(PELLA, Iowa) – On Saturday April 7, students from Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont (EBF) High School performed at the State Solo and Ensemble Contest at Pella Christian High School in Pella, Iowa. The EBF students earned seven Division I Ratings and 16 Division II ratings.
Students earning Division I ratings (superior) were: Caleb Dalbey, vocal solo; Katie Fisher, flute solo; Cyrus Rogers, tenor sax solo; Payton Fry and Tara Diephuis, clarinet and flute duet; Allison Walker, flute solo; and Delanee Van Zante, soprano sax and alto sax solos.
Students receiving Division II ratings (excellent) were: Blair Holohan, vocal solo; Caleb Dalbey, Cyrus Rogers, Eric Schutt, and Harrison Mock II for their Vocal Ensemble; Grace Manternach, Katie Fisher, and Shanna Fellows for their flute trio; Cameron Kolthoff, trumpet solo; Tara Diephuis, flute solo; Zach Edgren, trumpet solo; Justice Fenton, flute solo; Eric Schutt, baritone solo; Shanna Fellows, Katie Fisher, Sierra Lynch Belzer, Justice Fenton, Allison Walker, Liz Hotchkiss, and Sage Webster with their Flute Choir; Tara Diephuis, tenor sax solo; Emma Mock and Justice Fenton, Flute and Clarinet duet; Lucas Van Blaricon, alto sax solo; Payton Fry, Julia Fairchild, and Emma Mock for their Clarinet Trio; Liz Hotchkiss, flute solo; and Julia Fairchild, clarinet solo.
According to a press release sent by the school, Directors Joe Overton and Chris Ellerston were very proud of everyone’s performance.
It wasn’t easy, but the Oskaloosa Boys’ Basketball Team was able to find a way to pull out a 56-49 victory over Dallas Center-Grimes on the road. It was a bad night for the Osky girls as they were defeated by DCG, 81-7.
The boys’ game featured two teams ranked in the Iowa Prep Hoops top ten in Class 3A with Osky coming in at #4 and DCG at #7. They played it tough throughout, but Oskaloosa will point to several areas in which they could have done better and made this one a little easier on the hearts of Indian supporters.
The first quarter saw the Indians rack up several three pointers and a fast pace against DCG’s man-to-man defense. That run saw Osky open up a 20-8 lead with a few minutes left in the first. The Mustangs would switch into a zone defense and slow the pace and fight back to a 20-12 deficit at the end of the first.
In the second, both teams struggled to score the ball with the limited possessions and few fastbreak opportunities. DCG was able to make a couple of long-range buckets to cut the Osky lead to three at the half, 29-26.
The third quarter was equally difficult for both teams to score, but it was during this period that Osky botched multiple attempts at dunks and layups, allowing the Mustangs to hang around. After the third, it was still a three point affair, 39-36.
The fourth quarter was interesting, as Osky built the lead up to nine with good defense and some made shots from outside. The game remained in the balance, however, due to poor free throw shooting down the stretch. Oskaloosa would finish the game just 11 for 22 from the charity stripe and until the last few moments, DCG was within one or two possessions. Eventually, four made free throws from Rian Yates allowed the Indians to close the game out and get the road win, 56-49.
Oskaloosa was led in scoring by Xavier Foster, who started hot and took the game over in the second half when Osky needed it most with the offense struggling. Foster finished with 17 points, 7 boards, and 3 blocks. Cole Henry and Jarad Kruse each had 10 points. Henry added 6 rebounds and 6 assists.
Osky’s boys are now 7-0 on the season and 3-0 in the Little Hawkeye Conference. DCG falls to 5-2 overall and 1-2 in the LHC.
For the Osky girls’ game, it was all Fillies from the tip to the buzzer. That included shutting out the Indians in the entire second half. The final score was 81-7. Osky drops to 0-6 on the year and 0-3 in the Little Hawkeye with DCG now 6-2 and 3-0 in the LHC.
Oskaloosa’s basketball teams are back in action at home against Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont in a battle of Mahaska County schools. The doubleheader starts with the girls game at 5:30 PM with the boys’ game to follow.
By Emery Songer
KBOE/KMZN Sports Director
(OSKALOOSA, Iowa) – The basketball season is here and eight doubleheaders will be featured on Friday nights throughout the season as a part of the Game of the Week on 104.9 FM KBOE and kboeradio.com.
December 1st is when the action starts with Sigourney at English Valleys in a South Iowa Cedar League matchup.
The SICL will be featured several times throughout the season, including December 8th, when Montezuma travels to face North Mahaska.
The last doubleheader before the Christmas Break is Knoxville at Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont in a matchup of South Central Conference foes.
After the new year, it’ll be right back to the SICL for BGM at Sigourney on January 5th.
The following week highlights a rivalry in the South Central Conference with EBF on the road to face Davis County.
January 19th will showcase two small schools in Keokuk County as Keota hosts Tri-County.
The rematch between North Mahaska and Montezuma will be on the air on January 26th in Monte.
Finally, EBF is at Lynnville-Sully in a non-conference doubleheader on February 2nd.
All games begin at 6 PM and the pregame show will start around 5:45 PM on 104.9 FM KBOE and kboeradio.com.
The high school volleyball season has come to a close and the Iowa Girls Coaches Association have selected the All-State teams for all five classes.
In Class 1A, Montezuma junior Riley Gatton made the list as an honorable mention. Gatton was the leading attacker for the Bravettes during their 31-6 campaign. Gatton had 362 kills and an outstanding .308 kill efficiency on the year.
Pella Christian senior Bekah Horstman made the Second Team in Class 2A. PC was ranked for most of the season but would run into several great large school teams in the Little Hawkeye Conference. Horstman led to the way for the Eagles with 413 kills and a .246 kill efficiency. PC finished the year with a record of 21-16.
On the Class 3A Honorable Mention list, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont had senior Torie Alexander listed. The Rockets finished the year 21-16 and Alexander was the leader in kills with 355. She also finished the year with a very strong .235 kill efficiency and 59 aces.
Pella was the lone area team to make the trip to Cedar Rapids and the State Volleyball Tournament and they were honored with three players making the All-State Teams in Class 4A.
Junior Emily Holterhaus was one of the best players in the state in all classes and she was honored as the only area player named to the First Team. Holterhaus dominated the opposition with 583 kill son the year and a stellar .326 kill efficiency.
She was joined by teammates Kara Wichhart and Natalie Clayberg as both were named to the Honorable Mention list. Wichhart served as the setter for the Lady Dutch and set up her teammates at a very high rate, as she was credited with 936 assists on the year. The senior was also a very important leader for Pella. Clayberg finished her junior season with 285 kills and a .204 kill efficiency. She also led the squad with 53 aces. Pella finished the year 33-7 and lost to eventual state champion Dubuque Wahlert in the state quarterfinals.
There were no area players named in Class 5A.
The state now transitions fully to girls’ basketball, which has just kicked off around the state.
The volleyball season has wrapped up for South Central Conference teams and the All-Conference players have been voted on and released. The SCC is made up of Knoxville, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont, Davis County, Albia, Centerville, Chariton, and Clarke.
The first team had seven players named and five of them were unanimous selections.
Knoxville’s senior Kayla Moats and sophomore Katie Keitges were honored as they led the Panthers to an unbeaten season in conference play.
They are joined by the EBF senior tandem of Torie Alexander and Emma Bunnell. The Rockets went 5-1 in the SCC this year.
Davis County’s Bailea Yahnke was the final unanimous choice. The junior led the Mustangs to a 4-2 SCC mark and a first round upset of EBF in regional play.
Albia sophomore Alex Beard and Centerville senior Madeline McDonald rounded out the first team honorees.
On the Second Team, EBF was the only school with multiple players named. The Rockets had senior Lexi Taylor and sophomore Grace Roberts honored.
Other players on the second team included Knoxville senior Cassidy Pearson, Davis County senior Alexa Francis, Chariton junior Grace Gengtson, Albia sophomore Abbey Griff, and Centerville senior Abby Sweet.
All seven teams had honorable mention players named from the conference coaches. Albia had sophomore Abbie Martin listed, EBF had junior Taylor Caves listed, and Knoxville had the trio of senior Ashley Vance, freshman Marley McKay, and sophomore Peyton McMurray on the honorable mention list.
Knoxville won the South Central Conference regular season title with an unbeaten 6-0 record, finishing the year 17-23 overall. EBF was the lone team to have a winning record on the season, going 21-16, although they finished second in the SCC with at 5-1.
We are within a week of every school beginning their trek to the Volleyball State Tournament at the US Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids. The schools in Class 3A, Class 4A, and Class 5A will not have it easy to get there.
All first round games in these classes will be on Wednesday, October 18th at 7 PM.
In Class 3A Region 6, PCM (9-16) will have to go on the road to face West Marshall (27-10). The bracket is fairly loaded, so if PCM finds a way to get past West Marshall in the quarterfinals, #12 Iowa Falls-Alden could be awaiting them.
Staying in Class 3A, Region 8 involves four South Central Conference teams in the bottom half of the bracket. Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont (19-13) get Albia (10-19), a team they just beat in four sets on Tuesday night. Winner of that matchup will see either Davis County or Centerville. EBF has not lost to any of those teams all season.
Class 4A Region 4 is loaded with four area teams of the six in the bracket. Oskaloosa (11-17) will have to go on the road to play Knoxville (14-19). The Indians have made a habit out of winning road games in the playoffs. The two teams have not seen each other this season. You can hear that game live on 99.5 FM/740 AM KMZN and radiokmzn.com.
Awaiting them is #4 Pella (28-5) for the semifinals on Tuesday, October 24th. Pella hasn’t dropped a set in two matches with Knoxville this season and swept Oskaloosa in the only meeting between those two teams so far this year.
On the other side of the bracket, Newton (3-20) will be a big underdog on the road against Carlisle (12-13) in the first round. Bondurant-Farrar (17-10) awaits the winner in the second round. B-F is one of the few teams to beat Pella this year which could be a factor if those two teams hold serve and meet in the regional final.
Region 6 in Class 4A has Grinnell (8-19) on the road to face Clear Creek-Amana (19-16) as an underdog. Winner of that match will get #7 Center Point-Urbana (30-9) in the semifinals.
Finally, Ottumwa is our lone Class 5A school and they are in the Region 5 bracket. The Bulldogs (13-16) will host Des Moines North (0-19) in a fairly easy matchup. Should they take care of business there, they will go on the road to face #12 Waukee in the semifinals (23-18). #5 Linn-Mar and #15 Cedar Rapids Prairie are in the other semifinal in a loaded bracket.
The trek to state all begins with the first round, which will take place on Wednesday, October 18th at 7 PM. We will have continuing coverage of the brackets on the No Coast Network.
Five weeks of high school football are in the books and we are starting to learn who the contenders are in every district in the state.
For our listening area, there are several teams who seem to be look to push towards the playoffs.
Oskaloosa (3-2) made the playoffs in 2016 after a great 7-2 regular season after a couple of down years. They are looking to repeat the dose here in 2017, and their road map is identical. Wins in their last four games will clinch the #2 spot in Class 3A District 5 and send Osky to the postseason. Their biggest challenge will be in Week 8 against Washington, who sits at 4-1 on the year.
Pella (4-1) also sits pretty as one of the top teams in Class 3A District 6 along with Norwalk (4-1). Those teams will battle for what will likely be the District 6 Championship in Week 7.
In Class 2A, PCM (4-1) should run away with the District 6 Title once again, following up a dominant run in 2016. District 6 is fairly weak after the Mustangs which has to door wide open for someone to grab that second spot. After EBF’s (3-3) tough loss to Albia last Friday, Central Lee seems to be in the best shape to snag that #2 slot and an automatic playoff berth. Do not rule out a wild card team either, as Centerville (2-3) snuck into the playoffs last year after having a high district point differential.
In Class 1A District 4, Sigourney/Keota (2-3) is looking to bounce back after a couple of tough weeks to start the year. Their playoff aspirations likely rest on their Week 9 matchup on the road at Wilton (5-0) as Iowa City Regina (3-2) will run away with the district. Don’t sleep on Louisa-Muscatine (2-3), as they still have a road to the playoffs they can follow as well.
Class 1A District 5 seems to be locked up for Pella Christian (5-0) and Pleasantville (5-0) to make it back to the playoffs. They will meet in Pleasantville in Week 7 to likely determine the district champion and who will get home field in the first round.
Chaos is the name of the game in Class A District 6, as Lynnville-Sully (5-0), Pekin (6-0), and New London (4-0) are all rolling so far this year. A huge matchup will be featured in our Game of the Week on 104.9 FM KBOE and kboeradio.com this Friday, as Lynnville-Sully hosts Pekin. Winner of that matchup sets themselves up nicely to get into the playoffs and potentially win the district while the loser will need to win out. New London gets their crack at the top when they host Lynnville-Sully in Week 7 and travel to face Pekin in Week 8.
In 8-Player District 5, Moravia (5-1) seemed to have the best chance to make the playoffs, but a slip up last week at HLV (4-2) has the Mohawks desperate. A Week 8 duel at Colo-Nesco (4-1) will in all likelihood decide who gets the only other playoff berth at stake barring any upsets to HLV. Melcher-Dallas (4-1) has played well this season and have a route to the playoffs, but will be a solid underdog in their matchups with HLV and Moravia in Weeks 8 and 9.
Newton (5-0) has looked great in Class 4A so far this year, but the Cardinals have benefitted from the weakest schedule in the state’s largest class. They have two top teams in Southeast Polk and West Des Moines Valley in as opponents in District 4 and will need to beat at least one of them to have a chance at the postseason. That doesn’t include tough matchups against Indianola and Fort Dodge that the Cardinals will be also find themselves as underdogs.
The playoffs begin October 27th, but we will be able to track every single movement of our area teams between now and then. Check kboeradio.com or radiokmzn.com for weekly looks at the area playoff picture.
With football season right around the corner, it’s time to announce the 2017 Game of the Week schedule, presented by the No Coast Network.
All of the Game of the Week broadcasts can be heard Friday nights on 104.9 FM KBOE, kboeradio.com, and the KBOE mobile app with Kiley Broadway on the call.
The season gets going on August 25th as Newton faces Ottumwa in a battle of the two Class 4A teams in the listening area. Schaffer Stadium has undergone massive renovations, and the No Coast Network will be on the call as the Bulldogs open up their season on the new turf field.
In Week 2, Sigourney/Keota travels to face a young Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont team.
To kick off district play in Week 3, it’s a battle in Class 2A District 6 between PCM and Albia. The Mustangs ran away with the district title last year, but Albia is hoping to be a factor in their first year without Head Coach Jerry Staton, who retired in the offseason.
Week 4 will be a look at a couple of 8-Player teams in the area in Thornburg, as Tri-County hosts Twin Cedars in a district matchup.
Week 5 is the longest trip of the season, as North Mahaska ventures over an hour-and-a-half away to face a solid New London team who just missed out on the playoffs last year.
We’ll stay in Class A District 6 for a Week 6 battle between Pekin and Lynnville-Sully. The Hawks are looking to build off their 8-2 season last year in this home game against a solid Panther team.
The final three weeks of the season will feature more Class A District 6 action and will highlight 2016 District 6 Champion Montezuma.
Week 7 sees the Braves hosting North Mahaska, while in Week 8, Monte travels to Eldon to face Cardinal. Finally, in Week 9, it is a huge matchup between archrivals Lynnville-Sully and Montezuma on the Braves’s home field.
The Game of the Week broadcast will begin at 6:30 PM every Friday night with kickoff at 7 PM except Week 1 and Week 3. Those two weeks will feature a 7 PM start time for the broadcast with a 7:30 PM kickoff.
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