CEDAR RAPIDS — Cascade’s zone makes most foes shudder. It made the Mount Vernon Mustangs salivate.
Reserve Micah Wieditz was 4-for-4 from long distance in the first half to stake Mount Vernon to a comfortable lead, and the Mustangs toppled No. 1 Cascade, 52-33, in a Class 2A girls’ basketball regional final Monday night at Jefferson High School.
“I love to shoot the ball,” Wieditz said. “When you have the shot, you’ve got to take it.”
Wieditz torched Cascade from outside, Taylor Dicus did her damage inside, and the Mustangs achieved a “grand …

After shredding three straight man-to-man defenses, it’s time for Mount Vernon to get honed in on the zone.
The Mustangs take aim at No. 1 Cascade in a Class 2A regional final Monday. Tipoff is 7 p.m. at Cedar Rapids Jefferson.
“We’re playing extremely well right now,” said Mount Vernon Coach Bob Kintzel. “The kids seem to be on a mission.”
Postseason scores would indicate that. Mount Vernon (21-3) destroyed its first three regional opponents — Iowa Valley, BGM and Sigourney — by 34, 47 and 34.
Obviously, it gets more challenging tonight against …

CLASS 2A REGION 5
#8 MFL MAR MAC (20-3) vs. JESUP (18-5)
Site: Oelwein High School
Time: 7 p.m.
Notable: MFL MarMac is on a 14-game winning streak and has not lost to a 2A team all season. The Bulldogs were state runners-up in 2008 and were upset in last year’s regional finals. Seniors Chelsey Lamker and Kellie Wagner lead the team at 14.5 ppg and 13.4 ppg. Jesup advanced with three straight wins over North Iowa Cedar League rivals, including a 55-50 overtime upset of No. 14 Wapsie Valley in the regional semis. Kelley …

MONTICELLO — Time of drought: 23 minutes, 10 seconds.
That’s how long it was between field goals for Monticello. The result was predictable.
Top-ranked Cascade smothered Monticello with its zone and cruised, 35-20, in a Class 2A regional semifinal girls’ basketball game Friday night at Monticello High School.
“We just focus on keeping teams down,” said Cascade post Holly Hosch. “We rely on our defense first.”
The Cougars (23-1) will face Mount Vernon in a regional final Monday at Cedar Rapids Jefferson. The winner advances to the state tournament.
Mount Vernon (21-3) dismantled Sigourney, 61-27.
Cascade …

It’s Monticello. It’s regionals. It’s on the road.
But Cascade Coach Mike Sconsa is reasonably relaxed. Or at least diplomatic.
“There are no perfect systems, and if I throw a fit, the girls will throw a fit,” Sconsa said. “We just have to get ready. It’s another game, and we’re going to be playing tough teams.”
No. 1 Cascade (22-1) travels to Tri-Rivers Conference rival Monticello (18-6) in a Class 2A regional semifinal.
Tipoff is 7 p.m. Friday.
There’s a history here, and not a pleasant one for Sconsa.
Cascade was taken out in regionals by …

The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union is effective and creative in splitting power when drawing postseason brackets.
But there are bound to be exceptions. And a few cropped up in Class 2A girls’ basketball regional first-round games.
For instance:
** Iowa City Regina (17-4) hosts West Branch (16-5) in a battle of the first- and second-place teams in the Cedar Valley Conference.
** Monticello (16-6) travels to Maquoketa Valley (17-4) in a matchup of perennially strong Tri-Rivers Conference foes.
** Surging Iowa Valley (14-7) travels to Mount Vernon (18-3).
All games start at 7 p.m. …

Here we go with another installment of the Super Ten (and super five in each class). This is the final week of the regular season for the small schools (Class 1A and 2A).
Can’t believe the season is beginning its conclusion.
OVERALL      Team W-L Pvs
—- 1. Linn-Mar 16-1 1
—- 2. C.R. Jefferson 14-2 2
—- 3. C.R. Kennedy 12-5 3
—- 4. C.R. Washington 8-8 5
—- 5. Iowa City West 9-8 8
—- 6. Iowa City High 9-7 4
—- 7. Marion 15-3 6
—- 8. Solon 15-2 7
—- 9. Western Dubuque 14-4 -
—- 10. North Cedar …

CASCADE — Al Marshall really knows how to celebrate.
The Cascade boys’ basketball coach picked up his 400th career victory Saturday night when his Cougars rallied past Fulton (Ill.), 41-40.
There was no big postgame ceremony or anything for the 63-year-old Marshall. No one made a cake to enjoy on the bus ride home.
“We stopped at McDonald’s,” Marshall said with a laugh. “I had a Chicken Select.”
Don’t go overboard now, Coach.
Marshall said the achievement nonetheless was special. He is in his 40th year at Cascade and has a 600-307 record, seventh all-time …

Poetry in motion? Not the Cascade Cougars.
“We’re not flashy by any stretch of the imagination,” said Coach Mike Sconsa.
Style? Maybe not. Substance? Plenty of it.
Class 2A state runners-up a year ago, the Cougars have held seven straight opponents in the 20s and have rattled off 13 consecutive victories.
“We don’t like to be the team that everybody’s looking at,” said senior Amber Meyer.
Always a stingy outfit, Cascade (13-1 overall, 11-0 Tri-Rivers Conference) keeps opponents down with a variety of zone defenses.
The bread and butter is a basic 2-3, though Sconsa will …

And class ratings are right here. Don’t be offended by not having a No. 5 team in Class 4A.
It’s just impossible to distinguish any of the candidates right now. For the most part, they’re all struggling and beating each other.
Really starting to believe in this Solon team. Don’t know why I didn’t in the first place.
Big game Tuesday night between Marion and Williamsburg in the Wamac Conference. Williamsburg won the first encounter with a late rally, overcoming a big deficit. The return trip is at Marion.
SUPER TEN
1. Linn-Mar 10-1 …