10 Best: Newton (48), Johnston (44)
Des Moines — It got a little dicey in the third and fourth quarters for Newton, but the Cardinals showed great fight, grit, and ultimately skill in their four point win over a very talented Johnston squad. Newton was sensational…
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Continue ReadingDes Moines — It got a little dicey in the third and fourth quarters for Newton, but the Cardinals showed great fight, grit, and ultimately skill in their four point win over a very talented Johnston squad.
Newton was sensational early — meanwhile Johnston was equally as bad — and the Cardinals raced out to a 20-5 start. But then the Dragons started to settle in, and went on a drawn-out 27-10 run which spanned over a quarter-and-a-half. That run came to a boil when Johnston senior Jaden Kephart drilled a 3 to give the the Dragons their first lead of the game at the beginning of the fourth quarter.
And though the shots had long since stopped falling for the Cardinals, they dug deep, made some plays, and stopped the hemorrhaging. Ending the game with a furry of big plays, big buckets and clutch free-throws in order to send them to their first State Tournament appearance since 1992.
Newton junior Garrett Sturtz was quiet for a stretches of the game, but came up huge down the stretch; he finished with a game-high 14 points. Senior guard Connor Gholson hit some timely buckets in the fourth quarter also, and finished with 13 points.
Johnston sophomore Peyton Williams was utterly impressive for the Dragons — a big and bouncy 6-foot-5 post (and I mean bouncy). He led the Dragons with 10. Junior Camden Vander Zwaag chipped in with nine.
Team Scoring
Johnston 5 9 15 15 — 44
Newton 14 12 4 18 — 48
Individual Scoring
Johnston (44): Peyton Williams 10, Camden Vander Zwaag 9, Jaden Kephart 8, Jeran Proctor 8, Grant Kramer 5, Jakob Meyer 2, Dawson Jones 2.
Newton (48): Garrett Sturtz 14, Connor Gholson 13, Morgan Maher 10, Trey VanderLaan 7, Josh Ventlig 4.
MVP: Garrett Sturtz (Newton)
He scored more than anyone, and was critical down the stretch; making huge plays on both sides of the ball, and knocking down four crucial free-throws that helped seal the win.
Play of the Game: Sturtz Steal
After putting Newton up one, 39-38, Sturtz used his great length to come away with a tough steal above the key on Johnston’s end, and then heaved a pass to a streaking teammate for a lay-in that put the Cardinals up three. So Sturtz went bucket, steal, assist — all in 15 seconds — and it was the biggest difference last in the game.
Best Offensive Performance: Connor Gholson (Newton)
Sturtz led the Cardinals in scoring, and Gholson didn’t necessarily shoot the ball well tonight, but he was the Cardianls most consistent scorer, and got tough buckets against a very good on-ball defender, Johnson’s Jaden Kephart.
Best Defensive Performance: Garrett Sturtz
His immense length aids him greatly with rebounding and on the defensive end. The 6-foot-2 guard had the steal that led to the assist, which led to the three-point lead late. And he came away with a slew of tipped balls and steals throughout during tonight’s win.
Best Defensive Performance II: Jaden Kephart (Johnston)
A 6-foot-2 senior who is known for his shooting prowess, Kephart had the unenviable task of guarding one of the state’s best scorers tonight, Connor Gholson. And though Gholson was able to break free for 13 points, that was well below his senior average of 21. Kephart was great on-the-ball, moves his feet extraordinarily well, and plays defense with a tenacity that most college programs drool over.
Best Shooter: Camden Vander Zwaag (Johnston)
Nobody on either team was burning the nets up tonight. But Vander Zwaag connected on three triples, even after a very troubling start to the game (airball, followed by another bad miss). Every time Vander Zwaag shot the ball the Dragons fans gasped, they knew it had a good change to go in. Vander Zwaag is one of the state’s best shooters. It just so happens that a lot of his shots didn’t drop tonight.
Best Rebounder: Peyton Williams (Johnston)
We knew very little about this sophomore coming into the game, but boy did he impress. He a big-bodied 6-foot-5 post, there’s a ton of those across the state; but what differentiates him from others, is his elite leaping ability. Williams was soaring through Newton’s defense tonight, skying for rebound after rebound on both ends of the floor. He’s a special athlete.
Best Underclassmen: Peyton Williams
See above; big, bouncy and supremely athletic. The future is bright for Williams (who is a standout on the diamond too), and for Johnston too.
Best Player off the Bench: Peyton Williams
Another honor for the dazzling Johnson sophomore. The fact that he did not start is a testament to how talented this Johnson squad was this season. Williams will certainly start next season, and the offense will run through him and Vander Zwaag.
Story to Watch: Newton vs 4A Elite
Newton was considered underdogs against Dowling last Friday night, and again tonight against Johnston, despite the fact that they came in with an 18-5 record. The reason being, that they played in a 3A conference, and consequently played a mostly 3A schedule this season. Well that mostly 3A schedule was against one of the best conferences in the Iowa, the Little Hawkeye; and Newton has certainly proved over their last two games that they not only can hang against 4A competition, but that they can beat 4A’s best. The question is: can they maintain this success against 4A’s best next week?