Comets’ season ends with 62-25 regional loss to Go-Hawks

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

CHARLES CITY — For much of the season for the Charles City Comets girls basketball team, long nights were followed by ink-black early mornings.

“What I admired about them was their effort and their dedication,” Comets co-head coach David Rottinghouse said after his team was eliminated in the Class 4A-Region 5 quarterfinal by way of a 62-25 loss to Waverly-Shell Rock, Wednesday at Comet Gym.

“Even after they would get beat by 40 points, they were back here at 5:45 in the morning ready to go back to work and never complained about it,” Rottinghaus said.

Rottinghaus, a former Comet standout who played Division I basketball at Wyoming, and veteran coach/teacher Rusty Rogotzke took over Charles City’s girls program to fill a void mere weeks before practices began.

“We knew we had a lot of work to do, but the girls were enthusiastic and willing to learn,” Rogotzke said. “They were a fun group to be around.”

Though it didn’t always show on the scoreboard, the Comets improved steadily throughout the season — be it with their ball movement on offense, their ability to break through full-court presses, creating turnovers with their own press, playing shot-clock draining defense, and even rebounding despite being dwarfed in the post against most of their opponents.

Against North Butler on the road, the Comets battled back from a 12-point halftime deficit and won by 16 points, ending a winless streak that extended back through last season and into the season before. (Charles City was later awarded a forfeit victory against Crestwood for its other win this season.)

The Comets tend to play well in stretches, even during their most recent loss to the Go-Hawks where a spirited third-quarter effort threatened to hold off a running clock.

Junior Katelyn Eggena posted game-highs in points (19) and rebounds (9) for the Go-Hawks (17-6), who advance to the semifinals Saturday at Mason City to take on the Riverhawks.

In her final basketball game as a Comet, Ava Ellis scored 6 points (all in the second half) and pulled down seven rebounds.

Junior Maggie Boss scored 6 points and had an assist and a steal; senior Delaney Ruzicka had 3 points, four rebounds and two assist; junior Hannah Hoffman had 2 points, two rebounds and a steal; junior Lauren Staudt had four rebounds and a steal; senior Janila Toney scored 4 points; junior Alex Wohlers scored 2 points; senior Nakila Toney scored 2 points; and junior Madie Lensing had one steal, and with Staudt, handled the full-court pressure administered by the Go-Hawks as the two guards committed only three turnovers combined for Charles City (2-20).

Rottinghaus and Rogotzke both say they’re coming back next season where they hope they can attract more winter-dormant athletes to the program.

“We now have a whole year to prepare and, yeah, we plan to recruit more players to come out,” Rottinghaus said.

Class 4A-Region 5 Quarterfinal

WAVERLY-SHELL ROCK 62, CHARLES CITY 25

Scoring By Quarters

WSR 21 19 15 7 — 62

CC 9 4 10 2 — 25

Individual Scoring

WAVERLY-SHELL ROCK — Lindsey Overmann 7, Brenna Bodensteiner 8, Sydney Bienemann 5, Emma Thompson 9, Katelyn Eggena 19, Addison Kruse 3, Megan Heyer 4, Sally Gade 3, Malaika Mwangi 2, Nina Thor 2.

CHARLES CITY — Nakila Toney 2, Janila Toney 4, Maggie Boss 6, Hannah Hoffman 2, Alex Wohlers 2, Delaney Ruzicka 3, Ava Ellis 6.

RECORDS — Waverly-Shell Rock 17-6, Charles City 2-20