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Offensive game? Check out Eastview-Apple Valley

By BRIAN STENSAAS, Star Tribune, 01/11/12, 5:55AM CST

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Have an appetite for offense? Grab a seat at Apple Valley High School on Friday night and hang on for some high-emotion boys' basketball with plenty of star power.

Eastview is set to make the short jaunt across town to take on the Eagles at 7:15 p.m. The game features two of the state's top offensive threats in the Lightning's Joey King (28.3 points per game) and Tyus Jones (29.3) of Apple Valley.

Still just a sophomore, Jones last week reached the 1,000-point mark in his career.

"The depth of the teams year in and year out in this league is just so solid," Eagles coach Zach Goring said. "A lot of coaches in this league put in a lot of work year-round. There's just a lot of basketball kids around in this part of the metro."

Eastview, at 9-0, entered the week as the top team in Class 4A, including victories over North Suburban Conference stalwarts Benilde-St. Margaret's and Spring Lake Park.

"There is a lot of togetherness with the guys on this team," Lightning coach Mark Gerber said. "They have a lot of fun with the work, which is kind of rare for high school teams."

Apple Valley, meanwhile, came into the week 9-1, its lone loss a four-point home court defeat on opening night to Eden Prairie.

"We don't have the size to handle [King] one-on-one inside," Goring said. "So you have to throw some different looks at them. He's part of a physical, strong team [but] when we do get the rebound and can go in transition, we're a little bit quicker than them up and down the floor. It's a bit of a cat-and-mouse game."

Panthers' streak ends

Lakeville North's nine-point loss to Bloomington Kennedy last Friday was the Panthers' first conference defeat in 37 games. Lakeville North had not lost a league game since the final contest of the 2008-09 season.

Eagles grapplers regroup

A week after finishing second in The Clash wrestling duals in Rochester, six-time defending Class 3A champion Apple Valley returned to its customary position atop the leader board by winning the 24-team Cheesehead Invitational at Kaukuna, Wis., last weekend. It was the second consecutive Cheesehead victory for the Eagles, who edged Bettendorf, Iowa by a mere four points -- 565-561 -- for the title.

Two Apple Valley wrestlers took first place in their respective weight classes. Maolu Woiwor won at 106 pounds and Dakota Trom at 132 pounds.

Simley also had two first-place winners -- Jake Short at 145 pounds and Micah Barnes at 170 -- en route to a third-place finish.

 

 

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