Comets close out regular season ahead of Monday’s substate game against Independence

Press Staff Report

You can’t fill the stat sheet much more thoroughly than what Charles City senior captain Jordin Ritter did during Monday’s Northeast Iowa Conference boys basketball game against the Class 3A No. 2-ranked Decorah Vikings at Decorah.

Ritter led his team with 24 points that included 4-of-6 shooting from beyond the 3-point arc, and also paced the Comets in rebounds (eight), assists (five) and steals (2).

Problem was Ritter’s point total was more than half of his team’s total, which wasn’t nearly enough as the Vikings sailed to a one-sided 82-47 victory which clinched the final NEIC boys title with a perfect league record (8-0) while improving their near-perfect overall record (19-1).

Decorah junior post player Cael LaFrentz had a monster game with 37 points, 23 rebounds and five blocked shots.

With both of their conference losses coming against the Vikings, the Comets finished second in the NEIC with a 6-2 league record.

The following Tuesday at Center Point-Urbana, the Comets closed the regular season with a 63-44 loss to the Stormin’ Pointers.

Sophomore Henry Ruzicka led the Comets with 13 points, and Ritter added 12 and grabbed a team-high six rebounds for Charles City (8-13).

Cooper Grimm scored a game-high 15 points for CPU (14-7).

The Comets will travel to Independence next Monday (Feb. 24) to take on the Mustangs in the first round of the Class 3A Substate 4 Boys Basketball Tournament as the substate pairings for 3A and 4A teams were released this week by the Iowa High School Athletic Association.

The winner will face the victor from the Clinton-at-Decorah first-round game in the semifinals the following Thursday (Feb. 27) at a site to be determined.

Semifinal winners will square off in the substate championship on March 3 at a site to be determined. Substate winner advances to the State Basketball Championships

The Comets are the bracket’s No. 5 seed; the Mustangs are seeded No. 4.

Decorah is the bracket’s top seed.

Other teams in the substate bracket include No. 2 seed Xavier, Wahlert Catholic, Western Dubuque and Maquoketa.

DECORAH 82, CHARLES CITY 47

Scoring By Quarters

Charles City 15 11 15 6 — 47

Decorah 22 21 16 23 — 82

Individual Scoring

CHARLES CITY — Victor Ward 10, Jordin Ritter 24, Henry Ruzicka 7, Jesus Villagomez 3, Riley Perez 3.

DECORAH — Zachary Driscoll 13, Gavin Groux 2, Trevor Kuennen 5, Noah Milburn 10, Cael LaFrentz 37, Peyton Webb 11, Jackson Pipho 2, Caden Malanaphy 2.

RECORDS — Decorah 19-1 (8-0 Northeast Iowa Conference) , Charles City 8-12 (6-2).

CENTER POINT-URBANA 63, CHARLES CITY 44

Scoring By Quarters

Charles City 12 4 7 21 — 44

Center Point-Urbana 14 14 13 22 — 63

Individual Scoring

CHARLES CITY — Victor Ward 2, Nick Williams 4, Jordin Ritter 12, Henry Ruzicka 13, Xander Graeser 2, Ezekiel Causey 4, Riley Perez 3, Akil Knighten 2, Jackson Ruzicka 2.

CENTER POINT-URBANA — Jackson Brincks 4, Xander Grimm 4, Cooper Grimm 15, Carter Andrews 5, Lucas Lopata 14, Kinnick Covington 12, Cayle Estling 9.

RECORDS — Center Point-Urbana 14-7, Charles City 8-13.