The Mid-Prairie Golden Hawk boys and girls basketball teams make the trip to West Liberty Tuesday to meet the Comets in River Valley Conference action. The Golden Hawk girls are 1-0 on the young season after a win over Durant last Tuesday in Wellman 57-37. Amara Jones led the Golden Hawks with 21 points, six steals, four assists and four rebounds. Maddie Nonnenmann and Landry Pacha also got to double figures with 10 points each. Nonnenmann pulled down a team best six rebounds. The Hawks shot 48% from the floor and 33% from downtown in the win.
West Liberty comes into the game with a 1-0 record after a 54-46 win last Saturday over Davenport North to open the year. The Comets were 16-6 a season ago, 13-4, second place in the River Valley Conference South division. They scored 56 points per game last year, giving up 39, shooting 37% from the floor, 25% from long range, and 62% from the line. They pulled in 35 rebounds, dished out 12 assists, grabbed 15 steals and committed 15 turnovers per game. They return their top three scorers in Finley and Sailor Hall and Macy Daufeldt who combined for 42 points per game last year. Daufeldt led the Comets on the glass at eight boards per game. Sailor Hall led the Comet guard court with five assists and four steals per outing. Mid-Prairie has won 23 of the last 30 against West Liberty, but the Comets have won the last six in the series including sweeping the Hawks by 61-26 and 66-48 scores last year. This week Mid-Prairie head girls coach Danny Hershberger talked about the keys against the Comets. “The biggest thing for us is taking care of the basketball. We know that West Liberty is athletic, they are going to pressure us. We have to handle that and take care of the fundamental things. Be aggressive, attack the basket. When we do those things we are at our best.”
The Mid-Prairie Golden Hawk boys open their season tonight against West Liberty. The Hawks have had two preseason tuneups, beating Winfield-Mt. Union in a Hall of Pride game 63-38 behind 19 points from Alex Bean and 16 from Carter Harmsen and then handling Mount Pleasant in a jamboree scrimmage 36-30, behind 19 points from Carter Harmsen. A season ago, the Hawks were 15-8, 14-5 in the River Valley Conference. They scored 57 points per game, gave up 45, shot 42% from the floor, 31% from three point range and 66% at the line. They grabbed 30 rebounds, dished out 14 assists, had seven steals and committed 11 turnovers per night. Individually, Mid-Prairie returns five of their top six scorers from last year, led by Harmsen. The third team all-stater scored 18 a night a year ago. He also led the Hawks in rebounding at seven per game. Harmsen, Bean, Ethan Kos, Will Cavanagh and Jack Pennington combined for 44 points per night last year. Pennington led the Golden Hawk guard court at four assists and two steals per game.
West Liberty was 4-16 a season ago, 2-14 in the RVC. They scored 37 per game, gave up 54, shot 31% from the floor, 21% from downtown and 45% at the line. They grabbed 25 rebounds, dished out six assists, had eight steals and committed 14 turnovers per game. The Comets return leading scorer Caleb Wulf who went for 14 points per night last year. He also led West Liberty at seven rebounds, three assists and two steals per game. They will need to replace their next two scorers with Hector Adames and Chance Thrasher averaging a combined 14 points per night last year moving on through graduation. Mid-Prairie has won 25 of the last 32 against the Comets including a current stretch of 11 straight. This week Mid-Prairie head coach Daren Lambert talked about what he wants to see Tuesday. “This team needs to compete, and it’s something that we noticed in practice they have taken a step forward in doing that. This group does a great job of competing. There’s great senior leadership, guys who have been there before, trusting the system and holding each other accountable. Their communication has been great so far.”
You can hear all of the action live tonight between the Hawks and the Comets on AM 1380, FM 102.5 and KCIIradio.com, beginning with the Washington HyVee Pregame show at 5:30, tip of the girls game at six with the boys to follow.