Gary Dolphin, Voice of the Hawkeyes, was the featured speaker at the annual prep basketball preview at Happy's in Dubuque last week. The local Dubuque County high school coaches all talked about their teams and gave their evaluations of other teams also. Dubuque Hempstead, Dubuque Senior and Western Dubuque all return four of their top five players. The general consensus was that Dubuque Hempstead may have their strongest team in the last 10- 15 years, led by the Duax brothers. They lost to Dubuque Senior in the substate final last season by three points. Senior is also loaded with about six of their top eight players returning. Western Dubuque, also in 4A, has almost all of their top ten players back. Dubuque Wahlert, which graduated their top ten scorers from last season (two of whom are on the Iowa Hawkeye roster- Pemsl and Till) is in a rebuilding mode, but their soph team last year had the same record as the varsity, so look for many junior starters this year. Western Dubuque has been asked to join the Mississippi Valley Conference, and has until November to answer. In the MVC, the coaches all said that Iowa City West, followed by CR Xavier, Cedar Falls and CR Kennedy would be the top teams, aside from the two Dubuque public schools which should vie for high finishes also.
(Note from the OP- With tremendous feeder programs, all five Dubuque County teams were ranked last year, including Cascade in 2A). There is unbelievable participation in the youth programs in the city and county and this fall, Senior will have a clinic with 65 elementary teams! Wahlert has a class coming up (8th grade) in which over half the 7th grade boys last year were on their various competitive basketball teams. The Y and Boys Club programs have many, many dozens of teams, and the elementary Dream Program, mentored by former public high school coaches, through their Intensity basketball program, helps disadvantaged kids and newcomers to the city get involved in basketball and assists in academic ways. And the same good things can be said for the other schools' programs and many camps. Additionally, Building Better Athletes helps serious players at all levels from all regional schools stay in shape with a professional conditioning program. Basically, most of the serious players are able to play competitively all year round. Great omens for the years to come.)
(Note from the OP- With tremendous feeder programs, all five Dubuque County teams were ranked last year, including Cascade in 2A). There is unbelievable participation in the youth programs in the city and county and this fall, Senior will have a clinic with 65 elementary teams! Wahlert has a class coming up (8th grade) in which over half the 7th grade boys last year were on their various competitive basketball teams. The Y and Boys Club programs have many, many dozens of teams, and the elementary Dream Program, mentored by former public high school coaches, through their Intensity basketball program, helps disadvantaged kids and newcomers to the city get involved in basketball and assists in academic ways. And the same good things can be said for the other schools' programs and many camps. Additionally, Building Better Athletes helps serious players at all levels from all regional schools stay in shape with a professional conditioning program. Basically, most of the serious players are able to play competitively all year round. Great omens for the years to come.)
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