Crusaders take on talented Johnson, unbeaten Osseo at St. Paul event
Tough challenges await Heelan
By Terry Hersom - Journal sports editor | Posted: Thursday, January 24, 2008
Posted from 01/24/08:
City rivals East and North have both been quality opponents.
So was Rock Valley, the previously undefeated Class 1A squad that surrendered its first loss last Saturday.
Still, the Bishop Heelan basketball team, Iowa's top-ranked Class 3A team, may be venturing into even deeper waters with two games this weekend at the East Metro Showcase, hosted by Johnson High School in St. Paul, Minn.
Heelan plays Friday night at 8 o'clock against host Johnson, which has fashioned a 50-10 record the last two seasons under Coach Vernon Simmons, a former Morningside College standout.
Saturday at 3 p.m., the Crusaders face unbeaten Osseo, a north suburban school ranked No. 2 currently in Minnesota. Coach Jim Theisen's gigantic lineup includes 7-foot, 315-pound senior Zack Peterson and 6-9, 215-pound junior Sam Dower.
Heelan added the St. Paul trip last fall, still lacking two dates to complete the 21 contests Iowa high school boys teams are allowed to schedule.
"Somebody called John Vanderloo (North coach) and he passed them on to us," said Heelan Coach Tom Betz, whose team improved to 13-0 with a win Tuesday over West.
Betz said the challenge outweighs the risks in terms of Heelan's perfect record and No. 1 state ranking.
"You've got to gamble a little bit if you're going to get to where you want to go," said Betz, whose goal is a state title after a runner-up finish last March.
"We're going to see athleticism and pressure that hopefully will prepare us for down the road. But we're going up there to win two games."
Although the Saturday game looms as a potential battle of unbeatens, Johnson's Simmons wants to believe his team, with no seniors in an all-new lineup this winter, won't be a walkover for the Crusaders.
"We're going to be a little different deal for them," said Simmons, a Michigan City, Ind., native who was the starting point guard for a Morningside team that reached the 1983 NCAA Division II Final Four in Springfield, Mass.
"We're making a lot of young mistakes, but we're a very athletic team," said Simmons, whose team took a 6-5 record into a Wednesday night game. "We like to get up and down. We like to bring a lot of pressure with a lot of guys. We'll rotate nine or 10 and see what's left at the end."
Simmons, who joined the Sioux City police department after graduating from Morningside, was a detective when he left Sioux City in 1990.
"My wife (West High graduate Tracey Denney) works in retail and she had an opportunity here in St. Paul," said Simmons. "For me, police work is police work, whether it's in Iowa or St. Paul."
Currently, Simmons is assigned as a school resource officer, working at the high school where he has coached for eight seasons.
His Johnson teams have reached the eight-team Class 4A (largest schools) state tournament three of the last four years, fashioning a 98-25 record during that span. And, Simmons' son, Sal, youngest of two boys and a girl, all born in Sioux City, was the point guard all four years.
"He's at Florida A&M now," said Simmons, whose entire starting five from last season has moved on to college hoops, including North Dakota State freshman Freddie Coleman.
Johnson, reassigned to Class 3A this season, is led by the backcourt duo of 5-11 junior Dion Suggs and 6-foot freshman Estan Taylor. The only notable size Simmons has to combat Heelan's 6-9, 260-pound Brennan Cougill is non-starter Carlton Williams, a 6-8 senior who never played basketball before this winter.
"We're going to try to come down there and play next year," said Simmons, who is trying to arrange a game or two in next season's CNOS Foundation Basketball Classic at the Tyson Events Center.
A balanced attack for unbeaten Osseo, Heelan's Saturday's foe, is led by Dower, the 6-9 forward, averaging 14.5 points. Carrington Tankson, a 6-4 senior guard, chipped in 13.4 a game while 7-footer Peterson averages 12.5 and 6-5 senior forward Dan Brown adds 12.2.
Heelan's game with Osseo is the second of four contests on the Saturday schedule at Johnson. The Friday night game follows a 6 p.m. matchup between Milwaukee Marshall and St. Paul Como Park.
The Crusaders will again be without the services of 6-7 senior forward John Daniels, their second leading scorer, who has already missed three games with a torn quadriceps muscle in his right thigh.
"He probably won't play for a couple more weeks," said Betz. "He's supposed to limit his range of motion for a few weeks."
City rivals East and North have both been quality opponents.
So was Rock Valley, the previously undefeated Class 1A squad that surrendered its first loss last Saturday.
Still, the Bishop Heelan basketball team, Iowa's top-ranked Class 3A team, may be venturing into even deeper waters with two games this weekend at the East Metro Showcase, hosted by Johnson High School in St. Paul, Minn.
Heelan plays Friday night at 8 o'clock against host Johnson, which has fashioned a 50-10 record the last two seasons under Coach Vernon Simmons, a former Morningside College standout.
Saturday at 3 p.m., the Crusaders face unbeaten Osseo, a north suburban school ranked No. 2 currently in Minnesota. Coach Jim Theisen's gigantic lineup includes 7-foot, 315-pound senior Zack Peterson and 6-9, 215-pound junior Sam Dower.
Heelan added the St. Paul trip last fall, still lacking two dates to complete the 21 contests Iowa high school boys teams are allowed to schedule.
"Somebody called John Vanderloo (North coach) and he passed them on to us," said Heelan Coach Tom Betz, whose team improved to 13-0 with a win Tuesday over West.
Betz said the challenge outweighs the risks in terms of Heelan's perfect record and No. 1 state ranking.
"You've got to gamble a little bit if you're going to get to where you want to go," said Betz, whose goal is a state title after a runner-up finish last March.
"We're going to see athleticism and pressure that hopefully will prepare us for down the road. But we're going up there to win two games."
Although the Saturday game looms as a potential battle of unbeatens, Johnson's Simmons wants to believe his team, with no seniors in an all-new lineup this winter, won't be a walkover for the Crusaders.
"We're going to be a little different deal for them," said Simmons, a Michigan City, Ind., native who was the starting point guard for a Morningside team that reached the 1983 NCAA Division II Final Four in Springfield, Mass.
"We're making a lot of young mistakes, but we're a very athletic team," said Simmons, whose team took a 6-5 record into a Wednesday night game. "We like to get up and down. We like to bring a lot of pressure with a lot of guys. We'll rotate nine or 10 and see what's left at the end."
Simmons, who joined the Sioux City police department after graduating from Morningside, was a detective when he left Sioux City in 1990.
"My wife (West High graduate Tracey Denney) works in retail and she had an opportunity here in St. Paul," said Simmons. "For me, police work is police work, whether it's in Iowa or St. Paul."
Currently, Simmons is assigned as a school resource officer, working at the high school where he has coached for eight seasons.
His Johnson teams have reached the eight-team Class 4A (largest schools) state tournament three of the last four years, fashioning a 98-25 record during that span. And, Simmons' son, Sal, youngest of two boys and a girl, all born in Sioux City, was the point guard all four years.
"He's at Florida A&M now," said Simmons, whose entire starting five from last season has moved on to college hoops, including North Dakota State freshman Freddie Coleman.
Johnson, reassigned to Class 3A this season, is led by the backcourt duo of 5-11 junior Dion Suggs and 6-foot freshman Estan Taylor. The only notable size Simmons has to combat Heelan's 6-9, 260-pound Brennan Cougill is non-starter Carlton Williams, a 6-8 senior who never played basketball before this winter.
"We're going to try to come down there and play next year," said Simmons, who is trying to arrange a game or two in next season's CNOS Foundation Basketball Classic at the Tyson Events Center.
A balanced attack for unbeaten Osseo, Heelan's Saturday's foe, is led by Dower, the 6-9 forward, averaging 14.5 points. Carrington Tankson, a 6-4 senior guard, chipped in 13.4 a game while 7-footer Peterson averages 12.5 and 6-5 senior forward Dan Brown adds 12.2.
Heelan's game with Osseo is the second of four contests on the Saturday schedule at Johnson. The Friday night game follows a 6 p.m. matchup between Milwaukee Marshall and St. Paul Como Park.
The Crusaders will again be without the services of 6-7 senior forward John Daniels, their second leading scorer, who has already missed three games with a torn quadriceps muscle in his right thigh.
"He probably won't play for a couple more weeks," said Betz. "He's supposed to limit his range of motion for a few weeks."
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