“I don’t think any team in the state could beat us right now.” A bold statement, but a fair one coming from the 2025 WIAA D2 Boys Basketball State Championship MVP, Matthew Kloskey. The junior stated this just hours before beating the Sussex Hamilton Chargers 80-61 in their last regular season home game on February 27th.

The win against the Chargers secured the win of the Greater Metro Conference (GMC) with a conference record of 12-4. The team experienced some challenges the month before, but were much improved in February, where they won all their games. “I wish we had started off a little bit better this year, but I like how we are moving,” Kloskey stated.

The team moved on to play the regional semi-final against Golda Meir at home on Friday, March 7th. The Trojans, who were second in the conference,  easily kept their momentum. They crushed the Owls, who were seventh in the conference, 80-59.

Although it was more of a one-sided match up, the loss was still a bit of a shock for the Milwaukee team, as their last game was a huge victory of 95-37 over the Milwaukee Arts Crimson Stars. It seemed that the Trojans recognized their chance at history that night, and knew it could not be put to waste.

The Trojans sealed the important playoff victory of 63-58 against their co-conference champions, the Brookfield Central Lancers, in the WIAA Sectional Semifinal.

The Trojans began with an early lead, however by halftime, the game was tied 28-28. You could feel the anticipation of the crowd going into halftime and the worry when the Lancers quickly took a 7 point lead afterwards. Yet, they were no match for the Trojans, who pulled themselves ahead with less than three minutes on the clock.

The Brown, Hansen and Kloskey trifecta were ruthless against the Lancers, scoring 61 out of 63 of the Trojan’s points. The win allowed the Trojans to advance to the Sectional Final for the first time since 2020. But for the next 24 hours, everything was on the line for the boys leading up to their game against Mount Horeb.

Tosa West fans stepped down row by row of the bleachers to reach the court where the Tosa West boys varsity basketball team celebrated. The Trojans had just made history.

From the start of the game, the Trojans quickly took over with their fast-paced offense and kept their lead, going into halftime 36-21. The Vikings pushed back in the second half, but the Trojans kept their guard up and ended with an 18 point victory.

The game resulted in a 71-59 shutout against the Mount Horeb Vikings. Tosa West would now take on Wausau East the following week at the Kohl Center in Madison for the WIAA Division 2 State Championship.

Wednesday, March 19th’s school day ended with a great send off for our Trojan boys. The “Walk of Champions,” as it is called, is done by every state qualifying sport in the school before they attend their state competition. Students lined the halls to cheer for the players who followed behind the Tosa West Band drumline.

The boys left for their competition on Thursday in order to prepare for their game on Friday, March 21st. Many students attended the Friday night game, either driving themselves or using the schools fan busses, and the Trojans did not disappoint.

Although the game started slow, the critical thinking and perseverance was clear throughout the game. By halftime, the score was 38-32 thanks to Kloskey’s and Brown’s scoring abilities and the Trojan’s strong defense. The Trojans came back swinging after halftime, obtaining an 11 point lead that the Lumberjacks tried to push against, but it was too late. Time ran out with a score of 75-63 and the Trojans had advanced to the final championship game. “We took care of business, now we are locked in on finishing the job [tomorrow]” said senior Jake Hansen following the win.

Racine Park had played a close game against Cedarburg the night before, which concerned some Trojan fans. However, the Trojans seem to be unbothered as they took the floor the next night. Both teams took the floor with great momentum, quickly racking up points in an arena that was charged with anticipation. The Trojans had some foul trouble early on, which led coach Christopher Newbauer to rely more on players from the bench. Jalen Brown would eventually foul out just before Racine Park took a lead of 54-52 with less than a minute left. Although it almost seemed over for the Trojans, the players knew they were not done. Junior DJ Hennings made an absolutely clutch shot that sent the game into overtime with just seconds left.

In overtime, the Trojans held up their defense. Senior Jake Hansen stole the ball with little time left, made two key free throws and secured the WIAA Division 2 State Championship win against Racine Park 60-57. “Everybody stepped up when their number was called, and we fought hard the entire game. Ultimately, we made championship plays down the stretch and completed the mission,” said Hansen.

The Tosa West Boys Basketball team went down in history after their remarkable win against Racine Park in the WIAA Division 2 State Championships. The win has been surrounded by unmeasurable excitement the past few weeks from Wauwatosa residents, as this is the first-ever state title for the Trojans. “What was different about this season was our team chemistry. The guys played for one another,” stated basketball coach Christopher Newbauer. “The players bought into their roles and played their roles extremely well. They put in a tremendous amount of work and it paid off in the end.”

The state win is not the only milestone for the Trojans this season. Senior Jake Hansen achieved 1,500+ points in his career, surpassing the 1,274 point record set by Andre Caroll in 2015. Junior MJ Kloskey and sophomore Jalen Brown also saw great success, both surpassing 1,000 points this season.

It is safe to say Hansen will be leaving the Trojans on a good note, and that the team will be left safely in the hands of Kloskey and Brown.