Five Takeaways: Mount Vernon Doubleheader
Cael Schmitt had 22 in Wahlert’s postseason opening win MOUNT VERNON — In the first game of a postseason doubleheader at Mount Vernon High School on Monday night, it was Wahlert Catholic advancing to Thursday night’s substate semifinal in a…
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Continue ReadingMOUNT VERNON — In the first game of a postseason doubleheader at Mount Vernon High School on Monday night, it was Wahlert Catholic advancing to Thursday night’s substate semifinal in a thrilling overtime win over West Delaware, 68-65.
It looked like it might be all Golden Eagles early on, as they jumped out to a 14-3 lead before a West Delaware spurt closed to back to within 16-10 by the end of the first quarter. Wahlert kept the margin around two possessions for the rest of the half, carrying a 30-25 lead into the break.
West Delaware took their first lead of the evening with 4:12 left in the third quarter, after a pair of 3s from Logan Woellert tied it, then gave the Hawks the lead. They’d hold that lead until the end of the quarter, when Wahlert guard Cael Schmitt hit a buzzer beating 3 to give the Golden Eagles a 41-40 lead.
The teams went back-and-forth for most of the fourth quarter. Trailing 61-59 with 19.4 seconds left, West Delaware forced a Wahlert turnover. On the ensuing possession, Kyle Kelley was able to get to the rim for a layup to tie it up with 6.0 to go. Schmitt got off a decent look out of the timeout, but drew iron and sent the game into overtime.
In overtime, Logan Woellert made both ends of a 1-and-1 with 31.3 seconds left to tie it back up at 65. Wahlert held for the last shot, and senior guard Jake Schockemoehl shook off a rough shooting night (4-17) to hit a tough, stepback, game-winning 3.
Wahlert (7-14) moves into Thursday’s substate final against Mount Vernon. The Golden Eagles were led by Cael Schmitt, who had 22 points. Terrell Fowler chipped in 16 ofthe bench, and Jake Schockemoehl had 13 in the win.
West Delaware’s season ends with a 6-16 record. It was a rough year for the Hawks following the graduation of Derek Krogmann, but they lose just one senior off of this group, and should be much improved next year. They were led by Logan Woellert, who had 26 points. Kyle Kelley added 23 and Mitch Krogmann battled foul trouble to finish with 8 points in the loss.
Final: Wahlert 68, West Delaware 65 (OT)
Jake Schockemoehl shakes off a rough shooting night to bury the game winner. #iahsbkb pic.twitter.com/B3DJmr5gYQ
— Tony Roe (@tonysroe) February 25, 2020
Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | OT | F |
West Delaware | 10 | 15 | 15 | 21 | 4 | 65 |
Wahlert | 16 | 14 | 11 | 20 | 7 | 68 |
West Delaware: Logan Woellert 26, Kyle Kelley 23, Mitch Krogmann 8, Blake DeMoss 4, Eric Salow 4
Wahlert: Cael Schmitt 22, Terrell Fowler 16, Jake Schockemoehl 13, Isaac Ripley 9, Lucas Topping 6, Nicholas Bandy 2
Keaton Kutcher had 19 in Mount Vernon’s blowout win
MOUNT VERNON — The second game of the doubleheader wasn’t nearly as exciting, as Mount Vernon used a 27-2 run spanning the first and second quarters to put away their game against Anamosa early on. After falling behind 6-4, the Mustangs went on their run, building up a 31-8 lead. They reached a running clock midway through the third quarter and were never in danger.
Mount Vernon (20-2) was led by Keaton Kutcher, who had 19 points. Derek Jordan had 14 points, Noah Erickson 13 and Jayden Meeker chipped in 10 in the win. The Mustangs will host Wahlert on Thursday night.
Anamosa’s season ends at 4-18. They have just one senior on the roster and should be improved next year. The Blue Raiders were led by sophomore forward Sam Wilt, who had 12 points. Tre Klatt also had 12.
Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | F |
Anamosa | 6 | 13 | 3 | 14 | 36 |
Mount Vernon | 22 | 23 | 24 | 10 | 79 |
Anamosa: Sam Wilt 12, Trae Klatt 12, Nick Wagner 5, Jake Jess 4, Seth Schoon 2, Sage Hoyt 1
Mount Vernon: Keaton Kutcher 19, Derek Jordan 14, Noah Erickson 13, Jayden Meeker 10, Nolan Brand 8, #12 6, Collin Swantz 3, Caleb Keen 3, Kode Banwart 2, Trevor Weber 1
West Delaware trending up heading into next season
West Delaware has just one senior on the roster, Isaiah Rich, who averaged just 1.5 points a game this season. The top six scorers, and all five starters, return for the Hawks next season, led by 6-4 guard Kyle Kelley, who averaged 14.3 points this season, but had a bit of a rough shooting year (37.0 FG%, 28.6 3P%). He’s a better shooter than he showed this season, and should improve heading into next year. I’ve seen Kelley play a fair amount over his first three high school seasons, both with the Hawks and with the Iowa Mavericks, and this was the best I’ve ever seen him. He scored 23 points on 9-12 shooting, making tough, contested shots along the way. Logan Woellert averaged just 7.6 points this season, but was huge in this one, scoring 26 points. If they can get more consistent scoring production out of him, he can pair with Kelley to give the Hawks one of the best backcourts in the WaMaC next year. Blake DeMoss is a solid lead guard who can shoot a bit, Eric Salow provides length and rebounding, and Mitch Krogmann is a huge body with great hands who can score on the block if he can stay out of foul trouble. Will they be as good as they were a few years ago? Probably not. But this is a group under Matt Uthoff that will be back in the running for a State appearance next year.
Keaton Kutcher is automatic
Mount Vernon didn’t need a whole lot from Kutcher in their win over Anamosa, but he showed why he’s one of the best shooters in the state regardless. He has a pure stroke with a smooth, consistent release, and if he’s shooting it off the catch, as he was when he knocked down three straight 3s to open the second half, he’s nearly automatic. He’s the type of kid who you could just watch shoot for an hour and never get tired of it. The stroke is pretty to watch, and he’s deadly when he gets some space to get his shot off.
Mount Vernon is an outstanding TEAM
Mount Vernon is not the most talented team in 3A. But this is a group that plays together extremely well, and everyone knows their role. Kutcher is the star, the scoring guard who can take over any given night and drop 35 to lead the Mustangs to a win with his shooting ability. Senior wing Noah Erickson, a 6-3 slasher, is the other primary scoring threat, averaging 14 a night. He knows that he’s not a great shooter (just 1-9 from 3 this season) and instead looks to attack the rim. He’s shooting over 57% from the floor as a result. Derek Jordan provides great size in the paint at 6-8, and has the ability to impact the game on both ends of the floor. Then you’ve got guys like Nolan Brand, Jayden Meeker, Collin Swantz and Kaleb Brand who can each chip in 6-10 points on a given night to provide a little extra scoring boost. This team moves the ball extremely well (353 assists, 193 turnovers heading into this game) and nobody tries to go outside of the role that they’ve established. They aren’t the most athletic team, but they all have solid length, which helps them cover more ground, and they’re well coached by Ed Timm. This is a team that can win it all in 3A.
Terrell Fowler, huge off the bench
Terrell “TJ” Fowler came off the bench to provide a major spark for Wahlert on Monday night, scoring 16 points and swiping 3 steals in the win. The 5-9 guard has played in just 10 games this year for the Golden Eagles, but is averaging 9.2 points a game and shooting 46% from 3. He’s really quick, fills the lanes on the break, can shoot it and has great hands on the defensive end. Without his play, Wahlert would’ve lost.
Sam Wilt, intriguing prospect
It was a rough night for Anamosa, but Wilt, a 6-2 sophomore, showed some nice glimpses. He reminds me a bit of former Dubuque Senior forward Josh Weeber, a big, physical forward who can score inside and out. He’s probably a better athlete than Weeber was, but they have similar builds and games. He’s got the ability to stretch the floor, score on the block, protect the rim and can really pass it as well. He had a few outlet passes off of rebounds that were Kevin Love-esque. He’s certainly one we’ll be continuing to watch closely over the next few years.