13-9 campaign gives young boys basketball Tribe hopes for future

The 2004-2005 Waukon boys basketball season hinged on the development of a young squad. Only two letterwinners returned to lead a roster that included seven juniors and sophomores new to the varsity scene. Despite those obstacles, Waukon managed a 13-9 season record and finished in the middle of the Northeast Iowa Conference race with a 7-5 league standing.

“I think I’d call our season a success,” said head coach Don Kuennen. “As young a squad as we were, we still came out with 13 wins and a 7-5 record in conference play. I’m pleased with the way the year went.”

The Indians’ young squad probably had the greatest struggles due to inconsistency, however the coach noted that this in not an unexpected situation for a youthful team. “We were a bit inconsistent, but that’s probably to be expected with a young team. We played well at time and not so well at other times,” Kuennen pointed out. “It seemed like we played to the level of our competition. Our best games came against the best teams.”

A fine example of that fact was the Indians’ Feb. 11 road win over Waverly-Shell Rock. At the time, the Go-Hawks were ranked eighth in Class 3A. “We had a great win at Waverly,” Kuennen said, adding that Waukon played top-notch ball in home victories over conference foes Decorah-North Winn and Charles City.

Even though Kuennen saw more positives than negatives for the recent season, he still wishes a few more contests had turned out in Waukon’s favor. “There’s always a couple of games you wish you could play again.”

Two seniors rounded out their high school basketball campaigns during the 2004-2005 season. Joe Miller and Kendal Sickels both donned the orange and black for the final time this winter.

Miller, selected to the all-NEIC first team, led the Indians this winter with 363 points, 157 rebounds, 45 steals, 44 blocks, and 43 three-pointers.

Miller ended an impressive four-year varsity career in the Waukon Senior High record books. He became only the second WHS player to score 1,000 career points. Miller surpassed the mark during that upset victory at Waverly. He completed his career with 1,083 points, second only to the 1,254 points scored by 1982 graduate Scott Sawyer.

The coach mentioned that both Miller and Sickels will be missed next winter. “When we look to next year, we lose Joe and his career. Not only is he the second leading scorer in school history, but he was our leading rebounder and shot blocker. We’ll need someone to step up and fill his spot,” Kuennen said.

On the flip side, the Indians will have four starters and four experienced reserves back. The veterans should mix well with a talented sophomore team that posted a 16-5 record this year.

“You’ve got to like having four starters back from a team that won 13 games. Five of those sophomores had a fair amount of varsity experience. Add to that some players from this year’s sophomore team and I’d say our talent level next year should be in place,” Kuennen predicted.

Among those talented returnees will be junior Ben Rausch, a two-time letterwinner and first team all-conference pick in 2005. His abilities, however, will depend upon how well an injury heals. Rausch sustained damage to his knee during Waukon’s Feb. 18 win over Charles City. Initially, it was thought that the point guard had a tear in his anterior cruciate ligament, but Kuennen later reported the season-ending injury actually stemmed from some cracked bones. Rausch is resting the leg in hopes of the injury mending itself, however additional measures may need to be taken if it doesn’t.

Kuennen and the Tribe hope for a speedy recovery for Rausch, the year’s second-leading scorer with 285 points. The junior was second on the team with 46 assists and third with 104 boards.

Two sophomore athletes made their mark in the NEIC this year, too. Forward Ryan Jones was named to the league’s second team while fellow forward Jeremy Hirth was a member of the honorable mention squad.

Both finished the year with triple digits in scoring. Jones popped for 232 points while Hirth was fifth on the team with 103. Hirth’s 110 rebounds were second for Waukon while Jones grabbed 94, the fourth best total this winter.

In the backcourt, sophomore Mike Rausch gained valuable experience - and a place in the starting lineup - as the year progressed and ultimately led the Indians with 54 assists.

Jones, Hirth, and the Rausch brothers will likely form the core of next winter’s ball club, but juniors Dylan Schulte and John Seibert, as well as sophomores Andrew Snitker and Russell ReVoir, are expected to play important factors, too.

Although the end of the season occurred just over a week ago, Kuennen is already challenging his charges to begin preparing for more success next year.

“We’ll need to put in a lot of time in the offseason. I’m sure we have a dedicated group of sophomores to join Ben, John, and Dylan. I know they’ll be hitting the weightroom and playing a lot of ball in the offseason. We’re already looking forward to next season,” Kuennen said.

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On the Northeast Iowa Conference scene, Waukon finished fourth overall with a 7-5 record. Crestwood took the title outright. The top-rated Cadets suffered only one loss (at the hands of Decorah) to finish 11-1. The Vikings tied with Waverly-Shell Rock for second with identical 8-4 marks. Charles City was fifth with an even 6-6 record while New Hampton and Oelwein lagged far behind the pack, each ending the season 1-11 in league action.