3 Up, 3 Down (Week 8)
Up Pella: Is anyone surprised to see the perennial state tournament qualifiers Dutch on the good side of this list? They lost once this season, to crosstown rival Pella Christian by two in December. Well, they beat Pella Christian…
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Pella: Is anyone surprised to see the perennial state tournament qualifiers Dutch on the good side of this list? They lost once this season, to crosstown rival Pella Christian by two in December. Well, they beat Pella Christian by 16 last week, and have won 12 straight since the earlier loss. Ryan Van Wyk has been scary good in the process, averaging 21.4 points on 67 percent shooting, and 7.8 rebounds per game.
West Delaware: One of just six unbeaten teams that remain in Iowa, West Delaware is methodically rolling along. They beat a very good Mount Vernon team by 17 last Friday night for their 14th win of the season, and could have another test tonight when they play at Solon (10-5). But it looks as though Derek Krogmann, Tyler Kelley and Co. have a shot of running through the regular season without a loss.
Newton: The Cardinals have enjoyed a very nice season, but did hit a snag in the middle of it when they lost three of four and dropped their record to 7-4. Since then, they’ve run off four straight, with the last three coming against some quality comp. Connor Gholson is averaging 19.9 points per game and junior guard Garrett Sturtz is netting 20.1 per. The next four games (Oskaloosa, Pella, Norwalk, Pella Christian) will be very telling as to how good the Cardinals can be.
Down
Clear Creek-Amana: The last time they won a game was back on Dec. 3; a three point win over Iowa City Regina. Since then, the Clippers have dropped 12 straight, and have only been within single-digits twice. They’ll try on get another W tonight at home against against Williamsburg.
Council Bluffs Jefferson: Though it’s a 4A school, the Yellowjackets’ three wins are all against much smaller schools — Essex, Red Oak, Louisville (NE). And with a brutal schedule the rest of the way, it could get worse before it gets better for the them. But, they do have the one of the best mascots in 4A.
Bellevue Marquette: After starting the season red-hot (5-0), the Mohawks have lost 10 of 12. They’re currently struggling through an eight game losing streak. We’ll chalk it up to an easy early-season schedule. They’ll try and right the ship tonight on the road against Easton Valley.