Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

The unveiling of the Your Prep Sports Best Moments Bracket continues with the release of the second of four ‘regions’.

On Tuesday the Your Prep Sports Best Moments Bracket was revealed for the first time with the release of the Winter Sports Region that featured 16 of the best moments from winters sports since YPS was created in 2016.

Next up is the Fall Sports Region which will give readers a look at half of the 64-moment field.

The Spring and Summer Sports Regions will be published later this week.

While he objective of a bracket is to determine a champion. We welcome your feedback on the best moments in YPS history but ultimately the objective is to relive some fond memories and amazing stories made possible by area athletes.

Nock Claims State Cross Country Title (October 29, 2016)

West High has a storied history at the state cross country meet.

Bailey Nock etched her own chapter in the winning legacy at West High when she outkicked Johnson junior Jessica McKee over the final 300 yards to win the Class 4A state title in 18:06.9.

Nock became the sixth individual champion in West High history and the first since Sarah Wickman won the second of her two 4A titles in 2005.

“My coach this whole season has said, ‘keep your head high, stay focused on the girl in front of you don’t look at the ground, and when I looked up I saw that with 300 yards left I wasn’t that far behind,” Nock said. “I was surprised how close I was, I gave it everything I had and it was enough.”

West High Stuns Bettendorf to Reach Class 4A Semifinal (October 28, 2016)

To rise to the next level every program needs to take the first big step.

For West High that step came in the form of a 24-17 road upset of fifth-ranked Bettendorf in the second round of the Class 4A state playoffs.

West High scored the go-ahead touchdown on a screen pass from Evan Flitz to Devontae Lane with 4:19 left.

The Trojans clinched the win and set off a wild celebration when senior Oliver Martin recovered a fumble with less than a minute to play.

“We just played with heart,” West High senior linebacker Max Brown said. “We knew it was going to be a tough game, and we thought about it all week. Our D-line was motivated, and our linebackers were motivated. We just really wanted to play Bettendorf. We’ve had a lot of difficulty with this team in the past, but now it’s a rivalry.”

West High went on to defeat sixth-ranked Cedar Rapids Prairie and Cedar Rapids Washington to reach the Class 4A title game where it fell to 23-10 to West Des Moines Dowling.

Adam Finishes Runner-up in State Diving Competition (November 6, 2016)

Entering her second appearance at the state diving competition Andrea Adam just wanted a state medal.

Adam got a lot more than that as she finished runner-up in the 1-meter diving competition with a career-best score of 468.5.

Adam, who attended Regina but competed for City High, placed 10th in her state debut as a junior before finishing behind only two-time state champion Claire Park of Pleasant Valley in her final season.

“I really just wanted to get on the podium I didn’t know if that was sixth place or fourth place but I definitely did not expect second,” Adam said. “That was crazy.”

City High Stretches State Cross Country Streak to 30 (October 19, 2017)

There were some doubts and a few tense moments but City High stretched its state-record string of consecutive state cross country meet appearances to an even 30 with a third-place finish at the Class 4A state qualifier as Ashton Cross Country Course in Iowa City.

City High entered unranked and didn’t have a runner finish better than 10th but found a way to push its state meet streak to three decades.

Senior Amelia Morrow placed 10th to lead five Little Hawks in the top 20 as City High finished with 82 points, 24 in front of North Scott for the final state meet spot.

“Coming in I couldn’t stop thinking that I didn’t want to be the team to drop the ball and stop the streak,” City High senior Amelia Morrow said. “It kind of weighs on you but I think it’s good because it pushes you.”

Regina Returns to State Volleyball Tournament (October 31, 2017)

Regina wasn’t perfect in its Class 2A regional final win over Wilton that sent the Regals to the state tournament.

But the Regals weren’t far from perfection.

Regina trailed for only two points, held a 40-16 edge in kills and a 9-1 advantage in ace serves in a sweep of No. 12 Wilton that sent the Regals to the state tournament for the third time and first since 2013.

Jaedynn Evans had a match-high 14 kills and Alex Wiese had 12 to lead Regina which didn’t allow more than 19 points in a single set.

“For sure, 100 percent that is the best we have played all season,” Evans said. “That was without a doubt our best match.”

West High Reaches 4A Title Game For Second Straight Season (November 10, 2017)

West High used a dominating defensive effort to reach the state title game for the second consecutive season blanking fourth-ranked Bettendorf 23-0 in a Class 4A state semifinal.

The Trojans held Bettendorf to 98 yards of total offense, six first downs and 1.7 yards per carry on 31 rushing attempts while posting the first shutout in a 4A semifinal since 2000.

West High forced four turnovers against a Bettendorf team that committed three turnovers in its first 11 games while reaching the 4A title game in back-to-back seasons for the second time in program history and first since 1999.

Senior quarterback Evan Flitz passed for 282 yards and two touchdowns to provide all the offense that West High would need.

“When you shut out a good team that’s when it feels the best,” West High coach Garrett Hartwig said. “And that’s a good football team.”

Regina Edges Pella Christian to Reach Eighth Straight Title Game (November 11, 2017)

Regina had to endure some tense moments but survived a pair of late field goal attempts to reach the state title game for a staggering eighth consecutive season with a 37-35 win over third-ranked Pella Christian in a Class 1A semifinal.

The Regals built a 37-21 third-quarter lead but Pella Christian scored the final 14 points and two chances to take late leads but missed field goals of 29 and 47 yards in the final two minutes as Regina survived.

Michael Conlon passed for 263 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 95 yards and a score as Regina won its 10th consecutive state semifinal.

“To me it was an instant classic,” Regina coach Marv Cook said. “It was a great football game and fortunately for us we were able to come up on the high side of the scoreboard.”

West Branch’s Butch Pedersen Gets Number 300 (September 14, 2018)

The first win of Butch Pedersen’s hall of fame coaching career came against Tipton in 1983.

It was another win over the Tigers 35 years later that put the long-time West Branch coach in select company.

Pedersen became the 13th coach in Iowa football history to reach the 300-win plateau with a 56-13 win over Tipton at the Little Rose Bowl in West Branch.

The win improved Pedersen’s career record to 300-74 an impressing winning percentage of .802.

“It’s been a blessing for me to be at West Branch,” Pedersen said. “I’ve had great coaches, great fans. Everybody I can possibly think of has been very supportive of this football program. Three hundred is really an honor for me because not many people have been able to do that. But most important is my kids and my players, they’re improving and that’s what I like most about this season.”

Clear Creek Amana Starts 7-0 For First Time (October 16, 2018)

Clear Creek Amana made history with a week seven win over Davenport Assumption and the Clippers did it in the most memorable fashion possible.

The Clippers improved to 7-0 for the first time in program history with a weather-shortened 17-7 win over Davenport Assumption on a stormy and rain-soaked evening in Tiffin.

Originally set for 7:15 p.m., the game was bumped up to 5:30, delayed for 2:49 minutes in the opening quarter and eventually called with 8:53 left and the Clippers leading 17-7.

Senior quarterback Andrew Rohret rushed for 119 yards and two touchdowns and senior tailback Zach Kabbage ran for 96 yards.

“This is something we will remember forever,” Clear Creek Amana coach Gabe Bakker said. “We’ve been here what almost seven hours? Our kids responded well to everything from the early start time and the delay and I couldn’t be any more proud of them.”

The 7-0 start helped Clear Creek Amana reach the 3A playoffs for first time since 2015.

Regina Girls Cross Country Finishes Runner-up (October 27, 2018)

The best individual performance by a Regina runner in nearly a decade led the Regals to the top team performance since 2011 as Regina finished runner-up at the Class 1A state cross country meet.

Annalee Bartles placed fifth, the best performance by a Regal at state since Nicole Keinmeyer was third in 2009 as Regina finished runner-up to top-ranked Logan-Magnolia in the first season under head coach Liam Hartley.

Regina had two runners in the top 14 in the team scoring and finished with 128 point, 14 in front of third-place Hudson.

Josie was 14th in the team scoring for Regina.

“Our goal was just to do our best,” Bartles said. “We wanted to get out there and give it our best. We didn’t have a real goal but I definitely think we exceeded our expectations.”

Liberty High Reaches Football Postseason For First Time (October 25, 2019)

It took only two seasons of varsity football for Liberty High to get its first taste of the postseason.

In just its second year of varsity competition Liberty High finished the regular season 7-2 and locked up a spot in the Class 3A playoffs with a 56-0 win over Clinton in the regular season finale.

The 7-2 season came after Liberty High went 3-6 in its varsity debut season in 2018.

Max Tafolla rushed for 179 and Kaleb Williams added 122 yards on the ground as the Lightning rolled up 425 rushing yards in its playoff-clinching win over Clinton.

“Well, we actually envisioned more than (a seven-win season),” Liberty High coach Jeff Gordon said. “In every game we’ve been in, we could’ve won or we could’ve lost. It’s just worked out that way. So I’m just really proud of the guys because they could’ve quit at any point in the last couple or four years.”

Clear Creek Amana Posts Second Straight Runner-up Finish at State Cross Country (November 2, 2019)

Prior to the 2016 the Clear Creek Amana cross country team had made one trip to the state meet.

Four years later the Clippers posted their second consecutive Class 3A state runner-up finish in their fourth straight trip to the state meet.

Senior Nick O’Connor placed 11th as Clear Creek Amana finished one point behind Dallas Center-Grimes in the Class 3A standings.

Brandon Barker joined O’Connor in the top-15, placing 13th as Clear Creek Amana had multiple state medalists for the first time.

“Coming here and getting 14th with 300 some points my freshman year to losing a state title by one point, we’ve grown a lot in my four years,” O’Connor said. “It’s been amazing to be part of this team the past four years. I’m really happy with what we’ve been able to do.”

Liberty High Makes First Tournament Appearance in School History (November 4, 2019)

After two years of firsts in the Liberty High athletic department the Lightning volleyball team pulled off the most historic win in school history.

Second-ranked Liberty High became the first team in school history to advance to a state tournament with a sweep of No. 11 Dubuque Hempstead in the Class 5A, Region 7 title game.

Liberty High improved to 34-2 with the win which came after Liberty High posted a combined 32-35 mark in its first two seasons and sent the Lightning to the state tournament in their first season in Class 5A.

“It’s insane, we’ve been dreaming of this since day one and now that it’s a reality I can’t even describe it,” Liberty High sophomore Sydney Woods said. “I can’t even describe the feeling I have right now.”

Roghair, Martin Win State Swimming Titles (November 9, 2019)

Aurora Roghair and Scarlet Martin were already regarded as two of the top swimmers in the state prior to the 2019 state meet.

The West High showed exactly why they held that distinction each winning a pair of individual titles in breakthrough performances at the Marshalltown YMCA.

Roghair won the 200 freestyle in 1:48.85 and added a title in the 500 freestyle in 4:50.87 while Martin won the 200 IM in 2:02.56 and state a state record in the 100 butterfly with a time of 53.41.

Martin and Roghair were both members of the West High 200 freestyle relay team that placed third helping West High to its best state showing in more than a decade with a fourth-place team finish.

Solon Returns to Class 3A Title Game (November 15, 2019)

Cam Miller passed for 310 yards and four touchdowns but it was the Solon running game and defense that sent the Spartans to its first title game since 2010.

Solon rolled up 66 rushing yards on the game-winning drive and the Spartans came up with a pair of late defensive stops to hold off Sergeant Bluff-Luton 43-36 in a Class 3A state semifinal.

Seamus Poynton scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 19-yard run with 1:04 left and Lucas TePoel tipped away a pass in the end zone as time expired as Solon held on to a win a game that featured 900 yards of total offense and two total punts.

“We just played tough, physical Solon football,” Solon senior quarterback Cam Miller said. “Solon hasn’t been to a championship in nine years and just to bring our town together like this it’s just unbelievable.”

Keeney Finishes Runner-up at State Cross Country (November 2, 2019)

Following a disappointing finish in her state meet debut as a freshman Liberty High standout Ashlyn Keeney got a measure of redemption with a runner-up finish in her return trip to the state cross country meet.

Keeney finished runner-up to Ames senior Camille Jackson who won in course record time of 17:23.9.

The runner-up finish for Keeney came in a time of 17:44.1 and followed a freshman season in which she finished 72nd at the state meet.

“I feel a lot better about this race than last year,” Keeney said. “That makes me happy.”

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