The start of the winter sports season has arrived at KCII. We kick off our live coverage with the Achieve Challenge doubleheader scrimmage between the WACO and Mid-Prairie boys and girls basketball teams tonight in Wellman. The Golden Hawk boys were 12-11 a season ago, with a 6-6 record in the River Valley Conference. They were a senior laden bunch, losing eight to graduation including leading scorer and assister Camron Pickard at 16 points and four helpers per game, and second leading scorer and team leader on the boards Alex Bean at 13 points and five rebounds per night. Ace Peck is Mid-Prairie’s leading returner in points at six per game, Dylan Henry is the best back on the glass at four rebounds per night. Brady Weber’s 1.7 assists are also the top returning total.

The WACO boys were 21-2 a season ago, unbeaten champions of the North Division of the Southeast Iowa Superconference. They too lost eight seniors but do return scoring leader Hunter Hughes’ 16 points per game along with his team leading four assists per night. Leading rebounder Cody Graber did depart, Hughes’ five boards are also the best from last year that return in that category.

The Mid-Prairie girls finished last year 16-7, 9-3, third place in the River Valley. They lost six seniors to graduation, accounting for 90% of their stats. The Hawk’s top two scorers, Landry Pacha and Amara Jones, top two rebounders, Pacha and Kylie Reinier and top four in assists, Jones, Maya Nonnenmann, Pacha and Reinier have all graduated. Nora Pennington scored eight points per game last season, third most, is the top total returning. Callie Huber is the leading rebounder back with four per night a season ago and Jovi Evans had an assist and a half per game last year, the top total back.

WACO was 18-5 last season, 14-2 in the Superconference. They have to replace their top three scorers, rebounders and assisters from last year as Ellah Kissell, Grace Coble and Katie Leichty have all graduated. They’ll turn to Emma Wagler who was next up in all of those stats with seven points, six boards and two assists per night last season.

These contests are scheduled to be the length of a regulation game, but do not count on either team’s record. If you plan to attend, cost of admission is a non-perishable food item to be donated to local pantries. You can hear all of the action between the Golden Hawks and Warriors live tonight on AM 1380, FM 102.5, the KCII2 App and KCIradio.com, beginning with the Area Basketball Game of the Week Pregame Show at 6p.m., tip of the girls game at 6:30 with the boys to follow from Tim Grady Gymnasium in Wellman.