Tiger seniors no stranger to the big stage

NEW LONDON - The time is now for New London. No, not just this fall's Class 8-Man playoffs, which kick off on Friday, but the 2018-19 boys' sports season in general.

New London's class of 2019 has been at the forefront of a fantastic run. Mason Porter, Isaac McSorley and Keontae Luckett have anchored the school to countless wins over their high school careers, and the recent adition of former rival Darius Whaley has Tiger fans thinking big, and not just in football.

'We have a winning tradition,” says McSorley, who is in his second year as the Tigers' starting quarterback. 'We've grown up and haven't lost very much, and we've just carried that through our high school career. That's kind of what we're used to.”

Luckett, McSorley and Porter all made their varsity debut in football, but they didn't start to turn heads until basketball season came around. Luckett was a starter from day one, and by the end of the season, the three of them were all in the starting lineup. The Tigers made the district semifinals, upsetting a favored Highland team 64-45 in the quarterfinals to get there.

One year later, New London's season ended in Des Moines for the first time in school history. New London beat rival 51-38 Danville in the district final and cruised past Lisbon 67-46 in the substate. The Tigers lost a tight state quarterfinal 59-52 against St. Mary's Remsen.

During that sophomore season, the football team narrowly missed the Class A playoffs, and the baseball team made big strides. This led to last season, when all three teams were Southeast Iowa powers.

New London's juniors led the team to the Class A playoffs, getting an at-large bid. Despite a serious finger injury to Mason Porter before basketball season, the Tigers still made the district championship game, and the New London baseball team was ranked throughout the regular season before coming up short in the district semifinals.

The 2018 baseball season was also the first time Whaley was able to play alongside the other three. He was an immediate boost, hitting .314 on the baseball field, and has been the second-leading receiver this football season, catching 14 passes for 292 yards and six scores.

'You couldn't even imagine,” Says Luckett about his new teammate. 'Darius' athletic ability really takes off the pressure of the other three.”

Whaley, a former Danville student, was a starter his sophomore season for a stacked Bears' basketball team, making expectations even higher when winter sportsb begin next month.

But for now, the focus is on the gridiron. New London travels to play Gladbrook-Reinbeck in the first round on Friday, Oct. 26, and a win would put the Tigers one game away from the final four, and a spot at the UNI-Dome.

Though New London has plenty of talent below the senior class, Tiger fans know this year could be the peak of a special run, something that isn't taken for granted by this senior class.

'It's a blessing,” Porter says. 'Not a lot of people have really talented people in one grade, especially in a school like this that's kind of small. It's awesome.”