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The
Official Newspaper of Anamosa, located in Jones County, Iowa
Anamosa News
Since 1855
 Thursday,
December 15, 2005 |
Anamosa
appears WaMaC bound |
ANAMOSA — Goodbye Tri-Rivers Conference. We hardly knew ya.
If things
go as many expect they will, Anamosa, along with league member Center Point-Urbana,
will be leaving the comforts of the Tri-Rivers Conference for the wide array of
the WaMaC Conference in just a short couple of years.
“That does
appear to be the direction we’re headed right now,” said Anamosa High
School Athletics Director Derek Roberts who submitted a formal written invitation
from the WaMaC to member of the Anamosa School Board recently for their approval.
“With the rate we are growing as well as taking many other factors into consideration,
we thought doing this would be in the best interest of the school and for the
community for us to make this move.”
Anamosa actually received a
verbal invitation more than a year ago from the WaMaC as the league was gaging
interest from schools that included Anamosa, Monticello, Center Point-Urbana,
Dubuque Wahlert, Williamsburg, Clear Creek-Amana, Mount Vernon and Union-La Porte
City.
With the WaMaC already down a team after DonBosco departed this
fall and with South Tama also expressing interest in leaving, the conference did
not want to have a one division 10-team format. League officials wanted a two-division
12-team conference and that meant inviting two more schools into the mix.
“We were honored to be one of the WaMaC’s top choices,” said Roberts.
“We thought this was an opportunity we just couldn’t pass up.”
Anamosa High School principal Steve Goodall along with CP-U officials met with
WaMaC superintendents and athletic directors in Marion November 22, as the league
put together a program addressing issues as to why the move would be a good one
for the respective schools.
“Steve came back very impressed,”
said Roberts. “He took their formal invitation and gave it to our school
board December 5. It’s now up to them to make the final decision.”
It’s one many expect will be an easy one for the board to make. |
Taking
them one match at a time
By Daryl Schepanski - Sports Editor |
Turning
point
Anamosa sophomore Travis Keltner opened his Mount Vernon Invitational
well Saturday, December 10, posting a 5:42 pin triumph over East Buchanan’s
Adam White. Keltner was one of four Raiders to place at the tournament coming
in fourth at 189-pounds. Mike Levasseur led all Anamosa wrestlers placing second
at 160 pounds. (Journal-Eureka photo by Daryl Schepanski) | MOUNT
VERNON — The competition was tough, but the seven Raiders who made the trip
to Mount Vernon for the annual Mustang Invitational Saturday, December 10, stepped
up and met the challenge facing a field that saw a whopping 15 ranked wrestlers
as well as some of the top teams in the state.
“That’s what
a meet like this is good for, to see where we stack up against some of the best
wrestlers this side of the state,” said Raider wrestling coach Ron Timp.
“Team-wise we weren’t expecting too much out of our kids. We only were
able to bring seven of them here and with low numbers like that, the team points
we scored was about what I expected we would. What I expected us to do was come
out and get a good learning experience on the mat against some of the top competition
around and that’s exactly what we got. We even had a few surprises along
the way along with learning some tough lessons.” |
The
Raiders exacted a few lessons as well as four of the seven Anamosa wrestlers who
took the short trip to Mount Vernon placed at the power-packed tournament.
“I guess when you look at it percentage-wise, we made out okay,” said
Timp. “Four of seven placing is pretty good. If we could have had some more
wrestlers there and filled out a full card, we could have fared pretty well I
think.”
Mike Levasseur led all Raider wrestlers at the meet placing
as the 160-pound runner-up while Travis Keltner added a fourth-place showing at
189 pounds. Teammates Derek Young (145 pounds) and Jeff Vaughn (171) both placed
sixth on the day.
“Just about every bracket had a ranked wrestler
in it,” said Timp as Anamosa placed ninth in the 11-team invitational scoring
47 points overall. “That’s a loaded tournament.”
Levasseur
got off to a sensational start posting a 1:42 pin rout of East Buchanan’s
Joe Zhiss.
The Raider 160-pounder recorded a takedown and a three-point
nearfall before closing out the match quickly with another takedown and subsequent
pin.
“Mike looked tough all day long,” said Timp. “He’s
proving to a lot of people that he can tangle with the big boys.”
Levasseur added a 1:05 pin triumph over Sigourney’s Matt McLaughlin in the
semi-final and advanced to the championship round where he faced hometown Mustang
No. 8 ranked wrestler George Zacharakis-Jutz.
“Mike wrestled very
well against the ranked Mount Vernon kid,” said Timp. “He hung with
him all match long. If it wasn’t for giving up one takedown in the third
period, that match might still be going.”
Levasseur came up on the
short end of a 3-2 score against Zacharakis-Jutz as the Raider wrestler scored
a pair of escapes in the third period while the the 160-pound champion added a
escape in the second period to go with his third period winning takedown.
“Mike was the aggressor all match long too,” said Timp. “We’ve
already seen some good wrestling from him and it’s only going to get better.”
Keltner claimed fourth overall at 189 pounds for Anamosa. |
Raiders
shine in huge win at Starmont
By
Daryl Schepanski - Sports Editor |
ARLINGTON — Having more than week to prepare his team after their season-opening
defeat hosting Benton Community, fans knew Anamosa boys basketball coach Kevin
Barnes would have his team more than ready for their trip to Starmont Friday,
December 9.
Wow, were the Raiders ever ready!
“We played
well,” said Barnes after his club dismantled the Stars behind solid play
on both the offensive and defensive sides of the court in a 61-33 final. “We’re
on the board with a win. That first one is always good to get.”
Anamosa
(1-1, 1-0) dominated from the opening tip racing to a huge 21-8 first quarter
lead thanks to a huge 17-3 from the six-minute mark to the first quarter horn.
“We took charge from the four minute mark of the first quarter on,”
said Barnes. “Surprisingly that is when Derek (Hart) picked up his second
foul and had to sit.”
The Raiders went on a 20-5 spurt even with
their senior leader sitting leading the cheers from the bench.
“Andrew
and Tony ignited our run hitting several baskets between the two of them,”
said Barnes.
“Again, a lot of our baskets came as a result of good teamwork
and passing. Tommy gave us great minutes off the bench again too.”
Anamosa continued their run in the second quarter as well when the visitors outscored
the Stars 16-5 to take a big 37-13 lead into the locker-room at the halftime break.
“Derek fought through the foul trouble and led us in the second half,”
said Barnes as his most experienced player tallied eight of his 12 points in the
final two quarters. “Our kids have to realize, and I think they are starting
to, that it all starts with defense. We were stingy tonight. We got our hands
on a lot of passes, challenged a lot of shots and rebounded better tonight.”
The Raiders recorded 13 steals in the 28-point blowout and led 52-24 after three
quarters of play.
“Any success we have is going to start with defense
and then becoming efficient on offense,” said Barnes. “Efficiency comes
from taking care of the ball, sharing and ball and taking good shots.
We did
those last two tonight, but we do have to cut our turnovers down for us to get
even better.” |
Offense
keys Raider girls’ win
By
Daryl Schepanski - Sports Editor |
A
little help
Raider senior Kelsi Dearborn is converged by Monticello defenders
as she looks for a teammate to pass the ball to during Anamosa’s tough setback
hosting the rival Panthers Tuesday, December 6. (Journal-Eureka photo by Daryl
Schepanski) | ARLINGTON
— As tough as it has been at times for the Anamosa girls basketball team
scoring points so far this season against some of the state’s stiffest competition,
the offense flowed with pin-point precision Friday, December 9, at Starmont.
“There hasn’t been any question that our offense has struggled putting
the ball in the basket and points on the scoreboard,” said Raider girls basketball
coach Jack Leighty. “But it was our offense that keyed us in this win at
Starmont and that was great to see. We were getting the good looks we’ve
been getting all season long but this time the shots were falling. We didn’t
rush into anything on the offensive side and looked calm and cool all game long.”
Anamosa (1-5, 1-2) clicked offensively from the opening tip scoring 16 first quarter
points but the Stars also stayed in the contest scoring 12 of their own.
After one quarter the Raiders were holding a 16-12 lead and gaining more and more
in the way of confidence with each possession.
“Things slowed down
a bit for both teams in the second quarter,” said Leighty. “But then
we made a run right before the half and never looked back.”
|
Dashing
down the lane
Anamosa junior Bryn Gerber (14) goes hard after the basketball
after a missed free throw during the Raiders’ 47-25 loss hosting a talented
Monticello team Tuesday, December 6.
(Journal-Eureka photo by Daryl Schepanski) | |
PO
Box 108, 208 W. Main Street, Anamosa, IA 52205
319-462-3511,
FAX 319-462-4540
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Anamosa Publications
Anamosa Journal-Eureka / Town Crier 2005
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