Douglas Miles

Your Prep Sports

NORTH LIBERTY – Playing Liberty High brings out the best in Christopher Watkins.

The City High junior entered Friday averaging a team-best 11.8 points per game for the Little Hawks.

Back on Dec. 12 Watkins doubled that number with 22 points in a win over Liberty High.

He was even better in the rematch.

“It’s just the intensity,” Watkins said after scoring a season-high 32 points as City High overwhelmed Liberty, 70-51, in a Mississippi Valley Conference boys’ basketball game at Liberty High School. “Rival schools, so we are just going at it. I want to win.”

Watkins was responsible for 17 of City High’s 21 fourth quarter points and spearheaded a 17-3 explosion that turned the Little Hawks’ 49-42 advantage into a rout.

“I just came out to win, I just came to win,” Watkins said. “Coach (Bill McTaggart) said, ‘Let’s bury them. Let’s bury them’.”

Watkins’ previous season-best point total was 24 in the first game of the season, a 62-39 Little Hawks’ rout at Ottumwa.

On Monday, he scored 23 in a loss at Class 4A No. 10 Cedar Rapids Prairie, which set the stage for Friday night’s eruption.

“He’s hard to guard when he’s moving,” City High Coach Bill McTaggart said. “He’s very, very slithery and he’s got some bounce right now.”

The win was the second in three games for City High (5-12, 2-7 Mississippi Valley Conference), which visits Dubuque Hempstead Monday.

“They had us down as the most difficult schedule in the state,” McTaggart said. “We have played rated team after rated team. It kind of lessens up a little bit here these last two weeks.”

Kirkwood baseball commit Jaxton Schroeder added 20 points for City High, including 14 in the first half that helped the Little Hawks to a 39-33 lead at the break.

“Very strong,” McTaggart said. “Very strong and very athletic.”

Jerimiah Washpun had 18 points for Liberty High (2-15, 2-8), which has dropped 10 games in a row.

City High visits Dubuque Hempstead Monday, while Liberty treks across the state for the Crossover Challenge, where it will face Ankeny Saturday at 1:30 at Waukee High School.

City High             18  21  10  21  –  70

Liberty High       17   16   7  11  –  51

City High (70) – Ja’Vion Robinson 0 0-0 0, Christopher Watkins 15 0-2 32, Jaxton Schroeder 10 0-0 20, Davion Luckett 1 0-0 2, Parker Sutherland 3 2-2 8, Jack Lampe 0 0-0 0, Iyon Harris 2 0-0 5, Jack Rogers 0 0-0 0, Kevion Estremera 1 1-2 3, Totals 32 3-6 70.

Liberty High (51) – Jerimiah Washpun 7 1-2 18, Maddoc Coapstick 3 2-2 10, Collin Decker 0 0-0 0, Brady Randall 1 0-0 3, Cale Baldwin 0 0-0 0, Rylen Schweitzer 0 0-0 0, Reece Rettig 0 0-0 0, Chase Goodheart 4 0-0 9, Jamarion Baker 1 0-0 3, Quayshon Harrington 1 0-0 2, Asher Kahn 2 0-0 6, Totals 19 3-4 51.

3-point field goals – City High 3 (Watkins 2, Harris 1), Liberty High 10 (Coapstick 1-4, Washpun 3, Asher 2, Coapstick 2, Baker 1, Goodheart 1, Randall 1). Total fouls – City High 10, Liberty High 9. Fouled out – None.

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