With the grind of the basketball season about to begin with the second semester right around the corner, several of the area squads have already shown what they are capable of with impressive early-season stretches.
Periodically throughout the remainder of the season, I will release a “Power Rankings” column for the 12 basketball teams from the six area schools that the Iola Register covers. Those schools hail from Iola, Humboldt, Marmaton Valley, Crest, Yates Center and Southern Coffey County.
The rankings don’t reflect just the talent of the team — it is difficult to judge a 4A team against a 1A team and a boys’ team against a girls’ team — but instead the chances that the team has to make a postseason run in their classification.
Without further ado, the top team in my initial rankings are the Yates Center Wildcat boys.
1. Yates Center Boys
This slot did not require much thought.
The Wildcats are the area’s only undefeated team with a 5-0 record and although their schedule hasn’t been among the most difficult in the area, they have handed Hartford and Sedan their only losses of the season.
Despite the loss, Hartford is still ranked as a top-three team in Class 1A Division II.
The Wildcats are led by sophomore forward Aaron King, who averages 20.8 points-per-game. Despite his youth, King has only committed one foul all season.
2. Humboldt Girls
The Humboldt volleyball team turned it on late in the season and made state. Could the Cubs repeat the feat?
The pieces are certainly there with senior Makaylah McCall running the show and a wealth of experience and talent around her.
The Erie loss was a letdown but the Cubs still sit at 4-1 with every win being a double-digit win.
3. Iola Boys
Despite being 3-3, the Mustangs check in at No. 3, due to a incredibly difficult early schedule.
Ethan Holloway, Isaiah Fawson and Ben Cooper have complemented each other very well this season and the team got off to a 3-1 start.
The team hit a rough patch late in the semester with league losses to Burlington and Prairie View, but both of those teams are ranked in 4A-Division II.
Iola will have the chance to avenge both those defeats in early February, but before then, they must get the ship righted against Anderson County and Osawatomie to begin the semester.
4. Humboldt Boys
Like their girls’ team, the Cub boys have began their season with a shiny 4-1 record with the only blemish coming against Erie.
Unlike the girls’ team, the Cubs are not loaded with experience. Outside of senior guard Rayce Hoepker, the Cubs had next to no varsity experience entering the season.
Thankfully for the Cubs, Hoepker is averaging a staggering 27.2 points-per-game this season and the supporting cast has been good enough to win some games in the early slate, but down the stretch, one would think Hoepker is going to need more help.
5. SCC Boys
There probably isn’t a more entertaining team to watch in the area than the Southern Coffey County boys.
The Titans are oozing with athleticism among their youth with junior Chonnor Ludolph, sophomore Dawson Leimkuhler and freshman Zeke Lyons being the fastest trio I’ve seen this season.
The Titans are 5-2 this season, but have a very difficult part of the schedule upcoming. They will have the chance to make a statement early on.
6. Iola Girls
This was almost a top-five list, but I couldn’t leave the Fillies off.
They are 3-3 despite playing a very tough schedule and having several key players sick at different points this season.
The key for them remains to find a way to make teams guard Sydney Wade straight-up. For that to happen they need their secondary scorers to step up, but with senior Toni Macha finally healthy, the Fillies should finally have all of their weapons.
