Rivalry Saturday taking shape for 2016

CEDAR RAPIDS - For the second straight year, bragging rights for girls' basketball in the city of Marion will be held in downtown Cedar Rapids.

Linn-Mar and Marion will meet as part of Rivalry Saturday on Jan. 9, 2016, announced Scot Moenck, director of Rivalry Saturday and girls' basketall coach at Maquoketa Valley.

This winter's edition of Rivalry Saturday will be the 12th, its 10th at the U.S. Cellular Center. Linn-Mar edged Marion, 52-48, last January.

The Lions (16-8 in 2014-15) bring back senior-to-be Amanda Ollinger, a University of Iowa commitment and Miss Iowa Basketball 2016 contender, as well as promising sophomores Kamryn Finley and Megan Murphy. Marion (17-6) made a big jump last year, and figures to be a Class 4A preseason top-10 club behind sophomores Chloe Rice, Mia Laube and Caitlyn Smith.

Rivalry Saturday is traditionally a six-game set, and four matchups already have been established.

One is a battle between likely small-school powerhouses: Springville (23-4) reached to the 1A championship game last year and brings back four of its top five scorers, including sophs Rylee Menster and Mikayla Nachazel. Turkey Valley (22-2) is the reigning UIC Small Division champion and returns double-digit scorers in Shelby Reicks, Morgen Kuennen and Emily Busta.

Turkey Valley will make its Rivalry Saturday debut this winter. So will Nevada, the defending Class 3A state champion. The Cubs (24-3) return virtually their entire roster, and will face five-time defending Northeast Iowa Conference champion Waverly-Shell Rock (23-1).

The other locked-in matchup features Tri-Rivers Conference West Division rivals Maquoketa Valley (17-6) and Alburnett (14-9), which are projected to push Springville for the division title.

Times will be determined once (at least) two more games are added to the docket. Moenck said there is a possibility this year's event will consist of seven games.

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com