PREVIEW: Young, talented 'Cats aim for significant improvement

BOYS BASKETBALL

     It’s a young team, but a talented one, that will take the court for the Maquoketa Valley High School boys basketball season this winter.

     The Wildcats have four returning starters, and seven returning letter-winners, but only one senior. MV was 3-11 in the Tri-Rivers Conference and 8-13 overall last year, but is excited about its chances to move up.

     “I am very excited about the group of guys that we have this year,” second-year head coach Eric Conner said. “We gained some valuable experience last season and this past off-season playing together as a team. Our guys have put in a lot of work both individually and as a team.”

     Leading the list of returning players is Andrew Holtz, a 5-foot-10 junior guard who was voted second team all-conference in the Tri-Rivers last season. Holtz led the team in scoring, averaging 10.4 points per game, and was second in rebounds at 4.4 per game. He also led in assists with 5.1 per game.

     Other starters returning are sophomore A.J. Ambundo (9.1 points per game), senior Mason Lubben, and junior Owen Mensen.

     The returning letter-winner list also includes 6-4 junior Andrew Hildebrand, and juniors Miguel Bojorquez and Isaac Zirtzman.

     The Wildcats play in a conference that had three state qualifying teams last season. In the West Division, MV’s top foes figure to be North Linn, Alburnett and Edgewood-Colesburg.

     “No matter who you are playing, night in and night out, you have to be playing your best in order to walk away with a victory,” Conner said. “I think that we can compete with any of the teams on our side of the league, but we have to play our style of basketball to the best of our ability each night.

     “We are going to continue to make mistakes, but I would expect to see some great maturation from a lot of our guys as the season progresses.”

     Conner is assisted by Dan Cassutt.

 

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