Vikings pull away from Comet boys to complete varsity basketball DH sweep

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

DECORAH — In face of a size disadvantage of up to a foot in the vertical sense in the post as well as within the immediate vicinity, the Charles City Comets were able to stand tall against undefeated Decorah for most of the boys game that capped Friday’s Northeast Iowa Conference varsity basketball doubleheader hosted by the Vikings.

But more often than not, especially in basketball, size matters.

So do hereditary genes.

Led in part by 6-foot-10 sophomore Cael LaFrentz, son of former Kansas standout and 11-year NBA veteran Raef LaFrentz, the Vikings were able to put away the stubborn Comets in the fourth quarter while outscoring the visitors 17-9 on way to a 63-50 victory.

LaFrentz, the younger, had a double-double consisting of team-highs in scoring (18) and rebounding (12), as well as a pair of home crowd-rousing blocked shots for the Vikings, who improved their overall undefeated record to 4-0 while winning their first Northeast Iowa Conference game of the season.

Comet senior guard Jack Hanson led all scorers with 20 points for still winless Charles City (0-4, 0-1).

After the Vikings took a 15-8 lead after one quarter and led 26-24 at halftime, Hanson hit the second of his two 3-point field goals to tie the game at 32 with 4:13 left in the third quarter. Shortly after when Decorah regained the lead (41-39), Hanson stole an inbounds pass for an immediate game-tying layup.

Hanson had three steals and three assists during the game.

Viking senior guard Ben Bockman helped initiate the decisive surge while hitting a pair of 3-pointers in the fourth quarter on the way to finishing with 15 points.

Seniors Trey McCain (12 points) and Matthew Bockman (11 pts.) also hit some late treys to help the Vikings sail away with it.

Senior Keenan Wiley scored 12 points for the Comets, who will try to pick up their first “W” on Tuesday when they host Waverly-Shell Rock in another NEIC varsity doubleheader.

* In the previous girls varsity game, Charles City had to deal with another celebrated hoops standout who will also likely take her game to the collegiate level.

Viking senior Yazmeen Whitsitt scored a game-high 25 points while leading her team to a 76-26 victory.

Whitsitt scored her points in a variety of ways, including from long range as she was 3 of 7 from beyond the 3-point arc. But much of her offense was generated in the open court after the Vikings forced Comet turnovers — not by pressing as Decorah didn’t press for most of the game, but by stalking passing lanes and by picking clean dribbles off the crossover.

Sophomore Brooklyn Fromm and freshman Claire Storhoff scored 16 and 14 points, respectively, for Decorah (2-3, 1-0).

Comet senior Maggie Boss scored a team-high 13 points which included three 3-point field goals. As the season progresses, look for more of Boss’s shots to fall — for the most part, she’s on target but her ball tends to draw too much of the rim before it gets spit out of the cylinder.

Senior guard Madison Lensing got two 3-pointers to fall while scoring 6 points for the Comets (1-5, 0-1), who will host Waverly-Shell Rock on Tuesday in the first game of the aforementioned varsity DH.

Girls Varsity

DECORAH 76, CHARLES CITY 26

Scoring By Quarters

CHARLES CITY 16 13 5 2 — 26

DECORAH 16 27 17 16 — 76

Individual Scoring

CHARLES CITY — Madison Lensing 6, Lauren Staudt 3, Maggie Boss 13, Hannah Hoffman 2, Alex Wohlers 2.

DECORAH — Yazmeen Whitsitt 25, Gabrielle Dixon 6, Brynn Storhoff 7, Clara Hjelle 2, Claire Storhoff 16, Sydney Thompson 6, Brooklyn Fromm 16.

RECORDS — Decorah 2-3 (1-0 NEIC); Charles City 1-5 (0-1).

Boys Varsity

DECORAH 63, CHARLES CITY 50

Scoring By Quarters

CHARLES CITY 8 16 17 9 — 50

DECORAH 15 11 20 17 — 63

Individual Scoring

CHARLES CITY — Jack Hanson 20, Kaden Buseman 2, Keenan Wiley 12, Kayden Kasemeier 2, Victor Ward 2, Jeb Wandro 3, Hayden Heyer 3, Henry Ruzicka 6.

DECORAH — Kaiden Quandahl 3, Trey McCain 12, Matthew Bockman 11, Zachary Driscoll 2, Ben Bockman 15, Cael LaFrentz 18.

RECORDS — Decorah 4-0 (1-0 NEIC), Charles City 0-4 (0-1).