Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Following a fast start for area teams it is time to hit the pause on the girls basketball season.

The 2022 portion of the season has flown by with teams across the state now taking a break before the 2023 season tips off in January.

What a start to the season it has been for Your Prep Sports area teams.

Five area teams enter 2023 ranking in their respective classes including three teams ranked in the top-10.

What have we learned about area teams a month into the season?

Plenty.

Here are quick observations from each of the seven teams in the Your Prep Sports area.

Clippers are the Real Deal

The splash season for the Clear Creek Amana came in 2020 when the Clippers won 19 games and advanced to the state tournament for the first time.

Head coach PJ Sweeney has kept the momentum rolling from that breakthrough season winning 33 combined games and WAMAC West Division titles each of the past two seasons.

Sweeney may just have his best team yet this season.

4A No. 8 Clear Creek Amana is off a 6-2 start with losses to 5A No. 11 West High and 3A second-ranked Benton Community.

This year’s team is certainly the most complete Sweeney has had at CCA.

The Clippers have one of the top post duos in the state in juniors Ava Locklear and Bliss Beck who combined average 26 points and nearly 18 rebounds per game.

The 5-foot-10 Locklear is a legit star, averaging a double-double with 15 points, 11 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.1 blocks per game and gives the Clippers an offensive weapon capable of single-handedly stopping scoring droughts.

Senior Olivia Miller (7.9 points) and freshman Averie Lower (11.3 points, 40 percent 3-point) have emerged as knock down shooters and junior point guard Reese Stockman is experienced.

Clear Creek Amana has the look of a team capable of returning to the state tournament.

Regina Backcourt Among the Best in 2A

Before the season expectations were for 2022 state qualifier Regina to be led by one of the deepest and most talented backcourts in Class 2A.

Halfway through the regular season the Regina trio of Alli Clark, Grace Gaarde and Morgan Miller has exceeded even the highest of expectations.

The trio is averaging 42.8 points, 12.2 assists and 12.1 rebounds per game while helping Regina to a 10-1 start and number seven ranking.

A four-year starter, Gaarde has been solid as a senior averaging 8.7 points and 4.3 assists per game but Miller and Clark have taken their games to another level this season.

Clark is averaging a team-high 17.2 points per game on nearly 70 percent shooting to go with 4.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.

Miller is off to a stellar start averaging 16.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and a team-best 4.8 assists per game while shooting 48 percent from 3-point range.

New Coach, Same Old West High

In its first season under first-year head coach Nate Frese West High looks a lot like the West High of past seasons.

5A No. 11 West High has relied on a couple of previous West High staples in strong defense and balanced scoring during a 6-2 start.

West High is holding opponents to 48.8 points per game and has allowed fewer than 50 points in five of eight games.

Five West High players are averaging at least six points per game and six Trojans are scoring 4.9 points or more.

Senior Meena Tate leads West High with 16 points per game and junior Lucy Wolf is averaging 9.3 points per game for the Trojans.

Brandt Has Her Best Bunch

Liberty High set a program record with 12 wins last season but this year is the best team yet for Lightning head coach Jamie Brandt.

Class 5A No. 12 Liberty High enters 2023 on a three-game winning streak and halfway to last season’s win total.

The three losses for Liberty High are top-six ranked opponents Southeast Polk and Ankeny Centennial and a two-point loss to No. 11 West High.

Senior point guard Jasmine Barney fills the stat sheet as well as any player in the state averaging 18 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.7 steals per game.

Senior Ava Meyer (7.8 points, 7.1 rebounds) has taken a big step forward this season as has sophomore Madeline Casey (8.3 points, 2.8 assists).

The key for this year’s Liberty High team is balance and depth with six players averaging at least 4.2 points per game.

Solon is a Serious 3A Contender

Few teams statewide have had a better start to the season than the Spartans who already own four wins over ranked teams during a 7-1 start.

Solon has climbed from 13^th in the preseason Class 3A rankings to fourth after wins over 3A top-10 opponents Center Point-Urbana and Vinton-Shellsburg.

Entering the season the known commodity for the Spartans was junior Iowa commit Callie Levin who has been excellent averaging 19.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4 assists per game.

The boost for the Spartans has come from a relatively new supporting cast led by junior guard Hailey Miller who is averaging 11.5 points and 5.6 rebounds and sophomore Kobi Lietz who is averaging 9.3 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.

Augie Palmer is an Emerging Star

In her first season at City High sophomore guard Augie Palmer has quickly established herself as a rising star.

Palmer has scored 15 or more points six times and is averaging a team-high 21.3 points helping City High to a 2-5 record.

The 5-foot-10 Palmer already has a pair of 30-point games and is also averaging 4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.3 steals per game.

Palmer is shooting 47 percent from the floor and 37 percent from 3-point range and leads City High in free throws made (30) and attempted (46).

The Bears are Going to Battle

A 1-7 start to the season has been uncharacteristic for a West Branch program that is annually among the best in Class 2A.

What hasn’t been atypical for the Bears early this season has been the effort.

West Branch has shown it is going to compete night in and night out in the always challenging River Valley Conference South Division.

The Bears closed 2022 with a tight road loss at 7-2 West Burlington Notre Dame and a 20-point win over Tipton.

Veterans Sadie Smith (8.1 points, 5.5 rebounds) and Kylie Pickett (9.4 points, 3.9 rebounds) have led the way for West Branch early.

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