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Blommers, Foster Make History as Osky Splits DH with Newton

By Sam Parsons

Friday night was Senior Night at Oskaloosa High School for girls and boys hoops, and it was a night headlined by the history made by two members of the Indians’ girls team.

Osky senior Presley Blommers entered the contest 11 points shy of the 1,000 mark for her career total. Sophomore Dasia Foster was 8 rebounds away from breaking the school’s single season record in that category.

Both would reach the milestones quickly enough. But plenty of drama was included along the way.

The game began with Blommers scoring 10 points in the first quarter, seeming poised to hit 1,000 very quickly, and the Indians jumped out to a 14-4 lead; however, the Cardinals put up quite the fight. They were able to round into form with sophomore Alex Garvis among the primary players tasked with stopping Blommers. The Cardinals succeeded in a big way in the second quarter; they outscored the Indians 10-5 in the frame and held Blommers off the scoreboard. Blommers was hobbled from an ankle injury sustained early in the game, but gutted it out for the rest of the night; in the meantime, though, the Indians and Cardinals were tied at halftime, 19-19, and she still hadn’t hit the milestone.

“I thought we came out and looked pretty good. I thought, ‘Okay, we’re in rhythm, this is going to happen,'” said Osky coach TC Cunningham after the game. “And then the closer Presley got to the record, the tighter we became. And [her teammates] wanted it just as much as her.”

Dasia Foster sat out for much of the second quarter and entered halftime with 3 (unofficial) rebounds. She still had some ground to cover to make history, too.

The third quarter of play was back and forth, but the celebrations cut through the tension when Blommers hit a lay-up in the third quarter to record her 1,000th and 1,001st career points.

It wasn’t long after that that Foster would break the school record for rebounds in a single season; this moment didn’t quite have the reaction from the crowd that Blommers’ shot did, as rebounds are not counted live on the scoreboard, but it was clear by the time the fourth quarter began that Foster, who finished the night with 12 official rebounds, had the record.

“Before the game, I was nervous,” said Foster. “I don’t really get super nervous before games, but this game, I just knew what I wanted to do, and what I needed to do. And it was just nerve wracking. But then I got in the game, and it was just gone.”

“I wanted to get it done with one of my favorite teammates and best friends, Presley Blommers…being able to have her break 1,000 for her Senior Night and me getting the school record is just a crazy feeling.”

Still, there was a job to be finished: Newton had, in the midst of all the emotion, taken the lead from the Indians and entered the fourth with a 31-29 lead.

With the feelings of pride put in the rearview mirror (for now), the Indians got back to work in the fourth. Right away, Blommers started piling on the points on her way to 19 on the night. The Cardinals, meanwhile, got cold from the floor after shooting the ball exceptionally well for much of the game. Junior Sophia Reynolds finished the game with 19 points and was on fire from midrange in the first three quarters, but with the Indians’ defense tightening up and shots starting to miss, the Cardinal offense was held to just 4 points in the fourth quarter as the Indians put the finishing touches on a 43-35 victory to seal the deal on a great night for Osky girls basketball.

“I’m so proud of them,” Cunningham responded when asked about the girls who came through with the milestones. “The work they’ve put in, the time they’ve gelled together to know how to play with one another…it’s been great to see them grow. Especially Presley…to see her grow and mature to where she’s at, she is a true leader of our basketball team and as a student in Oskaloosa High School. Dasia is just a sophomore…her future is off the charts.”

The win improves their record to 9-10 on the season with two games left to play before the postseason begins.

Full postgame comments from TC Cunningham:

Full postgame comments from Dasia Foster:


The nightcap of the doubleheader featured Osky’s boys hosting the 5th ranked 3A team in the state in Newton. The Cardinals entered this game full strength; in their previous meeting with Osky, they had been missing senior guard Jake Ingle, who is their #2 scorer on the season.

It was the Cardinals’ game to lose from the first quarter on. The game began with a touching moment as the Indians agreed to let the Cardinals score 2 points on a lay-up in exchange for senior Brody Allman getting the start and cashing in a 2 point shot of his own to begin the competitive part of the game 2-2. It was Allman’s second field goal attempt of the season, and his second make.

From there, though, the 5th ranked Cardinals handled their business. They jumped out to a 24-13 lead after one quarter and led 42-29 at half, thanks in large part to 16 points and 5 (unofficial) rebounds in the half from senior Cole Plowman, who finished with a game-high 23 points. The third quarter was even more dominant for Newton, as they held the Indians to just 6 points scored and pulled away to a 27 point lead entering the final quarter. The Cardinals coasted to a 79-43 victory to sink the Indians to 1-16 on the year.

Osky will face Knoxville tonight (2/6) in search of win #2 on the year.

Girls stats

Boys stats

Sergeant Bluff-Luton Poses Interesting Challenge to Osky Boys

The State Boys’ Basketball Tournament begins next week at Wells Fargo Arena and for the first time since 1996, the Oskaloosa Indians will be present.

The hype for this team all season has been State-Or-Bust, but now that they’re there, the Osky faithful would love to see them grab a win to move one step closer to a state championship.

It has been a while since the Indians have been at state, but their first opponent overcame an even longer drought last year during an improbable run.

Sergeant Bluff-Luton ended a 77-year state tourney drought in 2017 as they entered the action at Wells Fargo Arena with a record of 15-9. Their first opponent was Little Hawkeye Conference team Pella, who came into the tournament as the #3 seed.

Those facts are eerie, as SB-L comes in once again on a roll, entering The Well with a 15-9 record. They are once again playing a Little Hawkeye Conference team with over 20 wins in Oskaloosa, who happens to be the #3 seed.

Oskaloosa hopes the identical comparisons stop there, as the Warriors upset Pella in the quarterfinals last season, 66-55, ending the state title hopes for the Dutch.

Six seniors have departed from Sergeant Bluff-Luton since last year, including the two leading scorers from that magical run. SB-L eventual would lose in the state championship game to Cedar Rapids Xavier, 54-49.

The hunger to get back along with excellent play down the stretch has led to another surprising state appearance for a team that hadn’t broken through the glass ceiling for multiple generations.

Despite a fairly modest 15-9 record, analytical site BCMooreRankings.com has SB-L ranked 9th in Class 3A, sporting the 6th toughest schedule of all 3A teams. Their participation in the rugged and large Missouri River Athletic Conference certainly helped them in the postseason.

By contrast, Oskaloosa goes into the tournament ranked #4 by BCMoore with just the 31st toughest schedule in the state. The Indians have played well against new foes, however, as their only loss against a team they were playing for the first time was on the road against Dubuque Wahlert in overtime back on January 13th.

If you’re curious, the top three teams ahead of Oskaloosa in the BCMoore rankings are Cedar Rapids Xavier, Mount Pleasant, and Glenwood, all of whom are at state. Xavier and MP are the #1 and #2 seed, while Glenwood is seeded 4th.

The game is slated to begin at 4:30 PM on Tuesday, March 6th. You can hear the broadcast from Wells Fargo Arena starting around 3:30 PM on 99.5 FM/740 AM KMZN, radiokmzn.com, and the KMZN mobile app. Emery Songer and Doug DeKock will be calling the action.

The winner of the battle between Osky and SB-L will move into the state semifinals Thursday afternoon against either Mount Pleasant or Waverly-Shell Rock.

Early Out on Tuesday for State Basketball

The Oskaloosa Community School District will be dismissing 2 hours early on Tuesday, March 6. The Oskaloosa Indian Boys Basketball team will be participating in the Boys State Basketball Tournament in Des Moines, Iowa.

This early dismissal will allow parents, students, and fans an opportunity to attend the game and support our student-athletes. For more news, sports, and live action coverage, visit www.nocoastnetwork.com.

Pre-sale tickets to the event have sold out, but Wells Fargo Arena will have some tickets for sale at the game. Otherwise, tune into our sister-station KMZN for coverage.

Go, Indians! #NoCoastSports #OskaloosaIndians #StateBasketball

Area State Wrestling Qualifiers

Saturday was a huge day of district wrestling around Iowa as 37 area wrestlers punched their ticket to the State Wrestling Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena.

17 teams representing 19 schools will have at least one wrestler at the big dance looking to get on the podium.

Here is the full list of the wrestlers involved:

CLASS 3A
Newton – Blayden Rhone (182), Jaise Gulling (195), Gage Linahon (220)
Ottumwa – Joey Mitchell (182)
Pella – Ryan Hancock (113)

CLASS 2A
Albia – Aden Reeves (120), Ben Mason (195)
EBF – Tyler Landgrebe (120)
Grinnell – Brock Beck (113)
Knoxville – Coby Meyer (170), Chase Bellon (220)
PCM – Landon Fenton (106), Chase Shirk (126), Colby Tool (138), Wes Cummings (160), Lucas Roland (170), Jarron Trausch (182)

CLASS 1A
English Valleys – Seth Thompson (120), Caleb Peach (170)
Lynnville-Sully – Josh Dunsbergen (138)
Montezuma – Grant Battreall (285)
Moravia – Wil Martin (113), Nicholas Martin (145)
North Mahaska – Jarrett Stodghill (132)
Pekin – Zach Hammes (132), Drake Harbison (138), Keaton Baayen (152), Kaden Baker (160), Mason Juhl (195)
Pleasantville – Evan Mann (195), Chaz Clark (220), Matthew Kauffman (285)
Sigourney/Keota – Mason Dye (106), Kaleb Reeves (220)
SE Warren/Melcher-Dallas – Alec Henderson (152), TJ Dierking (170), Colby Page (182)

You can hear State Wrestling Tournament coverage throughout the weekend starting Thursday morning on 99.5 FM/740 AM KMZN, radiokmzn.com, and the KMZN mobile app. Taylor Howard and Brett Sams will be on the call.

Osky Boys Survive Road Test at Grinnell

(Grinnell, Iowa) – The Oskaloosa boys’ basketball team didn’t have its full roster available Tuesday night and struggled to separate from winless Grinnell, but the Indians were able to complete the road win, 56-45. The Oskaloosa girls had a rough night against #3 Grinnell, falling 104-29.

In the boys’ game, Xavier Foster was on fire to start, scoring the Indians’ first 12 points with a myriad of moves down low and a couple of threes. Osky would close the first quarter strong and hold a 19-10 lead.

After that, however, Grinnell switched their defense into a zone, and Oskaloosa would have problems. All season long, junior Cole Henry has been the focal point of the Osky zone offense and he was one of four players out with an illness Tuesday night. That forced Jarad Kruse to move into Henry’s spot instead of his normal spot on the wing.
The difference was apparent, as the Indians succumbed to a 12-0 Grinnell run that would eventually tie the game at 19, but Osky would score the last nine in the first half to take a 28-19 advantage into the locker room.

The third quarter was much of the same, as Osky couldn’t truly grab a hold of the game. The Indians would push their lead to 15 at one point, but Grinnell immediately fought back and before the end of the quarter, had it back down to ten at 39-29.

In the fourth, the teams would trade hoops throughout, and Osky was able to finish the game with clutch free throws from Rian Yates and Tanner DeKock. The final score ended up with Osky winning 56-45.

Xavier Foster would finish with a great line of 21 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, and 4 blocks. Jarad Kruse would join him in double figures with 13 points, 8 boards, and 4 assists. Rian Yates was a good playmaker in his first start of the year, scoring 9 points, dishing out five dimes and grabbing three steals. Oskaloosa only turned the ball over five times as a team.

Grinnell was led by senior Ethan Mitchell, who had 18 points and 6 rebounds.

Oskaloosa moves to 14-1 on the season and 9-0 in the Little Hawkeye Conference. Grinnell is now 0-14 overall and 0-9 in the LHC.

The girls’ game was quite the opposite, as the highly ranked Grinnell girls dominated throughout en route to a 104-29 victory over winless Oskaloosa.

Naomi Jackson was the hot hand, scoring a career high of 35 points. Sienna Durr added 20 for the Tigers, who are now 15-1 overall and 8-1 in conference play. Oskaloosa was led by Marleigh Denburger, who finished with 8 points and 7 rebounds. Osky is now 0-16 overall and 0-9 in the conference.

Oskaloosa will be back in action Friday night at home against Dallas Center-Grimes. The game can be seen on radiokmzn.com and MCG Channel 7 in Osky. The radio broadcast can be found on 99.5 FM/740 AM KMZN and the KMZN mobile app. The pregame show starts at 6 PM with the girls starting the doubleheader at 6:15.

Indianola Invite Results

(Indianola, Iowa) – The Oskaloosa Indian swimmers headed out for an Invitational Swim meet on Saturday and the boys came away with a great showing. The boys earned 5 top 3 finishes in the 11 races and several more finished in the top 5. At the meet they were competing against Indianola (Indianola, Winterset, Knoxville, SE Warren), NCMP (Newton, Colfax, Mingo, Pella) and Grinnell swim teams all at the new YMCA in Indianola.

The boys started out with a great race in the 200 Medley Relay as Colin Fiechtner, Jack Dawson, Jack Miller and Jarod Miller finished in a time of 1:53.68 to earn a 3rd place finish and the Bronze medal to start off the meet.

Next up was the 200 Free and Owen Gordon was able to take several seconds off of his personal best and finished in a time of 2:01.51 for a 4th place finish and Nicholas Koenig stepped up and swam his first 200 Free in his career in a time of 2:53.20

Carson Breon was next as he stepped up to the blocks and swam the 200 IM in a time of 2:15.01 and earned a 2nd place finish, Silver Medal, for the Indians.

In the 50 Free Oskaloosa sent 4 swimmers to compete in the event. Top finisher for the Indians was Colin Fiechtner who swam a 25.19 for a 7th place finish, Jarod Miller swam a 25,74 for an 8th place finish, Carson Abrahamson finished in 26.48 and Anthony Chavez finished in a time of 34.45

Next event was the 100 Fly as Oskaloosa sent Jack Miller who finished in a time of 59.47 for a 2nd place finish, Silver Medal, and Jack Dawson who finished in a time of 1:03.35 for a 6th place finish.

In the 100 Free Oskaloosa sent 4 swimmers to compete in this event. Carson Breon was the top finisher for the Indians as he swam a 54.11 for a 4th place finish. Next was Owen Gordon who finished in a time of 54.67 for the 5th place position. Then Nicholas Koenig finished in a time of 1”15.17 and Anthony Chavez finished in a time of 1:27.26.
The longest race of the day, 500 Free, was swam by Colin Fiechtner has he finished in a time of 5:52.37 for a 6th place finish for the Indians.

In the 200 Free Relay, Oskaloosa was able to take home the 4th place finish as the team of Jack Miller, Jack Dawson, Owen Gordon, and Carson Breon were able to finish in a time of 1:36.68, new school record, and the 10th place finish by Carson Abrahamson, Anthony Chavez, Nicholas Koenig and Jarod Miller who finished in 2:02.12.

Next up was the 100 Back as the Indians sent Jack Miller to the blocks and he was able to come away with the only 1st place finish, Gold Medal, of the day for the team by swimming a time of 1:00.12, new school record.

In the 100 Breast event Jack Dawson was able to finish in a time of 1:10.14 which earned him a 3rd place finish and Carson Abrahamson was able to finish in a time of 1:18.87 for a 5th place finish.

The last event of the day was the 400 Free Relay as the team of Owen Gordon, Colin Fiechtner, Jarod Miller, and Carson Breon was able to finish in a time of 3:50.59 to earn the 5th place finish.

Next meet for the Indians is Thursday as they travel to Grinnell to make up the one that was cancelled earlier due to severe weather.

Credit: Todd Miller

Bronze Medal, 200 Medley Relay team of Jack Dawson, Jack Miller, Jarod Miller, and Colin Fiechtner.
Jack Dawson(Bronze 100 Breast), Jack Miller (Gold 100 Back and Silver 100 Fly), Carson Breon (Silver 200 IM)

 

Oskaloosa Boys Sharp Offensively in Rout of Centerville

The Oskaloosa Indians Boys Basketball team was back at it on Tuesday night against Centerville in a non-conference matchup. The offensive output stole the show, as the Indians scored a season-high in their 92-65 victory.

The first quarter started with both teams hitting some early shots in a fast-paced affair. By the end of the quarter, Osky had put together enough to take a 19-14 lead into the second.

The Indian defense would slow the Big Red offense significantly in the second quarter as Centerville only mustered nine points in the period. Oskaloosa, on the other hand, continued to stay hot as several players got into the act offensively. After a 25 point quarter, Osky had a 44-23 halftime lead.

The third quarter was something special to watch, as both teams put on one of the best collective offensive displays one would ever see at a high school game. The teams traded baskets for most of the third quarter en route to scoring a ridiculous 62 combined points. Oskaloosa would get the better end after becoming unconscious from three-point land with Spencer Tucker leading the way. The Indians outscored the Big Reds 39-23 in the offensive showcase in just eight minutes of basketball.

The fourth quarter saw the running clock and some strong work from the second unit of Centerville to cut the lead down by the end of the game, but it was all Osky with the 92-65 final.

The Indians were led by Spencer Tucker, who exploded from downtown in the second half and cruised to a 22-point night. Xavier Foster had a big game all around with 19 points, 6 rebounds, 4 steals, and 2 blocks. Jarad Kruse and Cole Henry also chipped in plenty of offense, as Kruse had 16 and Henry had 14.

Centerville was led by Dan Hargrave, who finished with 15 points.

Oskaloosa is back in action on Friday as they will play Grinnell in Little Hawkeye Conference play. That will be a part of a doubleheader starting with the girls’ game at 6:15 PM. You can hear the broadcast on 99.5 FM/740 AM KMZN and watch a live video stream on radiokmzn.com and MCG Channel 7. The pregame show will begin at 6 PM.

Osky Boys Roll, Girls Fall in Little Hawkeye Opener Against Pella Christian

The Oskaloosa basketball teams were back at it Friday night against Pella Christian to kick off Little Hawkeye Conference action this year.

The girls started things off but were behind the 8-ball immediately with a 25-8 first quarter for the Eagles. The game would get tougher from there, as PC outscored the Indians 25-7 in the second quarter. The Eagles would eventually cruise down the streatch for a 66-21 victory. Pella Christian is now 3-1 on the year while the Osky girls are 0-3.

Lindsey Holmberg led Osky with five points and two steals. Jillian Jennings and Ashley Drost each put in four points.

Kaley Wilson led PC with a game-high 21 points. She also filled up the stat sheet with three rebounds, four assists, five steals, and a block. Morgan Fopma also was in double figures with 15.

The boys’ game was the same story with the schools reversed as Osky would take their claim to an early advantage and eventually pull out to a 32-19 halftime lead. They would go up by over 20 before getting the 64-46 win. Osky is now 2-0 on the season and PC is 0-2.

Cole Henry was the headliner for the Indians with 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists, all game-highs. Jarad Kruse put in 15 points with 7 boards and four assists. Xavier Foster and Rian Yates each had 8 points for Osky. Spencer Tucker had five assists in setting up the offense.

For PC, Josh Van Gorp had 10 points and five rebounds. Dan Jungling finished with nine points.

Oskaloosa is back in action Saturday at Knoxville to face the Panthers. The girls start things at 3:30 PM with the boys to follow.

The next Osky broadcast on the No Coast Network will be with the boys’ basketball game next Tuesday as the Indians host Centerville. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:45 PM. The broadcast on 99.5 FM/740 AM KMZN and the live video stream on radiokmzn.com and MCG Channel 7 will start around 7:30 PM.

Oskaloosa Football Builds Confidence with Route of Fort Madison

Just two short weeks ago, the Oskaloosa football team stumbled in a highly anticipated season opener against the three-time defending state champion Pella Little Dutch. But on the first week of district play, Osky seems to be finding their groove.

The 58-14 drubbing of Fort Madison is a similar score to the 49-0 win the Indians picked up on the Bloodhounds’ home field last year. That’s a great sign for Osky supporters as their team looks to get back to the playoffs.

Quarterback Seth Howard looked in the zone against Fort Madison, going 15 for 24 for 257 yards and 3 TDs. He also ran ten times for 110 yards and 3 TDs. This kind of performance is sure to excite fans of the Indians as an athletic quarterback who can find his targets downfield will make Osky tough to beat.

Howard will be the first to say he couldn’t do it without his targets, as several players got into the act offensively. None more so than Cole Henry, who caught four passes for 38 yards and two touchdowns. The 6-foot-7-inch junior will be a threat in short yardage, especially in the redzone, all season long. Alex Chapman led Osky with 127 receiving yards on four receptions. Tanner DeKock had three catches and a TD on the day as well.

Complementing the improved passing game was a rush attack that got going behind the Blake VanVeldhuizen-led offensive line. Casey Hill was the main beneficiary, rushing 13 times for 60 yards and a TD. Tyler Miller also had his best day in the backfield so far this season, gaining 47 yards on 6 carries with a rushing TD as well.

Defensively, Osky starting a little slowly, but eventually were able to surround the Hounds and not allow any big plays. Keaton DeKock and Cole Kraber had seven tackles each. Turnovers also played a factor as Alex DeJong picked off two more passes to increase his season total to four and Calvin Silvers had a fumble recovery.

All in all, there didn’t seem to be a lot of holes for Coach Jake Jenkins and the Indians last Friday, but there will be stiffer tests in Class 3A District 5. Mount Pleasant will host Osky this Friday and they are no pushover, as they nearly upset Washington, falling 16-14 on the road.

You can hear that game live on 99.5 FM/740 AM KMZN, radiokmzn.com, and the KMZN mobile app starting with the pregame at 7 PM on Friday as Mount Pleasant and Oskaloosa battle to stay in the mix at the top of District 5.

 

 

Story By Emery Songer

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