2006-2007 State Tournament
Blog[/URL]
Class 4A All Tournament Team[/URL]
Designated by the Iowa High School Association:
Kaylon Williams - Cedar Rapids Kennedy
Ethan Freeman - Urbandale
Grant Gibbs - Linn-Mar
Charlie Schwartz - Bettendorf
Jordan Printy - Linn-Mar *
*Indicates Co-Captains
Linn-Mar 61, Bettendorf 41[/URL]
Leaders for Linn-Mar
Points: 18 points for Jordan Printy
Rebounds: 8 rebounds for Grant Gibbs
Assists: 2 assists for Grant Gibbs
Leaders for Bettendorf
Points: 10 points for Troy Rorer/Joe Speth
Rebounds: 4 rebounds for Joe Speth
Assists: 2 assists for Charlie Schwartz/Troy Rorer
Game's MVP: Jordan Printy
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Chris
Robertson Interview
Audio:
Nate
Hutcheson Interview
Audio:
Jordan
Printy Interview
Audio:
Grant Gibbs
Interview
Audio:
Zach
Bohannon Interview
Audio:
Kevin
Skillett Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
Linn-Mar did what they have done all year and that helped them to their second
State title in the last four years. With Jordan Printy being the man this
year, the Lions may have been better (Sorry Jason Bohannon) because they had so
many offensive options. The scary thing is that the younger players will
have another year under their belts and the third Bohannon will be entering the
high school. If these players avoid complacency, they really have a
realistic chance at repeating. As for the Bulldogs, they did have a
magical run. Few expected them to get to the State tournament, let alone
to the title game.
Class 3A All Tournament Team[/URL]
Designated by the Iowa High School Association:
Nick Wagner Grinnell
Clint Sargent Bishop Heelan Catholic, Sioux City
Brennan Cougill Bishop Heelan Catholic, Sioux City
*Kyle Haake Harlan
*Clayton Vette Waverly-Shell Rock
*Indicates Co-Captains
Waverly-Shell Rock 74, Sioux City Heelan 51[/URL]
Leaders for Waverly-Shell Rock
Points: 18 points for Clayton Vette
Rebounds: 14 rebounds for Clayton Vette
Assists: 7 assists for Dane Larson
Leaders for Sioux City Heelan
Points: 14 points for Clint Sargent
Rebounds: 5 rebounds for Brennan Cougill
Assists: 1 assist (Multiple players)
Game's MVP: Clayton Vette
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Tom Bardal
Interview
Audio:
Tom Betz
Interview
Audio:
Brennan
Cougill Interview
Audio:
Clayton
Vette Interview
Audio:
Clint
Sargent Interview
Audio:
Dane Larson
Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
When Waverly-Shell Rock was able to start the game with a lob for a dunk, it
seemed rather obvious that good things were going to happen for the Go Hawks.
That ended up being the case as Waverly-Shell Rock rolled to a huge lead in the
first half and All State senior Clayton Vette dominated. The Go Hawks were
also able to hold both Clint Sargent and Brennan Cougill under their average.
That was huge in this game and ended up being the difference.
Cedar Rapids Kennedy 56, Urbandale 50[/URL]
Leaders for Cedar Rapids Kennedy
Points: 14 points for Jake Hughes/Kaylon Williams
Rebounds: 5 rebounds for Kaylon Williams/Cimion George
Assists: 5 assists for Kaylon Williams
Leaders for Urbandale
Points: 23 points for Ethan Freeman
Rebounds: 9 rebounds for Ethan Freeman
Assists: 2 assists for Brett Opdahl/Zach Holliday
Game's MVP: Jake Hughes (He won it because no one expected him to score as
much as he did)
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Bob Fontana
Interview
Audio:
Cimion
George Interview
Audio:
Brad
Bjorkgren Interview
Audio:
Ethan
Freeman Interview
Audio:
Jake Hughes
Interview
Audio:
Kaylon
Williams Interview
Audio:
Reece
Uhlenhopp Interview
Audio:
Walter
Loesch Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
The Class 4A consolation game that pitted Urbandale against Cedar Rapids Kennedy
proved to be one of the best of the State tournament. The Cougars had just
enough firepower, even with Kaylon Williams on the bench with five fouls, to
pull out the win. Ethan Freeman of Urbandale ended his prep career in
impressive fashion as he nearly posted a double double with 23 points and nine
rebounds. The Cougars countered with three players in double digits and
won despite a brutal crowd. Where are the fans at these days?
Harlan 82, Grinnell[/URL] 55
Leaders for Harlan
Points: 18 points for Kyle Haacke
Rebounds: 9 rebounds for Dan Hoch
Assists: 6 assists for Neil Gross
Leaders for Grinnell
Points: 17 points for Nick Wagner
Rebounds: 8 rebounds for Will Eilert
Assists: 2 assists (Multiple players)
Game's MVP: Neil Gross
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Nick Wagner
Interview
Audio:
Dan Hoch
Interview
Audio:
Mitch
Osborn Interview
Audio:
Neil Gross
Interview
Audio:
Scott Sharp
Interview
Audio:
Will Eilert
Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
In the Class 3A consolation game, Harlan left no doubt that they were
disappointed about losing to Sioux City Heelan down the stretch in the
semifinals. The Cyclones worked hard on both ends of the court and held
the Tigers to only 31% shooting from the floor. They also dominated the
boards as well. Even though Harlan was not able to take home the title,
they did prove they were among the best teams in Class 3A. Grinnell also
proved they deserved a top ranking early in the year. Despite struggles
midway through the year, the Tigers came to play in the first round and showed
they have great athletes.
Hull Western Christian 67, Mid-Prairie[/URL] 62
Leaders for Hull Western
Points: 23 points for Jeremy Zeutenhorst
Rebounds: 8 rebounds for Jeremy Zeutenhorst
Assists: 5 assists for Joel Gesink
Leaders for Mid-Prairie
Points: 22 points for Kyle Graber
Rebounds: 8 rebounds for Justin Strabala
Assists: 2 assists for Jason Kern
Game's MVP: Jeremy Zeutenhorst
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Jim Eekhoff
Interview
Audio:
Kevin Fopma
Interview
Audio:
Don
Showalter Interview
Audio:
Trevor
Wolterstorff Interview
Audio:
Jeremy
Zuetenhorst Interview
Audio:
Darian
Patterson Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
After watching the consolation game, this one had all the makings of a blowout.
Tri-Center and Mid-Prairie played a tough game in the semifinal round and so did
Hull Western and Nodaway Valley. When the Wolverines played Tri-Center in
the consolation game, they won going away. Mid-Prairie on the other hand
was extremely pesky throughout and even with a strange horn with 15 seconds
left, the Wolfpack were too much in the end. I give the Golden Hawks a lot
of credit considering the type of game they played. They slowed down a
Hull Western team that was dominating teams throughout the State tournament.
They made things interesting in this contest and I give them credit. They
have been playing with nothing to lose since the playoffs started and showed
that any team, despite their loss total, can make a serious run in the playoffs.
It did help getting their players back but was a great run.
Class 2A All Tournament Team[/URL]
Designated by the Iowa High School Association:
* James Larson - Nodaway Valley
* Kyle Graber - Mid-Prairie
* Darian Patterson - Mid-Prairie
* Kurt Spomer - Tri-Center (Tri-captain)
* Jeremy Zeutenhorst - Hull Western Christian (Tri-captain)
* Trevor Wolterstorff - Hull Western Christian (Tri-captain)
Thoughts at halftime of the Class 2A title game
*There was an inadvertent horn with 15.6 seconds left in the game. Talk
about a bad time (I know, not half but needed to be put somewhere). Since
I am sitting in front of the MP fans, I can say they were not happy to say the
least.
*Considering the score of the consolation game, I have really been impressed
with the fact that Mid-Prairie has been able to hand with Hull Western in the
title game. The Wolfpack have a 36-32 lead but this is not an easy game
for Hull Western. They will continue to have their hands full throughout
the rest of the game and the Golden Hawks really have nothing to lose here.
No one expected them to get to State, let alone the title game. They are
playing loose and enjoying themselves.
*Since it is now 9:30, one would think the association would avoid a halftime
that lasts two and a half hours. Although that is a overestimation, the
halftime is long and tough to sit through. But the good thing is, that
would be the reason why I am writing this. Halftime will only get
interesting of a title game when I get voted into the writer's Hall of Fame.
Oh wait, that will never happen so prove me wrong association!
*One thing I really do enjoy is sitting all around the arena. I am here
ten to twelve hours per day that I would go crazy sitting in one spot.
That is why I am on the move from media row to different spots throughout the
arena. I really do enjoy sitting up on the fourth level.
*Although there are a decent amount of people on the fourth level, the only
people who looked more bored than I do right now is the workers selling
concessions. I guess things could be worse for me.
*Unfortunately, the cheerleading performance that I have seen twice already
today won't be happening again. Well, that is for today.
*I miss Vets. Someone also please come up with a good nickname for
Wells Fargo. I don't like giving companies that I do not support free pub.
So please, nicknames, anyone?
*It is always interesting to hear how the scores spread from throughout the
media and to the crowd. When I am sitting on media row by my computer, I
try to keep an eye on it. Last year I had the free video of the games
going but this year I just don't need to watch more hoops. I think all of
the games have now blurred together.
*One of the coolest things of the new arena (Nickname, anyone?) is how they
do starting lineups. They turn off the main lights and have a spot light
on the starters. If you want motivation to not only be a starter but also
be a start for a state title team, that is it. I unfortunately never
started a high school game but did dominate the title game in 1999 (45 seconds,
0 shots, 0 points, and possibly one rebound).
*Think how long turning the lights off for intros would have taken at Vets.
It may have been longer than the halftime show of the title games. I
really wish I had a big van so I could just take a nap during these halftime.
I probably would leave my parking spot but the problem is that they recharge you
for it. I think that is kind of shady myself.
*Win or lose, Hull Western Christian is my preseason #1 in Class 2A for the
next two years. Mark my words on that one.
*I am glad to see the new building (Someone please think of a new name for
this place) has added newer music. After they played Who Let the Dogs Out
multiple times early in the week, I thought we were in for trouble. The
bigger problem with that is the crowd actually seemed to enjoy it. I hope
you were not one of them.
*One thing I forgot to mention earlier was the crowd for Bettendorf. It
was the poorest crowd I have seen in a semifinal game, ever. I know the
Bulldogs are good at football but come on. No one gave them a chance in
the first round but there is no excuse for this game.
*Listen to the Dan Bestul interview below. He let some strange things
out about the "Let Me Ride the Train" song out. And not only that, it was
an extremely awkward interview as well. There is a great deal of
unintentional humor.
*I hope to leave here before 1 AM.
Northwood-Kensett 47, Iowa Mennonite 44[/URL]
Leaders for Northwood-Kensett
Points: 16 points for Dan Bestul
Rebounds: 6 rebounds for Trevor Davison/Cody Hanson
Assists: 3 assists for Matt Hengesteg/Cody Hanson
Leaders for Iowa Mennonite
Points: 21 points for Carson Miller
Rebounds: 8 rebounds for Jesse Ney
Assists: 2 assists (Multiple players)
Game's MVP: Dan Bestul
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Marty
Cotter Interview
Audio:
Trevor
Davidson Interview
Audio:
Cody Hanson
Interview
Audio:
Dan Bestul
Interview
Audio:
Jesse Ney
Interview
Audio:
Dwight
Gingerich Interview
Audio:
Carson
Miller Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
Even though Iowa Mennonite started the game quick and even held a lead at
halftime, Northwood Kensett owned the third quarter and that ended up being the
difference in this State title game. Dan Bestul, who unfortunately was not
named All Tournament team, led the team in scoring with 16 points and as always
played a critical role for his team. For those media members who just
check stats when making their votes, a good player in Bestul was missed.
Northwood-Kensett had a lot of players step up this season and that was
essential for this title run. They lost some solid pieces last year to
graduation and yet still were able to have an outstanding year.
Class 1A All Tournament Team[/URL]
Designated by the Iowa High School Association:
* Carson Miller - IMS
* Micah Gingerich - IMS
* Tim Loan - Lone Tree
* Brad Herschberger - IMS
* Chris Woerdehoff - WLVA (Co-captain)
* Cody Hanson - Northwood-Kensett (Co-captain)
Bettendorf 45, Cedar Rapids Kennedy 42[/URL]
Leaders for Bettendorf
Points: 16 points for Charlie Schwartz
Rebounds: 8 rebounds for Joe Speth
Assists: 1 assist (I will tell you right now that is 100% false by the way but
that is what the stats said. The assists have not been good all week)
Leaders for Cedar Rapids Kennedy
Points: 15 points for Kaylon Williams
Rebounds: 11 rebounds for Cimion George
Assists: 4 assists for Kaylon Williams
Game's MVP: Charlie Schwartz
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Charlie
Schwartz Interview
Audio:
Bob Fontana
Interview
Audio:
Kaylon
Williams Interview
Audio:
Kevin
Skillett Interview
Audio:
Troy Rorer
Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
Really, Bettendorf continues their run as giant slayers. Their last three
wins, coming against Davenport Central, Iowa City West, and Cedar Rapids Kennedy
can all be considered upsets. It goes to show that the Bulldogs, with Joe
Speth in the lineup, are a much better team. They were able to will all
three teams into their style of basketball and that allowed them to move to the
title game. Although he would not admit it, the ankle of Kaylon Williams
hurt more than he wanted to say. But I really respect the fact that he
said in the postgame interview that he is not using it as an excuse. That
really shows a lot about what type of person he is and how accountable he will
be for his play.
Linn-Mar 55, Urbandale 32[/URL]
Leaders for Linn-Mar
Points: 20 points for Grant Gibbs
Rebounds: 9 rebounds for Zach Bohannon
Assists: 3 assists for Grant Gibbs
Leaders for Urbandale
Points: 9 points for Ethan Freeman
Rebounds: 6 rebounds for Ethan Freeman
Assists: 1 assist for Ethan Freeman/Jared Norris
Game's MVP: Grant Gibbs
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Brad
Bjokgren Interview
Audio:
Chris
Robertson Interview
Audio:
Grant Gibbs
Interview
Audio:
Jordan
Prinity Interview
Audio:
Reece
Uhlenhopp Interview
Audio:
Zach
Bohannon Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
For the second time in the State tournament, Linn-Mar was able to flex their
muscles and pull away early. This time it did take until the second half
to put the game out of hand but they were able to do it. A big part of
their success was due to their defense. They held the J-Hawks to 2-17
shooting behind the three point arc and to only 31% from the field. The
question now is which team will they play in the finals. With their length
and athleticism, that team will have their hands full in putting the ball in the
basket.
Nodaway Valley 73, Tri-Center 44[/URL]
Leaders for Nodaway Valley
Points: 18 points for James Larson
Rebounds: 12 rebounds for James Larson
Assists: 3 assists for Kirk Sidney
Leaders for Tri-Center
Points: 13 points for Kurt Spomer
Rebounds: 6 rebounds for Kurt Spomer/Jared Carroll
Assists: 4 assists for Kurt Spomer
Game's MVP: James Larson
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Carl
Cochran Interview
Audio:
Kurt Spomer
Interview
Audio:
Darrell
Burmeister Interview
Audio:
Justen
Shannon Interview
Audio:
Tyler
Raasch Interview
Audio:
James
Larson Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
To be completely honest, I was not surprised about the final score in this game.
If Nodaway Valley came to play, they would pull out a lopsided victory.
The Wolverines, and especially James Larson, did just that and were able to
extend a big lead early in the game. Larson finished the game two blocks
short of a triple double, which I believe is the closest I have seen to someone
achieving that in my four years of covering the State tournament. Make
sure to listen to his audio interview because he talks about cutting his hair.
I for one would not recognize him if he did that.
Wall Lake View Auburn 52, Lone Tree 37[/URL]
Leaders for Wall Lake View Auburn
Points: 22 points for Chris Woerdehoff
Rebounds: 9 rebounds for Matt Drost/Justin Wissler
Assists: 4 assists for Chris Woerdehoff
Leaders for Lone Tree
Points: 11 points for Tim Loan
Rebounds: 9 rebounds for Tim Loan
Assists: 1 assist (Multiple players)
Game's MVP: Chris Woerdehoff
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Todd
Bontrager Interview
Audio:
Tom Squiers
Interview
Audio:
Tim Loan
Interview
Audio:
Matt Drost
Interview
Audio:
Justin
Wissler Interview
Audio:
Chris
Woerdehoff Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
Despite losing a double overtime heartbreaker in the semifinals, Wall Lake View
Auburn was able to bounce back today and beat a talented Lone Tree team.
Both teams battled hard throughout but the outside shooting and defense of WLVA
helped them to a tough win. Lone Tree had a tough game yesterday as well
and just could not recapture their play from the previous day. Despite one
team having to lose, both squads do end the year on a good note and proved they
were among the best in the State of Iowa for the 2006-2007 season.
Waverly-Shell Rock 68, Grinnell 51[/URL]
Leaders for Waverly-Shell Rock
Points: 32 points for Clayton Vette
Rebounds: 13 rebounds for Clayton Vette
Assists: 5 assists for Dane Larson
Leaders for Grinnell
Points: 14 points for Will Eilert
Rebounds: 8 rebounds for Nick Wagner
Assists: 4 assists for Brandon Sharp
Game's MVP: Clayton Vette
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Clayton
Vette Interview
Audio:
Clayton
Werkman Interview
Audio:
Scott Sharp
Interview
Audio:
Tom Bardal
Interview
Audio:
Will Eilert
Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
From the start, this was the Clayton Vette show and it ended that way.
Waverly-Shell Rock and Grinnell were tied at 14 after the first quarter but the
Go Hawks were able to post 25 on the board in the second half to pull ahead in
impressive fashion. This is when the Vette show was in full effect as he
was scoring inside as well as outside. It should be a great matchup
between this talented senior and sophomore bigman Brennan Cougill of Heelan.
And when Vette was not scoring, his teammates were stepping up around him and
knocking down outside shots.
Sioux City Heelan 57, Harlan 56[/URL]
Leaders for Sioux City Heelan
Points: 17 points for Brennan Cougill
Rebounds: 8 rebounds for John Daniels
Assists: 4 assists for John Kerian
Leaders for Harlan
Points: 24 points for Kyle Haacke
Rebounds: 7 rebounds for Kyle Haacke/Neil Gross
Assists: 4 assists for Brad Blum
Game's MVP: Brennan Cougill
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Brennan
Cougill Interview
Audio:
Tom Betz
Interview
Audio:
Mitch
Osborn Interview
Audio:
Clint
Sargent Interview
Audio:
John
Daniels Interview
Audio:
Neil Gross
Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
I have seen a lot of games at the State tournament and this can go down as one
of the best. Heelan and Harlan were so evenly matched on the basketball
court that this was an instant classic. It continued to go back and fourth
on both ends of the floor and the lead changed so many times. I felt
Harlan and Heelan both had things wrapped up at times by the end. But in
the end, power forward Brennan Cougill had a monster day, especially in the
fourth quarter, to will the Crusaders to a win. The scary thing is that
they were able to do it even with leading scorer Clint Sargent not playing up to
his ability. As for Harlan, they will be back and I expect the winning
streak to start anew in the con
Mid-Prairie 59, Tri-Center 58[/URL]
Leaders for Mid-Prairie
Points: 16 points for Kyle Graber
Rebounds: 12 rebounds for Darian Patterson
Assists: 3 assists for Jason Kern
Leaders for Tri-Center
Points: 32 points for Kurt Spomer
Rebounds: 12 rebounds for Kurt Spomer
Assists: 3 assists for Kurt Spomer
Game's MVP: Kyle Graber
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Carl
Cochran Interview
Audio:
Darian
Patterson Interview
Audio:
Don
Showalter Interview
Audio:
Kyle Graber
Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
If there was ever more of an underdog, it would be the winner of this game
against Hull Western Christian. But before touching on that game, this
game was won narrowly by a gritty and hard nosed Mid-Prairie team. Kyle
Graber led the team in scoring with 16 points and the Golden Hawks shut down the
opposition along the way. Kurt Spomer had another nice night and finished
with 32 points but the defense forced him to 24 shots as well. For the
title game, Mid-Prairie will be a huge underdog. But as Bettendorf showed
last night, anything can happen. Everyone expected the Bulldogs to lose
that game and Mid-Prairie is facing similar outlook.
Hull Western Christian 73, Nodaway Valley 57[/URL]
Leaders for Hull Western Christian
Points: 22 points for Trevor Wolterstorff
Rebounds: 8 rebounds for Jeremy Zeutenhorst
Assists: 4 assists for Joel Gesink
Leaders for Nodaway Valley
Points: 21 points for James Larson
Rebounds: 7 rebounds for James Larson/Tyler Raasch
Assists: 4 assists for Tyler Raasch
Game's MVP: Trevor Wolterstorff
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Jim Eekhoff
Interview
Audio:
Darrell
Burmeister Interview
Audio:
James
Larson Interview
Audio:
Jon Vogel
Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
With the play of Trevor Wolterstorff at the State tournament, there is no doubt
that this outstanding sophomore is among the best players in the Class of 2009.
He is a great athlete who can make plays all over the court. If Hull
Western Christian does win the title, he definitely needs to be named All
Tournament Team captain. But as for this game, it was a very good first
half but the Wolfpack pulled away in the second half. They did a nice job
of getting the bigmen from Nodaway Valley into foul trouble and that limited
their aggressiveness. That ended up being the difference in this game.
Northwood-Kensett 55, Lone Tree 49[/URL]
Leaders for Northwood-Kensett
Points: 22 points for Cody Hanson
Rebounds: 10 rebounds for Cody Hanson
Assists: 2 assists for Dan Bestul
Leaders for Lone Tree
Points: 16 points for Scott Ford
Rebounds: 8 rebounds for Tim Loan
Assists: 3 assists for Tim Loan
Game's MVP: Cody Hanson
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Jordan
Cotter Interview
Audio:
Marty
Cotter Interview
Audio:
Tom Squiers
Interview
Audio:
Trevor
Davidson Interview
Audio:
Dan Bestul
Interview
Audio:
Cody Hanson
Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
Despite falling behind 17-7 at the end of the first quarter, Northwood-Kensett
was able to get Lone Tree in foul trouble and that ended up being a huge
advantage in this one. Senior forward Cody Hanson went to work in the post
as he continued to put his opponent on the bench with foul trouble. The
majority of his 22 points came in the paint as he proved to be a major pain for
Lone Tree. Bigman Tim Loan started the game with some big blocks but was
sent to the bench early with foul trouble.
Iowa Mennonite 63, WLVA 62 - 2OT[/URL]
Leaders for Iowa Mennonite
Points: 19 points for Micah Gingerich
Rebounds: 5 rebounds for Carson Miller/Brad Hershberger
Assists: 3 assists for Carson Miller/Jesse Ney
Leaders for WLVA
Points: 24 points for Chris Woerdehoff
Rebounds: 9 rebounds for Nick Buse
Assists: 3 assists for Matt Drost
Game's MVP: Brad Hershberger
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Brad
Herschberger Interview
Audio:
Carson
Miller Interview
Audio:
Chris
Woerdehoff Interview
Audio:
Dwight
Gingerirch Interview
Audio:
Todd
Bontrager Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
Really, this was an outstanding game that could have went either way. At
the end of regulation, it seemed as if the refs wanted IMS to lose. They
called an illegal screen as well as a foul on the other end to send it into
overtime. Then the game went back and fourth. Even though WLVA hit
an impossible shot at the end of the first overtime, it was called no good
because of time. The ref had his arms in the arm the entire time but it
was very close. IMS got their tough game out of the way so I expect them
to win state. Just wait for it!
Thoughts on Day Three
Just some random thoughts throughout the day:
*I was glad to actually get to see a good game before the end of the day.
Starting with Waverly-Shell Rock and ending with Bettendorf, there were four
consecutive games that went to twenty plus points throughout the game. Not
exactly the type of basketball anyone expects at the State tournament.
*With the games, there were a lot of disappointed college coaches who came to
see some good games. The bad part is that most of them had left by the
time Lincoln and Kennedy played, and even fewer stayed for the end of that game.
*Bettendorf really helped the perception of the MAC this year with their win
over Iowa City West. I will be honest in saying that I barely gave them a
shot. They really shut me up on that one.
*Every year, Iowa City West holds their spring break at the same time as the
State basketball tournament. That means the Trojans bring a horrible crowd
and that has remained that way for quite sometime.
*One would think with the semifinals today, that there may be a few actual
games that are close. For my sake, I really hope so.
*I find out today about taping games. If the answer is no, nothing
changes from what I am doing. If it is, that would be a huge addition to
the site because there are so many good players in Des Moines now.
*One of my favorite things about my press row seat is that it is in front of
the student section. That really never gets annoying and may actually help
me do my work.
*A number of Kennedy players had their numbers shaved into their heads for
the game yesterday. Going back to the days of shaving their heads and
dying your hair blonde, the Cougars made it work.
Class 4A All Tournament Team through one game[/URL]
My thoughts on the five that would make the All Tournament team through one
game:
* Jordan Printy - Linn-Mar
* Zach Bohannon - Linn-Mar
* Brett Opdahl - Urbandale
* Charlie Schwartz - Bettendorf
* Troy Rorer - Bettendorf
* Kaylon Williams - Cedar Rapids Kennedy
* Terril Ross - Des Moines Lincoln
I decided to make it seven this time.
Class 4A Tournament Team Rankings[/URL]
After the first round of the State tournament and seeing all of the eight
teams play, I think it is now time to take a quick look back and rank each of
the eight. Please feel free to share your thoughts with me on these
rankings.
1.) Linn-Mar
2.) Bettendorf
3.) Urbandale
4.) Cedar Rapids Kennedy
5.) Des Moines Lincoln
6.) Iowa City West
7.) Ankeny
8.) Sioux City North
A few notes of interest on these. I wanted to make sure these were
recorded because in the last few years, it did not matter one bit about what
team played the best in the first round. For example, I would have picked
Grinnell last year in Class 3A and they lost in the semifinals. A lot of
what teams win and lose has to do with matchups. So even if Linn-Mar played a great game and won by the biggest margin, that does not mean they will
have an easy road to State. The rankings are above are after the first
round and are subject to change quickly.
Cedar Rapids Kennedy [/URL]67, Des Moines Lincoln 65
Leaders for Cedar Rapids Kennedy
Points: 26 points for Kaylon Williams
Rebounds: 6 rebounds for Cimion George
Assists: 8 assists for Kaylon Williams
Leaders for Des Moines Lincoln
Points: 19 points for Terril Ross
Rebounds: 12 rebounds for Terril Ross
Assists: 3 assists for Adam Robinson/Baley Johnson
Game's MVP: Kaylon Williams
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Mike Swaim
Interview
Audio:
Baley
Johnson Interview
Audio:
Walter
Loesch Interview
Audio:
Adam
Robinson Interview
Audio:
Cimion
George Interview
Audio:
Kaylon
Williams Interview
Audio:
Bob Fontana
Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
There was no doubt, again, that this was the best game of the day. After
seeing multiple blowouts, Cedar Rapids Kennedy and Des Moines Lincoln put on a
show that ended in a big win by the Cougars. Considering I thought that
the MVC would have an easy run today, that was not the case with Iowa City West
losing and the Cougars needing a late layup and some free throw misses by
Lincoln to pull this game out. Kaylon Williams will really help his
recruiting with the show he is putting on here. He really is a complete
player.
Bettendorf 60, Iowa City West 40[/URL]
Leaders for Bettendorf
Points: 15 points for Charlie Schwartz
Rebounds: 7 rebounds for Chris Bitter
Assists: 5 assists for Charlie Schwartz
Leaders for Iowa City West
Points: 12 points for Zach Derby
Rebounds: 6 rebounds for A.J. Derby/Delandis Wright
Assists: 2 assists for Nathan Meints
Game's MVP: Charlie Schwartz
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Zach Derby
Interview
Audio:
Steve
Bergman Interview
Audio:
A.J. Derby
Interview
Audio:
Charlie
Schwartz Interview
Audio:
Joe Speth
Interview
Audio:
Kevin
Skillett Interview
Audio:
Peter
Wessels Interview
Audio:
Troy Rorer
Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
This really goes down as the biggest shocker of the State tournament. I
for one thought Iowa City West would defeat Bettendorf and it would be the
fourth blowout of the day. Obviously it ended the other way around and the
Bulldogs were dominant in the victory. Bettendorf may not look pretty but
this team plays hard and gets after it on both ends of the court. That is
a huge reason why they are so successful and it showed tonight.
Urbandale 52, Ankeny 35[/URL]
Leaders for Urbandale
Points: 15 points for Brett Opdahl
Rebounds: 9 rebounds for Ethan Freeman
Assists: 3 assists for Jared Norris
Leaders for Ankeny
Points: 12 points for Kevin Smith
Rebounds: 7 rebounds for Zach Barrgan
Assists: 1 assists for Cory Walter
Game's MVP: Brett Opdahl
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Brad
Bjorkgren Interview
Audio:
John
Petersen Interview
Audio:
Ethan
Freeman Interview
Audio:
Reece
Uhlenhopp Interview
Audio:
Kevin Smith
Interview
Audio:
Zach
Barragan Interview
Audio:
Tyler Egli
Interview
Audio:
Morris
Smeader Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
In what turned out to be the third consecutive blowout of the day, Urbandale was
able to take Ankeny down for the third time this year. But this time it
had much bigger meaning as the game was at the State tournament. From the
start, the J-Hawks were on fire and used that to quickly jump out to a big lead.
And as the game went on, Urbandale continued to have success. One
surprising thing about the outcome was that the team showed they were much more
than just inside players. Their guards stepped up to the challenge and
that was huge. Those inside players will need to step up against Linn-Mar
next round.
Class 3A All Tournament Team through one game[/URL]
My thoughts on the five that would make the All Tournament team through one
game:
* Clint Sargent - Sioux City Heelan
* Nick Wagner - Grinnell
* Kyle Haacke - Harlan
* Dane Larson - Waverly-Shell Rock
* Dan Hoch - Harlan
* Brennan Cougill - Sioux City Heelan
I decided to make it six.
Class 3A Tournament Team Rankings[/URL]
After the first round of the State tournament and seeing all of the eight
teams play, I think it is now time to take a quick look back and rank each of
the eight. Please feel free to share your thoughts with me on these
rankings.
1.) Harlan
2.) Waverly-Shell Rock
3.) Sioux City Heelan
4.) Grinnell
5.) Carroll
6.) Dewitt
7.) Pella
8.) Albia
A few notes of interest on these. I wanted to make sure these were
recorded because in the last few years, it did not matter one bit about what
team played the best in the first round. For example, I would have picked
Grinnell last year in Class 3A and they lost in the semifinals. A lot of
what teams win and lose has to do with matchups. So even if Harlan played a great game and won by the biggest margin, that does not mean they will
have an easy road to State. The rankings are above are after the first
round and are subject to change quickly.
Linn-Mar 73, Sioux City North 60[/URL]
Leaders for Linn-Mar
Points: 18 points for Jordan Printy/Zach Bohannon
Rebounds: 11 rebounds for Zach Bohannon
Assists: 3 assists for Jordan Printy/Grant Gibbs
Leaders for Sioux City North
Points: 17 points for Alex Walker
Rebounds: 10 rebounds for Brian Wanner
Assists: 1 assist (Multiple players)
Game's MVP: Zach Bohannon
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Chris
Robertson Interview
Audio:
Grant Gibbs
Interview
Audio:
John
Vanderloo Interview
Audio:
Jordan
Printy Interview
Audio:
Zach
Bohannon Interview
Audio:
Alex Walker
Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
Like the past three years at the State tournament, Linn-Mar was able to flex
their muscles against a lower seeded team. Another Bohannon, this time
Zach, stepped up his game. After averaging 7.5 points per game during the
year, he was able to notch 18 points and scored in a wide variety of ways.
Sioux City North had a nice comeback in the second half but by then, it the game
was over. The Stars had a chance to show what they did during the year to
stay successful and it is obvious why they were solid. But Linn-Mar is an
exceptional team that remains my favorite for the State title.
*Note: Printy also said, like Vette, that he was unsure what he was going to
do at the college level. The new coach will be named sometime in the next
few weeks and he sounded like he would hope to attend Indiana State.
Waverly-Shell Rock 60, Pella 38[/URL]
Leaders for Waverly-Shell Rock
Points: 15 points for Dane Larson
Rebounds: 9 rebounds for Clayton Vette/Ben Schreen
Assists: 6 assists for Dane Larson
Leaders for Pella
Points: 12 points for Kaleb Korver
Rebounds: 11 rebounds for Klarc Korver
Assists: 1 assist (Multiple players)
Game's MVP: Dane Larson
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Ben Schreen
Interview
Audio:
Clayton
Vette Interview
Audio:
Dane Larson
Interview
Audio:
Mark Core
Interview
Audio:
Tom Bardal
Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
Considering that I picked Pella to play in the title game, I don't exactly feel
bright about my predictions for the bottom half of the bracket. Although
Waverly-Shell Rock has been playing inconsistent at times during the year, they
flat out came to play. And as Grinnell showed last night, getting your
feet wet at the State tournament is a huge benefit. The Go Hawks used it
against a Pella team that had not become used to the settings at the arena.
And from the start, Waverly-Shell Rock came to play and it was obvious.
They were able to slow the outside shooting that had helped Pella advance this
far. It appeared over early and even with Clayton Vette struggling, they
dominated throughout the game.
*Note: Vette said he was unsure about recruiting and would worry about it
after State basketball. He really did not seem concerned at the time.
Some thoughts on Tuesday
*I really do enjoy the fact that all the games start at noon. Although
I don't finish doing stuff until 10 PM, having the ability to sleep in does
help.
*There are a lot of college coaches here. With the Iowa Conference
having their coaches meeting Wednesday morning, a lot of the coaches came around
and were in attendance watching the players.
*A lot of these coaches were disappointed with the talent level of players in
Class 1A. Take that for what it is worth.
*Sioux City Heelan wing guard Clint Sargent has taken the lead for most high
maintenance athlete I have ever covered. Although I agreed that his
previous picture was bad, he made me take a record four pictures until he got
just the right one. And the main reason I am writing this is because I
know he will be reading this. Clint is a great kid and had a heck of a
game against Dewitt. I think once I come out with All State teams, I am
going to put up younger pictures of the players. Clint is not bad but the
person who should worry is Brent Barz. He has a great freshman year
picture.
*Where is the State map that had the lights on of the teams playing that was
at Vets? I would definitely hook that up if I had it and relive my
Davenport Assumption glory days.
*Harlan is good. Their streak continues and team, including Heelan,
will have their hands full to beat them.
*I am excited about the Lincoln/Kennedy matchup today because the athleticism
as well as the Hoch/Cougill matchup when Harlan and Heelan play.
Grinnell 54, Carroll 47[/URL]
Leaders for Grinnell
Points: 19 points for Nick Wagner
Rebounds: 8 rebounds for Will Eilert
Assists: 3 assists for Brandon Sharp/Adam Schmidt
Leaders for Carroll
Points: 16 points for Kirby Pettitt
Rebounds: 7 rebounds for Kirby Pettitt
Assists: 2 assists (Multiple players)
Game's MVP: Nick Wagner
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Scott Sharp
Interview
Audio:
Nick Wagner
Interview
Audio:
Will Eilert
Interview
Audio:
Adam
Schmidt Interview
Audio:
Craig Douma
Interview
Audio:
Kirby
Pettitt Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
With the substate that Carroll went through, I really felt that they were
battled tested and had what it takes to make a run. They had only lost
once all year to Nevada and avenged that loss twice. But could that tough
substate run possibly taken something out of this team? Against a strange
Grinnell team (More on that in a bit), they were unable to capitalize down the
stretch and that cost them in this substate opener. This has been a
strange Grinnell team because although they have been hit by injuries, they have
not been able to play to their potential. But with a tournament victory
under their belt, that has changed and the Tigers have a chance to play for a
State title.
Sioux City Heelan 67, Dewitt 54[/URL]
Leaders for Sioux City Heelan
Points: 27 points for Clint Sargent
Rebounds: 11 rebounds for Brennan Cougill
Assists: 2 assists for Brennan Cougill
Leaders for Dewitt
Points: 11 points for Patrick Gerdes
Rebounds: 4 rebounds (Multiple players)
Assists: 4 assists for Patrick Gerdes
Game's MVP: Clint Sargent
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
George
Pickup Interview
Audio:
Brennan
Cougill Interview
Audio:
Brett
Mangan Interview
Audio:
Clint
Sargent Interview
Audio:
John
Daniels Interview
Audio:
Tom Betz
Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
On paper, this game probably should not have been close but the one thing that
is an advantage to Dewitt is that games are not played on paper. The
Sabers work extremely hard on both ends of the court and that helped keep this
game close. Instead of giving up down the stretch, they tried harder and
made things tough for Heelan. But the Crusaders are an elite team with
some very good players. Clint Sargent finally had a chance to show Iowa
his abilities and that resulted in him scoring 27 points in a wide variety of
ways. His ability to score and create openings for teammates is huge.
I cannot wait until they play Harlan next round.
Class 2A All Tournament Team through one game[/URL]
My thoughts on the five that would make the All Tournament team through one
game:
* Tyler Raasch - Nodaway Valley
* Jeremy Zeutenhorst - Hull Western Christian
* Trevor Wolterstorff - Hull Western Christian
* Darian Patterson - Mid-Prairie
* Kyle DeBoer - Hampton-Dumont
* Kurt Spomer - Tri-Center
I decided to make it six.
Class 2A Tournament Team Rankings[/URL]
After the first round of the State tournament and seeing all of the eight
teams play, I think it is now time to take a quick look back and rank each of
the eight. Please feel free to share your thoughts with me on these
rankings.
1.) Hull Western Christian
2.) Nodaway Valley
3.) Mid-Prairie
4.) Tri-Center
5.) Hampton-Dumont
6.) Dyersville-Beckman
7.) Garner-Hayfield
8.) Northeast Gooselake
A few notes of interest on these. I wanted to make sure these were
recorded because in the last few years, it did not matter one bit about what
team played the best in the first round. For example, I would have picked
Grinnell last year in Class 3A and they lost in the semifinals. A lot of
what teams win and lose has to do with matchups. So even if Hull Western played a great game and won by the biggest margin, that does not mean they will
have an easy road to State. The rankings are above are after the first
round and are subject to change quickly.
Harlan 76, Albia 30[/URL]
Leaders for Harlan
Points: 19 points for Kyle Haacke
Rebounds: 8 rebounds for Dan Hoch
Assists: 8 assists for Brad Blum
Leaders for Albia
Points: 12 points for Mike Strasko
Rebounds: 5 rebounds for Cody Crall
Assists: 1 (Multiple players)
Game's MVP: Kyle Haacke
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Mitch
Osborn Interview
Audio:
Kevin
Archer Interview
Audio:
Neil Gross
Interview
Audio:
Kyle Haacke
Interview
Audio:
Brad Blum
Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
Well, coming into this game I expected a blowout. On one hand, you have an
Albia team that made a shocking run to the State tournament. Few expected
the Demons to get here and even fewer expected them to move on at the State
tournament. That obviously was the case as the Cyclones dominated this
game and made it ugly early. Their leading four scorers were dominant as
they always are. And when Dan Hoch, all 6-foot-7 and 290 pounds of him,
hits a three, you know it is Harlan's day.
Tri-Center 68, Hampton-Dumont 64[/URL]
Leaders for Tri-Center
Points: 30 points for Kurt Spomer
Rebounds: 9 rebounds for Kurt Spomer
Assists: 5 assists for Kurt Spomer
Leaders for Hampton-Dumont
Points: 22 points for Kyle DeBoer
Rebounds: 13 rebounds for Kyle DeBoer
Assists: 3 assists for Justin Van Wert
Game's MVP: Kurt Spomer
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Carl
Cochran Interview
Audio:
Heath
Walton Interview
Audio:
Kurt Spomer
Interview
Audio:
Kyle DeBoer
Interview
Audio:
Monte
Larson Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
In a game that I thought each team had at different times through, Tri-Center
ended up pulling out a hard fought win in the second overtime. Tri-Center
appeared to have a huge advantage late in the game but let it slip away to get
to overtime. That is when Hampton-Dumont was able to build a quick early
but let down late in the overtime to force a second stanza. Tri-Center was
then able to hit their shots and with Kurt Spomer leading the way, win the game.
It was a great battle both ways and was tough to send one team home for the
year.
Mid-Prairie 57, Garner-Hayfield 44[/URL]
Leaders for Mid-Prairie
Points: 16 points for Darian Patterson
Rebounds: 10 rebounds for Darian Patterson
Assists: 4 assists for Kyle Graber
Leaders for Garner-Hayfield
Points: 15 points for Zach Svare
Rebounds: 6 rebounds for Nick Stromer
Assists: 2 assists (Multiple Players)
Game's MVP: Darian Patterson
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Don
Showalter Interview
Audio:
Darian
Patterson Interview
Audio:
Joe
Albertson Interview
Audio:
Nick
Stromer Interview
Audio:
Ryan
Davidson Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
In a game that was tied at halftime with Garner-Hayfield having all the momentum
after scoring the last three points, I thought the Cardinals would have an
advantage. But the Golden Hawks won the second half by fourteen and the
game as well along the way. Darian Patterson had a huge game for
Mid-Prairie but that was expected. Where the team really came through is
off the bench. A number of these players stepped up when the team needed
them and that allowed them to pull off a hard fought victory.
Hull Western Christian 85, Northeast Gooselake 39[/URL]
Leaders for Hull Western Christian
Points: 17 points for Jeremy Zeutenhorst
Rebounds: 12 rebounds for Jeremy Zeutenhorst
Assists: 6 assists for Joel Gesink
Leaders for Northeast Gooselake
Points: 28 points for Dylan Diedrich
Rebounds: 6 rebounds for Dylan Diedrich
Assists: 0 total
Game's MVP: Jeremy Zeutenhorst
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Jim Eekhoff
Interview
Audio:
Trevor
Wolterstorff Interview
Audio:
Dylan
Diedrich Interview
Audio:
Danny Vogel
Interview
Audio:
Jeremy
Zeutenhorst Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
Wow, I can say I really did not see that coming. Hull Western is a very
legit team, but as I said early, do not put too much stock into first round
games. This young team that starts zero seniors will have their hands full
with Nodaway Valley next round. But as for this game, it was an exciting
first half. The Wolfpack scored in a wide variety of ways but Dylan
Diedrich was lighting up the scoreboard for Northeast Gooselake. Once his
shots started missing in the second half, it got ugly quick as the Rebels scored
only eight points in the second half. Despite their youth, Hull Western is
a legit team that will be tough to beat. It should be a great matchup next
round.
Nodaway Valley 56, Dyersville-Beckman 42[/URL]
Leaders for Nodaway Valley
Points: 20 points for Tyler Raasch
Rebounds: 12 rebounds for James Larson
Assists: 6 assists for Tyler Raasch
Leaders for Dyersville-Beckman
Points: 21 points for Adam Manternach
Rebounds: 5 rebounds for Zach Domeyer
Assists: 2 assists for Zach Domeyer
Game's MVP: Tyler Raasch
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Darrell
Burmeister Interview
Audio:
Dan Correy
Interview
Audio:
Tyler
Raasch Interview
Audio:
Adam
Manternach Interview
Audio:
Sean
Stelken Interview
Audio:
Josh
Singsank Interview
Audio:
James
Larson Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
Basically I can really say that after gaining a twenty point lead, Nodaway
Valley let down and the refs started letting them play. And instead of
quitting, Dyersville-Beckman continued to work hard on both ends of the court
and make things somewhat interesting. Tyler Raasch was on fire for most of
the game and ended with twenty one points and added six assists. That is
an MVP type game there. The Wolverines have some things to clean up but
will be a tough team to play, especially when they are going 100%.
27 Minutes before the game
The game is still a long ways away and yet the Beckman crowd loves the hair
of Nodaway Valley forward James Larson. But if he plays like he did last
year, I don't expect that to last very long. He was dominant last year in
Des Moines.
Class 1A All Tournament Team through one game[/URL]
My thoughts on the five that would make the All Tournament team through one
game:
* Jeremy Kolthoff - East Buchanan
* Carson Miller - Iowa Mennonite
* Josh Walker - Northwood-Kensett
* Brenden Stubbs - Des Moines Christian
* Derek Havel - Lone Tree
Class 1A Tournament Team Rankings[/URL]
After the first round of the State tournament and seeing all of the eight
teams play, I think it is now time to take a quick look back and rank each of
the eight. Please feel free to share your thoughts with me on these
rankings.
1.) Iowa Mennonite
2.) Northwood-Kensett
3.) Lone Tree
4.) Wall Lake View Auburn
5.) Boyden-Hull
6.) East Buchanan
7.) Des Moines Christian
8.) IKM
A few notes of interest on these. I wanted to make sure these were
recorded because in the last few years, it did not matter one bit about what
team played the best in the first round. For example, I would have picked
Grinnell last year in Class 3A and they lost in the semifinals. A lot of
what teams win and lose has to do with matchups. So even if Iowa Mennonite
played a great game and won by the biggest margin, that does not mean they will
have an easy road to State. The rankings are above are after the first
round and are subject to change quickly.
Lone Tree 46, Des Moines Christian 37[/URL]
Leaders for Lone Tree
Points: 19 points for Derek Havel
Rebounds: 9 rebounds for Ryan Luedtke
Assists: 2 assists for Ryan Luedtke
Leaders for Des Moines Christian
Points: 14 points Branden Stubbs
Rebounds: 11 rebounds for Travis Vanderlinden
Assists: 2 assists (Multiple players)
Game's MVP: Derek Havel
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Scott Ford
Interview
Audio:
Tom Squiers
Interview
Audio:
Derek Havel
Interview
Audio:
Tim Loan
Interview
Audio:
Travis
VanderLinden Interview
Audio:
Dave Stubbs
Interview
Audio:
Branden
Stubbs Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
With the game going back and fourth throughout, Lone Tree used a big fourth
quarter to propel themselves to the semifinals of the Class 1A State tournament.
They did it by putting Des Moines Christian in foul trouble and getting to the
foul line more frequently as well. If Lone Tree can continue to play like
this, their guards and bigmen inside will prove tough in the State tournament.
This will make things even more interesting throughout the rest of the State
tournament.
Northwood Kensett 54, Boyden Hull 51[/URL]
Leaders for Northwood Kensett
Points: 15 points by Jordan Cotter/Josh Walker
Rebounds: 7 rebounds by Trevor Davidson
Assists: 4 assists by Dan Bestul
Leaders for Boyden Hull
Points: 15 points by Chad Bolkema
Rebounds: 7 rebounds by Derrick Moss
Assists: 4 assists by Eric Van Ginkel
Game's MVP: Josh Walker
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Marty
Cotter Interview
Audio:
Bill
Francis Interview
Audio:
Chad
Bolkema Interview
Audio:
Cody Hanson
Interview
Audio:
Eric Van
Ginkel Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
Even though Northwood-Kensett pulled ahead early, Boyden-Hull really ended up
making it a game late. It went down to the wire and really could have went
either way. In the end, I feel that the experience of Northwood-Kensett
was the difference in this game. They finished as the third best team in
this class last year and that big game experience was huge for the team.
What is scary is that even though Cody Hanson and Dan Bestul did not put up many
points, others on the team stepped up and led the team to the win. That
team victory is what helps on a run to a championship.
Iowa Mennonite 68, IKM 51[/URL]
Leaders for Iowa Mennonite
Points: 23 points by Carson Miller
Rebounds: 9 rebounds by Jesse Ney
Assists: 2 assists (Multiple Players)
Leaders for IKM
Points: 15 points by Chris Chapman/Tim Bruck
Rebounds: 8 rebounds by Dustin Christensen
Assists: 5 assists by Sean Birks
Game's MVP: Carson Miller
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Tony Klein
Interview (Coach)
Audio:
Carson
Miller Interview
Audio:
Dwight
Gingerirch Interview (Coach)
Audio:
Tim Bruck
Interview
Audio:
Ethan
Gingerich Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
Well, there goes my predictions for Class 1A. Although I don't take that
much stock in first round games, the performance that IMS put on in this one was
impressive. They really appear to be the favorite in the top half of the
bracket to make it to the title game. But again, I have seen teams look
terrible in the first win yet take home the State title. So a lot of it
depends on matchups and how teams are playing. That is important to note.
For IMS, Carson Miller had a huge game and only missed three shots while scoring
23 points. That was a very impressive performance by him and could put him
as an early favorite for the All Tournament team.
Quick halftime recap - 12:43
IKM continues to hit some tough shots but IMS is so fundamentally sound they
follow it up with an easy basket. The more of these they get, the easier
it will be for IMS to move on.
Oh, and my ears hurt from the fans behind me yelling. The joy of the
State tournament.
Halftime score: IMS 25, IKM 22
Nearly halftime
It is nearly halftime and IMS is up 21-18 with the second quarter nearly
over. I honestly had to spent most of the first half getting the audio and
recap for last game up so I will try to get more during the rest of the game.
Wall Lake View Auburn 35, East Buchanan 33[/URL]
Leaders for Wall Lake View Auburn
Points: 12 points by Chris Woerdehoff
Rebounds: 15 rebounds by Matt Drost
Assists: 3 assists by Matt Drost
Leaders for East Buchanan
Points: 10 points by Jeremy Kolthoff
Rebounds: 14 rebounds by Jeremy Kolthoff
Assists: 2 assists (Tied)
Game's MVP: Chris Woerdehoff
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Rodney
Conrad Interview
Audio:
Todd
Bontrager Interview
Audio:
Jeremy
Kolthoff Interview
Audio:
Chris
Woerdehoff Interview
Audio:
Justin
Wissler Interview
Rims out
Wow, they nearly hit a 25 footer to win it. WLVA shot 8-41 19.5% and
still won.
1.6 seconds left - 11:56
Crazy end to the game. WLVA hits one of two free throws to go up by
one. EB gets the ball, shoots a three that appears to be good from where I
am sitting. They get the board and the two pointer rolls off.
Scramble for the ball goes through the legs of EB player.
WLVA gets the ball back and throws away the in bounds. EB calls timeout
right away, even though the player shot it from half court and nearly made it.
The question now is how much time will EB get with the ball.
1.1 seconds is what is left.
End of 3rd - 11:30
There is no doubt that EB has all the momentum in this game. WLVA is
now shooting under 20% for the game and not looking good offensively.
They did just score an and one so I might be wrong on that assessment.
Good thinking.
Des Moines Register feature - 11:17 AM
In speaking with Register writer Rob Gray about the old State tournament
board where they would light up all of the teams that were in the tournament, he
told me that the Register put a similar feature on their site. Because I
loved the old board (Does anyone know where it is at now by the way?), I thought
it would be good to link this:
Click here now
First half thoughts on Wall Lake View Auburn vs.
East Buchanan - 11:10 AM
The score at half is 20-17. A few thoughts so far.
Really, both teams have been struggling to shoot the ball. EB is
shooting 30% at half and WLVA (Too long to type again by the way) is hitting
23.5% of their shots. They have gone to the three throw line eleven more
times with Chris Woerdehoff knocking down all eight of his free throw attempts.
EB is the type of team that presses, pushes the ball, and shoots threes.
They have bigman Jeremy Kolthoff on the back of the press so that lets the
athletes up front really pressure the players. Kolthoff has three blocks
at the half and has disrupted a lot of shots.
One definite thing that EB has going for them is all of their guards look
alike. In past years, teams have all shaved their heads and dyed their
hair. This year, it looks like EB has dyed their hair black and also grown
it out. Really, the majority of these guards do look alike. They all
fly around the court, hustle, and shoot threes.
WLVA may not be shooting well but they are going the little things to win
this game. They have been using the aggressive play of EB to their
advantage. If they win, I expect the free throw advantage to be huge in
the end.
Elite All State[/URL]
Elite First Team All State
Elite Second Team All State
Elite Third Team All State
Elite Fourth Team All State
Elite Fifth Team All State
Junior All State[/URL]
Junior All State - First Team
Junior All State - Second Team
Junior All State - Third Team
Junior All State -
Fourth Team
Junior All State -
Fifth Team
Sophomore All State[/URL]
Sophomore All State - First Team
Sophomore All State - Second Team
Sophomore All State - Third Team
Sophomore All State -
Fourth Team
Freshman All State[/URL]
Freshman All State -
First Team
Freshman All State -
Second Team
Freshman All State - Third Team
Top 50 Players
in 2007 (Ranked 1-50)[/URL]
Rankings 1-50
Top 250 Players
in 2007[/URL]
Top 250 in 2007
Class of 2007 Offer List[/URL]
Class of 2007 Offer List
Top 100 Players
in 2008[/URL]
Top 100 in 2008
Top 75 in 2009[/URL]
Top 75 in 2009
Top 40 in 2010[/URL]
Top 40 in 2010
Class of 2007 Video Highlights[/URL]
Multimedia Highlights
Video:
Alex Kramer
Highlights 1
Video:
Alex Kramer
Highlights 2
Video:
Alex Tatman
Highlights 1
Video:
Alex Tatman
Highlights 2
Video:
Blake
Sandquist Highlights 1
Video:
Brad Renze
Highlights 1
Video:
Brent Barz
Highlights 1
Video:
Brent Barz
Highlights 2
Video:
Brent Barz
Highlights 3
Video:
Clayton
Vette Highlights 1
Video:
Clayton
Vette Highlights 2
Video:
Clint
Sargent Highlights 1
Video:
Cody Hanson
Highlights 1
Video:
Crasaun
King Highlights 1
Video:
Dan Bestul
Highlights 1
Video:
Dustin
Cooley Highlights 1
Video:
Dustin
Cooley Highlights 2
Video:
Ethan
Freeman Highlights 1
Video:
Gavin
Crandall Highlights 1
Video:
Jon Walburg
Highlights 1
Video:
Jordan
Printy Highlights 1
Video:
Jordan
Printy Highlights 2
Video:
Klarc
Korver Highlights 1
Video:
Kaleb Korver
Highlights 1
Video:
Kaleb Korver
Highlights 2
Video:
Kale
Knisley Highlights 1
Video:
Matt Lesan
Highlights 1
Video:
Matt Lesan
Highlights 2
Video:
Nate Snead
Highlights 1
Video:
Nate
Veldhuizen Highlights 1
Video:
Nick Burden
Highlights 1
Video:
Nick Wagner
Highlights 1
Video:
Patrick
Mitchell Highlights 1
Video:
Patrick
Truby Highlights 1
Video[/URL]:
Stephen
Kirschbaum Highlights 1
Video:
Trevor
Richardson Highlights 1
Video:
Tyson
Handsaker Highlights 1
Video:
Tyson
Handsaker Highlights 2
Video:
Tyler Sash
Highlights 1
Video:
Tyler Sash
Highlights 2
Video:
Will Eilert
Highlights 1
Class 4A Substate Previews[/URL]
Substate #1
Substate #2
Substate #3
Substate #4
Substate #5
Substate #6
Substate #7
Substate #8
Class 3A Substate Previews[/URL]
Substate #1[/URL]
Substate #2
Substate #3
Substate #4
Substate #5
Substate #6
Substate #7
Substate #8
Class 2A District Previews[/URL]
District #1
District #2
District #3
District #4
District #5
District #6
District #7
District #8
District #9
District #10
District #11
District #12
District #13
District #14
District #15
District #16
Class 1A District Previews[/URL]
District #1
District #2
District #3
District #4
District #5
District #6
District #7
District #8
District #9
District #10
District #11
District #12
District #13
District #14
District #15
District #16
Preseason All State Teams[/URL]
Class 4A
Class 3A
Class 2A
Class 1A
Class of 2008
Class of 2009
Class of 2010
Preseason Team Rankings[/URL]
Class 4A
Class 3A
Class 2A
Class 1A
This post was edited on 4/2 4:52 PM by LukeFeddersen
Blog[/URL]
Class 4A All Tournament Team[/URL]
Designated by the Iowa High School Association:
Kaylon Williams - Cedar Rapids Kennedy
Ethan Freeman - Urbandale
Grant Gibbs - Linn-Mar
Charlie Schwartz - Bettendorf
Jordan Printy - Linn-Mar *
*Indicates Co-Captains
Linn-Mar 61, Bettendorf 41[/URL]
Leaders for Linn-Mar
Points: 18 points for Jordan Printy
Rebounds: 8 rebounds for Grant Gibbs
Assists: 2 assists for Grant Gibbs
Leaders for Bettendorf
Points: 10 points for Troy Rorer/Joe Speth
Rebounds: 4 rebounds for Joe Speth
Assists: 2 assists for Charlie Schwartz/Troy Rorer
Game's MVP: Jordan Printy
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Chris
Robertson Interview
Audio:
Nate
Hutcheson Interview
Audio:
Jordan
Printy Interview
Audio:
Grant Gibbs
Interview
Audio:
Zach
Bohannon Interview
Audio:
Kevin
Skillett Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
Linn-Mar did what they have done all year and that helped them to their second
State title in the last four years. With Jordan Printy being the man this
year, the Lions may have been better (Sorry Jason Bohannon) because they had so
many offensive options. The scary thing is that the younger players will
have another year under their belts and the third Bohannon will be entering the
high school. If these players avoid complacency, they really have a
realistic chance at repeating. As for the Bulldogs, they did have a
magical run. Few expected them to get to the State tournament, let alone
to the title game.
Class 3A All Tournament Team[/URL]
Designated by the Iowa High School Association:
Nick Wagner Grinnell
Clint Sargent Bishop Heelan Catholic, Sioux City
Brennan Cougill Bishop Heelan Catholic, Sioux City
*Kyle Haake Harlan
*Clayton Vette Waverly-Shell Rock
*Indicates Co-Captains
Waverly-Shell Rock 74, Sioux City Heelan 51[/URL]
Leaders for Waverly-Shell Rock
Points: 18 points for Clayton Vette
Rebounds: 14 rebounds for Clayton Vette
Assists: 7 assists for Dane Larson
Leaders for Sioux City Heelan
Points: 14 points for Clint Sargent
Rebounds: 5 rebounds for Brennan Cougill
Assists: 1 assist (Multiple players)
Game's MVP: Clayton Vette
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Tom Bardal
Interview
Audio:
Tom Betz
Interview
Audio:
Brennan
Cougill Interview
Audio:
Clayton
Vette Interview
Audio:
Clint
Sargent Interview
Audio:
Dane Larson
Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
When Waverly-Shell Rock was able to start the game with a lob for a dunk, it
seemed rather obvious that good things were going to happen for the Go Hawks.
That ended up being the case as Waverly-Shell Rock rolled to a huge lead in the
first half and All State senior Clayton Vette dominated. The Go Hawks were
also able to hold both Clint Sargent and Brennan Cougill under their average.
That was huge in this game and ended up being the difference.
Cedar Rapids Kennedy 56, Urbandale 50[/URL]
Leaders for Cedar Rapids Kennedy
Points: 14 points for Jake Hughes/Kaylon Williams
Rebounds: 5 rebounds for Kaylon Williams/Cimion George
Assists: 5 assists for Kaylon Williams
Leaders for Urbandale
Points: 23 points for Ethan Freeman
Rebounds: 9 rebounds for Ethan Freeman
Assists: 2 assists for Brett Opdahl/Zach Holliday
Game's MVP: Jake Hughes (He won it because no one expected him to score as
much as he did)
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Bob Fontana
Interview
Audio:
Cimion
George Interview
Audio:
Brad
Bjorkgren Interview
Audio:
Ethan
Freeman Interview
Audio:
Jake Hughes
Interview
Audio:
Kaylon
Williams Interview
Audio:
Reece
Uhlenhopp Interview
Audio:
Walter
Loesch Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
The Class 4A consolation game that pitted Urbandale against Cedar Rapids Kennedy
proved to be one of the best of the State tournament. The Cougars had just
enough firepower, even with Kaylon Williams on the bench with five fouls, to
pull out the win. Ethan Freeman of Urbandale ended his prep career in
impressive fashion as he nearly posted a double double with 23 points and nine
rebounds. The Cougars countered with three players in double digits and
won despite a brutal crowd. Where are the fans at these days?
Harlan 82, Grinnell[/URL] 55
Leaders for Harlan
Points: 18 points for Kyle Haacke
Rebounds: 9 rebounds for Dan Hoch
Assists: 6 assists for Neil Gross
Leaders for Grinnell
Points: 17 points for Nick Wagner
Rebounds: 8 rebounds for Will Eilert
Assists: 2 assists (Multiple players)
Game's MVP: Neil Gross
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Nick Wagner
Interview
Audio:
Dan Hoch
Interview
Audio:
Mitch
Osborn Interview
Audio:
Neil Gross
Interview
Audio:
Scott Sharp
Interview
Audio:
Will Eilert
Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
In the Class 3A consolation game, Harlan left no doubt that they were
disappointed about losing to Sioux City Heelan down the stretch in the
semifinals. The Cyclones worked hard on both ends of the court and held
the Tigers to only 31% shooting from the floor. They also dominated the
boards as well. Even though Harlan was not able to take home the title,
they did prove they were among the best teams in Class 3A. Grinnell also
proved they deserved a top ranking early in the year. Despite struggles
midway through the year, the Tigers came to play in the first round and showed
they have great athletes.
Hull Western Christian 67, Mid-Prairie[/URL] 62
Leaders for Hull Western
Points: 23 points for Jeremy Zeutenhorst
Rebounds: 8 rebounds for Jeremy Zeutenhorst
Assists: 5 assists for Joel Gesink
Leaders for Mid-Prairie
Points: 22 points for Kyle Graber
Rebounds: 8 rebounds for Justin Strabala
Assists: 2 assists for Jason Kern
Game's MVP: Jeremy Zeutenhorst
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Jim Eekhoff
Interview
Audio:
Kevin Fopma
Interview
Audio:
Don
Showalter Interview
Audio:
Trevor
Wolterstorff Interview
Audio:
Jeremy
Zuetenhorst Interview
Audio:
Darian
Patterson Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
After watching the consolation game, this one had all the makings of a blowout.
Tri-Center and Mid-Prairie played a tough game in the semifinal round and so did
Hull Western and Nodaway Valley. When the Wolverines played Tri-Center in
the consolation game, they won going away. Mid-Prairie on the other hand
was extremely pesky throughout and even with a strange horn with 15 seconds
left, the Wolfpack were too much in the end. I give the Golden Hawks a lot
of credit considering the type of game they played. They slowed down a
Hull Western team that was dominating teams throughout the State tournament.
They made things interesting in this contest and I give them credit. They
have been playing with nothing to lose since the playoffs started and showed
that any team, despite their loss total, can make a serious run in the playoffs.
It did help getting their players back but was a great run.
Class 2A All Tournament Team[/URL]
Designated by the Iowa High School Association:
* James Larson - Nodaway Valley
* Kyle Graber - Mid-Prairie
* Darian Patterson - Mid-Prairie
* Kurt Spomer - Tri-Center (Tri-captain)
* Jeremy Zeutenhorst - Hull Western Christian (Tri-captain)
* Trevor Wolterstorff - Hull Western Christian (Tri-captain)
Thoughts at halftime of the Class 2A title game
*There was an inadvertent horn with 15.6 seconds left in the game. Talk
about a bad time (I know, not half but needed to be put somewhere). Since
I am sitting in front of the MP fans, I can say they were not happy to say the
least.
*Considering the score of the consolation game, I have really been impressed
with the fact that Mid-Prairie has been able to hand with Hull Western in the
title game. The Wolfpack have a 36-32 lead but this is not an easy game
for Hull Western. They will continue to have their hands full throughout
the rest of the game and the Golden Hawks really have nothing to lose here.
No one expected them to get to State, let alone the title game. They are
playing loose and enjoying themselves.
*Since it is now 9:30, one would think the association would avoid a halftime
that lasts two and a half hours. Although that is a overestimation, the
halftime is long and tough to sit through. But the good thing is, that
would be the reason why I am writing this. Halftime will only get
interesting of a title game when I get voted into the writer's Hall of Fame.
Oh wait, that will never happen so prove me wrong association!
*One thing I really do enjoy is sitting all around the arena. I am here
ten to twelve hours per day that I would go crazy sitting in one spot.
That is why I am on the move from media row to different spots throughout the
arena. I really do enjoy sitting up on the fourth level.
*Although there are a decent amount of people on the fourth level, the only
people who looked more bored than I do right now is the workers selling
concessions. I guess things could be worse for me.
*Unfortunately, the cheerleading performance that I have seen twice already
today won't be happening again. Well, that is for today.
*I miss Vets. Someone also please come up with a good nickname for
Wells Fargo. I don't like giving companies that I do not support free pub.
So please, nicknames, anyone?
*It is always interesting to hear how the scores spread from throughout the
media and to the crowd. When I am sitting on media row by my computer, I
try to keep an eye on it. Last year I had the free video of the games
going but this year I just don't need to watch more hoops. I think all of
the games have now blurred together.
*One of the coolest things of the new arena (Nickname, anyone?) is how they
do starting lineups. They turn off the main lights and have a spot light
on the starters. If you want motivation to not only be a starter but also
be a start for a state title team, that is it. I unfortunately never
started a high school game but did dominate the title game in 1999 (45 seconds,
0 shots, 0 points, and possibly one rebound).
*Think how long turning the lights off for intros would have taken at Vets.
It may have been longer than the halftime show of the title games. I
really wish I had a big van so I could just take a nap during these halftime.
I probably would leave my parking spot but the problem is that they recharge you
for it. I think that is kind of shady myself.
*Win or lose, Hull Western Christian is my preseason #1 in Class 2A for the
next two years. Mark my words on that one.
*I am glad to see the new building (Someone please think of a new name for
this place) has added newer music. After they played Who Let the Dogs Out
multiple times early in the week, I thought we were in for trouble. The
bigger problem with that is the crowd actually seemed to enjoy it. I hope
you were not one of them.
*One thing I forgot to mention earlier was the crowd for Bettendorf. It
was the poorest crowd I have seen in a semifinal game, ever. I know the
Bulldogs are good at football but come on. No one gave them a chance in
the first round but there is no excuse for this game.
*Listen to the Dan Bestul interview below. He let some strange things
out about the "Let Me Ride the Train" song out. And not only that, it was
an extremely awkward interview as well. There is a great deal of
unintentional humor.
*I hope to leave here before 1 AM.
Northwood-Kensett 47, Iowa Mennonite 44[/URL]
Leaders for Northwood-Kensett
Points: 16 points for Dan Bestul
Rebounds: 6 rebounds for Trevor Davison/Cody Hanson
Assists: 3 assists for Matt Hengesteg/Cody Hanson
Leaders for Iowa Mennonite
Points: 21 points for Carson Miller
Rebounds: 8 rebounds for Jesse Ney
Assists: 2 assists (Multiple players)
Game's MVP: Dan Bestul
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Marty
Cotter Interview
Audio:
Trevor
Davidson Interview
Audio:
Cody Hanson
Interview
Audio:
Dan Bestul
Interview
Audio:
Jesse Ney
Interview
Audio:
Dwight
Gingerich Interview
Audio:
Carson
Miller Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
Even though Iowa Mennonite started the game quick and even held a lead at
halftime, Northwood Kensett owned the third quarter and that ended up being the
difference in this State title game. Dan Bestul, who unfortunately was not
named All Tournament team, led the team in scoring with 16 points and as always
played a critical role for his team. For those media members who just
check stats when making their votes, a good player in Bestul was missed.
Northwood-Kensett had a lot of players step up this season and that was
essential for this title run. They lost some solid pieces last year to
graduation and yet still were able to have an outstanding year.
Class 1A All Tournament Team[/URL]
Designated by the Iowa High School Association:
* Carson Miller - IMS
* Micah Gingerich - IMS
* Tim Loan - Lone Tree
* Brad Herschberger - IMS
* Chris Woerdehoff - WLVA (Co-captain)
* Cody Hanson - Northwood-Kensett (Co-captain)
Bettendorf 45, Cedar Rapids Kennedy 42[/URL]
Leaders for Bettendorf
Points: 16 points for Charlie Schwartz
Rebounds: 8 rebounds for Joe Speth
Assists: 1 assist (I will tell you right now that is 100% false by the way but
that is what the stats said. The assists have not been good all week)
Leaders for Cedar Rapids Kennedy
Points: 15 points for Kaylon Williams
Rebounds: 11 rebounds for Cimion George
Assists: 4 assists for Kaylon Williams
Game's MVP: Charlie Schwartz
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Charlie
Schwartz Interview
Audio:
Bob Fontana
Interview
Audio:
Kaylon
Williams Interview
Audio:
Kevin
Skillett Interview
Audio:
Troy Rorer
Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
Really, Bettendorf continues their run as giant slayers. Their last three
wins, coming against Davenport Central, Iowa City West, and Cedar Rapids Kennedy
can all be considered upsets. It goes to show that the Bulldogs, with Joe
Speth in the lineup, are a much better team. They were able to will all
three teams into their style of basketball and that allowed them to move to the
title game. Although he would not admit it, the ankle of Kaylon Williams
hurt more than he wanted to say. But I really respect the fact that he
said in the postgame interview that he is not using it as an excuse. That
really shows a lot about what type of person he is and how accountable he will
be for his play.
Linn-Mar 55, Urbandale 32[/URL]
Leaders for Linn-Mar
Points: 20 points for Grant Gibbs
Rebounds: 9 rebounds for Zach Bohannon
Assists: 3 assists for Grant Gibbs
Leaders for Urbandale
Points: 9 points for Ethan Freeman
Rebounds: 6 rebounds for Ethan Freeman
Assists: 1 assist for Ethan Freeman/Jared Norris
Game's MVP: Grant Gibbs
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Brad
Bjokgren Interview
Audio:
Chris
Robertson Interview
Audio:
Grant Gibbs
Interview
Audio:
Jordan
Prinity Interview
Audio:
Reece
Uhlenhopp Interview
Audio:
Zach
Bohannon Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
For the second time in the State tournament, Linn-Mar was able to flex their
muscles and pull away early. This time it did take until the second half
to put the game out of hand but they were able to do it. A big part of
their success was due to their defense. They held the J-Hawks to 2-17
shooting behind the three point arc and to only 31% from the field. The
question now is which team will they play in the finals. With their length
and athleticism, that team will have their hands full in putting the ball in the
basket.
Nodaway Valley 73, Tri-Center 44[/URL]
Leaders for Nodaway Valley
Points: 18 points for James Larson
Rebounds: 12 rebounds for James Larson
Assists: 3 assists for Kirk Sidney
Leaders for Tri-Center
Points: 13 points for Kurt Spomer
Rebounds: 6 rebounds for Kurt Spomer/Jared Carroll
Assists: 4 assists for Kurt Spomer
Game's MVP: James Larson
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Carl
Cochran Interview
Audio:
Kurt Spomer
Interview
Audio:
Darrell
Burmeister Interview
Audio:
Justen
Shannon Interview
Audio:
Tyler
Raasch Interview
Audio:
James
Larson Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
To be completely honest, I was not surprised about the final score in this game.
If Nodaway Valley came to play, they would pull out a lopsided victory.
The Wolverines, and especially James Larson, did just that and were able to
extend a big lead early in the game. Larson finished the game two blocks
short of a triple double, which I believe is the closest I have seen to someone
achieving that in my four years of covering the State tournament. Make
sure to listen to his audio interview because he talks about cutting his hair.
I for one would not recognize him if he did that.
Wall Lake View Auburn 52, Lone Tree 37[/URL]
Leaders for Wall Lake View Auburn
Points: 22 points for Chris Woerdehoff
Rebounds: 9 rebounds for Matt Drost/Justin Wissler
Assists: 4 assists for Chris Woerdehoff
Leaders for Lone Tree
Points: 11 points for Tim Loan
Rebounds: 9 rebounds for Tim Loan
Assists: 1 assist (Multiple players)
Game's MVP: Chris Woerdehoff
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Todd
Bontrager Interview
Audio:
Tom Squiers
Interview
Audio:
Tim Loan
Interview
Audio:
Matt Drost
Interview
Audio:
Justin
Wissler Interview
Audio:
Chris
Woerdehoff Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
Despite losing a double overtime heartbreaker in the semifinals, Wall Lake View
Auburn was able to bounce back today and beat a talented Lone Tree team.
Both teams battled hard throughout but the outside shooting and defense of WLVA
helped them to a tough win. Lone Tree had a tough game yesterday as well
and just could not recapture their play from the previous day. Despite one
team having to lose, both squads do end the year on a good note and proved they
were among the best in the State of Iowa for the 2006-2007 season.
Waverly-Shell Rock 68, Grinnell 51[/URL]
Leaders for Waverly-Shell Rock
Points: 32 points for Clayton Vette
Rebounds: 13 rebounds for Clayton Vette
Assists: 5 assists for Dane Larson
Leaders for Grinnell
Points: 14 points for Will Eilert
Rebounds: 8 rebounds for Nick Wagner
Assists: 4 assists for Brandon Sharp
Game's MVP: Clayton Vette
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Clayton
Vette Interview
Audio:
Clayton
Werkman Interview
Audio:
Scott Sharp
Interview
Audio:
Tom Bardal
Interview
Audio:
Will Eilert
Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
From the start, this was the Clayton Vette show and it ended that way.
Waverly-Shell Rock and Grinnell were tied at 14 after the first quarter but the
Go Hawks were able to post 25 on the board in the second half to pull ahead in
impressive fashion. This is when the Vette show was in full effect as he
was scoring inside as well as outside. It should be a great matchup
between this talented senior and sophomore bigman Brennan Cougill of Heelan.
And when Vette was not scoring, his teammates were stepping up around him and
knocking down outside shots.
Sioux City Heelan 57, Harlan 56[/URL]
Leaders for Sioux City Heelan
Points: 17 points for Brennan Cougill
Rebounds: 8 rebounds for John Daniels
Assists: 4 assists for John Kerian
Leaders for Harlan
Points: 24 points for Kyle Haacke
Rebounds: 7 rebounds for Kyle Haacke/Neil Gross
Assists: 4 assists for Brad Blum
Game's MVP: Brennan Cougill
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Brennan
Cougill Interview
Audio:
Tom Betz
Interview
Audio:
Mitch
Osborn Interview
Audio:
Clint
Sargent Interview
Audio:
John
Daniels Interview
Audio:
Neil Gross
Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
I have seen a lot of games at the State tournament and this can go down as one
of the best. Heelan and Harlan were so evenly matched on the basketball
court that this was an instant classic. It continued to go back and fourth
on both ends of the floor and the lead changed so many times. I felt
Harlan and Heelan both had things wrapped up at times by the end. But in
the end, power forward Brennan Cougill had a monster day, especially in the
fourth quarter, to will the Crusaders to a win. The scary thing is that
they were able to do it even with leading scorer Clint Sargent not playing up to
his ability. As for Harlan, they will be back and I expect the winning
streak to start anew in the con
Mid-Prairie 59, Tri-Center 58[/URL]
Leaders for Mid-Prairie
Points: 16 points for Kyle Graber
Rebounds: 12 rebounds for Darian Patterson
Assists: 3 assists for Jason Kern
Leaders for Tri-Center
Points: 32 points for Kurt Spomer
Rebounds: 12 rebounds for Kurt Spomer
Assists: 3 assists for Kurt Spomer
Game's MVP: Kyle Graber
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Carl
Cochran Interview
Audio:
Darian
Patterson Interview
Audio:
Don
Showalter Interview
Audio:
Kyle Graber
Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
If there was ever more of an underdog, it would be the winner of this game
against Hull Western Christian. But before touching on that game, this
game was won narrowly by a gritty and hard nosed Mid-Prairie team. Kyle
Graber led the team in scoring with 16 points and the Golden Hawks shut down the
opposition along the way. Kurt Spomer had another nice night and finished
with 32 points but the defense forced him to 24 shots as well. For the
title game, Mid-Prairie will be a huge underdog. But as Bettendorf showed
last night, anything can happen. Everyone expected the Bulldogs to lose
that game and Mid-Prairie is facing similar outlook.
Hull Western Christian 73, Nodaway Valley 57[/URL]
Leaders for Hull Western Christian
Points: 22 points for Trevor Wolterstorff
Rebounds: 8 rebounds for Jeremy Zeutenhorst
Assists: 4 assists for Joel Gesink
Leaders for Nodaway Valley
Points: 21 points for James Larson
Rebounds: 7 rebounds for James Larson/Tyler Raasch
Assists: 4 assists for Tyler Raasch
Game's MVP: Trevor Wolterstorff
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Jim Eekhoff
Interview
Audio:
Darrell
Burmeister Interview
Audio:
James
Larson Interview
Audio:
Jon Vogel
Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
With the play of Trevor Wolterstorff at the State tournament, there is no doubt
that this outstanding sophomore is among the best players in the Class of 2009.
He is a great athlete who can make plays all over the court. If Hull
Western Christian does win the title, he definitely needs to be named All
Tournament Team captain. But as for this game, it was a very good first
half but the Wolfpack pulled away in the second half. They did a nice job
of getting the bigmen from Nodaway Valley into foul trouble and that limited
their aggressiveness. That ended up being the difference in this game.
Northwood-Kensett 55, Lone Tree 49[/URL]
Leaders for Northwood-Kensett
Points: 22 points for Cody Hanson
Rebounds: 10 rebounds for Cody Hanson
Assists: 2 assists for Dan Bestul
Leaders for Lone Tree
Points: 16 points for Scott Ford
Rebounds: 8 rebounds for Tim Loan
Assists: 3 assists for Tim Loan
Game's MVP: Cody Hanson
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Jordan
Cotter Interview
Audio:
Marty
Cotter Interview
Audio:
Tom Squiers
Interview
Audio:
Trevor
Davidson Interview
Audio:
Dan Bestul
Interview
Audio:
Cody Hanson
Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
Despite falling behind 17-7 at the end of the first quarter, Northwood-Kensett
was able to get Lone Tree in foul trouble and that ended up being a huge
advantage in this one. Senior forward Cody Hanson went to work in the post
as he continued to put his opponent on the bench with foul trouble. The
majority of his 22 points came in the paint as he proved to be a major pain for
Lone Tree. Bigman Tim Loan started the game with some big blocks but was
sent to the bench early with foul trouble.
Iowa Mennonite 63, WLVA 62 - 2OT[/URL]
Leaders for Iowa Mennonite
Points: 19 points for Micah Gingerich
Rebounds: 5 rebounds for Carson Miller/Brad Hershberger
Assists: 3 assists for Carson Miller/Jesse Ney
Leaders for WLVA
Points: 24 points for Chris Woerdehoff
Rebounds: 9 rebounds for Nick Buse
Assists: 3 assists for Matt Drost
Game's MVP: Brad Hershberger
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Brad
Herschberger Interview
Audio:
Carson
Miller Interview
Audio:
Chris
Woerdehoff Interview
Audio:
Dwight
Gingerirch Interview
Audio:
Todd
Bontrager Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
Really, this was an outstanding game that could have went either way. At
the end of regulation, it seemed as if the refs wanted IMS to lose. They
called an illegal screen as well as a foul on the other end to send it into
overtime. Then the game went back and fourth. Even though WLVA hit
an impossible shot at the end of the first overtime, it was called no good
because of time. The ref had his arms in the arm the entire time but it
was very close. IMS got their tough game out of the way so I expect them
to win state. Just wait for it!
Thoughts on Day Three
Just some random thoughts throughout the day:
*I was glad to actually get to see a good game before the end of the day.
Starting with Waverly-Shell Rock and ending with Bettendorf, there were four
consecutive games that went to twenty plus points throughout the game. Not
exactly the type of basketball anyone expects at the State tournament.
*With the games, there were a lot of disappointed college coaches who came to
see some good games. The bad part is that most of them had left by the
time Lincoln and Kennedy played, and even fewer stayed for the end of that game.
*Bettendorf really helped the perception of the MAC this year with their win
over Iowa City West. I will be honest in saying that I barely gave them a
shot. They really shut me up on that one.
*Every year, Iowa City West holds their spring break at the same time as the
State basketball tournament. That means the Trojans bring a horrible crowd
and that has remained that way for quite sometime.
*One would think with the semifinals today, that there may be a few actual
games that are close. For my sake, I really hope so.
*I find out today about taping games. If the answer is no, nothing
changes from what I am doing. If it is, that would be a huge addition to
the site because there are so many good players in Des Moines now.
*One of my favorite things about my press row seat is that it is in front of
the student section. That really never gets annoying and may actually help
me do my work.
*A number of Kennedy players had their numbers shaved into their heads for
the game yesterday. Going back to the days of shaving their heads and
dying your hair blonde, the Cougars made it work.
Class 4A All Tournament Team through one game[/URL]
My thoughts on the five that would make the All Tournament team through one
game:
* Jordan Printy - Linn-Mar
* Zach Bohannon - Linn-Mar
* Brett Opdahl - Urbandale
* Charlie Schwartz - Bettendorf
* Troy Rorer - Bettendorf
* Kaylon Williams - Cedar Rapids Kennedy
* Terril Ross - Des Moines Lincoln
I decided to make it seven this time.
Class 4A Tournament Team Rankings[/URL]
After the first round of the State tournament and seeing all of the eight
teams play, I think it is now time to take a quick look back and rank each of
the eight. Please feel free to share your thoughts with me on these
rankings.
1.) Linn-Mar
2.) Bettendorf
3.) Urbandale
4.) Cedar Rapids Kennedy
5.) Des Moines Lincoln
6.) Iowa City West
7.) Ankeny
8.) Sioux City North
A few notes of interest on these. I wanted to make sure these were
recorded because in the last few years, it did not matter one bit about what
team played the best in the first round. For example, I would have picked
Grinnell last year in Class 3A and they lost in the semifinals. A lot of
what teams win and lose has to do with matchups. So even if Linn-Mar played a great game and won by the biggest margin, that does not mean they will
have an easy road to State. The rankings are above are after the first
round and are subject to change quickly.
Cedar Rapids Kennedy [/URL]67, Des Moines Lincoln 65
Leaders for Cedar Rapids Kennedy
Points: 26 points for Kaylon Williams
Rebounds: 6 rebounds for Cimion George
Assists: 8 assists for Kaylon Williams
Leaders for Des Moines Lincoln
Points: 19 points for Terril Ross
Rebounds: 12 rebounds for Terril Ross
Assists: 3 assists for Adam Robinson/Baley Johnson
Game's MVP: Kaylon Williams
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Mike Swaim
Interview
Audio:
Baley
Johnson Interview
Audio:
Walter
Loesch Interview
Audio:
Adam
Robinson Interview
Audio:
Cimion
George Interview
Audio:
Kaylon
Williams Interview
Audio:
Bob Fontana
Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
There was no doubt, again, that this was the best game of the day. After
seeing multiple blowouts, Cedar Rapids Kennedy and Des Moines Lincoln put on a
show that ended in a big win by the Cougars. Considering I thought that
the MVC would have an easy run today, that was not the case with Iowa City West
losing and the Cougars needing a late layup and some free throw misses by
Lincoln to pull this game out. Kaylon Williams will really help his
recruiting with the show he is putting on here. He really is a complete
player.
Bettendorf 60, Iowa City West 40[/URL]
Leaders for Bettendorf
Points: 15 points for Charlie Schwartz
Rebounds: 7 rebounds for Chris Bitter
Assists: 5 assists for Charlie Schwartz
Leaders for Iowa City West
Points: 12 points for Zach Derby
Rebounds: 6 rebounds for A.J. Derby/Delandis Wright
Assists: 2 assists for Nathan Meints
Game's MVP: Charlie Schwartz
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Zach Derby
Interview
Audio:
Steve
Bergman Interview
Audio:
A.J. Derby
Interview
Audio:
Charlie
Schwartz Interview
Audio:
Joe Speth
Interview
Audio:
Kevin
Skillett Interview
Audio:
Peter
Wessels Interview
Audio:
Troy Rorer
Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
This really goes down as the biggest shocker of the State tournament. I
for one thought Iowa City West would defeat Bettendorf and it would be the
fourth blowout of the day. Obviously it ended the other way around and the
Bulldogs were dominant in the victory. Bettendorf may not look pretty but
this team plays hard and gets after it on both ends of the court. That is
a huge reason why they are so successful and it showed tonight.
Urbandale 52, Ankeny 35[/URL]
Leaders for Urbandale
Points: 15 points for Brett Opdahl
Rebounds: 9 rebounds for Ethan Freeman
Assists: 3 assists for Jared Norris
Leaders for Ankeny
Points: 12 points for Kevin Smith
Rebounds: 7 rebounds for Zach Barrgan
Assists: 1 assists for Cory Walter
Game's MVP: Brett Opdahl
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Brad
Bjorkgren Interview
Audio:
John
Petersen Interview
Audio:
Ethan
Freeman Interview
Audio:
Reece
Uhlenhopp Interview
Audio:
Kevin Smith
Interview
Audio:
Zach
Barragan Interview
Audio:
Tyler Egli
Interview
Audio:
Morris
Smeader Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
In what turned out to be the third consecutive blowout of the day, Urbandale was
able to take Ankeny down for the third time this year. But this time it
had much bigger meaning as the game was at the State tournament. From the
start, the J-Hawks were on fire and used that to quickly jump out to a big lead.
And as the game went on, Urbandale continued to have success. One
surprising thing about the outcome was that the team showed they were much more
than just inside players. Their guards stepped up to the challenge and
that was huge. Those inside players will need to step up against Linn-Mar
next round.
Class 3A All Tournament Team through one game[/URL]
My thoughts on the five that would make the All Tournament team through one
game:
* Clint Sargent - Sioux City Heelan
* Nick Wagner - Grinnell
* Kyle Haacke - Harlan
* Dane Larson - Waverly-Shell Rock
* Dan Hoch - Harlan
* Brennan Cougill - Sioux City Heelan
I decided to make it six.
Class 3A Tournament Team Rankings[/URL]
After the first round of the State tournament and seeing all of the eight
teams play, I think it is now time to take a quick look back and rank each of
the eight. Please feel free to share your thoughts with me on these
rankings.
1.) Harlan
2.) Waverly-Shell Rock
3.) Sioux City Heelan
4.) Grinnell
5.) Carroll
6.) Dewitt
7.) Pella
8.) Albia
A few notes of interest on these. I wanted to make sure these were
recorded because in the last few years, it did not matter one bit about what
team played the best in the first round. For example, I would have picked
Grinnell last year in Class 3A and they lost in the semifinals. A lot of
what teams win and lose has to do with matchups. So even if Harlan played a great game and won by the biggest margin, that does not mean they will
have an easy road to State. The rankings are above are after the first
round and are subject to change quickly.
Linn-Mar 73, Sioux City North 60[/URL]
Leaders for Linn-Mar
Points: 18 points for Jordan Printy/Zach Bohannon
Rebounds: 11 rebounds for Zach Bohannon
Assists: 3 assists for Jordan Printy/Grant Gibbs
Leaders for Sioux City North
Points: 17 points for Alex Walker
Rebounds: 10 rebounds for Brian Wanner
Assists: 1 assist (Multiple players)
Game's MVP: Zach Bohannon
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Chris
Robertson Interview
Audio:
Grant Gibbs
Interview
Audio:
John
Vanderloo Interview
Audio:
Jordan
Printy Interview
Audio:
Zach
Bohannon Interview
Audio:
Alex Walker
Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
Like the past three years at the State tournament, Linn-Mar was able to flex
their muscles against a lower seeded team. Another Bohannon, this time
Zach, stepped up his game. After averaging 7.5 points per game during the
year, he was able to notch 18 points and scored in a wide variety of ways.
Sioux City North had a nice comeback in the second half but by then, it the game
was over. The Stars had a chance to show what they did during the year to
stay successful and it is obvious why they were solid. But Linn-Mar is an
exceptional team that remains my favorite for the State title.
*Note: Printy also said, like Vette, that he was unsure what he was going to
do at the college level. The new coach will be named sometime in the next
few weeks and he sounded like he would hope to attend Indiana State.
Waverly-Shell Rock 60, Pella 38[/URL]
Leaders for Waverly-Shell Rock
Points: 15 points for Dane Larson
Rebounds: 9 rebounds for Clayton Vette/Ben Schreen
Assists: 6 assists for Dane Larson
Leaders for Pella
Points: 12 points for Kaleb Korver
Rebounds: 11 rebounds for Klarc Korver
Assists: 1 assist (Multiple players)
Game's MVP: Dane Larson
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Ben Schreen
Interview
Audio:
Clayton
Vette Interview
Audio:
Dane Larson
Interview
Audio:
Mark Core
Interview
Audio:
Tom Bardal
Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
Considering that I picked Pella to play in the title game, I don't exactly feel
bright about my predictions for the bottom half of the bracket. Although
Waverly-Shell Rock has been playing inconsistent at times during the year, they
flat out came to play. And as Grinnell showed last night, getting your
feet wet at the State tournament is a huge benefit. The Go Hawks used it
against a Pella team that had not become used to the settings at the arena.
And from the start, Waverly-Shell Rock came to play and it was obvious.
They were able to slow the outside shooting that had helped Pella advance this
far. It appeared over early and even with Clayton Vette struggling, they
dominated throughout the game.
*Note: Vette said he was unsure about recruiting and would worry about it
after State basketball. He really did not seem concerned at the time.
Some thoughts on Tuesday
*I really do enjoy the fact that all the games start at noon. Although
I don't finish doing stuff until 10 PM, having the ability to sleep in does
help.
*There are a lot of college coaches here. With the Iowa Conference
having their coaches meeting Wednesday morning, a lot of the coaches came around
and were in attendance watching the players.
*A lot of these coaches were disappointed with the talent level of players in
Class 1A. Take that for what it is worth.
*Sioux City Heelan wing guard Clint Sargent has taken the lead for most high
maintenance athlete I have ever covered. Although I agreed that his
previous picture was bad, he made me take a record four pictures until he got
just the right one. And the main reason I am writing this is because I
know he will be reading this. Clint is a great kid and had a heck of a
game against Dewitt. I think once I come out with All State teams, I am
going to put up younger pictures of the players. Clint is not bad but the
person who should worry is Brent Barz. He has a great freshman year
picture.
*Where is the State map that had the lights on of the teams playing that was
at Vets? I would definitely hook that up if I had it and relive my
Davenport Assumption glory days.
*Harlan is good. Their streak continues and team, including Heelan,
will have their hands full to beat them.
*I am excited about the Lincoln/Kennedy matchup today because the athleticism
as well as the Hoch/Cougill matchup when Harlan and Heelan play.
Grinnell 54, Carroll 47[/URL]
Leaders for Grinnell
Points: 19 points for Nick Wagner
Rebounds: 8 rebounds for Will Eilert
Assists: 3 assists for Brandon Sharp/Adam Schmidt
Leaders for Carroll
Points: 16 points for Kirby Pettitt
Rebounds: 7 rebounds for Kirby Pettitt
Assists: 2 assists (Multiple players)
Game's MVP: Nick Wagner
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Scott Sharp
Interview
Audio:
Nick Wagner
Interview
Audio:
Will Eilert
Interview
Audio:
Adam
Schmidt Interview
Audio:
Craig Douma
Interview
Audio:
Kirby
Pettitt Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
With the substate that Carroll went through, I really felt that they were
battled tested and had what it takes to make a run. They had only lost
once all year to Nevada and avenged that loss twice. But could that tough
substate run possibly taken something out of this team? Against a strange
Grinnell team (More on that in a bit), they were unable to capitalize down the
stretch and that cost them in this substate opener. This has been a
strange Grinnell team because although they have been hit by injuries, they have
not been able to play to their potential. But with a tournament victory
under their belt, that has changed and the Tigers have a chance to play for a
State title.
Sioux City Heelan 67, Dewitt 54[/URL]
Leaders for Sioux City Heelan
Points: 27 points for Clint Sargent
Rebounds: 11 rebounds for Brennan Cougill
Assists: 2 assists for Brennan Cougill
Leaders for Dewitt
Points: 11 points for Patrick Gerdes
Rebounds: 4 rebounds (Multiple players)
Assists: 4 assists for Patrick Gerdes
Game's MVP: Clint Sargent
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
George
Pickup Interview
Audio:
Brennan
Cougill Interview
Audio:
Brett
Mangan Interview
Audio:
Clint
Sargent Interview
Audio:
John
Daniels Interview
Audio:
Tom Betz
Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
On paper, this game probably should not have been close but the one thing that
is an advantage to Dewitt is that games are not played on paper. The
Sabers work extremely hard on both ends of the court and that helped keep this
game close. Instead of giving up down the stretch, they tried harder and
made things tough for Heelan. But the Crusaders are an elite team with
some very good players. Clint Sargent finally had a chance to show Iowa
his abilities and that resulted in him scoring 27 points in a wide variety of
ways. His ability to score and create openings for teammates is huge.
I cannot wait until they play Harlan next round.
Class 2A All Tournament Team through one game[/URL]
My thoughts on the five that would make the All Tournament team through one
game:
* Tyler Raasch - Nodaway Valley
* Jeremy Zeutenhorst - Hull Western Christian
* Trevor Wolterstorff - Hull Western Christian
* Darian Patterson - Mid-Prairie
* Kyle DeBoer - Hampton-Dumont
* Kurt Spomer - Tri-Center
I decided to make it six.
Class 2A Tournament Team Rankings[/URL]
After the first round of the State tournament and seeing all of the eight
teams play, I think it is now time to take a quick look back and rank each of
the eight. Please feel free to share your thoughts with me on these
rankings.
1.) Hull Western Christian
2.) Nodaway Valley
3.) Mid-Prairie
4.) Tri-Center
5.) Hampton-Dumont
6.) Dyersville-Beckman
7.) Garner-Hayfield
8.) Northeast Gooselake
A few notes of interest on these. I wanted to make sure these were
recorded because in the last few years, it did not matter one bit about what
team played the best in the first round. For example, I would have picked
Grinnell last year in Class 3A and they lost in the semifinals. A lot of
what teams win and lose has to do with matchups. So even if Hull Western played a great game and won by the biggest margin, that does not mean they will
have an easy road to State. The rankings are above are after the first
round and are subject to change quickly.
Harlan 76, Albia 30[/URL]
Leaders for Harlan
Points: 19 points for Kyle Haacke
Rebounds: 8 rebounds for Dan Hoch
Assists: 8 assists for Brad Blum
Leaders for Albia
Points: 12 points for Mike Strasko
Rebounds: 5 rebounds for Cody Crall
Assists: 1 (Multiple players)
Game's MVP: Kyle Haacke
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Mitch
Osborn Interview
Audio:
Kevin
Archer Interview
Audio:
Neil Gross
Interview
Audio:
Kyle Haacke
Interview
Audio:
Brad Blum
Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
Well, coming into this game I expected a blowout. On one hand, you have an
Albia team that made a shocking run to the State tournament. Few expected
the Demons to get here and even fewer expected them to move on at the State
tournament. That obviously was the case as the Cyclones dominated this
game and made it ugly early. Their leading four scorers were dominant as
they always are. And when Dan Hoch, all 6-foot-7 and 290 pounds of him,
hits a three, you know it is Harlan's day.
Tri-Center 68, Hampton-Dumont 64[/URL]
Leaders for Tri-Center
Points: 30 points for Kurt Spomer
Rebounds: 9 rebounds for Kurt Spomer
Assists: 5 assists for Kurt Spomer
Leaders for Hampton-Dumont
Points: 22 points for Kyle DeBoer
Rebounds: 13 rebounds for Kyle DeBoer
Assists: 3 assists for Justin Van Wert
Game's MVP: Kurt Spomer
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Carl
Cochran Interview
Audio:
Heath
Walton Interview
Audio:
Kurt Spomer
Interview
Audio:
Kyle DeBoer
Interview
Audio:
Monte
Larson Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
In a game that I thought each team had at different times through, Tri-Center
ended up pulling out a hard fought win in the second overtime. Tri-Center
appeared to have a huge advantage late in the game but let it slip away to get
to overtime. That is when Hampton-Dumont was able to build a quick early
but let down late in the overtime to force a second stanza. Tri-Center was
then able to hit their shots and with Kurt Spomer leading the way, win the game.
It was a great battle both ways and was tough to send one team home for the
year.
Mid-Prairie 57, Garner-Hayfield 44[/URL]
Leaders for Mid-Prairie
Points: 16 points for Darian Patterson
Rebounds: 10 rebounds for Darian Patterson
Assists: 4 assists for Kyle Graber
Leaders for Garner-Hayfield
Points: 15 points for Zach Svare
Rebounds: 6 rebounds for Nick Stromer
Assists: 2 assists (Multiple Players)
Game's MVP: Darian Patterson
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Don
Showalter Interview
Audio:
Darian
Patterson Interview
Audio:
Joe
Albertson Interview
Audio:
Nick
Stromer Interview
Audio:
Ryan
Davidson Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
In a game that was tied at halftime with Garner-Hayfield having all the momentum
after scoring the last three points, I thought the Cardinals would have an
advantage. But the Golden Hawks won the second half by fourteen and the
game as well along the way. Darian Patterson had a huge game for
Mid-Prairie but that was expected. Where the team really came through is
off the bench. A number of these players stepped up when the team needed
them and that allowed them to pull off a hard fought victory.
Hull Western Christian 85, Northeast Gooselake 39[/URL]
Leaders for Hull Western Christian
Points: 17 points for Jeremy Zeutenhorst
Rebounds: 12 rebounds for Jeremy Zeutenhorst
Assists: 6 assists for Joel Gesink
Leaders for Northeast Gooselake
Points: 28 points for Dylan Diedrich
Rebounds: 6 rebounds for Dylan Diedrich
Assists: 0 total
Game's MVP: Jeremy Zeutenhorst
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Jim Eekhoff
Interview
Audio:
Trevor
Wolterstorff Interview
Audio:
Dylan
Diedrich Interview
Audio:
Danny Vogel
Interview
Audio:
Jeremy
Zeutenhorst Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
Wow, I can say I really did not see that coming. Hull Western is a very
legit team, but as I said early, do not put too much stock into first round
games. This young team that starts zero seniors will have their hands full
with Nodaway Valley next round. But as for this game, it was an exciting
first half. The Wolfpack scored in a wide variety of ways but Dylan
Diedrich was lighting up the scoreboard for Northeast Gooselake. Once his
shots started missing in the second half, it got ugly quick as the Rebels scored
only eight points in the second half. Despite their youth, Hull Western is
a legit team that will be tough to beat. It should be a great matchup next
round.
Nodaway Valley 56, Dyersville-Beckman 42[/URL]
Leaders for Nodaway Valley
Points: 20 points for Tyler Raasch
Rebounds: 12 rebounds for James Larson
Assists: 6 assists for Tyler Raasch
Leaders for Dyersville-Beckman
Points: 21 points for Adam Manternach
Rebounds: 5 rebounds for Zach Domeyer
Assists: 2 assists for Zach Domeyer
Game's MVP: Tyler Raasch
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Darrell
Burmeister Interview
Audio:
Dan Correy
Interview
Audio:
Tyler
Raasch Interview
Audio:
Adam
Manternach Interview
Audio:
Sean
Stelken Interview
Audio:
Josh
Singsank Interview
Audio:
James
Larson Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
Basically I can really say that after gaining a twenty point lead, Nodaway
Valley let down and the refs started letting them play. And instead of
quitting, Dyersville-Beckman continued to work hard on both ends of the court
and make things somewhat interesting. Tyler Raasch was on fire for most of
the game and ended with twenty one points and added six assists. That is
an MVP type game there. The Wolverines have some things to clean up but
will be a tough team to play, especially when they are going 100%.
27 Minutes before the game
The game is still a long ways away and yet the Beckman crowd loves the hair
of Nodaway Valley forward James Larson. But if he plays like he did last
year, I don't expect that to last very long. He was dominant last year in
Des Moines.
Class 1A All Tournament Team through one game[/URL]
My thoughts on the five that would make the All Tournament team through one
game:
* Jeremy Kolthoff - East Buchanan
* Carson Miller - Iowa Mennonite
* Josh Walker - Northwood-Kensett
* Brenden Stubbs - Des Moines Christian
* Derek Havel - Lone Tree
Class 1A Tournament Team Rankings[/URL]
After the first round of the State tournament and seeing all of the eight
teams play, I think it is now time to take a quick look back and rank each of
the eight. Please feel free to share your thoughts with me on these
rankings.
1.) Iowa Mennonite
2.) Northwood-Kensett
3.) Lone Tree
4.) Wall Lake View Auburn
5.) Boyden-Hull
6.) East Buchanan
7.) Des Moines Christian
8.) IKM
A few notes of interest on these. I wanted to make sure these were
recorded because in the last few years, it did not matter one bit about what
team played the best in the first round. For example, I would have picked
Grinnell last year in Class 3A and they lost in the semifinals. A lot of
what teams win and lose has to do with matchups. So even if Iowa Mennonite
played a great game and won by the biggest margin, that does not mean they will
have an easy road to State. The rankings are above are after the first
round and are subject to change quickly.
Lone Tree 46, Des Moines Christian 37[/URL]
Leaders for Lone Tree
Points: 19 points for Derek Havel
Rebounds: 9 rebounds for Ryan Luedtke
Assists: 2 assists for Ryan Luedtke
Leaders for Des Moines Christian
Points: 14 points Branden Stubbs
Rebounds: 11 rebounds for Travis Vanderlinden
Assists: 2 assists (Multiple players)
Game's MVP: Derek Havel
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Scott Ford
Interview
Audio:
Tom Squiers
Interview
Audio:
Derek Havel
Interview
Audio:
Tim Loan
Interview
Audio:
Travis
VanderLinden Interview
Audio:
Dave Stubbs
Interview
Audio:
Branden
Stubbs Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
With the game going back and fourth throughout, Lone Tree used a big fourth
quarter to propel themselves to the semifinals of the Class 1A State tournament.
They did it by putting Des Moines Christian in foul trouble and getting to the
foul line more frequently as well. If Lone Tree can continue to play like
this, their guards and bigmen inside will prove tough in the State tournament.
This will make things even more interesting throughout the rest of the State
tournament.
Northwood Kensett 54, Boyden Hull 51[/URL]
Leaders for Northwood Kensett
Points: 15 points by Jordan Cotter/Josh Walker
Rebounds: 7 rebounds by Trevor Davidson
Assists: 4 assists by Dan Bestul
Leaders for Boyden Hull
Points: 15 points by Chad Bolkema
Rebounds: 7 rebounds by Derrick Moss
Assists: 4 assists by Eric Van Ginkel
Game's MVP: Josh Walker
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Marty
Cotter Interview
Audio:
Bill
Francis Interview
Audio:
Chad
Bolkema Interview
Audio:
Cody Hanson
Interview
Audio:
Eric Van
Ginkel Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
Even though Northwood-Kensett pulled ahead early, Boyden-Hull really ended up
making it a game late. It went down to the wire and really could have went
either way. In the end, I feel that the experience of Northwood-Kensett
was the difference in this game. They finished as the third best team in
this class last year and that big game experience was huge for the team.
What is scary is that even though Cody Hanson and Dan Bestul did not put up many
points, others on the team stepped up and led the team to the win. That
team victory is what helps on a run to a championship.
Iowa Mennonite 68, IKM 51[/URL]
Leaders for Iowa Mennonite
Points: 23 points by Carson Miller
Rebounds: 9 rebounds by Jesse Ney
Assists: 2 assists (Multiple Players)
Leaders for IKM
Points: 15 points by Chris Chapman/Tim Bruck
Rebounds: 8 rebounds by Dustin Christensen
Assists: 5 assists by Sean Birks
Game's MVP: Carson Miller
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Tony Klein
Interview (Coach)
Audio:
Carson
Miller Interview
Audio:
Dwight
Gingerirch Interview (Coach)
Audio:
Tim Bruck
Interview
Audio:
Ethan
Gingerich Interview
Thoughts on the Game:
Well, there goes my predictions for Class 1A. Although I don't take that
much stock in first round games, the performance that IMS put on in this one was
impressive. They really appear to be the favorite in the top half of the
bracket to make it to the title game. But again, I have seen teams look
terrible in the first win yet take home the State title. So a lot of it
depends on matchups and how teams are playing. That is important to note.
For IMS, Carson Miller had a huge game and only missed three shots while scoring
23 points. That was a very impressive performance by him and could put him
as an early favorite for the All Tournament team.
Quick halftime recap - 12:43
IKM continues to hit some tough shots but IMS is so fundamentally sound they
follow it up with an easy basket. The more of these they get, the easier
it will be for IMS to move on.
Oh, and my ears hurt from the fans behind me yelling. The joy of the
State tournament.
Halftime score: IMS 25, IKM 22
Nearly halftime
It is nearly halftime and IMS is up 21-18 with the second quarter nearly
over. I honestly had to spent most of the first half getting the audio and
recap for last game up so I will try to get more during the rest of the game.
Wall Lake View Auburn 35, East Buchanan 33[/URL]
Leaders for Wall Lake View Auburn
Points: 12 points by Chris Woerdehoff
Rebounds: 15 rebounds by Matt Drost
Assists: 3 assists by Matt Drost
Leaders for East Buchanan
Points: 10 points by Jeremy Kolthoff
Rebounds: 14 rebounds by Jeremy Kolthoff
Assists: 2 assists (Tied)
Game's MVP: Chris Woerdehoff
Postgame Audio:
Audio:
Rodney
Conrad Interview
Audio:
Todd
Bontrager Interview
Audio:
Jeremy
Kolthoff Interview
Audio:
Chris
Woerdehoff Interview
Audio:
Justin
Wissler Interview
Rims out
Wow, they nearly hit a 25 footer to win it. WLVA shot 8-41 19.5% and
still won.
1.6 seconds left - 11:56
Crazy end to the game. WLVA hits one of two free throws to go up by
one. EB gets the ball, shoots a three that appears to be good from where I
am sitting. They get the board and the two pointer rolls off.
Scramble for the ball goes through the legs of EB player.
WLVA gets the ball back and throws away the in bounds. EB calls timeout
right away, even though the player shot it from half court and nearly made it.
The question now is how much time will EB get with the ball.
1.1 seconds is what is left.
End of 3rd - 11:30
There is no doubt that EB has all the momentum in this game. WLVA is
now shooting under 20% for the game and not looking good offensively.
They did just score an and one so I might be wrong on that assessment.
Good thinking.
Des Moines Register feature - 11:17 AM
In speaking with Register writer Rob Gray about the old State tournament
board where they would light up all of the teams that were in the tournament, he
told me that the Register put a similar feature on their site. Because I
loved the old board (Does anyone know where it is at now by the way?), I thought
it would be good to link this:
Click here now
First half thoughts on Wall Lake View Auburn vs.
East Buchanan - 11:10 AM
The score at half is 20-17. A few thoughts so far.
Really, both teams have been struggling to shoot the ball. EB is
shooting 30% at half and WLVA (Too long to type again by the way) is hitting
23.5% of their shots. They have gone to the three throw line eleven more
times with Chris Woerdehoff knocking down all eight of his free throw attempts.
EB is the type of team that presses, pushes the ball, and shoots threes.
They have bigman Jeremy Kolthoff on the back of the press so that lets the
athletes up front really pressure the players. Kolthoff has three blocks
at the half and has disrupted a lot of shots.
One definite thing that EB has going for them is all of their guards look
alike. In past years, teams have all shaved their heads and dyed their
hair. This year, it looks like EB has dyed their hair black and also grown
it out. Really, the majority of these guards do look alike. They all
fly around the court, hustle, and shoot threes.
WLVA may not be shooting well but they are going the little things to win
this game. They have been using the aggressive play of EB to their
advantage. If they win, I expect the free throw advantage to be huge in
the end.
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This post was edited on 4/2 4:52 PM by LukeFeddersen
