Dunkerton moves into championship game

The semifinal round is underway at the Boys’ State Basketball Tournament in Des Moines. Seventy-one years after beating Des Moines Roosevelt for the state championship, Dunkerton will play for another title. The Raiders dominated nearly every phase and rolled past top ranked Newell-Fonda 65-41 to earn a spot in the 1A championship game. The Raiders had three players in double figures including senior guard Bryan Brungard who scored the first eight points of the fourth quarter as they pulled away from a ten point lead. He says they had been turning the ball over and wanted to stretch the lead out and pull away. Fonda coach Paul Loos says he expected them to move the ball up the floor, and he says his team got caught on some screens and gave up some easy baskets. Matt Stayter led Newell-Fonda with 16 points but it was a struggle all game for the Mustangs who shot just 21 percent for the game and suffered their first loss of the season. Also in 1A, second rated Manning jumped out to a 14-point halftime advantage and cruised to a 66-50 win over number-four Bellevue Marquette. A year after winning the football title the Bulldogs and coach Keith Wagner will bid for a basketball crown.Marquette coach Jim Squires says his kids hustled, but unfortunately couldn’t get over the hump.