Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

It has been an impressive opening two weeks of the season for City High.

The Little Hawks are 5-0 with three wins over ranked teams and have climbed to third in the Class 5A rankings.

City High has won its five games by an average of better than 11 points per game while getting off to its best start since opening the 2021-2022 season with 11 consecutive wins.

For anyone around the City High program there has been no surprise as to who has been at the center of the Litte Hawks’ strong start.

That would be senior point guard Tessa Driscoll.

“She is a kid that you want to build your program around and not just from a basketball standpoint,” City High coach Lynsey Barnard said. “The impact that she has in the stats that’s not even remotely close to what her impact is. We are getting the best out of every player because of her.”

The statistical impact from Driscoll early this season has certainly been evident.

Driscoll is averaging a career-high 19.4 points per game during the 5-0 start and is shooting a career-best 47 percent from 3-point range (21-of-45).

That is only a small part of what Driscoll has meant to City High this season.

“I’ve seen her grow in every way possible on the court and off the court,” Barnard said. “Her leadership this year is unreal.”

Behind the leadership of Driscoll the Little Hawks are flourishing this season.

After three consecutive road wins to open the season City High capped a three-win week last week with home wins over Cedar Rapids Kennedy and then 4A No. 13 Marion last week.

Driscoll has scored at least 11 points in every game this season and averaged 20.3 points per game during the three wins last week.

“I’ve learned to lean on my teammates,” Driscoll said. “Throughout it all I feel like I’ve been with them for so long and we have such a great connection. Our team is so closely-knit already and it’s the beginning of the season and that gives me a lot of confidence because I think that’s what wins close games.”

A regular in the City High lineup since her freshman season, Driscoll has made 73 career starts.

Over each of the past three seasons Driscoll has consistently put up numbers.

She has averaged over 10.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists in each of her first three seasons.
This season Driscoll has been on another level.

“She is on another level but she doesn’t feel that pressure,” Barnard said. “You can just see her rising and saying this is what I’m able to do and now I’m going to do it. In every way that she has improved.”

Driscoll opened the season with 25 points in a win at 4A eighth-ranked Central DeWitt.

The 5-foot-6 guard had 21 points in wins over Ames and Cedar Rapids Kennedy and added 19 points and five rebounds in a win over Marion last Saturday.

“It’s really helpful having three returning starters and then the three seniors we’ve all been here for what feels like forever,” Driscoll said. “We have a lot of leadership with three of us.”

Driscoll is shooting 40 percent from the floor while averaging a career-high 5.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

“Freshman and sophomore year for sure I was trying to force shots,” Driscoll said. “I think it’s gotten a lot easier for me to take the right shots.”

A St. Thomas recruit, Driscoll ranks fifth in Class 5A in scoring and leads 5A with 4.2 made 3-pointers per game.

“It’s definitely a relief having my college decision made because I can just go out and play and have fun,” Driscoll said. “That’s what I’ve been saying this whole season is I just want to have a fun senior season.”

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