Linn-Mar girls basketball notches the top 15 in week 3 rankings
MARION, Iowa — Going into year five of a head coach tenure, the success, or lack thereof, can start to appear for a given team. Either the culture and team identity has been instilled in the program or it has not. Luckily for Linn-Mar High School鈥檚 girls basketball coach, Nate Sanderson, the success he has sought since he first took over the program in 2017 is finally coming to fruition.
In the third week of the Iowa girls basketball season, the Linn-Mar Lions have entered the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union鈥檚 (IGHSAU) rankings coming in at No. 15, the last spot the committee ranks. The Lions earned their ranking by starting the season 4-1, including a win in their scrimmage against crosstown rival Marion, before their game on Dec. 10 against Cedar Rapids Jefferson.
This early season success may be considered somewhat of a surprise for Coach Sanderson and the Lions based upon what the program lost from last year鈥檚 squad. The 2020-21 Linn-Mar team went 10-9 in the truncated season, bowing out in the 5A regional semifinal. Additionally, three out of the four top scorers on the team were seniors and graduated at the end of the season.
Even more shocking for Linn-Mar is the fact that the December success that catapulted them into the IGHSAU rankings is not due to more experienced upperclassman stepping up their production, but rather young players becoming major contributors in what really is their first look at extended varsity playing time.
The team鈥檚 three leading scorers, junior Taylor Brunson (12.6 points per game), junior Zoe Kennedy (11.2 points per game) and sophomore Ellie Daubenmier (7.0 points per game) have all increased their scoring production in the 2021-22 campaign. While Kennedy was the team鈥檚 leading scorer as a sophomore last season, Brunson and Daubenmier combined to average a measly 2.6 points per game as they rarely saw the court at the varsity level. However, things change quickly in high school sports, especially for a team that lost over two-thirds of their scoring production from the previous season.
Along with getting great scoring from a trio of non-senior players, the Lions have also used the defensive end of the floor to get off to this hot start. The team averages 11 steals per game which creates easy chances on the other end of the floor. Brunson, Kennedy and senior Caelynn Obleton all average over two steals per contest so it is a situation where the Lions are getting contributions from several players, the hallmark of any good team.
Linn-Mar will need to continue its diverse scoring and defensive prowess if they wants to continue to be in or even climb up the IGHSAU rankings.
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