11 minute read
Eagle Grove ...................38
from Winter Sports 2022
by Newspaper
EAGLE GROVE CLARION-GOLDFIELD-DOWS
EAGLES, Continued from Page 38 C-G-D, Continued from Page 40
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EAGLE GIRLS
Seven returning letterwinners are back for veteran head coach Michael Herrington and the Eagle Grove girls this winter.
Following a 3-18 campaign a year ago, the Eagles will hope that experience of playing many underclassmen pays off with more wins on the hardwood.
Nadia Kaiser was one of those players, averaging six points and 4.5 rebounds a night. She started all 21 games, while Maddison Kaiser started 20 and Chloe Steil 17.
“We have an increased emphasis on defensive pressure,” Herrington said. “We have also increased our level of perimeter offense and put an emphasis on post player on both ends.”
Calli Steil, Jacylinn Demory, Reece Ettinger and Clara Moffit are other returning letterwinners for Eagle Grove.
“Staying positive and determined will be important,” Herrington said. “If we do that, we have a shot at a very solid finish in the conference.”
Messenger photo by Britt Kudla EAGLE GROVE BOYS BASKETBALL returning letterwinners are (left to right) Tate Richardson, Drake Canavan and Cody Gearheart. Not pictured: Jaxon Morris and Jordan Morris.
—By Dana Becker
EAGLE WRESTLERS
A state medalist, another state qualifier and three more wrestlers who reached districts all return for Eagle Grove this winter.
Mack Morgan worked his way to a 33-13 record and fifth place finish at state last year, while Dustin Dawson also reached Des Moines and Wells Fargo Arena, going 34-15.
Jack Mendoza, Korey Anderson and Kaden Pritchard were district qualifiers, with all three winning over 30 matches.
Connor Christopher, Damon Richter, Trent Sorensen and Orlando Melendrez add experience for the Eagles, who went 16-8 in duals for Jacob Groth, who is now in his 11th season leading the program.
—By Dana Becker even more this season.
Lane averaged over 14 points, four rebounds and three steals per game as a junior, while Morrical chipped in seven points, three rebounds, three steals and two assists.
“We will be more balanced on offense this year,” C-G/D head coach Elizabeth Ennis said. “We must play strong defense and be aggressive on offense in order to be successful.”
Joining them will be seniors Kennedy Trca, Emma State and Payton DeCoster along with sophomores Elliot Ennis, Indy Johnson and Kennedy Jackson.
“Lexie can create a lot on offense and is our best defender,” Ennis said. “Sawyer has gained a lot of confidence and improved her ballhandling. Elliot should be a strength in the paint.
“Many of the girls played volleyball in the fall and built a lot of confidence that we hope carries forward.”
—By Dana Becker
Messenger photo by Britt Kudla CLARION-GOLDFIELD/DOWS BOYS basketball returning letterwinners are (left to right): Preston Gardner, Carson Nesheim and Nevan Foss.
COWBOY WRESTLERS
Dillon Anderson takes over as head coach of the Clarion-Goldfield/ Dows wrestling program this winter. Anderson has spent the last three years working as an assistant for the Cowboys, who remain a contender in the North Central Conference.
This year, Anderson will have several returning letterwinners to work with, led by state medalist Mack Seaba and state qualifier Cale Kirstein.
“We want to be at the top of the NCC this year and take back the crown,” Anderson said. —Hopeful for a pathway to state duals to bring home some hardware.
Seaba, a senior, placed eighth last year and won 35 matches, while Kirstein finished with 30 victories. Ethan Traub was another 30-match winner and qualified for districts, as did Eric Perez.
—By Dana Becker
EAGLES AT A GLANCE COWBOYS/COWGIRLS AT A GLANCE
EAGLE GROVE BOYS
Returning letterwinners (5): Tate Richardson, sr., 6-1, F; Jordan Morris, sr., 6-0, G; Cody Gearhart, sr., 5-10, G; Drake Canavan, jr., 6-3, F/G; Jaxon Morris, soph., 5-10, G.
Top prospect: Nolan Krauss, jr., 5-10, G.
Last season: 2-20 overall, 2-14 in Top of Iowa Conference.
Coach: Ryan Pedersen, a graduate of Iowa Central and the University of Northern Iowa, returns for his ninth season with the Eagles. He has won 34 games in his career.
EAGLE GROVE GIRLS
Returning letterwinners (7): Calli Steil, 5-8, jr., F; Chloe Steil, 5-8, jr., F; Nadia Kaiser, 5-8, jr., F; Maddison Kaiser, 5-6, jr., G; Jacylinn Demory, 5-10, jr., P; Reece Ettinger, 5-7, jr., F; Clara Moffit, 5-10, jr., P.
Top prospects: Lesley Mendez, 5-6, soph., G; Jocelyn Gonzalez, 5-6, soph., G; Justine Olson, 5-10, jr., P; Fatima Galvin, 5-6, sr., G; Ryleigh Jass, 5-6, fr., G/F; Hailey Menke, 5-8, fr., P.
Last season: 3-18 overall.
Coach: Michael Herrington returns for his fifth season leading the Eagles.
EAGLE GROVE WRESTLING
Returning letterwinners (9): Mack Morgan, 113, jr.; Connor Christopher, 132, jr.; Dustin Dawson, 138, sr.; Damon Richter, 285, sr.; Trent Sorensen, 182, sr.; Jack Mendoza, 195, sr.; Korey Anderson, 145, sr.; Kaden Pritchard, 120, sr.; Orlando Melendrez, 160, sr.
Last year: 16-8 in duals.
Coach: Jacob Groth, a graduate of Wartburg, returns for his 11th season with the Eagles.
CLARION-GOLDFIELD/DOWS BOYS
Returning letterwinners (3): Nevan Foss, sr., 6-0, G; Preston Gardner, sr., 6-2, F; Carson Nesheim, jr., 6-0, G.
Top prospects: Coy Hanson, sr., 5-10, G; Ili Frias, jr., 5-11, G; Caden Hankins, jr., 6-2, F; Joshua Moore, jr., 6-3, F; Wyatt DeCoster, jr., 5-11, G; Colin Kirstein, jr., 6-0, G; Bryce Lindaman, soph., 6-4, F; Landen Kakacek, jr., 6-0, G.
Last season: 19-4 overall, North Central Conference co-champions.
Coach: Jason Berning enters his second season as head coach of the Cowboys.
CLARION-GOLDFIELD/DOWS GIRLS
Returning letterwinners (8): Lexie Lane, 5-10, sr., G/F; Kennedy Trca, 5-8, sr., F; Emma State, 5-8, sr., F; Payton DeCoster, 5-7, sr., G; Sawyer Morrical, 5-5, jr., G; Elliot Ennis, 6-1, soph., C; Indy Johnson, 5-5, soph., G; Kennedy Jackson, 5-8, soph., G.
Top prospects: Paige Brooks, 5-2, jr., G; Nyla Wibholm, 5-7, jr., F; Aysa Lyons, 5-5, jr., G.
Last season: 6-16 overall, 3-11 in North Central Conference (sixth).
Coach: Elizabeth Ennis is in her second stint leading the Cowgirls.
CLARION-GOLDFIELD/DOWS WRESTLING
Returning letterwinners (10): Rigo Bobadilla, sr.; Ethan Traub, sr.; Caleb Seaba, soph.; Jackson Beisel, sr.; Cale Kirstein, sr.; Mack Seaba, sr.; Luke Brownell, sr.; Eric Perez, sr.; Nash Lienemann, sr.; Mason Allen, jr.
Last season: 18-8 in duals.
Coach: Dillon Anderson steps into the role of head coach after spending three seasons asn an assistant with the Cowboy program.
COVER STORY: FORT DODGE’S ALEXIS ROSS
“When Alexis was at the state tournament last year and hurt her knee, we went and talked to Jamie. He came down and got her back together and got her mind right before the finals. Those are the moments that are special. We could never repay him for everything he’s done.”
Drevon eventually became a three-time medalist for the Dodgers. Meanwhile, Damarion — already a onetime medalist and two-time qualifier in his first two seasons at Fort Dodge— and Alexis are still writing their stories.
Dreshaun, meanwhile, is beginning his high school career at 195 pounds for the Dodgers after a decorated youth career.
For Alexis, it was always different. She didn’t care who she was facing — boy or girl.
“It was more of an adrenaline rush for me than fear,’’ Alexis said. “Honestly, when I was little it was fun, but when I got to fourth or fifth grade, I realized it was going to be something I was going to really take serious.
“Competing with my brothers helped me and my wrestling got better. Whether they were hyping me up or wrestling me, they never saw a girl that wrestled because I was like a tomboy.”
As she got older and the boys matured, matches got tougher. But Alexis was not one to back down.
“We always talked about it and I was still beating boys in middle school,’’ Alexis said. “Once they hit puberty, I could still battle some of the guys’ technique-wise, but the muscle difference was there.
“I still went out and did my best, though. Even though losing sucks, it was those close battles and my support system that helped me a lot.”
Amy has watched her daughter mature on the mat and carry that same intensity regardless of opponent.
“Honestly, I don’t think we have seen any change. She would just always win and dominate the boys,’’ Amy said. “There was a match against one of the Martinson boys from Southeast Polk, and she lasted a good amount of time against him and she made his nose bleed.
“I just thought, ‘how cool...she battled and lost, but it was still a win.”
During Alexis’s freshman season, girls wrestling began gaining momentum in high schools across the state of Iowa. Being able to compete against other females helped level the prep playing field.
In her first season on the mat, Alexis earned a bronze-medal finish at the state invitational. She followed that up with a silver medal her junior year.
The top of the podium was the only spot she hadn’t reached, and with a perfect 27-0 record as a junior last winter, Alexis accomplished her goal and became an IWCOA state champion.
Before she had her hand raised last season at the state meet, the big news hit Xtream Arena in Coralville: the IGHSAU was sanctioning girls wrestling for the state beginning with the 2022-23 campaign.
“We have always joked how I was going to go to college and wrestle for a boys team,’’ Alexis said. “But when they announced (girls wrestling as an official sanctioned sport), it was a relief to me. My whole life, I had talked about wrestling in college.
“Now that dream can happen.”
Amy is looking forward to the opportunities that may come for her daugther.
“With college recruiting and the chance at a full-ride (scholarship) somewhere at the college level...it’s exciting,” Amy said.
Andre, who wrestled at Iowa Central in the mid- to late-90s, has loved the sport since his active days on the mat. To see his daughter have the chance to compete in the sport she loves and potentially get a college education in the process is ideal for him.
“It’s exciting to see that all of her hard work will pay off,’’ Andre said. “All the sacrifices and not giving up.
“The sport is growing so much, and she has wrestled a lot of tough competition around the country. That’s her plan for her future: to continue down the path of wrestling.”
Through the evolution of the sport comes a team. For the first three years of her career, Alexis was working as an individual in the Dodger wrestling room.
Now, in the first year of girls wrestling at FDSH, Alexis has other Dodger girls by her side.
Fort Dodge has 14 girls on its roster. It’s a situation Alexis wasn’t sure would ever happen.
“It’s really fun to see. I’ve never been a part of a team of girls,” Alexis said. “I’ve seen other teams have ‘Secret Santas’ and other bonding situations, and I always thought that would be fun and exciting.
“Now I get the chance to show other girls what the sport is all about.”
Since she was four years old, Alexis loved the sport that “wasn’t for girls.” Her family has always been supportive and along for the ride.
“I’m very hard on my kids, but praise them when they do well,’’ Andre said. “When she won the state title, I had tears in my eyes. That was something she had dreamed of.
“Her sophomore year, when she lost in the finals in a match she knew she could have won...that bothered her and it made her a better wrestler.”
Amy agreed.
“We are super proud of her,” Amy said. “Wrestling is her passion. She is doing what she loves most.”
Now that she enters her final stage of high school, Alexis is able to look back and appreciate the fact that her journey started in Fort Dodge.
“Jamie (Allison) started me out in my wrestling career. He’s the one who built my wrestling skills,’’ Alexis said. “He has supported me throughout it all, and still to this day.
“Coach Koenig has been there for me, too, through it all. He is the one who takes me to tournaments and always keeps my head up.”
Since the days of barely being able to see over the medal podium, Alexis has leaned on her family for both wrestling and real-world advice.
“It’s great to have a support system like I have. They know exactly what I’m going through,’’ Alexis said. “It means a lot. They all bring something different (to the table). Damarion is the technical guy. He can watch my match, break down everything and tell me what I did right. Dreshaun is the aggressive one. Drevon is there for the deeper talks.
ROSS, Continued from Page 23
Messenger photo by Britt Kudla SENIOR STATE CHAMPION ALEXIS ROSS wrestles at the first ever Fort Dodge girls scramble in the Dodger gym earlier this month.
