The Little Hawk basketball team had a convincing 62-39 win over Burlington to begin 2025.
Jaxton Schroeder ‘25 led the team in scoring with 16 points and 15 rebounds. Burlington’s standout player was senior Will Steemer, who was held to just nine points on the night.
Later in the week, the Little Hawks faced the number 16th-ranked Prairie Hawks in a close game but fell short, losing 69-66 in overtime. Once again, Schroeder led the team in scoring with 19 points and 13 rebounds, an impressive stat line considering his recent thumb injury that had held him out for the beginning stretch of the season. Junior point guard Davion Luckett also made a significant contribution finishing the game with 17 points and 5 steals. The game against Prairie proved challenging, as the Little Hawks weren’t able to contain Prairie guard Austin Joens who delivered 28 points, including clutch moments that secured the close victory over the Little Hawks.
“It’s been a pretty good season so far. We’ve had a bunch of really close calls with some close losses. I really don’t think our record reflects how good of a team we actually are. I think we are getting better every single day,” Jack Rogers ‘26 said.
The top-ranked team in the state Cedar Falls, boasted an undefeated 9-0 record coming into the game against City High on January 10th and was led by junior guard William Gerdes, who is averaging 16.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. In the end, the Little Hawks fell to Cedar Falls 78-34 with leading scorers Jax Schroeder for the Little Hawks with 6 points and Jaydon Kimbrough with 19 points for Cedar Falls.
“I think we have the talent to turn the team around despite the losses and keep improving and working hard. We really have a chance to do something great in the postseason,” said Lampe ‘26
Adding to the challenge, City High will be without senior guard Dom Salibi, who has started more than half of the games this season. Salibi is scheduled to undergo planned AC joint surgery, which typically requires a 2-3 month recovery period. While his points may not stand out, his contributions go beyond the numbers. Salibi is a hustle player, diving for loose balls and consistently taking on the toughest defensive assignments.
“I didn’t play last year, so I definitely want to do everything I can to help the team, whether that’s scoring or not,” Salibi ‘25 said.
Most recently the team faced Walhert and lost 39-36 after leading the majority of the game. Next week they face off against Linn-mar and cross-town rival West High both at home.
