The Hawks stand with the state participant trophy following the quarterfinals loss, a feat only eight teams in Class 1A had the privilege of accomplishing: From left, Kurt Harthoorn, Joel Harthoorn, Kevin Van Maanen, Trace Carlson, Nick Harthoorn, Cameyon James, Connor Deal, Carson Maston, Ethan Dunsbergen, Sawyer Veldhuizen, Jack Bowlin, Corder Noun Harder, Keegan DeWitt, Klayton Van Dyke, Hendrick Lowry, Lucas Sieck, Mitchell Miller, Michael Spooner, Dawson James, Kellan Hill, Helle Augustinussen, Olivia Beyer, Jacey Van Vark, Audrey Kaldenberg, Ines Save, Janelle Maasdam, Ashlee Wyma, Emma Parkinson as Ellis the Hawk, and Dylann Williams.
The Lynnville-Sully Hawks soared into Wells Fargo Arena on Monday, Mar. 4, as one of only eight teams in Class 1A still competing for a state championship at the Iowa High School Athletic Association State Basketball Tournament. The fifth-seeded Hawks faced fourth-seeded Winfield-Mt. Union in the quarterfinals, with loud and proud Hawk fans filling the stands. Monday’s game did not play out as the Hawks hoped, and L-S struggled offensively from the tip-off in the 54-37 loss. Lynnville-Sully’s season ended in the Class 1A State Quarterfinals, and the Hawks finished with an impressive 24-2 record.
For the first time since 2018, Lynnville-Sully’s boys basketball team qualified for the IHSAA’s Class 1A State Basketball Tournament, a feat only eight teams in each class can claim.
Dawson James and Keegan DeWitt wait at the scorer's table for a break in action to enter the game.
The fifth-seeded Hawks faced the fourth-seeded Wolves of Winfield-Mt. Union on Monday, Mar. 4, at Wells Fargo Arena. Hawk fans sent the boys basketball team off to state in style, and flooded the seats of Wells Fargo to cheer loud and proud for the blue and gold.
Lynnville-Sully got off to a slow start in the quarterfinals and was scoreless until the closing seconds of the first quarter. The Hawks got good looks at the basket, but the shots were not falling – L-S went 1-for-14 in the first quarter, with the lone bucket coming off the hands of senior Corder Noun Harder, who drove into the lane and got a shot to fall as time expired. L-S knew it had to find some offensive rhythm with the scoreboard reading 7-2 in favor of the Wolves going into the second quarter. The Hawks chipped away at WMU’s lead, but struggled to stop the Wolves’ DI-Iowa football commit, who could not miss from inside or the perimeter and finished with 13 first-half points. L-S found some offensive footing and outscored the Wolves by two in the second quarter to go into the halftime break within striking range, 21-18. Senior Lucas Sieck scored all six of his points in the first half, and Noun Harder chipped in nine to account for 15 of the Hawks’ 18 first-half points. The two seniors attacked the paint to help L-S stay within a bucket at the half.
The momentum the Hawks ended the first half with carried over to the third quarter. L-S made a bucket early to bring the game within one point before the Wolves pulled away by four. A three-pointer by junior Carson Maston got the Hawks to within one point again, 21-20, with four minutes left in the third. It was just a two-possession ball game going into the final quarter with L-S down, 32-26.
Coach Nick Harthoorn addresses the Hawks during a full timeout against Winfield-Mt. Union at the Class 1a State Basketball Tournament Mar. 4.
Unfortunately for L-S, any spark left was put out by the Wolves, who owned the fourth quarter. The Hawks went scoreless for the first four minutes of the final quarter where WMU built a 23-point lead and outscored L-S, 22-11. The Hawks fell, 54-37, in what was the 15th state tournament appearance in L-S boys basketball history.
The Hawks’ shooting woes were a contributing factor in the loss. L-S shot just 29.8% from the field and had only five players register points. Noun Harder led the team with 14 points. Seniors Mitchell Miller, Lucas Sieck, and Klayton Van Dyke scored nine, six, and five points respectively. Maston added a three-pointer.
Van Dyke and sophomore Dawson James cleaned up the glass with nine rebounds each. Van Dyke also recorded three blocks down low against a physical Wolves team.
Sieck, Maston, and senior Keegan DeWitt had the team’s only assists, each registering one. Sieck had two steals, and Miller, Noun Harder, and James were each credited with one.
“What a special season. The game didn’t go the way we wanted it to on Monday, but we have so much to be proud of and thankful for. I am thankful for our five seniors and all the boys on this year’s team. They represented our school and community with great character and class. I am proud of them,” said head coach Nick Harthoorn.
The Hawks retire the 2023-24 season with a 24-2 overall record. The five seniors Harthoorn mentioned who played their final basketball game for L-S are Sieck, Miller, Noun Harder, Van Dyke, and DeWitt.
