Role players key in Crusaders semifinal win

FORT MADISON - Luke Hellige was pursued by a shadow in a powder-blue jersey.

Someone from WACO was following the Holy Trinity senior everywhere he went during Thursday’s Class 1A District 4 semifinal.

All that meant was another Crusader was open.

Hellige got his points, and so did many of his teammates in the 72-39 win at Shottenkirk Gym.

Holy Trinity (19-4) advanced to play Notre Dame (18-4) in next Tuesday’s district final at Central Lee High School.

Hellige finished with 24 points, Adam Sobczak and Nathan Box each had 14 points, and Corbin Van Niewaal added 12.

“Most teams’ plans are to shut down Luke, and us role guys, we’ve started figuring out our roles,” Box said. “When they’re trying to shut down Luke, we have to try to score and create opportunities for ourselves.”

It’s what coach John Hellige has been wanting out of his team all season.

“We finished 17-4 (in the regular season), but at times, it didn't feel like we were playing all that great,” he said. “We weren't playing complete games, and we weren't getting contributions from everybody. Some nights, it was just a couple kids, or sometimes one kid. But tonight, I think that the fans in southeast Iowa saw that we're a complete team, and other kids can score when you leave them open. You know, go ahead and triple-team Luke, and we'll make you pay.”

Luke Hellige had 43 points, hitting 11 3-pointers, in Monday’s district quarterfinal win over Columbus, so of course WACO was going to be focused on him in this game. Sophomore Isaac Egli was assigned with chasing Hellige when he didn’t have the ball, and when he did get it, Egil would get help from one or two other Warriors.

Hellige finished the first half with 11 points, while Box had 10 and Sobczak, Van Niewaal and Layne Rung combined for the other 10.

“They’re guarding Luke with double-teams and triple-teams, and I was wide open,” Box said. “(Assistant coach Tom Merschman) said those 12-footers are my bread and butter, and he said, ‘You need to shoot those.’”

Hellige lost his shadow in the third quarter when Egli was injured driving to the basket and had to leave the game. By then, it was Sobczak’s turn to start scoring — he had 10 points in the third quarter as the Crusaders pulled away, outscoring the Warriors 26-14 in the quarter.

Holy Trinity’s defense also took over in the third quarter — the Crusaders went to a zone defense because fouls were piling up against them, and the Warriors couldn’t shoot their way over it.

“It seemed there were a lot of fouls out there on the court,” John Hellige said. “And with a thinner bench, we just decided to go zone. Our zone is pretty good. We get a lot of steals out of it. So we were comfortable going zone.”

The Crusaders held WACO to just four fourth-quarter points.

“They got three open looks in the first half, and they hit them all,” Hellige said. “So we talked at halftime, and said, ‘No more open looks.’”

Christian Stacy led WACO with 12 points.

Now the Crusaders get their third matchup with Notre Dame this season. The teams split their regular-season meetings, with Holy Trinity winning 55-54 on December 20 in Burlington and Notre Dame winning 64-53 on the Crusaders’ home court.

“We know what they can do, so we're going to have to focus,” Box said. “We know what we did when we lost to them, so we know what we need to stop when we plan this third time. So hopefully we can move on past them and do greater things.”