If New Hampton girls basketball coach Chad Pemble has learned anything about his team the past 2 1/2 months, it is that this group of Chickasaws simply don’t quit.
It was one match during a long day of wrestling, but not only did it energize New Hampton/Turkey Valley Saturday, it told the story of a Class 2A sectional tournament that was simply stupendous for the Chickasaws.
As Nashua-Plainfield wrestling coach Al Frost prepared his team for Saturday’s Class 1A sectional tournament, his goal was singular — win the team title.Mission accomplished.
In one way, sectional wrestling tournaments are all about the individuals.
In another way, at least for teams like New Hampton/Turkey Valley, those sectionals are all about the team.
Nashua-Plainfield boys basketball coach Sam Brown and his players knew the Huskies hadn’t played one of their best games Friday night; in fact, they knew they hadn’t even come close in a 56-35 loss to Osage.
Fresh off a strong showing at the Top of Iowa Conference wrestling tournament, Nashua-Plainfield coach Al Frost wants his team to focus on a singular goal.
It wasn’t the “W” that the Nashua-Plainfield girls basketball team so desperately craves, but Saturday’s game against North Butler certainly was a step in the right direction.
After not playing for over two weeks, Turkey Valley’s girls had a lot of pent-up points just waiting to be released. The Lady Trojans scored the most points of the season in a non-conference game Saturday, winning over Riceville 69-40.
Three seniors were honored before Turkey Valley played Riceville Saturday night, and all three — Simon Schmitt, Jason Herold and Dalton Rush — contributed to the Trojan 65-38 win over the Wildcats.
Playing last year on New Hampton’s ninth-grade team, Hope McDonald made a big transition this year, skipping the junior varsity squad altogether and going right to playing varsity. And as a starter, from game one.
New Hampton basketball coach Ryan Rausch thinks the growth of his team this season could be seen crystal clear on Friday night in Decorah.
The host Vikings had closed the first quarter with a 14-2 run to take an 18-11 lead.
Carter Reicks didn’t celebrate when he became the third New Hampton/Turkey Valley wrestler — joining Max Babcock and Evan Rosonke — to earn a Northeast Iowa conference championship Saturday at the NEIC meet in Charles City.
It says something about the depth on the New Hampton/Turkey Valley wrestling team that just a few days before the Northeast Iowa Conference tournament, the Chickasaws lineup wasn’t quite set.
It’s a simple fact when it comes to high school basketball games; when a team shoots better than 60 percent from the floor, it’s going to win … and usually by a large margin.
