Former giant Mediapolis returns

DES MOINES -- It's a girls' basketball town.

Again. Still.

A six-player dynasty during the old-time game's heyday, Mediapolis made its first trip back to the state tournament in 27 years. And the Bullettes made it count.

Mediapolis beat Williamsburg, 61-43, in a Class 3A quarterfinal Tuesday afternoon at Wells Fargo Arena.

"We have such a rich history here," said Andrea Larson, whose grandmother (Cathy Larson) was a six-player guard and a state champion. "It's always been such a big part of our community. And the community gives us so much support. People around town said how nice it was to get back here."

From 1962 to 1987, Mediapolis was a consistent March presence across the street at Veterans Auditorium, advancing 21 times in that 26-year span. The Bullettes won championships in 1967 and 1973.

Larson said a number of the Bullettes have a female family member -- a mother, an aunt, a grandmother -- that was part of that tradition.

She has watched tapes of the old-style ball.

"It gives you chills," she said. "They wore the skirts and the button-up jackets. I put on my grandma's coat, and it fit.

"All that -- it was Mediapolis basketball."

And now, this is Mediapolis basketball. A different, more modern game. The Bullettes conquered Williamsburg by shooting 56 percent and outrebounding the Raiders, 36-20.

Larson and Rachel Holstein both made 9 of 10 shots from the floor.

Mediapolis (24-1) faces top-rated MOC-Floyd Valley (24-1) in the semifinal round at 5 p.m. Thursday.

TALK ABOUT A TURNAROUND

Class 4A qualifier Carlisle navigated an astonishing U-turn this season.

The Wildcats didn't win a regular-season game last year, finishing 1-22 after pulling a regional upset. They started this season 1-4 under first-year coach Bryan White.

Then it all turned around and fell into place.

Sixth-ranked Carlisle has won 19 of its next 21 games, including a come-from-behind 53-48 victory over No. 4 Dallas Center-Grimes in a quarterfinal Tuesday night.

Dallas Center-Grimes walloped the Wildcats, 62-27, early in the season and sprinted to a 16-2 lead Tuesday. The Wildcats chipped away and took their first lead with 2:43 remaining.

White came to Carlisle after coaching boys' basketball at Red Oak. He turned it around behind a strong junior class (including double-figure scorers Payton Keeney and Kaleigh Haus) and freshman point guard Agatha Baier, who averages 5.7 assists per game.