Improvement on the hardwoods brought in postseason honors for Iola High’s girls and boys basketball teams.
The Fillies, fresh off their Pioneer League championship season, saw junior post players Addie Haar and Emery Driskel both earn first team all-Pioneer League honors, while the Mustang’s Tyler Powelson earned second team all-league recognition.
Behind Powelson and classmate Trent Latta, the Mustangs earned their first trip to the state basketball tournament in 31 years. Latta did not receive league recognition, but received honorable mention on the Wichita Eagle’s All-State Class 4A team.
Behind Haar and Driskel, the Fillies rolled through the Pioneer League with a 10-1 record (13-8 overall).
Haar, a 5-8 junior, averaged 6.2 points with 3.6 rebounds. She scored a career-high 18 in a 41-33 victory over Central Heights on Feb. 14.
Driskel, a 5-9 junior, was a mark of consistency for Iola, scoring between six and 10 points 11 times during the season. She averaged 5 points and nearly 4 rebounds per contest.
Their offensive statistics were indicative of Iola’s balanced scoring, Fillies head coach Becky Carlson said.
The duo’s bigger impact, however, may have been on the defensive end, where the Fillies consistently held opponents below their season averages for points.
The Fillies advanced to the Class 4A-II substate championship, where they fell to defending state champion Burlington.
Carlson noted Iola has reason to hope for even greater success in 2014-15, because Iola is slated to return all but one player from this season’s squad.
“I think our balanced attack limited the number of players who earned all-league recognition,” Carlson said. “There were a couple of other girls who were deserving as well.”
LATTA averaged 10 points per game for the Mustangs, who advanced to the Class 4A-II State Tournament.
Latta reached double figures in scoring 10 times, including a season-high 21 in the Mustangs’ substate championship victory over Anderson County March 8. He also averaged 2.1 steals and 1.8 assists per game, both team highs.
Powelson anchored the inside, averaging 8.9 points and a team-high 7 rebounds. He also averaged more than 2 blocks per contest.
The Mustangs fell at the state tournament to Andale, which eventually took third at state.
SEVERAL OTHER area athletes also earned postseason honors.
