Prep Basketball: A Look at the Southeast Iowa Super Conference Standings

By Slaten Swords · Tuesday, December 24th, 2024 at 6:30 am CDT

Prep Basketball- A full month of basketball is in the books and as teams earn a two week break, now is as good a time as any to look at the conference standings for the Southeast Iowa Super Conference (SEISC) starting with the boys’ teams.

The SEISC-South division is a three-horse race for the top spot with last year’s conference shootout champion West Burlington leads the pack with a 5-0 record having defeated Holy Trinity Catholic earlier this season.

Burlington Notre Dame and the Crusaders are both sitting in second place with a 4-1 mark in conference after the Nikes narrowly lost to Holy Trinity Catholic 55-54 heading into winter break as Luke Hellige cashed in for 24 points in that win.

Mediapolis, Central Lee, and Van Buren County round out the middle of the pack as Danville and New London are still searching for their first conference victory. The two will play in New London on January 7th.

Conference Leaders (South)

Points Per Game (ppg): Mason Watkins (WB)- 27.7 ppg, Luke Hellige (HTC)-25.3 ppg, Quincy Collins (WB)- 19.1 ppg, Jack Drew (BND)-18.8

Assists Per Game: Adam Sobczak (HTC)- 8.2, Shay Stephens (BND)- 6.0, Mason Watkins (WB)- 5.6

Rebounds Per Game: Ayden Figuereo (WB) 9.3, Luke Hellige (HTC)- 7.3, Quincy Collins (WB)- 7.0

Steals Per Game: Jaden Bauer (Danville)- 3.8, Mason Watkins (WB)- 3.0, Tate Welcher (New London)- 2.8

Blocks Per Game: Will Hayes and Brayden Wyrick (Central Lee)- 1.7, Ayden Figuereo (WB)- 1.1

Switching over to the SEISC-North Division, two years removed from sitting atop the conference standings and competing for the SEISC crown, WACO has sprinted out to a 5-0 conference record under first-year head coach Chayse Roth.

The Warriors have scraped across a win at home against Pekin 53-52 and on the road against Hillcrest Academy 48-46, while winning the rest of their conference showdowns by double digits. The lone blemish was a season opening 22-point loss to Holy Trinity Catholic.

Hillcrest Academy slides in at 2nd place with a 5-1 conference mark with Winfield-Mt. Union trailing behind at 4-1 with a 61-37 loss to the Ravens weighing over them. The Wolves can score in droves but have also failed to score 50 points in five of their seven matchups.

Pekin holds the last winning record in conference at 3-2 followed by Lone Tree and Columbus at 2-3. Louisa-Muscatine is heavily involved in the stat leader list but that has not equated to wins, going 1-3 in North play. Highland is 1-4, while Wapello is the caboose, searching for their first win.

Conference Leaders (North)

Points Per Game (ppg): Finnegan Cline (L-M)- 21.0 ppg, Christian Stacy (WACO)- 18.0 ppg, Jake Edwards (W-MU)- 17.9 ppg

Assists Per Game: Henry Adam (Pekin)- 5.8, Justyn Faulkner (Wapello)- 5.4, Rowan Miller (Hillcrest Academy)- 5.2

Rebounds Per Game: Finnegan Cline (L-M)- 9.8, Cooper Buffington (W-MU) 8.7, Oscar Cline (L-M)- 7.8

Steals Per Game: Christian Stacy (WACO)- 3.6, Jake Edwards (W-MU)- 3.0, Oscar Cline (L-M) and Will Adam (Pekin)- 2.8

Blocks Per Game: Finnegan Cline (L-M)- 2.4, Oscar Cline (L-M)- 1.8, Jacob Schnieder (Highland)- 1.6

Mark your calendars for January 7th, the SEISC-South for the girls will pit the two leaders, Holy Trinity Catholic and Mediapolis, against one another to see who, possibly, will remain unbeaten in conference play.

The Crusaders are following in last year’s squad’s footsteps, finishing with a 12-2 conference mark and clobbering Lone Tree in the SEISC shootout. However, this year’s team is not dominating, at least on the scoreboard, as Holy Trinity Catholic has failed to score 50 points at all this season but has held their opponents under 40 points in all but one of their seven games, equating to a perfect record at the break.

Mediapolis is also undefeated, hoarding a 5-0 record in South play and dominating while doing so as all of their wins are by double digits with five of their seven wins by 40-points or more. The Bulldogs have dropped their last two games against the Crusaders.

Central Lee enters in at the third spot, holding a 3-2 record with Danville right behind at 2-2 after a shaky start to the season. Van Buren County trails at 2-3 with West Burlington and Burlington Notre Dame sporting 1-4 records in South play. New London is still looking for their first win of the season.

Conference Leaders (South)

Points Per Game (ppg): Amelia Grier (Mediapolis)- 15.5 ppg, Ellah Wagenbach (Mediapolis)- 13.1 ppg, Josie Hutcheson (Mediapolis)- 12.8 ppg, Adalyn Kruse (HTC)- 12.0 ppg

Assists Per Game: Josie Hutcheson (Mediapolis)- 7.0, Bryn Wright (Mediapolis)- 6.4, Anna Bendlage (HTC)- 3.6

Rebounds Per Game: Kenna Sandoval (Central Lee)- 11.2, Adalyn Kruse (HTC)- 9.4, Madalynn Knapp (BND)- 7.3

Steals Per Game: Josie Hutcheson (Mediapolis)- 6.0, Lizzy Mason (Central Lee)- 5.3, Amelia Grier (Mediapolis)- 5.0

Blocks Per Game: Mylee Miller (New London)- 1.8, Josie Parrott (Mediapolis)- 1.6, Kenna Sandoval (Central Lee) and Adalyn Kruse (HTC)- 1.0

Switching to the SEISC-North, Columbus finished with their first winning season in seven seasons last year and now the Wildcats are a perfect 6-0 in the North and 8-1 overall. Five of their wins are by double digits, but a loss to the Hawks shows there is still some growth to be had for this team to take a swing at the Crusaders or Bulldogs.

Highland has been the biggest surprise of the season with freshman phenom Kamryn Fink leading the Huskies in usurping Lone Tree from the Class 1A rankings and inserting Highland at the #14 spot. However, losses to Columbus and WACO have the Huskies, Warriors, and Lions tied at 4-2 apiece in the North.

Hillcrest Academy and Pekin are both 3-3, while Louisa-Muscatine and Winfield-Mt. Union sit with one win apiece, though the Wolves have been dealing with early season injuries to their starting lineup. Lastly, Wapello is still searching for their first conference win of the season.

Conference Leaders (North)

Points Per Game (ppg): Claire Withrow (Hillcrest Academy)- 18.8 ppg, Kamryn Fink (Highland) and Malia Yoder (Hillcrest Academy) – 17.0 ppg, Lily Coil (Columbus)- 16.7 ppg, Kynlee Buffington (W-MU)- 15.0

Assists Per Game: Katie Herrig (Highland)- 5.0, Malia Yoder (Hillcrest Academy)- 3.6, Ariana Vergara (Columbus)- 3.6

Rebounds Per Game: Kamryn Fink (Highland)- 16.1, Abby Guise (Pekin)- 12.5, Kynlee Buffington (W-MU)- 11.7

Steals Per Game: Ariana Vergara (Columbus)- 5.9, Malia Yoder (Hillcrest Academy)- 5.8, Hailey Brun (Highland)- 5.1

Blocks Per Game: Kynlee Buffington (W-MU): 2.7, Alyson Ford (Lone Tree)- 1.6, Kamryn Fink (Highland)- 1.5

Tomorrow, December 25thhaveeee will survey the Southeast Conference landscape as some early season surprises have altered the terrain.

Larry A. Steeples

By Hayden Douglas · Monday, December 23rd, 2024 at 3:52 pm CDT

Larry A. Steeples, 85, of Mukwonago, Wisconsin, passed away Saturday, December 21, 2024, in Wisconsin.

He was born on June 6, 1939, in Donnellson, Iowa, the son of Ora E. and Alpha W. (Wieger) Steeples. He married Sandy Becker in Colorado. She preceded him in death.

He is survived by his brother: Gary (Judy) Steeples of Ottumwa, Iowa.

He was preceded in death by his wife: Sandy; infant daughter: Mellissa Ann and sister: Betty Johnson.

Larry was a graduate of Ottumwa High School and received his masters degree from the University of Iowa. He worked for the Actuary National Institute of Health and Northwestern Mutual Milwaukee. He was a member of the Society of Actuaries and enjoyed golfing and collecting arrowheads.

A graveside service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, December 26, 2024, at Evangelical Cemetery in Donnellson, Iowa.

Burial will be at Evangelical Cemetery in Donnellson.

A memorial has been established in his memory.

Schmitz Funeral Home of Donnellson is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be made to the family www.schmitzfuneralhomes.com.

Register Your Student NOW for PANTHER ZONE

By Hayden Douglas · Monday, December 23rd, 2024 at 3:15 pm CDT

In partnership with the Mount Pleasant Community School District (MPCSD), Mount Pleasant Childcare Center is thrilled to announce the launch of Panther Zone, a fun, safe, and enriching after-school program designed to address a critical gap in our community.

Set to begin January 13, 2025, Panther Zone was created in response to a recent survey revealing that 64.7% of local families need after-school care. The program will provide structured support for Pre-K to 5th-grade students, with more than 50 spots available at Harlan Elementary School.

Cairece allen, Mount Pleasant Community Childcare center talks a little bit about the new Panther Zone program and a grant they were awarded to make it possible:

 

Operating Monday through Friday on school days only, from dismissal until 5:30 PM, Panther Zone will offer homework assistance, engaging activities, healthy snacks, and transportation between elementary schools provided by MPCSD. This initiative expands Mount Pleasant Childcare’s capacity to support more families across Henry County, bridging the gap in childcare and after-school programming.

Families can register now, but spots are limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. The cost is a $25 annual registration fee and $75 per week in tuition. Enrollment packets are available at Mount Pleasant Childcare, located at 304 W Washington Street, Mount Pleasant, IA 52641.

📞 Contact Mount Pleasant Childcare Center today at 319-348-1984 to secure your spot or for more information. Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity!

📄 Registration Form: Panther Zone – After-School Program Registration

The Henry County Courthouse Dec 24th & Dec 25th

By Hayden Douglas · Monday, December 23rd, 2024 at 10:18 am CDT

The Henry County Courthouse will be closed on

Tuesday, Christmas Eve, December 24th

&

Wednesday, Christmas Day, December 25th 

Henry County Courthouse will resume normal business hours on

Thursday, December 26, 2024

Linda C. (Craig – Phillips) Pidgeon

By Hayden Douglas · Monday, December 23rd, 2024 at 10:17 am CDT

Linda C. (Craig – Phillips) Pidgeon, 80, of Houghton, Iowa, formerly of Galesburg, Illinois, passed away at 5:00 a.m. Saturday, December 21, 2024, at the Marigold Rehabilitation and Health Care Center in Galesburg.

She was born on July 4, 1944, in Kewanee, Illinois, the daughter of Harry Dean and Betty (Broadfield) Craig. Linda graduated from Galesburg High School on June 8, 1962. She then graduated from Humbolt University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. On June 8, 1963, she married George E. “Ed” Phillips. They became the parents of Jeffery Ray Phillips on June 8, 1964 and Michael Dean Phillips on December 5, 1968.

June 8th became a special date for her as she graduated on June 8, 1962, was married on June 8, 1963 and their son, Jeff, was born on June 8, 1964.

As their boys grew older and joined the Cub and Boy Scouts, she helped her husband with with his Cub and Boy Scout troops. She drove the scouts to day camp and spent the day with them until it was over and drove them back. Linda was very devoted to her boys. She was room mother for them both through grade school. She always baked special cookies on Halloween. Her boys, grandkids and great grandkids had fun helping bake and decorate the cookies which was a tradition since Jeff was in Kindergarten. Linda was sure the kids in school remember her cookies since she took them to their school every year that she was room mother.

After finishing school, she married her high school sweetheart Ed Phillips. They were married thirty – three years before divorcing. Linda managed West Central Illinois Credit Union for twenty years, then worked at Mel Foster Realty and Cottage Rehab and Sports Medicine. She was active in the Knox County Republican Women, serving as president for a term. She enjoyed her flowers and worked hard to keep them looking great. She and her daughter-in-law, Tammy, belonged to the Prairie Land Garden Club in Galesburg. They always enjoyed finding a plant sale and telling each other where the sale was. A spot was always found for another flower.

On June 29, 2007, She married Bill Pidgeon and moved to Houghton, Iowa. She always said he was a “saint”, a very great guy.

She was a member of Beta Sigma Phi Sorority in Fort Madison, Iowa. She also enjoyed going to Sunshine Girls Coffee group when her health allowed. She volunteered in the Diabetes Education Department at Henry County Hospital in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. Linda collected Hallmark Christmas ornaments and had one that dated back to 1978 (when her son, Mike began giving her ornaments every year for Christmas). She continued the tradition by giving her grandchildren and great grandchildren an ornament each year. She also collected Boyds Bears, Willow Tree and Isabel Bloom pieces. Linda was a member of the Covenant Church in Galesburg. She was an animal lover, and was especially fond of her two kitty cats: Bitsy Boo and Toby. Most of all she loved spending time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren. They filled an empty spot in her heart left from missing her oldest son, Jeff, whom passed away in 2015. This took a big toll on her as they had a special relationship and talked everyday. The little ones were her world. She always went back to Galesburg to see them every Friday.

Linda is survived by her husband: Bill; youngest son: Michael Dean (Tammy) Phillips of Galesburg, Illinois; three grandchildren: Brandon Craig (Beth) Phillips of New Windsor, Illinois (who was born on her birthday), Brianna Nicole (Logan) Purcell and Bailey Elizabeth Phillips both of Galesburg, Illinois; and her precious great grandchildren: Emma, Brayden, Evalynn and Eleanor Phillips, Rylan and Bennett Purcell and Niko Alvarado. Also surviving is her step-daughter: Kim(DeWayne) Pidgeon – Futrell of Bull Head City, Arizona, and Kims’ children: Nolan, Sophie and Audrey Riley and step-granddaughters: Kayla and Keelin Pidgeon (Chris Pidgeon’s children).

She was preceded in death by her parents; son: Jeffery; daughter-in-law: Jane Phillips; Bill’s son: Chris Pidgeon and her ex-husband: Ed.

A visitation will be held from 12:00 noon to 6:00 p.m. Thursday, December 26, 2024, at Schmitz Funeral Home in West Point, where the family will receive friends from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

A visitation will also be held where the family will receive friends from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, Friday, December 27, 2024, at the Covenant Church in Galesburg, Illinois (665 West Dayton Street, Galesburg, Illinois).

A funeral service will be held at 12:00 noon, Friday, December 27, 2024, at the Covenant Church in Galesburg.

Burial will be at Oak Lawn Cemetery in Galesburg.

Memorials have been established in her memory for Covenant Church, the Knox County Humane Service or Guardian Angels.

Schmitz Funeral Home of West Point is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be made to the family www.schmitzfuneralhomes.com.

Sports, December 23rd

By Slaten Swords · Monday, December 23rd, 2024 at 6:30 am CDT

High School Basketball

Danville traveled to Clark County over the weekend and swept their opponent 48-33 in the girls game and 61-52 in the boys game. 

The Fairfield boys’ team dropped their fourth straight contest over the weekend against Hillcrest Academy 54-48. The Trojans are 1-6 entering winter break.

Look out on kilj.com for an outlook on the conference standings and stat leaders through a month of play with the Southeast Iowa Super Conference’s article being released tomorrow, December 24th, and the Southeast Conference on Wednesday, December 25th.

High School Wrestling

The Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union and Mediapolis boys’ teams will participate in the Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont tournament on January 4th.  

The Burlington Notre Dame boys’ team will host an invitational on January 2nd with New London in attendance. 

The Van Buren County boys’ team competed in a duals tournament over the weekend at Dike-New Harford and fell to their three opponents Marshalltown 66-16, the hosts 66-18, and Mt. Vernon 72-6. Leo Jirak went a perfect 3-0 for the tournament, while Elijah Westercamp picked up a pair of wins. The Warriors will compete at the Ottumwa Invitational on January 11th. 

The Wapello, Mt. Pleasant, and WACO boys’ teams traveled to Regina Catholic to compete in the Regal Invitational and the Warriors grabbed a trio of gold medals by the end of the day. 

For WACO, Ian Maize in the 106-pound weight class, Gage Samo in the 120-pound weight class, and Louden Huisenga in the 190-pound weight class each finished 3-0 in their respective weight classes to grab the gold. 

Mt. Pleasant had three wrestlers finish on the podium as Levi Evans, Jefferson Avalos Ramirez, and Ramzy Davis each finished in 4th place for their respective weight classes. 

Lastly, Wapello’s Cohen Wolford took 1st place with three wins by fall in the 144-pound weight class. Carter Ball finished with the bronze in the 175-pound weight class with a win by major decision in the third-place match.

WACO will compete in a dual tournament on January 4th at BGM. 

Fairfield will host a quad on January 7th with Wapello making the trip. 

The Mt. Pleasant boys’ team will travel to Highland for the Gary Curtis Invitational on January 11th. 

The Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union girls’ team participated in the Bubba Randles Winter Classic over the weekend and Aubrey Valencia was the top finisher for the squad, grabbing 6th place after winning two of her four matches, while Josie Nelson took 7th place, collecting a 1-3 record. The Wildcats will compete in the Megan Black Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont Invitational on January 3rd. 

The WACO and Wapello girls’ teams traveled to Chariton for a tournament over the weekend and the Arrows secured a champion by the end of the meet. Kenadee Helscher took the gold in the 100-pound weight class, winning her match by fall. Clara Ball would finish in 2nd place as she lost by a 13-9 decision against Abigail Durflinger of EBF in the championship match of the 110-pound weight class. 

Elyssa Graber was WACO’s highest finisher of the tournament as she took the bronze in the 105-pound weight class with a win by fall. Rylee Rice grabbed 4th place for the Warriors. 

High School Bowling

Mt. Pleasant will host Washington on January 9th. 

Southeastern Community College

The #20 men’s basketball team will take on Western Iowa Tech at home on January 8th with tip-off scheduled for 7 pm. 

College Football

#18 Iowa State will face off against #16 Miami in the Pop Tarts Bowl on December 28th at 2:30 pm in Orlando. 

Iowa will take on #19 Missouri for the Music City Bowl on December 30th in Nashville at 1:30 pm. 

College Basketball

The #3 Iowa State men’s team breezed their way past Morgan State yesterday 99-72. Tamin Lipsey led the scoring with 20 points to complement five assists and three steals. The Cyclones will start conference play against Colorado on December 30th at 8 pm on the road. 

The Iowa men’s team defeated Utah 95-88 as all five starters finished in double figures over the weekend. Payton Sandfort led the way with 24 points as he also grabbed eight rebounds. The Hawkeyes will take on New Hampshire on December 30th at 6 pm at home. 

The #22 Iowa women’s team will compete at home on December 29th against Purdue at 2 pm. 

The Iowa State women’s team started Big 12 play with a loss over the weekend, falling to Oklahoma State 81-75. Audi Crooks collected a double-double with 28 points and 11 rebounds in the losing effort. The Cyclones will face off against Kansas on January 1st at home at 2 pm.  

This Day in Sports History

1951 – National Football League Championship, LA Memorial Coliseum: the Los Angeles Rams beat the Cleveland Browns 24-17; first coast-to-coast televised NFL title game.

1972 – The “Immaculate Reception.” A deflected Terry Bradshaw pass rebounds off of Jack Tatum and into the outstretched hands of Franco Harris in the last moments of the game to give the Pittsburgh Steelers a 13-7 win over the Oakland Raiders.

1997 – Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson is the quickest to reach 500 wins (682 games).

By Hayden Douglas · Monday, December 23rd, 2024 at 5:51 am CDT

Charlotte Mae Lenhart, 94, a resident of Fairfield, passed away Saturday, December 21, 2024 at Jefferson County Health Center in Fairfield.

A memorial service celebrating her life will be held at First United Methodist Church in Fairfield at a later date. Memorials may be made to First United Methodist Church. Behner Funeral Home in Fairfield is assisting the family.

Charlotte was born June 14, 1930 in Fairfield, the daughter of Orville and Bess (McIntosh) Coen. She married Kermit Lenhart, June 4, 1950 in Fairfield. He preceded her in death, May 2, 1997.

Throughout her life, Charlotte worked at Helen’s Fashion in Fairfield, Iowa State Bank, and Ameriprise Financial. Charlotte was a wonderful cook, who loved to entertain and host big holiday gatherings. She was an active member of First United Methodist Church and PEO Chapter C.  Charlotte enjoyed traveling and spending time with her grandchildren.

Those left to honor her memory include her sons, Ned (Laurie) Lenhart of Mineral Bluff, Georgia and Mark (Jennifer) Lenhart of Buffalo Grove, Illinois; grandchildren, Ethan (Kayla) Lenhart, Amanda Lenhart, Ryan Lenhart, and Jessica Lenhart; and two great-grandchildren, Keegan and Skylar.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents; son, Douglas; and siblings, Paul Coen, Jane McBride, and Sue Austin.

Charlotte’s family would like to extend their sincerest appreciation to Prestige Care Center, Jefferson County Health Center, and Smith’s Helping Hands for their love and care given to Charlotte.

Online condolences may be made to Charlotte’s family by viewing her obituary at www.behnerfh.com.

Fairfield PD Launch Neighborhood Camera Watch Program

By Hayden Douglas · Monday, December 23rd, 2024 at 5:47 am CDT

Do you have security cameras at your home?

The Fairfield police department is asking residents with property cameras to register their cameras in the neighborhood watch camera program. In the event of a crime, officers can reach out to you for any potential footage that may assist in the investigation.

Be part of a safer neighborhood by helping Fairfield PD keep track of important security resources.

Neighborhood Camera Watch Program