March 28, 2024

Beat Cancer Night memorable in more than a few ways

Celebrating life, accomplishments and the friendly rivalries of South Central Iowa

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LEON — Saturday evening was memorable in more than a few ways for the crew at Central Decatur High School, as a full day of events are sure to mark the memory banks of the Cardinal faithful and Interstate 35 followers in attendance.

"Beat Cancer Night" reached its seventh installment, which featured middle school basketball games, the Journey for Joy Foundation pregame meal before the varsity girls basketball game, that game, a live auction on the gymnasium floor, and a raffle. Complete with festivities stretching throughout the opening entryway to Central Decatur High School.

Activities Director and boys basketball coach Zach Clark opened Beat Cancer Night with remarks about the origins of the event, and a surprise.

Funds raised as part of the event have gone to the Journey for the Joy Foundation and have helped people with cancer and their families pay for things like: family trips for a terminal patient, utility bills, travel expenses, coordinate rides for treatments, housekeeping, and more.

Clark estimated that Beat Cancer Night has raised approximately 35-40 thousand dollars over the last seven years and that this was the Journey for the Joy Foundation's first year of involvemnt. Some funds will go to the American Cancer Society.

After the heartfelt ceremony, that brought those in attendance to their feet, Clark stepped right into another ceremonial moment.

In a surprise to the man himself, Clark began speaking about Central Decatur girls basketball coach Curtis Boothe, who picked up his 300th career win during the Cardinal girls' win against Pleasantville on Dec. 19

Clark shared a list of his accomplishments, and introduced Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union Executive Director Jean Berger, to speak on behalf of the historic accomplishment.

"We're about recognizing people that are impacting Iowa girls," Berger said, before dumping 300 pieces of gum on the ground to symbolize how many wins he had attained.

Berger then invited all Iowa girls who had been impacted by Boothe to share the floor, embrace Boothe in one large group hug, and pose for a photo with his 300 win banner.

Boothe, whose embarrassment was obvious, but so was his pride as he struggled not to beam in seeing all of his former athletes and family coming to greet him.

“It’s very special just because you see all of the former players and some of them I haven’t seen since they graduated because they’ve been all over the country," Boothe said. "I wish I would’ve had a chance to talk to each and every one of them."

The fun didn't stop there for Central Decatur.

Junior Alli Masters reached the 1,000 point mark for her career on a free throw late in the first quarter, which caused an eruption from the Cardinal fans who were in the know about the accomplishment.

The play of Masters, Alliey Boswell (who scored 13 points and 10 in the first quarter) and Emma Atwood throttled the Cardinals forward for a 29-3 first-quarter lead, a 54-6 halftime lead, and a 77-20 victory.

Masters was recognized after the game with a quick moment posing for photos at mid-court.

“For Alli, doing it in two and a half years is pretty amazing. She’s been there from day one with us, starting as a freshman and had such a good freshman year. She’s just consistent, she comes to work every day.”

Atwood led the way with 23 points while adding six rebounds and four assists. Masters scored 15 and had five rebounds, five assists and five steals.

Interstate 35, coming off a 46-24 win over East Union Friday for its third win of the year, couldn't slow down the Cardinals from the perimeter. No team has figured out how to do that this season against CD.

“I told the girls in that first timeout ... I told them, we’re not doing bad things defensively, they’re hitting shots. Offensively was the problem," Interstate 35 coach Jamie Smith said.

Libby Kennedy knocked down two 3-pointers and led the Roadrunners with eight points. Jaliyah White and Carli McCuddin each added five points apiece.

In the win over East Union, Kennedy scored 9 points, McCuddin scored 10, Keann Williamson scored 10 and White led the way with 14.

Running score by quarter

CD – 29 54 65 77

I35 – 3 6 11 20

CD (FG FT PTS) – Totals – 30 7-12 77. Emma Atwood 9 3-4 23, Alli Masters 6 2-2 15, Alliey Boswell 5 0-2 13, Maizee Lindsey 3 0-0 9, Riley Bell 1 2-2 5, Chania Vos 2 0-0 4, Erica Kauzlarich 2 0-2 4, Abbie Ridgway 1 0-0 2, Kennedy Buckingham 1 0-0 2. 3-point goals – 10 (Boswell 3, Lindsey 3, Atwood 2, Masters 1, Bell 1). Rebounds – 36 (Atwood 6, Masters 5, Bell 5, Ridgway 4, Buckingham 4, Kauzlarich 3, Tiana Black 2, Alaina Applegate 2, Vos 1). Assists – 19 (Masters 5, Atwood 4, Applegate 3, Lindsey 3, Ridgway 1, Boswell 1, Bell 1, Kauzlarich 1). Steals – 14 (Masters 5, Ridgway 2, Boswell 2, Atwood 2, Kauzlarich 1, Bell 1, Vos 1). Team fouls – 14. Fouled out – None.

Cardinal boys extend win streak to four

The Interstate 35-Central Dectaur boys game has been a gritty rivalry game for years, and Saturday's slug fest was no different.
Despite playing ahead the whole game, Central Decatur was on the receiving end of blows that might have made a less savvy team wilt.

An energetic sequence from Bridger Hutton in which he assisted on a bucket down low to Richie Griglione was followed by a steal and layup by Hutton and then a charge taken by the senior guard.

Clark called timeout to take the pressure of the moment.

Enter Carter Boothe.

“They cut it to five in the third quarter and we called a timeout," Clark said. "And who I think is the best player in the conference (Boothe), who has been our guy for a long time, just said ‘I’m going to take over.'"

Boothe came out of the timeout and hit a crossover stepback three just to the left of the top of the key that sent the Cardinal fans into a frenzy. Boothe then hit an off-balance 3-pointer from the right wing that had him nearly mobbed by smiling teammates Gideon Porter and Grant Atwood, as Interstate 35 coach Nate Rankin was forced to call timeout.

CD extended its lead to 49-28 early in the fourth, only for I-35 to cut the score to 50-38 late, but the Cards held on.

“We just have to execute better," Interstate 35 coach Nate Rankin said. "Carter was the man. He stepped up and did what he needed to do and we don’t have a Carter."

Boothe finished with 22 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.

Interstate 35 was led by efforts from Chris Godfrey (12 points), Bridger Hutton (11 points) and Griglione (9 points).

"We said it's going to come down to we needed a couple outside shots and really we didn't (hit any)," Rankin said.

Clark was grateful at the end of the evening to have put together another successful Beat Cancer Night.

"I think it's so important because living in a rural community to give help where help is needed," said Clark, who was taught in fourth grade by Joy Buckingham, who the Journey for the Joy Foundation is named after.

"To know that it's going to make a difference here in these walls, on these streets, it's a really good feeling."

More can be found about the Journey for Joy Foundation on its Facebook page of the same name.

Running score by quarter

CD – 15 25 40 59

I35 – 7 17 28 44

CD (FG FT PTS) – Totals – 20 15-28 59. Carter Boothe 7 4-6 22, Grant Atwood 4 5-10 13, Gideon Porter 4 0-0 8, Trae Petty 3 0-0 6, Cole Pedersen 1 3-8 5, Cauy Spidle 1 1-2 3, Michel Evertsen 0 2-2 2. 3-point goals – 4 (Boothe 4). Rebounds – 22 (Boothe 7, Petty 5, Pedersen 3, Evertsen 2, Porter 2, Atwood 2, Spidle 1). Assists – 14 (Boothe 8, Pedersen 2, Spidle 1, Evertsen 1, Porter 1, Atwood 1). Steals – 13 (Petty 4, Atwood 3, Pedersen 2, Spidle 1, Boothe 1, Evertsen 1, Porter 1). Blocks – 4 (Pedersen 2, Porter 2). Team fouls – 12. Fouled out – None.

I35 (FG FT PTS) – Totals – 16 6-9 44. Chris Godfrey 3 4-4 12, Bridger Hutton 5 0-0 11, Richie Griglione 4 0-3 9, Austin Clark 4 0-0 8, Ben Fink 1 2-4 4. 3-point goals – 4 (Godfrey 2, Griglione 1, Hutton 1). Team fouls – 19. Fouled out – None.