But not a swish.

The Marion Indians cut down the net after claiming their third straight league championship, defeating Vinton-Shellsburg, 57-47, in a Wamac Conference West Division girls’ basketball game Friday night.

“There used to be a lone number (1975) on our basketball (championship banner),” Indians Coach Sherryl Gaffney-Paige said after climbing the ladder and taking the final snip. “Now there’s three more up there.”

That would be 2008, 2009 and 2010 — a stretch that someday will be known as the glory days of Marion girls’ basketball.

The Indians (18-1 overall, 12-1 Wamac West) overcame some midgame lethargy. They trailed, 31-27, midway through the third quarter before an 11-0 run ignited them.

Still, Vinton-Shellsburg (11-8, 7-6) hung around until the final 5 minutes. Marion held a 48-45 edge before Brittany Fish nailed a 3-pointer, then Kristin Kramer converted a steal into a basket to give the Indians some breathing room.

Kramer transferred from Cedar Rapids Xavier to Marion last summer. She tallied 15 points off the bench, 11 in the second half.

“I want to penetrate and get the ball to people,” she said. “If the shot is there, I’m going to take it.”

Gaffney-Paige said, “Kristin is a kid who’s passionate about basketball. She gives us a lot of energy. We’re looking for another scorer, and she has that capability.”

Her production was necessary on a night that leading scorer Morgan Paige was held in check. Three days after going off for a school-record 43 points, Paige managed just 16 on 5-of-19 shooting. Fish added 15 points.

Marion led the entire first half, sprinting to a quick 8-1 lead. It was 27-17 before the Vikettes scored the last five points of the second quarter and the first nine points of the third.

Kelsey Beatty registered 15 points for Vinton-Shellsburg. Allison Emrich posted 14 points and 14 rebounds.

1. LINN-MAR (18-0)

Offensive average: 63.9. Defensive average: 39.6. Streak: Won 18. Last ranking: 1st. Notable: Has clinched a share of the MVC Valley Division title, and can wrap it up with a win Friday. Bidding to become the first MVC team since Cedar Falls (2000 & 2001) to go unbeaten in the league two straight years. Upcoming schedule: At Cedar Rapids Prairie on Friday, hosts Cedar Rapids Jefferson on Tuesday.

2. CEDAR RAPIDS KENNEDY (15-2)

Offensive average: 62.6. Defensive average: 45.1. Streak: Won 3. Last ranking: 2nd. Notable: Cougars have wrapped up a share of the MVC Mississippi Division and can clinch it outright with a win Thursday. Iowa recruit Jade Rogers is averaging 17.9 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. Upcoming schedule: Hosts Cedar Rapids Xavier on Thursday, hosts Waterloo West on Tuesday.

3. WAUKON (17-1)

Offensive average: 59.3. Defensive average: 38.7. Streak: Won 11. Last ranking: 3rd. Notable: Indians keep winning, but — if scores are any indication — haven’t been as sharp since a 10-day layoff. Won by eight at Charles City, forced to OT by Decorah. Upcoming schedule: Hosts New Hampton on Friday, hosts Crestwood on Tuesday.

4. MARION (17-1)

Offensive average: 63.6. Defensive average: 40.2. Streak: Won 11. Last ranking: 4th. Notable: Indians have wrapped up a share of the Wamac West title, and can claim it solo with a win Friday. Marion has scored 75, 78 and 80 in its last three games. Morgan Paige set a single-game school record with 43 points vs. Benton Community. Upcoming schedule: Hosts Vinton-Shellsburg on Friday, at Clear Creek Amana on Tuesday.

5. CASCADE (18-1)

Offensive average: 42.5. Defensive average: 28.1. Streak: Won 18. Last ranking: 5th. Notable: Cougars enter the postseason ranked No. 1 in 2A by IGHSAU. They’ve wrapped up the Tri-Rivers Conference title and have held their last two opponents to 12 and 20. Upcoming schedule: At Starmont on Friday, hosts Anamosa on Saturday, hosts Bellevue Marquette on Tuesday.

6. IOWA CITY WEST (14-4)

Offensive average: 69.0. Defensive average: 45.9. Streak: Won 3. Last ranking: 6th. Notable: In what was supposed to be a rebuilding year (The Gazette picked them sixth in the division), the Women of Troy probably are going to finish second. The top 4A team in scoring and ranks second to Linn-Mar in shooting at 45.1 percent. Upcoming schedule: At Iowa City High on Friday, at Cedar Falls on Tuesday.

7. CEDAR RAPIDS WASHINGTON (11-6)

Offensive average: 56.5. Defensive average: 50.1. Streak: Won 3. Last ranking: 9th. Notable: A couple of two-point wins over the Iowa City schools have propelled the Warriors on their three-game run. Likely to be the Valley Division runner-up, though the remaining schedule is rough. Upcoming schedule: Hosts Cedar Rapids Jefferson on Friday, hosts Cedar Rapids Xavier on Tuesday.

8. CEDAR RAPIDS XAVIER (12-6)

Offensive average: 48.2. Defensive average: 37.6. Streak: Won 1. Last ranking: 7th. Notable: Final three games are against teams with winning records, and all are away from Thillen Gym. Jessica Gansen scored 10 of her 25 points this season against Linn-Mar. Upcoming schedule: At Cedar Rapids Kennedy on Thursday, at Cedar Rapids Washington on Monday.

9. MFL MAR MAC (16-3)

Offensive average: 52.3. Defensive average: 32.9. Streak: Won 10. Last ranking: 10th. Notable: Upper Iowa Conference win streak stands at 67 games. Bulldogs are a three-girl scoring show — Chelsey Lamker (13.4 ppg), Kellie Wagner (13.1 ppg) and MaKenna Snitker (11.0 ppg). Lamker is shooting 42 percent from distance. Upcoming schedule: At Clayton Ridge on Friday, at West Central on Monday.

10. MOUNT VERNON (16-3)

Offensive average: 55.7. Defensive average: 38.0. Streak: Won 3. Last ranking: Not rated. Notable: Think the Mustangs are a handful now? Wait until 2010-11, when they have six of their top seven scorers back. Liz Skotowski leads the team in scoring while Amanda Platte shoots 59 percent from the floor. Upcoming schedule: Hosts Western Dubuque on Friday, at Maquoketa on Tuesday.

CLASS-BY-CLASS

Class 4A: 1. Linn-Mar (18-0), 2. Cedar Rapids Kennedy (15-2), 3. Iowa City West (14-4), 4. Cedar Rapids Washington (11-6), Cedar Rapids Xavier (12-6).

Class 3A: 1. Waukon (17-1), 2. Marion (17-1), 3. Washington, Iowa (14-3), 4. Anamosa (13-4), 5. Union (13-5).

Class 2A: 1. Cascade (18-1), 2. MFL MarMac (16-3), 3. Mount Vernon (16-3), 4. Maquoketa Valley (17-3), 5. Monticello (15-6).

Class 1A: 1. Valley Community (16-2), 2. Lone Tree (14-6), 3. Highland (14-6), 4. Midland (13-6), 5. Keota (10-9).

Here are the inductees:

Bob Bleakley  (1958, baseball, football, basketball)

Tom Proctor (1968, swimming)

Geoff Mykleby  (1971, swimming)

David Facion (1977, track)

Pat Dale (1981, football, baseball)

Ronnie Hendred  (1982, track)

Mark McDermott (1990, swimming)

Shannon Oster  (2003, cross country, track)

Coach Norm Byers (golf)

Contributor Bob Payne (wrestling announcer)

Paige set a school record with 43 points in Marion’s 80-64 girls’ basketball win over Benton Community on Tuesday.

The University of Wisconsin signee surpassed Kristin Popovics’ standard of 41, hitting two free throws with 8 seconds on the clock.

“It was kind of nerve-wracking. I didn’t know I was that close until the crowd erupted when I hit a layup to tie the record,” Paige said.

“They were leaving wide-open lanes to drive.”

Paige scored 29 points after halftime, and it wasn’t as if this was a reckless, selfish quest for the record. The game was in doubt until the final 2 minutes.

“Once Morgan got close, it was her teammates that said, ‘Do not take her out.’ ” said Sherryl Gaffney-Paige, Marion’s coach and Morgn’s mother.

Paige upped her season average to 25.8 points per game, which ranks third in the state. She is shooting 56 percent from the floor, 81 percent from the free throw line.

Marion (17-1 overall, 11-1 Wamac West) can wrap up its third straight league title Friday, when it hosts Vinton-Shellsburg.

Races falling into place

With a couple of exceptions, there won’t be much drama as conference races head to the final week.

Cascade (Tri-Rivers) and North Mahaska (South Iowa Cedar) already have clinched outright titles, and Cedar Rapids Kennedy (MVC Mississippi) and Iowa City Regina (Cedar Valley) have opportunities to do likewise Thursday.

Linn-Mar (MVC Valley), DeWitt Central (Wamac East), Marion (Wamac West), Northeast (Big East) and Washington, Iowa (Southeast) have wrapped up co-championships of their respective leagues and can win them outright Friday.

That leaves the Northeast Iowa and Upper Iowa conferences.

Waukon (17-1, 9-0) holds the upper hand in the NEIC, leading Crestwood (16-1, 8-1) by one game with three to play. Crestwood visits Waukon on Tuesday.

MFL MarMac (16-3, 14-0) is on track for its seventh straight UIC title. The Bulldogs have a one-game advantage on Valley Community (16-2, 13-1), with games remaining against Clayton Ridge and West Central.

Erika Conner will play volleyball at Mount Olive, N.C.

Maddy Becker will run cross country at Iowa State University.

Shay Gutman will play football at Upper Iowa University.

Andre Dawson will play football at the University of Northern Iowa.

Saxon Dolan will play football at Grand View University.

Matt Huffer will play football at the University of South Dakota.

The Little Hawks shot 56 percent from the field, including 70 percent in the second half, and punished Class 4A No. 9 Cedar Rapids Jefferson, 76-54, in a Mississippi Valley Conference girls’ basketball game at Jefferson High School.

“We just relaxed and hit some shots,” said City High Coach Bill McTaggart.

The game was originally scheduled for Jan. 5, but was moved back because of the Orange Bowl. The main gymnasium was booked by a wrestling meet, so the girls’ game was assigned to the old gymnasium.

“It was kind of weird playing in here, but we’ve played a lot of summer-league games in here,” said Kelsey Coleman, who was one of several City High shooters that feasted on Jefferson’s triangle-and-two defense.

“I usually don’t shoot much, but I was wide open, so I felt like I had to,” said Coleman, who made 7 of 10 shots from the floor.

City High (10-7 overall, 7-6 MVC) ran away in the third quarter, scoring 27 points behind 11-of-14 shooting.

That turned a seven-point halftime lead into a 62-40 margin, and the J-Hawks (11-7, 7-6) couldn’t respond.

“If I played them again, I’d do the same thing,” said Jefferson Coach Larry Niemeyer. “You can’t let (Virginia Johnson) go loose.

“They hit their shots.”

Johnson, a junior who has committed to the University of Iowa, had a double-double by halftime and finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds.

Coleman added a career-high 14 points; Britney Opheim, the Little Hawks’ lone senior starter, tallied 12.

Ten City High players scored.

Alex Jacobson paced Jefferson with 18 points. Freshman Molly Broghammer added 13, and Morgan Allee distributed nine assists.

Both teams were accurate from the line. City High made 13 of 14 free throws, Jefferson 14 of 16.

Derrick Loveless and the Solon Spartans will compete in Class 3A football the next two seasons. Solon won the last three Class 2A state championships and carries a 41-game win streak. (The Gazette)

A new challenge awaits Kevin Miller and his football juggernaut at Solon High School.

The Iowa High School Athletic Association released its district assignments for the 2010 and 2011 seasons, and the Spartans will compete in Class 3A.

“We knew we’d be right on the (2A/3A) bubble. We figured we’d either move to 3A now, or in two more years,” Miller said.

Solon has won the last three 2A state championships and carries a 41-game winning streak.

“It’s a challenge, but with challenge comes opportunities,” Miller said. “We’re going to need more depth, and we’re going to have to work harder than we’ve ever worked before.”

The Spartans were assigned to 3A District 6. They’ll compete with Benton Community, Clear Creek Amana, Grinnell, Mount Vernon, South Tama, Washington (Iowa) and Williamsburg.

That means Highway 1 rivals Solon and Mount Vernon will meet in a district game and will not play in Week 1, as they have in recent years.

In other news of note:

* Once a Class 4A powerhouse, Newton has dropped to 3A. The Cardinals will compete in 3A District 8.

That leaves 47 schools in 4A — 23 in the west side, 24 in the east. Sixty-eight percent of them will advance to substate play.

* Like Solon, Center Point-Urbana has been promoted to 3A. South Winneshiek, the 2009 1A state runner-up, is elevated to 2A.

* Midland is the area’s only newcomer to the eight-man game.

So his decision to attend Stanford University of somewhat of a homecoming.

An all-state lineman at Linn-Mar High School, Parry orally committed to play football as a preferred walk-on at Stanford. He visited the campus last weekend.

“Both of my parents were born and raised in San Francisco, and all of my cousins, aunts and uncles are out there,” said Parry, who stands 6-foot-2 and 295 pounds.

Oh, and the academics program doesn’t hurt, either.

“David is a very goal-oriented kid. He has worked hard and earned this, so it’s a great opportunity to combine academics and athletics for him,” said Linn-Mar Coach Bob Forsyth. “There’s no doubt he’ll be successful.”

Parry is looking at a political-science major which might lead him to law school.

He is tagged as a defensive lineman.

“I feel more comfortable on the offensive line, but the more I work on the defensive line, the more I like it,” he said.

Parry was a key cog as Linn-Mar enjoyed a breakout season last fall. The Lions won the MVC Valley Division title, went 9-2 and reached the first round of the Class 4A playoffs.

He intends to take a class and participate in late-summer camp, and is hopeful he can earn a scholarship this fall.

“If not this year, next year for sure,” he said.

Parry also had opportunities at Iowa, Navy, Northern Iowa and several Ivy League schools.

y-Cedar Rapids Kennedy 12-1 15-2

Iowa City West 9-4 13-4

Cedar Rapids Xavier 7-5 11-6

Iowa City High 6-6 9-7

Dubuque Wahlert 6-7 7-11

Waterloo West 5-8 10-8

Dubuque Hempstead 3-10 4-13

y-Linn-Mar 13-0 18-0

Cedar Rapids Washington 10-3 11-6

Cedar Falls 8-4 10-6

Cedar Rapids Jefferson 7-5 11-6

Cedar Rapids Prairie 2-11 3-14

Dubuque Senior 1-12 1-17

Waterloo East 0-13 1-16

DeWitt Central 10-1 16-3

Mount Vernon 8-3 15-3

Anamosa 7-3 12-4

Solon 6-5 13-5

Western Dubuque 6-5 11-6

Maquoketa 4-7 7-10

West Delaware 2-8 5-11

Dyersville Beckman 0-11 0-18

Marion 10-1 16-1

Williamsburg 8-3 11-6

Vinton-Shellsburg 7-4 11-6

Benton Community 6-5 9-8

Center Point-Urbana 5-6 7-9

Independence 4-7 5-10

Waterloo Columbus 4-7 5-13

Clear Creek Amana 0-11 1-17

Iowa City Regina 11-1 14-4

West Branch 10-2 14-5

Wilton 8-3 12-5

Tipton 9-4 10-10

Durant 5-7 7-11

Mid-Prairie 3-11 5-14

North Cedar 2-11 4-14

West Liberty 2-11 3-16

Northeast 8-0 14-4

Camanche 7-1 13-2

Preston 6-2 12-4

Midland 6-2 13-5

Bellevue Marquette 5-3 9-6

Clinton Prince of Peace 4-4 12-6

Bellevue 3-5 8-10

East Central 3-5 6-12

Lisbon 2-6 5-13

Andrew 1-8 1-16

Calamus-Wheatland 0-9 0-17

Waukon 7-0 15-1

Crestwood 6-1 14-1

Charles City 5-3 11-5

Decorah 4-4 8-9

Waverly-Shell Rock 2-6 7-9

Oelwein 2-6 4-10

New Hampton 0-6 5-9

x-North Mahaska 17-0 18-0

Belle Plaine 12-4 13-4

Lynnville-Sully 12-5 13-5

Sigourney 12-5 12-5

Iowa Valley 11-6 11-7

Keota 8-8 8-9

BGM 7-10 8-11

Montezuma 6-11 7-11

English Valleys 5-12 6-12

Tri-County 1-15 1-15

HLV 1-16 1-16

y-Cascade 14-0 17-1

Maquoketa Valley 13-2 16-3

North Linn 11-3 14-4

Monticello 10-5 14-6

Edgewood-Colesburg 6-8 7-11

Central City 5-9 9-9

Springville 5-9 7-12

Starmont 4-10 5-11

East Buchanan 2-12 4-15

Alburnett 1-13 2-17

MFL MarMac 13-0 15-3

Valley Community 12-1 15-2

South Winneshiek 9-4 11-6

Sumner-Fredericksburg 9-4 10-7

Turkey Valley 7-6 7-11

Postville 7-7 8-10

Elkader Central 5-8 9-8

Lansing Kee 5-8 6-9

Clayton Ridge 3-9 5-11

North Fayette 1-10 1-13

West Central 0-14 0-15

Washington (Iowa) 14-3

Jesup 14-4

Union 13-4

Lone Tree 13-5

Highland 13-6

South Tama 8-9

Meskwaki Settlement 5-10

North Tama 6-12

Iowa Mennonite 1-16

x-clinched league title

y-clinched share of league title

Stokes took only eight shots from the floor Friday night, but made every last one of them as Class 4A top-rated Linn-Mar won its 30th straight Mississippi Valley Conference girls’ basketball game, 48-34, over No. 12 Cedar Rapids Xavier at Linn-Mar High School.

“They were physical, so I wanted to be physical right back,” said Stokes, who scored 19 points in front of hopeful suitors like Iowa State women’s coach Bill Fennelly and two coaches from Purdue.

“Once I got the ball, I wanted to attack and be aggressive.”

Linn-Mar (18-0 overall, 13-0 MVC) wrapped up a share of the Valley Division title, an accomplishment that Stokes met with a shrug.

“It’s good, and I’m happy about it, but our goal is at the end of the year,” she said.

Stokes’ spotless accuracy spearheaded a 54.3-percent effort for the Lions.

D.J. Norman added eight points, Morgan Terpstra seven.

Friday’s game wasn’t much different from the teams’ first meeting, won by Linn-Mar, 45-32, Jan. 8 at Xavier.

The Lions took the lead for keeps late in the first quarter, then broke to a 10-point lead by halftime.

“They challenged us. They always do,” said Lions Coach Mike Brandt. “But we held our composure the whole way through.”

Linn-Mar turned the ball over only nine times, compared to 17 for Xavier (11-6, 7-5).

Colleen Bouchard led the Saints with 14 points. Jessica Gansen, a rare match in size with Stokes at 6-foot-3, played her reasonably well defensively and tallied 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting.

“We can walk away with that as a positive,” said Xavier Coach Tom Lilly.

“To bother Stokes, you have to have somebody as big as she is. She likes to turn to her left shoulder, and we tried to take that away.”