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GREENFIELD — Nodaway Valley head boys basketball coach Darrell Burmeister made history here Tuesday night, becoming the 37th coach in the 104 years of the Iowa High School Athletic Association history to win 500 games in a career.
With Nodaway Valley’s 53-33 win over Lenox, Burmeister becomes the 13th active coach to reach the 500-career win milestone.
In 10 years as head coach of Bridgewater-Fontanelle, Burmeister had a record of 99-108. In his 21st season as head coach of Nodaway Valley, he has compiled a record of 401-66 with the Wolverines.
“I’d like to thank all of our fans over the years, and the former players and managers and all my assistant coaches,” Burmeister said. “Coach (Dick) Kohler has been with me 18 years. Rich Woodside has been my scouting coach for 15 years now. Rich is a big part of our success.”
The now retired Kohler came back to sit on the bench with Burmeister one final time Tuesday night to help celebrate the milestone.
“It was great to have coach Kohler sit on the bench tonight after being my assistant for 18 years,” Burmeister said.
Balanced scoring
Nodaway Valley featured its most balanced scoring attack of the season in Tuesday’s win.
Three players reached double figures, led by Nate Venteicher’s 12 points. Jackson Lamb and Nathan Andrews both recorded double-doubles. Lamb scored 10 points, all in the first half, and grabbed 10 rebounds for the first time in his career. Andrews finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Tanner Armstrong scored eight points, all in the second half, as David Schweitzer and Jacob Baudler each added five points.
Aside from the balanced scoring, Burmeister said one of the biggest keys to the win was limiting Lenox’s 6-8 post player Spencer Brown to just one point on 1-of-2 shooting from the free throw line.
“We did a great job on their big guy,” Burmeister said. “Our guys, Tanner Armstrong, Nate Andrews and then our bench — Sam Marnin — did a nice job on him. Jackson Lamb and Nate Venteicher helped out inside, too.”
Kaleb Anderson knocked down four 3-pointers for the Tigers in the first half, and was fouled in the process of shooting another. Anderson made two of the three free throws to account for 14 of Lenox’s 16 first-half points.
Nodaway Valley limited Lenox to just one 3-pointer in the second half, made by Frank Martinez, who scored all eight of his points in the third quarter.
Lenox freshman post player Sam Donaldson scored seven points.
Nodaway Valley outrebounded Lenox 33-22, but turned the ball over more than the Tigers with 16 compared to Lenox’s 15 turnovers.
“We had way too many turnovers tonight,” Burmeister said. “They took care of the ball pretty well. That’s why they stayed in the game as long as they did.”
Leading just 22-16 at halftime, Nodaway Valley pulled away with a 21-11 advantage in the third quarter.
Nodaway Valley improved to 3-0 for the season with the win, while Lenox dropped to 0-3.
After celebrating the milestone 500th victory with a postgame reception, Burmeister wasted little time getting back to work.
He planned to work well into the morning scouting game film that Woodside took of Southwest Valley’s loss to Bedford Tuesday night.
LENOX (33) — Kaleb Anderson 14, Frank Martinez 8, Sam Donaldson 7, Dawson Tullberg 2, Leevi Marshall 1, Spencer Brown 1. 3-point goals — 5 (Anderson 4, Martinez 1). Rebounds — 22. Turnovers — 15.
NODAWAY VALLEY (53) — Nate Venteicher 12, Nathan Andrews 11, Jackson Lamb 10, Tanner Armstrong 8, David Schweitzer 5, Jacob Baudler 5, Ryan Jensen 2. Rebounds — 33 (Lamb 10, Andrews 10). Turnovers — 16.
Lenox — 6 16 27 33
NV — 10 22 43 53