The Benton Bobcats got a head start on their season, and their competition hasn't caught up."In the past, it has taken a few games to get going, but that hasn't been the case this season," said Coach Ali Galbraith. "The girls played a lot of ...

VAN HORNE - It's been 22 years since Norway High School merged with Benton Community, and there's been nary a state championship since in this baseball-crazy county. Amazing as that sounds.You'd have thought merging Iowa's most storied small-school program with a successful bigger-school program would ...

DES MOINES -- The same phrase passed Madison Weekly's lips three times in a brief postgame interview."We couldn't get into a flow."Credit the eighth-ranked Harlan Cyclones, who slowed both of the top two scorers for No. 3 Benton Community, and sidelined the Bobcats, 52-42, in ...

Tuesday's games at the girls state basketball tournament:CLASS 2A QUARTERFINALNo. 14 Maquoketa Valley (19-5) vs. No. 3 IKM-ManningTime: 10 a.m.Tournament history: Maquoketa Valley is making its fifth appearance, its first since 2004. IKM-Manning is at state for the fourth time, all since 2009. The Wolves ...

 Capsules on area teams that have qualified for the girls state basketball tournament:BENTON COMMUNITY (Class 4A)Coach -- Laurie Donald (9th year, 160-54)Top players -- UNI signee Madison Weekly (5-7, sr.) leads the Bobcats in scoring (18.8 points per game), assists (3.3) and steals (4.6). She ...

KCRG-TV9's John Campbell has the highlights from Benton Community's 60-33 win over Fairfield to get back to the state tournament in Des Moines, which starts next week.Madison Weekly scored 19 points for the Bobcats (21-2, 12-2 Wamac).Check back to IowaPrepSports.com for the state tournament schedule ...

Well, hello there, stranger.Despite their close proximity -- just 4 miles separate the schools -- it has been five years since Iowa City High and Iowa City West were placed in the same girls' basketball regional.The last time the Little Hawks and the Women of Troy ...

TIFFIN - James Wenzel gave his best impression of a caged jaguar.The Mount Vernon senior paced back and forth, anxiously awaiting his turn to take the mat. He turned that nervous energy into a little revenge and a district berth.Wenzel avenged an earlier loss to Clear ...

Benton Community beat Williamsburg by 20 points behind a monster performance from Madison Weekly.The senior erupted for 28 points in the Lady Bobcats win over the Raiders in Williamsburg Friday. The game was televised live on KCRG 9.2.

VAN HORNE -- When Laurie Donald initially encountered Madison Weekly, she saw a small, quiet freshman."I had heard she was a really good player," recalled Donald, the girls basketball coach at Benton Community High School. "But I took my first look at her and thought, ...