Iowa City
REGINA: Looking
Back
AND Making
HIstory
Creating
separation
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John Streets Business Operations john@sportsspotlight.com
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Tork Mason Editor-In-Chief
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Kari Elbert Sales Director
Iowa City Regina closing in on win streak record.
16
Tony Atzeni Programming Director
Emily Gadient Graphic Design
REGINA CHASING HISTORY
21
TAKING ON THE WORLD Stephanie Jenks an up-and-comer on international triathlon circuit.
PREP NEWS AND NOTES Top performances and more for football and volleyball.
CONSISTENT DOMINATION Tripoli volleyball takes aim at its sixth-straight title.
kari@sportsspotlight.com
Editor’s Note
Football season is now in full-gear and there are some exciting things happening across the state. Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial opened up their new rivalry with their Week 1 showdown that pitted former state champion teammates against one another. Iowa City Regina, meanwhile, remains in pursuit of another state championship and the state record for longest winning streak. Off the gridiron, Tripoli is after its sixth-straight volleyball title and Linn-Mar’s Stephanie Jenks takes her versatile skill set to the international stage.
A new beginning
PG 10
In the
Spotlight Youth This page presented to you by:
All youth photos were collected from at the Iowa Rush Club Champions Cup on Aug. 24-25. 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
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
SportsSpotlight.com
Volume 2 Issue 1
5
High School
High School
REGINA LOOKING BACK, MOVING FORWARD Tork Mason | Editor
which the Regals have accomplished that feat is even more so. Of Regina’s 44-straight victories, 39 of them have been won by at least 21 points. Mark Ward, who graduated after quarterbacking the Regals to the 2012 Class 1A state title, said there’s no special trick to achieving that level of consistent domination; it’s all a matter of preparation — mentally as much as physically.
Iowa City Regina’s Riley Dixon runs against St. Albert (Council Bluffs) in the 2012 Class 1A state title game. The Regals were 11 wins short of Iowa’s all-time record for longest winning streak as of Sept. 18. (Photo courtesy of Impact Imagery)
Iowa City Regina tailback Riley Dixon can still see it. He dives into his memory and sees Zach Pechous cut back toward the Solon sideline during a kickoff return on September 3, 2010 and race to the endzone. That play gave the Regals an 18-12 lead in the third quarter of what would eventually become a 21-15 Regina victory and ended Solon’s 42-game winning streak. The triumph was also the second win in Regina’s current* 45game streak — 11 wins shy of breaking the current record set by Waterloo East from 1965-71 — and it still has a place in the minds of every Regal player today. “It’s the 2010 team that set the bar when they went up to Solon and took care of business up there and beat a state championship team,” Dixon said. “We look at that film probably twice a year (including) before we play Solon. We say, ‘This is how we have to play every game. If we play every game like that, we’re going to be at the top.’” Dixon said he doesn’t pay much attention to the schemes and game
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Volume 2 Issue 1
planning from that battle, and instead focuses on the sheer physicality and determination the Regals played with that night. Dixon quickly recalled a trio of goal line stands, Pechous’ kick return after a Solon field goal and the defense swarming to the ball on every play. “It’s multiple things, not just one person,” Dixon said. “It was the whole team running to the football. Pat McCaffery lying on the ground, the ballcarrier’s not being tackled, he gets up and makes a tackle 20 yards downfield. It’s those things that stand out when you watch that film.” Regina head coach Marv Cook said after that game that his team owed much of its success to the Spartans, who set the bar very high and gave the Regals something to strive for. So it would seem only fitting that those Spartans still serve, in a way, as a source of motivation for the Regals. And the method has been effective. Winning 44 consecutive games is impressive enough, but the way in
“I’ve talked to college football players at different levels and they say that practices were harder for us than they are at certain colleges,” Ward said. “[The coaches] prepared us so well and so thoroughly, that there were just small things [to address] — and they would get on you about that. And you would either fix those issues, or you wouldn’t play.” Regina still faces a long road to breaking the record, even after a dominating 38-0 victory of Solon on Sept. 5. Current players won’t discuss the hypotheticals, but Ward said they aren’t oblivious to the history they’re chasing. “With the streak comes pressure, even if [the players] don’t think of it as pressure,” Ward said. “But it’s always there. You don’t want to be the class or person responsible for the streak not continuing.
he or any other previous senior has left behind. Instead, he said the streak — whether it stops at 44 or goes on beyond this season — is a product of the environment the coaches have worked to create. “I think this current streak is a testament to the community of Regina, not necessarily the individual groups of players,” Ward said. “Players are going to come and go, but Coach Cook and the rest of the coaches have done a phenomenal job of building a program, a system and a community in which things have been able to flourish.” But Cook doesn’t like to take the credit for the program’s achievements. He puts that on his players, who he’s taught to “cherish the day,” whether it’s a Friday night or a Monday practice. “The whole thing, if you boil it down to one thing, it’s the student-athletes,” Cook said. “It’s the kids that have come through the program and committed themselves, dedicated themselves. You put the crown on and it means something.” *Current as of Sept. 18
“The players now won’t say it, but they do think about it a little bit.” Ward said he doesn’t reflect on what kind of legacy
Regina quarterback Drew Cook looks for running room against Solon on Sept. 6. (Photo by Tork Mason)
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In the
Spotlight High School This page presented to you by:
Each month we publish high school action photos from around the state. We would love to get yours! Send us your photos at support@ sportsspotlight.com Photos were taken at various high school football and volleyball games across the state.
Photo courtesy of Mike Ruefer
Photo courtesy of Kathy Schick
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Photo by Tork Mason
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Photo by Tork Mason
Photo courtesy of JScott Images
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Student
Athlete
MONTH
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Click it or ticket Sara’s Q & A Q: What’s your favorite sport to play? Why? A: Swimming, because it is both an individual and team sport. You can have individual goals, while having goals as a team. Swimming has great physical and mental challenges that are very exciting to overcome. Q: What’s your favorite sports memory? A:Winning State as a team for the first time in Ames history my freshman year, and continuing to win state three years in a row. Q: Do you have any fun pre-game “rituals” that prepare you for an event? A: Not really, I just like to have a good time with my teammates.
Achievements SPORTS: Swimming, Wakeboarding, Waterskiing, and Longboarding. Athletic Achievements/Honors: 2012 State Champion 100 Backstroke. 2012 State runner up in the 200 Medley Relay and 400 Freestyle Relay. School record holder in the 200 IM and 100 Fly. Member of the Ames High State Champion team from 2010-2012 Academic Achievements/Honors: USA Swimming Scholastic All-American, Honor Roll College or post-high school plans: Swim Division 1 and major in Business Management
Photo courtesy of Amy Pyle
Sara Bentley
SportsSpotlight.com Ames, Class
of 2014 - 3.6 GPA
Q: What’s your favorite subject in school and why? A: Sociology, it is very interesting to learn about human social behavior and why people do the things they do, and having a good teacher makes it more enjoyable. Q: Who inspires you? Why? A: My coaches, Dan Flannery and Tim Teeter, and my parents. They are always pushing me to be a better swimmer in the pool and a better person when I am out of the water. Q: What was the best movie you saw in the last year? A: Silver Linings Playbook Q: What is your dream job? A: Managing a company or running my own business.
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A New
Beginning Creating Separation
Mother Nature pushed the opening kickoff back by an hour, almost as if to prolong the inevitable. But nothing was going to stop the split between Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial from becoming a reality, and the two schools met on the gridiron for the first time in Week 1. The divide pitted brother against brother and saw legendary head coach Jerry Pezzetti on a different sideline for the first time in 44 years. But none of the players or coaches seemed to want to focus on all of that. They were just ready to get back to business as usual. “We were just preparing for another game,” said Ankeny quarterback Cole Whitaker. “We were trying not to make it as big of a deal as everybody else did. It was just different; guys were talking to each other about the game, but really it was just another football game. It wasn’t that big of a deal to us.” But Pezzetti recognized that the game, which ended with a 17-7 Jaguars victory, would be a major event for everyone involved, and the buildup surrounding the opening week matchup was understandable. “Of course, this is the biggest game for these kids because nine months ago, they were on the same team that achieved every team’s goal and dream, and that’s to win a state championship,” Pezzetti said. “And now they’re playing against each other.” Playing against former teammates has its advantages and disadvantages. Jaguar quarterback Isaiah Kramme said you have to set aside friendships during the game and play just as you would against any other team. And after the game, he said there wasn’t much mingling among players. “If I was on the losing side, I wouldn’t want to talk, either,” Kramme said. The familiarity that comes with working together
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Volume 2 Issue 1
can create advantages when teammates have to go against each other, but Ankeny Centennial’s Colin Olsen said sometimes it’s easier to stay focused when you’re not sure what to expect from the player lined up across from you. “I wouldn’t say [preparing for teammates is] easier, but different,” Olsen said. “Because you think you know the team and you might not, if you think you’re better than someone, you might not go as hard. But if you don’t know the team, you’re going hard on every play and making sure you’re doing your best on every single play.” The Jaguar coaching staff, which primarily consists of coaches who were at Ankeny last season, was faced with coaching against its former players. Dispite that Pezzetti said the focus was placed more on how those players fit into new schemes rather than on the strengths and weaknesses of each individual player. “Game planning against the kids wasn’t really the thing,” Pezzetti said. “It was game planning against the new coaching staff and what they do with the players we had in those positions. They run a different offense and so on and so forth.” For new Hawks head coach Brad Zelenovich, squaring off against the Jaguars simply added a different twist to challenges he expected when he chose to take the job at Ankeny after serving as an assistant coach at Southeast Polk for the last 10 years. “Being a new staff, new kids and a new system, there were challenges, regardless of who we were playing,” Zelenovich said. “Especially in a new situation, getting ready for the opener, you never feel like you’re quite ready to play. First games are always tough, no matter who you play. But the circumstances made it a unique situation.” SportsSpotlight.com
And now they Are playing against each other. - Jerry Pezzetti
SportsSpotlight.com
The biggest challenge facing both coach staffs was low numbers. Ankeny had 93 players on its roster in 2012, but the split left the Hawks and Jaguars with significantly fewer players. Ankeny Centennial has 55 players this season and Ankeny has 60, which forces both teams to utilize two-way players and creates problems in practice. “It’s hard to practice with 55 players,” Pezzetti said. “To get a scout squad against your first teams to show, like you’re playing Johnston next week. We’ve got to have people to show us Johnston’s offense and defense to prepare for them, and having 55 kids makes it difficult. Sometimes we have to take [second-stringers] over to be this and that, and the [first-stringers] help out, too.” The situation certainly isn’t ideal, but Zelenovich said he wants to focus on building his program up the right way and, with success on the field, the numbers issue will take care of itself. He also said it helps to keep in mind that some bigger schools are in even worse situations than he’s in. As for whether Ankeny vs. Ankeny Centennial qualifies as a rivalry, it only takes a brief look at the box score from the game to find the answer. There were numerous penalties, including several personal fouls, in a game that Olsen said got chippy on both sides. Whitaker said it certainly wouldn’t take time for the game to take on an added edge, even with the mutual respect and friendships between the two teams. “I think it’s already a rivalry,” Whitaker said. “Last Friday night definitely had that rivalry feel to it.” In addition Zelenovich said he didn’t think the game needed to be a case of good, old-fashioned hate. The Ankeny community is accustomed to having on-field success, and he doesn’t expect that to change now that there are two schools. “Rivalries are healthy; it doesn’t necessarily have to be [hate-filled],” Zelenovich said. “Everybody has a negative connotation of it, but this community has been successful in a lot of different sports. I don’t see why there can’t be two successful high school football programs in this town.” The prep landscape has certainly changed in Ankeny, but Pezzetti wanted to remind people that it’s not the first time things have been shaken up. “I think the best thing of all was what Paul Rhoads said in the paper today, was that he graduated from Ankeny High School, but the Ankeny High that he graduated from isn’t here anymore because there’s two new high schools,” Pezzetti said. “It’s kind of a new beginning.” Volume 2 Issue 1
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Jack Kline
BGM (Brooklyn) - Football Unmatched performance: On Aug. 30, Kline displayed remarkable efficiency in a dominating performance. The senior had the ball in his hands on just 10 plays (5 carries, 1 reception, 3 punt returns and 1 kickoff return), but he piled up an impressive 424 all-purpose yards and scored 7 touchdowns in the Bears’ 77-22 romp over East Marshall. He also set a state record in the contest and became one of two players in Iowa high school football history to return three punts for touchdowns in a single game. Kline posted a total of 213 return yards, including a 95-yard dash for a score. Each month, Sports Spotlight recognizes a Kinetico Pure Performance High School Athlete of the Month from a list based on their performances.
Photo courtesy of BGM (Brooklyn) High School
And dependability: Kline was the driving force behind the Bears’ run to the 2012 Class A semifinals. He rushed for 1,500 yards and 16 touchdowns as a junior, and also averaged 25 yards on kickoff returns and 21 yards on punt returns. He was also a ball hawk on defense, where he picked off 8 passes and took three of them back for scores on his way to second team All-State honors.
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A Policy of Working Together速
Photo courtesy of Matt Oliver/Boone News-Republican
Schaben, a junior, leads Class 4A in kill efficiency (.511) and kills per set (5.38) in 24 total sets. Schaben is also tied for the team lead in aces (10). She is committed to play for Iowa State.
Davis was electrifying in leading the Torreadors to a 39-28 win over Carlisle on Aug. 30. The senior rushed for 218 yards and 5 touchdowns on 28 carries. Davis has been the driving force behind Boone’s 3-0 start to the season.
Austin Folsom Photo courtesy of Amy Karas/Dickinson County News
Folsom put on an explosive show in the Indians’ 41-0 win over Forest City on Sept. 13. The junior caught 7 passes for a whopping 253 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Senior | Pella
Junior | Spirit Lake
Junior | Ankeny Centennial
Photo courtesy of James Kramer/Des Moines Register
Winters has been one of Ankeny Centennial’s top attackers this season and is a big reason for the Jaguars’ 11-3 start. Winters is fifth in Class 5A in kills per set (5.26) and is seventh in total kills (121) despite having only played 23 total sets.
Alex Davis
Photo courtesy of Jess Schaben
Photo courtesy of Alburnett High School
Senior | Boone
Jess Schaben
Philipp completed 17-of-34 passes for 312 yards and 5 touchdowns -- including a score to force overtime -- in the Pirates’ 42-36 victory over Lisbon on Sept. 6. He also ran for a score and had a 63-yard punt.
Jaali Winters
Junior | Harlan
Senior | Alburnett
Alec Philipp
Taelor Rempe Photo by Tork Mason
Rempe leads Class 4A with an impressive 334 total digs and 7.11 digs per set in 47 sets. She also owns a .897 serve efficiency and leads the Little Dutch with 21 aces on the year.
“I’m a helpful smile!” J A F A R - Hy-Vee Employee
Where there’s a helpful smile in every aisle. Volume 2 Issue 1
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High School
JENKS USING THREE-PRONGED APPROACH Linn-Mar’s Stephanie Jenks turns her focus from running to triathlon.
Elizabeth Robinson | Managing Editor
Huffing as she crosses the finish line, Stephanie Jenks exhales and can rest for the first time after swimming, biking and running for nearly 32 miles. Jenks, an Aurora, Iowa native, competes in triathlons across the United States and around the world as part of the USA Triathlon Junior Elite program. In the past year alone, Jenks has made her name known around the state of Iowa, in the US and internationally for her perseverance and her success. At the age of 16, Jenks has proven that a positive attitude and a will to compete and succeed can go a long way. “Stephanie is very outgoing,” her mom and triathlon coach Deb Jenks said. “She’s not scared of anything. She’s always wanting to try new things.” That’s precisely how Jenks’s love for triathlons began – her willingness and eagerness to try something new. At the age of six, Jenks, like most other kids her age, was involved in a variety of activities, from Tae Kwon Do to tennis, track and soccer. When her mom, a runner, brought up the idea of a triathlon and explained the concept, Jenks was nothing but excited for the new experience. “When I was little, I found triathlon as another thing to try. I love trying new things,” Jenks said. “I didn’t take triathlons seriously though, I just loved the sport and did them for fun.” As she grew older and continued competing in triathlons, Jenks’s level of interest and dedication to the sport also grew. Almost a teenager, and approaching the age to become
Linn-Mar sophomore Stephanie Jenks races at the PATCO Triathlon Pan American Championships in Vila Velha, Brazil. Jenks finished in second place and qualified for the ITU Junior Elite World Championships in London on September 12. She is competing this fall solely as a member of Linn-Mar’s swimming team after also running cross country last year. (Photo courtesy of Deb Jenks)
involved with the Youth Elite division of USAT (USA Triathlon), Jenks had to make the decision to continue to pursue triathlons or to focus on her several other activities, Tae Kwon Do in particular. “She didn’t fall in love with the sport until she had to make a choice between Tae Kwon Do and triathlons,” her mom said. “She was getting to that age, around thirteen, where there were so many developmental differences between kids, where if you wanted to succeed you’d have to train. She’s been gungho with it ever since.” As a triathlete, Jenks trains and
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competes as a runner, cyclist and a swimmer. Each facet of the race poses its own level of difficulty for Jenks, but her determination to continuously improve overshadows any hesitation she may have. “The run is probably the easiest of the three disciplines,” Jenks said. “For me, my freshman year was about getting race experience. Every race I tried to have a different strategy.” Jenks, like her mother, is a natural runner. According to Jenks, she’s loved running since she was young and would run everywhere because “it was a faster way to get around.”
Last year, as a freshman at Linn-Mar High School in Marion, Jenks proved her ability to excel as a runner on both the cross-country and track teams. Finishing with the fourth best time in state history, Jenks took home the cross-country 4A state title with a time of 13:42 – 18 seconds ahead of second place. In the spring, Jenks once again showcased her ability, first at the Drake Relays as the 1,500- and 3,000-meter champion, and later as the 3,000-meter champion at the 4A girls’ state track meet. Following her successful season, Jenks was honored with a chance to
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Volume 2 Issue 1
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High School compete in the Adidas Dream Mile in New York City, a race consisting of 15 athletes from around the nation with the fastest mile times. According to her mother, it was “a dream come true” for Jenks. She finished the race in fifth place with a time of 4:44.50. “I used my knowledge and experience from running in packs to hang with the front pack and finish fifth,” she said. “The greatest racing experience I probably got all season would be at that race.” Swimming, on the other hand, is one facet of the triathlon upon which Jenks is intently focused. “My swimming really needs improvement,” she said. “In order to be there at the end, you have to be there at the beginning. Since swimming is the first leg, I have to improve upon my swimming to help me be in the first bike pack.” Jenks made a big decision this year to forgo the cross-country season in order to dedicate more of her time and energy to swimming. Under the coaching of Chad Derlein, Jenks trains day in and day out to improve her speed, endurance and overall swimming ability. According to Derlein, he and Jenks have been working diligently to ensure that they can get as much as they can out of each practice and to focus on Jenks keeping her head down while also seeing where she’s going and maintaining her direction. “Her work ethic is probably at the highest I’ve seen in an athlete,” Derlein said. “She’s very driven to be successful and there isn’t something that I could put on the board that she’s not going to say, ‘Alright, lets attack it.’ She’s the sweetest girl you’ll ever meet, but when she gets into the mode of competition, she just goes.” Jenks took that competitive drive and determination to Vila Velha, Brazil to compete in the Pan American Junior Championship this summer. Jenks’ hard work paid off at the Pan Am games, where she took second place and qualified for the ITU Junior Elite World Championships in London in September. “The Brazil race was the highlight of my triathlon season this year, as I came out over a minute back in the swim to placing second and missing first by seven seconds,” Jenks said. “I was so excited and thrilled with that performance.” Piggy-backing off the success of that competition and due to her constant training, Stephanie at the ITU Junior Elite World Championships in London
Linn-Mar sophomore Stephanie Jenks races at the PATCO Triathlon Pan American Championships in Vila Velha, Brazil. Jenks finished in second place and qualified for the ITU Junior Elite World Championships in London on September 12. She is competing this fall solely as a member of Linn-Mar’s swimming team after also running cross country last year. (Photo courtesy of Deb Jenks)
earlier this month. With a final time of 1:02:17 and a final swim time of 10:09, Jenks was excited that she had finished with one of her best swim times yet. “She emailed me after her race in London and said it was the fastest swim of her life,” Derlein said. “Whatever we’ve been working on since the beginning must have worked. She was exactly where she wanted to be and couldn’t have been happier.” Following her extremely successful triathlon season, Jenks will use the off-season to improve in all facets of the race, and to hopefully win some state titles as a Linn-Mar Lion. With the looming goal of taking her triathlon talent to the highest level possible, Jenks continues to work hard and to have fun in the process. “She really likes to have fun with it and I think that is very key,” Deb Jenks said. “She knows what she wants and is just working to get herself there. Wherever that is or whatever that is, that’s what she wants to do. It’ll be interesting to see how next year goes and how she can build on what she accomplished this year.”
REAL INJURIES. REAL ATHLETES. REAL RESULTS. Off the Sidelines. Back in the Game. General Orthopaedics Ian Lin, M.D. Thomas Dulaney, M.D. Barron Bremner, D.O. Wesley Smidt, M.D. Spine Surgery Lynn Nelson, M.D. David Hatfield, M.D. Foot and Ankle Surgery Jon Gehrke, M.D. Julie Grundberg, D.P.M. R.D. Lee Evans, D.P.M.
Hand, Elbow, and Microvascular Surgery Jeffrey Rodgers, M.D. Patricia Kallemeier, M.D. Melissa Young, M.D. John Gaffey, M.D.
Sports Medicine, Knee and Shoulder Surgery Stephen Taylor, M.D. Jeffrey Davick, M.D. Kary Schulte, M.D. Nicholas Honkamp, M.D. Matthew DeWall, M.D. *except shoulder Jason Sullivan, M.D.
Hip and Knee Surgery Patrick Sullivan, M.D. *also shoulder Pain Management Center Devon Goetz, M.D. Kenneth Pollack, M.D. David Vittetoe, M.D. Christopher Nelson, D.O. Administrator Matthew Weresh, M.D. Kevin DeRonde
THE URGENT INJURY CLINIC AT
Urgent Injury Clinic Now Open at DMOS –West Location! The Urgent Injury Clinic at DMOS-West is available for patients with acute orthopaedic injuries to receive timely, personalized care. Our goal is to help student athletes limit their time away from school and competition. Urgent Injury Clinic Hours (No appointment necessary!) Mon-Thur: Noon-8 pm Fri: Noon-4 pm ◆ Sat: 8 am-Noon 6001 Westown Parkway West Des Moines, IA 50266 (515) 224-4210 For more information, go to www.urgentinjury.com
West: (515) 224 -1414 ◆ East: (515) 263-9696 ◆ Carroll: (712) 792-2093 ◆ Urgent Injury: (515) 224-4210 SportsSpotlight.com
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High School
FOOTBALL NEWS AND NOTES Top performances, injury updates and more Tork Mason | Editor
The 2013 football season is finally underway and there are several notable storylines to keep an eye on. A pair of Class 1A powers have been without their star players due to injury, and a trio of 4A quarterbacks are leading the way for undefeated teams with stellar consistency. Injury strikes A-P, St. Albert Aplington-Parkersburg and St. Albert (Council Bluffs) both entered the season as state title contenders, but they’ve been bitten by the injury bug. Sports Spotlight Class 1A Preseason Player of the Year Brady Frey broke his hand in A-P’s Week 1 victory over North Tama and hadn’t returned to action as of Sept. 18. In Frey’s absence, the Falcons dropped back-to-back games for the first time since 2009. St. Albert, meanwhile, had yet to lose a game as of Sept. 18, despite losing star quarterback and defensive
back Tucker Culjat to a shoulder injury in the Falcons’ 58-23 win over Griswold on Aug. 30. Senior Eric Johnson stepped in under center and led the Falcons to road wins over Lewis Central and Panorama. Gunslingers lead way in 4A The season is still young, but three teams in Class 4A reached 3-0 behind the arms of their respective quarterbacks. In Ames, senior Sam Straub has led a high-flying passing attack, connecting on 54 of his 97 pass attempts for 782 yards and 9 touchdowns — both tops in Class 4A. He also limits turnovers, having thrown just one interception as of Sept. 18, and his 151.9 passer rating is 4th in the state among passers with at least 40 attempts. Iowa City West featured an electric passing game in 2012 with the pitch and catch trio of quarterback Nate Boland and wide receivers
Dondre Alexander and Jeremy Morgan. But even after Alexander and Morgan’s graduation, Boland has managed to get even better. The senior had thrown for 570 yards and 6 touchdowns as of Sept. 18 and was leading the state with a 71.1 percent completion percentage. Boland also boasted a 221.5 passer rating, the second-best mark in the state. But perhaps the most prolific passer in the state is Urbandale’s Logan Augustine. Augustine led Class 4A in touchdowns (9), yards per completion (20.5 yards) and passer rating (226.1). He was also third in completion percentage (63.5 percent). His 677 yards were sixth-best in the state, 348 of which were accounted for by star wideout Allen Lazard. Murray riding Rider Murray tailback Andrew Rider has been a workhorse for the Mustangs this season. The senior had run for 414 yards and 7 touchdowns
through four games and did so at a 9.2-yard clip But it’s on defense and special teams that Rider has made his most dynamic impact. He was averaging nearly 28 yards per return on both punts and kickoffs, and had taken 3 kicks back for touchdowns. Rider had also picked off 5 passes and taken all but one of them back for scores. Hogan runs wild Don Bosco (Gilbertville) quarterback Jake Hogan was a one-man wrecking crew in the Dons’ 65-49 win over Janesville on Sept. 6. The senior accounted for 584 of total offense — including a whopping 397 rushing yards — and 9 touchdowns in the game. Hogan headlines the 4-0 Dons’ offensive attack as they eye a return to the 8-man state championship game.
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High School
Volleyball News and Notes
Here are some top performances in volleyball this month. Tork Mason | Editor
Volleyball is now underway, and a number of athletes have shown tremendous consistency so far. Here are some of the most notable players and performances from each class. 1A Stanton and Holy Trinity Catholic are two of the top teams in Class 1A, and Carmen Subbert and Mikaela Foecke are big reasons for that. Subbert tallied 170 total kills as of Sept. 18, and did so with a .484 kill efficiency and averaged 4.47 kills per set. That included 33 kills in her Sept. 10 match against FremontMills. She was also 131-for-134 on serves and led the Viqueens to a 12-2 record to open the season. Foecke boasted a remarkable .613 kill efficiency as she led the Crusaders to a 10-1 start. Her 149 total kills and 5.14 kills per set ranked her among state leaders, and she also owned a .910 serve efficiency with 17 aces.
2A Look no further than Briana Weber when trying to find the driving force for Dike-New Hartford this season. Weber boasted an impressive .494 kill efficiency and an average of 4.60 kills per set as she led the Wolverines to a 14-1 start. She was also strong from the service line; the Wolverines scored on 68 of her 69 attempts. Kayla Prosser has been an all-round star for South Hardin (Eldora), even if the Tigers hadn’t had much success in the win-loss column as of Sept. 18. Prosser owned a .547 kill efficiency, but the rest of her game was more impactful. She scored 28 aces and had a .910 serve success rate, led the team in total assists (301) and assists per set (7.92), and also tallied 87 digs in 38 sets. 3A Sheldon jumped out to a 15-0 start this season, thanks, in large part, to seniors Jessica VanBeek and
Marti Vogel. The duo combined for 229 kills through Sept. 18 and averaged nearly 7 kills per set. They also owned a combined .950 serve success rate on 240 attempts. Williamsburg’s Claire Simmons was among the state’s top servers, as she boasted a .901 serve success rate through her first 38 sets. She was also leading the state with 52 aces on the year, including 14 against Vinton-Shellsburg on Sept. 5. 4A Solon’s Taylor Nearad has been a key in getting the Spartan hitters set up and forging a 13-1 record through Sept. 18. Nearad led the team with 238 total assists and averaged 8.5 assists per set. She also very effective from the service line; her serves led to points on 125 of her 130 attempts, and she notched 12 aces in 31 sets. A-D-M (Adel) senior Torrie Hook led Class 4A with 142 total kills and
claimed a .309 kill efficiency for the Tigers through Sept. 18. She also tallied an average of 2.54 digs per set in 48 sets. Teeing her up is her sister Brennan, who was ninth in the state with 232 assists through the Tigers’ first 20 matches. 5A Urbandale’s Kyla Inderski used her versatile skill set to help lead the J-Hawks to a 14-2 record to start the season. The senior led her team and was third in Class 5A with 171 kills, and her 4.28 kills per set was fifth among players with at least 10 sets played. Inderski also tallied a .925 serve success rate, 18 aces, 119 digs and 21 blocks. Clinton has a new record-holder for career aces. With a pair of aces against North Scott (Eldrige) on Sept. 3, Monique Harris reached a career total of 226 and broke the previous record held by Laurel Friedman.
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High School
TRIPOLI VOLLEYBALL GUNNING FOR NO. 6
The Panthers aren’t resting on their laurels, despite nearly unprecedented success. Darrin Cline | Contributor
Barack Obama had just been elected President when Tripoli began its current run of state volleyball titles. Instagram, Vine and Pinterest didn’t exist and the current crop of senior leaders was just barely eligible for a driving permit. But the Panthers have had total control of Class 1A and are now zeroing in on their sixth-straight title. This season marks the eighth year at the helm for coach Will Bauman. He has been coaching volleyball since he was a college and has long been in love with the game. His mother, aunt and older brother have all coached volleyball, and the family ties bolster his passion for the sport. Bauman has made it a point to stress work ethic and responsibility to his players not only in the competitive arena, but in other aspects of their lives, too. “Coach is very encouraging and makes sure you get everything done, he’s always trying to help both on and off the court,” said senior Elizabeth Seehase. Tripoli’s volleyball tradition started even before Bauman moved to the tiny community northeast of Waverly. In this century, the Panthers had already captured four Class 1A crowns and earned runnerup honors in 2002. The Panthers missed the state tournament in Bauman’s first season, but rebounded in 2007 to be among the final eight teams in the state. They were knocked out in the first round that year, but the team returned to the pinnacle the following year and haven’t looked back since.
The success has also caught the eye of college programs. According to Bauman, 10 former Panther players are competing at the collegiate level this season. “If I picked one moment from each season that made them special they’d seem so inconsequential, but from the coaches perspective it was small these moments when we turned the corner that had a huge impact on the team each year,” Bauman said.
Elizabeth Seehase (left) and Heather Heine (right) go up for a block against North Tama. (Photo courtsey of Christopher Mason)
Toni Moeller, now a senior for the Panthers, was one of four Tripoli All-State team members last season. “It was a really cool experience, just the entire state tournament,” she said. “It was everything we did that led up to it that made it a great season.” The 2013 squad began the season pegged as the No. 3 team in the state. Postseason mainstays
Janesville and Holy Trinity hold the top two spots in class 1A, with Gehlen Catholic (Le Mars) and Grandview Park Baptist rounding out the top five. Combine the rigors of a challenging Iowa Star Conference schedule, and these demands have motivated Tripoli to take on tougher foes in non-conference competition. “We play the tournaments we do so that we can compete against the big schools that we don’t see on a regular basis,” Bauman said. “We’re in these tournaments because of the competition available. These tournaments include battling everyone from top 2A schools like Sumner-Fredricksburg, all the way up to the renowned Cedar Rapids Jefferson Westside Invitational.” The early season competitions have taken their toll on the squad and left a few blemishes on the record, but Bauman views them as insights to help find focal points for improvement. “We have to go through some growing pains but we are putting together the pieces of the puzzle,” Bauman said. The obstacles and opportunities are all part of the learning process. The Panther seniors have learned to take it in stride, and are capitalizing on their years of experience to carry them through and still enjoy the game. “We have a lot of knowledge about volleyball and all of the different situations,” said senior Paige Figanbaum. “We know our strengths and aspects of our game that we need to develop.” Just as important as knowledge
of the game is the maturity that each of the young women possess; they approach the season with the mentality that they are still striving to prove themselves. “The key to success is all the work we put into it,” said senior McKayla Meyer. “We ask ourselves everyday ‘Are we working harder than the other teams? What are they doing today?’ We don’t think about the past, we worry about today.” Despite losing a bevy of talent from last season, the seniors—along with the 10 other underclassmen that comprise the Tripoli varsity roster— provide specific and complimentary skill sets. Seehase is tops among returning players for kills, with Figanbaum offering outstanding serve success and dig numbers. Moeller’s 944 assists last season were third in all of Class 1A. According to a number of players, the 2013 squad has a more equal spread of talent; this diversity of skills means that the game does not have to run through one star player, but incorporates each player as a weapon. The young yet driven group is ready to capitalize on the possibilities presented in 2013. The path to the state tournament may still be months away, but the Tripoli women understand where they stand, and what they need to do to add another chapter to the legacy. “We do want to get back to the top of the mountain, but we’d rather attack a championship than defend it,” Bauman said. “There’s a resiliency, there’s still a hunger with these kids. They’d rather earn their success than be given it.”
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