Go-Hawks eliminate Comets, 75-55

By Erik Hoefer

Press Correspondent

WAVERLY — When a team defeats an opponent twice during the regular season, and then those two teams meet up again in the postseason, there are two ways to approach the third contest.

One point of view is that it’s very difficult to beat a team three times in one season. The other side of that is the one team has extreme confidence over the other, so much so that it can be hard for the team with the 2-0 edge to mentally imagine a different result.

Guess which side you take depends upon which team you’re rooting for.

Waverly-Shell Rock had swept the regular season series from Charles City to earn home-court advantage in the first round of the 2016 playoffs.

WSR beat the Comets in Waverly 70-33 back on Jan. 5, and the completed the sweep with a 63-53 victory at Comet Gym on Feb. 9

Still, Charles City went into the matchup Monday night in Waverly with great confidence. It wasn’t enough, however, as the Go-Hawks ended the Comets’ season with a 75-55 victory in the first round of the Class 3A District 5 tournament.

“We had some of our best practices of the season coming in,” Comet head coach Todd Forsyth said. “We knew Waverly would come with a new wrinkle, and we felt we had prepared our team well for anything that might get thrown at us.”

The game started slowly. Mike Cranshaw produced the first 5 Comet points, including a 3-pointer that gave Charles City their only lead of the game, 5-4.

Waverly then went on a 9-0 run before the Comets scored the last four of the quarter making it 13-9 after one.

The second quarter was pivotal. Waverly was able to get into the lane with their penetration. If a Go-Hawk didn’t score on the drive itself, they were either fouled and made their way to the free throw line, or 6-9 Austin Phyfe was cleaning up with offensive rebounds and putbacks.

Waverly outscored the Comets by 10 in the quarter, and it was 37-23 at halftime.

Waverly later led 57-42 after threeafter three, and the Comets never got closer than 13 from that point on.

It was time to make sure the Comet seniors – Ian Dailey, Shane Feller, Bryce Foxen, Brandt Gebel, Jacob Nixt, and Brady Sickman – each got one last opportunity on the court and the chance to each receive a rousing ovation from the Comet faithful in attendance when subbed for in the waning moments.

Freshman Jack Molstead led Charles City with 17. Cranshaw had 13 and Cade Hemesath added 11. Other Comets scorers included Noah Schlader (5), Gebel (3), and Feller, Foxen and Jaden Foster (2 apiece)

Foxen, it should be noted, saw his first action of the year in the game. He calmly sank two free throws, much to the delight of Comet Nation.

Forsyth will be sad to see those seniors leave his program.

“They are fantastic people,” Forsyth said of this basketball class of 2016. “Very committed. Good people. It makes it so much fun to coach when you have selfless people, people who care about others. That’s what these seniors were all about.”

As for the Comets as a whole, Forsyth is thrilled with what has been accomplished this year.

“We have seen this team achieve growth as a group, personal growth, learning to play together, and respecting each others’ skills,” he said. “It’s fun to see a team grow and get better both on the court and off. Parents and fans, I hope, have noticed all of that from this team.”

Forsyth then shared the scene in the Comet locker room after the game.

“We believe in Arete – Every person working to their highest potential for the benefit of the team,” Forsyth said. “It took a while to get to that point, but they made it. They did it. I told them they couldn’t use the term until they had achieved it.

“As the players put their hands together before leaving, I don’t know who said it, but one of the seniors did. They used that term and that’s how the session ended. ‘Arete.’ It was the last word spoken as a team this season.”

For a team that has battled through, it’s a fitting final word indeed.