Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

SOLON – Jason Pershing is always looking for ways to challenge his Solon basketball team.

Scheduling quirks have provided plenty of challenges for the Spartans the past two seasons.

Last January it was five games in seven days.

A trip to Mount Vernon last Friday started a string of five games in eight days this year.

The latest challenge may be the greatest for Solon as it closes its five-game stretch by tipping off games with arguably the two best teams on its schedule just more than 12 hours a part.  

Solon (9-4) hosts WAMAC East leading Western Dubuque (10-2) on Friday and kicks off the Wells Fargo Advisors Classic at the US Cellular Center on Saturday at 8:30 a.m. against two-time defending 3A state champ Cedar Rapids Xavier (9-3).

“This group needs to be challenged, they want to be challenged because they all compete at such a high level,” Pershing said. “It’s going to be a challenge no doubt but they are ready for it.”

Solon won the first four games of its five games in seven days stretch last season before a loss to Dyersville Beckman.

This year Pershing said the Spartans, who return three starters from last year’s team are more equipped to handle that type of schedule.

“This year I think it’s a little bit different than last year and I think we are more prepared since we did it last year,” Pershing said. “The kids have talked about it and are mentally prepared for it because we’ve done it before.”

At 9-4 and 5-3 in WAMAC East play the Spartans are in a position where every game matters.

That is part of what makes the back-to-back games to close the stretch so intriguing for Pershing.

“It’s exciting to be in games that matter, those are the gams that you want to play in,” Pershing said.

The busiest stretch of the season for Solon got off to a rough start when Highway 1 rival to the north Mount Vernon hit beat the buzzer for a 63-61 win.

Less than 24 hours later the Spartans responded, going south down Highway 1 to win to pull out a 48-41 win over rival Regina.

“It’s a mindset, the way that they responded is exactly what you want from a high school team,” Pershing said. “You’d like to be able to bottle that up.”

Solon won at Central DeWitt on Tuesday to set up a showdown with Western Dubuque on Friday on a night the Spartans have billed ‘Fill the Gym’ night.

On Saturday the Spartans take their shot against a Xavier squad riding a five-game winning streak that has been the gold standard in Class 3A over the past several seasons.

“That is where you want to be at the end of the year so when you have an opportunity to get a taste of it that’s huge, I don’t care who we play,” Pershing said. “You get a chance to play there and that’s part of it.”

West High Ties State Record

79 down, one to go.

With a 69-42 win over Linn-Mar last week West High tied Palmer for the state record with its 79th consecutive home win.

West High hasn’t lost a home game since December 21 2010, a streak that spans over eight seasons.

The Trojans will try to break the state record when they host cross-town rival City High on January 23.

Wells Fargo Advisors Shootout

City High was part of the inaugural Wells Fargo Advisors Shootout, falling to Joe Wieskamp-led Muscatine 76-57 on Saturday.

The second day of the first-year event is Saturday and Solon and West High get their shot to perform on the big stage at the US Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids.

Solon (9-4) kicks off a seven-game day on Saturday, facing two-time defending 3A champion Cedar Rapids Xavier (9-3) at 8:30 a.m.

Class 4A top-ranked West High (10-1) faces Cedar Rapids Prairie (7-5) in the finale at 7 p.m.

Performances of the Week

West Branch sophomore Tanner Lukavsky had 20 points, nine rebounds and four steals in a 71-34 win over Mid-Prairie.

Regina sophomore Even Brauns had 15 points, seven rebounds and seven blocks in a 65-47 win over Durant.

Solon sophomore AJ Coons had 21 points, four rebounds and four assists in a 61-54 win over Maquoketa.

Clear Creek Amana junior Nolan Schwarting had 16 points and four rebounds in a 72-66 loss to Independence.

West High junior Patrick McCaffery had 23 points and five rebounds in a 69-42 win over Linn-Mar.