Eighth-graders wrap up perfect season

GIRLS BASKETBALL RECAP

Eighth grade

     It was a perfect, 12-0 season for the Monticello eighth-grade girls basketball A team, which wrapped up the campaign with three more wins.

     “The girls had a great season, and only lost one middle school game in two years,” coach Bret McDonald said. “They are an easy bunch to coach, and I have really enjoyed watching them grow as basketball players.”

     Beka Prull scored 16 points and Tori McDonald added 11 as the Monticello eighth-grade girls basketball team defeated Cascade 31-8 Dec. 5 at Cascade. Dru Kramer and Gabbi Guilford added two points apiece.

     “Beka Prull played a really tough game for us inside,” Monticello coach Bret McDonald said. “Tori McDonald played well as the point guard. Cascade played zone and she did a nice job of getting the offense going. Dru Kramer did a nice job playing for an injured Karli Recker. Dru rebounded well and played good defense.”

     There was no game for the B team.

     On Dec. 6, the Panthers played at Anamosa, and split two games. The A team won 34-10, led by Prull with 15 points, Guilford and McDonald with eight apiece. Scoring one point each were DeLainy Fellinger, Kramer and Recker.

     “We do a good job of limiting teams to one shot, which really sets up our offense,” coach McDonald said.

     Anamosa won the B game 24-12. Scoring for Monticello were Megan Mahoney with six points, Caroline Olson with four and Katie Sauser with two.

     Monticello then closed the season with two home games against North Cedar. McDonald scored 20 points as the A team won 42-11. Also scoring were Prull with seven, Guilford with five, Reese Cox and Kramer with four apiece, and Recker with two.

     The B team won 4-2, with Sauser and Olson scoring two points each.

Junior varsity

     Two wins, one of them close and the other not so much, upped the Monticello junior varsity girls basketball team’s record to 4-1.

     The Panthers played host to Camanche Dec. 6, and pulled out a 29-26 win. Aspen Gillmore led Monticello in scoring with eight points. Jaelynn Kraus added five points, while Carly Hayen and Emily Schlarmann had four apiece. Scoring two points each were Sydney Hansen, Gabrielle Steiner, Lydia Franzenburg and Marissa Recker.

     Monticello rallied from an early 8-0 deficit.

     “We started out slow, but settled down to take the lead at the half (14-12), and played a solid second half to get a good win,” Monticello coach Chuck Welsch said.

     At North Cedar Dec. 9, the Panthers shut out the Knights in the first half, taking a 19-0 lead. Monticello went on to win 31-10. Hansen scored eight points, Gillmore and Kraus had seven apiece, Recker added four, Hayen chipped in three and Steiner had two.