ANAMOSA — Coming into their third Tri-Rivers Conference wrestling tournament, Anamosa coach Ron Timp didn’t exactly know what to expect out of his squad other than they’d battle hard and give every ounce of themselves to the end.

Not only did Timp get that, which has been a staple from his team all winter long but his group of up-and-coming Raiders, who hosted the 12-team league tournament Saturday, February 4, finished fifth overall scoring 122.5 points and were second in the River Division.

“I didn’t really know where we’d place, but I guess taking a look back at things, I’m very happy finishing second in our division and fifth overall. Especially considering we didn’t even have anyone wrestling at 112, 119 and 125 pounds.”

Rushing to the win
Anamosa freshman Cole Payton rolls Starmont’s Kade Harris to his back seconds before finishing off a 5:28 pin triumph during a heavyweight match in Monticello Thursday, February 2. The Raiders wrestled well against a talented Stars squad in dropping a 43-32 final. (Journal-Eureka photo by Daryl Schepanski)

North Linn ran away with the Tri-Rivers Conference team title scoring a whopping 248.5 points to top runner-up Maquoketa Valley by 56.5 points.

The Lynx crowned five league champions on the day while the Wildcats tallied 192 points and crowned a pair of champions.
East Buchanan was third scoring 187.5 points and had three wrestlers win titles on the day, the second-most on the day. Central City was fourth scoring 151 points with a pair of wrestlers winning championships.

“We didn’t have anyone win a title, but we did have guys step up and wrestle very well considering where they were seeded,” said Timp. “Just about everyone that took part in this tournament for us placed higher than what they were seeded. That was the goal I had for the guys coming into the meet. Try and place one spot higher than your seed and just about everyone got that done.”

Making a mark
Anamosa sophomore Derek Young piles up the back points during a 15-0 rout over Maquoketa Valley’s Jacob Wilson at the Tri-Rivers Conference wrestling tournament hosted by the Raiders Saturday, February 4. Young finished fourth overall at 135 pounds as Anamosa placed a solid fifth overall at the 12-team tournament scoring 122.5 points while also taking second in the River Division. (Journal-Eureka photo by Daryl Schepanski)

DELHI — Two months ago, even the most heart-felt Anamosa boys basketball fan might not have thought what played out in Delhi against a tough Maquoketa Valley team Friday, February 4, could have actually happened.

But it did. And it was this Raider boys basketball team who did it posting a thrilling 44-38 victory over the Wildcats and in the process, cemented their status as one of the top young clubs in the conference.

“This is just such a quality win for our kids,” said Anamosa boys basketball coach Kevin Barnes after the six-point thriller. “If you were at Delhi, you witnessed our kids executing tonight at both ends of the floor, almost to perfection. Our defense was stingy for three quarters and then become even better in the fourth.

Cool under pressure
Raider sophomore Colten Kelly blows past Maquoketa Valley’s Aaron Jay breaking the Wildcat press during Anamosa’s 44-38 triumph in Delhi Friday, February 3. (Journal-Eureka photo by Daryl Schepanski)

Offensively I couldn’t be more pleased with our decision making and our unselfish play. We missed only five shots inside the arc all night. I don’t think I have ever had a team do that before.”

Even with the Raiders (6-8, 6-6) playing to near perfection, they still needed a bit of magic to hold off the hosts at the end.

Sophomore Colten Kelly calmly stepped to the free throw line for Anamosa and swished home four key charity stripe shots inside the game’s final 16 seconds to seal the triumph.

The Raiders, who never trailed in the final frame even with the contest teetering in the balance, played with a guile and confidence well beyond their actual varsity game experience.

“Our kids just deserve a lot of credit,” said Barnes. “Tony and Colten handled their pressure defense like a couple of veterans and Miles and Ben both played their best games of the year.”

With the game tied at 33-33 early in the final frame, Miles Weber connected to give the visitors a lead they would not lose the rest of the way.

Yanda added another field goal about a minute later, and the Raiders had a 37-33 lead with 3:55 remaining on the fourth quarter clock.

Double the pleasure
Anamosa senior Derek Hart recorded a double-double tallying 11 points and 12 rebounds at Maquoketa Valley. (Journal-Eureka photo by Daryl Schepanski)

Weber connected yet again with 3:00 remaining and Anamosa had a six-point cushion at the 2:44 mark.

Maquoketa Valley’s Brett Huber connected from the free throw line to snap the Raiders’ 6-0 spurt and then free throw woes struck both clubs over the next minute and a half.

The Wildcats missed three front end of 1-and-1 tries from the charity stripe while Anamosa missed four of their own.

Once Maquoketa Valley’s Phillip Roling broke the lid and connected for two free throws for the hosts with just 48.6 seconds remaining, the Wildcats had closed to within three points of the Raiders at 39-36.

After Kelly missed two free throws at the 45.4 mark, Lueken made it a two possession game drilling 1-of-2 from the line before Kelly iced the triumph with the four daggers.

“Our kids handled Maquoketa Valley’s pressure and then made great decisions that led to some easy baskets,” said Barnes. “The bottom line as to why we won and they didn’t is the fact we got more easy baskets than they did.”

Nothing came easy for the hosts all night as Anamosa sat back in a zone defense all game long and forced the Wildcats into hitting perimeter shots, which they struggled doing.

Donny Nordmann, who torched the Raiders for 22 points last month in a Maquoketa Valley win in Anamosa, was held to 16 this time and frustrated all game long.

Also frustrating the Wildcats was the play of Derek Hart, who completely controlled the interior for the visitors ripping away 12 rebounds as well as tallying 11 points offensively.

“I don’t use the word dominate very often,” said Barnes. “But I thought Derek absolutely dominated the middle on defense.”

Kelly led all Anamosa scorers tallying 15 points including the Raiders’ lone 3-point basket of the contest in the third quarter.

Maquoketa Valley led 8-2 early on but a 7-2 Raider run to close the quarter closed Anamosa to within 10-9 at the horn. The game was tight the rest of the way with neither team holding more than a four-point lead until the final moments.

The two teams were tied 19-19 at the half at 31-31 after three frames.

The Raiders traveled to Springville Tuesday, January 31, and rolled to their largest point-total of the season in a huge 79-49 rout of the Orioles.

“Obviously, our best offensive game of the year,” said Barnes. “We shot the ball well and our shooting percentage and lack of turnovers shows me that we are making progress. I thought we passed up a lot of open shots to get an even better one too in this game. Very unselfish play all around.”

Anamosa dominated the contest with the Orioles from the opening tip racing to a 19-3 first quarter lead before ending the quarter with a 24-7 advantage.

Kelly was absolutely sensational all game long leading the visitors with a career-high 27 points scoring 13 in the first half before adding another 14 in the final 16 minutes of play.

The Raider super sharp-shooting sophomore was 9-of-13 from the floor and 8-of-8 from the free throw line while Lueken added another 15 points to go with nine assists and four steals.

“Tony and Colten scored a lot of our points,” said Barnes. “But they did it within the framework of the team concept. They just got the shots and knocked them down.”

Weber added nine points for the visitors.

DELHI — If there’s one thing Anamosa girls basketball coach Jack Leighty knows he can count on getting from his club each and every time his Raiders take to the floor this season, it’s all-out, 100-percent hustle, heart, drive and determination.

Leighty got all that and more at Maquoketa Valley Friday, February 4, even in a 62-44 Anamosa setback against the Wildcats in Delhi.

“This team is fun to watch, aren’t they?,” said Leighty of his club after the 18-point loss. “If there wasn’t a scoreboard in the gym, no one would have ever known we were down by 10-15 points with the way we played in the second half. Once again, we could have sulked and been depressed about facing a big deficit, but that’s not what this team is all about. They are all about giving it all they’ve got and I’m proud of them for doing that again at Maquoketa Valley. They never quit and they don’t stop going hard until the final horn sounds.”

All the right moves
Raider junior Bryn Gerber throws a pass to freshman Paige Goetz in early action from Anamosa’s 62-44 loss at Maquoketa Valley Friday, February 3. (Journal-Eureka photo by Daryl Schepanski)

Anamosa (3-16, 3-11) got off to a bit of a slow start however as the Wildcats built a quick 7-2 first quarter advantage and led 12-7 at the first horn.

“That’s something we’ve been getting into a bad habit of doing lately is digging ourselves an early hole to climb out of. We don’t have the offensive firepower to or the depth to get in an up-and-down the court style of game so we need to try and be more careful with the way we play early on.”

The Wildcats continued to attack the Raiders in the second stanza as well building their largest advantage by the second quarter horn at 10 points holding a 28-18 edge.

“We just did not do a very good job taking care of the basketball in the first half,” said Leighty as his club turned it over 12 minutes in the game’s first 16 minutes. “ “And most of those were unforced turnovers too. The girls were trying too hard to make a play and were forcing things too much.”

Maquoketa Valley’s offense continued to flourish in the third quarter piling on 20 points in the frame while the visitors also began to heat up tallying 14 of their own as Bryn Gerber, Kelsi Dearborn, Traci Dirks and Paige Goetz began to find the range.

Scoring spree
Anamosa freshman Paige Goetz drives past Maquoketa Valley defenders Friday, February 3. (Journal-Eureka photo by Daryl Schepanski)