Lights, Camera, High School Hoops ACTION!!

The high school basketball season kicks into full gear next week with the Royals boys’ and girls’ teams set to play a pair of games. Both squads get their first taste of the Iowa Star Conference, which the school joined this season after a long run in the Heart of Iowa Conference. The girls are 0-1 after a 48-34 loss to West Marshall last Friday; the boys are 0-0. Here’s a quick look at the competition they will be facing this week:

Tuesday, November 30—Home vs. Waterloo Christian
Girls—This should be an excellent chance for the Colo-Nesco girls to get their first victory; Waterloo Christian was 0-20 last season, shooting just 15% as a team. Their leading returning scorer is Emily Wynthein, who averaged 2.7 points per game as a freshman.

Boys—The Regents boys’ team was 9-13 last year and return three starters and five letter winners. A solid junior class is led by 5’8” Lucas Segerstrom (9.2 PPG), 5’8” Chris Doering (6.6 PPG), 5’7” Peter Bernstrom (5.5 PPG) and 6’2” Ryan Wynthein (4.1 PPG). Segerstrom canned 47 three-pointers last season.


Friday, December 3—Away vs. North Tama
Girls—The Redhawks girls’ team is 1-0 after a 45-37 victory over Belle Plaine to start their season. They finished 10-13 last year. The Royals will have to contend with a solid inside game led by 6’2” junior Kailey Kladivo. Kladivo scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the game vs. Belle Plaine. She averaged 11.5 points and 9.2 rebounds as a sophomore last season. 5’10” senior Amanda Howard is another returning starter in the frontcourt and 5’9” junior Nicole Schlichting had 10 rebounds in the Redhawks first game. The guards are led by sophomore Allison Zobel, who had 15 points, 6 assists and 4 steals in the win over Belle Plaine.

Boys—Several key players on this years North Tama basketball squad are fresh off a state football championship. North Tama defeated Madrid 43-34 in the Class A state championship game earlier this month. 4 of their star basketball players were just named 1st Team and 2nd Team All-State in Class A football, so the Royals are sure to get a good test from a solid squad of athletes on Friday night. Four starters return from last year’s team that finished 13-10. Brendon Boerm, the Iowa Sports Connection’s Class A Player of the Year in football, averaged 15.5 points last season and returns as the teams leading scorer. Lucas Hefty, a first team All-State selection at wide receiver, returns as the team’s second leading scorer from last year, averaging 14.8 points. At 6’4”, he and 6’4” Mitchell Boerm, and 6’3” Tyler Cizek will be a load to handle for the Royals. Hefty and Cizek led the team in rebounds last season. Cade Isenhower, a first team All-State linebacker, was the team’s third leading scorer last year at 9.1 points per game. He was also the teams leading three-point shooter, making 34 treys.