Shepherd has Hawks on the move

Before Harold Shepherd accepted the girls basketball job at West Delaware, he was well aware of the climate of the school's athletics programs.

"I had always known that West Delaware kids were competitive kids, and that it was a school and community that had a winning spirit," he said. "It was just a matter of getting the girls to buy into basketball."

It has taken four years, but the dividends are now collecting on that investment.

The Hawks (8-2 overall, 5-1 Wamac Conference) are on track for their first winning season since 2006-07. They entered the Class 4A rankings this week at No. 15.

"It's been a challenge, but a good challenge," said Shepherd, who is in his 47th year of coaching. "The biggest thing this year is that we've been able to win on the road. Last year, we only got one road win."

Shepherd, 71, picked up his 750th career win Jan. 3, when the Hawks won at Independence, 53-43.

Success has been plentiful in Manchester in two girls sports -- volleyball and softball -- but basketball had been lagging. The Hawks were 6-16, 8-15 and 8-15 in Shepherd's first three seasons.

"We were making progress, but it didn't always show up with wins," Shepherd said. "We have two kids (seniors Bethany Hahn and Reeann McCarty) that have started three years for me, and I felt that if we could toughen up some other kids to come along with them, it could be a pretty good year."

Hahn is a 47-percent 3-point shooter while McCarty "can play any position I ask her to play," Shepherd said.

The Hawks have good size: Kasey Palmer and Kristen Wegmann are 6-footers "that can play outside," while Marly Boies and Dorise Nagel stand 5-11 and 5-10.

Shepherd won two state championships -- six-player in 1984 and Class 3A five-player in 1995 -- at Vinton and Vinton-Shellsburg, then left there, coached at Jesup, was an assistant collegiately and at Waterloo West before taking the West Delaware position.

"This will be my last job," he said. "I know that for sure. My wife (Kay) is getting closer to retirement, so I don't know when the end will be for sure. I know I'll coach at least two more years. Then, who knows?"

HOMECOMING, MILESTONE FOR RIVALRY SATURDAY

Rivalry Saturday returns to the U.S. Cellular Center on Saturday for its 10th installment.

The six-game set begins at 11:15 a.m., when Lisbon (2-7) makes its first appearance, against Springville (5-4) in a Tri-Rivers West Division contest. The Orioles will be making their Rivalry Saturday-most sixth appearance.

Iowa City Regina (7-1) takes on Monticello (5-3) in a River Valley Conference interdivisional matchup at 1 p.m., then Cedar Rapids Xavier (6-3) tangles with West Des Moines Valley (8-0) at 2:45.

North Linn (8-0) meets Anamosa (3-5) at 4:30, Cedar Rapids Prairie (4-4) faces Mount Pleasant (6-2) at 6:15 and Williamsburg (8-1) has a Wamac date with Independence (4-5) at 8 p.m.

Rivalry Saturday was held at Cedar Rapids Washington in 2012 and at Cornell College in 2013 because of renovations to the downtown arena.