ONALASKA — There are times when Tom Cowley undergoes chemotherapy treatment early in the day and coaches a basketball game hours later.
Friday marked one of those days, but this one was a little different than the others.
Cowley coached the Onalaska High School girls basketball team against rival Holmen on a John Shelton Court that was surrounded by coaches, players and spectators wearing shirts with his name on them.
With “Stronger Together” printed in green lettering on a black background, it signified the support the math teacher and coach has after being diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma back in August.
“This is very humbling,” Cowley said of the support. “(Onalaska) is my fifth district, and I think there was somebody from almost all of them here.”
Cowley started his career at Rice Lake. Thorp, Prairie du Chien and Arcadia followed until he arrived at Onalaska in 2020. He was an assistant coach for two seasons before helping the Hilltoppers to a 53-34 record the past three-plus seasons.
Onalaska beat the Vikings 55-40, but that was just a portion of what happened on a night built around support for Cowley.
“This night was specifically picked because of a wonderfully healthy rivalry with Holmen,” Onalaska principal Jared Schaffner said. “Their fans always show up, and they are happy to support Coach Cowley.
“Their coaches are wearing the same shirt our coaches are wearing. It’s a great atmosphere and people coming together to support a wonderful cause.”
The event, Schaffner said, was spearheaded by Onalaska assistant coach Beth Nicolai. The girls game was preceded by a boys game between Onalaska and Holmen, and each game included a miracle minute to benefit the Cowley family and a halftime performance by the Onalaska dance team.
Cowley, who coached Arcadia to the WIAA Division 3 state tournament in 2020, hasn’t missed a game during the Hilltoppers’ 9-3 season. His assistant coaches — Nicolai, Randy Ketelhut, Kacie Gross — made sure Cowley had what time he needed outside of games, but he said he’s missed just one practice.
Cowley said treatment is given in two-day segments. Seven hours the first day and one hour the second. The process is repeated 28 days after completion, and he started treatment in September.
It all started with a routine doctor visit. Cowley’s wife Hanni encouraged him to ask his doctor about a spot on his back that had been expanding.
“The doctor said, ‘Yeah, let’s get that looked at,'” Cowley said. “One thing led to another and the diagnosis came through. It was an 8-and-a-half-inch tumor, and then we found out it had spread to other areas.”
Cowley said the doctor estimated its presence stretched by 10 years by that point. He also said progress has been made over the past five months.
One more treatment is scheduled, and Cowley said that will be followed by another scan and diagnosis on progress. Eighteen months of immunotherapy could be the next step.
But basketball will continue to be part Cowley’s life every step of the way. He also has the added motivation of his daughters Raelyn and Avery on the roster. Enjoying the time he expected to have with them is important, too.
Instead of being beaten down by the diagnosis, he’ll continue to find time for the things that give him joy in life.
“Honestly, this has been a very humbling experience and trial to go through,” Cowley said. “I’ve learned so much from going through this, and the biggest lesson learned is don’t put anything off.”
