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Dodgers take on Mason City

An old rival visits the Dodger gym on Tuesday night, as the Fort Dodge boys and girls basketball teams entertain Mason City to conclude the pre-holiday portion of the schedule.

Tip is set for 6:15 p.m. with the girls contest. Boys will begin at approximately 7:45 p.m.

Fort Dodge (3-2 overall, 1-0 in CIML Iowa) and head coach Tom Daniel will be without the services of Solomon Clayton, as the senior is recovering from knee and ankle injuries. Clayton, who is second on the team in scoring, first in rebounding, second in assists and first in blocks, is expected to be ready to go by early January.

Junior Malcolm Clayton leads FDSH in scoring and assists, and is tied for the team lead in steals. Joining him in the starting lineup will be junior Trey Mosley, senior Brady Read, sophomore Jordan Jackson and senior Jonny Bowser.

Fort Dodge is one of three league unbeatens at the moment along with sixth-ranked (Class 4A) West Des Moines Dowling and Johnston, who also meet tonight.

“We hope to see a nice home crowd that will bring a lot of energy,” Daniel said. “The band will be there and this is a conference rival and a long-time rival. We are expecting a competitive game.

“A win would be a nice way to cap off this first part of the season because it would give us momentum and confidence heading into January.”

Mason City (5-1, 0-1) is a senior-dominated team, as Kyle Lang, Zach Hendrickson and Mac Skogen are all averaging 11.6 points or better. Lang leads the way at 17.8 a night, with Hendrickson chipping in 12.

Both Lang and Skogen are shooting over 53 percent from the floor, while Hendrickson has a team-best 11 made three-pointers and is the leading rebounder for the Mohawks.

“They are a very nice ballclub,” Daniel said. “The Waukee win stands out (Mason City topped the No. 10 Warriors in double overtime earlier this season). We have to come out and match their intensity, because they will be feeding off the energy in the gym.”

After winning each of its first four games, Mason City suffered a 65-43 setback to Johnston last Friday. The Mohawks earned a double-digit win over Clear Lake in a non-conference affair on Monday.

Last year, Mason City swept the regular season matchups before the Dodgers prevailed in the substate round.

Julius Michalik and the Dodger girls (4-2, 1-0) are looking to close out 2016 strong, entering with a 3-1 record over their last four contests. That includes a pair of convincing wins over Des Moines Hoover and Marshalltown.

Justice Crooks leads a balanced FDSH attack, as the senior is averaging 11.5 points per game. Shariah Smith is at 9.5, Shareece Smith is just under nine, while Maggie Harvey and Liza Van Zyl are at 6.2.

Crooks also is the top rebounder for the team and is second in both assists and steals. Shariah Smith is first in assists and Shareece Smith first in steals.

The Mohawks (3-5, 0-1) are the defending 4A state champions. All five of their losses have been to 5A teams including seventh-ranked West Des Moines Valley, No. 8 Waukee, 10th-rated Southeast Polk and No. 6 Johnston.

“They’ve been playing a lot of the big schools so their scores are a bit deceiving,” Michalik said. “I think they are a team that is about same level overall as us. It will come down to which team shows up to play.

“We need to play hard and get after it.”

Megan Meyer, a sophomore who made the all-tournament state team last year, leads MCHS at 17.8 points per game. She is the only Mohawk scoring over five points a night.

Last season, Mason City swept the series, winning 61-41 and 71-48. Fort Dodge has lost 14 in a row to its rival, last winning in February 2008, 65-36.

DODGER BOYS (3-2, 1-0)

G Malcolm Clayton, 5-11, jr., 12.6

G Trey Mosley, 5-9, jr., 7.0

F Jonny Bowser, 6-0, sr., 3.4

F Jordan Jackson, 6-3, so., 5.2

F Brady Read, 6-3, sr., 2.8

DODGER GIRLS (4-2, 1-0)

G Shariah Smith, 5-3, sr., 9.5

G Shareece Smith, 5-5, jr., 8.8

G Maggie Harvey, 5-5, sr., 6.2

F Taelor Lessmeier, 5-10, jr., 4.7

F Liza Van Zyl, 6-0, jr., 6.2

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