For the first time since the spring of 2020, the Hillcrest Academy girls basketball team will take the floor tonight when they host the Tri-County Trojans. Last season, the Raven program fell victim to low numbers and COVID-19, wiping out their season before it began. They were involved in a program sharing agreement with Mid-Prairie that saw junior Esther Hughes play for the Golden Hawks and first year Hillcrest head coach Mitchell Drey serve on Danny Hershberger’s staff. Mid-Prairie was 9-10 a season ago with Hughes posting eight points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals per night in 18 games played. In 2019-20, the most recent season for the program, Hillcrest finished 2-20 overall, 1-16 in the north division of the Southeast Iowa Superconference. In that season, departed senior Yani Gutierrez and Hughes led Hillcrest, each scoring 11 points per game with Gutierrez pulling down a team best seven rebounds per night and Hughes averaging four assists and two steals per game to lead the Ravens. Hillcrest scored 25 points per game, gave up 56 per night, shot 25% from the floor, 20% from long range, 48% at the line, pulled in 23 rebounds, dished out five assists, accounted for four steals and committed 25 turnovers per night.

Tri-County was 2-20 a season ago, 1-14 in the South Iowa Cedar League. The Trojans missed a season due to low numbers themselves in their recent past, not competing in the 2018-19 campaign. Tri-County did not lose anyone from last year’s team to graduation. They return leading scorer Macy Schmidt with her eight points per game, leading rebounder Chloe Staley at five boards a night and assist and steals leader Delanie Little with two each per game a year ago. Last season the Trojans scored 23 points per night, giving up 49, shot 23% from the floor 13% from three point range, 40% from the line, pulled in 26 rebounds per night, dished out five assists, had nine steals and committed 28 turnovers. This week, first year Hillcrest head coach Mitchell Drey talked about what he wants to see from his team their first night under the lights. ” In our first game I want to see effort, and I know I’m going to see it because we’ve been bringing it in practice and we have a couple of more days to keep building on it. Knowing the offense and defense, knowing where to be and when to be there. Seeing the court, understanding each other. I’m looking for that small stuff because I know the big stuff is going to be there, the effort the excitement of having a team. I see it in their eyes every day.”

These two teams last met in 2019 with the Ravens taking a 34-28 win behind 18 points from Esther Hughes. Macy Schmidt led Tri-County with six. You can hear all of the action tonight between the Ravens and the Trojans from Dwight Gingerich Court inside Hillcrest Union on AM 1380, FM 102.5 and KCIIradio.com, beginning with the Washington HyVee Pregame show at 5:30 and tip off at 6p.m.