Rivalry Saturday 2017 slate is complete

CEDAR RAPIDS — Rivalry Saturday 2017 includes two rematches among its eight-game slate.

It also consists of six returning state qualifiers, nine teams that accumulated 20 or more wins and six newcomers.

The 13th edition of Rivalry Saturday is set for Jan. 7, 2017, at the U.S. Cellular Center. Event director Scot Moenck — also the girls' basketball coach at Maquoketa Valley — confirmed that eight games have been nailed down, but no schedule is set yet.

Springville and Turkey Valley, a Rivalry Saturday matchup last year and a Class 1A state-final contest less than two months later, will meet once again. Turkey Valley (26-1) won the regular-season game last season, then the Orioles (26-1) won a 49-48 decision in the small-school championship game.

Three all-staters return between those two teams: Mikayla Nachazel and Rylee Menster for Springville, Shelby Reicks for Turkey Valley.

The other rematch is an all-Metro affair, Linn-Mar (20-5) vs. Marion (20-5). Both teams were state semifinalists last year. Both teams will be led by strong junior classes that feature Chloe Rice and Mia Laube for Marion, and Kamryn Finley (a UNI commit) and Megan Murphy for Linn-Mar.

In other matchups, Center Point-Urbana (24-2 and a 3A state semifinalist) will play Grinnell (16-7), Iowa City West (15-8) tangles with 4A runner-up Pella (23-3), Boone (18-5) faces Waverly-Shell Rock (20-4), Montezuma (22-2) takes on Fairfield (16-6), Maquoketa Valley (16-6) meets Interstate 35 (20-3), and River Valley Conference foes Bellevue (13-11) and Camanche (14-9) collide.

The 16 teams posted a combined winning percentage of .798 last season.

Boone, Camanche, Grinnell, I-35, Montezuma and Pella will be making their Rivalry Saturday debuts.

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