It’ll be awhile before spectators will get to watch any kind of middle school or high school athletic events again. Monday’s contest was the last local athletic event to allow spectators until well into the new year.
So the Iola Middle School girls made sure to send off the crowd with a defensive clinic Monday evening.
The Mustang teams swept visiting Osawatomie in three games, highlighted by the eighth-grade A team’s 32-9 romp.
Iola trailed 4-2 early before scoring the game’s next 23 points to seal the win.
Leading the way was Reese Curry, who channeled her inner Kobe Bryant in scoring 16 of Iola’s first 20 points. She exited early in the fourth quarter with 18. She was followed by Karingten Hall with six, Baylie Crooks with five, Kaysin Crusinbery with two and Kinsey Schinstock with one.
The seventh-grade A team, meanwhile, emerged with a 14-10 victory, paced by India Barney’s 10 points. Stephanie Fees, Lily Lohman and Bethany Miller added two points each.
The teams were knotted at 4-4 at halftime before Iola forged a 10-8 lead after three quarters, and then outscored Osawatomie 4-2 in the final six minutes.
The combined B team also was stingy on defense in a 21-12 victory.
Schinstock scored six of her team-high eight points after halftime to lead the Mustangs. Crooks added six, Maleigha Molina five and Samantha Stogsdill two.
THE Kansas State High School Activities Association Board of Directors voted last week to prohibit fans in the stands for high school and middle school athletics starting today through Jan. 28 because of the ongoing COVID-19 threat.
Iola will have a whirlwind schedule to wrap up its season, with home games tonight and Thursday against Wellsville and Burlington, respectively. The Mustangs then will be at Burlington Saturday, Prairie View next Monday and at Santa Fe Trail Dec. 10.
The middle school boys open their season in January.
