(Photo Courtesy: John Lovretta // thehawkeye.com)
Muscatine — In each of the last two years Notre Dame was right there.
In 2020 the Nikes succumbed to Marquette Catholic 57-49, last year it was another heartbreaking 65-57 loss to Springville.
This year head coach Corey Stephens is looking to get the Nikes over the hump.
How special would it be for them to do it this year? Of course the Nikes played this year with the heaviest of hearts.
Long-time head coach and community leader Jim Myers passed after just one game on the sideline after a lengthy battle with cancer.
Stephens is now doing his best Myers’ impression, carrying on the legacy that he left behind him.
Tonight Notre Dame will get English Valleys at Fairfield High School with the winner advancing to next week’s 1A State Girls’ Basketball Tournament.
This group has been building to this moment.
Largely the same crewmates return from the last two year’s of disappointment and their scorned lover demeanor has set them on a trailblazing 22-0 season.
The ring leader has been Quincy University recruit Megan Harrell.
Harrell leads the team with 14.4 points per game chipping with 8.2 boards as well.
Reagan Engberg adds 10.4 points per game while all-everything volleyball star Gabby Deery chips in with 9.5 points and 5.6 boards.
English Valleys is 21-3.
The Bears have defeated Lone Tree, Sigourney and Montezuma on their tournament trail run and are paced by senior guard Mia Ayers and her 13.6 points per game.
This will just be the second meeting in the last eight years between the programs, with Notre Dame earning a 73-57 win back on this same date in 2015.
You can listen to tonight’s game on FM 105.5 and kilj.com.
Tip is set for 7:00 p.m. and Nathan Bloechl and Kent Bennett will have the call.
In Class 2A, Mediapolis will also look to punch their ticket to the State Tournament.
The Bullettes will play Regina Catholic tonight at Muscatine.
Mediapolis is 21-2 on the year and advanced by avenging their first loss of the season over Louisa-Muscatine last week.
Regina squeaked by West Branch in 48-40 affair in last week’s semifinal.
They too will tip at 7:00 p.m.