Two area all-stars play in IBCA games; coaches earn honors

Newton High senior Connor Gholson and Lynnville-Sully High senior Brenna Lanser had one more day of basketball. The two area players competed in the annual Iowa Basketball Coaches Association’s All-Star Games over the weekend.

Gholson was named to the boys’ Southeast squad and Lanser was selected to the girls’ Southeast team. There were teams representing the Southwest, Northeast and Northwest parts of the state.

The Southeast boys lost to the Northeast boys, 105-102, in the opening round. Gholson scored 22 points, hitting five 3-pointers and going 5-of-6 at the free-throw line. In the consolation game, Gholson scored 12 points, draining two 3-pointers, in a Southeast win, 113-90, over Southwest.

In the opening round, the Southeast girls dropped an 81-76 decision to Northeast and Lanser had one field goal for two points. Lanser tossed in 10 points, going 2-of-3 at the line, for Southeast in a 97-84 win over Northwest in the consolation game.

The Northeast boys beat the Northwest All-Stars, 105-77, in the championship game. The girls’ championship went to the Southwest All-Stars, 79-63, over Northeast.

The IBCA announced its boys’ substate coaches of the year, and two area coaches earned honors. Coaches were given honors for substate regions.

Newton High’s Bill Liley, who guided the Cardinals to their first state tournament appearance in 25 years, was named the Class 4A Region 7 Coach of the Year. In his second year at the helm of the Newton boys’ basketball program, Liley reached his 200th career win as a head coach as the Cardinals posted a 19-6 overall mark.

It was the best record by a Cardinal team since the 1964 state championship team went 23-3. Under Liley’s direction this season, Newton won a 4A substate championship earning a trip to the 4A state tournament. The Cardinals lost to eventual 4A champion, Iowa City West, 57-51, in the opening round.

Newton finished third in the Little Hawkeye Conference, which had four teams qualify for state basketball tournaments. In 3A, earning IBCA coach of the year honors were Pella’s Mark Core for Region 7 and Dallas Center-Grimes’ Joe Rankin for Region 2. Pella Christian’s Larry Hessing was the 2A Region 5 coach of the year.

Lynnville-Sully High’s Nick Harthoorn had taken a couple of Hawk basketball teams to state in his 10 years as head coach.

It had been 16 years since one of his teams had gone. Harthoorn coached the Hawks to a 24-2 record in 2016-17 and a 1A state tournament appearance.

Harthoorn was named the IBCA’s 1A Region 6 coach of the year. The Hawks finished ranked No. 5 in 1A during the regular season.

They claimed a substate championship to claim a berth in the 1A state tournament.

The Hawks lost their second game of the season, which ended their season, in the opening round of the state tournament. They lost to Gladbrook-Reinbeck, which took second at state, 53-50.

Another area coaching honor was handed out earlier this spring. Newton High’s Seth Banwell was named the Iowa Girls Coaches Association’s 2A West District coach of the year.

Banwell stepped back into the Newton bowling head coaching position this season after spending two years as the bowling team assistant coach. He was the head coach for eight years before that.

Both Newton’s bowling teams were runners up at the 2A substate meet.

The Cardinal girls and boys were 5-4 in dual meet action. The NHS squads won the Little Hawkeye Conference bowling meet for the third straight year.

Contact Jocelyn Sheets at
641-792-3121 ext. 6535
or jsheets@newtondailynews.com