Scheels Prep of the Week: Crompton More Than A Shooter

Regina junior Mary Crompton dribbles against Benton. Jeff Yoder/For Your Prep Sports.

Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Mary Crompton could pretty much write her own scouting report last season.

“Last year most teams classified me as a shooter,” Crompton explained.

Crompton carries the shooter tag for a reason.

A 46 percent 3-point shooter in her first two varsity seasons Crompton established herself as one of the top shooters in the state.

This season Crompton has demonstrated she is much more than just a long ball specialist.

The 5-foot-8 junior has used an expanded offensive repertoire to get off to the best start of her career this season.

“It’s easy to guard someone when they are just a shooter,” Crompton said. In the offseason I put a lot of focus into getting to the basket and finishing with contact so over and over again I’d have someone pushing me or hanging on my arm as I was finishing.”

That work has paid off the season with the most efficient offensive season of her career.

Crompton is averaging 19.5 per game for Class 2A top-ranked Regina helping the Regals to an 8-0 start.

She is shooting 63 percent from the field and better than 50 percent from 3-point range on the season while averaging a career-high in scoring.

“My teammates are doing a good job of finding me and shots are going down,” Crompton said. “Definitely you just need to see the ball go through the hoop a couple of times and then the rest builds off that.”

Hitting shots has always been a big part of Crompton’s game.

This year Crompton is doing it all for Regina on both ends of the court.

Crompton averaged 21 points in back-to-back wins over Monticello and West Branch but more importantly turned in a pair of standout defensive efforts on standouts Lauren Ries and Tatum Koenig.

“Mary doesn’t get enough credit for her defense but she is a tremendous defensive player,” Regina coach Jeff Wallace said.

Crompton shadowed Ries during a 74-45 Regina win holding the junior standout to a season-low seven points.

She helped hold Koenig to 13 points, nearly seven below her season average in a 70-50 win.

“I enjoy the challenge that my coach puts on me with guarding one of the other team’s leading scorers,” Crompton said. “I just try to put the pressure on and make them as uncomfortable as possible.”

Defense isn’t the only area in which Crompton has improved this season.

Coming off an all-state sophomore season in which she averaged better than 16 points per game Crompton has become even more difficult to defend with her ability to attack defenders off the dribble.

Over the last three games Crompton has averaged 19 points per game while shooting 71 percent from the field.

“It’s hard to guard someone when they can shoot and drive,” Crompton said. “I think that’s become a good part of my game.”

Scheels Athlete of the Week: Joens Posts Back-to-Back Big Games

City High junior Ashley Joens

By Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – It took half a dozen stiches to close the cut Ashley Joens got following a fall in the second half of a win over Muscatine.

Those stitches were set to be removed Saturday morning.

Following Friday’s win over Cedar Falls someone joked that the way Joens place last week the City High junior might want to leave the stitches in for a little while longer.

Joens posted back-to-back strong performances last week following a six-point outing against Muscatine that was cut short by her trip for stitches.

The 5-foot-11 Joens had 30 points and 13 rebounds in a 77-47 win over Cedar Rapids and had 27 points and nine boards in 62-40 win over third-ranked Cedar Falls.

“I think we are getting better every game,” Joens said. “Those were two good wins for us, the second half (against Cedar Falls) was definitely the best half we have played.”

Already a two-time all-state selection Joens is on her way to another strong season as a junior.

She is averaging 18.4 points and 9.6 points per game while helping City High to a 5-0 record and a number two ranking in Class 5A.

Joens is shooting 54 percent from the field this season after shooting 60 percent (21-of-35) in the wins over Cedar Rapids Prairie and Cedar Falls.

“The offense runs around her as you can see but she does a great job of passing when she gets double teamed,” City High coach Bill McTaggart said. “She is hitting the open girl.”

A unique talent that can play with the ball in her hands or with her back to the basket, Joens has already been used in a variety of ways this season.

Joens did everything from post up on the low block to break the press against Cedar Falls.

The Iowa State recruit had a team-high three assists against the Tigers and added two steals.

“We have a lot more guards and when she goes to Iowa State she will not be playing as inside as much so she will have a good all-around game because she practices a lot on the outside and she plays a lot on the inside,” McTaggart said. “She can handle the ball, she is a just a good all-around player.

Things don’t get any easier for Joens and the Little Hawks this week as City High travels to fifth-ranked West High (5-0) on Tuesday.

City High closes out its December schedule by traveling to Dubuque Senior and hosting Cedar Rapids Jefferson.

“There is a lot of energy and enthusiasm in the West High game every year,” Joens said. “It’s always an exciting game and they are a good team so it’s going to be fun.”

Scheels Athlete of the Week: Kabela Adjusting Quickly to Basketball

West Branch senior Cooper Kabela

By Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports

If Cooper Kabela had his way he would have been playing football deep into the month of November and all the way through the Class 1A playoffs.

Instead Kabela swapped his cleats for basketballs shoes in October.

For the first time during Kabela’s varsity career West Branch wasn’t playing football in November this season after an opening-round playoff loss to Regina.

Kabela, who moved from tight end to quarterback midway through the football season, put his rare break between the end of football season and the start of basketball season to good use.

The senior forward took a little time to rest up and then got into the gym to prepare for his final season prep basketball season.

That early worked has shown up so far.

Kabela averaged 26.5 points on 66 percent shooting in his first two games this season helping West Branch get off to a 1-1 start.

“In past years it’s taken a couple of weeks to get into it,” Kabela said. “This year I had those couple weeks at the beginning of the season to get back into the basketball rhythm and get my jump shot going and I think that has helped.”

Kabela scored 21 points in a season-opening win over Wilton and poured in 32 in a 70-56 loss to Monticello last week.

The senior forward has now scored in double figures in 24 straight games dating back to last season.

“I think he’s decided this is my senior year and I want to go out with a bang,” Burger said. “One of the best things that he’s been doing here lately is just showing great leadership. In the locker room, on the court, after the court he’s being a great leader.”

A three-year starter and four-year letter winner, Kabela was named to the River Valley Conference Elite team last year.

This season Kabela has taken his game to another level.

He spent the offseason and the time between sports working on his jump shot and the hard work has paid off so far.

“Last year I was more of an inside player so I tried to make myself harder to guard by developing a better jump shot,” Kabela said. “I worked hard on that.”

An improved jump shot has made the 6-foot-4 Kabela a difficult matchup when he steps away from the hoop.

Kabela was 3-of-5 from 3-point range in the win over Monticello and has three assists this season.

“We want him to face the basket as much as he can,” Burger said. “He is a great guy with his back to the basket but he is also pretty darn good when he faces the basket. He has just done everything he has needed to do to make himself a great player.”

Kabela was almost unstoppable against the Panthers last Friday.

He had 19 of his game-high 32 points in the opening half, finished 11-of-17 from the field and grabbed seven rebounds.

“I think he’s the best post in the conference and he’d be good in any league, any class,” Monticello coach Tim Lambert said. “He’s legit.”

Scheels Athlete of the Week: Regina Senior Jack Jensen Ends Career With Big Title Game

Jack Jensen hauls in a touchdown pass in the Class 1A title game at the UNI-Dome. Jeff Yoder/For Your Prep Sports.

By Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports

Regina didn’t end the season it way it wanted last week at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.

Fifth-ranked Western Christian stopped the Regals run of six straight state titles with a 47-34 win over the top-ranked Regina in the Class 1A title game.

That didn’t stop Regina senior Jack Jensen from putting an exclamation point on an impressive season.

Jensen hauled in a touchdown pass and added two interceptions, one that he returned 71 yards to set up a Regina touchdowns.

“It’s tough, we knew it was going to be a really good game and if we made mistakes they would hurt us,” Jensen said. “They are a good talented team and they executed off our mistakes.”

Jensen had the best season of her career as a senior leading Regina with 44 receptions for 836 yards and 10 touchdowns as a receiver.

The 5-foot-9, 141-pound senior tied for the team lead with seven interceptions from his corner back spot.

He played his best football in the postseason.

Jensen had an interception in all four playoff games, with six of his seven picks coming in the playoffs.

His first interception in the 1A title game came on a tipped pass inside the Regina 15 yard line and he returned it to the Western Christian 15 to set up the Regal’s first touchdown of the game.

“It was tipped and I just grabbed it with one hand and I saw open field so I took off,” Jensen said. “Isaac (Vollstedt) there and got me a good block.”

The second interception for the game for Jensen was a diving pick in the end zone that turned away a Western Christian scoring chance.

Jensen was equally important for Regina on offense in the title game.

He caught four passes for 91 yards including a 68-yard touchdown pass from junior Michael Conlon that put Regina up 27-19 with 1:37 left in the first half.

“That was a big play and we got some big plays, you want to dial those up and take them when you can get them,” Regina coach Marv Cook said. “My hat is off to Western Christian, they were sound defensively we did make a couple of big plays on them but it seemed like they recovered and made plays when they had to.”

The big effort by Jensen wasn’t enough to earn Regina a seventh straight state title but it hardly sullied an outstanding career by Jensen and his classmates that featured three state titles and a 51-4 four-year record.

“It shows that we are a tough team and we are love each other and play for one another,” Jensen said. “It was an amazing time.”

Scheels Prep of the Week: Flitz Efficient in Dome Debut

West High junior Evan Flitz rolls out against Bettendorf in a playoff game on Oct. 28. Jeff Yoder/For Your Prep Sports.

Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports

The longer the playoffs go the better Evan Flitz seems to perform.

That’s good news for West High which will play for its first state title since 1999 on Friday thanks in large part to the play of its junior quarterback.

Flitz continued his strong postseason by throwing for 254 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-7 semifinal win over fourth-ranked Cedar Rapids Washington last Friday at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.

The performance by Flitz helped lift West High (10-2) in the Class 4A state title game for the first time since 1999 where it will face three-time defending 4A champion West Des Moines Dowling (11-1) on Friday at 7:06 p.m.

In his first ever appearance in the UNI-Dome, Flitz completed 19-of-26 passes without an interception and tossed scoring strikes of 34, 3 and 22 yards.

“I would say that I’m a pretty calm guy but certainly when you step out of the tunnel and you see the fans yelling and the atmosphere it’s very different,” Flitz said. “Getting a win feels good and having experience that I can draw from is great.”

Flitz has been impressive in his first season as a starter, completing 70 percent of his passes for 2,051 yards and 22 touchdowns with five interceptions.

The 6-foot, 175-pound junior has been at his best in the playoffs, completing 55-of-74 passes for 804 yards and 10 touchdowns with just one interception in three postseason wins.

Behind the play of Flitz, West High is averaging 32.3 points and 393 total yards per game in postseason play.

We talked about that, it’s no different, we have faced pressure since really the beginning of the season and we are used to it,” Flitz said of the postseason. “All through the playoffs we kind of blocked that out. We trust in what we are doing here in practice and that carries over to Friday nights.”

Flitz missed a pair of games with a knee injury in the middle of the season but has come back to lead West High to five straight wins.

He is completing better than 76 percent of his passes in his five games since returning from the injury sustained in the second half of a week five loss to Cedar Rapids Prairie.

Junior Ethan Postler led West High to a pair of wins with Flitz sidelined and together the duo has helped West High lead Class 4A in passing efficiency, completing better than 68 percent of its passes on the season.

After passing for 119 yards in his first game back from injury Flitz has thrown for more than 200 yards in four straight games including a career-high 330 with five touchdowns in a quarterfinal win over Prairie.

“We really took control of our own destiny and winning out in the regular season and then three playoff wins,” Flitz said. “We garnered some momentum and we’ve been able to keep that going.”

Scheels Prep of the Week: Williams Concludes Strong Kicking Career

Clear Creek Amana senior Tyreke Williams

By Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports

TIFFIN – Standing 6-foot-1 and weighing 220 pounds Tyreke Williams is quickly recognized as a football player.

It is picking the position at which Williams excels that people often struggle.

“People ask me what position I play and when I say kicker they don’t believe because I look more like a lineman,” Williams said. “I’ve gotten used to that, I just laugh about it.”

Williams may look like a lineman but he produces like one of the best kickers in the state.

The senior has handled both the punting and place kicking duties for Clear Creek Amana the past two seasons while double as a defensive lineman and has established himself as one of the top kickers around.

Williams connected on 12-of-17 field goals the past two seasons with a career-long of 47 yards.

“I’ve never been fortunate enough to work with a kicker like Tyreke before,” Clear Creeek Amana coach Matt Hughes said. “Most of the times in high school football you have to go for it on fourth downs or not kick the field goal so having that option is something that we’ve gotten used to and he’s been such a huge asset for our team. He’s been a special player for us.”

Williams grew up playing soccer so when coaches were looking for place kicking volunteers in middle school he threw up his hand.

After three test kicks the kicking job belonged to Williams.

“In middle school coaches came up and asked if I could kick a ball through the up rights,” Williams said. “I kicked one through, they moved it back a little further I kicked it through, moved it back a little further and I kicked it through and they said, ‘alright, you’re our kicker’,”

Since that time Williams became a major asset for the Clippers with both his punting and place kicking.

This fall Williams had the best season of his career helping Clear Creek Amana to a 7-2 record that included the first 6-0 start in program history.

“I think I’ve had a great year but I couldn’t do it without a perfect snap and a perfect hold,” Williams said. “It’s been really fun, last year we had a good year and this year we’ve built on that and had a great season so it’s been really fun to be a part of that.”

As a senior Williams made 6-of-7 field goal attempts and was 24-of-29 on extra points.

Of his 44 kick offs 14 went for touchbacks.

All of those were improvements over 2015 when Williams was 6-of-10 on field goals.

“I feel like I’ve gotten a lot better just going to camps and working at it,” Williams said. “I’ve worked on kicking a lot the past few years.”

Where Williams impressed the most this season was with his punting.

He averaged 42.5 yards per punt o 31 punts, good for fourth best in the state among players with at least 10 punts.

“When you have somebody that can consistently kick 45 plus yard punts and then boom some 60 yard punts in there too it totally changes the field position battle,” Hughes said. “That is something that we got used to having that as a weapon and we will definitely miss that when he’s not around anymore.”

Williams closed his career on Friday by converting all four of his extra points and booming a 56-yarder on his only punt attempt in a 42-6 win over Central DeWitt.

He would like to continue his kicking career in college and is looking at several options.

Hughes believes that Williams, who has made field goals as long as 65 yards in practice, has the potential to enjoy a strong collegiate career.

“I don’t think there is any doubt he can kick at the next level,” Hughes said. “You just don’t see strong legs like that. He has every bit of a leg and that’s without having a kicking coach. If someone brought him on and spent time on teaching him more the fundamentals of kicking he could have a great career.”

Scheels' Prep of the Week: West High's Thomas Has Big Day at MVC Meet

West High junior Alleyna Thomas

By Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports

CORALVILLE – Alleyna Thomas had a simple goal going into the Mississippi Valley Conference swimming meet.

“Going into it I wanted to drop time and see how close I could get to my best times,” Thomas explained.

Thomas did a lot more than that last Saturday at the University of Iowa Campus Recreation and Wellness Center pool.

The West High junior post a career best time to win the 200 freestyle and helped the Women of Troy 400 freestyle relay team to a title in a MVC record time of 3:37.61.

In all, Thomas collected four top three finishes to help West High to a third place team finish.

“I wasn’t expecting that at all,” Thomas said of her performance. “It was really exciting, the whole meet I was super excited to see how well everyone was doing.”

Thomas claimed her individual title in the 200 free in a time of 1:58.29, more than three seconds better than her previous career-best time.

“Alleyna has grown and matured as an athlete a lot even in just the three years that I’ve known here,” West High coach Byron Butler said. “Her goal was to crack 2:00 and she crushed it, she absolutely crushed it.”

Thomas posted a 2:01.9 early in the season and as her training increased saw her time in the 200 free rise to the 2:04 or 2:05 range according to Butler.

After clocking a 2:06 in the event midway through the season Butler saw Thomas getting frustrated with her times.

He assured her as the season went on the times would lower. On Saturday Thomas proved her coaches right.

“Rob (assistant coach Rob Miecznikowski) told her right before her swim, expect to be out in front, if you are out in front at the 100 that’s not a mistake just keep going,” Butler said. “We were telling her that 2:00 is absolutely going to happen, let’s just see how far under we can get and I think now she really sees that we aren’t insane.”

Thomas added a third place finish in the 500 free in 5:15.46 but her most memorable moments came in the relays.

She joined Lily Ernst, Elaina Martz and Melanie Housenga in finishing second in the 200 free relay in 1:40.59.

The big performance from the Women of Troy came in the 400 free relay as the same foursome set a MVC record with a time of 3:37.61.

The time was nearly a second better than the West High school record of 3:38.5.

“At the beginning of the season we wanted to try to break the school record but we didn’t think we were going to,” Thomas said. “Then we get to conference record and we break not only our school record but the conference record and we were just blown away.”

All four swimmers in the 400 relay had times under 55 seconds as West High finished more than two seconds in front of runner-up Cedar Falls.

“I talked to coach Miecznikowski about the 18 years he has been with the girls team and he said he has never had a relay where every girl went 54 so it was just really cool what they did,” Butler said. “They didn’t exceed our expectations because I know they have more in them but I think they may have surprised themselves a little bit.”

Scheel's Athlete of the Week: Lenoch Continues to Produce for West Branch

West Branch senior Luke Lenoch

By Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports

WEST BRANCH – Luke Lenoch has had better statistical games in his career than what he had last Friday.

The West Branch senior running back has had games with more yards, more touchdowns and a better yard per carry average than he posted in a 35-14 win over North Cedar a week ago.

Lenoch may have never meant more to his team than he did last week.

When the Bears needed him most, Lenoch produced the most, scoring three of his four touchdowns in the second half as West Branch broke a 14-14 tie with 21 unanswered points to keep its playoff destiny in its own hands.

“It’s not about the yards to him, he just wants to go out there and win,” West Branch junior offensive lineman Jacob Barnhart said. “The second half he knew what he had to do to get it done. He was playing hurt and he went out there and he was a leader.”

Lenoch finished with 226 yards and four touchdowns on a career-high 42 carries as West Branch (5-2) improved to 4-1 in Class 1A, District 3 play.

The 5-foot-9, 185-pound Lenoch had touchdowns runs of 13, 2 and 6 yards in the second half as West Branch scored on three consecutive possessions after halftime.

“We were in a position that we knew we didn’t really want to be in, a tie football game with a team that doesn’t have anything to lose,” Lenoch said. “We went into the second half knowing that it was 0-0 and we played the ball game that we knew we could play and executed a lot better.”

With nearly 5,500 career yards and 79 touchdowns it is no surprise West Branch turned to Lenoch late in a tight game with its playoff fate possibly on the line.

It’s even less surprising he produced.

Lenoch has rushed for at least 200 yards in three of the Bears’ last five games and now has seven 200-yard games in his career.

“We are relying on him a lot,” West Branch senior lineman Cole Tisinger said. “With how good of an athlete he is you lean on him. We have to rely on him a little more and he always comes through.”

Lenoch has been producing for the Bears for three seasons.

Already the school’s all-time leader in rushing yards and touchdowns, Lenoch has rushed for at least 100 yards 28 times in 30 games the past three seasons and has scored a touchdown in 27 games during that stretch.

Season-ending injuries to its top two quarterbacks this season has caused West Branch to ask even more of Lenoch this season.

“It’s been tough, especially with the injuries and that’s no excuse but we have had some adversity,” Lenoch said. “We still haven’t played the football that we know we can play and we are hoping to get there and I know that we will.”

With two games remaining in the regular season Lenoch is 28 carries away from his career high.

He has three games with more than 30 carries for the first time in a season and has twice logged 40 carries in a game this season.

“He has so much durability that he never really gets tired,” West Branch coach Butch Pedersen said of Lenoch. “Then when the opponents get a little tired he is still running fresh so I think he gets better as the game goes on.”

The heavy work load hasn’t slowed Lenoch.

He ranks eighth in the state with 1,307 yards this season and is tied for fifth with 22 touchdowns while averaging 6.3 yards per carry.

Lenoch has been at his best in district play.

Since rushing for a season-low 78 yards in a wee- two loss to West Burlington/Notre Dame, Lenoch is averaging 32 carries for 210 yards and four touchdowns in five district games.

“I would say after West Burlington it was more of just a gut check,” Lenoch said. “We knew that we needed to be more physical and just overall we knew we had to get a lot better and I think we have played a lot better.”

Scheel's Athlete of the Week: Spence Earns Medalist Honors at MVC Divisional Meet

West High sophomore Kyle Spence

By Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Few golfers would consider cool and windy conditions a perfect day to play golf.

Some golfers wouldn’t even bring out their clubs on a cool and windy day.

Those conditions seem to bring out the best in Kyle Spence.

So when the West High sophomore saw the weather forecast for last Thursday’s final Mississippi Valley Conference Valley Divisional meet calling for windy conditions he got a little boost of confidence.

Spence showed by he was so confident, firing a six-over-par 78 to earn individual medalist honors at the final regular season meet of the season for the Trojans at Finkbine Golf Course in Iowa City.

“I always feel confident going into meets but certainly with all the factors I had a feeling about that day in general,” Spence said. “We were on our home course and I was very familiar with the conditions as far as the cool weather and the wind so I was definitely confident going in.”

Spence had a reason to be confident.

He had plenty of experience playing in difficult conditions after living in Northern Ireland for a year where he played golf on a nearly daily basis.

“I played golf in Northern Ireland for a year because my parents are from there so playing along the coast line there really helped give me lots of experience with that,” Spence said. “Knowing how to flight the ball differently and keep it out of the wind really was helpful on days like that.”

Spence put that experience to good use at the MVC Divisional meet.

The sophomore opened play last Thursday in a tie for 11th place in the overall MVC standings that uses the combined scores from the MVC Super Meet and two divisional meets.

Spence shot an 82 at the Super Meet and an 81 at the first divisional meet.

On Thursday he turned in the low round of the day despite conditions that kept only two golfers from breaking 80.

“My mindset was all positive because it was a windy day and watching even the guys out on tour they get flustered by high winds,” Spence said. “The golf course was playing super tight so I figured because of the home course advantage if I hit the ball well and kept it out of the wind then I’d have a good chance to catch some of the other guys and it turns out that’s what happened.”

The 78 by Spence on Thursday helped him pass six golfers to finish fifth in the overall standings to earn first team all-conference honors.

“He’s confident because he plays all the time,” West High coach Don Bristow said. “He practices in the winter and plays a year. For a sophomore he has a lot of poise.”

Spence opened his round on the 18th hole and was one over par after 10 holes.

His 78 was one stroke better than Brad Karpick of Cedar Rapids Xavier who carded his third consecutive round in the 70’s to earn the overall title.

“It was great that I started on the 18th because I had the first nine at the beginning of my round and we play the front nine quite frequently in practice,” Spence said. “I instantly walked on to a place where I was very comfortable and I hit good shots on before so that certainly played a role.”

Prep of the Week: West Branch Senior Knoop Excelling in Expanded Role

West Branch senior Abby Knoop

By Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports

WEST BRANCH – In the first three years of her high school volleyball career Abby Knoop had mostly a supporting role.

A four-year starter with more than 650 kills to her credit Knoop has been an important part of the most successful run in West Branch volleyball history.

Yet, Knoop made those contributions the last three seasons outside of the spotlight.

As a senior this fall Knoop has stepped onto center stage and shined in her new role.

“It’s a different role I have to play, last year there was no pressure on me,” Knoop said. “I had no pressure to put the ball away because I knew other people on the court could do that. There are those players this year too but definitely I had to step up this year and I had to become a leader on the court.”

Knoop was a potent attacker each of the past two reasons, rolling up a combined 390 kills.

Both seasons she was surrounded by stars as West Branch went 70-12 during those two seasons and made consecutive trips to the state tournament

In 2014 Knoop had 129 kills while playing alongside all-state hitter Maddy Russell.

Last year Knoop was second on the team with 261 kills, behind only senior all-state middle Haley Poula.

This season it was Knoop who became that go-to player on a team full of first-year starters and she hasn’t disappointed in her first season in the spotlight.

“She did some great things last year we just had girls on that team that are playing in college this year so we had a really talented team,” first-year West Branch coach John Walsh said. “She maybe didn’t stand out as much but she has certainly stepped in this year and shown what she can do.”

Knoop is on pace for the best season of her career.

The 5-foot-10 senior has a team-high 210 kills, averaging 4.12 kills per set while helping West Branch to a 13-6 record.

“It’s definitely been different, this year we’ve had to earn our points different ways, we can’t just send the ball to Haley Poula,” Knoop said. “We’ve definitely started clicking. We’ve been working together, we’ve been practicing so hard and we are meshing well together.”

Knoop wasn’t the only player settling into a new role at West Branch this season.

With seven new players seeing significant court time it took the Bears some time to settle in.

West Branch has shown over the past two weeks it is primed for another postseason run.

The Bears have won seven straight matches since a four-set loss to West Liberty on Sept. 13, a stretch that includes back-to-back River Valley Conference wins over Mid-Prairie and Durant.

“This past week has been amazing, after that loss at West Liberty we turned a corner,” Knoop said. “We’ve changed our offense, we started running quicker stuff. We’ve definitely stepped up and I’m very proud of our team.”

Knoop has been a big part of the recent success.

She had 44 kills to help West Branch go 5-0 and win the title at the Lisbon Tournament.

Last week Knoop was at her best pounding 28 kills in a five-set win over Mid-Prairie and following with 17 kills in a road sweep of Durant.

“We don’t make a big deal of it or anything but we know that if we get her a good set she is going to put the ball away a lot of the time,’ Walsh said. “It’s nice to have a senior leader like that to score some points for us.”

Prep of the Week: Frantz Shines in Battle for the Boot

City High senior Bryce Frantz

By Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Bryce Frantz waited his entire career for an opportunity to play in the annual Battle for the Boot.

When he got the chance the City High senior turned in performance worth waiting for.

Frantz matched his career-high with 31 carries and rushed for 146 yards and two touchdowns to help City High (3-1) to a 20-7 win over West High (3-1) last Friday in the annual cross-town showdown.

“It’s probably up there with the most memorable games in my career,” Frantz said. “I’m going to remember it probably for the rest of my life just winning the senior Boot game.”

Frantz missed last year’s meeting with West High with a knee injury.

On Friday he was the difference as City High won back-to-back games over West High for the first time since 2010 and 2011.

The 5-foot-10, 195-pound Frantz accounted for all but 93 of the Little Hawks’ total yards with his 146 yards on the ground, the second highest total of his career.

“We knew we were going to go to Bryce all night and he knew it,” City High quarterback Nate Wieland said. “He just really put the team on his back for a couple possessions and did a great job.”

Frantz gave City High an early 7-0 lead it would never give up with a 10-yard touchdown run with 50 seconds left in the first quarter.

His second touchdown of the game, a 7-yard jaunt with 1:51 left in the third quarter, gave the Little Hawks what proved to be an insurmountable 20-0 cushion.

“He ran tough, he looked quick and he hit the hole,” City High coach Dan Sabers said. “A couple of times the holes weren’t big but he doesn’t need much. He sees it extremely well and he has that ability to quirt through.”

With City High holding a lead the Little Hawks kept going to their senior running back and Frantz kept piling up yards.

Before Friday Frantz hadn’t carried the ball more than 19 times in a game this season.

The only other game in his career with more than 20 carries was a 31-carry, 186-yard performance in the season finale last year at Muscatine.

“Coming into the game I didn’t really think I was going to get that many carries,” Frantz said. “I knew if I got going I was going to keep carrying the load.”

The performance by Frantz on Friday continued a strong start to his senior season.

Frantz has rushed for at least 94 yards in every game this season, eclipsing 100 yards three times.

In four games Frantz has rushed for 470 yards and seven touchdowns giving him 1,235 yards for his career.

Frantz now needs less than 600 yards to crack the prestigious top-10 for career rushing yards at City High.

“Playing running back at City High I don’t feel any extra pressure,” Frantz said. “I just feel like I big shoes to fill so I might as well step up to the plate and fill those shoes.”

Frantz has rushed for 100 yards six times in 12 games since returning from the injury that cost him three games last season.

During that span Frantz has scored touchdowns in 10 games and has scored two touchdowns in a game five times.

“He has really good field vision, he cuts back really well,” City High senior lineman Jordain Buckland said. “He’s not that flash guy that is going to bust out for like 300 yards but he gets the job done and gets in the end zone.”

Prep of the week: Skopec Shines at Cedar Rapids Invite

West High senior Gabby Skopec

By Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Gabby Skopec's official return to cross country came last October at the state meet in Fort Dodge.

In her first race in nearly a month, Skopec placed 58th at the 4A state meet to help West High to a fifth place team finish.

That performance at state will go down as Skopec’s formal return from a heel injury that caused her to sit out 30 days during her junior season.

The real Gabby Skopec returned last week.

Skopec won her first race since sustaining the injury on Oct. 1 last year, cruising to the individual title at the 18-team Cedar Rapids Invitational last Thursday at Seminole Valley Cross Country Course.

“It was special because I kind of feel like I took (winning) for granted last year,” Skopec said. “It was special for me to get back to that level.”

Skopec won the Cedar Rapids Invitational title in 18:56.81, nearly 20 seconds in front of runner-up Hannah Frazee of Cedar Rapids Prairie.

She took the lead early and cruised to her first win in more than 11 months.

“It felt really good, I wasn’t expecting to go in and be leading for that much of the race so I was really happy with it,” Skopec said. “I was not expecting to win and definitely not by that kind of margin. I thought I could win but I wasn’t expecting to.”

The victory by Skopec helped West High to a team title in a Cedar Rapids Invitational field that featured seven ranked teams.

West High finished 11 points in front of runner-up City High.

“This is what we expected from Gabby all the way through the year last year,” West High coach Mike Parker said. “She is a year older, a year more experienced and I think that year of extra training has allowed her later in race to just put the hammer down. Last year she was good but really there wasn’t a point in the race where she just put the hammer down and left people and she is doing that this year.”

Skopec appeared to be on her way to a special season last fall.

She won three of the first six meets she competed in, including a win at the Southeast Polk Invitational on Oct. 1.

That’s when Skopec first felt discomfort in her heel.

“I was running the race and it was hurting but I didn’t know how bad it was until after I finished,” Skopec said. “I was walking around after the race and it hurt really bad.”

A week of rest provided no relief so Skopec went for an X-Ray and was diagnosed with a stress fracture in her heel.

The only treatment – rest.

Skopec went 30 days between competitions after suffering her injury, returning only for the state meet.

“You could go to any meet if you are really good after sitting out four weeks but you can’t go to state where all those girls are good,” Parker said. “It broke my heart when I had to watch her struggle at state when I knew she was one of the best girls in the state.”

Skopec returned from her injury in time for track season and trained through the summer.

She entered her senior season poised for the breakthrough she expected last year.

“I tried to go into the offseason with a mentality that I wasn’t going to take any steps back,” Skopec said. “I’m just going to move forward from where I am.”

Skopec has picked up right where she left off before the injury.

The impressive win in Cedar Rapids vaulted Skopec to the top spot in the Class 4A individual rankings released by the Iowa Association of Track Coaches this week.

“She knows this is a short season and she commits to the time that it takes to get ready for the next practice after a challenging practice,” Parker said. “I think that will benefit her as we go through the season. As we mount all these miles the people that don’t prepare for practice that’s what really starts to drag them down. I think she will be as prepared as someone can be when we get to the state championships.”

Skopec’s return has helped West High climb to No. 2 in the 4A team rankings behind top-ranked Johnston.

Skopec joins juniors Bailey Nock and Claire Ronnenbaum as West High runners ranked in the top 11 in 4A.

West High will go head to head with Johnston on Saturday at the Heartland Classic at Iowa State.

“I think we can win state but we need to keep working hard so we can catch up to where Johnston is at,” Skopec said.

Prep of the Week: Siders Settling in on Defense

Clear Creek Amana senior Cory Siders

By Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Cory Siders always envisioned making an impact by catching the football. 

Siders finally got his hands on the ball enough to produce the breakthrough game he’d been waiting for on Friday but the way he made his biggest impression was slightly different than how he imagined.

A three-year varsity letter winner at wide receiver, Siders intercepted three passes in just his second career start at corner back as Clear Creek Amana shutout Independence 26-0.

“I had never played varsity defensive back before this year, last year I was basically all wide receiver,” Siders explained. “I was kind of expected to learn a new position because going into your senior year you are expected to do more than anyone else and I just tried to learn everything that I could. I guess it just came to me.”

After three seasons playing primarily receiver, defensive back has come naturally for Siders.

On Friday the football kept coming to Siders and the 6-0, 195-pound senior kept making plays.

Siders returned one of his three interceptions 66-yards for a touchdown to give Clear Creek Amana a 19-0 fourth-quarter lead.

“We ran a different type of coverage so as the corner I was pressed down on the flats,” Siders said of the interception return for a touchdown. “I saw that third guy bubble and all I did was stay back a little bit and right when I saw the quarterback flip his hips I went right for the ball and it came right to me.”

After dedicating three seasons to playing wide receiver Siders has used that offensive knowledge to aid in his transition to defense.

It showed on Friday as he broke on passes three times to end Independence drives with interceptions.

“That helps me a lot because I know how to read the receiver and I can kind of guess when he is going to break down and where the quarterback is going,” Siders said. “The biggest thing is just watching the quarterback.”

The career game for Siders wasn’t limited to his strong day on defense, he also had the best game of his career at receiver.

Siders entered the game with 13 career receptions after catching a team-high 10 passes for 123 yards a year ago.

He nearly equaled those numbers on Friday making a career-high seven receptions for 50 yards.

“Not only did he do a great job on defense with the pick-six and the other interceptions but he made a couple of one-handed catches on offense that were unbelievable too,” Clear Creek Amana coach Matt Hughes said. “That really brings a lot of confidence to our quarterback when he just has to get it close and Cory can get up there and snatch it.”

Two games into his senior season Siders has proved to be weapon on both sides of the ball.

Siders has now caught eight passes for 59 yards and a touchdown on the season.

“He’s always had those abilities we just haven’t been able to get him the ball as much as we’d like,” Hughes said. “He’s begged for the ball every year for three years and this year we are getting him the ball in space.”

Prep of the Week: Martin Shines in Season Debut

West High senior Oliver Martin

By Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – In a span of a few months Oliver Martin became one of the most sought after recruits in the country.

The West High senior rocketed up national recruiting rankings, picked up scholarship offers from some of the most prestigious programs in the nation and emerged as one of the top prep receivers in the country.

All without playing in an official football game.

When Martin returned to the field for his first official game since breaking onto the national scene this summer he showed exactly why he’s become such a hot commodity among college coaches.

Martin caught eight passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns, threw a touchdown pass and had an interception in a 42-17 win over Southeast Polk last Friday. 

“It was definitely a good feeling to get back on the field again, it is such a great atmosphere with Friday night lights especially here at West,” Martin said. “So it was just fun to get back on the field and play a game.”

In his first three prep seasons Martin rewrote the West High receiving records.

He entered his senior season owning seven receiving records at West High including the school’s all-time marks for receptions in a game, season and career.

A year ago Martin caught a career-high 73 passes for a school-record 1,187 yards and 14 touchdowns.

This summer the nation saw what those in Iowa had already seen from the 6-foot-1, 195-pound Martin.

He competed at The Opening Finals in Oregon and earned scholarship offers from Iowa, Notre Dame, Oregon, Michigan and Michigan State among others.

In Friday’s win over Southeast Polk he showed why.

“He gets a lot of questions asked of him (about recruiting) but at the end of the day he likes playing and he likes competing,” West High coach Garrett Hartwig said. “That was probably the first time he felt back to normal to a degree.”

The recruiting service 247Sports ranks Martin a four-star prospect, the 10th best wide receiver and 67th overall recruit in the country.

On Friday he looked like it.

Martin caught touchdown passes of 11 and 15 yards and also threw a 17-yard scoring strike to fellow receiver Devontae Lane on a reverse pass.

“That is a fun play,” Martin said of the jet sweep pass. “Devontae and I like to run it. We feel like it has a high chance of being executed. It was fun. A different type of play to call.”

The most important aspect of Martin’s season opening performance was that it helped West High to a win.

A year after opening the season with four consecutive losses the Trojans begin the season with some momentum.

“It means a lot to get the team confidence going into the rest of the season,” Martin said. “It was just great to see the offense moving the ball and the defense playing well. It gives us confidence going into the rest of the season.”