2020 Braxton Bayless, Ankeny
2020 Jordan Kumm, Ankeny
2020 Jaxon Smith, Ankeny
2020 Jaleque Dunson, Sioux City East
2020 Sayvion Armstrong, Sioux City East
2020 Danny Callahan, Sioux City East
2020 Marcus McCray, Sioux City West
2020 Chase Smith, Sioux City West
2020 Kyrel Hanks, Sioux City West
2023 Keavian Hayes, Sioux City West
2021 Keyshaun Brooks, Ames
2022 Corey Phillips, Ames
2020 Ty Kershaw, Fort Dodge
2020 Nate Reed, Sioux City North
Playoff Preview: 4A-1
The favorite: Ankeny should be the team to beat as the top seed in the Class 4A-1 Substate. The last time the Hawks played in the state tournament was back in 2012 where it fell in double overtime in the semifinals…
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Continue ReadingThe favorite: Ankeny should be the team to beat as the top seed in the Class 4A-1 Substate. The last time the Hawks played in the state tournament was back in 2012 where it fell in double overtime in the semifinals to new substate challenger Sioux City East. Ankeny has quality wins this season over Dowling Catholic and Valley. It also lost both meetings to top-ranked Ankeny Centennial by an average of only five points. The Hawks have been led by their senior point guard Braxton Bayless, who has racked up 22.6 points per game and converted on 56.2 percent of his shots from the field. He also leads the Hawks with 110 total rebounds and 76 assists. Also stepping up has been Jaxon Smith (14.6 PPG) and Jordan Kumm (9.7 PPG). This senior-led squad has the talent and depth to make it back to Wells Fargo Arena for the first time in eight years.
The biggest threat: If there is going to be a team that’s going to take down Ankeny, it’s going to be Ras Vanderloo’s Black Raiders. Sioux City East hasn’t quite had the firepower it’s had in past seasons, as it dropped both contests to Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln and missed out on winning a fourth consecutive Missouri River Conference title. The Black Raiders have shown they have the ability to bounce back though, especially after narrowly defeating Le Mars 75-72 after Alec Dreckman dropped 51 points on them. Four days later, East faced Le Mars again and poured it on the Bulldogs by winning 92-42. Senior Jaleque Dunson is going to have to be at his best if East is going to advance to the state tournament for a fourth straight year. Luckily, Dunson has been on a tear lately by averaging 25.3 PPG in his last three games. While Dunson must step up, Vanderloo will also rely heavily on senior guards Sayvion Armstrong and Danny Callahan.
The dark horse: Once again the dark horse role will be played by Sioux City West. It took some time for the Wolverines to get things going this season with the loss of their top three scorers from last season. Despite being .500, they’ve battled back and finished the regular season by reeling off four wins in their last five games. Coco Cofield’s squad possesses the athleticism it’s had in past years and isn’t scared to shoot the ball. In fact, the Wolverines are tied for third in Class 4A in 3-pointers made with 180 and are shooting an astounding 48.1 percent from beyond the arc. The Wolverines are led by seniors Marcus McCray, Chase Smith, and Kyrel Hanks, but have also gotten a lot of production out of freshman Keavian Hayes. It will be a total team effort if West is going to win three straight and advance to Des Moines.
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