Mike Sconsa is back; Cascade’s defense and effort never left

In some ways, Mike Sconsa hasn’t changed a bit.

In one breath, the Cascade High School girls’ basketball coach said his team is “nothing special.”

In the next:

“I like our team. I like our team a lot. We do struggle here and there, but I like how we play. I like how we compete.”

As usual, there’s a lot to like.

The River Valley Conference North Division champion, No. 10 Cascade (17-4) opens Class 2A regional play with a quarterfinal matchup at home Tuesday against Durant (7-14).

Tipoff is 7 p.m.

“It’s an exciting time,” Sconsa said. “Our boys start (Monday). We start Tuesday. It’s exciting to be part of it again. I was very jealous last year.”

A stroke in November 2020 forced Sconsa off the sideline last season. He said he is “doing well ... my hand is coming along slowly; my leg, not as fast as I’d like.”

Predictably, this Cascade team is a defense-oriented squad; the Cougars allow 30.1 points per game.

“We focus on effort, and we focus on defense,” Sconsa said. “But, we learned after Christmas, we’ve got to put the ball in the hole, too.”

Senior Ally Hoffman (13.2 points per game) and junior Alyssa Lux (12.0) are the primary offensive threats.

Cascade is one of three ranked teams in a balanced 2A Region 5 — No. 7 Jesup (18-3) and No. 9 Grundy Center (19-2) are the others — and the Cougars are gunning for their ninth state-tournament appearance in the last 11 years.

No. 6 Iowa City Regina (17-4) is the highest-ranked Gazette-area team in 2A. The Regals host Van Buren County (8-14).

In Class 1A, Tri-Rivers Conference giants Springville and North Linn are solid favorites to emerge from their respective regions.

No. 3 Springville (20-1) hosts Conrad BCLUW (14-8); No. 6 North Linn (19-2) welcomes league rival Maquoketa Valley (13-9), which graduated much of its punch from its 2021 2A state runner-up squad.

“You can throw the first two games with them out the window,” Lynx Coach Brian Wheatley said in reference to his team’s 60-35 and 68-31 regular-season wins over the Wildcats.

“They’ll come ready. They took Springville down to the wire (Feb. 4), so we’ll have to do things well.”

The Lynx are coming off “one of our most complete games of the year,” Wheatley said in reference to a 58-35 win over Cascade last Thursday. “We were in a bit of a January lull, so hopefully we can carry that effort into the postseason.”

In other top 1A matchups Tuesday, No. 14 East Buchanan (17-5) hosts Central City, and Turkey Valley (16-6) plays at Elkader Central (18-4).

Tuesday’s Class 2A Regional Quarterfinals

(All games, 7 p.m.)

REGION 4

Clayton Ridge (7-15) at Denver (20-2)

Sumner-Fredericksburg (15-5) at MFL MarMac (18-4)

South Winneshiek (8-13) at Aplington-Parkersburg (15-6)

Wapsie Valley (10-12) at Osage (18-3)

REGION 5

Waterloo Columbus (9-13) at Jesup (18-3)

Alburnett (9-12) at Bellevue (13-8)

Dyersville Beckman (7-15) at Grundy Center (19-2)

Durant (7-14) at Cascade (17-4)

REGION 6

Van Buren County (8-14) at Iowa City Regina (17-4)

Wilton (14-8) at West Branch (14-7)

Pella Christian (4-17) at Mediapolis (19-2)

Danville (12-10) at Louisa-Muscatine (15-4)

Tuesday’s Class 1A Regional Quarterfinals

(All games, 7 p.m.)

REGION 4

Maquoketa Valley (13-9) at North Linn (19-2)

Clinton Prince of Peace (14-8) at Calamus-Wheatland (18-4)

Central City (13-9) at East Buchanan (17-5)

Turkey Valley (16-6) at Elkader Central (18-4)

REGION 5

Conrad BCLUW (14-8) at Springville (20-1)

Collins-Maxwell (15-5) at Iowa Valley (16-6)

Belle Plaine (14-8) at Baxter (22-0)

Waterloo Christian (13-8) at Meskwaki (18-4)

REGION 6

WACO (10-12) at Burlington Notre Dame (20-0)

Fort Madison Holy Trinity (11-11) at Winfield-Mount Union (18-4)

Highland (12-9) at Montezuma (17-4)

Sigourney (12-11) at English Valleys (19-3)

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com