Articles Tagged: Monticello High School

Preston Ries of Monticello and Holden Arnaman of West Branch are the boys’ basketball players of the year in their respective divisions of the River Valley Conference.

North Linn and Western Christian finish atop their respective classes, as the Iowa High School Athletic Association released its final boys’ basketball rankings of the season in Class 1A and 2A. Cedar Rapids Kennedy and Clear Lake remain top-ranked in Class 4A and 3A, which has one more set of rankings next week.

The postseason in boys’ basketball is upon us. Opening-round district games in Class 1A begin Friday. Here’s a closer look at the districts and substates involving schools from The Gazette area.

Top-seeded district boys’ basketball teams in Class 1A and 2A include Keota, Lansing Kee, North Linn, MFL MarMac, Monticello and Alburnett. The Iowa High School Athletic Association released all postseason brackets for the classes Monday afternoon.

North Linn’s boys’ basketball team lost a couple of weeks ago to Alburnett and slipped from first to second in the Iowa High School Athletic Association’s rankings in Class 1A. The Lynx went from second to third last week despite not losing. But a 69-60 win this past Friday night at then-No. 1 Bellevue Marquette has moved North Linn back to the top spot in the class this week.

Cedar Rapids Kennedy notched an impressive 60-43 win Saturday afternoon over fourth-ranked West Des Moines Valley to put a stranglehold on the top spot in Class 4A in this week’s Iowa High School Athletic Association boys’ basketball rankings. The other No. 1s remain the same: Bellevue Marquette in 1A, West Lyon in 2A and Clear Lake in 3A.

The top-ranked team in Class 1A since the start of the season, North Linn is in the midst of a typically outstanding winter. The Lynx (15-1 overall, 12-0 Tri-Rivers Conference West Division) wrapped up their third straight divisional title — and their 10th in the last 12 years — with a 60-25 win over Central City on Tuesday.

North Linn lost its first game of the season last week to Linn County rival Alburnett and slipped from first to second in Class 1A in this week’s Iowa High School Athletic Association boys’ basketball rankings, with fellow Tri-Rivers Conference mate Bellevue Marquette assuming the top spot.

The final area girls’ basketball unbeaten? That will be determined next Tuesday. This Tuesday marks the first night of January action for some teams. Here’s a look at area conference races as we resume.

Here is The Gazette’s first 2023-24 installment of area high school boys’ wrestling individual rankings.

Williamsburg’s Derek Weisskopf and Monticello’s Preston Ries are The Gazette’s 2023 football co-players of the year. Both are future Iowa Hawkeyes.

In addition to overall co-players of the year Derek Weisskopf of Williamsburg and Preston Ries of Monticello, The Gazette’s 2023 all-area football team is led by offensive player of the year Grant Glausser of Western Dubuque and defensive player of the year Rayce Heitman of Williamsburg. Curt Ritchie of Williamsburg is the area coach of the year.

One-point wins at Rivalry Saturday keep Solon, Clear Creek Amana at the top after the first big week in The Gazette’s area high school girls’ basketball Super Ten rankings.

These aren’t the only quality Iowa high school boys’ basketball teams in the area this season. But it’s a pretty good start to the list.

Here are 12 of the area’s players heading into the 2023-24 Iowa high school boys’ basketball season.