S(no)w kidding aside, prep hoops resume
By Steven Allspach sallspach@siouxcityjournal.com | Posted: Saturday, January 03, 2009
According to Bud Legg, the media specialist at the Iowa High School Athletic Association, 522 Iowa high school boys basketball games scheduled to be played in December were postponed.
Causing the postponements were, in no order of bad weather, ice, snow, sleet, cold, rain, you name the inclemency.
But, hoops hysteria begins anew today as a majority of Iowa preps bid adieu to the happy holidays.
North (4A) and Bishop Heelan (3A), Sioux City's representatives in the four-class state tournament last year, haven't played since mid-December, but they're hoping Mother Nature cooperates for a Missouri River Activities Conference get-together tonight at Heelan.
North's last game was Dec. 12 when the Stars of Coach John Vanderloo lost 60-47 in Marshall, Minn., to Blaine, Minn.
Heelan's last outing was at home on Dec. 19 when the Crusaders knocked off another Minnesota school, St. Paul Johnson (68-56), then ranked No. 1 in Minnesota Class 3A.
Heelan, ranked No. 1 in Iowa 3A, is 4-0 and North is 2-2 with wins over Storm Lake and city rival West and another loss to Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln.
"We've had five solid days of practice so we're ready to play,'' said North's Vanderloo. "This team has had its ups and downs, but we can be competitive if we make 15-foot jump shots, defend and cut down the mistakes.
"Heelan's a tough place to play. It's a great environment over there and lots of enthusiasm. Our big problem all season has been turnovers. We're averaging right at 19 a game and we'll have to take better care of the basketball than that against Heelan.
"We've lost two games to weather and that has to affect your team. The weather and long holiday break combine to make for what seems like a long, long season already and we've only played four times.''
North's game with Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson Dec. 19 and a scheduled afternoon contest with St. Paul Johnson the day after the Minnesotans lost to Heelan were both lost to weather. Heelan's contests with Orange City Unity Christian and West were also postponed.
Also beginning post-holiday action today are the East boys and Heelan girls in matinee contests.
Heelan's reigning Class 3A girls state champs play at Hinton (4:30) and East's boys entertain Cherokee's once-beaten Lakes Conference entry at 2 o'clock.
Coach Jeff Vanderloo's East boys are 3-1, losing only to Hull Western Christian's top-ranked and two-time defending Class 2A state champs, 91-61.
Cherokee is 4-1 with wins over Emmetsburg, Le Mars, Spencer and Storm Lake and a loss to Sergeant Bluff-Luton.
Causing the postponements were, in no order of bad weather, ice, snow, sleet, cold, rain, you name the inclemency.
But, hoops hysteria begins anew today as a majority of Iowa preps bid adieu to the happy holidays.
North (4A) and Bishop Heelan (3A), Sioux City's representatives in the four-class state tournament last year, haven't played since mid-December, but they're hoping Mother Nature cooperates for a Missouri River Activities Conference get-together tonight at Heelan.
North's last game was Dec. 12 when the Stars of Coach John Vanderloo lost 60-47 in Marshall, Minn., to Blaine, Minn.
Heelan's last outing was at home on Dec. 19 when the Crusaders knocked off another Minnesota school, St. Paul Johnson (68-56), then ranked No. 1 in Minnesota Class 3A.
Heelan, ranked No. 1 in Iowa 3A, is 4-0 and North is 2-2 with wins over Storm Lake and city rival West and another loss to Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln.
"We've had five solid days of practice so we're ready to play,'' said North's Vanderloo. "This team has had its ups and downs, but we can be competitive if we make 15-foot jump shots, defend and cut down the mistakes.
"Heelan's a tough place to play. It's a great environment over there and lots of enthusiasm. Our big problem all season has been turnovers. We're averaging right at 19 a game and we'll have to take better care of the basketball than that against Heelan.
"We've lost two games to weather and that has to affect your team. The weather and long holiday break combine to make for what seems like a long, long season already and we've only played four times.''
North's game with Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson Dec. 19 and a scheduled afternoon contest with St. Paul Johnson the day after the Minnesotans lost to Heelan were both lost to weather. Heelan's contests with Orange City Unity Christian and West were also postponed.
Also beginning post-holiday action today are the East boys and Heelan girls in matinee contests.
Heelan's reigning Class 3A girls state champs play at Hinton (4:30) and East's boys entertain Cherokee's once-beaten Lakes Conference entry at 2 o'clock.
Coach Jeff Vanderloo's East boys are 3-1, losing only to Hull Western Christian's top-ranked and two-time defending Class 2A state champs, 91-61.
Cherokee is 4-1 with wins over Emmetsburg, Le Mars, Spencer and Storm Lake and a loss to Sergeant Bluff-Luton.
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