (8-1, 11-6), Thursday: Monroe has owned Edgewood in recent years and a win in this game can get the Cheesemakers in line for another share of the Badger-South title.

4. Milw. Washington (11-5) at Waunakee (13-3), Saturday: A big Division 1 nonconference showdown that will showcase some different styles. That of the City Conference and the Purgolders and that of the Warriors and the Badger-North will get both teams ready for the postseason, which is fast approaching.