Monticello falls in 2A boys’ state basketball semifinals, vows to return

DES MOINES — The first step was getting to the state tournament. The second step was winning a game at the state tournament.

The next step is playing for a championship. Then it’s winning a championship.

Monticello isn’t going to achieve those last two things this season. Rock Valley just had too many athletes and too much size in a 60-44 win Thursday afternoon in a Class 2A boys’ state basketball semifinal at Wells Fargo Arena.

But this Panthers program is trending up, as they say, trending toward the ultimate prize. There is no doubt about it.

“We had a great season,” said Monticello’s Tate Petersen. “We won the River Valley North, and nobody thought we’d be there. We made it to state, and nobody thought we’d be there. I’m just super proud of every single one of us individually, the coaches, everybody from top to bottom. We fought super hard. It obviously sucks that we didn’t win today. But it’s going to stick with us, and we’re going to use it all offseason. Fuel the fire.”

» Photos: Monticello vs. Rock Valley in Class 2A state semifinals

This was the third year in a row at state for Monti, and those appearances came in two different classes: last year in 3A, this year and 2020 in 2A. The 2020 trip was the school’s first in 60 years.

The Panthers broke past the quarterfinals barrier this week when they overcame not scoring in the third quarter to stun fellow River Valley Conference division winner Mid-Prairie. That achievement, all of the season’s achievements, came with an entirely new group of starters, sans Petersen.

Now look ahead, and you’ll see Petersen and fellow starters Preston Ries and Peyton Schilling returning next season. Petersen and Ries averaged 19 and 18 points per game, respectively, this season and had 12 and 15 points, respectively, in this game.

Monticello always has won under Lambert, and it will continue to do so. Success breeds success, as they say.

“Get to the championship and win the championship,” Ries said. “We’ve got Tate, we bring back some guys, some guys on the JV were really good. We’ll have guys coming up. We’ll be ready next year.”

Monticello (22-4) hung around for a while, trailing by a point after a quarter and by seven at halftime. Rock Valley (21-5) took total control in the third with an 11-0 run.

Guard Bryson Van Grootheest continued his stellar play at this tournament with 17 points for the Rockets, who play Central Lyon in an all-Siouxland Conference championship Friday afternoon.

“We kind of panicked, but we’re relatively young,” Lambert said. “That’s what I just told the kids. You can’t teach a kid how to play in front of that crowd. They actually have to do it. Now more of them have done it, more of them will keep doing it. They’ll be back, I know that. I know for a fact that these kids will be back.”

AT DES MOINES

MONTICELLO (44): Caleb Sauser 0-4 0-0 0, Peyton Schilling 2-4 0-0 6, Tate Petersen 4-10 3-3 12, Preston Ries 6-11 1-3 15, Trey Kuper 1-4 4-5 6, Austin Kurt 0-0 0-0 0, Jack Lambert 0-0 0-0 0, Gage Guilford 0-0 0-0 0, Eian Weber 0-0 0-0 0, Chesney Capron 0-0 0-0 0, Grant Hospodarsky 0-0 2-2 2, Lucas Bartachek 1-1 0-0 3, Ian Temple 0-0 0-0 0, Carson Lambert 0-0 0-0 0, Cole Welter 0-0 0-0 0, Cord Nietert 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 14-34 10-13 44.

ROCK VALLEY (60): Caleb Kats 3-4 0-3 7, Bryson Van Grootheest 7-11 2-2 17, Dawson Van Beek 3-9 0-0 8, Landyn Van Kekerix 5-10 1-3 11, Sam Remmerde 4-8 6-7 14, Lane Schmidt 0-1 0-0 0, Bryce Zomer 0-1 0-0 0, Ryan Strait 0-0 0-0 0, Parker Van Peursem 0-0 0-0 0, Alic Salazar 0-0 0-0 0, Jackson Van Beek 0-0 0-0 0, Ben Blum 0-0 0-0 0, Evan Janzen 0-0 0-0 0, Daniel Villalobos 1-2 0-0 3. Totals 23-46 9-15 60.

Halftime - Rock Valley 26, Monticello 19. 3-point goals - Monticello 6-17 (Sauser 0-2, Schilling 2-3, Petersen 1-4, Ries 2-5, Kuper 0-2, Bartachek 1-1), Rock Valley 5-13 (Kats 1-1, Van Grootheest 1-4, Van Beek 2-5, Remmerde 0-1, Villalobos 1-2). Rebounds - Monticello 22 (Ries 7), Rock Valley 26 (Van Kekerix 9). Total fouls - Monticello 15, Rock Valley 14. Fouled out - None. Assists - Monticello 6 (Petersen 3), Rock Valley 11 (Van Grootheest 5). Turnovers - Monticello 17, Rock Valley 9.

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