Golden Hawk versus Golden Hawks

By Paul D. Bowker
Posted 12/22/24

For a couple of hours twice every basketball season, it’s Mid-Prairie versus Mid-Prairie.

Jason Kern, the boys basketball head coach at West Branch and a 2007 Mid-Prairie graduate, knows …

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Golden Hawk versus Golden Hawks

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For a couple of hours twice every basketball season, it’s Mid-Prairie versus Mid-Prairie.

Jason Kern, the boys basketball head coach at West Branch and a 2007 Mid-Prairie graduate, knows exactly what that means.

“I always tell our kids, I know what a Mid-Prairie kid is. I was one of them,” Kern said following a December 13 battle between his Bears and the Golden Hawks. “They’re going to play their tail off and compete for 32 minutes. You’d better put your big boy pants on and be ready to go.”

Kern certainly had his “big boy pants” on at Mid-Prairie. He was an All-State player in baseball; the plaque honoring that achievement is still attached to the wall along the locker rooms hallway located adjacent to Mid-Prairie’s gymnasium. He was All-District in football. And he played on the 2007 boys basketball team that came within five points of winning a state championship in the 2A tournament in Des Moines.

He played hoops for his dad, Chris, and the legendary Don Showalter, who won 10 gold medals in international championships as a coach with USA Basketball. Jason went on to become a manager for the men’s basketball team at Northern Iowa and a grad assistant at Northwestern State.

As head coach at West Branch, Kern leads a team that has won 95 games over the last seven seasons. The Bears won 17 games last year, including two against Mid-Prairie.

Last Friday at West Branch, the Golden Hawks took their turn. They dominated Kern’s Bears in a 63-46 victory that extended Mid-Prairie’s season-opening win streak to four. This year’s Bears just aren’t last year’s Bears. They haven’t yet found where those “big boy pants” are.

They’re young. Two All-Staters graduated last spring. A team that had four seniors in the lineup a year ago now has two.

“We aren’t very tough right now,” Kern said. “We’ve got a young, youthful team.”

While the Bears lost four of their first five games, the Golden Hawks won their first four.

But when the teams meet again January 21 in Wellman, the night could be even more of a tussle than Friday’s game was.

The big boy pants will be on that night.

Rolling Ravens

Hillcrest’s Ravens are on a roll.

The Ravens, coached by Hall of Famer Dwight Gingerich, have won seven of their first eight ga,mes. But here’s the thing: The Ravens are beating teams by an average of more than 26 points. That’s number one in the Southeast Iowa Super Conference North.

Hillcrest defeated Columbus by 52. Wapello went down by 40. Even Winfield-Mt. Union, a recent powerhouse in the SEISC North, lost by 24.

The Ravens knocked off West Liberty, of the 2A River Valley Conference, by 18 points. Saturday they defeated Fairfield, a 3A team, by 6.

Rowan Miller, a junior, leads the SEISC North in assists with 35. Seth Ours, a senior, ranks fourth in scoring and fifth in steals. Mason Bender, a senior, ranks fourth in rebounding.

Get the idea? It’s a team game. And they’re playing for a team guy.

NCAA Runner-Up

Jaedynn Evans, the daughter of Mid-Prairie volleyball coaches Sherry and Zeb Evans, came within five points of winning a national championship in her final collegiate season.

Jaedynn, a two-time All-American at Central Oklahoma and Kalona native, played this season, her grad season, with Wisconsin-Whitewater. The Warhawks dropped the NCAA DIII title match to unbeaten Juniata in five sets.

Evans, an Academic All-District honoree, led Whitewater with 19 digs and helped the Warhawks to a 31-win season.

The Warhawks are coached by Stacy Boudreau, Evans’ aunt and the sister of Sherry Evans.

Spring Golfing

The boys golf season, which was headed for the fall in 2025, is remaining a spring sport. For now.

The push back was evident following a decision by the Iowa High School Activities Association last summer to move boys golf from spring to fall.

“We considered the feedback from our member schools and the board ultimately decided it was worth reconsidering our initial vote,” Board Chair Andy Crozier said in a statement.

Still, a change may be coming. The Board’s 5-3 vote only delayed action for 2025.

News columnist Paul Bowker can be reached at bowkerpaul1@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @bowkerpaul

Jason Kern, Mid-Prairie, West Branch, basketball