Ranked Rivalry Performers

This week I set my sights in Northern Iowa, where a heated Winnebago County rivalry featured two ranked teams — Lake Mills (1A #10) and Forest City (3A #6). Both teams battled it out for bragging rights, and although Forest City held on to their lead the entire game, the matchup did feature plenty of drama and plenty of standout performances. Keep reading to see which players stood out as ones who will step up to the plate when the stakes are high — players who rose to the occasion against cross-town, ranked rivals.    [player_tooltip player_id='832211' first='Cora' last='Sauer'] was Forest City's main focus the entire game last night, and for good reason. The combo guard has endless range and made the defense pay when they didn't track her down behind the arc. Sauer also has quick first step with the jab — I liked her ability to get past defenders going baseline with either hand, and her quick, controlled crossover. Sauer also has a little post game in her bag and will look to seal players her size with a drop step. On the defensive end Sauer was everywhere — tipped passes, picking pockets, you name it. She's also shooting 88% from the line this season and looked more than comfortable nailing all of her free throws. In short, Sauer fought through face guards and hard hedges all night and still found a way to step up and lead the Lake Mills comeback, though their charge came up just short.     [player_tooltip player_id='1223433' first='Ashlen' last='Kingland'] was the spark Forest City needed last night when Lake Mills made a late push. Starting and ending the game with big-time shots, I liked Kingland's poise in the big moments and her ability to step up when her team needed a boost. Correct me if I'm wrong but I counted five three pointers from the junior sharpshooter. Kingland showed her range in a number of ways last night — from kickouts in the zone, to relocating on a downscreen, to pulling up deep off the dribble (to no surprise, Kingland is shooting almost 40% from three this season). Her timely shooting on the offensive end combined with disciplined defense makes Kingland a dream "three and D" type of player for Forest City.     I loved watching [player_tooltip player_id='839336' first='Hayden' last='Brown'] play last night. Her ability to do a little bit of everything ended up being huge for Forest City — she took what the defense game her and was consistently making plays to help her team maintain a lead. A lengthy guard, Brown's game is multifaceted and she's just plain gritty. She'll crash the boards and push the pace in transition, looks comfortable shooting from everywhere on the floor, and plays downhill with aggression at the rim. On defense the athletic senior has a good nose for the ball and did a good job to double team unsuspecting ball-handlers on a few occasions. Hitting momentum-swinging threes, finishing tough buckets in the lane, drawing double teams to hit open players and more — Brown stepped up and had her fingerprints all over the rivalry game.     My "Defender of the Game" would easily be handed to [player_tooltip player_id='1093376' first='Lexi' last='Isebrand'] after her performance last night vs. Lake Mills. She's lightning quick and reads the game at a high level, and her skills shone on both sides of the floor last night. She had the assignment of covering Lake Mills' best player last night and took that job to heart. She finished the first half alone with four steals, and backed up this defensive prowess with excellent decision making on the offensive end. Every time Isebrand took a shot or finished a drive, I was thinking to myself, "that was a good decision." She finished a number of tough layups with elite change of direction and flashed deep range with a smooth jumper. Isebrand brings a high basketball IQ to her team and proved herself as the senior leader Forest City needed to finish the game with a win.     [player_tooltip player_id='1091996' first='Jenna' last='Dontje'] is a player anyone would want on their team for her toughness in the paint and relentlessness on the boards. A physical post presence for Forest City, Jenna ran the floor well, never quit on an offensive rebound (this included flying out of bounds in an attempt to preserve the possession), and made good decisions finishing at the rim. She kept the ball high on rebounds and also looked for cutters when she was double-teamed — she understands situations on the floor and what to do with the rock. Dontje also did a great job sealing defenders last night and pivoted strong to the basket. Averaging 11PPG and 7.5RPG this season, the senior gets her work done in the paint with perseverance and a never-quit attitude.

This week I set my sights in Northern Iowa, where a heated Winnebago County rivalry featured two ranked teams — Lake Mills (1A #10) and Forest City (3A #6). Both teams battled it out for bragging rights, and although Forest City held on to their lead the entire game, the matchup did feature plenty of drama and plenty of standout performances. Keep reading to see which players stood out as ones who will step up to the plate when the stakes are high — players who rose to the occasion against cross-town, ranked rivals.