Waverly-Shell Rock Earns 5th-Straight Trip To Boys State Tournament

A trip to the Iowa High School boys state basketball tournament is a familiar routine for Waverly-Shell Rock. The Go-Hawks will be making their fifth-straight appearance when the 32-team, four-class event is staged in Des Moines next week.

Waverly-Shell Rock qualified for this year's tournament by beating Webster City (14-10), 60-46, in the substate championship game at Iowa Falls Monday night (March 2, 2015).

The third-ranked Go-Hawks (22-2) earned the No. 2 seed in the eight-team Class-3A field. They will face seventh-seeded Dubuque Wahlert (15-9) at 6:35 p.m. on Tuesday, March 10 in the third of the four 3A quarterfinal games.

The match-up features the two teams with the most appearances state tournament history (all classes). Defending title holder Dubuque Wahlert is making its state-record 26th appearance and 28th overall, including the two years Loras Academy (now closed, but part of Wahlert) qualified in 1948 and 1950. The Go-Hawks -- making their 25th state trip next week -- are second on the all-time appearance list.

This year's state tournament appearance will be the 17th for Waverly-Shell Rock as a combined program. The Go-Hawks made 12 appearances from 1962 to 2007, finishing fourth in 1982 and winning a state title in 2007. Their past four trips to Des Moines have ended with a loss in the championship game in 2011, a first-round exit in 2012, a second state title in 2013 and a third-place finish last year.

Before the Waverly and Shell Rock districts combined in 1959, Waverly had qualified for state eight times. The Go-Hawks won a championship in 1944, finished second in 1958 and also had third-place finishes in 1943 and 1946. Shell Rock never qualified for the tournament as a solo program.

Waverly-Shell Rock Coach Nate Steege is in his eighth year guiding the program. He has a career record of 154-43.