Comet boys roll over TigerHawks, 65-40

By Erik Hoefer

Press Correspondent

CHARLES CITY — Snow days!

Students often rejoice upon receiving them. Coaches … not so much.

Practices are lost when school is canceled, and a head coach can never quite be sure how their team will respond when the next game rolls around.

The Charles City boys basketball team looked like they relished the two school days missed due to the nine inches of snow that fell on the area Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Comets cruised to a 65-40 win over North Fayette Valley, a somewhat new non-conference opponent for Charles City, Thursday night in Comet Gym.

It was another terrific first quarter for the Comets.

Jack Molstead made three slick passes, one to Cade Hemeseth for a baseline jumper, another to Hemeseth for a layup, and one to Shane Feller for a layup.

Brandt Gebel then showed his versatility as he drove to the hoop with power for a score after hitting a three-pointer, and it was 16-8 Charles City with a little over two minutes left in the first.

Later, Hemeseth scored on a traditional 3-point play with an offensive rebound and strong putback. He nailed the free throw and it was 21-12 Comets after one.

Turnovers by both teams meant a sloppy start to the second. It was the Comets, however, who righted the ship quickly.

Jaden Foster had an offensive rebound and score underneath and Hemeseth took a no-look pass from Molstead for another layup. It was 29-14 Charles City halfway through the quarter. Time out North Fayette Valley!   

The Comets later scored the final 11 points of the half. That included another 3-pointer by Gebel, a steal by Feller that led to a Molstead layup, and Molstead then stole the inbound pass under the basket for another layup.

Charles City led 41-17 at the intermission.

“I told the kids in the locker room at halftime that that was the best half of basketball we’ve played all year on both ends of the floor,” Comets head coach Todd Forsyth said. “We especially took their best player (Austin Callahan) out of the game.”

The third started well for the Comets as Hemeseth hit another baseline jumper, a shot he is clearly becoming more comfortable with.

Feller then grabbed another offensive rebound and fed Noah Schlader for his third three-point field goal of the game, and the Comets had their largest lead of the night at 46-18.

Feller, who just signed his letter of intent to play football for the Drake Bulldogs in the fall, had a fine overall game. The senior ran the floor well, contested several shots defensively, hustled for rebounds on both ends of the floor, and displayed quality leadership throughout the game.

“Shane had a great game,” Forsyth said. “Doesn’t he run the floor hard in both directions? It is so important for a big man to do that each and every time.”

The TigerHawks finished the quarter, one in which no fouls were called, on an 11-4 run to trim the deficit to 50-29 after three, but the game was, for all intents and purposes, decided.

The Comets continued to get strong minutes from their bench in the fourth. Ian Dailey hit a 3-pointer, Foster scored on another putback, Michael Andrews split free throws two different times while playing well in the post, and Jacob Nixt hit a running jumper.

“Brandt Gebel also played well,” Forsyth noted. “He is letting the game come to him. He made some threes, put it on the floor a couple times, and played well defensively.”

Forsyth was pleased as he talked about his entire team afterwards.

“We can see the growth, the confidence increasing from game to game,” he said. “We’ve got Waukon next (tonight) and then we host Waverly on Tuesday. Those will be tests for us. We need to play with that same confidence against both of those teams.”

Ten different Comets scored. Hemeseth led the charge with 13 points. Molstead and Gebel each netted 10 points. Noah Schlader chipped in with 9, Foster and Mike Cranshaw added six apiece, Feller finished with 4, Dailey with 3, and Andrews and Nixt closed with a bucket each.

Who knows? If the Comets continue to play like they did Thursday night, Forsyth might just be looking forward to a snowy February.