Highway 30 is king of the roads in boys' basketball

MOUNT VERNON - Dirty 30.

Drive east along Highway 30 just outside Cedar Rapids, and you'll find a string of communities represented in the boys' state basketball tournament Monday.

It starts in Mount Vernon and continues to neighboring Lisbon. Motor another seven miles, and you'll hit Mechanicsville. Then it's Stanwood, Clarence and Lowden.

They're all involved.

“We were talking the other day,” said Mount Vernon Coach Ed Timm. “If you were a burglar, you'd start on Highway 30 (Monday) and just keep going. Because there'll be no one to stop you. They'll all be in Des Moines.”

Amazing how three bordering school districts have good enough teams to make it to state. Amazing how the Iowa High School Athletic Association bracketed things to allow both Mount Vernon and North Cedar the opportunity to get there, considering their proximity to one another and that they're both in Class 2A.

Naturally they're seeded fourth and fifth and play each other in an 8:15 p.m. quarterfinal at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. Lisbon must tackle defending Class 1A champ Storm Lake St. Mary's Monday afternoon in a 3:45 quarterfinal. It's the Lions' first state appearance.

“I know we're going to stick around after our game,” Lisbon Coach Matt Haddy said. “Our kids are excited to see Mount Vernon and North Cedar play, so we'll stay down there and watch.”

As you'd expect, the kids from Lisbon and Mount Vernon know each other well, growing up playing with and against each other as youths and in the off-season in open-gym settings. There's not quite as much familiarity with North Cedar's players, though both Lisbon and Mount Vernon played the Knights this season.

Haddy, Timm and North Cedar Coach Scott Jackson respect each other and are friendly.

“It's just a pretty unique situation, us being so close to each other,” Jackson said. “Knowing each other as coaches and players. I know some of our kids have played AAU ball and stuff with some of their kids, going back to when they were small. I think it's exciting.”

There are even more similarities. Timm and Jackson each have sons that start for their respective teams: Jake Timm for Mount Vernon and Kyle Jackson for North Cedar.

“You know what, that's unique, in and of itself,” Jackson said. "People always tell you that it must be special to be able to coach your son, and it is. I think I'm harder on him than I am on the rest of the guys."

Timm and Haddy have bounced Xs and Os off each other, with Timm diagramming a play for Haddy that Lisbon regularly uses.

“We were having a freshman scrimmage with them over break,” said Lisbon guard Ben Knake. “I saw Coach Haddy and Coach Timm talking, and I knew they were discussing plays. We call it “Mustang.”

“It's just really cool,” Haddy said. “I'm extremely happy for Ed and Scott. They're good friends. I just think it shows how good basketball is in this area. And you look into Cedar Rapids as well. You are pretty well represented at the state tournament.”

“It's pretty special that these three teams all made it,” Jake Timm said.