The Little Hawks entered the Roundhouse Arena as the 5th seed, facing the 4th seed Marshalltown Bobcats. City High had a bumpy start to the season, but gained some momentum headed into the postseason, winning five of their last six games.
Marshalltown came out in a 1-3-1 defense, shutting down the paint from the Little Hawks. Despite this, the boys had a tremendous start, jumping to an early 15-5 lead. Coden Kurtz was a big help in the hot start having nine points in the first quarter. They were able to maintain their lead, until the Bobcats started hitting some much needed shots.
With the game now being neck and neck, the Little Hawks began to play smart with the ball while taking as much time off the clock, giving Marshalltown limited opportunities to capture the lead. The gameplan worked, as City High was able to close out a 51-45 victory.
“I’m proud of our ability to finish the game, even when Marshalltown started closing the lead,” Jack Lampe ‘26 said. “In past games, we would fold after adversity somewhat easier, but we’ve gotten through the season and have learned how to finish games.”
Now, the Little Hawks face their tallest task yet, the number one ranked, undefeated, Cedar Falls Tigers.
The Tigers boast two players who have some of the highest points per game in Iowa. Will Gerdes ‘26, is currently number nine in points scored, and is averaging 20.6 points per game. Stopping him will prove to be the most important part of this game. Narrowly behind Gerdes, is Jaydon Kimbrough ‘26. Kimbrough only one point per game off of Gerdes, with 19.6 points per game, and also seven blocks this season. Both defensively and offensively, these two can change a game by themselves.
This is the second time this season the Little Hawks have faced off against Cedar Falls this season. This is also the second year in a row that they play Cedar Falls in the sub-state semi finals. While City lost both of those matches, it’s safe to say that they are familiar with this Cedar Falls team.
“Some of the keys to the game is playing with a chip on our shoulder and knocking down our shots and not turning the ball over,” Coden Kurtz ‘28 said. “Our past matchups have gotten us familiar by knowing who their scorers are and what they like to shoot.”
The Little Hawks will play against the Tigers on Friday at 7 PM in the Cedar Falls gymnasium.
