West Delaware boys off and running

MANCHESTER - With a 5-0 start to the season, the West Delaware boys' basketball team looks to continue improving upon last season's 16-7 record.

The Hawks are ranked second in Class 3A by The Gazette.

The players put in solid offseason work and Coach Matt Uthoff was pleased.

'We focused on a lot of individual skill development as well as team development,” Uthoff said. 'Additionally, we went to a few team camps that afforded us the opportunity to play some really good out-of-state teams.”

Senior and returning starter Kyle Wright attributes the Hawks' success to their involvement in basketball since elementary school.

'My grade and the grade below us started teams right away, and we've had experience in tough situations so we could still succeed in them,” Wright said.

West Delaware opened the season with a 45-31 win over Williamsburg on the road. The Hawks also defeated Clear Creek Amana, 67-49; Dyersville Beckman, 54-40; DeWitt Central, 58-46; and Maquoketa, 73-34.

Another contribution to the team's unbeaten start is its depth. With seven returning players and a handful of juniors who dressed varsity last year, the Hawks have the necessary elements to dominate this season.

'Overall, I am very pleased with how the guys have started the year,” Uthoff said. 'We still have a long way to go to get where we need to be, but with the group of guys we have, we think it could be a special year.”

The Hawks' leading scorers so far this season are sophomore Derek Krogmann, averaging 17.8 points per game, junior Tyler Kelley (13 ppg) and senior John Nagel (11.3 ppg).

The Hawks are at Mount Vernon tonight and are at Oelwein on Saturday, along with the girls' team, for a cancer benefit game. They will finish 2016 with a home game on Dec. 20 against Decorah.