(Harlan) Harlan and Lewis Central are tied for first in the Hawkeye Ten Conference boys basketball standings. The two teams will play each other Friday night in Council Bluffs. The winner secures a conference championship
The Cyclones erased a double digit second half deficit in a home win against the Titans on January 7th. That contest counted as a non-conference game. Harlan coach Mitch Osborn says, “Us and LC have a pretty good rivalry going. Generally we’ve won at our place and they’ve won at their place.” Osborn views it as a critical game not only for the conference, but also for postseason seeding. “We control our own destiny, we feel. It’s between us, Winterset, and Glenwood in a battle.”
Harlan coach Mitch Osborn has high praise for Lewis Central. “It’s going to be tough. You better be a man in the paint when you have Logan Jones, Thomas Fidone, Will McLaughlin, and Johnny Monson going after each other. Johnny’s not that tall, but man he is tough. It’ll be a battle. We have to hang in their and fight and we hope we are there in the end with a shot at ’em.”
Harlan is 12-4 overall and Lewis Central is 10-6. Both teams are 8-0 in the conference. Harlan still has 7-8 Atlantic to play while Lewis Central’s final conference opponent next week will be 8-11 Clarinda.
A pair of D-I football prospects are among the leaders for Lewis Central. Highly coveted tight end Thomas Fidone averages 8.4 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. Iowa commit Logan Jones is at 12.2 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Noah Rigatuso (13.9) and Easton Dermody (12.1) are both double figure scorers for the Titans.
Harlan gets 15 points per game from Connor Bruck wile Johnathan Monson and Michael Heithoff each average over 11 per game.
