By Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Game of the Week

5A No. 6 West Des Moines Valley (12-2) at 5A No. 3 West High (11-1)

This has the makings off the classic as two of the top teams on their respective sides of the state meet in a top-six showdown.

West Des Moines Valley has won five straight, a stretch that began with four consecutive wins over ranked teams.

The Tigers are battle tested already with six wins against ranked teams and both of their losses coming to top-10 competition.

Sophomore Zoe Young (16.1 ppg) and seniors Hannah Fuller (13.4) and Jackie Feldt (13.4) lead the way for Valley which has won the last four against West High including a 57-46 win in Des Moines last year.

A Drake recruit, Fuller leads Valley in rebounding with 6.1 per game.

West High has won six in a row since its only loss of the season, a one-point setback to No. 2 City High in overtime.

The Women of Troy are holding opponents to 37.5 points per game and have allowed more than 40 points twice during their six-game winning streak.

What to Watch

Top-ranked Regina handled Mid-Prairie 60-29 in the first meeting between the two teams on December 6 in Wellman.

Since that loss that dropped Mid-Prairie to 1-3 the Golden Hawks have been perfect.

Mid-Prairie (10-3) brings a nine-game winning streak into Tuesday’s rematch with Regina (12-0) has climbed back into the Class 3A rankings at No. 15.

Regina has continued to roll through River Valley competition. The Regals are alone atop the RVC South standings at 10-0 following a 78-57 win over No. 10 Cascade on Saturday.

Keep an Eye On

With West High loaded with scoring options putting up points isn’t always the top priority for sophomore point guard Lauren Zacharias.

Zacharias demonstrated last week she is certainly among the many Women of Troy capable of scoring.

In a pair of wins last week Zacharias averaged 12.5 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the floor.

The 5-foot-5 point guard averaged 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 steals during those two wins and went 3-of-5 from 3-point range.

Zacharias is averaging 8.8 points per game on the season and leads West High with 31 assists.

The Schedule

Tuesday Jan. 17

5A No. 3 West High (11-1) at 5A No. 15 Bettendorf (11-2)

Solon (4-8) at Central DeWitt (7-6)

3A No. 15 Mid-Prairie (9-3) at 2A No. 1 Regina (12-0)

Benton Community (2-11) at Clear Creek Amana (7-5)

Tipton (3-9) at West Branch (8-6)

Friday Jan. 20

5A No. 3 West High (11-1) at Cedar Rapids Prairie (4-8)

5A No. 2 City High (13-0) at Cedar Rapids Jefferson (4-7)

4A No. 10 Western Dubuque (10-1) at Solon (4-8)

West Branch (8-6) at 2A No. 14 Bellevue (10-4)

2A No. 1 Regina (12-0) at North Cedar (5-8)

Clear Creek Amana (7-5) at 3A No. 5 Center Point-Urbana (11-2)

Saturday Jan. 21

5A No. 6 West Des Moines Valley (12-2) at 5A No. 3 West High (11-1)

2A No. 1 Regina (12-0) at Solon (4-8)