Go-Hawks sweep varsity basketball doubleheader from Comets

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

WAVERLY — Homages have been paid to defense … how well it travels on the road, and — of course — wins championships.

Still, it’s nice to have a go-to guy on your team who can get you points in a pinch, maybe 2 … 3 … or 3 the hard way at a time.

Charles City has that guy in 6-4 junior Chase Low.

The Comets have faced a variety of defenses this season, including man-to-man, various zones as well as combos like box-in-one. Some have contained Low, but none have stopped him as his agility along the baseline and quick first step has helped Charles City pull away or become suddenly larger in the rear-view mirror late in the game.

During the latter game of Tuesday’s varsity doubleheader against hosting Waverly-Shell Rock, Low helped the Comets come back from a 17-point halftime deficit while getting within two possessions of the Go-Hawks with less than three minutes remaining in regulation.

But with about 1:22 left, Low went down with what Charles City can only hope was a mere leg cramp. That allowed the Go-Hawks to take a five-man to four-man advantage at the other end of the floor to score for a little more breathing room, and with Low out of the game the rest of the way, go on to win 71-61.

Low led the Comets with 24 points. He also had a pair of blocked shots right in front of the Go-Hawk student cheering section.

Comet senior Jose Hernandez, with a finishing left hand that he manages to shield from defenders, scored 14; and senior Mario Hoefer added 11.

Hoefer’s reverse layup got the Comets within 5 (63-58) during that aforementioned three-minute mark. But like Low, Hoefer sat out a spell during Charles City’s second-half surge after taking a hard landing.

The Go-Hawks did much of their damage in the first half from beyond the 3-point line while taking a 25-12 lead after one before a 43-26 going into the locker room.

Sophomore Cole Marsh led all scorers with 27 points. Senior Keaton Farmer scored 24, and senior Cole Hotz had a double-double while seizing space in the paint for the Go-Hawks (3-1, 1-0 Northeast Iowa Conference).

Charles City (2-3, 0-1) will host Crestwood on Friday in the latter game of another NEIC varsity doubleheader.

* In the first game of Tuesday’s DH, points didn’t come easy for Charles City as Waverly-Shell Rock rolled to a 57-15 victory.

The Go-Hawks took a commanding lead early while cashing in turnovers caused by their full-court press into layups.

Waverly-Shell Rock also benefited from multiple-shot possessions as the bulk of Go-Hawk senior Annika Behrends’s game-high 14 points were made possible by her seven offensive rebounds.

Katelyn Eggena (12 points) and Emma Thompson (11 points) were also in double-figures for WSR (4-1, 1-0).

Charles City senior Lydia Staudt scored 9 points for the Comets (0-4, 0-1).