Cascade boys’ basketball team finds success with ... man-to-man defense?

CEDAR RAPIDS - Al Marshall hasn’t been around in person much this season.

One of the state’s all-time winningest coaches and the godfather of Cascade basketball still lives in town and is in good health by accounts. But he has been retired for awhile, and retirement means you can do other things on Tuesday and Friday nights if you want to.

That doesn’t mean Marshall is disengaged completely. He has access to the team’s Hudl account and apparently takes advantage of it.

“I’ll go on and check what kids are watching the game and what not,” said Cascade Coach Nate McMullen, who played for Marshall at the school. “Coach Marshall watches almost an hour after every game. So he’s still watching what’s going on.”

You wonder what Marshall thinks when he watches these Cougars play. They’re successful as usual, finishing the regular season 18-3, ranked in the top 10 in Class 2A, as River Valley Conference North Division champions, earning a No. 1 district seed.

Yet they’ve gotten there in large part to a sticky man-to-man defense. Let’s say that again: man to man.

Coach Marshall literally wrote a book on the 2-3 zone defense, and it always has been the trademark of Cascade basketball.

“I have yet to get run out of Cascade,” McMullen said, with a laugh. “So far it has gone well. The biggest thing is the kids have bought into it. That’s the big part. We’re going to play hard in whatever primary defense that we run. We have shifted into 2-3 at times. It’s kind of let’s see what is working that night.

“The first three years (he has been head coach) we were all 2-3. It’s just the student-athletes that we have now are completely different than when I started.”

Those student-athletes include senior guard Jackson Lieurance, who became the school’s career scoring leader recently. The all-stater averages 22.4 points per game and shoots 55 percent from the field, including 44.9 percent (53 of 118) from 3-point range.

He’s as good a player as there is in the area and in 2A.

“Jackson is Jackson,” McMullen said. “A couple of things to this. One, he has done a really good job of letting it come to him. Him and Mick (Hoffman) are going to get all of the attention. But it’s the way that our guys can find him. We have four guys in our lineup that can shoot the 3 at any time ... It all comes down to our guys finding him.

“He’s a great kid. Just very fortunate to coach him.”

Junior guard Hoffman averages 15.4 points per game. Senior forward Nathan Schockemoehl averages just about a double-double (10.4 points per game, 9.8 rebounds).

Junior guard Tyler Smith also has started every game.

Cascade’s losses have come to Monticello (avenged later in the season) and a pair of top-10 3A teams in Decorah and Waverly-Shell Rock. MFL MarMac is the No. 2 seed in the Cougars’ district, with Aplington-Parkersburg and unbeaten North Fayette Valley in the opposite district.

Cascade opens the postseason Thursday night at home in a district semifinal against the winner of Monday night’s first-round game between Anamosa and Postville.

“Wherever we went, whether it was north or south, we knew we were going to be playing competitive teams,” McMullen said. “The biggest thing for us is we’re controlling our own destiny. You can’t take possessions off in the postseason.”

Monday night features a full schedule of first-round district games in Class 1A. There were 17 opening-round, or pigtail, games this past Friday and Saturday, with area teams East Buchanan, Clayton Ridge, Highland and English Valleys winning to get into the main eight-team bracket.

North Linn (19-2) is the only top seed from the area in a district, drawing Highland (2-20) in a District 4 first-rounder at North Linn.

Second district seeds from the area are Hillcrest Academy (District 4) and Montezuma (District 9). Hillcrest Academy (19-3) opens at home argainst Central City (7-14), while Montezuma (18-3) has a home game against BGM (5-17).

There are 32 first-round district games Monday night in Class 2A. Cascade is the only No. 1 district seed from the area.

No. 2 seeds include Alburnett, MFL MarMac, North Fayette Valley, Iowa City Regina, Monticello and Mid-Prairie. All first and second district seeds receive first-round byes and do not play until Thursday night’s second round, or district semifinals.

Class 1A district quarterfinals also are Thursday night.

Class 3A and 4A substate play begins next week, with brackets revealed Monday afternoon by the Iowa High School Athletic Association.

Below is the entire slate of Monday’s games. Opening tipoff for each is 7 p.m.

CLASS 2A DISTRICT FIRST ROUND

Area

State

CLASS 1A DISTRICT FIRST ROUND

Metro-Area

State

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