Sports

Boys basketball ushers into a new era

Jack Donahue, Opinion Editor • November 4, 2019

Sophomore Ryan Dolphin dribbles past Bettendorf Senior Joe Byrne in last year’s rivalry game at PV.

As the sun sets on fall sports, it is only the dawn of the upcoming basketball season for the Spartans. While on paper it looks as though the PV boys’ basketball team will struggle, having graduated lots of talent last year, the team argues that they are going to surprise a few teams this year.

A new era calls for new leaders. Senior Jacob Parker has confidence in himself and the team this year. “I think we are more than capable of competing for a MAC (Mississippi Athletic Conference) championship. Personally I am looking forward to stepping into a leadership role,” he said.

Following last year’s season, PV graduated pivotal members Carter Duwa and Hunter Snyder, who were awarded first and second all-conference team. In total, PV lost over 70 percent of their scoring from last season. With their absence, PV has big shoes to fill in for the upcoming season.

With only five seniors this year, some of these roles in the team will have to be filled by rising juniors and underclassmen. Junior Jacob Townsend stated that new guys will be up for the challenge and will step into the spotlight this year. “Ryan (Dolphin) and I both hope to expand into bigger roles this year. Matt (Mickle) and CJ (Ragins) are also juniors who will provide some minutes for the team,” he said.

The PV basketball team hasn’t been to the state tournament since the 2015-2016 season, with the succesful standout Will Carius. The team has had trouble finding their way back to the state tournament, let alone a substate final, since Carius was a student at PV. Hoping to change that this season is Parker, with support of his young teammates. “(Making it to state) is the endgame. That’s the goal in everyone’s mind this year,” he said.

PV will be looking to get their season off to a fast start against Burlington at home on Dec. 3, their first game against Burlington since leaving the MAC last year. However, it is not until Dec. 10, when conference play begins, that PV will host rival North Scott.

The basketball season is a long and gruesome one that puts a team’s capabilities to the test. Parker and Townsend both have trust in their coaches and teammates, and are shooting for a chance to get back to the state tournament this season.

Donate to Spartan Shield

$1000

$2000

Contributed

Our Goal

Your donation will support the student journalists of Pleasant Valley High School in Bettendorf, Iowa. Your contribution will allow us to purchase needed equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.

About the Contributors

Jack Donahue, Opinion Editor

Jack Donahue is a senior at Pleasant Valley High School and the opinion editor for the Spartan Shield Online, but he is also much more than that. Jack spends a lot of his time playing sports, and is very competitive in everything he does. He plays soccer and basketball for the school, and also enjoys playing sports with his friends. In his future, Jack sees himself as an engineer in either the biomedical or environmental field, and is attending University of Madison-Wisconsin.

Kate Stewart, Copy Editor

Kate Stewart, 17, grew up in Muscatine, Iowa, and moved to Bettendorf in 8th grade. She has used her time here at Pleasant Valley High School to get involved in a variety of activities. She recently joined the cross country team, and in the past few years, she has been a part of the volleyball, track, and tennis teams. Kate has been a committed member of the Pleasant Valley band as well; she is currently a Spartan Leader in the marching band. Outside of school, Kate enjoys spending time with friends, working at Whitey’s, and caring for her 2 cats, Malcolm and Fergus. In the future, she plans to attend college and possibly study psychology. This year, Kate will be a copy editor for the Spartan Shield.

Alyce Brown, Arts and Entertainment Editor

Alyce Brown is the Arts and Entertainment section editor for the Spartan Shield Online. She’s thrilled to be able to share news from the PV community and the world. In school, she enjoys French and English classes. Last year, she began an internship with Fresh Films to gain journalism and film industry experience and worked first hand in the production of a documentary entitled I Am Able. In her family she has two younger siblings, Sam and Celia. Additionally, she has a cat and dog, named Max and Dutch. By reporting for the Spartan Shield Online, she hopes to be more involved with activities at school and have the opportunity to write about things she’s interested in.