Prep Football: Four WACO Players; Buffington Honored by IPSWA:
Four WACO Warriors and Winfield-Mount Union’s Cam Buffington have been selected to the 2021 Iowa Print Sports Writers Association All-State Team.
The teams were released early Tuesday morning.
Headlining area selections is WACO junior running back Simeon Reichenbach, who was a first-team All-State selection.
Reichenbach finished his season fifth in the state in 8-Player in All-Purpose Yards, eclipsing 2,000 and ending with 2,099.
The Warriors workhorse, Reichenbach toted the ball 195 times this season scoring 24 touchdowns.
He saved his best for last rushing for 158 yards and two touchdowns in WACO’s heartbreaking 34-31 loss to Audubon in the State Quarterfinals.
A week prior, he carved up Martensdale-St. Mary’s for 112 yards and two scores in abbreviated action.
Also joining Reichenbach on the first-team was defensive lineman Jonah Clark, who was the lynchpin of the resurgent — and dominant — WACO defense.
Defensive back Mason Miller was a second-team All-State honoree, while pollsters tabbed offensive lineman Tim Willits a third-team choice.
Winfield-Mount Union sophomore Cam Buffington was a third-team utility honoree.
Buffington, an Iowa recruit, was a two-way superstar for the Wolves this year accounting for 36 touchdowns while leading the defense with 55 tackles, 1.5 sacks and six tackles for loss.
Girls’ Prep Basketball: Mount Pleasant Opens with Pella:
The Mount Pleasant girls’ basketball team will open their 2021-22 season tonight on the road, when the Panthers hook up with Pella.
The Panthers return several from last year’s squad that finished 11-10, including consensus All-Conference choice and potential Player of the Year candidate in Andrea Lopreato.
Lopreato flourished in her sophomore campaign averaging 17 points and 11 rebounds per game, leading Mount Pleasant in both categories.
She will undoubtedly look to take the next step both offensively and defensively as the focal point of Mount Pleasant.
Her classmate Tristian Shull finished last year strong and like Lopreato, will shoulder more of an offensive burden as she transitions into upperclassman status.
Shull scored 9.5 points per game a year ago and lead the team with 3.5 assists per contest.
Kenna Lamm will be the swiss army knife for Curt Watson’s bunch after averaging 5.1 points per game just a year ago.
The Little Dutch ended their year 11-11 and will look to recapture their form this season.
They’ll lean into rising senior Reagan Van Wyk for more offense.
Van Wyk is the team’s top returning scorer after averaging 8.0 points per game in her junior campaign.
Tonight’s game will begin at 7:00 p.m. and you can listen FM 105.5 and kilj.com.
Nathan Bloechl and Kent Bennett will have the call.
Other area girls’ matchups tonight:
- Keokuk vs. Quincy Notre Dame
- Hillcrest Academy vs. Winfield-Mount Union
- Cardinal vs. Central Lee
- Van Buren County vs. Danville
- New London vs. Holy Trinity
- Columbus vs. Mediapolis
- WACO vs. #8 (1A) Notre Dame
- Louisa-Muscatine vs. Wapello
College Wrestling: Wesleyan’s Sunlin Named HoA Wrestler of the Week:
Iowa Wesleyan sophomore Alaina Sunlin has been named the Heart of America Conference Women’s Wrestler of the Week, the league announced yesterday.
Sunlin dominated in her second action of the year, going 4-0 in four matches at the Lindenwood University Women’s Open.
Sunlin, who hails from Monticello, Iowa, won by tech fall in each of her first three matches before earning a fall victory in the championship match.
That result comes on the heels of another dominant showing just ten days ago at the Waldorf Open where she earned two falls and a tech fall victory.
The sophomore is currently 7-0 this season.
The women will be off until December 8th when they take on Fontbonne University in a dual in St. Louis, Missouri.
College Basketball: Iowa’s Murray Tabbed B1G Player of the Week:
University of Iowa men’s basketball sophomore Keegan Murray has been named the Big Ten Co-Player of the Week, it was announced Monday by the Big Ten Conference Office.
Murray shares the honor with Purdue forward Trevion Williams.
The Cedar Rapids native averaged 26.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.5 blocks in a pair of convincing victories last week for the Hawkeye men.
This is Murray’s first Player of the Week accolade of his career.
He followed up last week’s torrid start with another dominant outing last night in Iowa’s 109-61 win over Western Michigan, finishing with 29 points and six rebounds in just 21 minutes.
Iowa, 5-0, will get one more tune-up scrap with Portland State on Friday night before traveling to Virginia and No. 3 Purdue.