By Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Game of the Week

4A No. 1 West High (7-1) at Linn-Mar (4-3)

A couple of Mississippi Valley Conference heavyweights hook up on Tuesday when West High travels to Linn-Mar.

West High has won six straight in the series between two of the top programs in the state over the past decade including a 77-71 win over the Lions last year at West.
Each of the past two meetings have been decided by less than six points with West High winning the last meeting in Marion 61-56 two seasons ago.

West High has won back-to-back games by more than 30 points after a loss to Cedar Rapids Prairie to close out 2016.

Linn-Mar is coming off a 59-48 loss to second-ranked Cedar Rapids Kennedy, it’s second loss of the season to the Cougars.

Leading the way for Linn-Mar is 6-foot-5 sophomore Trey Hutcheson who averages 13.6 points and seven rebounds per game.

What to Watch

The last time Solon and Mount Vernon met the Spartans pulled off the upset of the post-season, stunning the Mustangs 49-42 in a 3A substate final at the US Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids.

Solon (6-2) will try to make it two in a row over their Highway 1 neighbor to the north on Friday when it hosts 3A No. 9 Mount Vernon (7-2) in a WAMAC East Division showdown.

There isn’t a state tournament berth on the line in this matchup but the winner stays in the thick of the WAMAC East race while the loser falls further back of East leader West Delaware.

Keep an Eye On

West Branch sophomore Beau Cornwell has followed up his strong debut season with a stellar second act.

Cornwell is averaging 17.8 points per game this season for the Bears but has taken his game up a notch after the holiday break.

In two January games Cornwell is averaging 20 points while shooting 54 percent from the field.

Cornwell is averaging 5.5 assists per game over the last two including an eight-assist performance in a win over Durant.

The Schedule

Tuesday Jan. 10

4A No. 1 West High (7-1) at Linn-Mar (4-3)

Cedar Rapids Washington (2-7) at City High (1-9)

Wilton (1-10) at West Branch (6-5)

Maquoketa (3-6) at Solon (6-2)

Durant (5-5) at Regina (6-3)

Clear Creek Amana (1-7) at Independence (3-6)

Friday Jan. 13

City High (1-9) at 3A No. 9 Cedar Rapids Xavier (2-6)

West Branch (6-5) at Mid-Prairie (3-7)

3A No. 10 Mount Vernon (7-2) at Solon (6-2)

Marion (6-4) at Clear Creek Amana (1-8)

Saturday Jan. 14

2A No. 7 Cascade (9-0) at Regina (6-3)

4A No. 1 West High (7-1) at Blue Valley Northwest (Kansas) (5-1)