Ten Best: West Fork (60) at Aplington-Parkersburg (79)
Aplington-Parkersburg 79, 1A No. 6 West Fork 60 A big first quarter from sophomore standout Carter Cuvelier helped Aplington-Parkersburg lead wire-to-wire in a big non-conference win over Class 1A’s No. 6 team, West Fork, 79-60. Cuvelier scored 11 of his…
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Continue ReadingAplington-Parkersburg 79, 1A No. 6 West Fork 60
A big first quarter from sophomore standout Carter Cuvelier helped Aplington-Parkersburg lead wire-to-wire in a big non-conference win over Class 1A’s No. 6 team, West Fork, 79-60.
Cuvelier scored 11 of his game-high 29 points in the first quarter, going 4-for-4 from the floor and 3-for-4 from the free throw line in the first quarter, helping set the tone of the game. West Fork was able to close the gap to as little as two, 29-27, late in the second quarter, but a late A-P 9-0 run pushed the lead back to 11 heading into the break. The Falcons pushed that out to 20 fairly quickly in the third quarter and it never got any closer than 10 points the rest of the way.
Aplington-Parkersburg (10-2) was led by Carter Cuvelier, who had 29 points and seven rebounds. Cade Alberts added 26 in the win, going 7-for-12 from the three-point line. West Fork (10-4) was led by Zach Martinek, who had 20 points. Rylan Fleshner added 14 for the Warhawks.
Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | F |
West Fork | 11 | 16 | 13 | 20 | 60 |
Aplington-Parkersburg | 20 | 18 | 21 | 20 | 79 |
West Fork: Zach Martinek 20, Rylan Fleshner 14, Nathan Meinders 9, Travis Fekkers 7, Thomas Nuehring 7, Mitchell Halloran 2, Ian Latham 1
Aplington-Parkersburg: Carter Cuvelier 29, Cade Alberts 26, Grant Truax 9, Chase Kling 5, Alec Oberhauser 4, Coby Hoff 2, Dylan Ellis 2, Braden Good 2
MVP: Carter Cuvelier (Aplington-Parkersburg)
The sophomore standout was sensational in this one, scoring 29 points on 11-of-15 shooting. He established his dominance from opening tip on, scoring 11 in the first quarter, routinely carving out space on the block and scoring with either hand through contact. As the game progressed, he showed more of his offensive arsenal, stepping out and hitting a pair of third quarter 3s, putting the ball on the floor and getting to the rim, and scoring off of post-ups against smaller defenders. With his blend of athleticism, size and skill, he’s a tough matchup at the 1A/2A level, and he showed why he is one of the top players in the state in the class of 2019.
Best offensive performance: Cade Alberts (Aplington-Parkersburg)
While Cuvelier was great, Alberts was also a standout on the offensive end, taking over the game in the second and third quarters and knocking down seven of his 12 attempts from the arc en route to his 26 points. He also scored a few times in transition, and played a role as a facilitator. The lefty is a sharpshooter who will torch you if you give him a tiny bit of space.
Best defensive performance: Cade Alberts (Aplington-Parkersburg)
Alberts was a big piece of the Falcons aggressive, trapping defense in this one. While he was “only” credited with three steals, he got his hands on a number of other passes and his contact flying around on the defensive end never really allowed West Fork to get into a comfortable rhythm on offense.
The glue guy: Alec Oberhauser (Aplington-Parkersburg)
Oberhauser is a 6-4 point guard who does a little bit of everything for A-P. He had only four points in this game, but he made a huge impact on both ends of the floor, using his length to disrupt on the defensive end, and he also pulled down four rebounds and dished out eight assists. He’s got game altering size at the point guard spot, and while he isn’t the best ball handler, he’s adept enough to handle pressure and has the size to see over it.
West Fork’s best: Zach Martinek
Another standout sophomore wing, Martinek is a 6-4 scorer who started the game off with a pretty stepback 3 that he made look really easy. He was quiet for a chunk of the game, but he had stretches in which he was very aggressive attacking the rim and getting to the free throw line. As he continues to fill out, he could become a big-time matchup problem.
Best shooter: Cade Alberts (Aplington-Parkersburg)
Alberts moves really well off the ball, finding spaces in the defense to get his shot off. He does a nice job having his feet set and squared on the catch, and although his release isn’t the quickest, it’s quick enough to get it off without any issues. He went 7-for-12 from the arc in the win, showcasing his beautiful lefty stroke.
Best rebounder: Travis Fekkers (West Fork)
The 6-3 wing does a nice job rebounding out of his area, has a nose for the ball and is athletic enough to outleap people for rebounds. He pulled down a game-high eight boards, and is a threat to take it coast-to-coast after pulling down a rebound.
Best passer: Alec Oberhauser (Aplington-Parkersburg)
He sees the floor incredibly well, puts his teammates in positions to score and whips passes all around the court with either hand. You could make an argument that he’s the most important piece for A-P.
Best underclassman: Carter Cuvelier (Aplington-Parkersburg)
I was anxious to get a look at the sophomore wing, as I was impressed when I saw him play last year as a role player. He’s now arguably A-P’s go-to player (Alberts being another viable option), and he’s turning into a really nice prospect. Listed at 6-5, he’s got the ability to score both inside and out, has an improving handle and competes at a high level on the glass. As he continues to fill out (and hopefully grow a few more inches), he will turn himself into a highly valued prospect.
Story to watch moving forward: The rest of A-P’s big week
This game was just the start of a difficult week for the Falcons, a week in which they play four games in six days, against three really good teams. West Fork was ranked No. 6 in 1A, they’ve got 2A No. 10 Jesup on Thursday, and a Dike-New Hartford team that is garnering consideration for a ranking in 2A on Saturday. They also have Waterloo Columbus on Friday night. This stretch should prepare them well for postseason district play, and a big week could get them ranked next week in 2A.