Two evenly matched area boys’ basketball teams met up in Riverside on Friday to kick off the class 1A districts and WACO did enough to move on with a 55-52 win over Highland.
With the game tied at 31 all after three, the Warriors came out hot in the fourth to build an 11 point lead. The Huskies did battle back to make it a one possession game, but the road Warriors hung on for the playoff victory. WACO Head Coach Paul Kissell credited his team’s ability to handle Highland’s defensive pressure. “We knew it was going to be a tough matchup going into it and a big key was to be able to handle pressure. They came out in a press and were trapping every pass. For our younger players to step up and handle that intensity the entire game was a big reason for our success.”
The boys’ basketball rivalry between Highland and Lone Tree continued on Wednesday with the Huskies coming out with a 56-55 win in overtime.
The Lions were on pace for their second straight victory up 45-36 after three when the Huskies exploded for a 16-7 fourth to tie it up at the end of regulation. A defensive minded extra four minutes saw Highland win it 4-3 for the slightest margin of victory. Lone Tree won the rebounding department 45-30 and was plus three in the turnover battle, but shooting just 33% from the floor compared to Highland’s 46% was the biggest disparity. Chase Schultz went off for the home Huskies with 25 points on 10 of 15 shooting and the junior hauled in 13 rebounds. Connor Grinstead added 12 points and Tristan Stokes had 11. Cade Shield registered nine points and 11 boards for the Lions. This is the second nail biting win for the Huskies over the Lions this season after a 58-54 victory in the first meeting back on January 12th.
The Highland boys basketball team dropped their second straight home contest Tuesday as Mediapolis came to Riverside and scored a 55-46 Southeast Iowa Superconference win. The Bulldogs used fast starts to each half to secure the victory, going on runs of 16-6 in the first quarter and 18-8 in the third. Trailing 47-29 going to the fourth, the Huskies big run came in the final period, outscoring the Bulldogs 17-8 over the last eight minutes but the comeback fell short. Brenton Bonebrake led Highland, scoring 13 points, Tristan Stokes added 11. With the loss, Highland falls to 3-7 on the year and travels to Winfield-Mt. Union tonight.
It’s an all-KCII area matchup Saturday afternoon in Riverside when the Hillcrest Academy Raven boys basketball team travels to meet the Highland Huskies. The Ravens come into the game with an overall record of 7-5 after a 56-39 loss at Wapello on Friday night. In the loss, the Ravens were led by Eli Ours 17 points. On the year, Ours leads Hillcrest at 16 points per game, fourth in the Superconference North Division. He also has a team best five assists and three steals per contest. John Hughes leads the Ravens on the glass with five boards per game.
Highland comes in with an overall mark of 2-5, 2-3 in the Superconference North. In their last recorded action they beat Lone Tree Tuesday 58-54 behind 15 points from Tristan Stokes, 12 from Chase Schultz and 10 from Connor Grinstead. On the season, Highland is led by Stokes at 11 points per contest. He also has the team lead with three steals and two assists. Trevor McFarland is best on the team at five boards per game. These two team
The second half of the season will start up Monday for a pair of boys’ basketball teams when Columbus Community hosts Highland for a Southeast Iowa Super Conference showdown.
The Wildcats seek their first win of the year after an 0-7 pre-Christmas record. Mason Hodges has been a bright spot with 8.8 points and 7.2 rebounds a night. Owen Watson adds 5.6 points and six boards a game. The Huskies had a late start to their season and sit at 0-2. Plenty of new faces surround this Highland squad and in the small sample size, Trevor McFarland has led the way with 9.5 points and six rebounds a contest. Senior Tristan Stokes adds 7.5 points an evening. The series has been dominated by Highland in the last decade with a 17-game win streak over Columbus dating back to 2011.