High School Playbook

In the 2A Semi's IKM-Manning looking to be the first team to beat Boydon-Hull/Rock Valley all season. 

In the 3A Semi's Harlan taking on Carroll and Pella looking to continue their surprise run against New Hampton.

Check back next weekend for all of the State Championship game highlights right here on High School Playbook.

Congratulations to the Ankeny Hawkette volleyball team, which wrapped up a 4A State Volleyball title with a 3-1 win over Iowa City West.  Scott Reister has the highlights.

Marshalltown is continuing the the dream season in the UNI-Dome in hopes of bringing home a Class 4A State Football Championship.

Last Friday night they took on prennial powerhouse, Ankeny, and it took everything the Bobcats had to go to 11-0.  They defeated Ankeny 31-21 and look forward to play #1 seeded Dowling Catholic in the UNI-Dome.

To get to the dome the Bobcats needed some big performances and got them from a few people.  Most notably, Wide Receiver Jarred Carlson.  Carlson had 3 catches for 83 yards (1 touchdown) and 2 carries for 10 yards.

For his efforts he is this week's KCCI's Iowa Beef "Athlete of the Week."  

CHECK OUT CARLSON'S TD HERE

Who moves on?  Who heads home?  Andy Garman has your quarterfinal football highlights.

Part 2 of the action below:

HIGH SCHOOL HYPOTHESIS:

QUARTERFINAL EDITION

Last Week      Will: 2-3          TJ: 2-3

Overall            Will: 26-18      TJ: 26-18

DOWLING (11-0) vs. URBANDALE (8-2)

WILL PICKS-Dowling

This game is a match up between two teams that shut-out their last opponent (Dowling 41-0 East/ Urbandale 48-0 Valley).  Dowling’s defense is just too good for Urbandale’s rushing attack.  I’m taking the Maroons, as they continue on their track to bring the ’09 Class 4A state title back to Des Moines. 

TJ PICKS-Dowling

Urbandale’s thumping of Valley on Monday was remarkable. And the same can be said for Chad Gilson and Jevoury Wedderburn. Unfortunately for the J-Hawks, they run into a Dowling Catholic team who is having there best season in a decade. I’ll take Michael Hudson and the Maroons, but in a close one.

ANKENY (10-1) vs. MARSHALLTOWN (11-0)

WILL PICKS-Marshalltown

Does the Bobcat bus stop here?  Can Marshalltown continue this dream run towards a state championship?  I think the Bobcats overcame a HUGE hump when they defeated Waukee Monday night after trailing early on 12-0.  Ankeny is good, at running the football, but Marshalltown’s defense is the unheard bunch in this story…they are really good.  I’m taking the Bobcats in an upset (yes, it is still considered an upset because Marshalltown has NEVER had a season like this one!).

TJ PICKS-Ankeny

Ankeny’s defense has give up just 10 points in its two post-season games. Marshalltown’s offense has scored 80. So something has got to give. I have to go with my gut here and say that Ankeny’s D will be able to suffocate Chanse Creekmur and company. I’m going with the tradition of Ankeny to ruin the dream season of Marshalltown, and the Bobcats first loss will be their last.

CLEAR LAKE (11-0) vs. CARROLL (11-0)

WILL PICKS-Carroll

A couple of weeks ago I threw my pick for the Class 3A state champ in a hypothesis.  My mind hasn’t changed; I’m taking the Carroll in this one.  This game is at Carroll and they have the necessary tools to raise the trophy at the end of this whole thing.

TJ PICKS-Clear Lake

Clear Lake’s defense has five shut-outs this season, and has given up only 80 points in 11 games. Those are some impressive numbers. Carroll’s offense has put up 40 or more points five games this season themselves. So what to take, offense or defense? Ethan Tindell will lead the Clear Lake defense to yet another big victory and the Lions will be one step closer to playing for the 3A championship.

PELLA (8-3) vs. CENTERVILLE (11-0)

WILL PICKS-Centerville

This game is a no-brainer to me.  Centerville is undefeated this year and continues to ride the same offense from back in 1912.  But guess what?  “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”  I’m taking Centerville, as they will match up with Carroll in the Class 3A state championship game to feature an all Central Iowa match up. 

TJ PICKS-Pella

What a game we have here. It’s a rematch of the 44-43 week three thriller that Centerville won. In that game Tanner Susin, one of the state’s best, ran for 190 yards and had 10 tackles for Centerville. Meanwhile, Pella’s Blane Forsythe threw for 270 yards and three touchdowns, two of them to Richie Bales. In the rematch, I’m going to have to take Pella. They seem to be peaking right now in their season; they haven’t lost since October 2, when Grinnell beat them. The same Grinnell team they just upset in the quarterfinals. Pella upsets the Big Reds and moves on to the semis.

IKM-MANNING (10-1) vs. KUEMPER CATHOLIC (9-2)

WILL PICKS-Kuemper Catholic

When these two teams met earlier this year, Kuemper Catholic took the match up by seven points.  I think this game will be close again, but once again Kuemper Catholic wins, but just by a thread.

TJ PICKS-IKM-Manning

Kuemper Catholic started out the season 0-2 and they haven’t looked back since. Well, I’m afraid the streak stops here. IKM-Manning won its last three regular season games by a combined score of 175-0, yowser! IKM-Manning’s Jared Croghan will be tough to stop offensively and defensively. And Kuemper’s senior QB Brandon Boldt will put up a heck of a fight, but the Wolves will take this one.

WOODWARD-GRANGER (9-2) vs. PRAIRIE VALLEY, GOWRIE (11-0)

WILL PICKS-Prairie Valley

When Emmetsburg was upset by South Winneshiek Monday night (I’m not sure how you call that game an upset?  South Winneshiek has one loss, Emmetsburg was previously undefeated) that opened up a shot for Prairie Valley to win the whole thing.  Anytime you have two guys that have amassed over 4,000 career total yards (Cole Jaeschke and Jon Elmore) you have a special team.  Prairie Valley wins this one.

TJ PICKS-Prairie Valley

With all the hits that the Prairie Valley fanatics have been giving this Web site the past two weeks I’d be a fool to say anything negative about their team. Good news for me and them, there isn’t anything negative to say. They’ve amassed 2600 rushing yards this season, with nearly 1500 passing yards to boot. Although Woodward-Granger is playing great football right now, especially after whooping Panorama on Monday, I’m going to have to take the Warriors in this one. By the way, P.V.’s last five offensive point totals have been 41, 42, 41, 41, and 40, that’s strange. Who wants to bet they score in the low 40’s in this one?

TJ Rushing and Will Marchino, High School Playbook

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Highlights2

GOTW: Playoff Highlights

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? ABBY EMMERT

Winterset High School: 2004

November 2, 2009

Winterset girl's basketball had three wins and 40 losses in the two years prior to Abby Emmert’s arrival. During her final two years as a Husky, her team won 38 games and only lost 10.

Much of the credit that’s taken place for the Winterset girls basketball program should also be attributed to current coach Doug Messerschmitt, who began coaching Emmert’s freshman season in 2000.

“It was really cool to see the enthusiasm for girl’s basketball grow while I was there,” Emmert said. “I just really enjoyed my time there. It’s a great community with a small town feel and everyone kind of gets behind one another and supports each other. It was all-around a really good experience growing up and going to school there.”

Emmert’s successes at Winterset caught the attention of many division-one schools, including Drake, Iowa and Iowa State. Her final decision was between Lisa Bluder’s Hawkeyes, and Amy Stephens’s Drake Bulldogs.

“I knew I wanted to stay in state,” Emmert said. “That’s something I decided early on so that my parents and family would be able to watch my games.”

In the end it was the Hawkeyes who captured the All-State point guard’s interest the most.

“It was just a dream come true,” Emmert said. “My family and everyone have always been die-hard Hawk fans. Plus black and gold were my colors at Winterset and I figured they were working out alright, so I decided to take that route.”

As a freshman Emmert was immediately thrown into the regular playing rotation, starting in 14 games. But she would only start in eight games over the next three years.

“We had a very talented point guard come in the year after me. She was two time All-Big Ten, and a great shooter and scorer,” Emmert said. “So it was just something where I accepted my role and continued to help the team in other ways.”

Situations like this can be frustrating for athletes, especially those as competitive as Emmert. Luckily for her, she had the right people in her life, to give her the sound advice she needed to continue her career successfully.

“It was hard to swallow at first, but I was able to talk to my dad and different coach’s and realized there was a still a lot I could do to help the team,” Emmert said. “I realized I could still have a presence whether it was in games or in practice, or even off the court. And I think I was able to do that.”

Emmert’s mature attitude and team-oriented philosophies were undoubtedly appreciated by the Hawkeye staff. A staff that Emmert is apart of just a year-and-a-half after graduating, she is currently the director of basketball operations for her Hawkeye’s, a team that taught her so much.

“I have nothing but good things to say about my experience with Lisa Bluder at Iowa,” Emmert said. “The biggest thing that you really realize when you’re done is the things you learn about life and being a good person in the community. I’ve only been done a year-and-a-half, but those are the things that really stick with you.”

In May of 2008 Emmert received her degree in communication studies from Iowa, with a minor in journalism. She took a little time off to decide what her next move would be and soon after started working for the United Way doing fundraising for resource development in Cedar Rapids.

After seven months in Cedar Rapids, the director of basketball operations job became available with her alma-mater. She applied and got the job. She started on September 4^th and you better believe her Hawkeye’s have been keeping her busy, but she doesn’t mind.

“There’s a lot that goes into it. It’s a lot of the behind the scenes work and day-to-day kind of things that just make the program run,” Emmert said. “I do all the travel arrangements, the scheduling of games and practices. I take care of equipment and uniforms and all the volunteer activities that our women do. It’s all really exciting work that I’m really enjoying.”

TJ Rushing, High School Playbook

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Scott Reister travels to "The Jungle" for the game of the week. The undefeated AHST Vikings take on the 5-0 Madrid Tigers.

The Madrid Tigers average 20 yards per carry on the ground. Can they keep that average in the Friday night slop?

Upsets, barn-burners, and blowouts headline the fist week of the Iowa high school football playoffs.  Andy Garman has your highlights.

Part 2 Highlights:

HIGH SCHOOL HYPOTHESIS:

Playoff Edition 

Last Week:     Will: 5-1          TJ: 4-2

Overall            Will: 24-15      TJ: 24-15       

PANORAMA (5-4) vs. PELLA CHRISTIAN (7-2)

WILL PICKS-Pella Christian

It’s hard to go against Pella Christian in this one.  The Eagles had a strong first year in their new stadium and that is exactly where they open up the Class 1A Sub-state playoffs.  One of the more intriguing things about this Eagles squad is that a lot of their main contributors are only juniors.

TJ PICKS-Panorama

Will’s right, it is hard to go against Pella Christian in this one. But unlike him, I actually am going against them. I may seem crazy, especially since Panorama brings a two game losing skid into post season play. But I feel that Panorama’s senior QB Zach Brehmer will outplay Pella Christian junior QB Kyle Nikkel and the Panthers will claw there way to the next round in an upset.

BEDFORD (6-3) vs. VAN METER (8-1)

WILL PICKS-Van Meter

How about the dual (er triple) threat that is Ben Fisher!  The Van Meter QB has almost 2000 total yards this year and 29 tackles.  I don’t really see many upsets happening in the first round (until later in this hypothesis)…

TJ PICKS-Van Meter

BATTLE OF THE BULLDOGS!! This will be a good one. But I like the enthusiasm that the town of Van Meter will bring to this game. Ben Fisher is one of the many QB’s of the new dual-threat generation. He, along with the Van Meter home crowd, will be enough to launch the Bulldogs of Van Meter into the next round. If Bedford does prevail in this one, you can bet that junior iron-man Jordan Walston will be the reason why.

VALLEY (5-4) vs. FORT DODGE (7-2)

WILL PICKS-Valley

Listen, I know that people get upset when that I keep picking Valley in these weekly things.  To be quite honest, they are probably the only reason I’m losing to TJ in the overall standings.  Here is my TRIVIA OF THE DAY…When was the last time Valley went 5-4?  Answer: 2002.  When did Valley win their first ever state championship in football?  Answer: 2002.  You just can’t count out the Tigers until they are defeated.

TJ PICKS-Valley

Gosh, this is tough. I‘ve been pre-conditioned to just automatically pick Valley in all things football, but this season they have burned me a couple times. So I’m going to go ahead and give them another chance to burn me. Although Fort Dodge took care of the Tigers 24-10 in week eight, I just can’t go against the team of the decade. This will also be a chance for Valley to seek revenge on Fort Dodge for keeping them out of the state baseball tournament last summer. Dodger’s stud running-back Jontel Clayton will be tough to contain, but I’m going to take Valley in a close one.  

WASHINGTON (5-4) vs. CENTERVILLE (9-0)

WILL PICKS-Centerville

The number one seed in this game.  NO question here.

TJ PICKS-Centerville

Centerville, duh. This one’s easy, plus Washington isn’t in our viewing area so I can’t make anyone mad with this pick. In all honesty, Centerville has been great all season long, and they won’t faulter here. Tanner Susin is one of the state’s best on both sides of the ball, add fellow seniors Ethan Moorman, Blake McPherren and Mike England to that defensive potion, and Centerville looks poised for a state title.

MANSON-NW WEBSTER (7-2) vs. MOUNT AYR (7-2)

WILL PICKS-Manson NW Webster

This game is decided in the offensive backfield.  Who will be better?  Kyle Twait and Brandon McGinty of Manson-NW Webster or will it be David Showalter and Matt Jones?  I’m taking Twait and McGinty.

TJ PICKS-Mount Ayr 

The Raiders are bringing a five game winning streak into the post-season after a slow 2-2 start. When a team is hot like that, how can you pick against them? Junior Cade Lambson and senior Dylan Lame will anchor the Raider defense, while senior Marcus Tague will be flying around for the Cougars. This will be a close one, but I’ll take the Raiders.

Will Marchino and TJ Rushing, High School Playbook