Potential is high with Tigers

Members of the 2017-18 Tipton girl’s basketball team are, front row l-r:  Zoe Comstock, Samantha DeMoss, Zoe Rezac, Tiffany Schott and Allison Ryan.  Second row: Emily Hermsen, Laken Hermiston, Jamie Kofron, Laressa Stout and Amanda Smith.  Third row: Nova Gordon, Kamryn Chapman, Bailey Schmidt, Madison Conrad and Manager Jaci Samuels.  Fourth row: Kaylea Claussen, Elizabeth Bierman, Hailey Stewart, Alex Hoffman, Keelie Claussen, Liz Bierman, Halle McCollough and Kiera Scott.  Not pictured: Veronica Liu, Manager.  Photo by Ryan Stonebraker.

By Ryan Stonebraker

Sports Editor, Tipton Conservative

TIPTON — Potential surrounds the Tipton girl’s basketball team this year after a 7-16 season last year.  Many of the current Tigers have played significant minutes each of the past two years and the some players made state runs last year in track and this past fall in volleyball.  That success has basketball in its sight as the Tigers look to reach the 10-win mark for the first time since the 2010-11 season and a winning record for just the fourth time in ten years.

Four starters return for the Tigers led by All-RVC South Division guard Emily Hermsen.  Hermsen led Tipton in scoring with a 12.2-point average, assists with 61, steals with 35 and made three pointers with 44.  Returning starters joining Hermsen are guard senior Zoe Rezac (2.6 ppg) who was the team’s third leading rebounder and junior Amanda Smith (7.5 ppg) who was second in rebounding.  The other returning starter is Junior forward Jamie Kofron.  Kofron returns to anchor the inside game and was the Tigers second leading scorer at 8.4 points a game and top rebounder.  She also shot the second most free throws on the team last year.  

Depth will be a strength this season with five players returning to the four starters with varsity experience.  A fifth starter will come from that depth.  Back will be seniors Samantha DeMoss (3.7 ppg, 21 assists), Tiffany Schott (0.4 ppg) and Allie Ryan (3.9 ppg, 3.4 rebounds a game) and sophomores Kamryn Chapman (1.3 ppg) and Laken Hermiston 0.2 ppg).

The Tigers as a team will have to cut down on turnovers to move up in the RVC standings. As a team they had 365 in 23 games or nearly 16 a game last year.  If they can, the 7-team RVC South is wide open after preseason class 2A #2 ranked Iowa City Regina.  Tipton has not finished higher than fifth in the RVC South in the short 4-years prior to this year.

Members of the 2017-18 North Cedar girl’s basketball team are, front row l-r: Darby Hawtrey, Katie Thompson, Tessa Fields, Kayla Sander and Kayla Syring.  Back row: Nicole Sander, Lexi Crist, head coach Glenn Hay, assistant coach Alex Curley, assistant coach Victor Curley, Leah Crock and Grace Proesch. Photo by Ryan Stonebraker.

Knights Have Five Seniors, six returners back

CLARENCE — North Cedar won nine games last season under coach Glenn Hay.  This season, the Knights return five seniors and six total returners from that team.

North Cedar will be led by four seniors who all started last season.  They are guards Tessa Fields and Lexi Crist and forwards Darby Hawtrey and Leah Crock.  Crock led the Knights in scoring last season with a 9.7-point average and was second in rebounding with a 6.8 per game average and led North Cedar in blocked shots with 34.  Lexi Crist was second in scoring last season with an 8.7-point average.  She had 32 assists and 22 steals. And shot 79-percent from the free throw line.  Darby Hawtrey averaged 7.0 points and a team high 7.8 rebounds a game.  Tessa Fields averaged 6.6 points a game and had a team high 86 assists and 63 steals.

Key reserve last year Grace Proesch returns.  Proesch averaged 3.3 points a game, 42 rebounds, 37 steals and 21 assists.  

Also on the varsity roster are juniors Katie Thompson and Kayla Sander and sophomore Kayla Syring.

North Cedar plays eight games before Christmas break.  The Knights will play four of their five RVC North opponents before Christmas, all on the road.  The Knights will play the first of two games with rival Tipton on Tuesday, December 12.

Members of the 2017-18 Wilton girl’s basketball team are, front row l-r: Lexi Maurer, Linsey Ford, Becca Ball, Taylor Garvin and Kali Milder.  Back row: Taylor Goldermann, Kortney Drake, Emily Lange, Aubrey Putman and Makayla Brock.  Contributed Photo.

Beavers Look To Move Up In RVC South

WILTON —  The Wilton Beavers are looking for bigger things this season.  Wilton won 13 games last year and return seven players and three starters from that team.  Another reason for higher expectations is a record breaking season on the volleyball court this fall.  Many of the returners played on the Beaver volleyball team that set a new record with 34 wins.

Wilton returns three starters from last year’s team who happen to be their top three returning scorers.  Juniors Emily Lange, Kortney Drake and Aubrey Putman return.  Drake and Lange are two time all-conference players including both being named last year to the All-RVC South team.

Drake and Lange each averaged 12.1 points a game while Putman averaged 8.3 points a game.  The trio also were the Beavers top-3 rebounders, assist leaders and steal leaders.  Putman led in rebounds with 141.  Drake led in assists and steals with 77 and 61.  Lange was second in each category.

Two key seniors return after coming off the bench last year in Kali Milder and Lexi Maurer.  Milder shot 73-percent from the free throw line and Maurer averaged 2.8 points a game and had 60 rebounds.  Other returners are senior Taylor Goldermann (0.6 ppg) and junior Linsey Ford (1.0 ppg).

One concern for Wilton this season will be free throw and perimeter shooting.  Wilton shot 61-percent from the free throw line last year.  The Beavers made only 26 three-pointers last season.

Members of the 2017-18 Durant girl’s basketball team are, front row l-r: (seated) Hannah Happ, Kylie Kay, Claire Paulsen, Emily Seligman, Ruby Kappeler and Kaitlyn Wiese.  Back row: Amanda Wiese, Annie Taylor, Aubrin Dittmer, Kamryn Meyer, Brittany Kahl and Lauren Ralfs.  Photo by Ryan Stonebraker.

Opportunity For Wildcats This Season

DURANT — The 2016-17 Durant Wildcats saw their record slip a little last season with four wins, but eight more games were decided by less than 10 points.  The Wildcats hope that they are on the other end of close games this year.  Veteran coach Doug Frett returns to guide the Wildcats this season.

Opportunity is available for Wildcat players after the graduation of four starters including RVC Elite team member Aubrey Werthmann who now plays at Simpson College.  The lone starter back is senior Amanda Wiese.  Wiese averaged 2.6 points a game and was the second leading rebounder last year with a 4.9 per game average.

The Wildcats will have five seniors on the roster this year in Wiese, Kaitlyn Wiese, Lauren Ralfs (2.4 ppg), Brittany Kahl and Emily Seligman (0.4 ppg).  Also back are juniors Hannah Happ (3.8 ppg, 27 steals) and Annie Taylor (0.8 ppg, 35 rebounds).

Also out this year and looking for varsity playing time are juniors Claire Paulsen, Ruby Kappeler, Kamryn Meyer and Aubrin Dittmer and sophomore Kylie Kay.   

The Wildcats have nearly half of their games this year before Christmas.  The Wildcats will have home games with Mount Pleasant and West Branch to start the season.  Durant also hosts North Cedar, Bellevue Marquette, Bellevue, Mid-Prairie and Wilton before Christmas.  Of the 11 games Durant is on the road in three games, at Tipton, Mid-Prairie and Iowa City Regina.