Smith takes the wheel to drive Spartans past Coon Rapids-Bayard

Junior scores season-high 25 as Exira-EHK wins seventh straight game

By Drew Herron - AJ/NT Sports / Jan. 31, 2014

ELK HORN – Spartans’ sophomore Rachel Smith led all scorers with 25 points as she willed her team to a 50-40 victory Coon Rapids-Bayard Friday night.
The victory is Exira-EHK’s seventh in a row, and it marks the second time in a week the Spartans have knocked off a conference opponent who has already beaten them earlier this season, and who hovers above them in the standings.
Exira-EHK improved to 15-4 on the season after pocketing this latest win while they remain in contention to win the inaugural conference title for the Rolling Valley.
“I do think we’ve seen steady and constant improvement,” Spartans head coach Tom Petersen says. “But obviously we’ve got a long ways yet to go.”
The Spartans helped their cause Friday against CRB, who had defeated EEHK soundly (48-33) in the first meeting back from the Christmas Break on Jan. 3.
EEHK opened well and led early before CRB clawed back to trail by five (27-22) at the half. Coach Petersen felt his team’s defense was out of position too often in the first half, and that was something the coaches sought to address at the break. It yielded too many open looks and uncontested shots, and beckoned for an adjustment in the second half.
CRB had cut things to a one-point game (34-33) midway through the third quarter before Smith would step up and take charge.
As the Spartans held a 36-33 lead in the closing seconds of the third, Smith did an excellent job in the front court by killing some clock, fighting off a double team and dropping back off a dribble-drive ploy that left her with a clean screen at the top of the key. She knocked down the 3-ball as time expired, and it light a fire under the Spartans and the home crowd.
“That sort of gave her a shot of adrenaline,” coach Petersen says.
“After the first quarter, I was pretty upset with her. She’s got the ball in her hands, and she keeps passing up the shot. That’s a three-year starter, I want the ball in her hands at the end of every quarter, and she should want that too.”
At gave EEHK a 39-33 lead, and CRB was never the same.
Scoring was in a lull at the start of the fourth quarter as more than two minutes would elapse before the first points hit. With 6:10 left, the Spartans called a timeout to draw up a play after so much misfire from tired legs. About 20 seconds later, Smith knocked down another 3-pointer that pushed the Spartans out front by 11 points at 44-33, and a game that once teetered on a one-point difference in the second half permanently fell into EEHK’s favor.
Smith is the team’s leading scorer at 14.0 PPG, but coach Petersen is counting on bigger things late in the season from the well-seasoned junior.
“For us to be in top form…at our best as a team, she has to be at her best night in and night out,” coach Petersen says of Smith. “When she is at the top of her game, I think we are a very good basketball team.”

Game Scoring (01/31):
EXIRA-EHK (14-4/13-4): Rachel Smith 25, Mara Burmeister 9, Claire Paulsen 7, Sydney Parker 5, Sadie Schultes 2, Kennedy Madsen 2    Free Throws: 4/10

CRB (15-5/15-4): Kelsey Winnett 10, Rylie Schelpp 10, McKenna Zancers 9, Hailey Cook 5, Nicole Dentlinger 3, Katilyn Culbertson 2, Cassie Blass 1    Free Throws: 4/14

GIRLS HOOPS: Spartans cruise past CAM to win sixth straight game

Exira-EHK improves record to 13-4, will face CRB Friday

By Drew Herron - AJ/NT Sports / Jan. 29, 2014

ANITA - Generally, the course of the season provides its share of peaks and valleys.
Last Saturday (Jan. 25) at home, the Spartans pulled off their biggest victory of the season, stunning first-place Ar-We-Va with a 52-48 win that was the team’s fifth in a row.
On Tuesday night, Exira-EHK rolled into Anita to face CAM (3-15), a team they had handled by 20 points just before Christmas.
This time around, the Spartans got a similar result, defeating the Cougars by 16 points (47-31), though the performance was not up to code for the hottest team in the Rolling Valley Conference.
Spartans head coach Tom Petersen says he felt the vibes in the locker room and was concerned about CAM, even before the opening tip.
“When you’ve done this as long as I have, you can when your team is ready and focused,” he said. “I saw it before we even took the floor, the intensity level wasn’t there. We just did not that tonight. Just really out of sync.”
Exira-EHK was never threatened, but CAM did just enough to frustrate the Spartans from ever breaking off a series of long runs.
By their own standards, the Spartans were lethargic and slow defensively, which led to foul trouble. Couple that with poor shooting, and Exira-EHK was leaving a window open for the overmatched Cougars.
“Four games left…that’s why I am so disappointed,” coach Petersen says. “The girls should be excited to get to this time of year, tournament time is right around the corner. We can’t take a step backwards, and I really felt like we did tonight.”
Coach Petersen concedes there is always a potential letdown after an emotional victory such as the one Saturday night at home against Ar-We-Va, but this team doesn’t have the luxury of a letdown.
“We have this game and now four more before be go into the tournament…this kind of stuff shouldn’t be happening,” coach Petersen says. “After the game, we told the girls that it is a win, and we will get back to work in practice. It’s important that everyone knows that we’ve got a short time to get better, and we can’t take any steps back. Tonight, I think we went into a state of regression.”
Exira-EHK led 27-12 at the half, and 36-21 after three quarters. Early in the fourth quarter, the Spartans pushed their lead to as much as 20, though minutes later, CAM would cut their deficit to 12. The game finished in the middle with a 16 point difference, a comfortable enough cushion for the Spartans, just not the way the staff wanted to see the team go about it.
Turnovers continue to bug the Spartans this season, and it proved again to be a fly in the ointment Tuesday. The Spartans turned the ball over 19 times, a figure too high for coach Petersen’s liking.
“It’s still too many,” he says. “It would be different if they were pressing us. But to turn the ball over that many times in a half court set, it’s disappointing.”
Three Spartans finished in double figures, led by 14 points from Claire Paulsen. Paulsen knocked down three 3-pointers in the first half, and another in the fourth to finish with four on the night.
Also scoring in double figures was Mara Burmeister (13) and Rachel Smith (11).
The Spartans resume action Friday at home against Coon Rapids-Bayard, a squad who defeated them by double digits back on Jan. 3, the teams’ first game back after Christmas Break. Exira-EHK seems to be playing much better ball at this stage four weeks later, and has its sights set on a series split with CRB.
“I like the direction we are going,” coach Petersen says. “Last Saturday, the intensity against Ar-We-Va was the best we’ve had all year. But that’s something you need to continue, you just don’t do that for one game. We talk about that…we need to continue that throughout.”

GIRLS HOOPS: CAM hoping to pull it all together for stretch run

Cougars sit at 3-15, will open Regional Tournament play Feb. 13 at Guthrie Center

By Drew Herron - AJ/NT Sports / Jan. 29, 2014

ANITA – Hard as it is to believe, the high school basketball schedule at Cumberland-Anita-Massena is running on vapors.

Just three games remain before the Cougars girls’ squad opens up Regional Class 1A Tournament play on Feb. 13 at Guthrie Center, and the team is facing a crucial stretch leading up to the playoffs.

Tuesday night at home, the Cougars took in another installment of Rolling Valley Conference basketball, this time against Exira-EHK, arguably the hottest team in the league.

Despite the loss to the 13-4 Spartans, CAM coach Joe Wollum saw some bright spots in his team’s 47-31 defeat.

“We shot the ball pretty poorly in the first half, but we stepped it up in the second and cut into their lead,” coach Wollum says. “I’m proud of our girls’ effort, they hung around and battled, and made some shots down the stretch. We need more of that.”

The Spartans led 27-12 at the half, and 36-21 at the end of three quarters. The lead had ballooned to 20 points and waned to 12 as Exira-EHK was never able to completely put away a scrappy Cougars’ squad.

Three different Exira-EHK players finished in double figures, led by Claire Paulsen’s 14 points. Mara Burmeister finished with 13 points and Rachel Smith added 11.

After Claire Paulsen hit three 3-pointers in the opening half, CAM was committed to keeping a tighter lid on her presence on the wing. Paulsen finished with five points in the second half, but only one three-ball.

“We really wanted to limit (Paulsen’s) touches, and if they wanted to go into the post to Rachel Smith, we needed a double-team on that,” coach Wollum says. “We wanted to keep the ball out of her hands as much as possible, and try to make someone else beat us besides those two.”

CAM senior Alyssa Kragelund led all scorers with 24 points.

Afterwards, coach Wollum marveled at the senior post’s ability to get open and use her strength as she continues to develop as a threat to score from anywhere on the court.

“Alyssa is having a great senior season for us, it’s really exciting to see how good she is becoming,” coach Wollum says.

Tuesday was Senior Night in Anita, and CAM honored Kragelund and the team’s other senior, Erin Daugherty.

Before the playoffs arrive, CAM will close out the regular season with RVC games against Ar-We-Va, Coon Rapids-Bayard and West Harrison.

The clock on the season is ticking, and CAM has its goals laid out for them as they work to peak in February.
“We need to work on limiting turnovers and finding ways to get to the basket with our offense,” coach Wollum says. “Those are the two biggest things, because our defense has been pretty good when we don’t have mental lapses. But we need to find a way to score, rebound better, and take care of the ball.”

#iahsbkb    #camcougars

BOYS HOOPS: Exira-EHK holds up late to seize conference series sweep over CAM

Spartans have won three of their last five games

By Drew Herron - AJ/NT Sports / Jan. 28, 2014

ANITA – Tuesday night’s rematch between Exira-EHK and CAM was expected to be a close one. Fortunately for those who bought a ticket, it did not disappoint.

Exira-EHK came out ahead in a game of runs against Cumberland-Anita-Massena, topping the Cougars on their home floor 45-40.

It was a see-saw battle that brought a bit of everything. A frustrating first half for both sides set the table as each team was careless with the ball, and both ends missed multiple lay-ups. Fouling wasn’t an affliction early for either side, it was more a case of defensive grind and a lack of execution offensively that kept both squads under 20 points for the first 16 minutes of play.

Exira-EHK scored two quick buckets before the halftime break, turning a 15-19 deficit into a tie at 19 and it gave the Spartans a jolt of confidence and a level score for the second half.

Exira-EHK then took a six-point lead (34-28) into the fourth quarter before CAM started hitting from the outside to reclaim the lead. Both sides battled down the stretch, swapping a one-point lead three times in the final three minutes before the Spartans were able to finish things out from the free throw line and the paint.

“We talked about how important it would be to get out early in the third,” Spartans coach Doug Newton says. “We figured the longer they hung around, the more confidence they would get and would be tough (to beat) at the end. That’s exactly what happened…(CAM) played with a lot of heart.”

The Spartans outscored CAM 15-7 in the third frame to build a cache large enough to endure through the Cougars’ new found ability to knock down 3-pointers in the fourth.

With 4:39 left, Exira-EHK’s Tate Simpson knocked down a long ball from in front of the CAM student section off an in-bounds trigger, and it looked like the Spartans might start to pull away. That pushed the lead to eight points (37-29), and the clock was starting to work in the favor of what appeared to be the hotter team.

Then, CAM senior Brady Runyan hit consecutive three pointers in quick succession, and Conner Bell’s first points of the game came at a most crucial time for CAM when he connected from long range with 2:21 left. It gave the Cougars their first lead in a while, and it tightened the game up tremendously.

“Two times down the floor, he erased that pretty quick and changed everything,” coach Newton said of Runyan’s back-to-back 3-pointers.

A Drew Peppers lay-up with 1:45 staked the lead for good for the Spartans at 41-40, and then he provided heroics later on to ice the victory. With 26 seconds on the clock, EEHK’s Jake Paulsen was on the stripe with a narrow one-point lead for his team. He missed both attempts, though Peppers tactfully scooped up the rebound with a put-back to follow, and EEHK was in command at 43-40.

CAM set up for a final shot, but the Cougars could not reverse it fate, only send EEHK back to the line.

Coach Newton says Peppers’ put-back was the decisive moment, no doubt.

“Runyan hit some shots that were just about the difference in the game until Peppers with that put-back…that was a real heady, a very smart play. He used his quickness and his athleticism to his advantage to make a quick move for the lay-up. That was a huge play.”

CAM falls to 3-15, while Exira-EHK improves its record to 5-12 on the season. The Spartans have won three of their last five games, and appear to be improving by the week.

“I know that my guys have not quit,” coach Newton says

“We’ve struggled at times to score, we are not a great offensive team, but we’ve been pretty competitive. If we could get a little bit more in focused in practice, then we might have been a little tougher than we have been. If we can continue to get better offensively, then we might have a little something going.”

GAME SCORING (01/28):

EEHK (5-12): Brady Hansen 10, Tate Simpson 10, Jake Paulsen 8, Drew Peppers 6, Lucas Schwery 6, Jared Hansen 5    Free Throws: 3/5

CAM (3-15): Michael Holste 17, Brady Runyan 9, Tanner Winther 7, Connor Bell 3, Logan Dinkla 2, Jordan Winther 2    Free Throws: 1/3

#iahsbkb  #exira-ehk

GIRLS HOOPS: Wheelers survive see-saw battle with AHST

Anthofer’s late heroics help lead Audubon past Lady Vikes 49-48 

By Drew Herron - AJ Sports Editor / Jan. 24, 2014

AUDUBON – If they are to face the Wheelers again this season, perhaps AHST will pay more attention to Haillie Anthofer.

The senior finished with 15 points, including the game’s final five, to help lift Audubon past AHST 49-48 in thrilling fashion Friday (Jan. 24).

With AHST so committed to keeping a lid on the Wheeler’s top scorer Susie Bylund, Anthofer exploited the holes in the Lady Vike’s double-coverage of Bylund, and took charge of the situation as only a senior could.

Anthofer forced two steals in the waning moments, hauled in three boards, knocked down a go-ahead lay-up, and sank the game-winning free throw (with 2.4 seconds left) to help steer the Wheelers back into the win column.

“Haillie wanted the ball in her hands, and she took it to the basket,” Audubon coach Kim Subbert said. “I was real pleased to see the way she stepped up tonight, and that’s something we are going to need to see more of.”

Anthofer’s late heroics capped off a wild ride that saw Audubon lead by as much as 10 points early in the fourth quarter.

However, after Bylund dropped in a lay-up 20 seconds into the fourth to push Audubon ahead 40-30, the Wheelers got stuck in the mud.

Turnovers mounted, including four straight possessions up-court as AHST threatened to quell the momentum with a more resourceful effort on defense. Soon, AHST’s Danikah Grobe reentered the game (shelved on account of foul trouble) and started raining 3-pointers from in front of the Lady Vike’s bench.

Over the final two-and-a-half minutes, the game was tied or the lead changed hands three times. Down the stretch, free throws of course played out to be crucial.

Audubon hit 25-of-32, while AHST struggled at 6-for-21.

“It was good to see us come back,” coach Subbert says. “On the negative side, we turned the ball over way too much. We just didn’t take care of it.”

Turnovers have been a bug-a-boo all season for the Wheelers, who will continue to hash it out in practice. Most of it now, seems to be more mental than anything. That goes for handling the basketball as well as recognizing the opportunities you are given.

“We just need to make better decisions with the basketball,” coach Subbert says. “At one time, they’ve got two players on Susie…well that means that it’s basically four-on-three elsewhere on the court. We need to make the most of those opportunities.”

BOYS HOOPS: Griswold survives at Mo Valley to win third straight

Tigers trump Reds 53-52, move record to 11-4 on season

By Drew Herron - AJ/NT Sports / Jan. 24, 2014

MISSOURI VALLEY – The Tigers won their third straight game and sixth in their last seven with a hard-fought one point road win Friday night at Mo Valley.
Griswold rallied from a five-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter and survived dozens of lead changes to finish strong en route to a 53-52 Western Iowa Conference victory.
The win pushes the team’s record to 11-4 on the season and 8-4 in the WIC.
“The kids are getting to a point with their confidence where, late in games, we don’t think we are out of it or ready to fold,” says Griswold coach Chad Rodgers. “You can see it in their eyes, and it’s encouraging. These kids feel like they are always in the game, and always capable of winning at the last second if they have to.”
Five of the 11 wins were decided by a bucket, as Griswold is 5-0 in games decided by two points or less.
On Friday, Griswold senior Tyrel Peters led all scorers with 25 points, and he did it by shooting 75 percent (9-of-12) from the field and 50 percent (3-of-6) from beyond the arc in playing all a minute.
Peters hit his first three 3-point attempts and finished with nine points in the first quarter. Coach Rodgers says his senior guard put in an extra 90 minutes of gym rat time the night before, and games like Friday’s allow those gains to manifest.
“Tyrel has spent a little extra time in the gym after practice, working on his 3-point shot and getting more comfortable with that,” coach Rodgers says. “He started the game really strong and finished really strong…he had a great first quarter and a great fourth quarter.”
Scoring was high from the onset, with Griswold out-gunning Mo Valley 19-17 after the first quarter. The Tigers lagged behind in the third quarter, but made up for the lull by outscoring MV 17-10 in the final eight minutes.
Missouri Valley trailed by one point with less 20 seconds remaining and had its shot at the basket, only to have their final attempt clank off the iron and bounce out.
“We got lucky on another one,” coach Rodgers says. “Seems like we always want to make it more interesting than we have to.”
Griswold turned the ball over nine times to MV’s five, but the Tigers won the battle on the boards, out-rebounding the Reds 27-17. Both teams did well at the free throw line, as Griswold hit 6-of-9 and MV converted 10-of-14.
MV was led in scoring by Justin Miller’s 16 points, and Stephen Humphrey finished with 15. Aside from Peters’ 25 points, Griswold had one other players in double figures as Grant Haynes finished with 10 points. Griswold’s Caleb Schaaf (8) and Jacob Maass (6) combined for 14 points.
The Tigers as a team shot close to a season-best 48 percent from the field to etch out another road win.
It marks a season sweep with their WIC conference-mate, and replicates a similar script to the 58-56 victory Griswold locked down at home over MV on Dec. 13.
Griswold has lost just once since returning from Christmas Break, and currently sits in fourth place in the WIC, behind IKM-Manning and Treynor (both 11-1) and Underwood (8-3).
Before facing the two first place teams back-to-back starting Friday at IKMM, the Tigers will hit the road again to Logan-Magnolia Tuesday for another WIC matchup.
Lo-Ma’s record is 2-11, but don’t let that be the sole indicator of their talent or threat level.
“We don’t play well enough where we can overlook anybody,” coach Rodgers says. “It’s a game where we could be stepping into a trap, for sure.”

Wheelers let one slip away at Griswold

Audubon drops WIC contest to Griswold 46-44, will host AHST Friday

By Drew Herron - AJ Sports Editor / Jan. 23, 2014

GRISWOLD – A frenzied final minute turned against Audubon’s favor Tuesday evening as Griswold triumphed over the Wheelers 46-44 in Western Iowa Conference play.

Audubon led by as much as seven points in the first quarter, and held a 30-24 lead at the halftime break before a disappointing second half took the wind out of the Wheelers’ sails.

Griswold outscored AHS 12-6 in the final eight minutes to work its way to a victory and secure a series split with their WIC rivals.

“We didn’t shoot very well and we didn’t finish down low,” Audubon coach Kim Subbert said afterwards. “They did a good job defending against Susie (Bylund), and she didn’t shoot very well…and all that hurt us. They took Susie out of the game, and we didn’t have enough other kids step up and score.”

Bylund still led the team with 16 points, but Griswold customized a 2-3 zone intent on keying in on the Wheelers’ top scorer, and limited her ability to shoot from where she’d like.

Despite the six-point lead at the break, coach Subbert says the team was tense and nervous, and simply didn’t play up to its potential in the second.

“Even with that six-point, I didn’t feel like we were playing very well,” coach Subbert says. “We had a lot of turnovers and silly mistakes all throughout the game.”

Griswold led twice briefly in the first half, then took their first lead of the second half with 3:50 remaining when Kayla Kirchhoff dropped in a lay-up to drive the Tigers ahead 40-38. Kirchhoff later hit two-of-two free throw attempts to push AHS out in front 43-39.

With 36 seconds left, Bylund knocked down a 3-pointer to pull within one point at 43-43, and Haillie Anthofer’s cutting lay-up with 19 seconds remaining reclaimed a short lead for the Wheelers.

With seven seconds remaining, Griswold’s Marquel Brunk sunk a close-range shot, and was fouled for the and-one, which she made to make it 46-44 Griswold.

Following a time out, Audubon drew up a plan that eventually had Bylund attempt a long-range shot from the top of the key that did not hit, clanking off the back iron.

It was a disappointing end that drops the team’s record to 6-8, but the Wheelers won’t let this one sting too long with AHST coming to town Friday (Jan. 24).  The Lady Vikes are 5-9, and defeated Audubon 54-52 during their first meeting on Dec. 13.

Coach Subbert expects a better effort Friday.

“We’ve got to come to play if we want to have a chance,” he said. “We can’t have stupid turnovers, we need to take care of the basketball. And box out, we gave away too many offensive rebounds in the second half that really cost us.”

Exira-EHK picks up road win at CO-U, will host first-place Ar-We-Va Saturday

Spartans improve to 4-11 after winning two of last three games

By Drew Herron - AJ Sports Editor / Jan. 23, 2014

ELK HORN – The Spartans picked up another win Tuesday night, their second victory in the last three times out.

Although Exira-EHK’s record is not impressive (4-11); some of the hope and optimism that coach Doug Newton has been preaching about for weeks has turned into tangible things. Recently, that means victories.

“It shows you that you can get things done when you do things the right way,” coach Newton said this week.

The Spartans outdid host Charter Oak-Ute 22-13 in the fourth quarter to cap off a 57-52-road victory in the Rolling Valley Conference.

CO-U played aggressively and fell into foul trouble, leading the Spartans’ into the bonus early in the second half. As EEHK shot its free throws (10-of-22), the Bobcats withdrew in focus, perhaps because of the foul trouble.

“It sort of lulled them to sleep for lack of a better word,” coach Newton says of CO-U. “They just didn’t come at us quite as hard after that. It seemed like they were a bit down.”

In the fourth quarter, EEHK’s Lucas Schwery drew a critically important charge foul that sent CO-U’s leading scorer Brad Staley to the bench with his fifth of the night. Once he left the game, the Bobcats grew more one-dimensional with their offense.

EEHK outrebounded CO-U 39-22, and that also played into the Spartans’ favor.

Junior Jake Paulsen continues to be a strong presence in the paint lately for the Spartans, showing up with 25 points and 11 rebounds Tuesday night. 

“They were ignoring the post a little bit, and our guards were doing a good job of getting the ball to him inside,” coach Newton says of Paulsen. “Once, he gets the ball, quite honestly he knows what to do with it. Jake has come a long ways in a short time.”

Paulsen has recently worked his way into the starting lineup for the Spartans despite not playing organized basketball since eighth grade. 

Coach Newton says Paulsen has been putting in extra time and effort with assistant coach Tony Santisteban, a former All-Conference player with the Spartans (2011), and that he’s developing into a varsity basketball player very quickly.

“Jake listens, and he’s catching on,” coach Newton says. “He’s had to grow up in a hurry, but he’s so athletic and strong…he’s really become quite a nice addition for us.”

Paulsen finished with 16 points a week earlier at Woodbine, and chipped in 14 at home against Paton-Churdan last Friday.

The Spartans are now 4-11 and sit in eighth place in the 11-team Rolling Valley Conference. Heading into the season, Exira-EHK knew it a had a number of question marks, and holes to fill. The success of the football team delayed basketball practice by a couple weeks, and only now is the team starting to jell enough to be a competitive unit.

 “The guys have been competing…in every game and in every practice,” coach Newton says. “We’ve led a lot of games at half, and we are still learning how to finish. And confidence is a big thing. Most of these guys haven’t played together a lot, and being thrown on varsity is a baptism by fire type deal. More than anything, this team plays hard, and it seems like we are a better team than what our record shows.”

Exira-EHK will enjoy a rare Friday night off, and will hit the court Saturday against Ar-We-Va. The Rockets are unbeaten at 14-0, and alone atop the RVC standings. Last time the two schools met on Dec. 17, the Rockets defeated EEHK by 30 points (59-29).

“They’re a very nice team that carries itself well,” coach Newton says. “Long and lean, and athletic players who can play, and can play together. They have interchangeable parts and that puts pressure on you too.”

Ar-We-Va comes to town heavy favorites, but expect the Spartans to tinker defensively and be conservative with the ball on offense. “We want to be patient with it, but most importantly you need to take good shots,” coach Newton says. “We don’t want to take the air out of the ball, but we need to make sure that we are taking good shots and making the most of our opportunities.”

Up Next: Sat. Jan. 25 – 7:30PM 

Ar-We-Va (14-0/13-0) at 

Exira-EHK (4-11/4-10)

GIRLS HOOPS: Spartans win fourth straight game, move record to 11-4

Exira-EHK looking forward to rematch with Ar-We-Va Saturday

By Drew Herron - AJ Sports Editor / Jan. 23, 2014

ELK HORN – For most of the season, Exira-EHK coach Tom Petersen has stressed to his team on a consistent basis the merits of quality practice time.

During the past two or three weeks, the Spartans have made strides in how they go about things between games, he admits. Just not enough to make the veteran coach comfortable.

“We need to play like we are capable of, and apply what we are learning in practice,” he said this week. “I do like the direction we are going, but like I’ve said, we need to get better at practicing.” 

Coach Petersen points to the sluggish start, and lethargic effort early on at Charter Oak-Ute Tuesday. Out of the gate, turnovers continued to plague the team early before the clouds lifted in the second half and the Spartans prevailed 56-36. Rachel Smith led the team with 16 points. 

The Spartans turned the ball over 25 times, but forced 35 takeaways to finish in the plus margin in that aspect, and EEHK led by as much as 23 points in the second half.

“You can always control the defense and the rebounding,” coach Petersen says. “Defense, for the most part I was happy, but when you turn the ball over 25 times, you are bound to struggle.”

The victory marks the fourth straight for Exira-EHK, whom improves to 11-4 on the season.

As the schedule progresses, Smith continues to carry a target on her back, but coach Petersen is calling for more balanced scoring from his team that now rotates to play eight deep.

After Tuesday, he praised the effort he got certain non-starters, including senior Taylor Paulsen and sophomore Maggie Rasmussen, which gave the team a spark at CO-U.

Moreover, an adjustment to the starting five in which senior guard Sydney Parker has been plugged in has added another dimension as well.

“The difference maker for us right now has been Sydney Parker,” coach Petersen says. “That’s a gal that was averaging three points a game, and after we made some adjustments at the Christmas Break, that really lit a fire under her. Over the past four games, she’s averaging 14 points-per-game, and we need her to do that from here on out.”

Parker now runs the point interchangeably with Smith.

“Syd has picked up her game, and we need to have that. We need more balanced scoring.”

Up next for the Spartans is a shot at No. 9-ranked Ar-We-Va, who handed EEHK one of its four losses. Back on Dec. 13, the Lady Rockets danced past the Spartans 62-39 on perhaps the Spartans’ worst offensive effort to date.

EEHK hit just 12-of-66, including 1-of-18 from beyond the arc.

That loss serves better as a lesson than a motivator, as fourth-place EEHK readies to face first-place Ar-We-Va.

“It’s a great opportunity to see where we’re at and to play a great team,” coach Petersen says. “I think our girls are going to be up to the challenge.”

Chief amongst the bullet points for the Spartans Saturday is the need to limit mistakes and cap Ar-We-Va’s second-chance opportunities. And, of course shoot a better rate than the 18 percent the Spartans put up in the first meeting.

It’s the next step in the race to finish strong.

“Like anyone else, you want to be playing your best basketball headed into tournament time,” coach Petersen says. 

“In the second half of the season, we are 6-2, and I want to see our girls continue to improve.”

WRESTLING: Spartans keep charging forward

By Drew Herron - AJ Sports Editor / Jan. 23, 2014

ELK HORN - Exira-EHK’s top-ranked individual Evan Hansen rolled his way through another strong week and pushed his season’s record to 37-0.

Hansen finished Saturday’s Griswold Dual Tournament with four wins by fall, and another by decision before tearing through Tuesday’s triangular with Audubon and CRB with a pair of wins as well.

In Coon Rapids, Hansen needed 4:43 to complete a technical fall over Jordan Hansen of Audubon (19-4). Against CRB’s Reno Doty, he needed just 25 seconds to win by fall.

In other weight classes, Trey Sander continues to perform well, and Lane Ring’s growth at 285 is steady.

Sander moved up to 220 to face Audubon’s Matt Fett Tuesday, earning a 5-0 decision. Back at 195 against CRB, he won by fall at 4:49.

Ring also scored significant points for the Spartans Tuesday with a WBFF and a pin. Both Hansen and Sander are unbeaten while Ring improves his record to 24-12.

GIRLS HOOPS: Wheelers blow past Riverside 67-50 during “Pink-Out Night”

By Drew Herron - AJ Sports Editor / Jan. 23, 2014

AUDUBON - Wheeler seniors Susie Bylund and Haillie Anthofer both finished with 18 points apiece to help lead Audubon past Oakland Riverside 67-50 Friday night at AHS. 

It was “Pink-Out Night” at Audubon High School as the school held a fundraiser for cancer research. The girls’ team wore pink uniforms to honor the event.

A big second half, including a 23-point fourth quarter tore things open late after three quarters of relatively tight play.

The Wheelers shot better than 50 percent from the floor (22-of-43), and they picked up 22 points from the free throw line. Riverside, conversely, hit just 16-of-42 attempts from the floor, and a cool shooting touch in the fourth quarter allowed Audubon to pull away. The victory evened Audubon’s record at 6-6 and snapped a three game skid for the Wheelers.

BOYS BASKETBALL: Wheelers fall to Riverside

By Drew Herron - AJ Sports Editor / Jan. 23, 2014

AUDUBON - Oakland Riverside jumped out to an early lead, and a mid-game lull offensively didn’t help matters for Audubon.

The end result...a 54-44 loss to the Bulldogs in a Western Iowa Conference rematch last Friday night (Jan. 21) at AHS.

Audubon picked up a victory against Riverside in the teams’ last meeting in Oakland, knocking off the Bulldogs 50-47 at their place on Dec. 6.

This time around, Riverside had three different players finish with double-digit scoring totals for the game. Riverside led 32-19 at the half, and more-or-less kept steady with the Wheelers the rest of the way.

The loss dropped Audubon to 1-10 on the season, while Riverside earned its first Western Iowa Conference victory of the season in securing the series split this year.

GIRLS HOOPS: CAM pulls out important victory over Boyer Valley

CAM senior Alyssa Kragelund leads the way with 21 points in 46-44 win 

By Drew Herron - AJ/NT Sports

ANITA – Right before Christmas Break began, CAM coach Joe Wollum talked optimistically about how his team might make considerable improvements in the second half of the season.

When the Cougars move through the Rolling Valley Conference schedule for a second time, it might provide a yardstick to measure tangible progress.

So went Friday night’s thrilling 46-44 home victory over Boyer Valley, a gutsy win that snapped an 11-game losing streak for the Cougars and gives them a jolt of confidence heading into late January.

“This win gives us some confidence and some energy going into next week,” coach Wollum said. “We really needed this to put some life back in our program.”

Friday’s win marks a season split with the Bulldogs, who defeated CAM 36-32 in Dunlap on Dec. 10. During that meeting, the Cougars turned the ball over 32 times in their four-point loss. On Friday night, CAM had half that total (16) and ended up winning by two.

“Those stats really hit home as far as how important it is to value the basketball,” coach Wollum says.

CAM started out Friday’s game with a great deal of struggle. So much so that coach Wollum yanked all five of his starters from the floor with about two minutes left in the opening frame, and kept them on the bench until after the second quarter had started.

“I just wasn’t happy with the effort at the start, but we got the message across,” coach Wollum says. “Our girls played hard from there on out.”

CAM overcame a nine-point deficit in the first half to take a slim lead into the break. In the second half, the Cougars started to warm with their outside shooting, and it made all the difference.

Senior post Alyssa Kragelund led the way with 21 points on the night, and hit some very timely 3-pointers in the second half to help preserve the lead.

“We’d get a little lead, and then they’d get some momentum back…then Alyssa would hit a 3 that would just kill their momentum,” coach Wollum says.

It might seem strange to some that CAM relied on its center’s ability to hit long-range shots to carry them to victory, but for the Cougars, it just plain worked.

“She has always said that she wants to shoot 3-pointers,” coach Wollum says. “I told her that if she works hard on it and can put up a good percentage, than we will give her a shot. She’s absolutely knocking some down lately.”

Three of those 3-pointers came at clutch times in the fourth quarter, and junior Mackenzie Schwenke came off the bench to knock down another as CAM worked from inside-out.

Erin Daugherty finished with 11 points, including a 7-of-9 effort from the free throw line.

The game was won at the free throw line late, where CAM ultimately onverted 14-of-21 attempts. Over the last three games, CAM had been shooting around 25 percent from the line, and on Friday they stepped it up to 67 percent.

In a two-point spread, those conversions most definitely count.

“I think this really shows the girls how important free throws can be,” coach Wollum says.

The victory for CAM snaps an 11-game losing streak, and puts them at 2-12 as they head into a busy week. The Cougars will head to Woodbine on Tuesday, followed up with a home game Friday against Paton-Churdan and a road game Saturday at Charter Oak-Ute.

CAM is looking at this as an opportunity to start climbing the ladder in the RVC standings.
“The second time around we want to continue to see improvement,” coach Wollum says. “We are going to continue to work hard, put everything in, and see where the chips fall.”