Maquoketa Valley-North Linn highlights a weekend full of goodies

Coach for long enough, and not much shocks you anymore.

Such is the case for Scot Moenck, veteran girls’ basketball coach at Maquoketa Valley.

“It doesn’t surprise me where North Linn is at,” Moenck said in reference to Friday’s Tri-Rivers Conference West Division showdown. “They had some good pieces coming back.”

Which brings about the logical follow-up question:

Are you surprised about your own team, Coach?

He hesitated, just a moment.

“No, honestly, I’m not. I think we’re pretty good, too. We’ve got some veteran kids who have played a lot of good basketball for us, and (freshman) Audra (Burbridge) does a lot of things well.”

The roster of area unbeatens has dwindled to six — and down to 30 statewide — including 2A 13th-ranked Maquoketa Valley (8-0 overall, 5-0 Tri-Rivers West) and 1A No. 1 North Linn (7-0, 4-0).

North Linn is the reigning 1A state champion and carries a 32-game win streak that dates back 390 days.

“They do what they do, and they do it very well,” Moenck said. “When you play North Linn, the first thing you can’t do it commit turnovers that turn into points. We’ve got to take care of the basketball.”

North Linn averages nearly 18 steals per game, and leads the state (all classes) in 3-point shooting at 42.6 percent. Senior guard Molly Boge averages 20.7 points, 5.3 assists and 5.2 steals per game.

The arrival of Burbridge has made Maquoketa Valley, a perennially strong program, even stronger. Her 11.7 points per game is second on the team to junior Grace Richter’s 12.9.

“We’re guarding really well,” Moenck said; the Wildcats are surrendering just 33.1 points per game. “The kids seem to click and mesh really well. Our senior leadership has been outstanding.”

The showdown at Troy Mills is one of a handful of goodies this weekend before girls’ basketball goes on hiatus until January. Here are four more:

3A No. 7 WILLIAMSBURG at 4A No. 12 CLEAR CREEK AMANA (Friday)

Williamsburg’s last Wamac divisional title came in 2014, and the Raiders (5-1, 1-0), have an opportunity to move into the West Division driver’s seat with a road win over the defending 4A champion Clippers (3-3, 1-0).

Two of CCA’s losses came to 5A schools (Iowa City West and Iowa City Liberty). The other came to 4A No. 6 Maquoketa, at Rivalry Saturday. Williamsburg started 4-0 before a 64-42 loss last Friday at 3A No. 1 Mount Vernon.

CCA junior Averie Lower is fourth among 4A scorers (22.4 ppg).

No. 9 IOWA CITY HIGH at 5A No. 12 IOWA CITY WEST (Friday)

City High (5-1) jumped into the rankings this week and has won five games in a row, including a 52-43 home victory over Iowa City Liberty last Friday.

West (6-3) is coming off an impressive 53-44 win over Dubuque Wahlert on Tuesday, handing the Golden Eagles their first loss of the season behind a big third quarter.

Friday’s game doesn’t count toward Mississippi Valley Conference standings; the rematch at City on Jan. 24 does.

5A No. 5 CEDAR RAPIDS PRAIRIE vs. 5A No. 4 ANKENY CENTENNIAL (Saturday, at Johnston)

The prolific Hawks (6-0) meet the stingy Jaguars (4-2) as part of the Johnston Winter Tipoff.

At 69.7 points per game, Prairie has the most potent offense in Class 5A. The Hawks are balanced, too — all five starters are averaging double-digits, led by junior Emily Larsen at 15.2 ppg. Sophomore KeaOnna Worley adds 14.5 points and 6.0 assists per contest.

Prairie scored 96 points Tuesday against Western Dubuque. It will be tougher sledding Saturday: Centennial allows just 38.3 per game.

4A No. 4 CENTRAL DEWITT at 4A No. 6 MAQUOKETA (Saturday)

When Maquoketa earned a 62-52 victory over the Sabers last year, it ended a 12-game losing streak to its former conference rival.

Both teams are 6-0, and the stakes are high concerning eventual regional seeding.

At 27.0 points per game, Central DeWitt’s Lauren Walker is the leading scorer in 4A. Maquoketa counters with the junior duo of Aubrey Kroymann and Cora Widel (30.2 ppg between them).

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com