GRIMES — There is no team the Woodward-Granger boys cagers wanted to beat more than Van Meter.
The Bulldogs have owned the Hawks in recent years, often winning by wide margins. Van Meter was a 54-45 winner at W-G Jan. 23 in their only meeting of the season leading into Tuesday. So dominant had Van Meter been that the last win for the Hawks in the series came when the current senior class was in the fourth grade (2012).
All that changed Tuesday in the Class 2A District 12 Final, where W-G (21-2) handed Van Meter (21-1) a 51-38 loss, their first defeat of the season, thereby preventing the 2019 fourth-place team from returning to the state tournament.
The win also likely sat quite well with the Hawk faithful and the W-G girls team, who endured classless jeers and taunts from the Bulldog student section (some of it caught on video) as the hosts eliminated the W-G girls cagers Friday.
Van Meter held a 9-8 lead after one quarter of play, but a 14-6 edge in the second period gave W-G a 22-15 halftime edge. W-G held an eight-point lead, 30-22, as the final quarter began.
Bryce Achnebach had two field goals and Kaya Bowlsby one for the only converted shots from the floor for the Hawks in the final eight minutes.
However, it was at the foul line where W-G secured their victory, with Pacey Moats splashing eight shots from the stripe, Bowlsby four and Achnebach three, giving the Hawks 21 points in the period.
That more than offset the 16 produced by the Bulldogs, who could not find open 3-pointers as they did in the first meeting between the teams. Van Meter sank six treys in the first meeting but just three Tuesday.
Anthony Potthoff had 23 points and Chris Schreck 20 in the Jan. 23 contest but in the rematch Potthoff was held to 11 points and Schreck to just four. Parker Fryar led Van Meter with 12 points.
Achenbach led W-G with 17 points. Bowlsby and Keith Braunschweig had nine points apiece, with Moats and Alex Bice each providing eight points.
The win sends W-G into Saturday’s Substate 6 Final against Albia (18-3), who defeated Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont, 72-51, Tuesday. The game will start at 7 p.m. but the site is yet to be determined.
