West Branch gesture allows MV an emotional homecoming

Football

     Both Maquoketa Valley and West Branch had lost their homecoming opponents due to COVID-19. Both wanted to host a game Friday, Sept. 25.

     West Branch wound up doing a gracious thing, traveling to Delhi for a game so that MV could not only celebrate homecoming, but honor two students who have passed away as homecoming king and queen.

     Maquoketa Valley honored Teige Hunt, who died in a drowning accident on Lake Delhi this past summer, as king; and Anna Nefzger, who died in an ATV accident at age 13 in 2016, as queen. Both would have been seniors this year.

     “It has been said already, but I think Friday night proved once again for both communities that there are things bigger than football,” MV coach Trevor Arnold said. “And though we congregate on Friday nights under the lights, it really isn’t just for football; we do it for the community and to be part of the community. The pride in that is important to both Maquoketa Valley and West Branch, and it was shown on Friday night.”

     It also meant West Branch will have just one regular season home game this season.

     West Branch did win the game, 50-14, taking a 14-0 lead by the end of the first quarter and leading 43-8 at halftime.

     MV had 259 total yards on offense. Parker Sternhagen completed eight of 18 passes for 143 yards. Owen Mensen caught four of those for 126 yards and two touchdowns, including a 65-yard scoring play. A.J. Ambundo had seven carries for 50 yards.

     In return, MV junior varsity team traveled to West Branch Sept. 28, so that West Branch can hold its Senior Night for all of its fall activities, as well as its homecoming ceremonies.

Cross country

     Maquoketa Valley had four of the top nine runners, and came out with a boys’ championship in the Independence Invitational Sept. 26.

     The Wildcats totaled 47 points, followed by New Hampton with 53 and Oelwein with 56.

     Cy Huber finished third overall with a time of 18 minutes, 39.84 seconds. Nolan Ries was fourth in 18:49.44, Michael Schaul was sixth in 19:40.59, Mitch Heims placed ninth in 20:01.59, and Landin Frasher rounded out the scoring with a 31^st place finish in 21:16.55. Brock Trenkamp finished 39^th in 22:00.59.

Volleyball

     Maquoketa Valley ran into a deluge of difficult competition in volleyball action last week, facing six opponents without coming up with a win.

     The first of those was a home loss to Starmont Sept. 22 in four sets, by scores of 21-25, 25-16, 20-25, 22-25. The Wildcats lost despite 24 kills and 26 digs by Emerson Whittenbaugh, and a 53-assist night for Carissa Sabers. Payton Beaman and Taya Tucker had 10 kills apiece, and Kylie Chesnut had eight. Whittenbaugh also served 16-for-16 with four aces.

     Ella Imler had 26 of the team’s 87 digs, while Beaman and Sabers had 12 apiece.

     MV (1-2, 8-10) then lost a heartbreaker at home to North Linn, 25-21, 25-16, 26-28, 21-25, 15-17. Whittenbaugh had 36 kills and 18 digs in that one, as Sabers posted 56 assists. Tucker added 19 kills, and Beaman had 13. Imler had 14 digs.

     On Saturday, Sept. 26, the Wildcats faced four opponents in the Denver Tournament. MV opened with an 8=21, 15-21 loss to Denver; lost to Starmont 17-21, 17-21; took Tripoli to a third set before falling 14-21, 21-16, 16-18; and fell to Dyersville Beckman 14-21, 17-21.

     Against Denver, Imler had 11 digs, while Sabers and Tucker had nine apiece.

     Whittenbaugh had 14 kills and 11 digs against Starmont. Sabers had 16 assists. Imler had 12 digs.

     In the Tripoli match, Sabers had 20 assists. Whittenbaugh had 14 kills, and Tucker had nine. Imler had 17 digs, and Whittenbaugh had 16.

     Imler had 15 digs and Whittenbaugh had 11 against Beckman. Whittenbaugh had 10 kills, and Sabers made nine assists.