Championship Friday Game Recaps
4A Championship: #6 Ankeny 78, #4 Waukee 70
Sixth-seeded Ankeny capped off one of the best weeks of basketball we’ve seen at the state tournament in quite some time, dominating fourth-seeded Waukee from start-to-finish en route to the school’s first state championship since 1995 with a 78-70 win on Friday night.
The Hawks led from the 4:18 mark of the first quarter on, riding the ridiculously hot shooting that they had in their semifinal win against Cedar Falls to the title. A team that entered this week’s tournament shooting 34.5% from behind the arc as a team, Ankeny was 10-17 in this game, and 23-43 (53.5%) for the week. They got hot at the right time, and rode it to a title.
The other story of this game was their work on the defensive end. In a tournament that was dominated by physicality in the smaller school classes, it was quickness that won the day in 4A. With their small lineup, they were able to fly all over the floor on the defensive end of the floor, closing out on shooters quicker than any team we’ve seen in a while. They limited Waukee star Tucker DeVries Tucker DeVries 6'7" | SF Waukee | 2021 State #123 Nation IA to “just” 19 points on 6-13 shooting, with a number of their guards getting a shot at him, never letting him comfortably get into his shot. The Hawks lead got as big as 18 in the third quarter, as they closed out a tournament that saw them beat three really quality teams by an average of 12 points per game.
Ankeny ends their season with a 21-5 record. The Hawks put together a sensational week of basketball, playing a quick, entertaining style with a lot of confidence and swagger. They proved all the doubters, myself included, wrong throughout the week and were the most impressive team throughout the week, regardless of class. They were led by Braxton Bayless Braxton Bayless 6'1" | PG Ankeny | 2020 State IA and Jordan Kumm Jordan Kumm 5'10" | PG Ankeny | 2020 State IA , who each had 16 points. Jaxon Smith had 14, Ryan Crandall 13 and Nolan Otten Nolan Otten 6'3" | PF Ankeny | 2020 State IA 12 in the win. The Hawks got some great free throw shooting from Otten and Kumm down the stretch to ice the win after Waukee got it to 6 points a few different times in the final minutes.
Waukee’s season ends with a 23-3 record. The Warriors return their top four scorers, all of whom shoot 45% or better from behind the arc, and will enter next season ranked #1 in the state. They were led by Payton Sandfort Payton Sandfort 6'7" | SF Waukee | 2021 State #138 Nation IA , who had 23 points. Tucker DeVires had 19 points and Pryce Sandfort added 12.
The all-tournament team voted on by the media was Landon Wolf Landon Wolf 6'5" | CG Cedar Falls | 2021 State IA of Cedar Falls, Cody McCullough Cody McCullough 6'7" | PF Ankeny Centennial | 2020 State IA of Centennial, Payton Sandfort Payton Sandfort 6'7" | SF Waukee | 2021 State #138 Nation IA and Tucker DeVries Tucker DeVries 6'7" | SF Waukee | 2021 State #123 Nation IA of Waukee and Braxton Bayless Braxton Bayless 6'1" | PG Ankeny | 2020 State IA of Ankeny. Bayless was named the captain.
MVP: Ankeny’s defense
Ankeny’s offense was the story of the week, but it was their defensive effort against Waukee that stole the show. Playing a mixture of both man and zone, they really used their quickness to frustrate the big, talented Waukee shooters. It was a team effort, and the Hawks were outstanding on the defensive end of the floor in the title game.
Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | F |
Ankeny | 16 | 17 | 16 | 29 | 78 |
Waukee | 13 | 11 | 7 | 39 | 70 |
Ankeny:
Braxton Bayless
Braxton
Bayless
6'1" | PG
Ankeny | 2020
State
IA
16,
Jordan Kumm
Jordan
Kumm
5'10" | PG
Ankeny | 2020
State
IA
16, Jaxon Smith 14, Ryan Crandall 13,
Nolan Otten
Nolan
Otten
6'3" | PF
Ankeny | 2020
State
IA
12,
Brecken Manus
Brecken
Manus
6'0" | SF
Ankeny | 2021
State
IA
7
Waukee:
Payton Sandfort
Payton
Sandfort
6'7" | SF
Waukee | 2021
State
#138
Nation
IA
23,
Tucker DeVries
Tucker
DeVries
6'7" | SF
Waukee | 2021
State
#123
Nation
IA
19, Pryce Sandfort 12,
Wyatt Heston
Wyatt
Heston
6'7" | SF
Waukee | 2021
State
IA
9, Blake Papenberg 3, Lincoln Swanson 2, Luke Jacobi 2
Team stats
Ankeny: 26-48 FG (54.2%), 10-17 3P (58.8%), 16-24 FT (66.7%), 25 rebounds (6 offensive, 19 defensive), 20 assists, 10 turnovers
Waukee: 22-46 FG (47.8%), 8-21 3P (38.1%), 18-22 FT (81.8%), 27 rebounds (7 offensive, 20 defensive), 10 assists, 14 turnovers
3A Championship: #1 Norwalk 70, #6 Sergeant Bluff-Luton 68
After falling to Oskaloosa in last year’s championship game, Norwalk had one mission this season: win the 3A title. Mission accomplished, as the Warriors held off a furious late rally from Sergeant Bluff-Luton to win the school’s first state title on Friday night, 70-68.
A tight game throughout the first half, Norwalk built up a 24-18 lead with 3:25 to go, but SB-L closed the half on a 8-2 run to tie it up heading into the break. Norwalk took the lead just 12 seconds into the second half on a Grant Larson steal and layup, and led the rest of the way. That isn’t to say it wasn’t interesting, though.
Leading 43-39 heading into the fourth quarter, Norwalk opened the quarter on a 12-2 run to take a 14-point lead, and it looked like they may cruise to the championship. But Sergeant Bluff refused to die, cutting the lead down to seven with 3:48 left. A layup from Max Juergens and free throws from Juergens and Tyler Johnson pushed the lead back up to 13 with 2:47 left. Surely Norwalk is comfortable at this point, right? Free throws from Daniel Wright Daniel Wright 6'8" | PF Sergeant Bluff-Luton | 2020 State IA , then a steal and a 3 from Wright quickly got the deficit down to eight. Johnson went one-for-two at the line, Layman for 3, 6-point game. Bowen Born Bowen Born 5'11" | PG Norwalk | 2020 State #401 Nation IA and Grant Larson each made a pair of free throws, back up to 10. Wright 3, Juergens one-for-two, Layman layup plus the foul and all of a sudden the Norwalk lead is down to five.
Tyler Johnson made a pair of free throws, Jake Layman Jake Layman 6'7" | SF Sergeant-Bluff Luton | 2021 State IA answered with another bucket plus the foul and the deficit is four with 34 seconds left. Juergens went oh-for-two on the next trip to the stripe, but Sergeant Bluff missed a 3, missed another 3, missed a tip-in then finally got a tip-in to fall, but it came with 2 seconds left. They were out of timeouts, and Norwalk didn’t have to inbound. Game over, championship to Norwalk.
Sergeant Bluff-Luton’s triangle-and-two defense did a hell of a job on Born throughout the game. The Warriors used their length in putting 6-7 Majok Majouk around the free throw line, and 6-8 Daniel Wright Daniel Wright 6'8" | PF Sergeant Bluff-Luton | 2020 State IA at the bucket, making it difficult for Born to finish. They held the state’s leading scorer to just 6-21 from the floor, but it wasn’t enough, as Norwalk’s role players stepped up in a big way. Grant Larson, Scott Anderson and Tyler Johnson were 7-9 from 3 in the win.
Norwalk’s season ends with a 24-3 record and the school’s first state championship. The Warriors were led by Bowen Born Bowen Born 5'11" | PG Norwalk | 2020 State #401 Nation IA , who had 23 points to cap off a sensational high school career. He finishes the season with 983 points, which ranks 3rd all-time in a single season. He also finishes with 2,494 career points, 6th all-time. Grant Larson had 16 points and Tyler Johnson chipped in 14 points for the Warriors in the win.
Sergeant Bluff-Luton’s season ends with a 16-11 record. They were led by Daniel Wright Daniel Wright 6'8" | PF Sergeant Bluff-Luton | 2020 State IA , who had 21 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists. Jake Layman Jake Layman 6'7" | SF Sergeant-Bluff Luton | 2021 State IA also had 21 points, and Majok Majouk had 14 in the loss. They return three starters (Layman, Majouk and Nick Muller), plus key bench player Jacob Imming. They’ll be back in the running in 3A next season.
MVP: Grant Larson (Norwalk) — 16 points (5-8 FG, 4-6 3P, 2-2 FT), 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals
As we said, the role players stepped up for Norwalk with Born having a rough shooting night, and none more so than Larson, who had 16 points and knocked down four big 3-pointers to help lead the Warriors to the state title.
Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | F |
Sergeant Bluff-Luton | 9 | 17 | 13 | 29 | 68 |
Norwalk | 12 | 14 | 17 | 27 | 70 |
Sergeant Bluff-Luton:
Daniel Wright
Daniel
Wright
6'8" | PF
Sergeant Bluff-Luton | 2020
State
IA
21,
Jake Layman
Jake
Layman
6'7" | SF
Sergeant-Bluff Luton | 2021
State
IA
21, Majok Majouk 14, Nick Muller 6, Deric Fitzgerald 4, Jacob Imming 2
Norwalk:
Bowen Born
Bowen
Born
5'11" | PG
Norwalk | 2020
State
#401
Nation
IA
23, Grant Larson 16, Tyler Johnson 14, Max Juergens 7, Scott Anderson 6, Joe Brown 2, Liam Buckley 2
Team stats
Sergeant Bluff-Luton: 24-60 FG (40%), 8-29 3P (27.6%), 12-13 FT (92.3%), 37 rebounds (16 offensive, 21 defensive), 11 assists, 10 turnovers
Norwalk: 20-45 FG (44.4%), 8-18 3P (44.4%), 22-27 FT (81.5%), 26 rebounds (6 offensive, 20 defensive), 12 assists, 5 turnovers
2A Championship: #1 Boyden-Hull 64, #3 North Linn 51
In last year’s 2A championship game, it was an 18-4 third quarter that blew the game open in favor of North Linn. This year, it was a 21-8 third quarter that sent the game the other way, helping lead top-seeded Boyden-Hull to the 2A title, beating third-seeded North Linn, 64-51, on Friday afternoon.
Defense has been the story this week for Boyden-Hull, holding their three opponents to an average of 42 points per game, and limiting them to 31.1% shooting (24.5 3P%). That and rebounding were the keys in this one, as the lengthy, athletic Comets pounded the offensive glass, pulling down 11 offensive rebounds and scoring 38 points in the paint. They also protected the ball well, turning the ball over just 10 times after turning it over an average of 17 times a game in their quarterfinal and semifinal wins. Ball protection is key against a North Linn team that thrives in transition, and the Comets did an excellent job in that regard.
In the first half, Boyden-Hull beat North Linn at their own game, outscoring the Lynx 6-0 in transition, and scoring 18 points in the paint. In the second half, they methodically wore down a young Lynx team with efficient offensive possessions and great recovery defense. A fundamentally sound defensive team, the Comets’ defensive rotations were on point all week long, and especially in this championship game.
This is Boyden-Hull’s first 2A championship after winning titles in Class 2A in 2003, 2012 and 2013.
Boyden-Hull ends the season with a 24-3 record. The Comets were led by Andrew Frick, who had 22 points. Tanner Te Slaa Tanner Te Slaa 6'5" | SF Boyden-Hull | 2022 State IA had 20 points and 9 rebounds, and Keyton Moser Keyton Moser 6'2" | SF Boyden-Hull | 2020 State IA chipped in 13 points in the win. They’ll bring back standout wing Tanner Te Slaa Tanner Te Slaa 6'5" | SF Boyden-Hull | 2022 State IA , as well as bench spark plug Marcus Kelderman and several other key bench players. Boyden-Hull always has a strong program, and will contend again in 2A next season.
North Linn’s season ends with a 26-1 record. The Lynx were led by Austin Miller Austin Miller 6'2" | PF North Linn | 2020 State IA , who concluded a phenomenal season and tournament with a 23-point, 11-rebound performance. Austin Hilmer Austin Hilmer 5'10" | PG North Linn | 2022 State IA added 12 in the loss. While they lose standout forward Austin Miller Austin Miller 6'2" | PF North Linn | 2020 State IA , they bring back four starters and their top two bench scorers. There is also speculation that the Lynx will drop back down to Class 1A next season, where they will be considered one of the favorites to take home the title.
The all-tournament team voted on by the media was Keyton Moser Keyton Moser 6'2" | SF Boyden-Hull | 2020 State IA , Tanner Te Slaa Tanner Te Slaa 6'5" | SF Boyden-Hull | 2022 State IA and Marcus Kelderman of Boyden-Hull, and Austin Hilmer Austin Hilmer 5'10" | PG North Linn | 2022 State IA and Austin Miller Austin Miller 6'2" | PF North Linn | 2020 State IA of North Linn. Miller was voted the captain of the all-tournament team.
MVP: Tanner Te Slaa Tanner Te Slaa 6'5" | SF Boyden-Hull | 2022 State IA (Boyden-Hull) — 20 points (7-13 FG, 2-3 3P, 4-6 FT), 9 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 steal
The Comets’ best player picked an excellent time to play his best game of the week. The 6-4 sophomore wing got things started early, scoring 11 first half points to help the Comets build their first half lead, and controlled the game throughout on both ends of the floor. His ability to score from anywhere on the floor, play with incredible efficiency, crash the glass and impact the game on the defensive end with his length was on full display in this one.
Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | F |
North Linn | 12 | 8 | 8 | 20 | 51 |
Boyden-Hull | 13 | 13 | 21 | 17 | 64 |
North Linn:
Austin Miller
Austin
Miller
6'2" | PF
North Linn | 2020
State
IA
23,
Austin Hilmer
Austin
Hilmer
5'10" | PG
North Linn | 2022
State
IA
12, Dylan Kurt 8, Kaleb Kurt 5, Tate Haughenbury 3
Boyden-Hull: Andrew Frick 22,
Tanner Te Slaa
Tanner
Te Slaa
6'5" | SF
Boyden-Hull | 2022
State
IA
21,
Keyton Moser
Keyton
Moser
6'2" | SF
Boyden-Hull | 2020
State
IA
13, Josh Heitritter 6, Marcus Kelderman 2
Team stats
North Linn: 19-49 FG (38.8%), 6-23 3P (26.1%), 7-11 FT (63.6%), 30 rebounds (9 offensive, 21 defensive), 6 assists, 12 turnovers
Boyden-Hull: 24-49 FG (49%), 4-13 3P (30.8%), 12-22 FT (54.5%), 34 rebounds (11 offensive, 23 defensive), 13 assists, 10 turnovers
Rosengarten scored 21 points and had 15 rebounds in Wapsie’s title win
1A Championship: #8 Wapsie Valley 65, #2 Bishop Garrigan 53
Wapsie Valley head coach Marty McKowen has had a legendary career, amassing 595 wins coming into today, but a state title had eluded him. Well, you can make that 596 wins now. And go ahead and put a state championship on that resume as well.
Wapsie Valley entered this week as the eighth-seeded team in the class. They weren’t expected to make it out of the opening round. Instead, they put together an outstanding stretch of team basketball that culminated with the school’s first ever state title, beating Bishop Garrigan, 65-53, on Friday afternoon in an eerily quiet Wells Fargo Arena.
The fourth-seeded team in their district as postseason play opened, Wapsie Valley put together a great month of basketball to take home the state title over a big, athletic Bishop Garrigan squad.
A tight game throughout the first half, there were eight first half lead changes, and Bishop Garrigan entered the locker rooms with a 29-26 edge. After Garrigan took a 33-28 lead early in the third quarter, Wapsie sophomore Gunner Meyer, who had an outstanding week, took over, scoring the next eight points, and 10 of the next 12 for Wapsie, taking a 38-34 lead. The Warriors never trailed the rest of the way, taking a 42-38 lead after three quarters and went 12-17 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter, winning the final eight minutes 23-15, en route to the win.
Wapsie Valley (21-7) was led by Kiks Rosengarten, who had a game-high 21 points to go with 15 rebounds. Blayde Bellis added 16 points, Gunner Meyer had 13 and Kobe Risse had 10 points and 8 assists in the win. The Warriors only lose Rosengarten from this championship team, and while that’s a big loss, they will be right back in the running in 1A again next season.
Bishop Garrigan’s season ends with a 24-3 record. The Golden Bears were led by Marcus Plathe, who had 16 points, while Angelo Winkel Angelo Winkel 6'9" | C Bishop Garrigan | 2021 State IA had 15 points and 12 rebounds in the loss. Winkel returns next season, but is the only returning starter for Garrigan.
The all-tournament team voted on by the media was Trey Shearer Trey Shearer 5'10" | PG Montezuma | 2021 State IA of Montezuma, Kiks Rosengarten and Gunner Meyer, both of Wapsie Valley, and John Joyce John Joyce 6'3" | PG Bishop Garrigan | 2020 State IA and Angelo Winkel Angelo Winkel 6'9" | C Bishop Garrigan | 2021 State IA of Bishop Garrigan. Winkel was named the all-tournament team captain.
MVP: Kiks Rosengarten (Wapsie Valley) — 21 points (9-15 FG, 1-1 3P, 2-4 FT), 15 rebounds
In a matchup against a potential Division I big man in Angelo Winkel Angelo Winkel 6'9" | C Bishop Garrigan | 2021 State IA , it was Wapsie Valley’s big man who got the upper hand, finishing off a huge tournament with a 21-point, 15-rebound outing. Incredibly strong and physical, Rosengarten has deft touch around the rim and is an absolute workhorse on the glass. He set the tone with his physicality all week, and helped carry this group to a special end to a special season.
Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | F |
Wapsie Valley | 16 | 10 | 16 | 23 | 65 |
Bishop Garrigan | 12 | 17 | 9 | 15 | 53 |
Wapsie Valley: Kiks Rosengarten 21, Blayde Bellis 16, Gunner Meyer 13, Kobe Risse 10, Tyler Ott 5
Bishop Garrigan: Marcus Plathe 16,
Angelo Winkel
Angelo
Winkel
6'9" | C
Bishop Garrigan | 2021
State
IA
15, Andrew Arndorfer 8,
John Joyce
John
Joyce
6'3" | PG
Bishop Garrigan | 2020
State
IA
6,
Cade Winkel
Cade
Winkel
6'4" | PF
Bishop Garrigan | 2020
State
IA
3, Cameron Baade 3, Kyle Schaaf 2
Team stats
Wapsie Valley: 22-42 FG (52.4%), 6-15 3P (40%), 15-22 FT (68.2%), 29 rebounds (7 offensive, 22 defensive), 9 assists, 8 turnovers
Bishop Garrigan: 23-50 FG (46%), 4-17 3P (23.5%), 3-5 FT (60%), 25 rebounds (6 offensive, 19 defensive), 12 assists, 9 turnovers