The NICL-East volleyball Coach of the Year, Wapsie Valley’s Austin Shepherd, has also been recognized by a national coaching association. The American Volleyball Coaches Association chose Shepherd as a 2022 Class of 30 Under 30 High School Award recipient. The program was established in 2009 to honor up-and-coming coaching talent at all levels of the sport, and was expanded in 2016 to include a category for high school coaches. This year’s 30 recipients are a diverse group, ranging from head to assistant coaches, varsity to JV coaches, and girls to boys coaches. They represent schools in 18 different states and … Continue reading WV coach gets national recognition

Wapsie Valley senior Dawson Schmit is taking his wrestling skills to Upper Iowa University next year. The Wapsie Athletics Twitter feed announced Schmidt’s decision last week. Schmit captured fifth place in the Class 1A 120 weight class at the 2022 State Championships. Continue reading WV’s Schmit to wrestle for UIU

West Central head football coach Steve Milder is the Iowa nominee for The National High School Coaches Athletic Coaches Association’s National Coach of the Year. This award program has been in existence since the early 1980s and is the longest-running of it’s kind in the country, according to an announcement from the school. Eight finalists will be invited to the NHSACA National Convention in Nebraska in June 2023. Continue reading West Central coach nominated for national award

No. 6-seed Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont upset No. 3 Wapsie Valley 3-1 (25-22, 11-25, 25-20, 25-21) in the Class 2A quarterfinals of the State volleyball tournament on Tuesday at Xtreme Arena in Cedar Rapids. After the Rockets took the first set, 25-22, Wapsie Valley, appeared to be asserting dominance in the second set. The Warriors put an end to back-and-forth scoring with EBF when the Rockets hit 10 points. The Warriors went on a 15-1 scoring run. The only point scored by the Rockets was off a bad serve by the Warriors. Of Wapsie Valley’s final five points, Hannah Knight scored on two … Continue reading EBF upsets Wapsie Valley at State volleyball tournament in four sets

Defending state champion West Hancock held on Friday night to defeat Wapsie Valley, 16-9, in the second round of the Class A football playoffs. West Hancock led 16-3 at home in Britt, when Wapsie Valley opened the fourth quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run by Hunter Kane. The point after failed however, and the Eagles held the Warriors scoreless the rest of the way. West Hancock opened the scoring when Mitchell Smith ran in a touchdown from 3 yards out and then the 2-point conversion in the second quarter. Wapsie Valley’s Braden Knight kicked a 28-yard field goal at the … Continue reading Wapsie Valley football season ends in Britt

Starmont/West Central senior Charlie Seick placed fourth at the Iowa High School Class 2A Cross Country Championships today in Fort Dodge. He completed the first mile in 5:07.34 and was in eighth place, moving up to sixth by the end of the second mile. The top two finishers were from Des Moines Christian. Aaron Fynaardt was first with a time of 15:50.62, and freshman Caleb Ten Pasa was second at 16:06.33. Okoboji Milford sophomore Evan Osler took third at 16:18.10. Sieck was fourth at 16:24.88 followed by Danville/New London senior AJ Bonnesen in fifth at 16:29.37. Continue reading Seick takes 4th at State Cross Country meet

Conall Sauser finished 11th to lead the Oelwein boys cross country team to fifth place at the Iowa High School Class 2A Cross Country Championships today in Fort Dodge. Sauser’s time was 16:45.3. Aaron Fynaardt of Des Moines Christian won the race with a time of 15:50.62 Click here for full Oelwein results. Jacob Sullivan placed 23rd with a time of 17:12.28, follow by Ray Gearhart (29, 17:17.64), Benjamin Driscoll (36th, 17:24.56), Caleb Schunk (86th, 18:20.40), Gabe Driscoll (88, 18:23.47), and Keshaun Williams (128th, 20:06.73) Continue reading Oelwein boys cross country takes 5th at state

Wapsie Valley volleyball made quick work of Beckman Catholic tonight in the Class 2A Region 7 championship, returning to the State Tournament. The Warriors (41-4) defeated the Blazers (28-11) in three sets (25-20, 25-13, 25-15) at the neutral site in Manchester at West Delaware High. Last year, the Blazers defeated Wapsie Valley 3-2 in this title game to earn the State bid. The Warriors last made it to State in 2020, but had to pull out before the first game because COVID-19 was detected on the team. In 2019, Wapsie Valley took second in the Class 1A State Tournament. Sidney … Continue reading Wapsie Valley volleyball returns to State

West Central opened the 2022 volleyball postseason with a 3-0 (25-6, 25-12 and 25-21) victory at home over Kee on Monday. That earned the Blue Devils a shot at Don Bosco tonight in Gilbertsville. The Kee Hawks finished the season with a 1-23 record, but the Dons (26-12) had wrapped up their 25-12 regular season ranked 8th in Class 1A. Don Bosco swept West Central 3-0 (25-12, 25-16, 25-16), capping the Blue Devils season record at 8-14. West Central will lose one senior to graduation, Abby Squires, who this season was the last remaining player from the 2019 team that … Continue reading West Central volleyball postseason ends 1-1