It’s a big stage Monday for the Mid-Prairie Golden Hawk boys and girls basketball teams when they take on Denison-Schleswig at Wells Fargo Arena in their first contests of 2023. The Mid-Prairie boys are 5-3 on the season and 2-2 in the River Valley, coming off of a 75-66 loss in Wellman December 19th to Solon, despite 12 made three point goals, outrebounding the Spartans by seven, 18 points from Camron Pickard and 12 from Alex Bean. On the year, the Hawks are scoring 63 points per game, 10th most in 2A and giving up 56 while shooting 38% from the floor, 29% from three, and 72% at the line, fourth in 2A. Their 36 rebounds are sixth in the state with 13 assists, nine steals and 13 turnovers. Individually, Bean leads the way at 16 points, seven rebounds and two steals per game. Pickard averages four assists per night.

Denison-Schleswig is 5-1 overall and 4-1 in the Hawkeye 10 conference. The Class 3A Monarchs were a 69-57 winner over Red Oak last time out, starting the contest on a 22-2 run and shooting 54% as a team behind 29 points from Carson Suentjens and 16 from Gavin Hipnar. For the season, Denison is averaging 66 points per game, giving up 53, shooting 49% from the floor, second in 3A, 34% from deep, seventh in 3A and 58% at the line with 37 boards per night, fifth in 3A, 13 assists, seven steals and 14 turnovers. Suentjens is averaging 20 points per game to lead the way, ninth most in 3A. Luke Wiebers pulls in six boards, dishes out four assists and has two steals per game. These two schools have never met in boys basketball.

The girls get things started today in Des Moines. Mid-Prairie is 5-5 on the year, 3-2 in the River Valley after a 48-43 loss to No. 6 Solon to close the first half of the year in Wellman, with Amara Jones putting up a team high 11 points. On the season, Mid-Prairie scores 51 points per game, fifth most in 3A, giving up 44, shooting 34% from the floor, 25% from long range and 58% at the line with 38 rebounds, second in the state, 11 assists, 13 steals and 15 turnovers. Jones leads the Hawks with 11 points, five assists, fourth in 3A and a state leading four and a half steals per night. Landry Pacha leads Mid-Prairie on the glass with seven boards per game, 10th in 3A.

Denison-Schleswig is 2-5 overall and 1-1 in the Hawkeye 10. They beat Red Oak 65-31 to close the first half of the year, behind a 27-8 third quarter run. Addison Inman went double double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, Kiana Schulz had a game high 21 points. On the year, the Monarchs score 45 points per game and give up 51, shooting just 31% from the floor, seventh lowest in 4A, 26% from three and 61% at the line with 30 rebounds, 11 assists, 11 steals and 20 turnovers. Schulz leads the Monarchs with 12 points and six boards per game. Whitlee Auen averages four assists and four steals per game, sixth most in 4A. These teams have never faced off in their program histories. These contests are part of the Iowa Wolves High School Hoops Series. You can hear all of the action between the Hawks and the Monarchs live on AM 1380, FM 102.5 and KCIIradio.com, this afternoon with the Washington HyVee Pregame Show at 2:30p.m.