Wildcat boys post perfect score to win Independence meet

Cross country

     Maquoketa Valley scored a perfect 15 points and recorded a boys’ team championship at the Independence Invitational Sept. 28.

     A perfect score means the Wildcats had the top five individuals in the race. Cy Huber was the individual champion with a time of 17 minutes, 38.2 seconds. He was followed by teammates Michael Schaul, 18:01.8; Derek Mensen, 18:07.8; Mason Lubben, 18:23.3; and Ethan Doyl, 18:34.5. Preston Roling was eighth in 18:46.0, Brock Trenkamp was 26^th in 21:02.1; and Landon Frasher was 31^st in 21:38.3.

     In the girls’ race, MV finished third with 58 points, behind Independence (25) and New Hampton (49).

     Emma Doyl led the Wildcats, taking sixth in 22:07.2. Jaiden Porter was seventh in 22:11.1; Kriya Atwell finished eighth in 22:587; Jordan Hogan was 27^th in 29:15.0; Annie Trenkamp took 32^nd in 31:09.3; and Ci’Ann Richardson was 35^th in 32:58.0.

Football

     Maquoketa Valley slipped to 0-5 on the season, with a 14-0 loss at Edgewood-Colesburg Sept. 27. The Wildcats are also 0-1 in Class A, District 5 play.

     Highlights for the Wildcats included 66 rushing yards on 11 carries for Derek Becker, and 48 passing yards for quarterback Parker Sternhagen, including 18 yards to both Andrew Kloser and Trent Koopmann.

     Defensively, Koopman had an interception and a 15-yard return. A.J. Ambundo had a 40-yard punt.

Volleyball

     The Wildcats opened the week by ending a four-match losing streak, winning in four sets at Edgewood-Colesburg. The scores, MV first, were 25-13, 25-13, 15-25, 25-17. It was the first Tri-Rivers Conference win of the season for the ‘Cats (1-1, 5-12).

     Emerson Whittenbaugh recorded 11 kills in the match, and Taya Tucker had 10. Carissa Sabers made 18 assists. Sabers served 21-for-21, and Ella Imler served 14-for-14. Tucker and Whittenbaugh served three aces apiece. Defensively, Imler had 16 digs and Whittenbaugh had 11. Getting five blocks each were Tucker and Sabers.

     On Sept. 26, despite a four-set loss at Starmont, the Wildcats put up some big numbers. Sabers made 30 assists, as the team had 40 kills, led by Whittenbaugh with 19, Tucker with nine, and Payton Beaman with six. MV totaled 81 digs, with four Wildcats recording double digits: Whittenbaugh with 20, Beaman with 17, Sabers with 15 and Imler with 13. Tucker had five blocks, Lydia Helle had four and Sabers had three. Imler served 18-for-18 with two aces.

     Maquoketa Valley kept busy with five matches in a tournament in Denver, Iowa Sept. 28; winning one of them.

     The win came against Starmont in the team’s third match of the day, by scores of 21-13, 21-19. Whittenbaugh had seven kills and 11 digs in the match. Beaman had 22 digs, and Imler had 16. Sabers made 11 assists. Kylie Chesnut and Whittenbaugh had two blocks apiece.

     MV opened the tournament with a three-set loss against Denver, by scores of 16-21, 22-20, 11-15. Whittenbaugh had eight kills, Tucker had seven, and Chesnut had four. Sabers made 20 assists. Four Wildcats reached double digits in digs, including Imler with 13, Sabers with 12, Beaman and Whittenbaugh with 10 apiece. Tucker served 7-for-7 with three aces.

     The Wildcats then lost to Tripoli in three sets, losing 17-21. Winning 21-15, and losing 13-15. Tucker had eight kills and nine digs in that match. Sabers had 15 assists. Imler had 15 digs, and Whittenbaugh had 10. Allie Knipper had three blocks. Imler served 12-for-12 with two aces.

     After the win over Starmont, MV lost to Sumner-Fredericksburg 14-21, 17-21. Sabers had 14 assists, as Tucker totaled seven kills and Whittenbaugh had six.

     Maquoketa Valley finished the tournament with a 12-21, 6-21 loss to Dyersville Beckman. Helle had four kills, Beaman had eight digs, and Sabers had seven assists.

     “I was very pleased with our overall effort on the day,” Maquoketa Valley coach Brandy Whittenbaugh said. “We were six points from being 3-0 to start the tourney against two very quality teams. We just had a few blocks here and there not go our way in the final games of both matches.

     “The girls do a good job of keeping their heads up and battling back if they get down. We need to stop the small runs that we tend to give up every match.”