Rickertsen gets early start at Prairie
Cedar Rapids Prairie boys basketball coach Jeremy Rickertsen also coaches the junior high school boys in the College Community district, so he gets an early look at some of the talent that's coming along.
Rickertsen spotted point guard Cal Clark when Clark was an eighth grader and has coached him ever since. Clark is now a senior, which means they've been together for five years.
"Cal is a classic point guard," Rickertsen said. "He's smart, he understands the game, he thinks the game. A lot of times as I'm about to call something, he calls it before I can get it out."
Clark played for Rickertsen on the eighth grade. Then he played for Rickertsen on the sophomore team as a freshman when Rickertsen was the sophomore coach. And now they've been on the varsity for three years together, first when Rickertsen was an assistant coach and the past two years with Rickertsen at the helm.