Prep Wrestling: Lopez, Frazier, Walrath All Win State Titles, Walrath Delivers Team Title to ND
Marcel Lopez became the 30th wrestler in Iowa High School history to win gold four times, as the SIU-Edwardsville recruit and New London Tiger completed an unblemished 55-0 senior season with a 5-3 decision over Riverside’s Jace Rose Saturday night.
Lopez has now won titles at 106, 113, 120 and 126.
He has not lost since his sophomore season and ends his decorated prep career 207-4.
He got the scoring started quickly in the finals, nabbing a takedown in seven seconds.
Lopez then rode out Rose in the first period and then nearly all of the second, helping guide his decision win.
The win also helped New London earn eighth place in the 1A team race with 60.5 points.
In Class 2A, Blaine Frazier saved the best for last.
In his third trip to the state finals, Frazier finally got over the hump defeating Greene County’s McKinley Robbins in a 5-3 decision. Robbins beat Frazier in last year’s finals.
The win was the capstone of a 53-0 year and a career that saw him win a total of 205 matches.
Frazier’s win helped add onto the tally, with Notre Dame leading the team race, but it wasn’t until C.J. Walrath’s 182-pound finals that Nikes would clinch their first team title.
Walrath’s late takedown and subsequent ride out of Iowa State recruit Fernando Villaescusa (Gilbert) gave the Nikes a 6.5 point lead which second place Osage could not catch.
Like Frazier, Walrath ended his season without a loss.
In the nightcap, WACO’s Jonah Clark dropped an 8-1 decision to Jared Thiry of Don Bosco, for a runner-up finish.
Clark ousted top-ranked and top-seeded West Hancock Matthew Francis in the semifinals, handing him his first loss of the season.
Girls’ Prep Basketball: Mount Pleasant Ousted in 4A Semifinals
Mount Pleasant fell behind 16-4 to Keokuk and could not overcome, as the Panthers were beaten 63-42 in a 4A semifinal Saturday night.
Keokuk now advances to tomorrows Region 2 championship.
Andrea Lopreato led the Panthers with 21 points and four rebounds, while hitting 7-of-11 shots.
Kenna Lamm added 11 while Jadan Brumbaugh finished with six points and four boards.
Lopreato closes her terrific junior season as the new single season points scorer record, she’s up to third in career rebounds and is only 45 points away from joining the 1,000-point scorers club.
Mount Pleasant ends their year 12-11.
Boys’ Prep Basketball: Mount Pleasant Opens Their Postseason Push
The Mount Pleasant boys’ basketball team will start their tournament trail run tonight when they take on Mount Vernon in a Class 3A-Substate 5 first round matchup.
The winner will play the victor of Marion-Keokuk on Thursday night.
Mount Pleasant are reeling heading into the postseason, losers of four straight.
They haven’t won since their February 1st overtime triumph over Iowa City Regina.
Still, they likely have the best player on the floor this evening in senior forward Dewon Trent.
Trent finished his senior regular season averaging a team-high 13.8 points and 7.1 rebounds.
Tonight’s scrap is a rematch of last year’s second round matchup, where Mount Vernon edged the Panthers 59-55.
Gone however from the Mustangs lineup is Keaton Kutcher, who plays now for South Dakota.
Mount Vernon has relied on a scoring by committee approach, with just one player in double figures in sophomore Joe Rhomberg, who scores 10.8 points per game.
The Mustangs enter the postseason a deceptive 10-11, as they’ve played one of the toughest schedules in 3A and have already beaten the top-seeded Wolves of Marion once this year.
Tonight’s game will begin at 7:00 p.m. and can be heard on FM 105.5 and kilj.com.
Nathan Bloechl and Kent Bennett will have the call.
National Basketball Association
And in the NBA, Team LeBron won their fifth straight all-star game, defeating Team Durant 163-160.
Stephen Curry sunk 16 threes, scoring 50 points and earning the Kobe Bryant All-Star Game MVP.
The NBA regular season resumes this Thursday.
