The Mid-Prairie Golden Hawk girls basketball team opens the season Tuesday with a big contest on the road.

The Golden Hawks enter the 2016-17 season ranked No. 10 in class 3A in the first poll of the year from the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union. It’s the first time the Hawks have found themselves in the top 10 since 2013. Their opponent is the No. 15 in class 4A Fairfield Trojans.

Mid-Prairie was 16-9 a season ago and made their first appearance at the state tournament since 2013. The Golden Hawks were eliminated in the state quarterfinals by Center Point Urbana 48-43. The Golden Hawks lost three seniors including all-conference selection Alex Rath who led the team and was second in the conference in assists, Emily Cayton who led the team and was fourth in the conference with 60 steals and Ali Wertz who led the team in made three point goals. Mid-Prairie does return leading scorer and all-state, all-region and all-district selection Ali Butters, who ended last year averaging 12 points per game, sixth best in the River Valley Conference. Honorable mention all-conference selection Addison Rath also returns. Rath was seventh in the RVC at just over 11 points per game. Her 59 steals were fifth most in the conference and her 121 rebounds 10th most. Mid-Prairie also returns many key players who saw action a year ago including Ireland Hostetler, Shae Becker, Anna Vilovchik, Kessa Jones, and Delaney Smith.

Fairfield was 16-7 a year ago, falling in the regional final of the class 4A playoffs to Keokuk. The Trojans had the top three scorers in the Southeast Conference last season led by Amber Nicole Buch at 16 points per game, Sami Fritz with 12 per game and Kylie Kurtz at 11 per game. Buch also led the conference in assists and steals. Fritz was second in rebounding. The Trojans led the conference in shooting percentage, three point percentage, points per game, assists and steals.

These two teams met a year ago with Fairfield taking a 63-50 win in Wellman. Buch led four Trojans in double figures with 16. Addie Rath led the Hawks with 21. You can hear all of the action tonight live from Fairfield High School on AM 1380, FM 102.5 and KCIIradio.com, beginning with the Washington HyVee pregame show at 7 and tipoff at 7:30.