FOOTBALL

HOOPS PREVIEW

MARBLE AND LOHAUS

2013

IT ’S IN THE BLOOD

CHAMPIONSHIPRECAPS

C L A S S B Y C L A S S B R E A K D O W N S

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4 FOOTBALL RECAPSThe 2013 football season is in the books. Read how it turned out!

12 FALL SPORTS REVIEWFootball isn’t the only sport that wrapped up its season last month.

18 GRAPPLERS SETSee who the top contenders are this season.

22 BOYS HOOPSClass-by-class breakdown highlighting the top contenders and all-state picks.

28 GIRLS HOOPSTitle contenders and all-state picks for every class.

Editor’s NoteThis issue tackles the biggest transition of the school year. Inside, we recap all of the fall sports, complete with football all-state picks and photos. We also give you a class-by-class breakdown for the upcoming boys and girls basketball seasons, in addition to preseason all-state selections, as well as a fullwres-tling preview, which highlights both the team and individual title contenders for this winter. Don’t miss ou main feature on Des Moines East’s Roichelle Marble and Iowa City West’s Wyatt Lohaus, who are the living legacies of their fathers — former University of Iowa stars Roy Marble and Brad Lohaus. C

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Class 8-Player All-State Team

4 SportsSpotlight.comVolume 2 Issue 3

Class 8-Player Offensive Player of the Year: Jake Hogan, Senior, Don Bosco (Gilbertville)Class 8-Player Defensive Player of the Year: Drew and Nick Peppers, Seniors, exira/Elk Horn-KimballtonClass 8-Player Coach of the Year: Joe Martin, Springville

1st Team OffenseQB-Brennan Riedemann, Senior, River Valley (Correctionville)

QB-Brent Parker, Senior, Twin Cedars (Bussey)RB-Brady Bohe, Senior, Newell-Fonda

RB-Elias Nissen, Senior., SpringvilleRB-Clayton Plowman, Senior, Adair-Casey

WR-Elliott Conover, Junior, St. Marys (Remsen)WR-Garrett Pettyjohn, Senior, Twin Cedars (Bussey)OL-Dalton Becker, Senior, Don Bosco (Gilbertville)

OL-Chris Draman, Senior, Adair-CaseyOL-Zach Kliefoth, Junior, Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton

OL-Andrew Temple, Senior, Newell-FondaUTL-Jake Hogan, Senior, Don Bosco (Gilbertville)

K-Hunter Meyer, Senior, Janesville

1st Team DefenseDL-Dan Ertz, Senior, Glidden-Ralston

DL-T.J. Even, Junior, Don Bosco (Gilbertville)DL-Nathan Grimm, Senior, West Bend-Mallard

DL-Tyler Stewart, Senior, SpringvilleLB-Mitchell Corkery, Senior, Don Bosco (Gilbertville)LB-Nick Peppers, Senior, Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton

LB-Trey Sander, Senior, Exira/Elk Horn-KimballtonDB-Drew Peppers, Junior, Exira/Elk Horn-KimballtonDB-Tate Simpson, Senior, Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton

UTL-Andrew Rider, Senior, MurrayP-Jason Zinnel, Senior, West Bend-Mallard

8-Player: Don Bosco Gets Redemption in ThrillerTork Mason | Editor-in-Chief

HigH ScHool

Class 8-Player was one of the few that delivered an outstanding championship matchup, even though the semifinals were far less dramatic. No. 1 Don Bosco and No. 3 Exira-EHK had to clear a final hurdle before taking a shot at redemption.

In the first semifinal game, Don Bosco squared off with No. 4 Adair-Casey and Iowa’s all-time leading rusher, Bomber tailback Clayton Plowman. There were questions about the quality of competition Adair-Casey had faced this season and whether that might hurt them when they reached the UNI-Dome. The Dons made the answer perfectly clear in a 78-21 shellacking to reach the state championship game for the second consecutive year.

The Dons held Plowman to 114 yards — nearly 80 yards below his average coming into the game — on 23 carries. He picked up 60 of those yards on a long touchdown run that

came far too late to make a difference in the outcome. The 21 points marked the lowest output of the season for the Bombers, who were on pace to break the state scoring record late in the season.

Don Bosco quarterback Jake Hogan, meanwhile, was about as dominant as any one player could be. He accounted for 490 yards of total offense and 8 touchdowns (2 passing, 6 rushing) in one of the best performances of his stellar career.

In the other semifinal matchup, Exira-EHK spent a couple hours pushing No. 5 Newell-Fonda all over the field in a 56-7 rout. The Spartans didn’t put up a lot of gaudy individual statistics, other than junior quarterback Drew Peppers’ 185 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns, but they didn’t have to. The defense took all the pressure off the offense.

Exira held a Mustang offense, which averaged just under 400 yards

of offense per game coming in, to a measly 170 yards in the Dome. That included giving up just 127 yards on the ground to a rushing attack that averaged over 300 yards per game prior to the semifinals.

That set up a battle that became an instant classic in the title bout. The Spartans built up an early 14-0 lead that they rode into halftime and most of the third quarter, thanks to long touchdown runs by Peppers and tailback Trey Sander. Exira’s defense was every bit as suffocating against Hogan and Co. as it was against Newell-Fonda — for the first 34:10 minutes of the game.

Finally, Hogan brought the Dons’ offense back to life as he orchestrated a furious rally that started in the final minutes of the third act. An outstanding punt by Peppers pinned Don Bosco just inches from its own goal line with 1:50 left in the quarter. Hogan led a quick, 3-play drive

that ended with a Mason Svoboda touchdown on a fumble recovery in the endzone. Then he capped off an 11-play, 5-yard drive with a 4-yard scoring run to pull within 14-12 with 7:24 left to play.

The Dons defense held once again, but Peppers pinned Don Bosco at the 1-yard-line once again, this time with just five minutes remaining. But the Dons methodically picked their way downfield before Hogan scored the decisive touchdown from a yard out to take an 18-14 lead with 1:13 remaining. Moments later, he would pick off a Peppers pass to seal the game and earn redemption for a team that was routed in last season’s state title game.

The victory capped off a stellar run for the program and gave a fitting end to the career of one of the state’s most electrifying and dominant players.

Class A All-State Team

Volume 2 Issue 3 5SportsSpotlight.com

Class A Offensive Player of the Year: Jack Kline, Senior, B-G-M (Brooklyn)Class A Defensive Player of the Year: Kaleb Heyer, Senior, West Lyon (Inwood)Class A Coach of the Year: Davis Pattee, A-H-S-T (Avoca)

Class A: West Lyon Rolls to TitleTork Mason | Editor-in-Chief

West Lyon (Inwood) and BGM (Brooklyn) spent the entire season at the top of the polls in Class A as the Wildcats and Bears went wire-to-wire and met in the state championship game. But the much-hyped matchup failed to live up to expectations, as the Wildcats proved themselves to be, far and away, the best team in the state.

The Bears had to knock off defending state champion Wapsie Valley in the semifinals to reach the championship, though. The Warriors ended BGM’s season a year ago and the Bears looked to prove they belonged among the state’s elite.

The Bears’ defense was stifling in a 35-10 rout, as they held Wapsie Valley to -6 yards on the ground and 152 yards of total offense. Several BGM defenders made the Warriors’ backfield their home, but none more so than linebacker Adam Hawkins. Hawkins piled up 12 tackles, including 5.5 stops for loss with a pair of sacks.

BGM’s explosive offense didn’t miss the bus, either. Senior running backs Jack Kline and Kyle Gritsch combined for 294 yards of total offense and 4 touchdowns in the victory, and quarterback Bryan Kriegel completed 11-of-14 passes for 151 yards and a score.

West Lyon made short work of No. 7 A-H-S-T (Avoca) in the second semifinal game and cruised to a 63-21 victory. The Wildcats pounded the Vikings into submission with their brutalizing ground attack. They piled up 501 rushing yards — led by quarterback Brandon Snyder’s 187 yards and 4 touchdowns — despite failing to complete a single pass.

The Vikings didn’t have much more success moving the ball and scoring than they had trying to stop West Lyon’s juggernaut offense. They could muster only 111 yards of offense, with 46 coming on Nathan Herbst’s touchdown pass to Lee Whyte, and just two offensive touchdowns. Austin

Fink took back a kickoff for a 79-yard touchdown to round out the Vikings’ scoring.

The championship game was more of the same for West Lyon. The Bears opened the scoring when Kline picked off one of Snyder’s passes and returned it 60 yards to give BGM an early 7-0 lead. That would mark the end of the Bears’ good fortune, though.

Everything seemed to go wrong for BGM after that pick-six. Snyder quickly evened the score on a 34-yard scamper. Then Kline left the game with an ankle injury and never returned. A high snap on a punt was recovered by the Wildcats in the end zone for a touchdown. A couple minutes passed before West Lyon’s Bennett Feuchtenberger punched it in from three yards out and, almost in the blink of an eye, the Wildcats held a commanding 21-7 lead going into the second quarter and didn’t have to worry about stopping the Bears’

greatest offensive weapon.The top-ranked Wildcat’s weren’t

finished, though. They kept pouring it on before halftime and went to the locker room with a 42-7 lead before easing off and cruising to a 49-7 victory and a state title. Snyder paced the team and earned MVP honors after accounting for 291 yards of offense and 3 touchdowns.

The victory put an exclamation point at the end of a brilliant season in which the Wildcats couldn’t be touched. They stormed through all comers to a 14-0 record and their closest margin of victory came in a 21-7 quarterfinal win Bishop Garrigan (Algona). They won their games by an average of 32.3 points per game, thanks to six games in which they won by 40 points or more. That kind of dominance leaves no doubt the Wildcats were the best in show and puts them in the conversation for best ever.

HigH ScHool

1st Team OffenseQB-Kody Wood, Senior, Highland (Riverside)QB-Bryan Kriegel, Senior, B-G-M (Brooklyn)RB-Joseph Burgmeier, Senior, Newman Catholic (Mason City)RB-Chase Clark, Senior, Gladbrook-ReinbeckRB-Ethan Kleitsch, Senior, Wapsie Valley (Fairbank)RB-Jack Kline, Senior, B-G-M (Brooklyn)WR-Taylor Sams, Senior, BCLUW (Conrad)WR-Patrick Sheehey, Senior, PleasantvilleOL-Jared Bond, Senior, PekinOL-Matt Metzger, Senior, West Lyon (Inwood)OL-Zach Pierce, Senior, Gladbrook-ReinbeckOL-BJ Weepie, Senior, Wapsie Valley (Fairbank)OL-Matt Wieland, Senior, Lone TreeUTL-Brandon Snyder, Senior, West Lyon (Inwood)K-Austin Vaughn, Senior, GMG (Garwin)

1st Team DefenseDL-Brady Hook, Senior, Grundy CenterDL-Luke Kuennen, Senior, Turkey Valley (Jackson Junction)DL-Jake Newborg, Junior, WEst Lyon (Inwood)DL-Drew Young, Senior, A-H-S-T (Avoca)LB-Adam Hawkins, Senior, B-G-M (Brooklyn)LB-Kyle Gritsch, Senior, B-G-M (Brooklyn)LB-Kaleb Heyer, Senior, West Lyon (Inwood)LB-Stone Kane, Senior, Wapsie Valley (Fairbank)DB-Nathan Herbst, sophomore, A-H-S-T (Avoca)DB-Mitch Gibson, Senior, MontezumaDB-Derek Trotter, Senior, Wapsie Valley (Fairbank)UTL-Kyle Gritsch, Senior, B-G-M (Brooklyn)P-Nathan Karsjens, Freshman, AGWSR (Ackley)

Class 1A Offensive Player of the Year: Drew Cook, Junior, Iowa City ReginaClass 1A Defensive Player of the Year: Ryan Parmely, Junior, Maquoketa Valley (Dehli) Class 1A Coach of the Year: Dick Tighe, St. Edmond (Fort Dodge)

Class 1A All-State Team1st Team Offense

QB-Drew Cook, Junior, Iowa City ReginaQB-Ryan Garthoff, Senior, Ridge View

RB-Riley Dixon, Senior, Iowa City ReginaRB-Vinnie Harvey, Senior, St. Edmond (Fort Dodge)

RB-Koy Snider, Senior, WiltonRB-Ben Wellman, Senior, Tri-Center (Neola)

WR-Jordan Rommes, Junior, South Winneshiek (Calmar)WR-Trey Roehlk, Senior, Clayton Ridge (Guttenberg)

OL-Phil Arendt, Junior, Iowa City ReginaOL-Tyler Johansen, Junior, North Fayette Valley

OL-Dalton Lape, Senior, North Fayette ValleyOL-Brian Coulthard, Senior, Dike-New Hartford

OL-Tanner Hargrafen, Senior, Maquoketa Valley (Dehli)UTL-Ryan Parmley, Junior, Maquoketa Valley (Dehli)

K-Jacob Adam, Junior, Iowa City Regina

1st Team DefenseDL-Henry Hagland, Senior, Ogden

DL-Elliot Halsch, Senior, Iowa city Regina DL-Nick Hindt, Junior, St. Edmond (Fort Dodge)

DL-Ryan Moser, Junior, Clayton Ridge (Guttenberg) LB-Jake Brinkman, Senior, Iowa City Regina

LB-Josh Mackey, Junior, North Fayette ValleyLB-T.J. O’Toole, Seophomore, St. Edmond (Fort Dodge)

LB-Ryan Parmely, Junior, Maquoketa Valley (Dehli)DB-Bryon Amelon, Senior, Iowa City Regina

DB-Derrick Kuehner, Junior, North Fayette ValleyDB-Landon Peed, Junior, St. Edmond (Fort Dodge)

UTL-Brandon Brittain, Senior, Van MeterP-Colten Rastetter, Junior, Clayton Ridge (Guttenberg)

6 SportsSpotlight.comVolume 2 Issue 3

Class 1A: Regina Makes HistoryTork Mason | Editor-in-Chief

HigH ScHool

It’s not often that becoming the first team to ever win four consecutive state championships is relegated to second class, but achieving what Iowa City Regina this fall will do that. The Regals made history when they took home the Class 1A title by winning their 56th consecutive game — breaking a 42-year-old state record set by Waterloo East.

The Regals rarely seemed to break a sweat throughout the season as they reached the UNI-Dome yet again. Once there, they briefly appeared beatable, as No. 10 North Fayette Valley fought its way to a 14-14 tie by the end of the first quarter. But the Tigerhawks eventually faded as Regina pulled away to a 45-21 victory.

The Tigerhawks’ defense did a remarkable job keeping the Regals’ ground game largely bottled up, as Regina ran for just 110 yards. But

Regina still managed to score 5 rushing touchdowns and quarterback Drew Cook picked North Fayette Valley’s defense through the air. The junior — and the son of head coach Marv Cook — threw for 314 yards and a touchdown on 21-of-29 passing. He also rushed for 60 yards and a score, and caught a 27-yard pass on a trick play that set up a Riley Dixon touchdown.

Defensively, the Regals locked down after the first quarter and held North Fayette Valley to 234 yards of offense. The Tigerhawks led the state in rushing and averaged 365 yards per game before reaching the UNI-Dome. But Regina held them to 224 yards.

The other semifinal game was close for much longer. No. 7 Van Meter fought tooth and nail with No. 3 St. Edmond (Fort Dodge) for three quarters, but St. Edmond used a 21-point fourth quarter to claim

a 35-14 victory and reach the state championship game for the first time. The Gaels put an exclamation mark on the win with T.J. O’Tool’s pick-six late in the fourth quarter and put the game out of reach for good.

The Gaels didn’t throw much, but that’s how legendary head coach Dick Tighe likes it. O’Tool and Vinnie Harvey combined for 301 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns on 36 carries to wear down the Bulldogs’ defense.

Defensively, the Gaels held the Van Meter offense, led by quarterback Brandon Brittain, in check. They limited Brittain to 231 yards of offense and picked him off three times.

But St. Edmond proved to be far too one-dimensional to have any chance of taking down Regina in the title game. The Regals contained the ground game, holding the Gaels to 207 rushing yards, on their way

to a 35-0 victory and their fourth championship in as many seasons.

Cook stole the show offensively for Regina, as he accounted for 226 yards of offense and a pair of touchdowns in the win. He completed all 13 of his pass attempts as he coolly picked apart the St. Edmond defense. He got some help from Dixon and Jake Brinkman, who combined for 207 yards on the ground and 3 scores to give the offense balance, and that was all the Regals needed to make history.

The hype surrounding the Regals’ chase of the record ended with the win, but now they can focus on adding to their mark and grabbing yet another championship next season. They return many key pieces on offense and have some holes to fill defensively, but if Marv Cook has proven anything over the last four years, it’s that he can reload.

1st Team OffenseQB-Jay Scheel, Senior, Union (LaPorte City) QB-Cole Neary, Senior, Kuemper Catholic (Carroll)RB-Duncan Ferch, Senior, West Marshall (State Center)RB-Brandon Tomer, Senior, Louisa-Muscatine (Letts)RB-Andrew Van Ginkel, Senior, Boyden-Hull/Rock ValleyRB-Marcus Weymiller, Senior, WaukonWR-Nate Bergfeld, Junior, Cascade (Western Dubuque)WR-Mitch Steger, Senior, Beckman (Dyersville)OL-Sam Brincks, Senior, Kuemper Catholic (Carroll)OL-Steven Kragt, Junior, Sioux CenterOL-John Seidl, Senior, Kuemper Catholic (Carroll)OL-Tanner Kroon, Senior, Spirit LakeOL-Marcel Connor, Senior, Louisa-Muscatine (Letts)UTL-Parker Hesse, Senior, WaukonK-Peyton Paddock, Junior, Monticello

Class 2A All-State Team

1st Team DefenseDL-Glyeb Ewing, Senior, WaukonDL-Dalton Folkerts, Senior, AlbiaDL-Robbie Peters, Senior, Mount VernonDL-Ben Spaeth, Senior, Spirit LakeLB-Tommy Bomgaars, Senior, Sioux CenterLB-Jared Gescheidler, Junior, GilbertLB-Taylor Niehaus, Senior, Kuemper Catholic (Carroll)LB-Christian Roozeboom, Junior, Sioux CenterDB-Chris Borchers, Junior, Sioux CenterDB-Alex Drees, Senior, Kuemper Catholic (Carroll)DB-Jacob Ronan, Junior, Waukon UTL-Zach Samson, Senior, Collins-Maxwell-Baxter P-Derek Harksen, Senior, Camanche

Class 2A Offensive Player of the Year: Cole Neary, Senior, Kuemper Catholic (Carroll) Class 2A Defensive Player of the Year: Taylor Niehaus, Senior, Kuemper Catholic (Carroll) Class 2A Coach of the Year: Jerry Stanton, Albia

Volume 2 Issue 3 7SportsSpotlight.com

Class 2A: Kuemper Wins Instant ClassicTork Mason | Editor-in-Chief

Class 2A was easily the best final four of the week at the UNI-Dome, at least in terms of competition. Two of the games were decided by 6 points or less, and even No. 1 Kuemper Catholic’s (Carroll) 28-6 win over No. 8 Sioux Center was more competitive than the score suggested. But in the end, the Knights claimed the right to call themselves champions.

The Knights didn’t play their sharpest game in the state semifinals, but an injury to quarterback Andrew O’Donnell on Sioux Center’s opening drive and a solid Kuemper defense were enough for the Knights to keep the Warriors at arm’s length and come away with a 28-6 victory.

Kuemper’s star quarterback, Cole Neary, wasn’t efficient in the air, as he completed less than half of his 29 passes while throwing for 164 yards and a touchdown. But he made up for that on the ground, where he scored

three times.Defensively, Alex Drees, Josh

Irlbeck and Taylor Niehaus helped keep the Warriors’ offense from finding any rhythm after O’Donnell’s injury. Niehaus and Irlbeck combined for 26 tackles, while Drees had 11 stops and 3 interceptions.

The second semifinal, between No. 3 Waukon and No. 4 Albia, was thrilling from start to finish. Early Waukon turnovers and the Blue Demons’ frantic offensive pace gave them a 14-13 lead over the Indians at the break. Albia lived on the edge with its playcalling, which included a wide receiver pass off of a reverse from Luke Sarver to Zach Hugen for a 52-yard touchdown.

The Indians regrouped in the locker room and came back in the second half, though. Tailback Marcus Weymiller burst through a gap and scored from 63 yards out on

Waukon’s first possession of the third quarter. That gave the Indians a 21-14 lead, to which they would add another 6 points late in the third quarter.

Albia’s Brett Leshen returned a punt to the 5-yard-line, which set up an Alex Schultz goal line dive to pull within 27-21 late in the game. A defensive stop left Albia two minutes to go 90 yards for the win, but Waukon’s defense gave up nothing and forced Albia’s offense off the field one last time.

Weymiller was Waukon’s main weapon in the game, as he piled up 195 rushing yards, 71 receiving yards and 3 total touchdowns — including a dazzling over-the-shoulder grab for a 52-yard score.

As it turned out, that only set the stage for an even bigger nail-biter. Kuemper Catholic went into half with a 14-7 lead, but the second half was an electrifying shootout.

The Indians scored 14 points in the third quarter and took a 21-14 edge into the final frame. Then it was the Knights’ turn to score in bunches and they tied the game at 28-28 with three minutes left.

Drees then picked off a Hesse pass and returned it to the Waukon 31-yard-line with 8 seconds left. That set up Adam Schleisman’s 39-yard field goal attempt, which clanged off an upright and through as time expired to win the game, 31-28.

Drees was easily the player of the game; he caught 5 passes for 137 yards and two scores, and recorded 12 tackles and 4 interceptions.

The win capped off a brilliant season for the Knights and gave them their first state championship in school history. They have a lot of talent to replace for next year, but the Knights will enter 2014 with a target on their backs.

HigH ScHool

Class 3A Offensive Player of the Year: Trent Solsma, Senior, Bishop Heelan (Sioux City)Class 3A Defensive Player of the Year: Garrett Covington, Senior, Washington Class 3A Coach of the Year: Scott Heitland, Dallas Center-Grimes

Class 3A All-State Team1st Team Offense

QB-Eli Dunne, Senior, GrinnellQB-Trent Solsma, Senior, Bishop Heelan (Sioux City)

RB-Anthony Beyerink, Senior, CarrollRB-Alex Coker, Senior, Washington

RB-Andrew Landgrebe, Senior, OskaloosaRB-Coy Roussell, Sophomore, West Delaware (Manchester)

WR-Kolton Gonnerman, Senior, CentervilleWR-Connor Niles, Senior, Bishop Heelan (Sioux City)

OL-Tanner Lindmark, Senior, BooneOL-Mitchell Jordan, Senior, Clear Lake

OL-Tommy Peterson, Junior, WashingtonOL-Logan Linderbaum, Senior, Solon

OL-Josh Wright, Senior, Waverly-Shell RockUTL-Alex Davis, Senior, Boone

K-Cory Wirth, Senior, Maquoketa

1st Team DefenseDL-Austin AShbacher, Senior, Decorah

DL-Christian Brobst, Senior, Bishop Heelan (Sioux City)DL-Kaleb Staack, Senior, Waverly-Shell Rock

DL-Alex Stenbo, Senior, CarrollLB-Nathan Clayberg, Senior, Pella

LB-Garrett Covington, Senior, WashingtonLB-Trevor Frain, Senior, Creston

LB-Pete Swenson, Senior, Clear Lake DB-Ernie Miszewski, Junior, Clear Lake

DB-Nick Rutledge, Senior, OskaloosaDB-Aaron Schultz, Senior, Williamsburg

UTL-Brady Ross, Junior, HumboldtP-Jake Sherman, Senior, Saydel

8 SportsSpotlight.comVolume 2 Issue 3

Class 3A: Heelan Back on TopTork Mason | Editor-in-Chief

HigH ScHool

Bishop Heelan (Sioux City) has been one of the top programs in the state, in multiple sports, for years. But the Crusaders had been in the midst of a championship drought before making another trip to the UNI-Dome, having not won a title in any sports since 2010. And quarterback Trent Solsma was on a mission to change that.

In the semifinals, Solsma was as close to perfect as a player can get. The senior completed 23-of-24 passes for 376 yards and 5 touchdowns against No. 4 Clear Lake, leading the top-ranked Crusaders to a 48-13 victory.

Opposing defense spent all season trying to shut down Solsma’s top target, wideout Connor Niles, and the Lions did limit him. But Solsma had far more than one weapon at his disposal and used Philip Jacobson and Tucker Spears to shred the defense.

The duo combined for 10 catches, 252 yards and 2 touchdowns in the game.

The Crusader defense, meanwhile, held the Lions to 233 yards of total offense. That included a measly total of 37 passing yards in a game the Lions spent playing catch up almost from the opening kickoff.

The other semifinal, between No. 5 Washington and No. 6 Solon, was much more dramatic. The teams battled it out in a defensive slugfest before Washington separated itself by just enough and held on to win, 14-9, in the Demons’ first trip to the UNI-Dome in program history.

The Spartans did an excellent job of containing Washington tailback Alex Coker, who rushed for just 39 yards on 18 carries in the game. But they had no answers, on either side of the ball, for Tanner Knupp.

Knupp was the clear star of the game, as he scored both of

Washington’s touchdowns — one on a 52-yard burst up the middle, in which he broke through the pile and nearly lost his footing before getting to the end zone; the other on a 50-yard reception in which he caught a short pass and raced up the sideline before diving in for the score. He finished the game with 138 rushing yards on 12 carries and 75 receiving yards on two catches.

Knupp also led the way on defense, as he piled up 12 tackles — including 5 stops for loss — to go along with a fumble recovery. He also broke up Solon’s Hail Mary attempt near the goal line on the game’s final play. After the game, his teammates lifted him up onto their shoulders.

That magic ran out against the Crusaders in the championship game, though. Bishop Heelan dominated after the first quarter, which saw the teams trade three scores in the final

five minutes and the Crusaders claim an early 13-7 lead. The Demons wouldn’t score again until there were less than five minutes to play in the game and Heelan poured on the points in the second and third acts and walked away with a 47-14 victory.

Solsma threw touchdown passes of 22, 29, 44 and 59 yards in those two quarters alone and Jacobson added a 9-yard touchdown run to put the Crusaders up, 47-7, going into the fourth quarter. Solsma finished with 453 yards and 6 touchdowns on 23-of-30 passing. Niles and Jacobson were Solsma’s favorite targets, as they combined for 16 receptions, 321 yards and 5 scores.

The victory marked the Crusaders’ first football championship since 2008, finally got this year’s seniors over the hump and took the Crusaders back to their perch atop Class 3A.

1st Team OffenseQB-Ryan Boyle, Junior, Dowling CatholicQB-Sam Straub, Senior, Ames RB-Trevor Allen, Junior, Waukee RB-Clifford Kwaw-Mensah, Senior, AmesRB-Tyus Mason, Senior, West Des Moines ValleyRB-Xavier Washpun, Senior, Iowa City HighWR-Alex Brammer, Senior, AmesWR-Ricky Grimes, Junior, North Scott (Eldridge)OL-Landon Carney, Senior, Pleasant ValleyOL-Ross Reynolds, Senior, WaukeeOL-Ross Pierschbacher, Senior, Cedar FallsOL-John Rairdon, Sophomore, West Des Moines ValleyOL-Keegan Render, Senior, IndianolaUTL-Allen Lazard, Senior, Urbandale K-Hunter Sickels, Senior, Pleasant Valley

Class 4A All-State Team

1st Team DefenseDL-Zach Adrian, Senior, Davenport AssumptionDL-A.J. Allen, Senior, WaukeeDL-Matt Nelson, Senior, Cedar Rapids XavierDL-John Swisher, Senior, Dowling Catholic LB-Tristan Beyer, Senior, Cedar Rapids PrairieLB-Jake Lewton, Senior, Dowling CatholicLB-Dakota Miller, Senior, West Des Moines ValleyLB-Daniel Vega, Senior, Cedar Rapids XavierDB-Rico Gafford, Senior, Dowling CatholicDB-Matt Hoeg, Senior, WaukeeDB-Connor Sorge, Senior, West Des Moines ValleyUTL-Jake Gervase, Senior, Davenport AssumptionP-Miguel Recinos, Senior, Mason City

Class 4A Offensive Player of the Year: Sam Straub, Senior, AmesClass 4A Defensive Player of the Year: John Swisher, Senior, Dowling CatholicClass 4A Coach of the Year: Paul James, Cedar Rapids Washington

Volume 2 Issue 3 9SportsSpotlight.com

Class 4A: Dowling DominatesTork Mason | Editor-in-Chief

The Class 4A final four didn’t provide much in the way of suspense or drama. No. 1 Dowling Catholic (West Des Moines) was simply too much better than every other team to be matched.

The Maroons took on No. 7 Valley in the semifinals and took care of business, limiting an explosive Tigers offense to an opening drive field goal in a 17-3 victory.

The Maroons didn’t do anything special on offense; they just let junior quarterback Ryan Boyle take care of them. Boyle only threw for 40 yards on 5-of-10 passing, but he ran for 197 yards and 2 touchdowns on 23 carries and let the defense handle the rest.

Valley’s offense struggled to move the ball after marching down the field and getting the first points of the game on Britton Hiskey’s 24-yard field goal. Tailback Tyus Mason finished the game with a solid 101-yard effort,

but he had to work for every inch against a stout Dowling defense and only averaged 4.4 yards per carry — less than half of his 10.1 ypc average for the season. Quarterback Connor LaGrone was efficient, but he couldn’t come up with any game-breaking plays, instead playing the role of game manager. He completed 12-of-17 passes for 152 yards with no interceptions, but also couldn’t find the end zone with any of his throws.

No. 4 Cedar Rapids Xavier took on unranked Bettendorf in the other Class 4A semifinal and had little trouble handling the Bulldogs. The Saints rolled to a 31-7 victory thanks to great defense and special teams. Xavier’s offense scored just 14 points, but Wes Gardner provided plenty of points in other ways. Garnder scored on a 20-yard pick-six and a 63-yard punt return to bolster the offense, which tallied just 208 total yards, but

it was enough to move on.The Bulldogs went pass-happy

early in the game and never found a rhythm on offense. Bettendorf quarterback Cyle Cox completed just 10 of his 40 passes for 118 yards, with a touchdown and interception. The Bulldogs ran for just 76 yards as a team.

The championship game was even less suspenseful, as Dowling dominated the game after the first quarter on the way to a 44-13 victory.

What was expected to be a defensive slugfest came out with 24 first quarter points and the Maroons held a 14-10 lead after the first act. But Xavier wouldn’t score again until kicking a field goal with less than two minutes left in the game, while Boyle kept lighting up the scoreboard.

Boyle accounted for 365 yards of offense and 6 touchdowns (4 rushing, 2 passing) as he led a

scoring rampage. His favorite targets, Zach Steenblock and Rico Gafford, combined for 226 yards and a touchdown on just 7 catches.

Xavier’s offense didn’t have similar success. The Maroons held the Saints to 258 yards of total offense, including just 102 yards passing. Xavier completed just 8 of 21 passes in the game and lost 37 yards on sacks and tackles for loss.

The title was Dowling’s first since 2010 and completed a stellar 14-0 season that saw the Maroons score 40 points or more in eight games while giving up more than 14 just twice.

And with Boyle back under center for another year, the Maroons could be the early favorite to take next year’s crown, too.

HigH ScHool

Clayton KieferWayne (Corydon) - Football

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Unmatched performance:Kiefer was outstanding in leading Wayne to its first playoff victory since 1989 on Oct. 30. He rushed for 292 yards and 5 touchdowns on 29 carries, had 2 receptions for 27 yards and 119 kickoff return yards — including a 65-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the Falcons’ 82-57 win over Murray in the first round of the state playoffs.

Each month, Sports Spotlight recognizes a Kinetico Pure Performance High School Athlete of the Month from a list based on

their performances.

And dependability:Kiefer rushed for 1,308 yards and 23 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2012 as he led the Falcons to the playoffs for the first time in 23 years, and he’s

stepped up his game in his junior season. He finished the season with 1,601 rushing yards and

35 touchdowns on 202 carries; he also become more of a receiving threat and hauled in 15

passes for 290 yards and 5 touchdowns. Kiefer also finished sixth in Class 8-player

with 264 points scored this season.

Photo courtesy of Kathy Schick

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Fall Sports ReviewIowa’s fall sports season begins long before the

the cooler temperatures settle in and the familiar sights of autumn arrive. Before the school year even began, athletes are working in the sweltering August heat, striving for state championship glory.

Aside from the state football tournament, prep athletes are training in volleyball, boys and girls cross country, girls swimming and boys 4A golf; all totaled in these five sports from which Iowa crowns 15 team state champions each fall.

SwimmingIt may be one of the more underappreciated

title runs in the state, but the Ames High girls swimming and diving team captured its fourth consecutive title this year. Prior to 2010, Ames’s best state showing was a second place finish – in 1973. However, the current group of seniors set a new standard by claiming four title banners during their careers.

“It’s been a very well balanced team. We scored in multiple events at state,” said head coach Dan Flannery. “The backstroke is usually our trademark event, but diving was incredibly strong this year. Our relays have always been very good and this year we set a state record in the medley relay.”

All schools in Iowa with swimming programs compete in one class, with 30 teams earning points in this year’s state meet. Ames ran away with the title with 302 points, with Pleasant Valley being the only other team to crack the 200 points mark. West Des Moines Valley, Cedar Falls and Council Bluffs Lewis Central rounded out the top five for the championship meet.

Boys GolfFrom a team in the midst of a historic run, to a

team making history by collecting its school’s first championship, Ankeny Centennial took home the 2013 Class 4A boys golf championship. The newly opened high school made a strong showing in multiple sports this fall, but the linksters were the first to go the distance at the state level.

Under first time head coach John Olson, the Cougars were a force from the get go. “We had a lot of players that have had a lot of success playing local regional and up to national level junior golf; so as a coach, I walked into a very good team,” Olson said. “The players appreciate each other and the work they put in.”

Heading into the state meet, Olson knew his team was something special. However, with strong contenders Cedar Rapids Kennedy, West Des Moines Valley, Dowling Catholic and Bettendorf all in the mix, he was not taking any opponent lightly.

Centennial started out hot during the first round, but a series of bogeys over the final few holes trimmed a double-digit lead down to a seven-stroke advantage. However, the team collected its nerves on day two, and won by nine strokes over Kennedy.

Senior Griffen Mathias shared medalist honors with Ottumwa’s Matthew Walker with a score of 147. Des Moines Roosevelt’s Aaron Wirt took home third place with Centennial’s Aaron Wirt in fourth and rival Kennedy’s low scorer Conner Koberg in fifth.

Cross-CountryMuch like the Ames swimmers, in recent years

the Monticello harriers have seemed invincible. The Panther boys have made the state meet as a team every year since 1997, tying them for the fifth longest streak in Iowa history.

2013 marked three in a row for Monticello, with Michael Melchert becoming the first individual state champion for the squad since 2006. With four of the top ten runners, Monticello easily outpaced runner-up Gilbert. Monticello coach quote

In class 1A, senior Kyle Kehoe set the pace for Denver, as the Cyclones moved up from 2012’s second place finish to collect their first state title since 1994. West Fork, Sheffield took home second place and defending two-time state champion Council Bluffs, St. Albert came in sixth.

In 3A, the lauded duo of Chandler Austin and Albert Meier led Boone to the title. Austin’s time of 15:05.6 stands as one of the fastest in state meet

history. The Toreadors edged Charles City by 13 points, with defending champions Decorah coming in third.

Prairie, Cedar Rapids rolled past the 4A field by a 35 point margin to take home the banner. Jake Moore, Isaiah Vlasek, Mitch Pritts and Tysen VanDraska all finished in the top 11 to propel the Prairie Hawks toward its first boys cross country title since 2010.

On the girl’s side, Pekin, Gilbert, Decorah and Dowling Catholic each hoisted the trophy as champions of their respective classes. Pekin has become the king of the mountain since winning the title in 2008. Adding to that inaugural title were victories in 2010, 2011 and again 2013. Perhaps even more impressive, the 2013 varsity squad had only one senior, with five sophomores and a freshman. Led by Gwynne Wright, Shae Dahlstrom and Taylor Lock, the Panthers outpaced the field for a fourth state championship.

Whether it’s boys or girls, the cross country program at Gilbert is one of the most consistent in the state. With three of the top six runners at state and Grace Gibbons’ blistering 14:28.6 race time, Gilbert slid past Unity Christian and Cascade. Gibbons time was more than 30 seconds better than here nearest 2A competitor.

The Decorah girls returned to a familiar locale — the top of the podium. The Viking girls had to suffer through more of nail biter this year when compared to their dominant 2012 performance. When the scores were counted, Decorah and MOC- Floyd Valley were tied at 108 points. However, by virtue of a tiebreaker, the win went to the Vikings — the school’s sixth girls cross country title.

In 4A, Dowling had to overcome regular season struggles to prove it belonged amongst the state’s elite. The Maroons did not even capture their district, instead lagging behind Ames. However, heading into state, the girls refocused and found an extra gear. “This was a real group effort. It took everybody on the team and I was very happy for our seniors. Last year was a bit disappointing for

Darrin Cline | Contributor

HigH ScHool

12 SportsSpotlight.comVolume 2 Issue 3

Boone’s Albert Meier (left) and Austin Chandler (center) finished second and first, respectively, at the 2013 state cross-country meet. They led the charge for the Torreadors’ Class 3A team title. (Photo courtesy of Matt Oliver/Boone News-Republican)

Ames’ Maggie James won her third consecutive state diving title as she helped lead the Little Cyclones to yet another state championship. (Photo courtesy of Amy Pyle)

Volume 2 Issue 3 13SportsSpotlight.com

Dike-New Hartford took the Class 2A volleyball championship after posting a 45-1 record on the year. (Photo courtesy of John Jensen/Grundy Register)

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them, so it meant a lot to get up off the canvas this year,” said head coach Jim Kirby.

VolleyballThe last sport to crown its champions, the

girls’ volleyball tournament filled the U.S. Cellular Center with fans across the state and players from five classes.

Dowling Catholic was again on the cusp of a 2013 state championship, but defending champions Bettendorf stood in its way. The Maroons’ quest for a first-ever volleyball title came up short, as the Bulldogs made it two in a row with a four-set victory.

In the 4A bracket, two titans of Iowa sports clashed as Harlan took on Solon. The Spartans were looking to reach the next level after a second place finish in 2012, while Harlan was making a return trip to state after a one-year hiatus. The Little Cyclones made the most of the trip across the state, downing Solon 25-16, 25-17, 18-25, 25-20.

MOC- Floyd Valley sent yet another team to a fall postseason competition. The Dutchmen had little trouble on the hard court, claiming their second consecutive 3A volleyball title. The girls from northwest Iowa routed Independence and Union before rolling through Kuemper Catholic in three sets in the finals.

Dike-New Hartford needed only 10 sets

throughout the three rounds of the state tournament to capture a third-straight 2A title. The perennial contenders met a familiar foe in the championship, as they had battled Western Christian in the two previous state finals. Western Christian was the only team to take a set from the Wolverines, but ultimately could not take down their rivals.

Class 1A fast became a wide-open race when five-time defending champion Tripoli was knocked out in the first round by Central Lyon. This opened the door for Central Lyon, Janesville, Le Mars Gehlen Catholic and Holy Trinity Catholic to take home the title.

The upset-minded Lions could not repeat their performance as they were turned away by Janesville, and Holy Trinity Catholic topped the Jays in four sets. This set up a showdown between state regulars, with Janesville taking the 1A trophy home to somewhere other than Tripoli for the first time since 2007.

“It was our best record ever, and it was the first state title in school history,” said head coach Shelly Sorenson. “We returned most of last year’s starters and the experience was a huge factor in them being able to keep their composure under pressure. The goal from the beginning of the year was to win the state title.”

From first timers to four-peaters, the accomplishments of Iowa’s fall sports were as varied as the athletes that earned them. In the pool, on the links, the race course or the court, the 15 championship schools can now lay their claim to a place in state history.

Senior | BettendorfFreshm

en | Pella

Senior | Monticello

Sophomore | SE Polk

Sophomore | Pleasant Valley

Senior | Am

es

Senior | Tri-Center (Neola)

Senior | WD

M, Valley

McKenzie YanekClifford Kwaw-Mensah

Tess Roorda

Maddy Burnham

Michael Melchert Allyssa Fluit

Photo courtesy of Pleasant Valley High School Photo courtesy of the Daily NonPareilPhoto courtesy of Bettendorf High School

Photo courtesy of ConradSchmidt.com Photo courtesy of Southeast Polk High School

Ben Wellman

Tyus MasonPhoto courtesy of Des Moines Register Photo courtesy of Preston Underwood

Roorda took home the Class 3A individual cross-country title in Fort Dodge on Nov. 2 with a winning time of 14:35.5 minutes. Roorda led the Little Dutch to a fourth place team finish.

Melchert won the Class 2A individual state cross-country championship with a winning time of 15:18.2 minutes was a big factor in helping Monticello win the Class 2A team title.

Fluit won individual title in the 200- and 500-yard freestyles at the state swim meet on Nov. 9. She broke the state record for the 200 with a time of 1:49.43 minutes.

Mason led a demolition of No. 3 Ames in the Class 4A quarter-finals on Nov. 8. He ran for 470 yards — the second-best mark in state history — and 5 touch-downs in a 63-20 rout.

Wellman broke a near-60-year-old record on Oct. 18 against Panorama (Panora). He rushed for 484 yards and 3 touchdowns in a losing effort, breaking the record set by Alden’s Don Larson in 1954. Wellman also tallied 13 tackles on defense.

Yanek led the Spartans to a third place finish at the girls state cross-country meet in Fort Dodge on Nov. 2. She won the Class 4A individual title, completing the course in 14:00.2 minutes, nearly 10 seconds ahead of the field.

Kwaw-Mensah ran for 326 yards with touchdown runs of 69 and 44 yards against Johnston to close out a 9-0 regular season. He led Class 4A this season with 2,806 rushing yards and 36 touchdowns on 285 carries.

Burnham was key in the Bulldogs’ sixth place finish at the state swim meet in Marshalltown on Nov. 9. She won titles in the 50 freestyle, 100 butterfly and anchored the championship 200 freestyle relay.

Photo courtesy of Ames High School

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SportsSpotlight.com

Madi AtzenBondurant-Farrar High School, Class of 2014 - 4.0 GPA

SPORTS: Volleyball, Basketball and Track

ATHLETIC ACHIEVEMENTS/HONORS: State qualifier in basketball (sophomore and junior year) State qualifier in track for the Shuttle Hurdle (freshman and sophomore year)State qualifier in 4 x 100, 100 hurdles and Shuttle Hurdle and 3rd place finish in Shuttle Hurdle (junior year), 2nd team all-conference in volleyball (junior year), 2nd team all-conference in basketball (sophomore and junior year), 1st team all-district in basketball (junior year).

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS/HONORS: A Honor Roll, National Honor Society, National Council of Youth Leaders, Student Council Vice President

COLLEGE OR POST-HIGH SCHOOL PLANS: Attend a 4-year university

Achievements

Madi’s Q & A

Photo courtesy of Bondurant-Farrar High School

Q: WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SPORT TO PLAY? WHY? A: My favorite sport to play is basketball because I love the physical challenge and playing defense.

     Q: WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SPORTS MEMORY? A: My favorite sports memory is my junior year when we played Central Lee in the basketball regional final game. We came out and went on a 19 to 4 run to start the game and ended in a great victory to go to State.

Q: DO YOU HAVE ANY FUN PRE-GAME “RITUALS” THAT PREPARE YOU FOR AN EVENT?A: I like to keep everything the same such as my hair style and headband and I pray before every game. Also the night before basketball games, I sleep with my basketball.

Q: WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL AND WHY?A: My favorite subject is Calculus. I feel very accomplished when I can solve a difficult problem.

Q: WHO INSPIRES YOU? WHY?A: My family inspires me. They have always taught me to have work ethic and I have always worked hard in everything I do because of that. My ultimate goal is to make my family proud.

Q: WHAT WAS THE BEST MOVIE YOU SAW IN THE LAST YEAR?A: Safe Haven

Q: WHAT IS YOUR DREAM JOB?A: I am not for sure what I want my career path to be but I know that I want to help others. I want to change lives! perspective..

of t

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Wrestling Begins AnewHigh school wrestling fans in the

state of Iowa will once again fill Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines during the third week of February in 2014 for the Iowa High School Championships. The dual team tournament and the 3-day traditional tournament are the highlights of the year for many across the state. But, for every grand finish, there has to be a start. Like an early Christmas, wrestling season is once again set to get underway in three classes of competition in Iowa. This primer will hopefully help you remove the wrapping and bows from your newly-arrived present.

Last season gave us many thrills, as well as two more four-time state champions. Creston’s Jake Marlin and Denver-Tripoli’s Brandon Sorensen capped off their tremendous careers by becoming the 22nd and 23rd members of this most illustrious group. That club more than doubled in the last 13 years after taking nearly forty years for it to increase from one member to 11. That group will not expand this season, but there are several wrestlers working on keeping that goal alive for themselves when they are seniors. All of this supports the fact that every year, there are more varsity-ready wrestlers in the freshman ranks. Wrestlers are hitting the varsity mats with more experience, skill and toughness than ever before. We wrestling fans are the real winners. Wrestling has always been a staple of Iowa winters, and our young student-athletes have wowed crowds and many have went on to enjoy wild amounts of success in the sport at the highest levels. But it all starts here, and it’s time for the whistle to blow once again.

One of the most unique aspects of wrestling in high school is the fact that, unlike other team sports, so much emphasis is placed on individual performance — so much so that many times it’s the individual achievments that fans want to see, rather than team success. At the same time, it can be said that a great dual season can really capture the attention of even the most casual fans. Weeknight duals and weekend tournaments are different in nature, but equally exciting all the same. The appeal of both facets of wrestling make it all the more compelling and interesting. But perhaps the most

alluring feature wrestling has to offer is the fact that the object is simple, yet the means to achieve that object are so numerous and difficult to master. Let’s hope this upcoming season gives us more of what we have become accustomed to. There’s no reason to believe it won’t.

Since there are three classes in wrestling, we will break each one down, but first let’s take a look at some of the numbers. There are 336 medal winners at the state tournament, and we have 183 former place-winners returning. Of those, 106 are seniors, 61 are juniors and 16 are sophomores. Fifteen are three-time place-winners, while 48 are have placed twice. Five of these wrestlers did not place last season, after doing so earlier in their careers. Sixteen champions are back, with two each having won a pair of titles.

CLASS 1AAlburnett captured both the

dual team championship and the traditional team title last season, something the Pirates will want to repeat in 2014. Six returning state qualifiers, five of which were place-winners, should help them in that quest. Sophomores Jordan Henderson and Conner Shulista, junior Hunter Washburn and seniors Zach Fowler, Jacob Koch and Dylan Windfield will anchor the strong Pirate squad. Windfield was the state champion at 160 last year, while Fowler took home third-place honors at 106 and Koch finished eighth at 126. Washburn has been outstanding in his first two campaigns, winning it all as an undefeated freshman at 106 and following that up with a title at 113. Washburn is one of three active wrestlers who are on course for four state titles. Shulista started his career with a very strong fourth-place finish at 132 as Alburnett cruised to its first-ever team title. How the Pirates defend it will be fun to watch. Also making noise team-wise in 1A will be teams like Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont, Wilton and Woodbury Central, to name a few. E-B-F returns six qualifiers, led by junior Blake Marolf, who placed second at 132 last season after a third-place finish at 113 as a freshman. Marolf is joined by senior Tucker Black, who is coming off a fifth-place effort at 145; junior Jeren Glosser, a fourth-place

winner at 120; and qualifiers Cody Brown, Jason Crosby, Dillon Pigsley and Chance Wursta. Wilton will be very strong as well, led by two-time place winner Brady Ruden, a senior who was the runner-up at 120. He is joined by fellow senior Koy Snider, who placed fourth at 170; junior Logan Mays, seventh at 132; and sophomore Tanner Greenwald, a runner-up at 106 in his first season. Junior Zach Keppy and senior Kaleb Schmidt are returning state qualifiers, as well. Woodbury Central will count on a strong junior class to lead the way, with five returning qualifiers among them. Landon Paulsen claimed third-place honors with a 52-1 mark at 285, while Lane Nichols captured a runner-up medal at 126. They are joined by fellow juniors Gable Verschoor, who placed fourth at 106 as a freshman; Luke Klingensmith and Levi Paulson. Senior Schuyler Rilling qualified as well. Never count out Don Bosco, which seems to find a way to remain in the title conversation every year

1A returning champions: Other than the previously mentioned

Alburnett duo of Windfield and Washburn, only Evan Hansen of Exira/EHK, a junior, and sophomore Carter Happel of Lisbon have reached the top of the 1A podium at state. Hansen was 47-1 at 145 and Happel was 43-1 at 120. Happel is another wrestler who is on track for a possible four state titles.

CLASS 2ALast season, West Delaware

(Manchester) took home the

traditional team crown at the state tournament after falling to Davenport Assumption for the state dual team title just three nights before. West Delaware was a senior-laden team and was hit hard by graduation, but they expect to bounce back and look forward to having another great season. The Hawks will rally around two place-winning seniors and great tradition. Senior Patrick Woods is back after winning a title at 106 with a 46-1 record. He also finished 3rd as a sophomore. He is joined by classmate Jake Voss, who placed fourth at 152 this past season.

Assumption, after finishing second in the team race, has the luxury of returning six qualifiers with a ton of experience and some newcomers to fill the gaps. The Knights should be a force to reckon with, as always. They will be paced by four seniors, including Brendan Gould, who placed third at 113 last year; Eric Clarke, who was fourth at 138; Tionte Parks, who finished fifth at 145; and Danny Bush. Also returning are qualifiers Gabriel Rangel, a junior, and Darien Collins, a sophomore.

The real threat to the 2A field just might be Mediapolis. The Bulldogs finished a close third last season and return seven qualifiers. They always seem to be in the mix, and have an undeniable vibe come tournament time. They are a real, legitimate contender. Leading the way for Mediapolis will be five place-winners from last year’s tournament. Senior Drew Foster placed seventh at 138, while only suffering two losse. Fellow senior Drew Buster will look

Winter is back and that means Iowa preps are set to take the matBob Selby | Contributor

18 Volume 2 Issue 3 SportsSpotlight.com

HigH ScHool

Lisbon’s Carter Happel is back for his sophomore season after winning a state championship at 120 in Class 1A last season. (Photo courtesy of Norv Coblentz/Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun)

19Volume 2 Issue 3SportsSpotlight.com

to improve on his pair of sixth-place finishes, last year at 145 and also at 138 in his sophomore campaign. Adam Drain is their most decorated returnee, having won a title last year at 170 with a 48-1 record. He placed third as a junior at 160, going 52-1, and he placed seventh as a freshman at 152 with a 42-3 record. Even without multiple titles, Drain is definitely one of the very best wrestlers in the state. Junior Steven Holloway placed second at 182 with a 45-4 mark, and his classmate Cole Erickson placed second at 132 after finishing fourth as a freshman at 120. Sophomore Mason Buster finished third at 106, going 46-3 as a freshman, and qualifier Ethan Timmerman, a sophomore is back as well.

Look for Albia to be very strong this season, too. The Blue Demons took six wrestlers to Wells Fargo last February and five of them are back, eager to improve on a strong finish that left them hungry for more. Returning qualifiers for the Blue Demons include senior Shadow Leshen, who placed second at 120 last year with a 51-2 mark. He also finished second at 113 as a sophomore and eighth at 103 in his freshman season. Griffin Osing, a senior, placed fifth at 152 with 50 wins on the year. Sophomore Bryce Leshen placed fifth at 126. Seniors Dalton Folkerts and Brett Leshen did not place, but had fine seasons as well. What’s great about 2A for this upcoming season is there should be no shortage of

teams in the mix with title aspirations. Charles City, Creston, Spencer and Sergeant Bluff-Luton, all have reason for hope in 2014.

2A returning state champions:Patrick Woods, senior, West

Delaware, Manchester (106, 45-1); Adam Drain, senior, Mediapolis (170, 48-1); Fletcher Green, senior, Washington (113, 36-5); Max Thomsen, junior, Union, LaPorte City (126, 49-0; 113, 47-1). Thomsen is also one of the three wrestlers in the group of non-freshmen who are on pace for four state titles.

CLASS 3AIt seems like the stranglehold

Waverly-Shell Rock and Iowa City West had over Class 3A titles lasted forever. Their dominance actually only lasted seven years, but it made it hard for other programs to envision getting a chance to hoist the hardware. Slowly but surely, Bettendorf and Southeast Polk closed the gap, until Bettendorf was able to break through with a team title in 2012, followed by the first place sweep of the dual title and traditional title by Southeast Polk a year ago. Both teams kept improving and getting stronger. This year, it is safe to say that both the Bulldogs and the Rams will be right back in the hunt, but both Iowa City West and Waverly-Shell Rock believe — with good reason — they too will be in the mix.

Impressive lineups and performances from underclassmen at Linn-Mar (Marion) and Cedar

Rapids Prairie serve notice that this year’s race for team supremacy will be hotly-contested. Do not overlook Mason City, West Des Moines Valley, Algona, Clinton and teams like Indianola that always have firepower and bring a lot of individuals to the state meet. This looks to shape up as

another fabulous season in 3A.There are 68 returning place-winners

from last year’s state tournament, including 42 seniors, 22 juniors and 4 sophomores. One place-winner will not be back — at least in Iowa. Jake Scanlan, formerly of Southeast Polk and Johnston, has moved to

Pennsylvania for his senior year of school. Don’t feel sorry for the Rams just yet, because although Scanlan may have been a three-time placer at the tournament, his replacement will be more than capable. Jacob Marnin filled in admirably for Scanlan at times last year and had a tremendous summer at off-season tournaments.

Here are the teams with the most returning state meet qualifiers, with the number of place-winners among them noted: Linn-Mar (Marion) has eight returning qualifiers, five place-winners. Mason City has eight returning qualifiers, three place-winners. Waverly-Shell Rock has seven returning qualifiers, five place-winners. Bettendorf has six returning qualifiers, five place-winners. Southeast Polk has five returning qualifiers, five place-winners. Algona has five returning qualifiers, four place-winners. Clinton has five returning qualifiers, four place-winners. Iowa City West has five returning qualifiers, two place-winners. Iowa City West would only be returning one place-winner, but junior Tanner Rohweder, a two-time place-winner from Dowling Catholic (West Des Moines) transferred to join the Trojans this season.

3A returning state champions:Jake Koethe, senior, West Des

Moines Valley (120, 41-5); Logan Ryan, senior, Bettendorf (132, 41-5); Spencer Derifield, senior, Waverly-Shell Rock (152, 45-5); Marcus Harrington, senior, Waterloo West (195, 50-1); Matt Wempen, junior, Linn-Mar, Marion (106, 48-2 in 2012); Fredy Stroker, junior, Bettendorf (126, 44-1); Jacob Woodard, junior, Bettendorf (138, 38-7); Henry Pohlmeyer, junior, Johnston (106, 37-5).

Something thing to remember for all three classes is, depending on how many freshmen emerge, as they always do, and how many upper classmen reach new levels and emerge, many teams could be in the hunt for strong finishes in their dual season, and high finishes in the traditional team race. Many of the returning wrestlers will move up to different weight classes and provide us with new matchups and even rivalries with other wrestlers. The storylines are as endless as the stamina these young athletes possess. The unknown is one of the best things about going into a new wrestling season. How this all plays out will unfold and develop, but count on great action and some surprises along the way. Enjoy this and every season of wrestling.

HigH ScHool

Johnston’s Henry Pohlmeyer won the Class 3A title at 106 as a sophomore last season. (Photo courtesy of The Des Moines Register)

Albia’s Shadow Leshen. (Photo courtesy of Michele White Photography)

HOOPS PREVIEWHigh school basketball: Success through generations

The start of high school basketball is upon us, with standout teams emerging from all around the state. From the boys team from West Fork, Sheffield in Class 2A, which had an undefeated season until a disappointing loss at the state championship last year, to the girls from Davenport Assumption in Class 3A who have won three back-to-back titles, this year is bound to be an exciting season for both girls and boys basketball. While some players will promise new talent on the court, others have become seasoned veterans and have proven themselves by their success. For Wyatt Lohaus and Roichelle Marble, though, success is in their blood.

Another Undefeated Season

“Growing up and being around it all the time, I know that’s probably one of the main reasons I got interested in basketball,” said Iowa City West’s Wyatt Lohaus. “I think a lot of kids want to grow up and be like their parents and my dad just happened to be a basketball player.” Wyatt’s dad, Brad Lohaus, wasn’t just any basketball player. He was one of the University of Iowa’s best. Brad Lohaus was a star center-forward for the Hawkeyes and helped the team reach the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament in the 1986-87 season. At nearly seven-feet tall, the star big man advanced to the NBA where he played for eight teams over 11 seasons. Now, Wyatt Lohaus is the stud on the court. The standout senior guard has seen the court at the state basketball cham-pionship game twice in his high school career and is riding on Iowa City West’s 52-0 record – undefeated for two straight seasons. “It’s been great. These last few years have been so much fun and coming into high school I never thought that would’ve happened,” Wyatt said. “It’s something very few teams have ever done in Iowa, so it’s just really fun and special to be a part of it.” Brad has been there every step of the way. As a volunteer parent, Brad works with the team to help the boys train and con-dition throughout the summer and the off-season. He’s been right there with Wyatt, sometimes offering advice, other times simply observing, and oftentimes reminisc-ing on his own experiences on the court.

“Since his freshman year, I’ve taken a backseat and have just been watching him, try-ing to guide him,” Brad said. “Basically, he’s got to figure out in his mind that this is right and this is wrong, I’ve got to do this better. You can’t just force-feed somebody that. But, he’s very coachable, so it’s been a lot of fun.” With his dad in the stands,

helping him along the way, Wyatt is poised and prepared for another standout season. This year, the Iowa City West boys basketball team is younger

than teams in years past, but the team’s length and depth will help it be successful. As an obvious team leader, Wyatt’s drive and determina-

tion to succeed will help motivate the team throughout the season.

“I think this year being a senior, it’s finally my chance to really have the team be my team to lead, so that’s different than the last few

years,” Wyatt said. “I think that’ll be fun having a bigger leadership role and being able to help that way.” Although this season is Wyatt’s

prime concern, the excitement of his future as a basketball player is also looming. In early November, Wyatt signed a national letter of intent to play bas-ketball for the University of Northern Iowa. But Wyatt only has one high school season left, and both he and his dad agree that this season he needs to play in the here and now.

“I just want him to have a fun year. I think if he has fun, then he’ll be successful,” Brad said. “I told him the day after last year’s state title game, I said, ‘It’s a whole

BRADLOHAUS

WYATTLOHAUS

Photo courtesy of UI Athletic Communications

HOOPS PREVIEW2013

different year next year. You can keep going up or you can let it get to you. But just live in the moment, help your teammates get better, and just go out and have fun.’”

Making A Comeback

For Des Moines East senior Roichelle Marble, it’s as simple as a game of horse. In the gym or the driveway, a little family competition with her dad has helped Roichelle consistently improve as a shooter. But Roichelle’s got quite the competitor in her dad. Roy Marble currently holds the record for most points scored at the University of Iowa, with 2,116 points throughout his Hawkeye career.

“We go head up all the time and I always thought that would make a difference in her ball control and her understanding of what it means to compete,” Roy said. “And she’s always stuck in there. She’s always stayed in the game of horse and has always been so competitive, so I love her for that spirit.”

Basketball is a family affair for the Marbles. Roichelle’s older brother, Roy Devyn Marble, is currently lighting up the court as a guard for the Iowa Hawkeyes. For their family basketball is their bond, their passion and their talent.

“My big brother, he makes me want to go play college basketball and do as well as he’s doing right now,” Roichelle said. “And my dad, he’s achieved a lot, so it makes me want to be able to achieve all the stuff he has and more.”

For now, though, Roichelle has her senior season with the Des Moines East girls basketball team to focus on. In 2011, Roichelle’s freshman year, the East Scarlets won the 4A girls state championship. Since then, the Scarlets have continued to make state appearances, but they have yet to accomplish the feat of another championship win. This year the team is hot and ready to claim the title. With a senior-dominated team led by Roichelle, the Scarlets plan to play hard in the paint and compete for their final goal – the championship game.

“My goal is to just go out there and have fun, because it’s really hard to win a game if you’re not having fun while you’re doing it,” Roichelle said. “There’s no reason why we shouldn’t win. The biggest chal-lenge is ourselves and our mindset and being able to achieve what we should and playing our best basketball all the time.” According to her dad, Roichelle’s toughness and competitive spirit help make her successful on the court. With a com-bination of speed, agility and ambidextrous shooting, she’s the package deal. Between Roichelle’s talent and her team’s experience, the East Scarlets could be lethal.

“From what I’ve seen over the last few years, nobody can stay in front of her,” Roy said. “I don’t think you can guess her. She’s not predictable.” With the season tip off right around the corner, Roichelle is bound and determined to carry her team to state. But above all, she’s set to enjoy her senior season. “I’m just excited for the season as a whole,” she said. “I love playing basketball, so this is my favorite time of the year. It’s even better than Christmas.”

By Elizabeth Robinson

ROYMARBLE

ROICHELLEMARBLE

Photo courtesy of UI Athletic Communications

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BOYSCLASS 1A CLASS 2A

CLASS 3A CLASS 4A

G - Riley Francis, Sr. Boyden-Hull

G - Brandon Snyder, Sr. West Lyon - Inwood

F - Jeremy Deemer, Sr. Lamoni

F - Dalton Anderson, Sr. Newell-Fonda

C - Elias Nissen, Sr. Springville

G - Trevor Haaland, Sr. Osage

G - Carson Parker, Sr. Dike-New Hartford

F - Sam Brincks, Sr. Kuemper Catholic - Carroll

F - Kyle Smith, Sr. New Hampton

C -Reed Tellinghuisen, Sr. East Sac County

G - Eli Dunne, Sr. Grinnell

G - Nick Drucker, Sr. Dallas Center-Grimes

F - Trey Lansman, Sr. Harlan

F - Nate Cave, Sr. Harlan

C - Casey Schlatter, Sr. Iowa Falls-Alden

G - Cole Clearmann, Sr. Bettendorf

G - Wyatt Lohaus, Sr. Iowa City West

F - Allen Lazard, Sr. Urbandale

F - Daniel Tillo, Jr. Sioux City North

C - Kyle Haber, Sr. Dubuque Senior

PRESEASONALL-STATE

Photo courtesy of Iowa Falls-Alden High School

Photo courtesy of Bettendorf High School

Photo courtesy of East Sac County High School

Photo coutesy of Boyden-Hull High School

24Volume 2 Issue 3SportsSpotlight.com

Looking ahead to some of the teams and individuals to keep an eye on this season based on last season’s returners and performances, let’s begin in Class 4A. Five of last year’s top-ten scorers are back, led by Daniel Tillo (Sioux City North) who is the top returning scorer with an average of 22.5 points per game in his sophomore year and led 4A in rebounding with his 12.2 per game average. Only Tillo and Michael Jacobson (Waukee) return after averaging double figures in scoring and rebounding last season.

Des Moines North has a 1-2 punch returning from the list in Terrance Busch and Teyontae Jenkins who combined for 36 points per game. Jenkins was also the 4A leader in assists and steals last season. All-State standout, Wyatt

Lohaus is the lone returning starter back for the Trojans as they try to defend their title.

So with Iowa City West looking to reload, who looks to be ready to dethrone the Trojans? Bettendorf will be tough with the return their top-four scorers led by Cole Clear-man who also led the team in steals and assists. Dubuque Senior should be a big challenger this season with a good chunk of their roster back led by Kyle Haber. Sioux City North was very young last season and with double-double machine, Daniel Tillo back, the Stars will be just another of those northwest Iowa teams that could make the trip to Des Moines again. Sioux City East may be a step behind this year with the loss, at least as we begin the season of Greg Kirwan due to a knee injury early during football season.

In central Iowa, Des Moines Hoo-ver will once again be a factor this season with the return the nucleus of their team led by Chris King and Malachi Canada who combined for nearly 27 points a game.

On our list of other players and teams to place the spotlight this season include Jalen Jones (Clinton), Nick Jeffries (Southeast Polk), Jacob Olson (Cedar Rapids Jefferson), Sam Straub (Ames), Marion Stewart (Davenport West), Cortez Seals (North Scott, Eldridge), Carter Burns (Ottumwa) and Trey Hollingshed (Davenport Central) individually.

Western Dubuque (Epworth) drops back to Class 3A this season while Norwalk joins the 4A ranks and should fit in with a nice group of

underclassmen back from last sea-son. Class 4A looks to be in flux in as far as the depth of the class. There are many unknown factors that will come into play including transfers and those key players maybe injured during the fall sports season and either out for the season or at the minimum, getting a late start with their teammates.

There is no doubt that some familiar names will appear in the

news and rankings but there look to be just as many new challengers that were not a major factor last season. Underclassmen always have an effect in every class but I look for it to be a bigger factor in 4A this season which should bring some excitement at least in the early part of the season.

Defending champion Iowa City West has holes to fill. Will there be a new champ?Class 4A: New Royalty?

Sioux City North’s Daniel Tillo. (Photo courtesy of Gene Knudsen)

Dubuque Senior’s Kyle Haber. (Photo courtesy of Dubuque Senior High School)

24 Volume 2 Issue 3 SportsSpotlight.com

In Class 3A, Western Dubuque (Epworth) returns to the class from Class 4A this season. Also back is the leading scoring from the 2012-13 season in Class 3A, Casey Schlatter of Iowa Falls-Alden. Schlatter is also the top returning rebounder and averaged a double-double last season with his 25.7 points per game and 10.1 rebounds per game averages.

Some of the other top individual scorers back in Class 3A this season are Spencer Davidson (19.5 ppg) of Clear Lake, Miles Wentzien (17.7 ppg) of Fort Madison and Caleb Hageman (17.1 ppg) of Charles City.

Trey Lansman of Harlan posted near double-double numbers last season with his 16.4 scoring average and 8.7 board per game. Waukon has multi-sport start, Parker Hesse back. Hesse led the team in scoring (16.8), rebounds (6.9), assists and steals.

There are a number of top return-ing players in Class 3A to keep an eye on individually Matt Heitmann (Williamsburg), Drake Fuller (Bondurant-Farrar), Alex Gustafson (Saydel) and TJ Hockenson (Chari-ton) who all averaged 15-plus points per game. Heitmann also pulled down nearly 8 rebound per game.

Class 3A has always been one of the toughest classes to figure out and

this year looks to be no different as many of the top players from last season have graduated and it will be the underclassmen that will make the biggest difference on their team success.

Waverly-Shell Rock has built a consistent basketball power and this season should be no different as they prepare to defend their 3A title even though they replace all-stater, Klin-ton Carlson. Jake Velky and Dan Stensland combined for 24 points

per game. Stensland also led the team in assists and steals. Carroll returns three double-figure scorers led by Addison Ross and his 14 points per game. Cody Netusil and Eli Cleveland combined for 26 points per game and Netusil pulled down 7.2 boards per game.

Dallas Center-Grimes does not have that high-caliber player but a bunch of returning pieces that will once again make them a team to watch. The Mustangs return Nick Drucker who averaged 11.1 points, 5.3 assists and 5.9 rebounds per game. Kolton Gonnerman and Michael Starcevich combined for 28-plus points per game as they return for the Big Red of Centerville. Eli Dunne and Joe Schmidt are a solid one-two punch for the Tigers of Grinnell and should place them in the middle of the post season race.

Pella returns the nucleus of their

roster including their top three scor-ers led by Isaac Naaktgeboren with his 13.3 points and 8.o rebounds per game. Williamsburg is another of those that like the Little Dutch should improve with a good group back led by Heitmann, Jacob Dono-hoe and Zach Schlabaugh.

Jake Irwin of LeMars and Daric Laing of Chariton will be vital for their team’s hopes of returning or bettering last season’s results. Matt Fanner of Spencer is another that could key the Tigers to improve on a solid finish last season.

Again, the word I always use in Class 3A is wide-open so why change now. There is not a coach that has a team with talent that can-not sell their kids on how through hard work and improving from the beginning to the end of the season how they could be playing on the Wells Fargo Arena floor in March.

It’s usually tough to predict this class and this season is no different

The best a man can get.

Dallas Center-Grimes’ Nick Drucker. (Photo courtesy of DC-G High School)

Harlan’s Trey Lansman. (Photo courtesy of Harlan Newspapers)

Grinnell’s Eli Dunne. (Photo courtesy of Otto Brown)

Harlan’s Nate Cave. (Photo courtesy of Harlan Newspapers)

Class 3A: No Clear Favorite

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26Volume 2 Issue 3SportsSpotlight.com

In Class 2A, Sheldon was a mild surprise when they claimed its first state championship. To repeat would be a bigger surprise as the Orabs look to replace the entire starting lineup. Reed Tellinghuisen of East Sac County is back after leading 2A in scoring last season at 25.3 points per game. He also pulled down 7.3 boards per game.

Among the top returning scorers expected back this season are Erich Erdman from Forest City (18.6), Matt Baker (Albia) (18.6), Duncan Ferch (West Marshall, State Center) (18.0), Stephen Folkerts (Van Meter) (17.8) and Robby Burke (St. Ed-mond, Fort Dodge) (17.0).

Looking at the teams that could

make deep postseason runs, we can start with West Fork, which keeps churning out good teams every season. The Warhawks return four players that played considerable time last year including three starters led by Sam Amsbaugh with his 14-plus points and 5 rebounds per game.

It’s never a stretch to consider Western Christian (Hull) a contend-er and, with the return of nearly 50 points per game, the Wolfpack will be tough again. Taylor Feenstra, Josh VanLingen and Kyle Fopma all averaged double figures last season with Feenstra also grabbing a team-high 7.3 rebounds per game.

North Cedar (Stanwood) is loaded again, even with the loss of

its top scorer. Jordan Johnson and Jacob Hay will lead the way for the Knights. New Hampton looks to be in the same position with the return of six of their top seven scorers led by Kyle Smith (14.5) and Dakota Sweitzer (10.4)

To get close to last season’s perfor-mance, Cascade will try to do so be-hind Haris Takes who averaged 14.5 points per game. IKM-Manning has a nice combo back in Sam Wegner and Kyle Wagner, who combined for 20 points per game. Kuemper Catholic (Carroll) has a solid one-two punch in Sam Brincks and Cole Neary who averaged 31-plus points and 13-plus rebounds per game. Sioux Center should not sneak up on anybody with the return of their top four scorers led by Andrew O’Don-nell and Steven Kragt.

Among the number of top return-ing player to watch this season based on the past season you can include Trevor Haaland (Osage), Carson Parker (Dike-New Hartford), Alec Philipp (Alburnett), Colten Connelly (Clayton Ridge, Guttenberg), Jaylen White (Interstate 35, Truro), Trevor Schweinefus (South Winneshiek, Calmar) and Korey Kuhlmann (Ma-ple Valley-Anthon-Oto).

Class 2A is a tradition-rich class with familiar powers always part of the fray in the post season but there is always a surprise or two or at least a team that jumps up every few years to mix things up. Rock Valley moves from 1A to 2A this season and with Andrew Van Ginkel could be a factor despite the class move. Who will be that team or teams that will be that Cinderella story this season?

Many of last year’s best teams bring back key pieces

Kuemper Catholic’s (Carroll) Sam Brincks. (Photo courtesy of Kumper Catholic High School)

Osage’s Trevor Haaland. (Photo courtesy of Osage High School)

New Hampton’s Kyle Smith. (Photo courtesy of New Hampton High School)

Class 2A: Familar Faces

26 Volume 2 Issue 3 SportsSpotlight.com

Class 1A: Eagles Looking to FlyIn Class 1A, Boyden-Hull won the 1A championship and look to defend behind returning starter and the Comets leading scorer, Riley Francis.

Looking at some of the possible challengers this season we will start with Ankeny Christian Academy with the return of most of the team that finished 24-2 last season. The Eagles return JJ Waddle and Damon Stubbs who combined for 27 points per game. Dunkerton also has the inside and outside combo of 6’10” Kory Kuenstling and 5’9” Trevor Jacobsen who combined for 28 points per game. Kuenstling also pulled down nearly 10 rebounds per game.

Lamoni can no longer use the excuse of being young with the three-year experience they return led by Jeremy Deemer who aver-aged 23-plus points and nearly 15 rebounds last season. The Demons also return Tanner Brunner and Caleb Heltenberg who combined for

23 points per contest.Easton Valley looks ready to

make some post season noise as they return a trio of players led by Chase Zaruba (17.8) and Logan Wilhelm (13.5). Lynnville-Sully usually produces a solid basketball team and with TJ Cunningham back, the Hawks could be around deep into the season. Gehlen Catholic (LeMars) may have lost their top offensive threat but should be just fine with Blake Wiltgen and Colton Kneip back with their 26 points per game combined totals.

The Blue and White of Newell-Fonda are familiar colors at the state tournament and may be part of the field again with their top-four scorers back led by Dalton Anderson and his nearly 15 points per game. Belmond-Klemme with Elijah Kinseth and Court Christian-son and Gladbrook-Reinbeck with Zach Pierce and Camden Kickbush should also provide a punch in their

respective teams lineup to factor into a positive season once again.

Roman Hellems with Clarinda Academy (18.8) was one of the top scorers in Class 2A last season but the Eagles will play in 1A this year. Other top individuals scheduled to return this season include Tyler Stumbo (Laurens-Marathon) and Jake Roden (West Harrison, Mondamin) who both were 20-plus points per game scorers. Wade Martian (Whiting), Ethan Stein-bronn (West Central, Maynard), Dylan Spieler (Marcus-Merid-en-Cleghorn), Tanner Hilbrands (Remsen-Union), Brennan Riede-mann (River Valley, Correction-ville), Tanner Ver Steg (George-Lit-tle Rock) and Brandon Snyder (West Lyon, Inwood) is a group that all

scored between 17-20 points a game last season.

The list grows in 1A as far as those back with 15-17 per game averages that should impact their schools hopes of a successful season. Making that list of returnees are Devin Kopera (Heartland Christian (Council Bluffs), Austin New-brough (Tripoli), Gerante Rankin (Woodward Academy), Trever Zoss (Pleasantville) and Elias Nissen (Springville).

There are a lot of pieces to each team’s puzzle that coaches have to put together and for some it is just trying to fit those parts with experi-enced players and for some trying to mold something that by the end of the regular season find themselves playing their best.

Ankeny Christian returns the core of a championship-caliber team

Not valid with any other offer.Valid December 1 - 31, 2013.

Lamoni’s Jeremy Deemer (Photo courtesy of Lamoni High School)

West Lyon (Inwood) guard Brandon Snyder. (Photo courtesy of Tim Snyder)

Springville’s Elias Nissen is one of the top players in the state this season. (Photo courtesy of Springville High School)

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PRESEASONALL-STATE

GIRLSCLASS 1A

CLASS 3A

CLASS 4A

CLASS 5ACLASS 2A

G - Paige Danner, Sr. Ar-We-Va - Westside

G - Renee Maneman, Sr. Newell-Fonda

F - Kameo Pope, Sr. Belle Plaine

F - London Vais, Sr. Adair-Casey

C - Caitlyn Riese, Jr. Colo-Nesco

G - Paige Greiner, Sr. Williamsburg

G - Miranda Murphy, Sr. North Polk

F - Ashley Burrows, Sr. Bondurant-Farrar

F - Alexis Conaway, Sr. MOC-Floyd Valley

C - Addie Oberman, Jr. Northeast - Goose Lake

G - Dani Heritage, Sr. Dallas Center-Grimes

G - Taylor Wagner, Jr. Harlan

F - Mariah Criswell, Jr. Winterset

F - Claire Marburger, Jr. Perry

C - Kirsten Martindale, Sr. Spencer

G - Roichelle Marble, Sr. Des Moines East

G - Katie Sommer, Sr. Linn-Mar - Marion

F - Danielle Franklin, Sr. Cedar Rapids Washington

F - Haley Lorenzen, Sr. Iowa City High

C - Haley Puk, Sr. Waterloo West

G - Nicole Miller, Jr. North Linn - Troy Mills

G - Alissa Pollema, Sr. Western Christian - Hull

F - Ellie Herzberg, Sr. Manson - NW Webster

F - Olivia Godfrey, Sr. Panorama - Panora

C - Rachel Struve, Sr. South O’Brien - Paulina

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31Volume 2 Issue 3SportsSpotlight.com

Southeast Polk had an exciting run through last season’s state tournament, winning three games by a combined 14 points, but there will likely be a new champion crowned this year. The Rams lost five of their top seven scorers from a year ago, including Caitlyn Ingle, who led the team in scoring and assists.

The western contenders include Des Moines East, Dowling Catholic (West Des Moines) and Mason City, all of which made the state tournament a year ago.

The Scarlets boast a senior-laden team and return every key player

from last year, including Shareece Burrell and Roichelle Marble, who averaged 12.8 and 10 points per game last season, respectively. Burrell led the team with 130 rebounds and Marble tallied the most assists (99) in 2012-13.

But opponents can’t just focus on East’s two stars. Arrica Daye and Tal Neilly combined for 14.3 points per game, 101 boards and 96 steals and 91 assists last year.

Dowling Catholic was last season’s runner-up and brings back a championship-caliber core. The Maroons’ top three scorers and

rebounders — Audrey Faber (11.8 ppg, 143 rebounds), Becca Hittner (7.8 ppg, 92 rebounds) and Luci Sarcone (7.4 ppg, 148 rebounds) — are all back to make another push for a state title.

Mason City lost Jadda Buckley and Cortni Rush to graduation after they dropped in 14 and 10.2 ppg a year ago, but seniors Myah Mellman (10.4 ppg, 50 rebounds) and Lexi Pederson (5.2 ppg, 83 rebounds), and sophomore Makenzie Meyer (9.8 ppg, 80 rebounds) give the Mohawks a strong group to build around.

Out east, Waterloo West, City High (Iowa City) and Cedar Rapids Washington headline the group of title hopefuls.

Waterloo West and City High are both headlined by a bona fide star player. The Little Hawks feature senior Haley Lorenzen, who averaged 18.7 points per game last season, while the Wahawks are led by Haley Puk and her 15.3 points per game.

Both teams boast more than their respective go-to players, though. City High also returns Courtney Joens and Kiera Washpun, who combined for 16.1 points per game. Joens pulled down 108 boards, while Washpun led the team with 103 assists and 45 steals.

Puk is supported by Blaire Thomas (15.1 ppg), Kate Letkewicz (14.3 ppg) and Sammy Sproul (9.2 ppg). That quartet may the most lethal in the state and is certainly among the most balanced.

Cedar Rapids Washington didn’t make the state tournament a year ago, but the Warriors are a dark horse contender thanks to Danielle Franklin.

The senior finished fourth in the state last season with 17 points per game and led her team with 181 rebounds. She also has Aleena Hobbs to back her up. Hobbs tallied just under 12 points per game a year ago and should keep opposing defenses honest.

It’s setting up to be a wild year in Class 5A and there isn’t a clear favorite. Barring injuries, it could take all year to really narrow down who the real contenders for the title are. Follow all the action this season with Sports Spotlight and see who comes out on top!

Class 5A: East Ready to RollScarlets enter the season as prohibitive favorites

Waterloo West’s Haley Puk is one of Class 5A’s top scorers. She averaged 15.3 ppg last season. (Photo courtesy of Rick Smith)

Linn-Mar’s (Marion) Katie Sommer averaged 15.5 ppg at Dubuque Senior last year. (Photo courtesy of Linn-Mar High School)

30 Volume 2 Issue 3 SportsSpotlight.com

Class 4A: It’s A Twister!Cedar Rapids Xavier took the

2013 Class 4A state championship in a nail-biter against Harlan, but the Saints have some holes to fill from their title squad. Ashley Stulken and Kayla Armstrong left the biggest voids after leading the team in scoring, but there are a few players ready to step up.

The Cyclones, however, are the heavy favorites to come back and cut down the nets this season. Few teams, on paper, have enough to realistically challenge Harlan for this year’s crown.

The Cyclones’ success starts and ends with a stellar quartet who made plenty of noise as underclassmen a year ago. Juniors Jess Schaben and Taylor Wagner headline the group; Schaben led the team with 9.7 points per game and 168 rebounds, while Wagner tallied 6.8 points per game and dished out a team-leading 107 assists.

Sophomores Taylor Frederick and

Jordyn Moser will have something to say about how far Harlan goes this year, too. Frederick chipped in 7.2 points per game and pulled down 120 boards. And Moser was an all-round stat sheet stuffer. She averaged 6.1 points per game, grabbed 57 re-bounds, piled up 85 assists and made 47 steals as a freshman, and should only improve with that experience under her belt.

Harlan’s most likely challengers will be Xavier, Dallas Center-Grimes, Per-ry and Lewis Central (Council Bluffs).

The Saints return three of their main role players from last season, each of whom will be expected to

do more this year. Seniors Hayley Deutmeyer and Maddie Bertsch are the top returning scorers at 7.6 and 5.7 points per game, respectively. They also combined to pull down 188 rebounds as juniors. And sophomore McKenna Anderson tallied 5.5 points per game and 61 boards as a reserve

last season.The Titans lost leading scorer

Aubrey Norville (17.3 ppg) to grad-uation, but there were a few young players in the rotation a year ago who should be ready to step up. Sopho-more Paige Beacom is the top return-ing scorer after averaging 8 points per game last season; she also pulled down 128 rebounds, tallied 63 assists and made 72 steals. Alexis Spielman (7.4 ppg) should provide the senior leadership for the team, and sopho-more Kye Madsen (5.0 ppg) should be ready to take on a bigger role.

Dallas Center-Grimes doesn’t return many players with eye-popping scoring stats, but they are a classic team that is better than the sum of its parts.

The Fillies feature senior Dani Heritage, who put up 12.8 points per game and grabbed 164 boards to go along with 71 steals. Allison O’Brien and Lexi Rosa provide a strong sup-

porting cast, too. The duo combined for 14.7 points per game and 176 rebounds, and O’Brien made 73 steals.

Then there’s Perry, which is head-lined by junior Claire Marburger. Marburger averaged 18.3 points per game in 2012-13, which was fourth-best in the state. She also tallied 121 rebounds, 47 assists, 55 steals and 48 blocks as she filled her stat line on a nightly basis. Fellow sophomore Mag-gie Lowe and senior Julie Diw should keep defenses honest. They scored a combined 16.9 points per game last year and grabbed 147 boards while Lowe dished out 158 assists and made 56 steals.

The title appears to be Harlan’s to lose, but any one of the aforemen-tioned teams could take the Cyclones down on any given night. Will the Cyclones get the crown this time, or will they fall short again? Follow the action with Sports Spotlight and find out!

The title looks like Harlan’s to lose, but there are plenty of challengers

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Harlan’s Taylor Wagner. (Photo courtesy of Harlan Newspapers)

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Perry’s Claire Marburger. (Photo courtesy of Perry High School)

Spencer’s Kirstin Martindale. (Photo courtesy of Spencer High School)

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33Volume 2 Issue 3SportsSpotlight.com

Davenport Assumption rolled through the 2013 Class 3A state tour-nament, winning its three games by a combined 115 points, but the Knights have moved up to Class 4A this year. That leaves an opening for a new team to be crowned this season.

MOC-Floyd Valley and Alexis Conaway lead the pack of teams vying for this year’s title. Conaway averaged 18.3 points per game in 2012-13 and she also pulled down 203 rebounds,

dished 84 assists, mad 133 steals and swatted 68 shots. She’s arguably the state’s best player, and she’ll have Emily McDonald and Katie Landhuis for support. McDonald averaged 9.2 points per game last year and Landhu-is averaged 7.9; they also combined to grab 167 boards.

Bondurant-Farrar also made last season’s state tournament and appears to have the necessary pieces to make a return trip. Leading scorers Ashley Burrows (12 ppg), Madi and Lexi

Atzen (9.1 ppg and 8.5 ppg, respec-tively) and Keely Bycroft (7.3 ppg) headline a roster that lost just one player from a year ago. Those four also rebound exceptionally well and pulled down a combined 423 boards last season. And Burrows is a top-flight playmaker; she dropped 112 dimes to lead her team last year.

Clear Lake didn’t make the state tournament in Class 4A a year ago and don’t return many players with eye-popping stats, but the Lions are a classic team that’s greater than the sum of its parts and should contend for a spot in Des Moines this winter.

The Lions return Logan Ander-son, Trudy Peterson and Bailey Kibsgaard, who combined to score 28.6 points per game a year ago. They also rebounded well as a group; they totaled 253 boards and were paced by Kibsgaard’s team-leading 147 rebounds. Anderson also tallied 82

assists and 45 steals.There are a few teams that didn’t

make it to the state tournament a year ago but shouldn’t be overlooked going into this season. There are usually a few unknowns that end up making noise, and there is a fine crop of potential dark horse contenders this winter.

Mount Vernon didn’t reach Wells Fargo Arena in 2013, but the Mus-tangs just might have what it takes to get there this time around. Miranda Chapman, Allison Platte and Gabby Kolker are all back this season after combining to average 30.2 points per contest a year ago. Chapman and Platte, in particular, regularly stuffed the stat sheet. They both finished with just under 100 rebounds and right around 60 assists a year ago; Chapman made 78 steals, while Platte blocked 44 shots.

Nevada had a very young team

last winter, as the Cubs claimed eight underclassmen. But with a year’s experience under their belts and the senior leadership of Jessica Helton and Megan Pringnitz, the Cubs could have the right makeup to reach The

Well. Helton led the team with 11.1 points per game last year and Pring-nitz finished third with 8.8 points per contest while also tallying 80 assists. Sophomore Kati Cassabaum made a big impact as a freshman, when she finished second on the team at 10.4 points per game and pulled down a team-leading 206 boards.

The field looks wide open for any number of teams to step in and take Assumption’s place atop Class 3A. Will Conaway lead her team to a state title, or will one of the sleepers wake in time to take the crown? Follow all of this season’s action and find out those answers with Sports Spotlight!

Class 3A: Title Up for GrabsThe picture is murky in Class 3A, with several contenders for the crown

MOC-Floyd Valley’s Alexis Conaway. (Photo courtesy of MOC-Floyd Valley High School)

North Polk’s Miranda Murphy. (Photo courtesy of North Polk High School)

Bondurant-Farrar’s Ashely Burrows. (Photo courtesy of Bondu-rant-Farrar High School)

Northeast-Goose Lake’s Addie Oberman. (Photo courtesy of Northeast-Goose Lake High School)

32 Volume 2 Issue 3 SportsSpotlight.com

Class 2A: StarstruckA number of bona fide stars headline this class

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Western Christian (Hull) didn’t have much trouble on the way to a state title, as the Wolves’ closest margin of victory was 17 points in the Class 2A championship game. But the Wolves lost some key players and there are several schools hunting the defending champs.

Lawton-Bronson took runner-up honors last year and brings back a solid core despite losing a trio of seniors who combined for 37.8 points

per game last season. Ashley Williams is back after averaging 14.1 points per game a year ago; she also pulled down 150 rebounds, collected 106 assists and made 84 steals. Ali Verzani and Lexi Binder form a solid supporting cast and averaged 15.7 points per contest as a duo and brought down 315 combined boards.

Manson-Northwest Webster boasts maybe the most complete lineup in

the state, headlined by Ellie Herzberg. Herzberg was dominant as a junior, averaging 25.6 points per game to go along with 173 rebounds, 103 assists, 101 steals and 87 blocks. She’ll have sophomore Faith Troshynski at her side; Troshynski averaged 13.2 points per game as a freshman and also had 80 rebounds, 59 assists and 44 steals. Jocelyn Keller (7.0 ppg, 130 rebounds) is also back in the fold.

St. Edmond (Fort Dodge) appears loaded for bear with a very strong group to build around. Juniors Anna Yung and Jaci Stumpf are coming off excellent freshman campaigns; Yung led the Gaels in scoring at 14.4 points per game, while Stumpf was third at 8.8 points per game and led the team with 115 assists and 80 steals. Senior Alli Huss is also back after scoring 13.1 points per game and leading the team with 186 rebounds and 41

blocks.South Central Calhoun played in

Class 3A a year ago and missed the tournament, but the Titans bring back a very solid core that could get them to the Class 2A tournament.

Haley Birks led the team with 15.1 points per game last season and tied for the lead in rebounds at 138; she also made 73 steals. She’s joined by fellow juniors Hannah Corey and Kori Assman, who combined to average 15.7 points per game and pulled down 226 boards.

Hudson was knocked out in the regional semifinals in 2013, but the Pirates bring back all but one player from a squad that went 20-3 a year ago. Senior Casey Miles averaged 15.6 points per game and also led the team with 188 rebounds, 80 assists and 78 steals. Juniors Lindsey Koch and Amanda Cartney are also back and combined 23.4 points per game, 187 boards and 112 assists last season. And Teams can’t forget about senior Abby Hillmer, who dropped in 6.4 points per game, 11 rebounds and 55 steals as a junior.

North Linn missed reaching Wells Fargo Arena last year despite losing two games by a combined four points, the second of which coming in the regional finals. Junior Nicole Miller is determined to forge a better outcome for the Lynx this season, though.

Miller averaged 20.8 points per game as a sophomore, but she was far more than just a scorer. She collect-ed 145 rebounds, 101 assists and 87 steals, which made her one of the most complete players in the state de-spite her youth.

The Lynx also have Libby Falconer (7.5 ppg, 153 rebounds) and Maddie Boer (7.7 ppg, 98 assists, 82 steals) to provide support and keep opposing defenses honest.

Other schools could also be in the mix, including Iowa City Regina and Jenna Lehman. Lehman led the Regals in scoring at 16.8 points per game and will look to lead her team back to the state tournament.

There are a lot of possibilities in Class 2A this winter. Will Man-son-Northwest Webster claim the prize by riding their superstar? Or can South Central Calhoun win the title after dropping down a class? There may not be a deeper, more compet-itive class than Class 2A this season; follow all the action and see how it plays out with Sports Spotlight!

North Linn’s Nicole Miller. (Photo courtesy of North Linn High School)

Manson-NW Webster’s Ellie Herzberg. (Photo courtesy of Manson-NW Webster High School)

South O’Brien’s Rachel Struve. (Photo courtesy of South O’Brien High School)

35Volume 2 Issue 3SportsSpotlight.com

Class 1A: Mustangs Hunt RingNewell-Fonda was runner-up a year ago and has the pices to get over the humpbyline- minion pro bold | Title

Central Lyon (Rock Rapids) knocked off Newell-Fonda in last year’s Class 1A championship game in thrilling fashion, but the Lions face the challenge of replacing their top three scorers this winter. That creates an opportunity for several other schools to knock the Lions off the throne and claim bragging rights for a year.

Newell-Fonda is on the other end of the spectrum. The Mustangs lost the title game in heartbreaking fashion, but they return nearly every key player from last year’s runner-up squad. Renee Maneman averaged 17.4 points per game a year ago and tallied 125 rebounds, 149 assists and 94 steals. She also shot just over 41 percent from behind the arc.

Teams can’t focus too much on Maneman, though. Claudia Larsen (9.7 ppg), Brianna Wells (6.9 ppg) and

Taiyler Schrank (6.5 ppg) lend balance to the Mustangs’ offense. That group also recorded 257 boards.

Colo-Nesco reached the state tour-nament in 2013 and fell in the first round, but the Royals appear poised to make a little more noise this winter.

Caitlyn Riese averaged 11.2 points per game and pulled down 186 rebounds while also collected 44 steals and 35 blocks. Shayla Dean gives the Royals an outstanding playmaker and solid scoring option, as she averaged 8 points per game and had 124 assists.

Madison Farren, Samantha Riese and Shelby Anthony are all back, too, and combined for 17.8 points per game, 295 boards. They give Colo-Ne-sco perhaps the most depth of any team in the state this season.

Burlington Notre Dame was a

semifinalist last season and bring back most of that talented group for another title run. The Falcons boast Taylor Hickey and Courtney Coffin, who averaged 12.3 and 10.8 points per game, respectively, as well as solid scoring options in Riley Kllbride (7.2 ppg), Kori Mesecher (7.2 ppg) and Emily Salvador (4.4 ppg). Those five players were also a big reason the Falcons led the state in rebounding last season.

Lynnville-Sully didn’t score at the same level as the aforementioned squads, but the Hawks did have a very balanced offense that saw no players score in double figures but six players score 4.3 points per game or more. The Hawks bring back five of those players this winter: Cassie Cullen (9.6 ppg), Lysandra James (8.7 ppg), Lyndsay Terpstra (7.1 ppg), Rachel

Van Wyk (6.8 ppg) and Madison Rasmusson (5.6 ppg).

Exira-Elk Horn Kimballton and AR-WE-VA (Westside) lack depth, but both possess star players who might be able to carry their teams deep into the postseason.

Exira-EHK will rely on Rachel Smith, who scored 15.3 points per game last year and pulled down 173 rebounds. She does have the support of Claire Paulsen (6.1 ppg) and Ken-nedy Madsen (5.5 ppg, 117 rebounds), though.

That’s more than can be said for Paige Danner at Ar-We-Va, who led her team with 18.1 points per game as a junior but saw the Rockets’ other four starters — each of whom averaged at least 8.3 points per game — graduate. That leaves Danner having to shoulder a heavy load unless some of her unproven teammates can step up.

This class doesn’t appear to have the same level of depth as some of the larger classes and Newell-Fonda enters the season as the prohibitive favorite. But there is still plenty left to learn about all of these teams, as well as others that don’t look like contenders at the moment. Follow all the action this winter with Sports Spotlight!

Newell-Fonda’s Renee Maneman. (Photo courtesy of Newell-Fonda High School)

Adair-Casey’s London Vais. (Photo courtesy of Adair-Casey High School)

Colo-Nesco’s Caitlyn Riese. (Photo courtesy of Colo-Nesco High School)

SpotlightIn the

Jamboree

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Youth Academy

36 SportsSpotlight.comVolume 2 Issue 3

DALLAS CENTER-GRIMES RELIES ON DEFENSE, EXPERIENCEDarrin Cline | Contributor

It is never too early to start teaching kids the benefits of team sports. The parents and coaches for the sixth grade boys basketball team in Dallas Center-Grimes subscribed to this theory, and it is already leading to success for the youngsters.

The sixth grade squad has been playing together for six years already, and the seven players are quickly developing a love for the game and learning the fundamental. With the small roster, each kid sees a great deal of court time and has an opportunity to learn on the fly during games. Even with just a few hours of practice each week during the season, the team has grown quickly.

Head coach Tim Biegger has coached the youngsters since the team was first assembled, and is still focusing on teaching them the importance of team basketball and enjoying playing together.

“We try to teach them to play together as a core group,” Biegger said. “One thing we focus on is defense a lot. Also, the kids are told that it

doesn’t matter who scores the most…we want everyone to shoot.”

The boys needed to draw on their skills at the recent youth tournament in Pella, where teams from across south and central Iowa battled for the first place prize. DC-G first took down Altoona, then stopped Albia in the second round. Biegger’s boys used their defense-first mentality to propel them into the championship game.

“Our kids played very well,” Biegger said. “It’s a great group of kids, they buy into the system of playing hard defense. We use the ‘defense wins championships’ slogan and that’s what we focus on. The ball bounced the right way for us and we ended up winning.”

In the final round, they met the host team from Pella. It was more defense and refined teamwork that led to another win; the first place finish at the highly competitive event was their first of the season, and sixth title in ten tournaments they’ve played as a unit.

Photo of Danny Hohenberger, Trenton Liebe, Matthew Liebe and Carson Biegger. (Photos courtesy of Tim Biegger)

Photo of Carson Biegger Photo of Drew Johnson Photo of Chase Stratton

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Each month we publish youth action photos from around the state. We would love to get yours! Send us your photos at support@sportsspotlight.com

Youth Basketball tournaments at South East Polk on November 2nd and Pella Explosion on November 9th, boys and girls grades 5 - 8.

REAL INJURIES. REAL ATHLETES.REAL RESULTS.

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General OrthopaedicsIan Lin, M.D.Thomas Dulaney, M.D.Barron Bremner, D.O.Wesley Smidt, M.D.

Spine SurgeryLynn Nelson, M.D.David Hatfield, M.D.

Foot and Ankle SurgeryJon Gehrke, M.D.Julie Grundberg, D.P.M.R.D. Lee Evans, D.P.M.

Hand, Elbow, andMicrovascular SurgeryJeffrey Rodgers, M.D.Patricia Kallemeier, M.D.Melissa Young, M.D.John Gaffey, M.D.

Hip and Knee SurgeryPatrick Sullivan, M.D. *also shoulder

Devon Goetz, M.D.David Vittetoe, M.D.Christopher Nelson, D.O.Matthew Weresh, M.D.

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38 SportsSpotlight.comVolume 2 Issue 3

CARPAL TUNNEL MENISCUS TEARQ: How do I know if I have

carpal tunnel syndrome and what are some treatment options?

A: Carpal tunnel syndrome needs to be diagnosed by a health care professional. The history that the provider gets from you and the physical exam are very important in the diagnosis. A nerve conduction velocity/EMG is a test that can help with the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome.

It is helpful if you know the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome so that you know when to see your provider. Carpal tunnel syndrome many times presents with numbness, tingling, and/or pain in one or both hands. The symptoms many times start as night symptoms, even waking people from sleep. The hands may feel heavy. Some activities during the day that can increase the symptoms include driving, reading, or talking on the phone. Carpal tunnel syndrome can cause weakness in the hands. The numbness along with the weakness can also cause patients to begin dropping things.

The main treatment options for carpal tunnel syndrome include splinting, corticosteroid injections, and surgical treatment. Not everybody that has carpal tunnel syndrome needs an operative intervention. The surgeon should be able to guide the patient to the right decision for them.

Information provided by Hand, Wrist and Microvascular Surgeon Dr. John Gaffey, Des Moines Orthopaedic Surgeons (DMOS). To schedule an appointment, please call 515-299-6360.

Q:What is a meniscus tear and how is it treated?

A:Knee pain is one of the most common presenting complaints at most orthopaedic surgery offices. Meniscus tears are the most common knee injury seen at orthopaedic centers. Menisci are cartilage structures in knees that act as shock absorbers.

While menisci are very good at absorbing compressive loads, they can be easily torn with twisting or turning movements, as well as very deep bending, especially while carrying or lifting heavy loads.

Pain over the inner or outer knee is the most common sign of a meniscal tear. More ominous signs include painful clicking, catching, or sometime even locking of the knee. Swelling in the knee is also frequently seen with meniscus tears. Screening x-rays or an MRI are typically taken for patients with persistent pain in the knee.

Nonsurgical treatment consists of rest, ice, anti-inflammatory medications, and physical therapy. Unfortunately, the majority of the

meniscus has a very poor blood supply, making surgical treatment of meniscal tears frequently necessary. Knee arthroscopy is an outpatient surgery that can be used to either trim or repair a torn meniscus. Thankfully, recovery from knee arthroscopy is typically rapid with a quick return to daily activities.

Information provided by Dr. Chris Nelson, Hip and Knee Surgeon, Des Moines Orthopaedic Surgeons (DMOS). To schedule an appointment, please call 515-224-5346.

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