Hawks On Top

The Cedar Rapids Prairie Hawks showed why they are a team to watch this season in Class 5A. They are well-rounded, have multiple weapons, and are backed by a winning pedigree under Head Coach Bruce Dall. Prairie continued their winning ways against Sioux City Heelan on Rivalry Saturday with the help of a few standouts - check out who below!    [player_tooltip player_id='502095' first='Emily' last='Larsen'] stood out to me as the Hawks' go-to scorer today. She started the game on fire, going 5/5 on three pointers to give the Hawks an early lead and all the momentum. She showed that she can hit contested jumpers off the dribble and on the catch. When Heelan pressured Larsen on the catch, she then displayed her athleticism off the bounce with a few strong layups and runners in the paint. Keep your eyes on [player_tooltip player_id='502095' first='Emily' last='Larsen'] to put up some big numbers during her junior year.     KeoOnna Worley is a smooth operator for CR Prairie. As the floor general for the Hawks, I was impressed with her court vision, shiftiness with the ball, and poise under pressure. She picked her way through Heelan's 1-3-1 zone and had multiple dishes for easy layups at the rim. In addition she picked her spots well offensively, hitting a few stop and pop runners right in the heart of the zone. I also liked Worley's ability to absorb contact and finish in the paint.     [player_tooltip player_id='502092' first='Brynlie' last='Hadenfeldt'] did a little bit of everything for the Hawks today and she was so fun to watch. From crashing boards to hitting clutch free-throws, Hadenfeldt made an impact across the floor with her all-out effort. She has a number of tough finishes at the basket including off of a shot fake, a curl cut, a give-and-go, and a lefty side step to ease past a Heelan defender. In addition she had a few strong and-1s to get the crowd on its feet. Hadenfeldt runs the floor well and makes all the hustle plays for her team - she'll be an x-factor this season for Prairie.     [player_tooltip player_id='794878' first='Asia' last='Beale'] was a strong, positive presence in the paint today for CR Prairie. She was a silent leader for the Hawks and I was impressed with her demeanor all game. Offensively, Beale had a number of rip and go layups and showed off a great drop step when she had her defender sealed. She's also disciplined defensively - she walls up well and stays vertical when contesting shots. I think Beale will be a key to Prairie's continued success this year on both sides of the ball.     [player_tooltip player_id='342181' first='Presley' last='Estrada'] played big minutes off the bench today and is a key role player this year for Prairie. She uses her length well - at 5'9," she's a long, athletic defender who does a good job keeping players in front of her. She was consistent all game and disrupted Heelan's offense a few times by jumping into passing lanes. She started off her performance with a bang as well by hitting a three right when she entered the game. She moves off of the ball well too - Estrada found openings under the basket multiple times for dish off passes from her teammates for a number of easy lay-ins.

The Cedar Rapids Prairie Hawks showed why they are a team to watch this season in Class 5A. They are well-rounded, have multiple weapons, and are backed by a winning pedigree under Head Coach Bruce Dall. Prairie continued their winning ways against Sioux City Heelan on Rivalry Saturday with the help of a few standouts - check out who below!