It’s no secret that the De Pere High School boys basketball team last year pulled one of the greatest feats in recent history: an undefeated 30-0 season, capped off with a Division 1  Wisconsin state title.

The big question is whether or not the team can do it again. 

A repeat state title is no easy accomplishment, but as has been displayed in the past, the De Pere basketball team prepares and plays like no other. 

A regional title, a conference title, and a state title (accompanied by an undefeated season) will most likely never be repeated again, but the enthusiasm from Coach Winchester and his players may be having us think otherwise. 

“The goal still is for us this year to win a conference championship, win a regional championship, win a sectional championship, and win a state championship,” Coach Winchester said. “How you get there doesn’t have to look like last year’s team, you just want to achieve those four things. And if you fall short in those things to say, well, that it was a success or to say it was a failure probably isn’t fair either because it’s so hard to do many of those things.”

The last Division 1 boys team to win back-to-back state titles was Stevens Point, which actually won three in a row from 2015-17. Before that, Germantown won three in a row from 2012-2014.

Coach Winchester is not shaken by the pressure of this new season, stating that the team has always and needs to continue to, “commit to [the] process every game.” 

But starting the season with a new lineup comes with its own challenges and Coach W. is looking to make this team new and its own, separate from the one of last year.

“I want this team to be able to take on its own personality, to work really hard together, to enjoy the experience and to maximize its potential,” Winchester said. “I think it has the potential to win another state championship, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen either. And I want to see what we do along the way.” 

It’s not just the coach who believes heavily in this new team, but senior Will Hornseth seems to think that this team can go far too. 

Hornseth believes that the team’s performance this season will depend just as heavily on the camaraderie between teammates on and off the court.

“I think it has to do with making sure [that] off the court we’re best friends and we’re hanging out,” Hornseth said. “Because I think that does translate [to success] and having genuine appreciation for each other.”

The season opener is on December 2nd at West De Pere.