Next season bright for MRAC
By Jerry GieseJournal sports writer | Posted: Saturday, March 22, 2008
Considering the fact that four of the six Missouri River Activities Conference first-teamers are underclassmen, Sioux City could have another outstanding high school boys basketball season next year.
It's possible that Bishop Heelan and North will be state tournament qualifiers for the third straight season.
The Crusaders put junior Brennan Cougill and sophomore Zach McCabe on the honor squad while the Stars are represented by junior Alex Walker and sophomore Damek Tomscha along with senior Brian Wanner.
Rounding off the first team, consisting entirely of Sioux Cityans, is Augustana College recruit Eric Jorgensen of East. The 6-8 senior won MRAC honors for the second straight year along with Cougill and Walker.
The team was selected by the league's head boys basketball coaches.
Cougill and McCabe were the top scorers for a Heelan team that won the league with a 10-0 record and ended a 20-5 season with a 64-40 loss to eventual champion Dubuque Wahlert in the first round of the Class 3A state tournament.
Heelan won its first 13 games and was ranked first before falling 79-73 to St. Paul Johnson on Jan. 25 at the East Metro Showcase in St. Paul, Minn. The Crusaders of Coach Tom Betz played a challenging schedule that also included losses to Osseo, Minn., Ralston, Neb. and Omaha Skutt.
Cougill, a 6-9, 260-pound post who has verbally committed to the University of Iowa men's basketball program, averaged 18.4 points and 11.2 rebounds. A 60.1 percent shooter from the field, he blocked 73 shots.
McCabe, a 6-5 forward, picked up his scoring pace when 6-7 senior John Daniels (9.1 ppg), a second-team selection, missed nine games with a torn quadriceps muscle in his left thigh. A 53.8 percent shooter, McCabe scored at a 13.8 clip while also providing 66 assists and 35 steals.
Daniels had a 13.0 average before his injury.
North and East shared second place in the league with 7-3 records. However, the Stars won the three-game season series, two games to one, 70-58 in the Class 4A substate finals as Tomscha scored 20 points.
The 6-6 Walker led North with averages of 12.3 points and 10.5 rebounds. Heading into his senior season, the son of North head girls basketball coach Kirk Walker is already the school's career rebounding leader.
Wanner (12.2 ppg) was the only senior starter on a club that for the second straight season finished with a 17-7 record. The 6-3 forward averaged 11.2 points a year ago.
Tomscha (11.6 ppg), a 6-1 guard, scored 10 points to lead North in a first-round 68-46 loss to eventual state champion Iowa City High. He'll return as a starter along with Walker, 6-4 junior Nick Tillo and 5-11 junior Dean McArdle.
A 56.8 percent shooter, the 6-8 Jorgensen averaged 19.1 points and 10.5 rebounds as East finished the season with a 17-6 record. Coach Jeff Vanderloo's Black Raiders were 10-0 and rated eighth before falling 73-53 to North on Jan. 11.
East, which placed 6-3 senior Dane Larson (9.8 ppg, 8.0 rpg) and 5-11 junior Jordan Gentry (11.7 ppg) on the second team, avenged the loss with a 74-63 win on Feb. 15.
Juniors Tyler Alitz and Tyler Johnson of Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln were on the second team along with senior Ryan Peckham of Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson.
It's possible that Bishop Heelan and North will be state tournament qualifiers for the third straight season.
The Crusaders put junior Brennan Cougill and sophomore Zach McCabe on the honor squad while the Stars are represented by junior Alex Walker and sophomore Damek Tomscha along with senior Brian Wanner.
Rounding off the first team, consisting entirely of Sioux Cityans, is Augustana College recruit Eric Jorgensen of East. The 6-8 senior won MRAC honors for the second straight year along with Cougill and Walker.
The team was selected by the league's head boys basketball coaches.
Cougill and McCabe were the top scorers for a Heelan team that won the league with a 10-0 record and ended a 20-5 season with a 64-40 loss to eventual champion Dubuque Wahlert in the first round of the Class 3A state tournament.
Heelan won its first 13 games and was ranked first before falling 79-73 to St. Paul Johnson on Jan. 25 at the East Metro Showcase in St. Paul, Minn. The Crusaders of Coach Tom Betz played a challenging schedule that also included losses to Osseo, Minn., Ralston, Neb. and Omaha Skutt.
Cougill, a 6-9, 260-pound post who has verbally committed to the University of Iowa men's basketball program, averaged 18.4 points and 11.2 rebounds. A 60.1 percent shooter from the field, he blocked 73 shots.
McCabe, a 6-5 forward, picked up his scoring pace when 6-7 senior John Daniels (9.1 ppg), a second-team selection, missed nine games with a torn quadriceps muscle in his left thigh. A 53.8 percent shooter, McCabe scored at a 13.8 clip while also providing 66 assists and 35 steals.
Daniels had a 13.0 average before his injury.
North and East shared second place in the league with 7-3 records. However, the Stars won the three-game season series, two games to one, 70-58 in the Class 4A substate finals as Tomscha scored 20 points.
The 6-6 Walker led North with averages of 12.3 points and 10.5 rebounds. Heading into his senior season, the son of North head girls basketball coach Kirk Walker is already the school's career rebounding leader.
Wanner (12.2 ppg) was the only senior starter on a club that for the second straight season finished with a 17-7 record. The 6-3 forward averaged 11.2 points a year ago.
Tomscha (11.6 ppg), a 6-1 guard, scored 10 points to lead North in a first-round 68-46 loss to eventual state champion Iowa City High. He'll return as a starter along with Walker, 6-4 junior Nick Tillo and 5-11 junior Dean McArdle.
A 56.8 percent shooter, the 6-8 Jorgensen averaged 19.1 points and 10.5 rebounds as East finished the season with a 17-6 record. Coach Jeff Vanderloo's Black Raiders were 10-0 and rated eighth before falling 73-53 to North on Jan. 11.
East, which placed 6-3 senior Dane Larson (9.8 ppg, 8.0 rpg) and 5-11 junior Jordan Gentry (11.7 ppg) on the second team, avenged the loss with a 74-63 win on Feb. 15.
Juniors Tyler Alitz and Tyler Johnson of Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln were on the second team along with senior Ryan Peckham of Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson.
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frozen wrote on Mar 22, 2008 9:51 AM:
shooter wrote on Mar 22, 2008 9:45 AM: