Spirit Lake stands in Heelan path to state
By Terry Hersom Journal sports editor | Posted: Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Rumor has it that John Walz does one of the better Johnny Orr impersonations you're ever likely to witness.
Walz had three years to study the colorful coach, serving as the student manager for some of Orr's best Iowa State basketball teams.
Years later, the Estherville native is also doing what his old friend, Orr, did best -- finding ways to win.
And, after guiding Spirit Lake to its best season in 66 years, he's the last man standing between a highly regarded Bishop Heelan team and a return trip to the Class 3A state tournament.
"Heelan is an awfully good team,'' said Walz, who brings his squad to the Tyson Events Center for a Class 3A substate final tonight at 8 o'clock. "It's going to take a pretty good team to beat them.
"By all accounts, Spirit Lake shouldn't even show up. But I've got a bunch of kids who are determined and they're going to give it everything they've got.''
Walz's Indians are 18-5, Spirit Lake's best record since the school's last state tournament trip in 1942, and they've reached the substate final with a pair of one-point wins over two quality squads, prevailing 44-43 over MOC-Floyd Valley and 48-47 over Spencer.
"It's not like we come out and hold it, we're just awful patient with it,'' he said. "Our last six games, we're 6-0 and our defensive average is 39.''
Fifth-ranked Heelan, 19-4, is no stranger to patient opponents. The Crusaders overcame slowdown tactics in their district final last Thursday, pulling away for a 48-25 win over Le Mars, which split two Lakes Conference meetings with Spirit Lake.
"They've got a very nice team,'' said Heelan Coach Tom Betz. "You don't fall into 18 wins.''
Heelan, which spent time at No. 1 in the Iowa poll, is 18-0 against Iowa teams this season, losing twice to Minnesota foes and twice to squads from Nebraska, all on the road.
"I don't know how they can be ranked fifth in Iowa when they haven't lost in Iowa yet,'' said Walz.
With 6-9 junior Brennan Cougill, 6-7 senior John Daniels and 6-5 sophomore Zach McCabe, Heelan's size has been a major problem for most opponents to combat.
That's certainly true for Spirit Lake, whose tallest player is 6-3 senior post Andy Pringnitz, the leader of a balanced attack with 12.2 points a game.
"We have the size advantage,'' said Betz. "But that creates some tough matchups, too, since we're predominately a man-to-man team. That means our bigger kids are going to have to guard smaller kids.''
Cougill is averaging 18.9 points and is one of the top rebounders in the state at 11.3 per contest. He also has 68 of the team's 110 blocked shots and his 40 steals rank second only to Ben Sitzmann's team-leading 44.
Sitzmann, a 6-3 senior, has started ever since Daniels sustained a mid-season thigh injury from which he hasn't fully recovered. Daniels missed nine games and has been coming off the bench, wearing a brace on the wounded right leg, in four games since his return.
Like Cougill, the rest of the starters -- McCabe, averaging 13.8 points, along with junior guards Tanner Ferguson and Ben Rickord -- are all underclassmen. However, seniors Shay Hacker, Chase Weaver and Joe Greer are all significant contributors off the bench.
Ferguson, whose father, Steve, is a Spirit Lake native, backs up Cougill and McCabe with 8.9 points a game and has hit 48 of 56 free throws (86 percent). Daniels has seen his average slip from 12.4 points to 9.8 with a reduced role since his return.
Joining Pringnitz in the Spirit Lake lineup are 6-1 senior Mason Bergquist (10.8 ppg.), 6-foot junior Tyler Solsma (10.3), 5-10 senior Scott Maudlin (9.1) and 6-1 senior Boomer Dreeszen (5.2).
Spirit Lake suffered a pair of one-sided losses (91-55 and 87-52) to Hull Western Christian's defending Class 2A state champs. The Indians also lost twice to Spencer, 73-61 and 57-43, avenging those last Thursday.
Western, which lost a 75-68 season opener to Heelan in Hull, will make up its 2A substate final with Unity Christian, postponed Monday, in a 6:30 contest preceding the Heelan-Spirit Lake game.
Walz had three years to study the colorful coach, serving as the student manager for some of Orr's best Iowa State basketball teams.
Years later, the Estherville native is also doing what his old friend, Orr, did best -- finding ways to win.
And, after guiding Spirit Lake to its best season in 66 years, he's the last man standing between a highly regarded Bishop Heelan team and a return trip to the Class 3A state tournament.
"Heelan is an awfully good team,'' said Walz, who brings his squad to the Tyson Events Center for a Class 3A substate final tonight at 8 o'clock. "It's going to take a pretty good team to beat them.
"By all accounts, Spirit Lake shouldn't even show up. But I've got a bunch of kids who are determined and they're going to give it everything they've got.''
Walz's Indians are 18-5, Spirit Lake's best record since the school's last state tournament trip in 1942, and they've reached the substate final with a pair of one-point wins over two quality squads, prevailing 44-43 over MOC-Floyd Valley and 48-47 over Spencer.
"It's not like we come out and hold it, we're just awful patient with it,'' he said. "Our last six games, we're 6-0 and our defensive average is 39.''
Fifth-ranked Heelan, 19-4, is no stranger to patient opponents. The Crusaders overcame slowdown tactics in their district final last Thursday, pulling away for a 48-25 win over Le Mars, which split two Lakes Conference meetings with Spirit Lake.
"They've got a very nice team,'' said Heelan Coach Tom Betz. "You don't fall into 18 wins.''
Heelan, which spent time at No. 1 in the Iowa poll, is 18-0 against Iowa teams this season, losing twice to Minnesota foes and twice to squads from Nebraska, all on the road.
"I don't know how they can be ranked fifth in Iowa when they haven't lost in Iowa yet,'' said Walz.
With 6-9 junior Brennan Cougill, 6-7 senior John Daniels and 6-5 sophomore Zach McCabe, Heelan's size has been a major problem for most opponents to combat.
That's certainly true for Spirit Lake, whose tallest player is 6-3 senior post Andy Pringnitz, the leader of a balanced attack with 12.2 points a game.
"We have the size advantage,'' said Betz. "But that creates some tough matchups, too, since we're predominately a man-to-man team. That means our bigger kids are going to have to guard smaller kids.''
Cougill is averaging 18.9 points and is one of the top rebounders in the state at 11.3 per contest. He also has 68 of the team's 110 blocked shots and his 40 steals rank second only to Ben Sitzmann's team-leading 44.
Sitzmann, a 6-3 senior, has started ever since Daniels sustained a mid-season thigh injury from which he hasn't fully recovered. Daniels missed nine games and has been coming off the bench, wearing a brace on the wounded right leg, in four games since his return.
Like Cougill, the rest of the starters -- McCabe, averaging 13.8 points, along with junior guards Tanner Ferguson and Ben Rickord -- are all underclassmen. However, seniors Shay Hacker, Chase Weaver and Joe Greer are all significant contributors off the bench.
Ferguson, whose father, Steve, is a Spirit Lake native, backs up Cougill and McCabe with 8.9 points a game and has hit 48 of 56 free throws (86 percent). Daniels has seen his average slip from 12.4 points to 9.8 with a reduced role since his return.
Joining Pringnitz in the Spirit Lake lineup are 6-1 senior Mason Bergquist (10.8 ppg.), 6-foot junior Tyler Solsma (10.3), 5-10 senior Scott Maudlin (9.1) and 6-1 senior Boomer Dreeszen (5.2).
Spirit Lake suffered a pair of one-sided losses (91-55 and 87-52) to Hull Western Christian's defending Class 2A state champs. The Indians also lost twice to Spencer, 73-61 and 57-43, avenging those last Thursday.
Western, which lost a 75-68 season opener to Heelan in Hull, will make up its 2A substate final with Unity Christian, postponed Monday, in a 6:30 contest preceding the Heelan-Spirit Lake game.
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