For the second time in four weeks, Dowling Catholic turned a highly anticipated matchup against a top-five team into a laugher.
Friday, the Maroons – ranked No. 1 in Class 4A by the Associated Press and No. 2 by the Des Moines Register – scored 30 unanswered points en route to a 38-7 blowout of Ankeny, which was ranked No. 3 by the AP and No. 2 by the Des Moines Register.
Quarterback Michael Hudson threw two first-half touchdowns passes to lead the Maroons offense. On defense, the star was senior linebacker Spencer Navin, who returned not one but two interceptions for touchdowns in the third quarter.
Dowling Catholic (5-0) hammered archrival Valley (then ranked No. 4), 44-14, two weeks ago, ending the Tigers’ 27-game regular season winning streak.
Coach Tom Wilson’s squad has averaged 46 points a game, thanks in part to the dynamic play of Hudson. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound senior has completed 59 percent of his passes for 724 yards with 10 touchdowns and one interception. He has run for 213 yards on 39 carries (5.5 average) and two touchdowns.
“Michael is a leader and a playmaker,” Wilson said.
Dowling Catholic has plenty of work left to do in order to enter the postseason with its current lofty ranking. Two of its final four opponents – Southeast Polk and Johnston – were playoff teams last season. The two that weren’t – Urbandale and Indianola – own a cumulative 9-1 record this year.
“Our group is very confident at this point,” said Wilson. “They also realize we play in a very competitive league and we have to play well each week.
“The comforting thing is this is an experienced team. They know what it takes to be consistent.”
More Iowa football: Gladbrook-Reinbeck stops skid, stuns No. 3 Aplington-Parkersburg
Coaches usually are leery when the term “must-win game” is thrown around. But there probably wasn’t a better way to describe the stakes for Gladbrook-Reinbeck when it hosted powerhouse Aplington-Parkersburg Friday.
In one of the state’s biggest upsets in week five, the Rebels (2-3) upset the No. 3 Falcons (4-1) on a muddy track, 21-20.
Gladbrook-Reinbeck converted an A-P fumble and a botched punt snap into 14 first-quarter points. Senior tailback Zack Schwartz, who began the season third on the depth chart, gained only 45 yards on 23 carries. But he scored two touchdowns including the game-winner in the fourth quarter from 3 yards out.
Entering the game, the injury and suspension-plagued Rebels were reeling from three straight losses by a combined total of 111-7. They were staring straight down the barrel of an 0-3 start in district play and almost no shot at a third playoff berth in six seasons.
“Our depth chart had been all over the place,” said G-R coach John Olson. “The week leading up to A-P, we had the same kids in the same spots the whole week. The continuity was great.”
The Rebels have lost only twice in the last 24 games on their home field, nicknamed “The Pit.” The most recent was two weeks ago in a 42-7 blowout by Turkey Valley. The other was two years ago to A-P.
“Honestly, I think on Friday night, as tough as we played and as much effort as we played with, we might have won anywhere," Olson said.
Iowa swimming: Valley’s Wistey breaks state record twice in one week
Even for the most elite of all elite athletes, breaking an individual state record is – at best – usually a once-in-a-lifetime accomplishment.
But, amazingly, for West Des Moines Valley swimmer Imelda Wistey, it was a twice-in-a-week accomplishment.
Last Tuesday, Wistey swam the 100 breaststroke in an all-time Iowa best 1:03.90 during a conference dual meet loss at top-ranked Mason City.
Just a few days later, during Saturday’s Tiger Tanker Invitational at Valley, Wistey one-upped herself. The senior finished the race with another new state-record time of 1:03.58.
The record-setting week was a remarkable accomplishment that seemed even more remarkable given that Wistey didn’t even win the state championship in the event last season (she finished in third place).
“Imelda has been one of the top swimmers in the state her entire career but she made a huge step during the off-season,” says Valley coach Shawn DeBoef. “She is a very determined and dedicated swimmer and works hard year-round.
“Breaking this record was one of her goals for this season and it did not come as a surprise to me. Every time she has been in the 100 breaststroke this year, she has dropped her time."
Valley’s streak of 44 consecutive dual-meet victories was ended earlier this season. But, with Wistey leading the way, the Tigers are still a strong contender for their fifth straight state team championship.
“As a teammate, (Wistey) is always encouraging girls to put forth their best and push themselves to improve every day,” says DeBoef. “She works hard in every set and as a result her teammates are pushed to do the same. She is constantly asking her coaches for technique advice so she can continue to improve.”
Nebraska softball: State championship rematch goes extra innings in a pitchers duel
No. 2 Papillion-La Vista slipped past top-ranked Lincoln Southwest, 1-0, in eight innings, Saturday at the Lincoln Southeast tournament.
The win provided some measure of revenge to feast on for the Monarchs, who lost to the Silver Hawks in last season’s Class A state championship.
But you didn’t hear that from Papillion-La Vista coach Todd Peterson.
“It’s just another game for us,” he said. “The important ones are coming up.”
Emily Drummy scored the winning run in the bottom of the eighth on a two-out bunt by Kelsey Whipple.
Junior pitcher Karissa Hovinga (19-2) struck out 18 batters to outduel Becca Changstrom, a Creighton recruit, for the win.
“(Hovinga) has 225 strikeouts in 140 innings with a 0.25 ERA,” Peterson said. “So, she’s had an incredible season."
Odds and ends
An offensive explosion was expected when top-ranked and defending champion Howells hosted fifth-ranked Bancroft-Rosalie Friday. After all, in their first four games, the two Nebraska 8-man I heavyweights combined to average 129 points per game. Instead, a defensive struggle – by 8-man football standards – broke out and Bancroft-Rosalie pulled a 28-26 upset . . . Eight different players scored touchdowns in Nebraska Class A top-ranked Millard South’s 75-7 blowout of Omaha Benson. The Patriots, who led 42-0 at the end of one period, scored their fifth special teams touchdown in the last three games . . . Maquoketa (Iowa) is off to its first 5-0 start in more than two decades. The Cardinals dominated Anamosa, 37-8, forcing four Blue Raiders’ turnovers in the first half . . . Ankeny’s top-ranked volleyball squad avenged its only regular season loss of last season, defeating Johnston 25-19, 25-22, 25-12 in Central Iowa Metro League Central Conference action. Although Ankeny lost to Johnston in the regular season last year, the Hawkettes beat the Dragons in the Class 4A championship match . . . In Nebraska, Class B No. 1 Omaha Gross cruised to an easier-than-expected sweep of No. 2 Lincoln Pius X, 25-11, 25-22, 25-13 . . . Two-time defending tennis singles champion Jackson Withrow of Omaha Burke was an upset victim at last week’s Monarch Invitational. Creighton Prep’s Anthony Del Core stunned Withrow 4-6, 6-1 (10-8), handing the nationally ranked junior his first loss in high school competition . . . In Iowa tennis news, the U.S. Professional Tennis Association named Maharishi’s Lawrence Eyre its national high school coach of the year. Maharishi has qualified for the state tournament 12 times in 22 seasons under Eyre, including a second-place finish last spring.
Top individual performers
Alex Maule (Griswold, Iowa, football): The senior ran for 249 yards and three touchdowns and returned a fumble 83 yards for another score, as the Tigers beat West Monona, 69-66, in the third-highest scoring 11-man game in state history.
Jer Garman (Linn-Mar, Iowa, football): The junior running back scored six touchdowns – four rushing and two receiving – in a 54-7 blowout of Waterloo East.
Kevin Barrett (Boys Town, Nebraska, football): The senior quarterback accounted for five touchdowns – including a 79-yard kickoff return -- in three quarters of action during the Cowboys’ 49-0 shutout of Bennington.
Brooke Helmberger (Papillion-La Vista, Nebraska, football): The senior kicked the first extra point of her career in the third quarter of the Monarchs’ 34-14 defeat of Omaha Bryan. The night before, Helmberger was crowned homecoming queen.
Looking ahead
* Unbeaten Urbandale (Iowa) can take a major step closer to its first playoff berth in 10 seasons with a road victory at one-loss Ankeny. The game will feature two of Class 4A’s top rushers in Urbandale’s Jevoury Wedderburn (802 yards, 11 TDs) and Ankeny’s Tyler Leo (545 yards, 8 TDs).
* Top-ranked and two-time defending Iowa Class 2A champion Solon could get its first major test of the season when it hosts Center Point-Urbana (4-1). The Spartans, who have outscored foes by a combined 230-25 this season, own the nation’s eighth longest winning streak (32) among 11-man teams.
* Millard North (Nebraska), ranked No. 2 this week by the Omaha World-Herald, takes on No. 10 Bellevue West (3-2). The Mustangs (4-1) hope to reverse a four-week trend of the OWH’s No. 2-ranked team losing their next game.
Recruiting roundup
According to the Lincoln Journal-Star, York (Nebraska) senior guard Carly Grenfell has committed to play basketball next season at Drake. Grenfell, a 5-8 guard, was Class B honorable mention all-state last season averaging 13 points per game.
Jamie DeMoney has covered high school sports and recruiting for more than 15 years. He is editor and founder of PrepNation.com. You can reach him at PrepNation@aol.com.
