Fabulous Season Comes to a Tough End for Exira-EHK Girls' at the State Tournament

Exira-EHK's Taryn Petersen & Jaelynn Petersen (3-4-26)

Fabulous Season Comes to a Tough End for Exira-EHK Girls' at the State Tournament -

(3-4-26) – “Grit.”

A simple description by Exira-EHK girls’ basketball Coach Tom Petersen after his team found themselves tied at 35 with the defending 1A State Champs, only to fall by a final of 45-37 the state quarterfinals on Wednesday.

Coach Petersen felt his team wasn’t settled in early on.

“We just weren't settled in yet and that's part of your first time coming down here. I knew it would happen. I told my assistants, it's going to happen and it did. But you know, we battled back.”

After trailing 15-1 in the 1st qtr, the Spartans would go on a 19-7 run to end the half, outscoring the Saintes 9-2 over the final 6:23 of the 2nd qtr.

Taryn Petersen, who led Exira-EHK with 18 pts in the contest said attacking their players in foul trouble early gave them momentum offensively.

“We actually have fouls on him early. (Avah) Underwood, I think, had two or three fouls in the second quarter. You definitely got to attack that, you know, because that's getting a big out of the down low.”

That swung momentum to the Spartans, who got to the line often in the 1st half, going 8 for 12. But that changed in 2nd half, when they were just 1 for 2.

The loss was just the 2nd of the season for Exira-EHK and their first since opening night against Riverside. Senior Jaelynn Petersen felt the team came together to get themselves over the hump.

“I feel like getting to this point, we've done a great job just executing everything that we've been through and I feel like we've worked really hard to get where we are today.”

Jaelynn also knows reaching the state tournament and playing with her cousin, Taryn, are moments she’ll never forget.

“It's definitely going to be a big memory that I'll take with me for the rest of my life and, obviously, Taryn, she's coming back next year, but she'll definitely keep this experience in her head forever, too.”

Taryn enjoyed the opportunity to build a report with Jaelynn on the court over the past several years.

“It's a pretty awesome experience. I love playing with her. I'm not going to lie. I think we're a dynamic duo, obviously. We always execute on everything. You know, she's someone I can always look up to and have always there.”

Coach Tom Petersen knows what it means to bring players to the state tournament. Petersen completed his 28th year of coaching with an overall record of 544-121, and a 331-56 record with Exira-EHK. That quality as to why he’ll be honored with Golden Plaque of Distinction Award by the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union during halftime of the Class 1A State Championship Game on Saturday.

Coach Petersen was glad he was able to give his seniors, Jaelynn Petersen, Harlow Miller, and Kadence Sporrer, a chance to experience the Girls’ State Tournament.

“I told them as a coach, I want to try to get kids to experience what the Iowa girl is all about, because to me this is what it is. This is the granddaddy of everything else is for girls to experience this.”

Exira-EHK ends their season at 22-2.

View past scores by visiting the Iowa High School Athletic Association's website, Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union website,
or Iowa Quik Stats