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Kyle Long was one of two returning players with extensive varsity playing time. Adam Mattes was one of two freshmen to step into a starting role on the Newton High boys’ varsity basketball team.
Long, a junior, and Mattes were the top two scorers for the Cardinals in the Little Hawkeye Conference, which had three Class 3A ranked teams. It was a rough go of it for the Cardinal boys in their first year under head coach Kyle Peta, going 0-20 overall and 0-13 in conference play.
Long and Mattes were recognized by LHC coaches with honorable mention recognition on the 2019 Little Hawkeye Conference all-conference teams.
The teams were selected at the end of the regular season but could not be released until conference members Norwalk and Oskaloosa were through their 3A state tournament runs.
It was an all-LHC 3A championship game with Oskaloosa beating Norwalk 48-44 on Friday.
Norwalk was the LHC champion at 12-2 followed by Oskaloosa at 9-3, Pella at 10-4 and Indianola at 9-4. Pella Christian was fifth at 5-8 followed by Grinnell at 4-9 and Dallas Center-Grimes in seventh at 4-10. Newton was eighth.
Mattes finished the season scoring 136 points for Newton against LHC teams.
Long fired in 115 points in conference play. Long went 26-of-81 from 3-point range in LHC games for 32.1 percent while Mattes was 10-of-30 on 3-pointer attempts for 33 percent.
Mattes pulled down 42 rebounds in conference play to lead Newton. He shot 47.6 percent from the field, 50-of-105, against conference opponents. Mattes sank 26-of-38 free throw attempts for 68.4 percent. He also had 20 assists and 11 steals.
In LHC games, Long shot 30.8 percent, 40-of-130, overall from the field and went 9-of-15 from the line. He had 20 rebounds, 16 assists and six steals.
For the entire season, Mattes was Newton’s leading scorer with 209 points, averaging 10.5 points a game. He controlled 62 rebounds, dished out 32 assists and had 16 steals.
Mattes shot 47.2 percent from the field, 83-of-176, which included going 14-of-46 from 3-point range. At the free-throw line, Mattes was 29-of-44 for 65.9 percent.
Long was the Cardinals’ top deep scoring threat, netting 41-of-131 3-pointer attempts for 31.3 percent. He finished as the team’s second-leading scorer with 194 points, 9.7 points a game.
Long was a 32.4-percent shooter, 69-of-213, from the field overall. He downed 15-of-23 free throw attempts for 65.2 percent. Long had 32 rebounds, 29 assists and 13 steals for the season.
Newton was second in assists with 190 as a team in conference play. It had 68 steals.
The Cardinals committed 179 turnovers in LHC games and had 339 rebounds.
Six of the eight players selected to the LHC first team were unanimous selections. They were Norwalk junior Bowen Born, Pella junior Logan Shetterly, Indianola seniors Evan Gauger and Quinn Vesey, and Oskaloosa senior Cole Henry and junior Xavier Foster. Also on the first team were Grinnell junior Jake Hull and Norwalk junior Tyler Johnson.
Little Hawkeye Boys Basketball
All-Conference 2018-2019
First Team
*Bowen Born, Norwalk, Jr.
*Logan Shetterly, Pella, Jr.
*Evan Gauger, Indianola, Sr.
*Quinn Vesey, Indianola, Sr.
*Cole Henry, Oskaloosa, Sr.
*Xavier Foster, Oskaloosa, Jr.
Jake Hull, Grinnell, Jr.
Tyler Johnson, Norwalk, Jr.
Second Team
Tyler Endres, Norwalk, Sr.
Ryan Gustafson, Pella, Sr.
Nick DeJong, Pella, Sr.
Rian Yates, Oskaloosa, Sr.
Josh Van Gorp, Pella Christian, Jr.
Jake Pringle, Pella Christian, Sr.
Luke Rankin DCG, So.
Tyce Johnson Indianola, Jr.
*Unanimous
Honorable Mention
Adam Mattes Newton, Fr.
Kyle Long Newton, Jr.
Carson Raper Norwalk, Sr.
Scott Anderson Norwalk, Jr.
John Oltman Pella, Jr.
Grant Nelson Pella, So.
AJ Toigo Indianola, Jr.
Matt Deike Indianola, Sr.
Austin Hafner Oskaloosa, Sr.
Noah VanVeldhuizen Oskaloosa, Jr.
Jayden Huisman Pella Christian, Sr.
Dan Jungling Pella Christian, Jr.
Cole McGriff Grinnell, So.
AJ Wilkins Grinnell, So.
Cole Glasgow DCG, Fr.
Tyler Borneman DCG, Sr.
Little Hawkeye Conference Boys’ Basketb2018-19 Final Standings
Team Conference Overall
Norwalk 12-2 22-5
Oskaloosa 9-3 19-5
Pella 10-4 17-6
Indianola 9-4 16-5
Pella Christian 5-8 14-9
Grinnell 4-9 8-13
Dallas Center-Grimes 4-10 8-14
Newton 0-13 0-20