By Bob Bakken
MaxPreps.com
Football: Scott Resigns at Bettendorf
Bettendorf is looking for a new football coach after Randy Scott resigned from the job on the heels of his team claiming a Class 4-A state championship earlier this month.
Scott announced his resignation after a campaign that saw the top-ranked Bulldogs rally in the waning seconds to defeat Ankeny, 21-16, in the state championship contest at the UNI-Dome and finish a 13-0 season. He's been at Bettendorf for 32 seasons, 24 as an assistant coach and eight as head coach.
The Bulldogs have had 31 consecutive winnings seasons since Scott came on board as an assistant coach in 1976, and he's coached all seven Bettendorf state championship teams as an assistant or head coach. His overall head coaching mark is 85-12. Scott will stay at the school as a physical education teacher.
Wrestling: Zmolek Becomes Ames' Interim Coach
Chad Zmolek has been named the interim wrestling coach at Ames High School on the heels of the early November resignation of Chad Latch as coach and educational assistant in the Ames school district.
Zmolek has been an assistant coach at Ames for the past five years and is also the boys' soccer coach. Latch resigned the position after a recent drunken driving arrest, which was his third arrest for DWI. The school's other assistants retained their jobs and Little Cyclones' athletic director Judge Johnston told the Ames Daily Tribune, "We'll sit down at the end of the season and evaluate the direction we're going to go."
Girls Basketball: Preseason No. 1's Pegged
The Iowa High School Girls Athletic Union has released its preseason rankings in girls basketball.
Mississippi Valley Conference contender Cedar Rapids Washington has been given the top nod in Class 4-A, while defending state champion Sioux City North is picked third. Des Moines East was tabbed second.
Washington has fashioned a record of 66-11 in the past three years, has won three MVC divisional titles, qualified for state three times, but has yet to win the state championship. It's the main goal of a Warriors' team led by seniors Katelin Oney, Kaitlin Armstrong, and Micha Mims. The theme for this year's CR Washington club is "Unfinished Business."
The Class 3-A projections point to Ballard (Huxley) over Cedar Rapids Xavier with Sioux City Heelan ranked third. Ballard is led by a talented group paced by Amanda Zimmerman. The Bombers are another team that have come up just short in the past couple of seasons and want to reach the state championship pinnacle.
In Class 2-A, the IGHSAU is looking at Davenport Assumption as the number one team as the season begins with North Butler ranked second. Assumption brings an experienced and talented group to the court that is led by Lauren Lybert.
In Class 1-A, look to Lawton-Bronson to have the favorites' role early on, with Southeast Webster-Grand next at number two. Coach Kevin Mills leads an Eagles' team that has four returning starters back from a 20-6 team last year. Guards Katie Sorenson and Mandy Wagner are back for Lawton-Bronson along with forwards Brooke Williams and Alyssa Brockhaus.
Volleyball: Players of the Year Awarded
On the heels of the state tournament in Cedar Rapids earlier this month, the Iowa Girls' Coaches Association has named its All-State teams and players of the year.
Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln setter Brittany Ridenour was named the Class 4-A player of the year. Ridenour's a four-year starter for the Lynx and led them to their first state tournament in six years.
Emily Heffernen of West Delaware was named the top player in Class 3-A. Heffernen is a six-foot senior and a Drake University recruit who average over four kills a game for a team that reached the state semi-finals before falling to eventual state champ Sioux City Heelan.
Western Christian's Jessica DeStigter is the player of the year in Class 2-A. She was one of eight seniors on the state championship team that reached the fifty-win mark this year, a first for Iowa volleyball. She entered the state tournament with over one-thousand assists on the season, an average of over nine a game.
In Class 1-A, Tripoli outside hitter/middle blocker Tiffany Nilges was given the player of year moniker. The Iowa recruit was an all-state and all-conference selection, leading Tripoli to the state tournament. She's also played for the Nike Six Pack club team and helped them to nationals four times in the seven years she's played on that team.
