HIGH SCHOOL JOURNALISM: A final look at Xavier boys' basketball

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By Daniel Vega, Xavier seniorCEDAR RAPIDS - After a hard fought basketball season and two post season wins, Xavier hit a roadblock against Class 3A top-ranked Dubuque Wahlert.The Saints had a blowout win to start district play, beating Vinton-Shellsburg and Marion.“I would say we played a good game against Wahlert,” junior Adam McDermott said. “Overall, I thought we had a great season, from beating Linn-Mar for the first time in school history to getting the most conference wins in school history and a lot more.”The two Catholic teams, who met in the substate final in Epworth, battled it out once already during the regular season with the Eagles downing the Saints. After hard fighting from both teams, the Eagles rose victorious again before a packed house, 70-62.This marked the end of the road for seniors Matt Nelson, Andrew Bisenius, Michael Biermann, John Peters and Frank Hill. The seniors assisted in second year coach Ryan Luehrsman's first 26 wins and 21 losses in his two years of varsity coaching.McDermott earned first-team all-Mississippi Valley Conference, while junior Calvin Winker was selected for the second team. Nelson and sophomore Mitch Burger received an honorable mention. Biermann and Nelson also were recognized as MVC all-academic.