Cyclones open season against Hawkeye Ten rival

The HCHS Cyclones boys basketball season is back in practice mode with their season set to begin early into December, when they will play a game on the road against Shenandoah.

“We’re absolutely looking forward to it,” said Cyclone Head Coach Mitch Osborn. “We want to get everybody healthy. Last year, we were a little snake bitten with the injury bug, and we only played two games where we had a full lineup together the whole year.”

Last season, the Cyclones were led by Jason Erlemeier with 222 points, averaging 10.1 per game, Franz Reisz with 137 rebounds, averaging 8.1 per game, and Will Arkfeld with 58 assists, averaging 2.6 per game.

Some of the Cyclones wins came against Shenandoah, Denison, Red Oak, Clarinda, Lewis Central, and others. They finished 12-10 overall, taking a first round exit in Regionals against Creston 56-51.

Erlemeier, Reisz, Arkfeld, Cade Sears, Brehden Eggerss, Quinn Koesters, and Kyre Nielsen have all graduated, so Osborn will look to other players to set the tone.

“We have some guys returning,” Osborn said. “We have a healthy Jozef Reisz right now. Ben Leinen is coming back with playing time and experience. Caden Bruck will be a starter when he comes back. Tentative starting lineup right now would be Dallas McDowell, Kobe Klaassen, Jozef, Ben, and Caden. If Caden isn’t able to go, we have several other people we’re looking at.”

The Cyclones will open their season Dec. 6 at Shenandoah. Last season, Shenandoah finished 5-18 overall losing 79-44 to Red Oak in the Class 2A-7 First Round Tournament Game. They were led by Camden Lorimor with 230 points and 49 assists, along with Brody Burdorf with 123 rebounds.

Last season, the Cyclones beat them in their season opener at home easily winning 63-39 where Jozef Reisz led with 15 points.

“We need to be focused and mentally prepared,” Osborn said. “The thing we really have to do is take care of the ball and keep the turnovers to a minimum. We’ve just got to be ready to play each and every game. You only have 21 games in a year, and you snap your fingers to the seniors and tell them you’re starting. Then you snap your fingers and it’s February, so it’s one game at a time.”

Following their season opener with Shenandoah, the Cyclones will return home to take on Kuemper Catholic, a team they lost twice against last season. Osborn knows the challenge of multiple teams they will face, both conference and non-conference opponents.

“Kuemper, no doubt is going to be the favorite in the conference, and then probably Lewis Central next,” he said. “Those are probably your top two teams. After that, it’s sort of up in the air, and then after that everybody else just falls in line. With non-conference games it’s brutal. Winterset is always really, really good. Blair, Nebraska, we always have tough games against them. Treynor will be a lot like Kuemper contending for a state title. We have Carroll on the road, and they are loaded each and every year.”