CONFERENCE CHAMPS!!!

BY ANDREW GOGERTY

WOW.

WOW.  WOw. Wow.

Trailing by 1 point, with 15 seconds left, and the conference championship on the line, Royals point guard Shayla Dean advanced the ball up the court, split two defenders, and drove the ball inside the lane, laying it off the glass and into the hoop with 5 seconds to go, giving the Royals the game-winning basket in one of the most sensational girls high school basketball games I’ve ever seen.

This game had it all.  #8 Meskwaki versus #9 Colo-Nesco.  Conference title on the line.  20^th win of the season on the line.  A hostile environment (to say the least)!  The fourth quarter alone saw a four-point play, three ties, and NINE lead changes.  It was one of the top three or four Royals girls basketball games I’ve ever watched, ranking right near the top with the 1989 substate win over South Hamilton and some of the Jodi Beavers, Collins-Maxwell-Baxter slugfests.

Colo-Nesco led 14-11 after the first quarter, blossoming the lead to as high as 16 points with two minutes to play in the first half.  Haley Stoeffler continued her torrid shooting, scoring 11 crucial points in the first half.  But it was the play of Meskwaki’s Dia Keahna that nearly did in the Royals.  Keahna had 16 points in the first half and her three-point shooting, along with Tiana Thompson’s brought the Warriors all the way back in the second half.  I don’t know how many three-pointers Meskwaki hit, but it had to be something like 12 out of 20.  THEY COULD NOT MISS. 

Meskwaki tied the game with 30 seconds left in the third quarter and took its first lead with 7:30 to go in the ball game.  As mentioned earlier, it was back-and-forth from there, with one of the biggest plays coming with 1:30 to go in the game.  The Royals were up by one, 62-61, when Keahna hit another three-point basket, AND WAS FOULED.  She made the free throw to complete the four-point play (she finished with either 29 or 33 points) and the Royals were down three.  Colo-Nesco  trimmed the lead with 1 minute to play, 65-64 before Meskwaki and the Royals traded baskets again with Meskwaki leading 67-66.  After fouling with 15 seconds to go, Meskwaki missed the front end of a one and one.  That’s when Dean drove the length of the floor for the game-winner with 5 seconds left.  On the inbounds play, Meskwaki turned the ball over, stepping on the out of bounds line with three seconds to go.  Madison Farren then made one of two free throws, giving the Royals a two-point lead with 2 seconds to go.  Meskwaki couldn’t get a shot off; Game over.  Royals win 69-67.

Caitlyn Riese had one of the finest games of her career, scoring 18 points, many of which came during that ferocious fourth quarter.  Shayla Dean, a 5'2 sophomore, continues to play with the heart and leadership of a 6' senior.  The Royals finish as Conference Champs, ending the regular season with a record of 20-2.

There’s not much time for celebration, though.  A new season starts next week with tournament action beginning February 12^th in Colo.  The Royals need three wins to advance to the state tournament.  If the Royals advance to the substate game, the likely opponent would be…Meskwaki. 

Lady Royals Defeat #11 Team in 2A; Now 19-2

If you haven’t noticed yet, the Colo-Nesco girls’ basketball team is having a magnificent season. The Royals defeated Pella Christian, the #11 team in Class 2A, on Saturday afternoon in front of a large crowd in Colo to move its record to 19-2 on the season. The Royals have now defeated four teams ranked in the top 15 this year, two of which are in class 1A (Clarksville and Janesville) and two that are in 2A (West Marshall and Pella Christian).

Colo-Nesco used a barrage of three-pointers from Haley Stoeffler, Madison Eley, and Shelby Anthony, along with a solid inside game from Caitlyn Riese, and terrific defense from Madison Farren and Shayla Dean to secure the win over Pella Christian (14-4).

This is shaping up to be the finest season for a Colo-Nesco girls team since the 2001-2002 season in which the Royals made the state championship game, finishing as Runner-Up. That team was 26-2 and was anchored by a backcourt of Morgan Nelson and Dana Johnson who were named to the All-Tournament Team. Johnson is now the Assistant Coach for Wayne Cafferty. The Runner-Up team won 20 straight games and was ranked as high as #3 in Class 2A.

The Royals are defeating teams by an average of 27.4 points per game (third best in 1A). They are second in Class 1A in steals behind Burlington Notre Dame, sixth in Class 1A in assists, and eighth in Class 1A in points per game. They are also #5 in the state in 1A in three-point baskets made. Individually, Madison Eley leads the team in scoring at 13.4 ppg. She also ranks in the top 20 in Class 1A in three-pointers made. Shayla Dean ranks in the top ten in Class 1A in assists and is #1 in the state (all classes) in steals with 134. Dean, barely five feet tall, is the spark-plug behind a full-court, trapping defense that really gets after it and is really fun to watch.

The Royals will have a chance for their 20th win of the season on Tuesday evening with a road contest at #8 Meskwaki. Game time is 6:30 and this is a huge game. I highly recommend a road-trip to Tama to watch this contest if you can. Colo-Nesco has won thirteen straight games, with their last loss coming on December 11th against Meskwaki. The conference title is on the line and there’s a possibility that these two teams could meet again with a birth in the Girls State Tournament at stake in a couple of weeks. Let the madness begin!

Not Everyone's Excited About Peyton Manning

The constant waving of the arms at the line of scrimmage…

The never-ending audibles…

“Just throw the stupid ball!” I used to yell whenever I had to endure four quarters of Peyton Manning’s antics on television. My kids can’t even stand to play against him on Madden 12 on the Wii. Their patience grows weary.

Peyton Manning has always been one of my least favorite players in the NFL. Mostly due to the annoyances described above, partially because I was tired of always seeing Indy deep in the playoffs, partially because I just got sick of all the “Mannings” in the NFL, and partially because he played for the Colts…which had too many Hawkeye players on it—Bob Sanders; Dallas Clark, etc… Hey, I’m transparent. Sorry Iowa fans.

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Tim Tebow had become my favorite player in the NFL. I loved him when he was at Florida for everything he stood for spiritually and the way he competed. I loved him even more the day he was drafted by my lifelong favorite team in the NFL—the Denver Broncos. For me, it was a match made in heaven. Literally.

Tebow-Mania was in full force at our house last year. The night Denver won the playoff game against Pittsburgh in overtime, my dog bit me because I went so crazy after the Tebow-to-Thomas TD pass. What made it even more exciting was seeing my 10-year old son’s eyes light up every time Tebow would lead the Broncos on another game-winning drive. He has a Tebow jersey, Tebow poster, Tebow football cards, you name it. Watching the way he defied his critics this year and watching the way he led comeback after comeback, albeit not always in the prettiest of fashions, I had the most fun I’ve had as a Broncos fan since John Elway last won a Super Bowl.

Today, I had to tell my son that Peyton Manning had picked the Denver Broncos. I dreaded the moment, probably like my dad the day he had to tell me the school bus driver ran over my dog when I was in first grade.

He was heartbroken.

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The Broncos just signed the most highly-touted free agent in the history of the NFL. Denver’s chances of winning the Super Bowl, according to Las Vegas, went from 70:1 to 10:1, instantly. I should be happy about this, right?

In some ways, yes, I am. I’m happy that Denver is going “all-in” to try to win another Super Bowl. I’m happy that they will probably sign some other highly talented players to go around him: Jeff Saturday, the Pro Bowl Center; even Dallas Clark, the Pro Bowl Tight End, possibly.

Do I think that Peyton Manning is a better QB than Tim Tebow? Of course…IF he’s healthy. And that’s a big “if.” Manning is 36 years old, coming off of multiple neck surgeries. Tebow is 24, as healthy as they come, with a work ethic second to none.

Do I think the Broncos will have a better passing game with Manning? Absolutely. There were times last year when Tebow looked terrible throwing the ball. No one can deny that. At the same time, when Denver actually opened up the offense and just let Tebow air it out, it was a different story.

Do I think the Broncos will win more games with Manning? Probably. But this one, I’m not as sure about. I don’t think you can underestimate the number of games Denver won solely on Tebows desire and the way he inspired his teammates in key situations last season.

What about Tebow-Mania? Tim Tebow energized the Broncos fan base last year. Single-handily. The world-wide interest the club drew because of him and the financial windfall the organization made off of him is probably immeasurable. Sure, Manning will create some of that as well, but will it create the same buzz?

Tim Tebow is more than a football player. He represents so much more than that, and that is what draws so many people to him. Peyton Manning is just a football player. True, he’s one of the greatest ever, but we don’t know yet if he’ll still have “greatest-ever” abilities with the Denver Broncos.

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The constant waving of the arms at the line of scrimmage…

The never-ending audibles…

Tim Tebow exciting another fan-base elsewhere…

As long as Peyton Manning wins us a Super Bowl or two, I guess it will all be worth it? I’m not so sure you can convince my ten-year old son of that. Tebow-Mania was awfully fun.

--By Andrew Gogerty

Iowa Star Conference Preview (Girls)

It’s November, the first Winter Storm Watch of the approaching winter has been posted, and high school basketball is right around the corner. Here’s a sneak preview at the top three girls’ teams in the North and South Divisions of the Iowa Star Girls Conference. Boys’ preview coming at a later date. Enjoy!

Iowa Star South:

1. North Tama—North Tama returns 3 starters from a 20-4 squad a year ago, including 6’2” senior center Kailey Kladivo. Kladivo led the team with 19.2 points per game, 13.8 rebounds per game and 1.2 blocks per game last season. Other returning starters are Allison Zobel (9.3 ppg, 3.2 rebounds/game, 4.1 assists/game and 2 steals/game) and Aryn Isenhower (1.8 ppg, 3.2 rebounds/game, 2.5 assists/game, 2.1 steals/game). Sydney Fehr (5.7 ppg) and Nicole Schlichting (4.9 rpg) should round out the starting line-up for a powerful Redhawks squad that could be rated in the top 10.

2. Colo-Nesco—The Royals return 7 of their 9 top scorers from a 16-7 squad a year ago, led by shooting guard Madison Eley and senior forward Jessica Johnson. Eley led the team with 12.3 points per game, 4.6 rebounds, 3.8 steals and 2.8 assists. Johnson averaged 9.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3 steals a year ago. Other key returnees/starters are Caitlyn Riese (6.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.0 bpg), Haley Stoeffler (6.0 ppg, 1.3 spg), Dana Baker (3.3 ppg, 2.0 apg, 1.7 spg), Erica Babinat (3.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.3 spg) and Madison Farren (1.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg). The Royals will be the deepest, most experienced team in the league and will challenge the Redhawks for the South Division title and should make a deep run in the post-season tourney.

3. Don Bosco—A deep collection of juniors return to a Don Bosco team that finished 11-11 a year ago. Four of five starters return and 7 of the teams top 8 scorers, led by junior Melissa Ament (10.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg). She will be joined by fellow juniors Brittany Hickson (9.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg), Karli Welter (4.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 2.7 apg) and Cate Paulsen (7.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg). Other key returnees are juniors Kyndal Gardner (3.9 ppg) and Olivia Rigdon (2.0 ppg) and sophomore Kaitlyn McGarvey (1.2 ppg, 3.4 rpg). Look for Don Bosco to make great strides this season and potentially be a top 10 or 20 team next year with all of those seniors.

Iowa Star North:

1. Tripoli—Tripoli finished 23-2 last year and returns its top two leading scorers: Megan Gilbert and Bailey Kirchoff. Gilbert averaged 16.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.0 blocks per game last season. Kirchoff averaged 10.7 points, 3.4 steals and 1.7 assists while connecting for 32 3-pointers. They will be joined by Ashlen Damm (3.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.5 spg), Hannah Gienau (2.3 ppg), Sara Hoppenworth (2.4 ppg) and Jenna Capper (1.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg). Tripoli will miss the scoring of three senior starters from a year ago that all averaged over 9 points per game.

2. Clarksville—Clarksville returns every player from a team that finished 12-11 last season. Like Don Bosco, they are led by a solid group of juniors including Hannah Poppe (12.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg), Megan Backer (10.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.2 spg), Kayla Mennenga (9.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 56 3-pointers), Kimberly Wedeking (3.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.2 spg), senior Carissa Kelm (3.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.7 spg) and sophomore Emily Mennenga (5.6 ppg, 2.1 rpg). Like Don Bosco, look for Clarksville to make major strides this season and be a strong force to reckon with next year.

3. Northeast Hamilton—Coach Brandon Frohwein lost one of the best players in the league from last year’s 17-7 squad in Kalli Richardson (20.8 ppg), but returns two starters including senior Kayla Fonken (5.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.9 bpg, 1.5 spg) and junior Jennifer Willems, the teams leader in assists a year ago (3.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 4.0 apg). Molly Greenfield will be counted on to give the team a third scorer as she averaged 4 points per game and 2.7 rebounds last year. Other experience returning includes Jennifer Jeffers and Sara Elm.

Hope Springs Eternal

Iowa State quarterback Jerome Tiller threw the prettiest ball he’s thrown in three years on the opening play from scrimmage in today’s annual spring game—a 30 yard tight spiraled strike to Darius Reynolds into a stiff wind. Highly touted junior college transfer Steele Jantz threw an equally impressive touchdown strike later in the first half. Jantz’ throw was into a stiff wind too. The defense returns 9 of 11 starters from a unit that surprised most college football experts a year ago. A new 13-year television deal between Fox and the Big 12 was inked this past week, meaning nearly every Cyclone football game will be televised beginning in 2012. The deal, according to Big 12 officials is the most lucrative television contract in all of sports. Yes, hope springs eternal in Cyclone country this April, still four months away from another college football season.

It was a windy, cold day at Jack Trice Stadium, but that didn’t stop thousands of Cyclone fans from venturing out to see who the new quarterback might be this fall, or what all the hype is about a slew of exciting running backs—maybe the best depth and combination of running backs the school has ever had when it’s all said and done.

It appears as though Jerome Tiller (12-18; 174 yards; 2 TD’s) and Steele Jantz remain in a close competition at the QB spot. Jantz threw for 113 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown pass from Jantz was a gorgeous 50-yard touch pass to his junior college teammate Aaron Horne. Of all the players that impressed me the most today, it was Horne who had 8 catches for 124 yards and a touchdown. Horne, will join three returning starters from last years receiving corps—Darius Reynolds, Darius Darks and Josh Lenz to give the Cyclones a potent, experienced passing game. The biggest question that remains though, is who will be leading that passing attack?

Whether it’s Jantz, Tiller, or even freshman Jared Barnett who looked great as a scrambler but not so much as a passer, one thing is for certain—it’s April, there’s a lot of talent returning from a team that nearly made a bowl game last year, there’s the new TV deal, we get the Hawks at home this year, and yes—hope springs eternal.

Falling In Love With…Soccer???

I used to hate soccer. Despised it, actually. The whole “minivan” and “coffee addict-soccer mom” stigmas overshadowed the thoughts that soccer was actually a real sport. That, and the fact that so many matches ended with such low scores and I really had no reason to watch it gave me little reason to think otherwise. It just never seemed as exciting as the big television sports of baseball, basketball and football.

As a sports fan, I’d always dreamed of cheering for my children someday when they played sports. Until recently, there hadn’t been anything to get too excited about (the tee-ball games and soccer games ages five through nine are mostly fun and exercise more than anything). But a year and a half ago, it finally began to get exciting. My oldest boy, Sawyer (now 12), was in a Youth Soccer League that included 6 other central Iowa teams: Gilbert, Nevada, Indianola, Knoxville, Urbandale and Altoona. He was finally at the age where they started to keep score and keep track of team records. The games actually meant something.

After losing the first game that year, the boys improved leaps and bounds every week. Other than a tie with a tough Knoxville team on the road, the Ballard boys didn’t lose another contest all season. With a record of 5-1-1, the Division title came down to the final game of the season—a rematch with Gilbert, the only team we had lost to. The boys won that contest to finish 6-1-1, and for the first time in my life, I was really excited about soccer.

Last season wasn’t quite as successful, with several of the boys from the previous year’s team graduating up to the next age level. There was talent, but they lacked experience and cohesiveness. This year though, the excitement is back. The boys have started the season 2-0, looking very impressive after a 10-1 victory on Sunday. It’s been really fun to watch a core group of kids stick together and mature into a cohesive unit this early into the season. It’s becoming obvious that if this group and the group ahead of them sticks together through high school that they could accomplish some really great things.

It’s amazing what happens to your interests in life when your kids are involved. The Ballard high school squad is currently ranked #9 in boys’ soccer. My son’s Youth 12 team plays a tough Perry squad this coming Sunday and I can’t wait to see how we do. Our little “right defender” is playing some good soccer with a great bunch of kids right now and for the first time in my life I can honestly say, “I’m loving soccer.”

THIS is daytime drama!

It always cracks me up this time of year when the NCAA Tournaments take over daytime television for a whole two days. A WHOLE TWO DAYS. Every year, CBS has to scroll across the bottom of the screen that the normal daytime soap operas won’t be airing, much to the chagrin of millions of soap opera junkies.

But CBS has it all wrong.

The NCAA Tournaments ARE daytime drama—the best kind imaginable! I mean seriously, if this was the kind of daytime drama that was on 365 days of the year, think of how many more stay-at-home dads there would be!

Instead of home-wreckers, there are bracket-busters. Instead of people cheating on their spouses or significant others, there’s millions of employees cheating their bosses out of time worked by watching the games while they should be working. Instead of extra-marital affairs and catfights, there are coaches playing against their former schools or alma maters or mentors. There is cliffhanger after cliffhanger as fans sit on the edge of their seats to see how their brackets and favorite teams will play out.

Will Oakland beat Texas? Can Duke successfully defend its national championship? Can Belmont be this year’s Cinderella? Will Kansas’ Bill Self have to face his former team (Illinois) in the second round? How will two completely different styles of play with Kentucky versus Princeton unravel? Which high-seed will be upset first? Can a guy named “Jimmer” single-handedly lead BYU to the Final Four?

Forget the Bold and the Beautiful. This is daytime drama at its finest!