Interesting Matchups Of The Week (Nov. 20th – Nov. 26th)

As the high school season starts to get under way this week for everyone throughout the state, there is a lot to keep an eye on. Depending on what Class you are paying attention to and what rosters you are looking at, there seems to be a good amount of change. A lot of teams across the state will need to find some new producers, try new offensive and defensive schemes, and think outside of the box if they want to put together a winter to remember. 

It’s always important to get a confident and fast start to your season. At the high school and some collegial levels, the first few games of the year are always “feel out” games. These contests are put in place to help everyone understand what it’s like to play at which-ever level and where they individually stand compared to the rest of their roster. In the article below I am going to highlight a handful of the most interesting games of Week 1 throughout the state. 

Thanks for tuning in and enjoy!

Maquoketa (1-0) VS Assumption (0-0)

Where: Maquoketa High School

When: November 20th – 7:30PM

The Maquoketa Cardinals started off their season with a big win last week against a solid Western Dubuque team. They will look to carry that momentum into their contest tonight against Assumption High School. Something that is do-able but won’t be easy by any stretch of the imagination. Assumption will return 2/5 starters from a year ago but they will also bring back most of their bench. They will have experienced players all over the floor but we will have to see how this one goes. It’s their first official game of the season and they have to travel. If you account for that, you can see that this one could be a closer contest than originally expected in the offseason. Another advantage that Assumption will have is the game film from the Cardinals first contest. This should help them put together a strategic plan going in, so they can try to stop the young stars of Maquoketa. All in all, this matchup is one see this week. It’s going to tell us a lot about each program really early on this season.

Central DeWitt (0-0) VS IC-City High (0-0)

Where: Central DeWitt High School

When: November 21st – 7:30PM

Iowa City-City High and Central DeWitt are two programs that both house collegiate level basketball players at a few spots on the hardwood. This being the first contest for both teams makes things more intriguing because you aren’t sure what to expect. The only thing that I am sure of is that the best players are going to go out there and take care of business. Two names to highlight before the tipoff will be August Palmer August Palmer 5'10" | PG Iowa City-City High | 2025 State IA of City High and Lauren Walker Lauren Walker 5'8" | PG Central DeWitt | 2025 State IA of Central DeWitt. Both competitors will compete at the college level when their high school career comes to a close. These are two individuals that can take over a game in the blink of an eye and change the outcome for their perspective team. Several other factors go into a basketball game and it is a team sport but these two are going to be the forcers driving their teams to success this winter. If everyone else can play off of that, they will have a memorable season.

Western Christian (0-0) VS Estherville Lincoln Central (0-0)

Where: Western Christian High School

When: November 21st – 7:30PM

Looking at the matchup of Western Christian VS Estherville Lincoln Central may confuse some. ELC is coming off of another season where they made it to the State Tournament while the Wolfpack put together a season that would be considered “subpar” at best but that’s not what everyone should be focused on. What is most important for WC is that they will be turning over a new leaf and focus on the future moving forward. They graduated most of their starting lineup from last season, which will give some new players the chance to step up and make a name for themselves. Something that is more than doable from everything I am seeing. As for ELC, this is the last season they will have their star Haylee Stokes Haylee Stokes 5'6" | PG Estherville Lincoln Central | 2025 State IA . Stokes has been a household name in this state the past 4 years and she has recently committed to Minnesota State for her collegiate career. Her ELC team will look to her in all major moments this season and even throughout this contest. If Western Christian can slow her down, it’ll give them a chance to make this a competitive contest in the end. That’s for sure.