Austin played every game on that team as a freshman, started every game as a sophomore the following season, when Boyden-Hull avenged its 2019 title game loss. Basketball who helped lead North Linn past Boyden-Hull for the Class 2A championship in 2019. I think we all did that.”Īustin Hilmer has signed to play for Division II Upper Iowa, where he’ll join older brother, Jake, the former Iowa Mr. After that championship loss last year, I think that motivated all of us to work on our games and get better. “I think we feel better right now than we did a year ago at this point in the season,” said Austin Hilmer, the all-state senior guard and Mike’s youngest son. » Boys’ basketball preview: 16 area players to watch “We have high expectations, but we try not to think too far down the road.” “We talked about at the beginning of the year that we are going to take it one game at a time, like we always do, and see where we end up,” Hilmer said. The assumption is another state tourney trip for the Lynx with another seemingly very realistic shot at the finals. Word is the freshmen class is very good, too, with one of those kids slated to be a regular contributor. Everyone else is back: all five starters and a key bench guy who actually started every game two years ago. There was one senior on last season’s 26-1 team. Barring something unforeseen, North Linn will be great again this season. There are other kids putting in the same amount of time, working just as hard and have just as good of kids.” Sometimes the reason isn’t always going to be that North Linn deserves to win all the time. “But I’m a huge believer that things happen for a reason. “Is it disappointing? Yeah,” said North Linn Coach Mike Hilmer. Mainly losing three of those four aforementioned state title games, including last season to Montezuma in what most people considered an upset. Glass Half Empty could point out the few failures.
Not losing a Tri-Rivers regular-season game since 2014. Not losing to a Tri-Rivers Conference foe since the postseason of 2016. A 155-6 overall record since the 2015-16 season, 99 consecutive non-state tournament wins.
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Glass Half Full will and should point out the astonishing achievements.įive straight trips to the boys’ basketball state tournament, four straight appearances in the finals. (Andy Abeyta/The Gazette)ĬEDAR RAPIDS - Mr. North Linn's Austin Hilmer (24) fist bumps head coach Mike Hilmer as he and other starters come out of the game during the fourth quarter of their 1A quarterfinal game at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines on Monday, March 8, 2021.