Rivalry Saturday: Bishop Heelan Crusaders

The most anticipated matchup of Rivalry Saturday this year was between CR- Prairie and The Bishop Heelan Crusaders. Both programs would be considered powerhouses this season for their Class, with each team possessing multiple D1 level prospects. In the end the CR - Prairie Hawks came out with the 5 point victory but this was not due to a lack of effort. BH actually started down the game 22-6 before coming back and making it interesting in the fourth. In this piece we talk about the main producers for the Crusaders and what they did from an individual standpoint.   Thanks for tuning in and enjoy!    [player_tooltip player_id='777232' first='Melina' last='Snoozy'] showed off why she is the #1 2027 player throughout the state of Iowa on Saturday with the overall performance that she put on. Snoozy started off the game slow but by the time that we got to the fourth quarter, it seemed like she was scoring the ball on every other possession. The reason that the Crusaders lost this game is because they started out in too big of a hole because of their defense and they didn't get the ball to their best players early on. Those two mistakes cost them but it's all a learning experience. If these two teams were to matchup again, I don't know what would happen but I do think it would be a closer contest the second time around.     I love the edge that [player_tooltip player_id='582806' first='Trishelle' last='Miller'] competes with on both sides of the ball. Miller is the primary ball-hander for the Crusaders and I know why. This is a D1 college committed prospect, that gets to any spot she wants to on the offensive end with her dribble, while being a knock down shooter from all over the court. Defensively, she is fast with her side-to-side movement and she has active hands/feet to create a lot of chaos. Miller is going to produce for two more years to come on the high school floor, then she will do the same with the Jackrabbits. As long as she continues to work on her own personal game, she is going to continue to be a killer for years to come.     This game was an interesting one for [player_tooltip player_id='873159' first='Abby' last='Lee']. I've always seen Lee dominate the paint and handle what she could on the inside. She also always has had the ability to step out and knock down a long jumper but yesterday she was shooting a lot of three's. I would personally like to see Lee control the paint more-so, then move to the outside throughout a contest to always keep the defense guessing. At the end of this game specifically, Lee had some solid numbers and played a respectable game, along with the rest of her team, but they fell just short and it makes me wonder. If they controlled the paint more, would the outcome have been different? This maybe a question we find out the answer too down the line, later this season but for right now, who knows.     [player_tooltip player_id='304519' first='Addison' last='Kleis'] is going to be a player that continues to see the Varsity floor more and more, as we get into the future. Kleis possesses great size for a SG at 5'10/5'11, she is coordinated in her efforts, she has a high motor that never seems to stop, and she is someone that is willing to adapt to any given situation. Kleis competed off the ball yesterday when she was in the game and she demonstrated that she can do some positive things. She isn't the one on this team that is going to be their main offensive producer but instead she will be a player of opportunity. At times she is going to get chances cause everyone else on her team is covered up and in those moments if she can contribute, it's going to be big for their success as a team. That showed yesterday to a T and I'm expecting to see that more as the season wears on.     [player_tooltip player_id='1093163' first='Maddie' last='LeFleur'] started the game as another Forward for this squad yesterday and I was impressed with the overall ability she demonstrated throughout. LeFleur has solid size at 5'10 and she mostly stays within 15Ft of the hoop on both ends of the floor, even though she can step out and make a play from the outside, if need be. This is again another situation with this being a prospect that won't be their main producer but she will definitely be someone that has to put up some numbers if she wants her team to thrive in the long run this Winter.

The most anticipated matchup of Rivalry Saturday this year was between CR- Prairie and The Bishop Heelan Crusaders. Both programs would be considered powerhouses this season for their Class, with each team possessing multiple D1 level prospects. In the end the CR - Prairie Hawks came out with the 5 point victory but this was not due to a lack of effort. BH actually started down the game 22-6 before coming back and making it interesting in the fourth. In this piece we talk about the main producers for the Crusaders and what they did from an individual standpoint.