It’s not often this reporter is taken aback at the amount of passion and support a local sports team receives, but Bulldog Pride was on full display through the Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton (JWP) Boys Basketball State run. This team has been one of destiny all season with a 20-0 start that eventually came to an end; however, a few defeats did not derail them, it fueled them to even greater heights with a dominant Section 2A Championship run. All the momentum seemed to be on the Bulldog’s side as they prepared for the Class A State tournament in the Twin Cities–their first appearance in 18 years–but before the team departed for a date at State, a pep-fest set the tone for a weekend of thrilling play.
The Send-Off: A Town Painted Silver and Blue
The atmosphere at the JWP pep fest on March 25th wasn’t just celebratory; it was electric. A rowdy pep band, led by Director Hille, set a tone of Bulldog pride of the highest order, shaking the gym floor as fans, students, and staff gathered to send off the Boys Basketball team to the Class A State Tournament.
Chase Gerdts took the mic to introduce the squad, beginning with the managers and coaches before the players took the floor to a standing ovation. Coach Nick James, a pillar for this program, addressed the sea of silver and blue. “This team has worked their tails off,” James said, thanking the fans for their season-long devotion. “State will be a real treat for us, and we look forward to competing.” He specifically thanked his players for the grueling early morning practices and their unwavering faith in the coaching staff.
Captains Caleb Quast and Daulton Bauer shared their thoughts, though their styles differed. “I’ve never been a part of something like going to State,” Bauer told the crowd. “I can’t thank the fans enough.” Quast, true to his reputation as a man of few words, kept it brief with a sudden, heartfelt thank you before handing back the mic. The ceremony concluded with a unified rendition of the school song, followed by a Thursday morning parade that saw the team cheered on from the post office to the nursing home as they began their trek to the tournament.
Bauer Power leads Bulldogs over Tigers in QF
JWP 81, Cherry 72
After eighteen years, the JWP boys were back on the big stage. Facing the Cherry Tigers—the 2024 champions and 2025 runners-up—the Bulldogs knew that despite being the higher seed, they were facing an elite program in their first game of the tournament. “Another game for us,” Coach James said during warmups, trying to calm the nerves. “The moment is bigger, but we play our game and we get the results we’re looking for.”
The first half was a heavyweight bout. Daulton (DB) and Gavin Bauer (GB) traded blows with Cherry’s Asuma cousins. DB ignited the crowd with a stepback jumper, while GB’s quickness inside kept the Tigers off balance. JWP utilized a blistering fastbreak to lead 14-8, forcing an early Cherry timeout. However, the Tigers’ experience showed as they clawed back to a 35-34 lead late in the half. At the break, JWP held a razor-thin 38-37 lead, with the Bauer brothers accounting for 30 of those points.
The second half saw JWP pull away. An 11-2 run, punctuated by Bauer Power buckets and a DB teardrop, pushed the lead to 52-42. While Cherry remained resilient, JWP’s defensive adjustments on the block and a clutch charge taken by Wolff stifled the Tigers’ momentum. A late and-one by GB served as the dagger to a remarkable 81-72 victory in the quarterfinals. The Bauer Bros combined for a staggering 71 points—Daulton led with 39 & Gavin with 32.
Semifinals: A Gritty Turnaround Against the Rebels
JWP 67, Red Lake County 58
The semifinal featured a clash of playstyles: JWP’s breakneck transition speed versus the bruising, inside-out tempo of the Red Lake County Rebels. Early on, the Rebels’ defense was winning the battle, shutting down the Bulldogs’ driving lanes and building a 10-point lead (27-17) with six minutes left in the half.
But JWP didn’t panic. They closed the half on a 15-2 run. DB drew a foul on a three-point attempt to knot the score at 27, and a GB jumper gave JWP its first lead at 32-29 going into the locker room. The second half was a game of runs. After the Rebels tied it at 42, JWP’s defense forced turnovers that led to easy transition layups. Daulton Bauer took over down the stretch, hitting tough leaners, bank shots, and remaining nearly flawless at the charity stripe. As the final seconds ticked off, the usually stoic Coach James let out a rare smile. For the first time in school history, the Bulldogs were headed to the State Championship following a 67-58 win. D. Bauer led with 29 points.
The Championship: Heartbreak at the Barn
Hills-Beaver Creek 64, JWP 33
The stage for the Class A Championship was set at Williams Arena or “The Barn.” It was a “Bulldogs vs. Underdogs” story, as JWP faced the 5th-seeded Hills-Beaver Creek (HBC) Patriots. Following a beautiful National Anthem by team manager Travyn Shoultz, the game commenced in front of a deafening crowd.
Unfortunately, the storybook ending hit a wall of cold shooting. After an opening bucket by GB, JWP went nearly eight minutes without an official score. HBC’s size, led by the interior dominance of Metzger, proved too much to contain. The Bulldogs trailed 11-3, then 22-6, as open looks simply wouldn’t fall. By halftime, JWP was shooting a staggering 3-of-24 from the field, trailing 32-9.
A flash of Bauer Power returned to start the second half. A 12-3 run, fueled by triples from GB, Weedman, and Quast, brought the Bulldogs within thirteen (34-21). For a moment, it felt like a comeback was brewing. However, HBC regained their composure and used their physicality to pull away for good.
In the final minutes, Coach James cleared the bench, allowing everyone from seniors Terbeest and Walker to the youngest Bauer, Maddox, to experience the State Championship floor.
Though the 64-33 final score was a “heartbreaking end” to a historic 30-4 season, the post-game ceremony honored the Bulldogs’ incredible journey. Daulton and Gavin Bauer were both named to the All-Tournament Team and each player received a medal signifying four and a half months of dedication to the sport.
Reflecting on the journey, Daulton Bauer was filled with gratitude. “Being at the State final as a senior, playing this game with these guys and playing for a community like Janesville…it’s truly a blessing,” he said. He credited Coach James for his development: “Coach James changed my life. I’m truly grateful to have played for him.”
Caleb Quast, who evolved from a defensive specialist into a vital scorer during his senior season, echoed those sentiments. “To reach the state final was incredible for us. It’s always a dream to reach that level of basketball, and we had a really special group here. Coach James is my favorite coach of all time.”
Before the 2025-2026 basketball season began, Coach James had high expectations for these Bulldog Boys. Needless to say, a Section 2A Championship, a State appearance after an 18-year drought, and runners-up in both the Gopher Conference and Class A shatters every expectation and brings JWP basketball into a new era of greatness. “I’m so happy these boys experienced this–they deserved it”, said James. “They earned the right to play for a State title, but the shots today just didn’t go our way…second place is nothing to hang our heads about, and I’m hoping this young core keeps working for more trips in the future.”
In regards to his seniors, James shared an emotional moment with them, “It’s really hard to put into words what Daulton, Caleb, Micheal, and Zander mean to this program. These four have a 91-30 Varsity record together and some of them have been playing as teammates since the first grade…it’s hard to say goodbye after all these years, but they have left such a great foundation for this program.”
It wasn’t the gold medal they dreamed of, but for the JWP community, this team—and the Bauer brothers’ legendary performances—will be talked about for generations. At one point in the season, these Bulldog Boys flirted with a perfect season, starting the year on a 20-game win streak. A few losses knocked a sense of reality into the squad who finished the regular season second in the Gopher Conference, first in sections, and runnersup of Class A–second out of 151 teams. Those accomplishments merit a highly successful season worthy of celebration.
The departure of four seniors including the program’s all-time leading scorer in Daulton Bauer will be deeply missed. It’s uncertain how the Bulldog Boys will bounce back for next season, but for now, they have plenty to wag about owing to the fact that a new standard for Bulldog Pride has been set.
