Cascade’s Marshall gets his milestone

CASCADE – Al Marshall hated it.

Hate might be too strong of a term. Let's just say he disliked the attention that came with chasing this milestone.

The Cascade boys' basketball coach became just the third in Iowa history to reach the 700-win plateau when his Cougars edged Northeast Goose Lake, 50-41, Friday night. It's over, been accomplished, so now everyone can move on and stop following him.

He's more than OK with that.

'I am really glad that it's over,” Marshall said. 'Now we can just concentrate on becoming a better team, correcting our faults, trying to get better and all that other stuff. That's what I like to do, that's why I'm still coaching. To see teams get better. I'd like to be out of the limelight, have the focus be on the team again, because it's their year. It's not my year.”

Marshall, 68, joins Bob Hilmer and Fred Parsons in the 700-win club. All three are still active: Hilmer at WACO and Parsons at Van Buren.

But only Marshall has picked up every single career win in the same community. He began at the old Cascade Aquin High School 46 years ago at the ripe old age of 22, married a local girl and decided to stay.

He has won more than double the games he's lost, compiling a 700-322 record, including 6-1 this season. Marshall had a shot at 700 before the holidays, but Cascade lost in overtime to Anamosa.

'Cascade is a wonderful community. They welcomed me,” he said. 'I'm a permanent party here.”

'The tradition that Cascade has in basketball, it's awesome that this happened to be our senior class when he got his 700th,” said Cascade guard Ries Rausch. 'It was when I was in about kindergarten when I remember first coming to games. Everybody always said to keep working hard so you can play for him when you grow up. It's cool to finally be a part of the legacy of Cascade basketball.”

The thing that Marshall's teams are always known for is their aggressive, extended 2-3 zone defense. It allowed the Cougars to get out to a 20-2 lead early in the second quarter, completely bamboozling Northeast's offense.

It was a 23-11 game at halftime, then the Rebels (5-3) finally started moving the ball crisper and hitting some shots, cutting their deficit to 33-27 after three quarters. It was a two-point game with three minutes to go, but Cascade got a bucket from Nolan Weber, ratcheted its defense back up, got stops and made free throws to get Marshall to 700.

He was presented the game ball in a brief ceremony after the game and posed for photos with his team, which held handmade signs of the numerals seven and two zeroes. One of the first congratulatory handshakes came from Jon Davison, the longtime former University of Dubuque head coach, whom Marshall considered his mentor.

'Coach is always pushing us to get better,” said Rausch. 'He is always on us, never satisfied. A win by 50 points, there's still always something that we can get better at. We can continue to get better (as a team). That (philosophy) shows by the amount of wins he has.”

Mitch Recker had 13 points to lead Cascade, with Rausch and Devin Green adding 12 each. Only six Cougars played, though Marshall always has said his starters should be able to handle playing most of the game.

Freshman center Lucas Empen had a game-high 16 points for Northeast. Cascade hosts West Branch on Saturday night as Marshall goes for victory 701.

'During the season, you don't really have time to reflect on (things),” Marshall said. 'We have a game tomorrow night, so there's no rest for the wicked. We've got to get back at it. I think maybe this summer, when the season's over, I can reflect on this, think about some of the things and just enjoy it more.”

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AT CASCADE

NORTHEAST GOOSE LAKE (41): Matthew Haferbier 2-9 0-0 6, Ryan Murphy 1-4 0-0 2, Ketzalli Dondiego 1-3 0-0 2, Will Hasken 5-15 0-2 13, Nick Wall 0-2 0-0 0, Lucas Empen 8-16 0-0 16, Kyle Dell 1-2 0-0 2, Axel Dondiego 0-2 0-0 0, Zach Parson 0-1 0-0 0, Tyson Sullivan 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 18-54 0-2 41.

CASCADE (50): Mitchell Recker 2-7 9-10 13, Nolan Weber 1-2 1-2 3, Devin Green 3-9 6-6 12, Ries Rausch 4-6 2-3 12, Trace Hoffman 2-7 1-2 5, Kurt Trumm 2-3 0-0 4. Totals 14-34 19-23 50.

Halftime - Cascade 23, Northeast 11. 3-point goals - Northeast 5-18 (Haferbier 2-5, Hasken 3-11, Dell 0-1, Parson 0-1), Cascade 3-5 (Rausch 2-2, Hoffman 1-3). Rebounds - Northeast 29 (Empen 7), Cascade 25 (Recker 11). Total fouls - Northeast 20, Cascade 9. Fouled out - Murphy, Wall. Turnovers - Northeast 14, Cascade 12.

l Comments: (319) 398-8259; jeff.johnson@thegazette.com