Irn130216a01b by Iola Register

INSIDE

The Iola Register

Red Devil softball preview — B4

Saturday, February 13, 2016

Humboldt High’s Makaylah McCall shoots over Fredonia High’s Alexis Palmer (13) Friday. McCall scored 18 points as the Lady Cubs emerged with a 48-45 victory. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN

Iola’s boys basketball team celebrates around point guard Ben Cooper (10). Cooper’s shot with seven seconds left gave Iola a lead. The final score was Iola 47, Anderson County 45. REGISTER/JON DYKSTRA

TWICE AS NICE Cooper’s heroics seal win

Fillies take their revenge

By JON DYKSTRA The Iola Register

On a team often led statistically by its underclassmen, such as sophomore Ethan Holloway, it was Iola’s veterans who came up with the biggest plays in Friday’s gutty 47-45 win over Anderson County. “The boys played hard tonight,” Iola coach Jay Applegate said. “They had a spark in their eye.”

Iola’s Ben Cooper drives baseline on Anderson County’s D’anthony Fredricks. REGISTER/JON DYKSTRA Iola built a big lead early but in the second half. Anderson County — a team that had beaten the Mustangs twice already this seaSee MUSTANGS | Page B3

SCC wins over MV LE ROY — Southern Coffey County High’s boys turned on the proverbial jets after halftime, and in so doing, dispatched of visiting Marmaton Valley High. The Titans outscored Marmaton Valley 17-5 in the third quarter, turning a 28-20 lead into a 20-point cushion. The Wildcats were unable to dent into the lead of what wound up a 59-30 defeat. “The trapping ability and

Southern Coffey County High’s Chonnor Ludolph in a game earlier this season. Ludolph scored 14 points Friday in the Titans’ 59-30 win over Marmaton Valley. REGISTER/FILE

their length really hurt us early,” Wildcat head coach Dan Uhlrich said. “We had a lot of shots in the second half that did not fall.” The game was tight early. Southern Coffey County led 14-11 before outscoring the Wildcats 14-9 in the second. After their big third-quarter burst, the Titans ended the game with a 14-5 run. “We still have much to work on,” Uhlrich said. “Staying down and really sliding (on defense) are key. The kids played hard.” Gage Adams scored 11 points to lead the way for the Wildcats. Justice Pugh and Brady Newman followed with seven points each. Dawson Leimkuhler scored 20 and Chonnor Ludolph 14 to pace SCC. Trevor Filbrun and Bryce Isch each scored eight. Weston Weers chipped in with four points. Marmaton Valley hosts Chetopa Tuesday. Southern Coffey County hosts Lebo next Friday.

The adversity was clear for Iola High’s Fillies as they faced a team that had already beaten them once this season in Anderson County. They needed all hands on deck to pull of a 39-33 win. “We lost to Anderson County the first time,” Iola senior Mikaela Platt said. “We wanted to set a statement.”

Lady Cubs earn close victory By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register

One of the Iola leaders remained on the bench Friday. Junior point guard Sydney Wade is still recovering from her high-ankle sprain.

HUMBOLDT — It was almost deja vu all over again for Humboldt High’s girls. The Lady Cubs found themselves ahead of Tri-Valley League rival Fredonia High, just like they did in the teams’ earlier matchup in mid-January. And just like then, an offensive lull shifted momentum toward Fredonia. But unlike the earlier game, a 50-47 loss, Humboldt had just enough left in the tank, thanks in large part to junior spark plug Makaylah McCall. McCall scored a game-high 18 points, including a pair of free throws with 13.5 seconds left to turn a one-point lead into a 48-45 advantage. The Lady Cubs then took

See FILLIES | Page B3

See HUMBOLDT | Page B10

Iola’s Colbi Riley leans into shoot against Anderson County’s defense. REGISTER/

JON DYKSTRA

Humboldt holds off Fredonia By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register

HUMBOLDT — They can’t all be masterpieces. Humboldt High’s boys missed 16 free throws, and turned the ball over 21 times (compared to just 11 assists) and “got rattled” at times against visiting Fredonia’s pressure defense. Things might have gotten scary had it not been for the duo of the dynamic duo, Rayce Hoepker and Rhett Smith. The unassuming Hoepker came up big time and again, usually from the free throw line, in Humboldt’s 70-59 victory. Hoepker was a dazzling 18 of 20 from the line with his 38-point performance. Smith also carried much of the offensive load. He and Hoepker combined to score 32 of Humboldt’s 40 first-half points. The Cub defense clamped down after intermission, and a 15-6 third-quarter run put Humboldt firmly in control,

Humboldt High’s Jacob Haviland, left, skies for a rebound in front of Fredonia’s Marcus Alexander Friday in the Cubs’ 70-59 victory. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN 55-38. Fredonia wasn’t finished, however. Not by a long shot. The Yellowjackets forced Humboldt turnovers on five straight possessions to open

the fourth quarter. The Cub lead shriveled to nine. But Fredonia continued to foul.

See CUBS | Page B3