Iowa’s Blazin’ Five (Week 2)
Valley It never matters for Valley who graduated the season before, they always will put a quality product on the floor. And through five games this December, that’s certainly the case. They started the season with an eyebrow-raising loss to…
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It never matters for Valley who graduated the season before, they always will put a quality product on the floor. And through five games this December, that’s certainly the case. They started the season with an eyebrow-raising loss to Des Moines Roosevelt, but have since strung together four straight wins, including a 27-point win over rival Dowling, a 10-point win over a good Centennial team, a 35-point shellacking of Mason City, and the crown jewel, a 16-point thumping of recent rival Des Moines North. Leading the charge for Valley: senior guard Sam Stevens, who is averaging 14.8 points per game and shooting a blistering 59 percent from deep.
Martensdale St. Mary’s
The Blue Devils are a baseball school, right? Well, yes, but it’s a basketball school, now, too. They have raced out to an impressive 6-0 start and are doing so while playing at a torrid pace. The Blue Devils are averaging 71.2 points per game, that’s seventh-best in 1A. They were tested in a big way on Tuesday when they faced then-unbeaten Mormon Grove, M-SM win that game 62-61. And this Blue Devils hoops success could last; it’s a group of young guys leading the charge, only one senior, Esa Johanson, can be found on their roster.
South Hamilton
Conner Hill has been sensational and South Hamilton has been obliterating the competition early in their 2018-19 campaign. The senior 6-foot guard is leading the team with 20.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, and also leads in assists and steals. Logan Peters has been no slouch himself, and the No. 2 Hawks have raced out to a 6-0 start. They’re winning those six games by an average of more than 30 points, yeesh.
Iowa City West
Iowa City West is always blazin’, but after getting a big win over state-title hopefuls Dubuque, Senior on Tuesday — a Dubuque, Senior team that desperately didn’t want to drop to 1-2 on the season — we felt West should be in this installment. Patrick McCaffery has been outstanding, not surprisingly, through a 4-0 start. West has now beaten Dowling, Grand View Christian, Iowa City High and Dubuque, Senior. Next up is for McCaffery, Even Brauns and Co. is Linn-Mar this Friday.
Waukee
No Class 4A team has been squashing opponents like the Warriors have been this season. They’ve beaten Des Moines East by 42, Johnston by 15, Fort Dodge by 34 and Ottumwa by 24. Noah Hart has been the catalyst for the early-season shellackings, he’s averaging 17.5 points and shooting 68 percent from the floor. Fellow senior Dylan Jones is averaging 15 points per game on an absurd 89 percent shooting. It’s no surprise that Waukee is leading Class 4A in team field goal percentage, 57.6 percent. They’ll be tested in a big way this Friday night when they host fellow Blazin’ Five Week 2 member, Valley.