Prep Basketball: Revenge? Not for WACO, As Warriors Storm Past New London
Ask Paul Kissell if he found any vindication last night. He’ll say no — he’ll also say no, it wasn’t revenge.
Remember two years ago on Father Minnett Gymnasium when New London, led by two freshman ended WACO’s dream undefeated season with a 60-52 district semifinal win.
Fast forward to last night, it appears a changing of the guard might be on the horizon in southeast Iowa.
WACO’s 17-10 second quarter run propelled the Warriors to a 52-48 triumph over New London, guiding them back to the Substate Finals Saturday night.
Simeon Reichenbach’s second quarter three pointer, which gave WACO a 28-26 lead, proved to be the difference as the Warriors would not trail again.
The lead grew to six at halftime and nine by the end of three quarters, though New London would start to rally.
Devin Swanson’s triple at the 2:31 mark of the fourth quarter brought the lead down to just two at 48-46.
New London would not get closer, missing two threes which would have tied the game.
Late game foul shooting by Hunter Hughes and Colton Leichty iced away any potential drama.
Hughes and Leichty each scored 12 for the Warriors, while Reichenbach had nine.
Swanson had a game-high 16, while Blaise Porter chipped in with 11.
WACO improved to 20-4, while New London closes their season 20-3.
Prep Basketball: Carr Leads Danville Back to Substate
Good things happen when the Soukup twins are around.
Years after the two of them guided Danville to one of the more dominant runs in southeast Iowa, this year the now coaches have orchestrated their team to within one game of a return trip to Wells Fargo Arena.
Ty Carr lifted the scoring lead as the Bears second half rally guided them to a 44-41 win over Winfield-Mount Union.
Danville will play WACO on Saturday with state on the line at 7:00 p.m. at a neutral site to be determined.
Winfield-Mount Union, to their credit, started hot — leading by three at the first quarter break, one at half and one into the fourth.
But that’s when Carr woke up.
The senior point guard finished with a game-high 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting to ignite the comeback.
Big man Sawyer Nelson chipped in with 10, but it was his post defense that was most evident last night.
Nelson, the Super Conference leader in rebounding, made life difficult in the paint for the two fulcrums of Winfield’s offense: Cam Buffington and Abram Edwards.
Buffington and Edwards finished with just nine points apiece and it was freshman Jake Edwards who had a team-high 13 for the Wolves.
Danville is now 22-2.
Winfield-Mount Union closes their year 21-3.
You can listen to Saturday night’s Substate Final on FM 105.5.
Nathan Bloechl and Kent Bennett will have the call.
Girls’ Prep Basketball: Notre Dame Ready to Get Over the Hump
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.
NFL
Aaron Rodgers says he’s still making up his mind about whether he wants to return to the Green Bay Packers next season.
The four-time MVP said on the Pat McAfee Show yesterday that he has made no decision on his future.
The mercurial quarterback posted on social media late Monday thanking current and former teammates, raising speculation that an announcement of his retirement could have came yesterday.
For now, the Packers still have the fifth-best odds to hoist the lombardi trophy next year.