South Winn senior Brennan Holthaus looks to make a pass during recent Warrior basketball action. In a 16-point victory over Postville on Tuesday, Dec. 19, Holthaus tallied six points, five rebounds, and three assists. (Zakary Kriener photo)

Warrior winning streak ends at 6

Zakary Kriener

News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

The Warrior boys closed out the first half of their 2017-2018 season by going 1-1 last week, bringing their overall record to an impressive 7-3 and putting them in second place in Upper Iowa Conference standings.

Postville

When the Warriors and Pirates met in the season opener, the game was decided by a mere two points as it came down to the final quarter. Tuesday night, Dec. 19, South Winn traveled to Postville and made sure the game was decided long before the final quarter.

West Central’s Decker Wirtz puts up a contested shot in a 59-45 loss to the Starmont Stars on Tuesday, Dec. 19.  Chris DeBack photo

Wirtz's efforts not enough in loss

Wirtz’s effort not enough in loss

By Chris Deback
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com

The West Central boys’ basketball team fell to the Starmont Stars, 59-45, at home on Tuesday, Dec. 19, in its last game of 2017.

The Blue Devils were still in search of the team’s first victory of the year, while Starmont came into the matchup with just one victory on the season. 

With what seemed like a balanced game on paper, the Stars made it look as if they would roll past the Blue Devils after a quick start in the first quarter. The Stars scored 18 points and had as much as an 11-point lead,15-4, in the first quarter of action. West Central’s senior Collin Kime and junior Decker Wirtz combined to score the Blue Devils’ first eight points. Kime scored his points on offensive rebounds, while Wirtz used a shot fake in the low block to get the ball off the glass and into the net. 

While the Stars looked to run away with the game early, the Blue Devils had a different idea after a Tyler Buzynski 3-pointer pulled the game back to within four points, 15-11. 

West Central’s Braidyn Buhrow grabbed an offensive rebound in the first quarter of a six-point home loss to Starmont on Tuesday, Dec. 19. Her put-back attempt was good. (Chris DeBack photo) 

Midgame offensive struggles down WC

By Chris Deback
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com

The West Central girls’ basketball team will head into 2018 still winless on the season after a six-point home loss to the Starmont Stars, 57-51, on Tuesday, Dec. 19. 

The Blue Devils certainly came out focused and ready to play on Tuesday night. They controlled the flow of the game from the opening tip through the first quarter. Senior Braidyn Buhrow grabbed an offensive rebound and was fouled during the first minute of action, and her two free throws were the game’s first points. 

Macy Halverson is one of the better 3-point shooters for NFV. On this play Monday, Dec. 18, against Anamosa, the TigerHawk senior was captured driving between two opponents for this off-balance shot attempt. (Jerry Wadian photo)

Shooting woes hurt TigerHawk girls

By Jerry Wadian
jwadian@thefayettecountyunion.com

The NFV girls’ basketball team had trouble putting the ball through the net in losing a pair of games last week.

Monday, Dec. 18, the TigerHawks hosted Anamosa, dropping a 50-27 decision. Thursday, the TigerHawks fell at New Hampton, 68-43.

Against Anamosa, defenses ruled early as neither team could get an offensive flow going. In fact, the first bucket didn’t come until the Raiders drew blood at the 5:41 mark of the opening quarter.

NFV senior William Miller grimaces as he tries to get the fall against North Butler’s Dallas Testroet in their match at 145. Miller’s victory helped the TigerHawks win the opening match against the Bearcats on Tuesday, Dec. 19. Despite surrendering six forfeits, NFV won, 37-30, winning five of its seven bouts by throw. (Kris Van Sickle photo) 

NFV grapplers split dual

By Jerry Wadian
jwadian@thefayettecountyunion.com

“Pack the Mat” Night Tuesday, Dec. 19 in West Union was a partial success on the mat and a big one off the mat.

With the generous help of the fans, the “off the mat” was a huge success with the team and cheerleaders being able to compile quite a haul of nonperishable food items that will be taken later to the Fayette County Food Shelf in Fayette.

On the mat, the TigerHawks split, taking down North Butler, 37-30, but losing to 10^th-ranked Crestwood, 70-8.

The evening’s results look even better when one realizes that NFV was missing six weights, including defending champion Jordan Baumler.

The opening match against the Bearcats started well as Dylan Durnan (182) and Stryker Long (195) won the opening two bouts by fall. In fact, of the seven matches the TigerHawks won, five came on falls. Gunner Rodgers had the quickest throw, winning in just 45 seconds.

After the match, head coach Jacob Pedersen said, “We wrestled the best we have all year. Every single kid came to wrestle; and we’re finally doing some of the things that we have been working on in the wrestling room. 

“I thought we showed a lot of grit and determination to overcome all the free points we gave up because of all the forfeits we gave up,” Pedersen added.

NFV 37, North Butler 30

182- Durnan threw Ulrich, 3:13; 195- Long threw Crow, 3:05; 220- double forfeit; Hwt- Blue thrown by Engel, 1:05; 106- double forfeit; 113, 120, 126- NFV forfeits; 132- G. Rodgers threw Joebgen, 0:45; 138- Grimes threw Marshall, 4:28; 145- Miller threw Testroet, 5:01; 152- K. Rodgers dec. Beckham, 10-3; 160- Fantz maj. dec. Thompson, 13-2; 170- NFV forfeits.

The final bout of the evening saw NFV outmatched against the Cadets.

    As Pedersen noted, “Crestwood is a very stout team. They are currently in the top 10 in the 2A rankings. We just aren't to their level yet. However, I give them credit because they have an experienced team that will make some noise in the postseason.” 

Senior point guard Lexi Bohr scans the court as she looks to make a pass during recent Warrior girls’ basketball action. Bohr played a well-rounded game against Starmont Tuesday night (Dec. 12), registering 11 points, three assists, and four rebounds, to help the Warriors win their third straight game. (Zakary Kriener photo)

SW Warrior girls add two more wins

Zakary Kriener

News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

Playing three games in a span of just five days last week, the South Winneshiek girls’ basketball team walked away with a pair of victories and an overall record of 4-3 on the season.

The Warriors were victorious over both Starmont and Lanesboro (Minn.), with the loss coming at the hands of No. 13-ranked Kee. 

South Winn 160-pounder Rodney Schwartzhoff works to take down his opponent during recent Warrior wrestling action. The senior grappler helped his team improve to 5-0 in dual action on Tuesday, Dec. 12, as he picked up a 13-3 major decision and win by fall in only 1:23 over his opponents from East Buchanan and Oelwein, respectively. Later in the week, he went 5-0 and earned his 100^th career win at the Dike-New Hartford Dual Tournament. (Zakary Kriener photo)

South Winn takes down Bucs and Huskies

Zakary Kriener

News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

The Warriors improved their overall season dual mark to 5-0 after taking down both East Buchanan and Oelwein Tuesday night, Dec. 12, in Winthrop. The Warriors racked up bonus-point wins in nine of the 19 matches, including five wins by fall, to take control of the triangular.

South Winn’s Cole Klimesh, who leads his team by averaging over 10 rebounds per game, goes up for an uncontested layup during a recent Warrior basketball game. The junior forward is also averaging over seven points per game and has blocked five shots through six games. (Zakary Kriener photo)

SW boys push winning streak to five

Zakary Kriener

News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

The Warrior boys’ basketball team continued to play lights-out last week as it picked up decisive wins in all three of its matchups and improved its season mark to 6-2. The wins, which were each decided by at least 17 points, came over Starmont, Kee, and Lanesboro (Minn.) and extended South Winn’s winning streak to five games.