Montezuma gets over the top with quarterfinal win

DES MOINES -- Toward the end of the first quarter, Montezuma High School girls basketball coach Janel Burgess took off her blazer and put her hair in a ponytail.
It was time for the Bravettes to get down to business, and after a slow start they did.
The Bravettes defeated CAM of Anita 59-45 on Wednesday in a Class 1A state quarterfinal game at Wells Fargo Arena.

Montezuma (22-2) started out the game shooting 2-for-12 from the floor, and missed all five 3-pointers attempted.
"Slow starts at the state tournament are going to concern you, just because it's a different venue," Burgess said. "Yet, we have played great teams. In that sense, I knew we were okay. We just had to calm ourselves down." 
To add salt to the early wound, Montezuma junior Shateah Wetering was on the bench with two fouls.
Wetering admitted that she does get in foul trouble more often than she'd like to, but enjoyed watching her teammates revive the offense with her on the bench with two fouls. 
"It always happens; coach is telling me to put my hands up," Wetering said. "I was excited that our whole team was doing so well."
Elise Boulton hit three 3s in the second quarter that helped the Bravettes erase an 11-point deficit, and go on a 17-4 run. Boulton scored 13 points while Wetering led the Bravettes with 17.

Once Montezuma took the lead with 2 seconds left in the second quarter on a Shelby Conger 3 near the right-side wing, the Bravettes never relinquished that advantage.
"To see our team enthusiasm and unity go up when those went down, that was pretty awesome," Burgess said. "I thought if we could get our composure on the offensive end and move the ball, we'd be okay. The defense was fine. Elise found a couple of open 3s and that was huge for us as well."
Montezuma will play No. 2 seed West Hancock at 3:15 p.m. Friday.

Criswell returns to state 25 years later

Greg Criswell thought he'd never coach again, much less at the 2019 Iowa High School Girls Athletic Union state basketball tournament.
Alas, he has returned with the Waukon High School girls basketball team 25 seasons after taking Montezuma to the state tournament in 1994.
Waukon won its state quarterfinal game with a 48-37 win over Crestwood in Des Moines on Monday. It was the third time the Indians and Cadets had met this season.

Many things have changed since the last time Criswell was a head coach. For starters, the tournament has moved from across the street from Veterans Memorial Auditorium to Wells Fargo Arena. (It's been that way since 2006.)

"It personally has rejuvenated me," Criswell said. "I inherited a great group of girls who love to work hard. It's exciting to be back and we're in it for another round."
Criswell uses the Montezuma squads from 1989 to 1994 -- the time Criswell coached at Montezuma -- as an example to his current Indians squad.
"In regards to how hard they work, how hard they played, and (Waukon) really reminds me of how Monte played," Criswell said.
Criswell had spent 21 years coaching at Winterset High School after leaving Montezuma.
Two years ago, Criswell happened to be in La Crosse, Wisconsin, watching a girls' tournament as a spectator. He had noticed among a slew of club teams was one high school non-club team: Waukon.
He appreciated how they played in an area where the girls basketball talent is strong.
A month after Criswell saw the Indians play in La Crosse, he saw their head coach job had opened up. He thought that was interesting.
"They have been super," Criswell said. "I decided to go ahead, I called the athletic director Brian Hilsabeck and he said, 'You have to come up here. This is God's country up here.' My wife and I drove up here, and we just felt it was right. We packed the family up to Waukon, Iowa."
He had known about the Montezuma girls basketball head coaching job being vacant, and he admitted there was interest.
He got a phone call from Janel (Grimm) Burgess, his star player in that 1994 state tournament run at Montezuma.
Burgess had just returned back to Montezuma after traveling around the Midwest coaching in different college basketball programs. She had interest in the Montezuma vacancy, and asked Criswell for her opinion.
He advised his former player to pursue the opening at her alma mater.
"Janel has a special place in my heart," Criswell said. "For Janel to be up here coaching in the state tournament, to me, that's really special and neat."
The two coaches keep in touch often, In fact, before the Indians and Cadets played Monday evening, Burgess sent Criswell three good-luck messages.
Montezuma is in its second straight state tournament after being ousted in the quarterfinals last season by Central Decatur.
Burgess' career record at Montezuma so far in two seasons is 41-5. The Bravettes play at CAM High School at 6:45 p.m. Wednesday.