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The
Official Newspaper of Anamosa, located in Jones County, Iowa
Anamosa News
Since 1855
 Thursday, January 11, 2007
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Warner rolls record series at ABC
By
Daryl Schepanski - Sports Editor |
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ANAMOSA — The most prolific bowling night ever at the hallowed Anamosa Bowling Center lanes almost never happened, but when Rich Warner toed the line December 18, for his weekly Monday Night team, he began what would eventually turn out to be one remarkable and record night.
“I started bowling when I was a little kid and really loved it and did it for quite some time,” said Warner who shattered the Anamosa Bowling Center (ABC) mark for a series rolling and amazing 833 for this three game stint. “I started out at the Legion Lanes in Cedar Rapids. I came from a bowling family. Both my mom and step-dad were bowlers, and pretty good ones too. They were some of the best bowlers in Cedar Rapids and it was only natural that I would take up the sport too.” |
However, once moving from Rockford, Illinois to Anamosa back in 1995, Warner stepped away from the sport for almost a decade.
“It wasn’t really something I thought too much about,” he said about leaving the game of bowling for so long. “I was a pretty good bowler back in the day, but there for a while I just had other interests and other things I was doing. I didn’t get back into the game for quite a while.”
Warner eased back into bowling in 2003 when he joined a league through his employer, the Anamosa State Pen. Then after that league disintegrated, he started bowling once again at the Anamosa lanes, where he was a regular back in 1995.
“I’ve always loved bowling here in Anamosa,” said Warner. “The people are so friendly and it’s just a great atmosphere to be around. A lot of fun.”
The fun got started December 18, when Warner rolled a 277 game to open his series then added a 259 in the second game and the buzz was around the alley that something very special was happening on lanes seven and eight.
Warner’s first game saw eight straight strikes to open the evening and he knew he had it all rolling right.
“Sometimes you just have a feel for things and I had a feel for the ball and the lanes, everything just fell together right that night,” he said. Even at the start.”
Warner stepped it up yet another notch in the third game as well.
“There at the end, everyone stopped bowling and started watching what I was doing,” said Warner. “It was a pretty awesome feeling having everyone in the alley cheering you on like that. It really helped me pump up even more to not only go for the record, but go for a perfect game too.”
Warner started his third and final game with an amazing 11 straight strikes, needing just a strike on his final ball of the night to roll his first-ever perfect game.
The ABC alley became absolutely electric following Warner’s pursuit.
“I told myself to relax, take a deep breath and just keep doing what I had been doing all night long,” said Warner, who also had his son Kyle on hand with him to witness his historic evening. “I think I got a little too pumped up throwing that last ball. I knew I already had the series record but I really wanted that perfect game to top the night off. I took a little too much off the last throw and it came back and hit the head pin straight on. I guess I shouldn’t complain though. A 297 is still pretty good.”
The 277, 259 and 297 scores totaled the whopping 833 series, shattering the old mark set by Brad Jipson, accomplished back in 2001 when he rolled a 803 series.
“Being one of just two people to roll an 800 series here is pretty special for me,” said Warner who already had two 700 series under his belt, both coming within a week of each other just last year. “I guess I never really had even thought about an 800 series. Those are so rare, I was more focused on the getting the 700 and going from there, but things just kept going and going and going.”
As did the strikes for Warner, who rolled a miraculous 31 strikes of the 36 balls he rolled down the ABC lanes that night.
“I’m bowling better now than I ever have been,” said Warner. “I got a new ball last year and it has really made a difference in my scores and my confidence on the lanes. I have a much better hook now than I ever have had and hopefully I can keep it going and help my team win.”
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Post-Holiday basketball blues
By
Daryl Schepanski - Sports Editor |
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DELHI — It’s tough enough traveling to Delhi playing a very talented Maquoketa Valley boys basketball team, but with the Raiders struggling to find their rhythm inside a packed Wildcat gym, made for a tough night for the visitors.
“We just never got going on the night,” said Anamosa boys basketball coach Kevin Barnes after his team was handed a bitter 56-40 setback in a Tri-Rivers Conference contest, the first of the post-Christmas season for both clubs. “You have to give Maquoketa Valley the credit for that. They played a physical ball game and we just didn’t handle that too well. I told our kids after the game, the simple truth is that we were out-played and out-coached in the second half.”
Anamosa (3-2, 3-2) trailed 6-0 right out of the gate against the Wildcats forcing Barnes to call a time-out to settle his team down. The strategy worked as the Raiders went on a 6-3 spurt of their own and trailed the hosts 9-6 at the first quarter horn.
The second stanza saw more very physical play, as referees allowed the two teams to go after each other on the floor making getting into any kind of offensive flow very difficult. |
The Wildcats built a 14-10 advantage early in the frame but each time the hosts would make a run, the Anamosa boys would have answers as Colten Kelly, Tony Lueken, Andrew Peters, Mitch Kelly and Skyler Miell all came through with clutch baskets right when the Raiders needed them the most.
Lueken, back after missing the last three games due to an extended illness, returned to the point guard position and helped Anamosa attack a tough Maquoketa Valley press.
Through two frames, the Raiders trailed just 23-21.
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“I was surprised at halftime,” said Barnes. “As poorly as we played in the first half and we were still in the ball game. I thought we would be okay.”
But when the two teams came out of the halftime break, it was Anamosa who struggled to find their shot while the Wildcats began to reap the benefits of the relentless press.
Maquoketa Valley went on a huge 19-10 spurt in the third quarter, fueled by hot shooting fro Brian Wolfe and Adam Koopman, who combined t score 20 points in the game’s final 16 minutes.
Anamosa whittled the Wildcat lead under double-digits with a Colten Kelly field goal at the 7:21 mark of the final frame, but the hosts took complete control from there on out as Koopman hit a pair of free throws and added a field goal while teammates Wolfe and Jeremy Dircks added points.
After all was said and done with the run, the Raiders were looking at a huge 49-33 deficit at the 5:13 mark of the fourth quarter.
“We did have a couple of bright spots for us,” said Barnes. “I thought Drew Carrier played really well defensively and I thought Mitch was really solid. Other than that, I just think we were too inconsistent with things.”
Anamosa was out-scored 14-9 in the final eight-minute stretch succumbing to the 16-point defeat.
“The best thing we do about this game is to forget it and move on,” said Barnes. “We can’t let a bad performance influence our next outing.”
Colten Kelly placed the Raider offense scoring 13 points drilling 6-of-11 shots from the field.
Anamosa toed the free throw line just twice in the contest as Adam Andreesen was the lone Anamosa player to reach the charity stripe.
Maquoketa Valley was 16-of-26 at the free throw line, a key to the home court win for the Wildcats.
Lueken scored nine points for the Raiders while also dishing out three assists.
Andreesen led the rebounding effort grabbing four for the visitors who tallied just 15 overall in the contest.
Anamosa’s 17 turnovers also played a part in the 16-point loss. |
Taking control of the press
By
Daryl Schepanski - Sports Editor |
ANAMOSA — Less than 24 hours after suffering a Tri-Rivers Conference defeat at Maquoketa Valley Friday, January 5, the Anamosa girls basketball team was back on the floor Saturday, January 6, hosting a tough Dubuque Senior team.
“This game had me very worried,” said Raider girls basketball coach Jack Leighty. “We exerted so much energy and played in such a physical and emotional game in Delhi just the night before, I was wondering if we would have any energy left to give Dubuque Senior a game. Thankfully, we did.”
Anamosa (6-5, 5-2) gave their coach another energetic effort and with powerful play from Paige Goetz and Traci Dirks, pulled away for a big 55-53 triumph over the Rams.
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“Dubuque Senior is a very physical team too, and we didn’t back down from their challenge,” said Leighty. “We attacked their press and broke it with ease. We were getting so many good looks at the basket breaking their press that they eventually had to call it off. Our girls were aggressive all game long.”
After taking an 11-7 lead late in the first quarter, the Raiders went on a roll to close the opening frame on a 9-4 run that handed the hosts a 16-15 advantage at the opening horn.
The game stayed tight throughout the second stanza as well with Anamosa leading throughout, but never pulling away from Dubuque Senior.
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“Even when they went zone on us, we still hit shots,” said Leighty. “Paige, Traci, Kayla all did a good job of knocking down jumpers helping us keep our lead.”
The Raiders led 27-24 at the half then extended the advantage to six points through three quarters out-scoring the Rams 12-9 in the eight-minute span.
With Goetz attacking the Dubuque Senior rim relentlessly in the fourth quarter, the Raiders built a 51-44 lead with just two minutes remaining in the contest.
“It looked like we had this game wrapped up,” said Leighty. “Then Dubuque Senior made a run there at the end to make the final score a little closer than it really should have been.”
Goetz toed the free throw line 17 times overall, including 14 in the second half and swished home a perfect 7-of-7 down the stretch to help the hosts to the big two-point triumph.
Goetz finished with a career-high 23 points and also added three assists, three steals and two rebounds in a phenomenal all-around effort.
“Paige really stepped up when we needed her,” said Leighty. “With Traci, the two had a big game.”
Dirks scored 18 points while adding two assists, two steals and nine boards in another all-around outstanding performance.
Just a night earlier, the Raiders were in Delhi Friday, January 5, where they were handed a 47-32 loss at Maquoketa Valley.
“This was a unique situation playing Maquoketa Valley this year with Scot as their coach,” said Leighty who considers Wildcat coach Scot Moenck as one of his close friends in the coaching community. “For the girls it was a nerve-racking siutation, but we tried to focus on the task at hand and got off to a good start.”
Anamosa led 9-8 after one quarter but trailed 22-17 after being out-scored 14-8 in the third quarter.
The Raiders hung around in the third, still trailing the hosts 32-27, but a huge 15-5 run in the final frame sealed Anamosa’s fate in the 15-point loss.
“We just couldn’t handle their press in the second and fourth quarters,” said Leighty. “They got too many lay-ups at the end of the first half and kept that momentum going the rest of the way.”
Dirks paced the Raider girls scoring 15 points while also swiping three steals to go with five rebounds. Goetz added seven points.
“Free throws were a key in this game too,” said Leighty as his club was 10-of-22 from the line. “We have to do a better job hitting our free throws. In close games, that will hurt.”
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Mixed emotions for Moenck
By
Daryl Schepanski - Sports Editor |
DELHI — Scot Moenck bleeds blue and white.
But for 32 minutes Friday, January 5, it was his job as head coach of the Maquoketa Valley girls basketball team to lead the Wildcats to a victory.
Over his beloved Raiders.
“I’m not going to lie to you, it was weird coaching out there against Anamosa,” said Moenck who coached the Raider girls basketball program to their first-ever conference championship just three years ago before suddenly resigning his position just weeks after winning the Tri-Rivers girls basketball crown shocking players, parents, fans and the community. “I loved my time coaching at Anamosa and have so many great memories that I will have with me for the rest of my life.
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But right now I’m in a very good situation coaching here at Maquoketa Valley. We’ve got a lot of young girls on this team who are working very hard to become better basketball players. I think we showed against a good team like Anamosa that we have some pretty good athletes here. I know Jack (Leighty) has things going very well there too. He’s doing a great job with the Raider girls basketball team and Anamosa is very lucky to have such a good person to lead their program.”
Moenck began his coaching tenure at Anamosa as an assistant under then girls varsity head coach Shane Knoche. After moving to accept freshman girls position one year later, Moenck coached in that capacity for two years before taking the varsity girls’ job when Knoche resigned in 2001.
Moenck’s first season saw a 3-18 mark, but the foundation was being built for what would become a powerful program.
“We’re doing the exact same things here that I did in Anamosa,” said Moenck. “I’m hoping the same formula will turn out the same results. We had a team that would hustle and work hard each and every minute on the court and this Maquoketa Valley team I have now are doing the exact same things. We’re young, just like we were when I was at Anamosa, but we’re learning and getting better.”
Exactly as Anamosa’s teams as Moenck’s second season saw a 16-6 mark before the breakthrough 20-3 ledger and league title, the first ever for the school in 2003-2004.
Ironically, Moenck and the Raider girls clinched the championship playing against Maquoketa Valley on the same Delhi floor where he met Anamosa as the opposition this time around.
“I had mixed emotions for sure,” he said. “But don’t get me wrong, I wanted to win this game very much. We as a team needed this win and the girls got the job done playing the kind of basketball we like to play.”
Anamosa senior Traci Dirks was a freshman on that title-winning club for Moenck, and agreed, it was a strange situation playing against her former coach.
“I guess the word I would use would be awkward,” said Dirks who scored 15 points to lead the Raider girls in Delhi in a tough 47-32 defeat at the hands of Moenck’s Wildcats. “Maquoketa Valley is one of our main rivals and I always want to beat them an chance get. I’m a competitor too and this loss hurt. We’ll be ready when they make the trip here to Anamosa next month.”
The significance of the Anamosa contest for Moenck wasn’t lost of the Maquoketa Valley players either.
“We knew this game meant a lot to him,” said Wildcat senior co-captain Melissa Wegmann. “We wanted to win this game for him like every other game we play. This one just happened to be against the team he used to coach and with a lot of people he knows in the crowd on both sides of the court.”
Star Maquoketa Valley sophomore Jodi Gibbs wanted to dig deep and give something extra as well for her new coach playing against his old team.
“Coach Moenck has come here and really brought us together,” said Gibbs who runs the point guard spot for the Wildcat girls. “He’s all about teamwork and playing together where last year we didn’t play very well together. I’ve already learned so much and am having a great time.”
Moenck had a hard time sleeping preparing for this contest against his old club, and expects much of the same when his Wildcats invade Anamosa February 2.
“Jack will have his team ready,” said Moenck. “They gave us a great battle this time and I expect another one the next time we play in Anamosa.” |
Lions impress in big win at Central City
By
Daryl Schepanski - Sports Editor |
CENTRAL CITY — Turning on a press that forced host Central City into a whopping 29 turnovers, the Olin girls basketball team rolled to a convincing 64-34 rout of the Wildcats Thursday, January 4, getting the 2007 portion of the slate off to a sensational start.
“Our press was very, very effective,” said Lion girls basketball coach Wayne Lasack after the huge 30-point blowout win. “We had 15 steals in the first half alone and after a bit of a rough start to the game, really got things rolling in the second quarter and from there on out really.”
Olin (5-6, 0-3) took a 16-8 first quarter lead then piled on a whopping 22 points over the game’s second eight-minute stretch to take a commanding 38-17 lead into the locker room at the halftime break.
“This was a nice team win,” said Lasack. “Everyone got into the score book and everyone played such unselfish basketball, it was just great to watch.”
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Makenzie Ginn, Kalli Hansen, Kelli Bean, Danielle Frederick, Emily Brecht, Jackee Butteris and Rachel LeClere all had a hand in the Lions building the big first half lead then all played a part in the team extending it over the final 16 minutes.
Olin out-scored the Wildcats 13-6 in the third quarter and 13-11 over the final frame to post the non-conference road win.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better way to start the new year,” said Lasack. “It wasn’t only the scoring and defense that looked very sharp, but overall the girls made such intelligent choices with the basketball. When we had open looks, we took them. When someone else had a better one, we got them the ball. It was like that all game long.” |
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Hansen paced the Lion offense scoring 17 points to go with five assists, four steals, three blocked shots and 10 rebounds as the talented junior left baffled Central City defenders in her wake all night.
“Kalli is a match-up nightmare with her size and her ability to pull up and shoot the jumper or attack the rim,” said Lasack. “She pretty much did a little of everything against Central City. Including getting her teammates involved too.”
Ginn added a 15-point, four-rebound night while Frederick was a third Olin girl to score in double-figures adding 12 points, five assists, two steals and nine rebounds.
Bean chipped in with nine points while Brecht added eight with LeClere and Butteris coming through with two and one point, respectively.
Olin crashed the boards hard all game long tallying a whopping 20 offensive rebounds which led to many put-back lay-ups.
Olin returned to Big East Conference action Friday, January 5, being handed a 58-49 loss at Northeast.
“We played so well right off the bat and our confidence was high,” said Lasack. “Then in the second half Northeast started shooting the basketball much better and we seemed to settle more for jumpers instead of attacking the rim like we did in the first half and started to lose control.”
The Lions led 13-6 after the first quarter and held a 26-21 edge at the half.
The game was still tight through three frames but a huge 21-11 fourth quarter spurt by the hosts sealed Olin’s fate in the nine-point loss.
Hansen scored 17 points while Ginn chipped in with 12 more for the Lions. |
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