Player Evaluations: Aplington-Parkersburg Rolls Again

[caption id="attachment_1148917" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Jayden-Mackie-crop-2791x1833-1615514370.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1148917 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Jayden-Mackie-crop-2791x1833-1615514370-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="751418" first="Jayden" last="Mackie"] poured in 29 points in the Falcons win[/caption] PARKERSBURG -- The train just keeps rolling for 2A’s newly crowned top team, as Aplington-Parkersburg rolled to another double-digit win, this time over 1A #6 Gladbrook-Reinbeck, 73-54, on Tuesday night, handing the Rebels their first loss of the season. After being moved to the top of the Class 2A rankings on Monday, the Falcons were impressive on both ends of the floor in the blowout win. They were never really in trouble in this one, jumping out to a quick 9-2 lead and methodically building upon that advantage throughout the night. Their lead got as large as 25 in the fourth quarter before a late Rebels flurry got it back to within 19 points. The juggernaut that is the Falcons offense was on full display, as they showed a number of different ways that they can beat opposing teams. [player_tooltip player_id="751418" first="Jayden" last="Mackie"] is a dynamic guard who can get to the rim whenever he wants, [player_tooltip player_id="962633" first="Christian" last="Haugstad"] is a force in the paint, they share the ball really well, and they’re loaded with shooting. Obviously, as our top-ranked team in 2A, they’re a state title contender, but seeing this group play live just further cements that thought. This is a deep, balanced, and dynamic team on both ends of the floor with a star that can lead them to the promised land. Aplington-Parkersburg (13-1) was led by [player_tooltip player_id="751418" first="Jayden" last="Mackie"], who had a game-high 29 points to go with 5 rebounds and 4 assists. [player_tooltip player_id="962633" first="Christian" last="Haugstad"] and [player_tooltip player_id="1167691" first="Garrett" last="Hempen"] each had 12 points, with Haugstad adding 11 rebounds, and [player_tooltip player_id="1171686" first="Gavin" last="Thomas"] and Cooper Hoff each added 9 points in the win. Gladbrook-Reinbeck (15-1) was led by [player_tooltip player_id="1158493" first="Tristen" last="Sanford-Anders"], who had 17 points and 9 rebounds in the loss. [player_tooltip player_id="1167671" first="William" last="Kiburis"] had 12 points, but the Falcons did an excellent job defensively against the Rebels star, holding him to just 5-15 shooting.   <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center;">Team</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center;">1Q</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center;">2Q</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center;">3Q</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center;">4Q</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center;">F</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center;">Gladbrook-Reinbeck</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center;">13</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center;">15</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center;">13</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center;">13</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center;">54</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center;">Aplington-Parkersburg</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center;">23</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center;">15</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center;">19</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center;">16</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center;">73</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>   Gladbrook-Reinbeck: [player_tooltip player_id="1158493" first="Tristen" last="Sanford-Anders"] 17, [player_tooltip player_id="1167671" first="William" last="Kiburis"] 12, Caleb Egesdal 8, Luke Riffey 7, Isaac Clark 6, Logan Giesking 2, Drew Eilers 2 Aplington-Parkersburg: [player_tooltip player_id="751418" first="Jayden" last="Mackie"] 29, [player_tooltip player_id="1167691" first="Garrett" last="Hempen"] 12, [player_tooltip player_id="962633" first="Christian" last="Haugstad"] 12, [player_tooltip player_id="1171686" first="Gavin" last="Thomas"] 9, Cooper Hoff 9, Kale Riherd 2   2022 [player_tooltip player_id="751418" first="Jayden" last="Mackie"] (Aplington-Parkersburg) A hyper-athletic 6-2 lead guard, Mackie's progression over the last several years has been a ton of fun to watch. He has transformed himself from an athletic slasher who relied heavily upon his ability to get to the rim into an all-around dominant three-level scorer and distributor. He has a great first step that he still uses to blow by defenders, but the improvement in his jumper both from the arc and the mid-range has been very impressive. He puts a ton of pressure on the defense with his ability to score from all three levels as well as his ability to find open shooters when he gets the defense to collapse. He has really improved his efficiency and in turn, the Falcons have turned into an absolutely dominant offensive team. 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1167691" first="Garrett" last="Hempen"] (Aplington-Parkersburg) A 6-1 lead guard who is equally adept at getting others involved or creating his own looks, Hempen finished with 12 points on 5-9 shooting, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. He does a good job putting pressure on the defense with his ability to handle the ball and get to the rim, and he sees the floor at a really high level. He's a good 3-point shooter, although that wasn't on display in this game (0-1 from 3), rather looking to attack the rim and using that aspect of his game to put pressure on the defense. He's a good on-ball defender who moves his feet well and has good, quick, aggressive hands. 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="962633" first="Christian" last="Haugstad"] (Aplington-Parkersburg) Haugstad has always been an important piece for the Falcons because of the size and rebounding that he provides in the paint, but he has also taken his offensive game up a level this year, showing improved footwork and touch around the rim with either hand. He's now the type of big that they can dump the ball down to and let him go to work against an overmatched defender in addition to his dominant work on the glass on both ends of the floor. He had 12 points on 6-10 shooting to go with 11 rebounds. 2024 Cooper Hoff (Aplington-Parkersburg) Hoff is a sharpshooter with a pretty stroke and a quick release. If a defense gives him a bit of space, he's more likely than not going to make them pay for it with his ability to shoot it from deep. He knocked down 3-6 from behind the arc en route to 9 points off the bench. His offensive game is fairly limited to shooting it from deep right now, but as he continues to develop, his shooting will continue to be a major asset. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/06/Gavin-Thomas.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1218785" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/06/Gavin-Thomas-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>2024 [player_tooltip player_id="1171686" first="Gavin" last="Thomas"] (Aplington-Parkersburg) The coach's son is a talented 6-1 wing scorer, who like Hempen, can really score from all three levels and has the ability to get to the rim seemingly whenever he wants. He didn't shoot it at the level that he's accustomed to shooting it (3-13 from the floor, 3-10 from 3), but he found other ways to contribute despite his shooting struggles, pulling down 9 rebounds and coming up with 2 steals. He's a high IQ player who is capable of dropping 25 on a given night, but he also knows that when the shot isn't falling, his production doesn't need to drop off the cliff - there are plenty of other ways to contribute. 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1167671" first="William" last="Kiburis"] (Gladbrook-Reinbeck) Kiburis struggled with his efficiency against an aggressive Falcons defense, but he has the ability to be a strong three-level scorer with length. He sees the floor really well and thrives on getting others involved, and he has the length and IQ to be an impact defender. He's had better nights, but this A-P team is going to frustrate a lot of opposing ball-handlers with the quickness that they can throw at teams. 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1158493" first="Tristen" last="Sanford-Anders"] (Gladbrook-Reinbeck) The 6-4 big man had a solid game, finishing with 17 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists. He showed good footwork and finishing ability around the rim with either hand, and he's a competitor on the glass. He sees the floor well and is a willing passer, and he even stepped out and knocked down a 3-pointer, showing good form and confidence in his stroke.