Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

The boys basketball season is just getting started for prep teams in Iowa.

Even though we are still in the early stages of schedules for area teams the holiday break offers the perfect opportunity to take a look back at what teams did in December before peering forward at what the rest of the season holds.

Before basketball games return on January 4^th in the Your Prep Sports area we take a look at where all seven area teams sit heading into 2022.

West High

Record: 6-0, 1-0 MVC

Ranking: Class 4A, No. 7

Where it’s at: Following an all-around strange season a year ago in which the Trojans finished with four wins West High is back in a familiar place unbeaten at 7-0 and ranked in the top 10 in Class 4A.

How’d it get here: West High has been impressive out of the gate winning all seven games by double figures.

The Trojans already own four road wins including wins at rivals Liberty High and City High and a 13-point win at Dubuque Wahlert (3-2).

After spending last season piecing together a nearly entirely new lineup West High has benefited from improved cohesion this season and has four players averaging double figures led by senior forward Pete Moe.

Who’s stepped up: Second-year starters Kareem Earl and Savion Taylor have made strides and sophomore Jacob Koch and freshman Jack McCaffery have been nice additions but Moe has made it all go for West High.

The 6-foot-8 senior is averaging 25.2 points, 9 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game while shooting 67 percent from the field and 85 percent from the free throw line.

When West High returns: West High opens the 2022 portion of its schedule on January 4 at home against Class 3A sixth-ranked Cedar Rapids Xavier (4-2) at 7:30 p.m.

What’s next: West High has perhaps its most difficult stretch of the season waiting in late January with back-to-back games against No. 7 Cedar Falls and No. 10 Cedar Rapids Prairie before a rematch with cross-town rival City High.

The Trojans looked like legitimate 4A title contenders in December.

West High has a go-to scorer in Moe and increased balanced with McCaffery (14.4 ppg), Earl (11.2) and Taylor (10) all averaging double figures and Koch adding 8.6 points per game.

West High should also benefit from the return of senior point guard Christian Barnes sometime after the break.

The key for West High will be on the defensive end where it must improve its rebounding to be a major threat in March.

City High

Record: 3-3, 1-1 MVC

Ranking: Unranked

Where it’s at: City High matched its best start since 2013 with a 3-1 mark to open the season but dropped back-to-back games to West High and Cedar Rapids Kennedy and entered the holiday break 303.

How’d it get here: The Little Hawks earned back-to-back non-conference wins over Burlington and Muscatine to open the season and rebounded from a road loss to Waterloo West with a five-point win over Dubuque Hempstead to start 3-1 for the second time in the past eight seasons.

City High closed 2021 with a 13-point home loss to rival West High and a 40-point loss at Cedar Rapids Kennedy.

After allowing 53.3 points per game during its 3-1 start to the season City High gave up 77 points per game in its back-to-back losses to end 2021 allowing opponents to shoot 57 percent from the floor.

Who’s stepped up: Already a two-year starter senior guard Jamari Newson has taken his game to an entirely different level in his third season in the City High lineup.

Newson is averaging a career-high 18.3 points and 6 rebounds per game to go with 3 steals and 2.8 assists while shooting 47 percent from the floor.

When City High returns: City High jumps right back into action with a key cross-town matchup travelling to Liberty High on January 4^th for a boy/girl doubleheader against the Lightning.

What’s next: A rivalry game is always important but the opener to 2022 at Liberty High becomes perhaps even bigger for City High considering what is waiting on deck.

After the meeting with the Lightning five of the next seven opponents for City High are currently ranked, a stretch that includes road games at seventh-ranked Cedar Falls, fourth-ranked Waukee Northwest and a rematch with No. 7 West High.

Newson has been excellent so far and junior Shamar Benton (12.4 ppg) and sophomore TaeVeon Stevens (11 ppg) have been solid.

To get back on track City High will need to get back to its defensive intensity from early in the season and use the athleticism that has helped the Little Hawks average 12 offensive rebounds per game.

Liberty High

Record: 1-4, 1-1 MVC

Ranking: Unranked

Where it’s at: Coming off the most successful season in program history that included a trip to the Class 4A substate final the Lightning lost four straight to open the season with an almost entirely new lineup before closing 2021 with a road win at Cedar Rapids Jefferson.

How’d it get here: Liberty High snapped a four-game losing streak to open the season with a 61-60 at Cedar Rapids Jefferson in the final game before break.

The Lightning held up well against a pre-holiday schedule that ranked as difficult as any in Class 4A but couldn’t get over the hump until Luke Ramsey drilled a three-pointer that beat the buzzer against Cedar Rapids Jefferson.

Three of the losses during the 0-4 stretch to start the season came to ranked opponents including a six-point loss to third-ranked Pleasant Valley and a two-point loss at No. 10 Cedar Rapids Prairie.

The five opponents for Liberty High this season have a combined 27-5 record.

Who’s stepped up: Senior Griffin Kraft was one of short number of Liberty High players returning with varsity experience and has been solid so far averaging 6.4 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.

When Liberty High returns: Liberty High hosts City High (3-3) in a cross-town boy/girl doubleheader on January 4 to open the 2022 schedule.

What’s up next: Liberty High will attempt to carry over the momentum from its buzzer-beating win at Cedar Rapids Jefferson into its 2022 opener against City High.

Even as tough as the pre-holiday slate was for the Lightning the schedule in the Mississippi Valley Conference never lightens up.

Liberty High has a road trip to 3A sixth-ranked Xavier followed by a game with Linn-Mar (3-2) at Coe College on January before back-to-back home games with Western Dubuque (3-4) and Waterloo East (0-5).

After breaking in almost an entirely new rotation to start the season Liberty High should be a different team after break.

Junior Da’Shon Fisher scored 26 and 11 points in the final two games of 2021 after missing two games with injury and leads the Lightning in scoring at 15.7 per game.

Ramsey (7.4 ppg) and sophomore Graham Beckman (6.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg) should only improve with the more minutes they play in their first season of varsity action.

Clear Creek Amana

Record: 6-1, 5-1 WAMAC

Ranking: Class 3A No. 7

Where it’s at: Clear Creek Amana picked up right where it left off the past two seasons going 6-1 to open the season and climbing to seventh in the Class 3A Associated Press poll.

How’d it get here: Despite the loss of four starters Clear Creek Amana continued its recent string of success opening the season with six consecutive wins before a four-point loss to WAMAC West Division rival Williamsburg in the final game of 2021.

The Clippers earned a solid non-conference road win at Grinnell (3-4) and sit at 5-1 in WAMAC play one game back of Williamsburg (6-0).

Seniors Kyle Schrepfer and Ben Swails were the lone two Clippers returning with extensive varsity experience and both have been excellent combining to average 29.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.

Who’s stepped up: Schrepfer and Swails have no doubt steered the ship for the Clippers but fellow senior Grant Kruse has stepped up and become a solid third option in his first varsity season.

Kruse is averaging 10.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while shooting 44 percent from the field.

When Clear Creek Amana returns: Clear Creek Amana travels to Benton Community (2-5) on January 4 at 7:30 p.m. to open the 2022 schedule with a WAMAC West Division contest in Van Horne.

What’s next: Clear Creek Amana opens 2022 with three consecutive games against opponents with losing records before a two-game stretch that could determine the WAMAC West Division.

After starting 2022 with games against Benton Community, South Tama (0-9) and Vinton-Shellsburg (2-6) the Clippers host Dyersville Beckman (6-1) on January 14 and travel to Williamsburg (7-1) on January 18.

Swails (15.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg), Schrepfer (13.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg) and Kruse have formed a strong trio early but the Clippers will look to continue to get more from seniors Harrison Rosenberg, Baylin Zimmerman and Gage Freeman as well as freshman Brody Clubb as the season goes on.

Rosenberg is averaging 7.4 points and 5 rebounds a game while Zimmerman and Clubb each average 4.7 points per game.

Solon

Record: 4-4, 3-3 WAMAC

Ranking: Unranked  

Where it’s at: Coming off a 21-win season that ended a game shy of a state tournament berth the Spartans opened 2-4 but won back-to-back games to enter the holiday break 4-4 and an even 3-3 in WAMAC play.

How’d it get here: A deep run in the football playoffs put Solon behind the eight ball early in terms of practice time and the Spartans opened the season 1-2 with double-digit losses to WAMAC West Division leaders Clear Creek Amana and Williamsburg.

After a win over Vinton-Shellsburg the Spartans dropped back-to-back road games at Camanche at Marion by a combined 27 points per posting consecutive wins over Regina and Independence to close 2021.

Who’s stepped up: Senior forward Kinnick Pusteoska leads the Spartans in scoring (9.3), rebounding (7.6) and assists (2.3) and is shooting better than 52 percent from the field.

When Solon returns: Solon hosts West Delaware (4-3) on January 4 at 7:15 p.m. in the second game of a boy/girl WAMAC doubleheader.

What’s next: Solon hosts West Delaware and Dyersville Beckman (6-1) to open 2022 before a non-conference matchup with Fairfield (2-5) on January 8 at Coe College.

Solon will rely on its depth as it settles into the meat of the WAMAC East schedule.

The Spartans don’t have a player averaging in double figures but have 10 different players scoring between 3.3 and 9.3 points per game.

Senior Jacob Timmons (6.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg) has gotten off to a solid start and sophomore Jake Benzing has provided a boost scoring 19 points in the final two games before break in his first extended playing time posting a game-high 13 in a win over Independence.

Regina

Record: 2-6, 2-5 RVC

Ranking: Unranked   

Where it’s at: Regina lost three straight games to end 2021 and entered the holiday break 2-6 on the season and 2-5 in River Valley Conference play.

How’d it get here: Between wins over RVC South Division foes Tipton and Durant the Regals have dropped road games to South Division leaders Wilton and Mid-Prairie and cross-divisional matchups to Camanche, Northeast and Bellevue.

Who’s stepped up: Senior Carter Leick has made the most of the first extended action of his career averaging 9.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting a team-best 72 percent from the floor.

When Regina returns: Regina travels to Cascade (2-7) on January 4 for a RVC cross-divisional boy/girl doubleheader with the boys game set for 7:15 p.m.

What’s next: There is no such thing as a gimmie in the RVC but Regina has a chance to get some momentum rolling early in 2022 with games against Cascade and West Liberty (1-7) before facing Class 2A sixth-ranked Monticello (8-0) on January 8 at Coe College.

The Regals had plenty of moving parts to open the season and should be a team that is much improved after the holiday break.

A good sign for the Regals is senior Coltrae Kerschen (11.1 ppg) is heating up after some cold early-season shooting and had 26 and 11 points in the final games of 2021.

West Branch

Record: 4-4, 4-4 RVC

Ranking: Unranked

Where it’s at: West Branch entered the break at .500 across the board an even 4-4 on the season and in RVC play.

How’d it get here: The Bears started the season 1-2 with a one-point loss at Northeast in that stretch but closed with wins in three of its final five games.

West Branch narrowly missed heading into break on a high note taking ninth-ranked and unbeaten Camanche to the wire in its 2021 finale before falling 40-38.

Another team with plenty of moving parts to start the season West Branch has relied heavily on the backcourt tandem of Holden Arnaman and Brady Knoop.
The duo has combined for 27.4 points and 8.7 rebounds per game this season.

Who’s stepped up: Arnaman has taken the big step that many predicted but it has been the play of Knoop that has been a big boost for the Bears.

The senior guard is averaging 12.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game while shooting 46 percent from the field including 43 percent from three-point range.

When West Branch returns: West Branch hosts rival West Liberty (1-7) in a River Valley Conference South Division matchup on January 4 at 7:30 p.m.

What’s next: West Branch hosts West Liberty to open the 2022 slate and then things heat up in a hurry with a road trip to South Division leader Mid-Prairie (7-0).

The 2022 slate for the Bears has two games with the Golden Hawks, two with rival Regina, a trip to 2A sixth-ranked Monticello and a home game with Wilton.

The best basketball is ahead for West Branch which had to replace a trio of departed seniors from last year’s substate final team.

Arnaman is a star in the making averaging 14.9 points and 5.5 assists per game and senior Peyton Miller (7.4 ppg) provides another scoring option.

The Bears need junior Andy Henson (6.4 ppg), senior Drake Berry (4.4 ppg) and sophomore Reese Trepanier (3.7 ppg) to continue to develop as they attempt to put together a late season surge.

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