Eighth ranked Sheldon held off a fourth quarter rally by Carroll Kuemper to post a 49-42 victory an earn a spot in the class 2A championship game. “They just showed a lot of heart, a lot of character, played through some tough times…had a couple kids foul out, one real good kid got hurt,” Sheldon coach Claude Struve says.
The injury occurred to Sheldon standout Dallas Ennema who rolled an ankle early in the third quarter. Ennema had 16 points at the time of the injury. He returned to the game after a few minutes and he finished with a game high 21 points.
Kuemper could not find the range for most of the game. The Knights made only 12 of 41 shots in the game. Kuemper coach Tyler Edwards says the scratched and clawed as they were not hitting shots. “Our kids have a lot of heart, a lot of character, I couldn’t be prouder than I am of these young men in the lockerroom right now,” Edwards says.
Top ranked West Fork used an 18-2 run in the opening half to take control in a 51-38 victory over MFL-MarMac to earn a spot in the class 2A championship contest. Six-eight senior Payton Plagge scored 17 points and hauled down 14 rebounds as the Watrhawks improve to 26-0.
Second ranked Boyden-Hull outscored seventh ranked North Tama 45-21 in the second half and raced away to a 77-52 victory in a class 1A semifinal round game. The Comets had balanced scoring with four players in double figures.
Luke Lenhart scored 31 points and was nearly perfect at the free throw line down the stretch as third ranked Storm Lake St. Mary’s beat top ranked Danville 61-55 to earn a spot in the class 1A championship game. Lenhart made 11 of 12 free throws in the fourth quarter and as a team the Panthers made 16 of 20 in the final frame.
Two years ago the Panthers beat Danville in the championship game and Lenhart says that helped them, today. “We are always confident, but we knew we could play with them. I don’t know if a lot of people thought we could be ’em…we believe in ourselves and that’s all that matters to us,” Lenhart says.
In the 3A semifinals, Harlan beat MOC-Floyd Valley 45-42. Third rated Waverly-Shellrock downed fifth rated Davenport Assumption 36-32.