Riceville ends season at Newman

By Kristi Nixon

MASON CITY — Mason City Newman freshman Westley Cole came off the bench and scored a career-high 32 points to help hand Riceville’s boys basketball team an 80-46 season-ending loss in the Class 1A District 4, Substate 2 first round game.

Cole had 21 points in the first half, not missing from three, in fact, after the first quarter he had 15, which was five more than the Wildcats’ opening eight minute output.

“Credit to Newman,” Riceville coach Matt Schwade said. “They came out running and gunning, and I felt like we missed a lot of bunnies early and struggled to get back on our transition defense there. And, we just could never close the gap.

“Newman made some timely threes and we didn’t – we had good looks – but wouldn’t go down. He (Cole) has been their leading scorer as a freshman. We were ready for that, but he couldn’t miss.”

By halftime, the Knights commanded a 40-22 lead and extended that to 60-38 heading to the fourth quarter on the way to the victory. Johnny Adams was the only Wildcat in double-digit scoring, tallying 10 in the second half to unofficially finish with 17.

It was the fifth meeting in the Bound era in which the two teams have played with the Knights winning all five. The last time the two faced off was in the post-season, seven years ago, a 79-57 Newman win.

Riceville ends its season at 9-14 overall and says farewell to three seniors, including two starters.

“Couldn’t ask for better senior leadership there,” Schwade said. “Ryder Fair was a four-year starter, Kaden Kobliska, four-year letter winner and Ashton Buls only played one year at Riceville, but tremendous leader as well. Ryder might be an all-timer. He was the first guy there every day. He would ride with his mom and be at practice an hour early.”

The full story, and more photos, will be found in the Feb. 21 print and e-editions of the Enterprise Journal.