Woodward boys basketball wins two, girls basketball bounces back, wrestling takes third
Woodward-Granger got a little hot this week despite the cold setting in. (Note: Events covered Dec. 4-10)
Boys Basketball (3-2)
The Hawks added two more wins to their record after taking down Glidden-Ralston 50-39 on Dec. 4 and Woodward Academy 63-32 the next night.
They hit the ground running in Glidden, as they never let go of the lead behind a quartet of players to score double digits: Chandler Drake (11), Dillon Limoges (11), Austin Taylor (11 points, 10 rebounds) and Bryan Jessse (10).
It was a similar story against the Knights but with the added dynamic of sophomore Vinny Sebastian putting up 10 points. He’d continue to make an impact as the sixth man against Madrid, scoring 15 points.
Woodward’s chances at a win streak were dashed on Friday, though, as Madrid (5-0) defended its court with a 75-61 win over the Hawks. As a consolation, though, the Hawks can hang their hat being one of the few teams to relatively contain all-state star Toryn Severson who put up 17 points and four assits. Taylor went toe-to-toe with 18 points and eight rebounds, helping close the gap compared to the 33-point loss last year to the Tigers.
Girls Basketball (5-1)
WG’s girls bounced back from the previous week’s double-digit loss by surviving a defensive 37-30 affair in Glidden-Ralston on Dec. 4 and a blowout 51-22 against Friday against Madrid.
It’s the complete inverse of last year through this point when the team was 1-5 and clinging to a handful of two-possession losses.
Woodward’s hands were especially sticky in the first game of the week, grabbing 20 steals in Glidden led by freshman Elliette Burkle’s five along with nine points off the bench. Andrea Nardini’s four steals and 11 rebounds helped keep control for the win despite taking nearly half as many shots as the previously 2-0 Wildcats.
There was no need for that same aggression against the Tigers, as Addie Lego’s 18 points nearly won alone. With some help from five Lexi Bogardus assists, Lego went 4-for-8 from three-point range, outpacing Madrid by herself.
Girls Wrestling
Woodward put in an afternoon’s work for a dual tournament Saturday in Ankeny, where the Hawks went 2-3. After catching a pair of losses in the first two rounds, the crew bounced back with a 36-27 win over Norwalk and a 32-24 win over Indianola to take sixth place of the eight teams.
Through the first few weeks of the season, even while taking on some metro teams, the Hawks’ combined record sits at 96-99.
Lauren Rodgers (145 pounds) leads the team with a point ratio of 79-29 after going 4-1 in Ankeny. Sunshine Casey (130) also went 3-1 and now only trails Rodgers for the season.
Boys Wrestling
The Hawks put together a third place outing Saturday in Ogden out of 10 teams, overcoming a pair of losses in the opening rounds. Woodward strung together wins over East Sac County (68-6), Regina Iowa City (63-9) and North Butler (52-30.)
For a comparison to last year, the team holds a 63.2 percent win rate. Last year for the whole season, they held a clip of 57.5 percent.
After the weekend wrapped, six Hawks eclipsed double digit wins: Terrin Lawrenson (11-2), Tanner Paustian (11-2), Blake Tuel (11-2), Max Dalton (11-2), Alex Saxton (11-2) and Kane Mahler-Moreno (10-4).
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Woodward-Granger wrestling takes third, girls basketball bounces back
