Drake Team Camp: Game Recaps
2:00: Grand View Christian 77 vs Iowa Falls-Alden 55
Well folks, after winning back to back state titles, it certainly looks as though Grand View Christian will be the favorites in class 1A to win a third straight. Why? Harouna Sissoko, a man-child combo-forward from Lincoln Academy in Georgia, who has three Division I offers, has been added to the lineup. That’s a lineup that already included freak athlete Issa Samake, a Mali-born exchange student. The two put on a show in this one, by the end of the game the doorways were full and the walls were rung with spectators. The dynamic duo, both 6’7 and both dynamic athletes, combined for nine dunks and 33 points in the blowout win. For Iowa Falls-Alden, it was long-range sniper Logan Aldinger who dropped a team-high 15 points (on five 3s).
3:00: Bishop Garrigan 75 vs North Linn 58
It seems like this Bishop Garrigan squad is one of those teams that’s so talented, it can simply turn on the switch when they want to start playing really well. That’s not the best strategy to win games, but if your good enough to employ it, it’s better than not being able to. In this one, they were down by 13 to a North Linn squad that wasn’t playing with its all-state point guard Jake Hilmer. Then the Bears woke up, and when they do, they hit you like a bag of bricks. Despite a very strong outing from incoming freshman Austin Hilmer (yes, Jake’s little brother), Bishop Garrigan won this one easily. Angelo Winkel is one of the state’s best rising sophomores, he finished with a game-high 26 points. TJ Schnurr added 18, and a slew of assists. Bears rising senior Tristen Ferguson also had 18. Hilmer finished with 19 points and a handful of steals and assists.
4:00: Dowling 42 vs Waukee JV 20
We were expecting to see Dylan Jones, Noah Hart and Co. but instead we walked into the gym and saw them standing on the wall in street clothes. Turns out, this was the Waukee JV against the top guys from Dowling. The Maroons have one of the state’s most unsung guards on their squad, Jack Keough is a football stud, so he probably doesn’t get the credit he deserves for his prowess on the hardwood, but dude can play. He was the best player on the floor and scored a game-high 13 points. He’s a big build but is still quick and smooth, skilled. Waukee’s JV included guys like Payton Sandfort, Wyatt Heston and the Drake coach’s son, Tucker DeVries. That’s a JV squad that will likely beat 99 percent of other JV squads they face, and all three of those guys will likely see varsity minutes this season. However, they were no match for the varsity team from Dowling.
5:00: Valley 57 vs Cedar Falls 51
This was a rematch of a state semifinal just three months ago between these two programs. Cedar Falls had AJ Green then. This time, they didn’t, and the result was different. Cedar Falls will again be really good, despite being without one of the best Iowa high school players of all-time. But Valley looks like they’ll be just a little bit better; both teams look like state tourney caliber teams. Trayvon Williams was the best player on the floor, he played tough on both ends, locking down Cedar Falls standout Logan Wolf on one end, and pouring in a game-high 20 points on the other. For Cedar Falls it was rising junior Josh Ollendieck who was impressive, we’ve been high on this kid for two years, and are glad to see him excelling with the varsity now. Will Berg was really good for Valley, him and Cedar Falls rising sophomore Chase Courbat, one of 2021’s best prospects, we’re going at it. Drew Jirak had a bit of a coming out party for Valley, he scored 12 points.
6:00: North Linn 56 vs Tipton 36
North Linn was again without starting point guard Jake Hilmer, who rolled his ankle last night playing baseball. That’s especially a bummer because the Drake coaches have been intrigued by him, and were eager to see him play this weekend. But I digress. The Lynx still have some firepower, and that came in the for of lengthy rising junior big-man Josh Smith in this one. The dude was unconscious, connecting on 12 field goals and missing maybe two. So we’re calling him 12-14 from the floor and he finished with 29 points in the blowout win. Jake’s brother Austin was fantastic in the first game, so we know he can play. If this North Linn squad were to play in 1A next season, they’d be certain candidates to get back to the state tourney. It sounds like the Lynx might play 2A, which would obviously make the trek to state more difficult. For Tipton, it was rising junior Connor Hermiston who led the way with 13 points.
7:00: Fort Dodge 59 vs Bishop Garrigan 54
Bishop Garrigan had just gotten done with an overtime game against Ankeny Centennial’s JV. They won that game and walked right over to court two to take on this shorthanded, six player Fort Dodge squad. The Dodgers were very small, especially compared to the Bishop Garrigan guys (their four best players go 6’4, 6’5, 6’5 and 6’7), but it was savvy and energy that lifted the 4A school to a win over the 1A squad. Also, a dominant combo-forward, Jordan Jackson was a big reason why the Dodgers got the W. He was unstoppable, and his high-motor was something that the tired Bears were not prepared to stop. Jackson, a rising senior, notched 17 first half points, he ended the game with 27. Bishop Garrigan finished the day 2-1, and will certainly be one of the top-ranked 1A teams in the state when our rankings are released later this fall. Rising senior TJ Schnurr was really good in this one, he scored 19 points. Angelo Winkel was again the leading scorer for the Bears, he poured in 20.