Top 50 Team Countdown (24-23): Missouri Valley softball, Auburn boys basketball

(KMAland) -- The KMA Sports Top 50 Team Countdown continues today with teams 24 and 23.

24. Missouri Valley Softball

The Missouri Valley softball team posted an unforgettable 2023 season, culminating with the program's first trip to state in a dozen year.

The Lady Reds entered the year optimistic about having a big season after a 16-10 campaign in 2022.

"I think we knew this group was going to be pretty good," Missouri Valley head coach Rick Barker told KMA Sports in May. "They've come out and been consistent. This group is ecstatic about what we're doing."

They opened the year 7-1 with wins over Riverside, Atlantic, MVAOCOU, Thomas Jefferson, West Central Valley, Earlham and IKM-Manning. Their lone blemish was a wild 14-13 defeat at the hands of Underwood last week.

"We're proud of this team right now," Barker said. "They put in a ton of work and effort going into this season. We're going to keep progressing and getting better. We're happy with the week we had. We had a bump in the road, but we have to work on being more consistent."

The Lady Reds avenged that loss to Underwood by routing the Eagles 17-2 on June 12th.

Missouri Valley finished the regular season 26-3, compiling a 13-3 record in the Western Iowa Conference. They opened the postseason with a win over AHSTW and followed with a wild 14-9 win over Treynor in a regional semifinal.

The Lady Reds got back to state for the first time since 2011 with an 8-4 win over Sioux Central in a regional final.

"I'm really happy for our kids, our community and our parents," said Barker. "They've invested a great deal into softball. It's fun to think that these kids right now were second grade or maybe kindergarten the last we made the State Tournament. This group has made history, and we're really proud of their effort."

"I really have no words," said pitcher Audrie Kohl. "This has been our goal since day one. We finally got there."

The Lady Reds gave eventual Class 2A state runner-up Van Meter a run for their money in the state quarterfinals, but lost 6-1.

"I'm really proud of the team effort," Barker said. "The team went out competed, but at this level, those types of mistakes cost you. Our kids fought all seven innings. Losing is never easy."

A day later, Missouri Valley ended their season on a high note with a 13-6 win over West Monona in consolation action.

"Today is what this team is," Barker said. "All these different situations, this game showed those."

"It feels great," Missouri Valley senior Maya Contreraz said about ending her career with a win. "Yesterday, we didn't get the win. But to win the last game of my career feels great."

Kohl was named to the All-KMAland Softball Team and was a KMA Sports All-State choice in Class 2A. Barker was named the KMAland Softball Coach of the Year.

"It was a fun group to be a part of," Coach Barker said. "It went fast. It was an enjoyable group. They worked well. It was a fun group of personalities on a softball team. I enjoyed being around this group."

23. Auburn Boys Basketball

For the fifth consecutive season, Auburn boys basketball found itself competing for a state championship.

The Bulldogs had some early season growing pains to work through, but started the year 3-2.

"We've got to figure out the chemistry of our guys," Auburn head coach Jim Weeks told KMA Sports in December. "We've played some good teams, so they've challenged us. We've learned a lot in the preparation. We're just trying to learn about ourselves so we know what to work on."

The Bulldogs eventually worked through those growing pains on their way to another trip to Lincoln. They reached the Class C1 State Tournament with a dominant 72-29 rout of Lincoln Lutheran.

"We're playing good basketball," Weeks said. "We've figured things out. Early in the year, we played some good teams. Now, we're figuring things out and understand our team better."

The Bulldogs tested themselves this season. They suffered losses to fellow state tournament teams Ashland-Greenwood (C1), Pierce (C1) and Freeman (C2). Auburn had a fourth-quarter lead in five of those six losses.

Coach Weeks admits his team used those losses -- and the whole regular season -- to fine tune some things for a postseason run.

"On the defensive end, you play games to see what your guys can do," Weeks said. "Early on, we were getting some bad mismatches. We figured out some things that enabled us to be effective. Offensively, we figured out what we could do with our five guys. It's always difficult to figure out how you score. We've put our guys in positions to be successful."

Auburn upset top-seeded Wahoo in the first round of the state tournament.

"We were the eighth seed, and they were the one," Weeks said. "Fortunately for us, they let us play the game.”

"We came in as the underdog," Auburn junior Maverick Binder told KMA Sports. "We fought hard and kept it close all game.

Two days later, the Bulldogs returned to the state title game with a thrilling 54-53 win over Concordia. It was their third straight semifinal game decided by one point.

"These games are not a style thing," Auburn co-head boys basketball coach Jim Weeks said. "It's about finding a way to win by one point. And we did today. I'm proud of our kids. They've committed and bought in. It's really special."

Unfortunately, Auburn's bid for a state title fell short at the hands of Ashland-Greenwood for the second consecutive year. The Bluejays rolled to a 54-24 win, ending Auburn's season at 21-7.