Class 1A District Final Preview
In this article:
District 1: Newell-Fonda (21-2) vs. Woodbury Central (15-8) [at Kingsley-Pierson] This is an interesting contrast in roster makeup and style of play, as Newell-Fonda is filled with small, quick guards who look to get up and down, force turnovers, and…
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Continue ReadingDistrict 1: Newell-Fonda (21-2) vs. Woodbury Central (15-8) [at Kingsley-Pierson]
This is an interesting contrast in roster makeup and style of play, as Newell-Fonda is filled with small, quick guards who look to get up and down, force turnovers, and play fast, while Woodbury Central likes to get the ball inside to star forward
Dallas Kluender
Dallas
Kluender
6'4" | PF
Woodbury Central | 2022
State
IA
(20.5, 11.7 rebounds), a 6-4 force in the paint. Kluender and younger brother Drew Kluender (6.8, 8.0 rebounds) will look to take advantage of the smaller Mustangs on the glass, as the Wildcats average 13.6 offensive rebounds a game, which helps offset shooting 40.5% from the floor as a team. Newell-Fonda will look to pressure Woodbury Central’s guards and force turnovers, something that they do with great frequency, averaging over 15 steals a game. The Mustangs are led by wing
Carter Sievers
Carter
Sievers
6'1" | PG
Newell Fonda | 2023
State
IA
(19.7) and guard
Trey Jungers
Trey
Jungers
5'11" | SF
Newell-Fonda | 2022
State
IA
(12.7, 4.1 assists). Jungers and Mason Dicks (8.0, 4.0 assists) headline a backcourt that does a great job keeping the ball moving, and the ’Stangs play a style that gets a lot of players involved. They should be able to force a ton of turnovers in this game and offset the size that Woodbury Central possesses with their speed advantage.
Our pick: Newell-Fonda
District 2: Remsen, St. Mary’s (22-0) vs. South O’Brien (15-8) [at Unity Christian]
St. Mary’s has to be considered one of the biggest favorites of any team in these district finals, as the Hawks swept the season series 57-34 and 49-28. They’re a dominant defensive team that allows just 34.0 points a game, and they’ll force South O’Brien into tough shots all night. St. Mary’s possesses a balanced offensive attack led by
Jaxon Bunkers
Jaxon
Bunkers
5'11" | SF
St. Mary's, Remsen | 2023
State
IA
(13.4) that sees six players averaging between 7.1 and 13.4 points a game. Bunkers is a strong wing who can get to the bucket and knock down open jumpers, while
Austin Jensen
Austin
Jensen
6'2" | PF
St. Mary's, Remsen | 2022
State
IA
(10.5) provides size and strength in the paint. The Hawks have been incredibly efficient offensively, posting 56-44-64 shooting splits this season, and they do an excellent job sharing the ball, averaging 18.5 assists a game. South O’Brien will need to get a huge game from junior big
Jake Wallin
Jake
Wallin
6'7" | PF
Spirit Lake | 2023
State
IA
(14.9, 9.0 rebounds) if they want to stay in this one and have a chance late. The Hawks should cruise to the substate final.
Our pick: Remsen, St. Mary’s
District 3: Lake Mills (22-1) vs. GTRA (17-6) [at West Hancock]
Lake Mills has been one of the most dominant teams in the state this season, winning games by an average of 32 points a game and excelling on both ends of the floor. The Bulldogs are led by senior forward
Wyatt Helming
Wyatt
Helming
6'6" | SF
Lake Mills | 2022
State
IA
(18.2, 9.6 rebounds, 3.2 blocks), a 6-6/6-7 forward who provides versatility on both ends of the floor.
Bennett Berger
Bennett
Berger
6'2" | PG
Lake Mills | 2022
State
IA
(13.8, 6.7 assists) has been one of the top floor generals in the state, posting a 6.7-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, and Denton Kingland (10.8) provides some additional perimeter scoring. GTRA has gotten solid guard play from juniors
Drew Schnell
Drew
Schnell
5'9" | PG
GTRA | 2023
State
IA
(15.5) and
Max Hough
Max
Hough
5'11" | PG
GTRA | 2023
State
IA
(12.3, 6.8 assists), and the Titans have done a good job limiting turnovers this season. That said, the size and physicality of the Bulldogs should be way too much for a GTRA team that doesn’t have anyone taller than 6-2 on the roster.
Our pick: Lake Mills
District 4: Dunkerton (21-3) vs. Newman Catholic (22-1) [at West Fork]
Newman Catholic is one of the hottest teams in the state heading into the postseason, winners of 12 straight, including a blowout 86-62 win over this Dunkerton team. The Knights shot 53.6% from the floor, forced 14 turnovers, and dominated the rebounding battle 37-26 in that contest, getting 32 points and 10 rebounds from junior wing
Douglas Taylor
Douglas
Taylor
6'5" | SF
Newman Catholic | 2023
State
IA
(22.2, 9.6 rebounds), a player who is a difficult matchup for the Raiders with his size, length, and athleticism. Senior guard
James Jennings
James
Jennings
5'11" | PG
Newman Catholic | 2022
State
IA
(17.6, 40.2 3P%) is the other big scorer for Newman, a big-time shooter who moves well off the ball, and junior point guard
Max Burt
Max
Burt
6'0" | PG
Newman Catholic | 2023
State
IA
(7.9, 7.4 assists) thrives on getting others involved. Dunkerton is led by junior wing
Preston Gillespie
Preston
Gillespie
6'3" | SF
Dunkerton | 2023
State
IA
(23.5), one of the top scorers in the class. He has had a fantastic, efficient year, posting 62-41-74 shooting splits, and he’ll need to be excellent in this one. Junior point guard
Casey Gardner
Casey
Gardner
5'8" | PG
Dunkerton | 2023
State
IA
(16.3, 9.2 assists) leads the state in assists and is a dynamic pass-first guard who can also score in bunches from all three levels. Dunkerton shouldn’t have any issue scoring, the question for them will be whether or not they can find an answer for Taylor and get enough stops.
Our pick: Newman Catholic
District 5: North Linn (22-1) vs. Janesville (18-5) [at Union]
The North Linn juggernaut has kept on rolling this year, with the Lynx winning games by an average of 47.4 points a game, including a 5-1 record against teams playing in district finals with an average margin of 22.7 points a game. Senior point guard
Austin Hilmer
Austin
Hilmer
5'10" | PG
North Linn | 2022
State
IA
(20.5, 8.1 assists) leads the up-tempo charge on both ends of the floor for the Lynx, ranking among the state’s leaders in both assists and steals. Three others average in double figures –
Tate Haughenbury
Tate
Haughenbury
6'5" | PF
North Linn | 2023
State
IA
(15.7),
Dylan Kurt
Dylan
Kurt
6'3" | SF
North Linn | 2022
State
IA
(13.3), and
Cade Haughenbury
Cade
Haughenbury
6'2" | SF
North Linn | 2022
State
IA
(11.0) – and this team thrives on forcing turnovers and burying teams early. Janesville is led by senior power forward
Wiley Sherburne
Wiley
Sherburne
6'4" | PF
Janesville | 2022
State
IA
(19.6, 7.6 rebounds), an efficient and powerful presence in the paint, and they’ve gotten good production out of senior wing
Jared Hoodjer
Jared
Hoodjer
6'2" | PF
Janesville | 2022
State
IA
(13.5). The return of point guard
Leo Dodd
Leo
Dodd
5'11" | PG
Janesville | 2022
State
IA
(4.3, 5.0 assists) from injury will help against the Lynx pressure, but the speed that North Linn plays at is really tough for teams who haven’t seen it before, and they should win this one pretty comfortably.
Our pick: North Linn
District 6: Edgewood-Colesburg (20-3) vs. Wapsie Valley (17-5) [at Starmont]
This figures to be one of the most competitive district finals of the bunch. Wapsie Valley has lost just twice since December 17, and both of those losses have come to a Jesup team that is playing in a 2A district final. The Warriors have a quartet of double-figure scorers led by senior wing
Gunner Meyer
Gunner
Meyer
6'5" | SF
Wapsie Valley | 2022
State
IA
(15.7, 9.0 rebounds), one of the most athletic wings in the class and a dominant two-way player. Parker Landsgard (11.0, 41.2 3P%) provides shooting,
Andrew Westpfahl
Andrew
Westpfahl
5'8" | SG
Wapsie Valley | 2023
State
IA
(10.5) is the primary ball-handler, and
Mason Harter
Mason
Harter
6'6" | PF
Wapsie Valley | 2023
State
IA
(10.0, 10.0 rebounds) is a physical presence in the paint. Ed-Co has been excellent defensively this year, allowing 42.7 points a game. Their roster is comprised of all seniors, and this group has been building towards this season for a long time. Mason Ashline (13.9) and Jack Wiskus (11.1) are the team’s leaders, a pair of big, physical wings that use their length well on the defensive end. The Vikings can comfortably go deep into their bench and have a number of scoring options. This should be an excellent game, but we’ll give the slightest edge to Wapsie Valley, who will have the best player on the floor in Meyer.
Our pick: Wapsie Valley
District 7: Gladbrook-Reinbeck (22-1) vs. Alburnett (17-6) [at Center Point-Urbana]
In junior point guard
William Kiburis
William
Kiburis
6'4" | PG
Gladbrook-Reinbeck | 2023
State
IA
(21.7, 7.8 rebounds, 7.5 assists), Gladbrook-Reinbeck has one of the best two-way players in the class on their side. At 6-2/6-3, Kiburis has good size and length, sees the floor extremely well, and thrives with his ability to play downhill and get to the rim. The Rebels are able to put a pair of good shooters alongside him in Caleb Egesdal (11.3, 44.4 3P%) and Luke Riffey (10.7, 35.7 3P%), as well as a solid forward in
Tristen Sanford-Anders
Tristen
Sanford-Anders
6'5" | PF
Gladbrook-Reinbeck | 2022
State
IA
(14.8, 8.8 rebounds), who controls the paint on both ends of the floor. Alburnett has an athletic and physical team that shares the ball at a really high level, led by senior wing Andrew Ossman (16.2). The Pirates go deep into their bench and have six other players averaging between 4.8 and 8.6 points a game, and they’re a strong defensive team that has a few longer wings that they can throw at Kiburis in an attempt to slow him down.
Our pick: Gladbrook-Reinbeck
District 8: Bellevue (11-12) vs. Springville (19-4) [at Maquoketa]
Bellevue upset Easton Valley to get to the district final, holding a potent River Hawks attack to just 42 points. They’ll have their work cut out for them again against a Springville team that averages 68.9 points a game and has a pair of dominant perimeter scoring threats in
Rhenden Wagaman
Rhenden
Wagaman
6'3" | SG
Springville | 2022
State
IA
(22.0) and
Luke Menster
Luke
Menster
5'10" | PG
Springville | 2022
State
IA
(18.1). Wagaman is a 6-3 wing who can score from all three levels and has the size to get his shot off whenever he wants. He has really improved as a perimeter shooting threat, and that has opened up the rest of his offensive arsenal. Menster is a quick lefty point guard who gets to the rim seemingly at will, and he’s a pest on the defensive end of the floor. Bellevue counters with senior guard
Colby Sieverding
Colby
Sieverding
5'9" | PG
Bellevue | 2022
State
IA
(13.2) and junior wing Jensen Wedeking (11.0). The Comets struggle to shoot from the arc (27.0%), and they’ll really need to focus in on the defensive end and limit turnovers against a quick and athletic Orioles team, or this could get away from them.
Our pick: Springville
District 9: Danville (21-2) vs. Winfield-Mt. Union (21-2) [at Central Lee]
These SEISC teams haven’t met since 2015, and this one figures to be significantly lower scoring than that meeting was, when the Bears won 82-68. Winfield-Mt. Union has the third-best scoring defense in 1A, allowing 34.1 points a game, while Danville ranks 12th, giving up just 41.0 a night. The Wolves are led by a pair of talented sophomores in forward
Cam Buffington
Cam
Buffington
6'2" | PF
Winfield-Mt. Union | 2024
State
IA
(19.5, 10.3 rebounds) and wing
Abram Edwards
Abram
Edwards
6'5" | PF
Winfield-Mt. Union | 2024
State
IA
(12.1, 9.1 rebounds). Buffington is a big, physical, athletic forward who has already committed to play football at Iowa, while Edwards is a multi-dimensional wing who can score from all three levels, switch defensively, and get others involved. Danville, coached by the Soukup twins who starred there in the 2010s, is playing a similar style to when they were playing at the school, forcing turnovers left and right and looking to push the tempo when the opportunity presents. They average 17.3 steals a game and 13.1 offensive rebounds a night, helping offset the 27.0% they shoot from behind the arc.
Drake Johnson
Drake
Johnson
6'0" | SF
Danville | 2022
State
IA
914.3),
Caiden Gourley
Caiden
Gourley
6'5" | SG
Danville | 2023
State
IA
(13.9), and
Sawyer Nelson
Sawyer
Nelson
6'6" | PF
Danville Community School | 2022
State
IA
(10.0, 9.5 rebounds) are the team’s top scorers, and Nelson in particular will be key in keeping Buffington and Edwards off the glass.
Our pick: Winfield-Mt. Union
District 10: New London (20-2) vs. WACO (19-4) [at Mediapolis]
These SEISC South rivals split their season series, with New London winning 60-57 on December 3, and WACO winning 67-48 on January 22. It needs to be noted, however, that New London forward
Kade Benjamin
Kade
Benjamin
6'6" | PF
New London | 2023
State
IA
(14.4, 6.6 rebounds, 2.2 blocks) didn’t play in the loss, and WACO took full advantage of his absence, winning the rebounding battle 40-27 and shooting 53.1% from the floor, with most of their attempts coming inside the arc. Having Benjamin back on the floor will be huge for the Tigers in this third meeting. The Tigers are led by junior point guard
Blaise Porter
Blaise
Porter
6'1" | PG
New London | 2023
State
#298
Nation
IA
(17.6, 5.4 assists), who plays really well with Benjamin. That tandem has played a ton of basketball together, as they are teammates with the Iowa Barnstormers as well. Senior forward
Devin Swanson
Devin
Swanson
6'3" | PF
New London | 2022
State
IA
(13.4) gives them some more scoring, and Porter is the type of quick lead guard who can give a bigger WACO team some issues. The Warriors are young, with their top six scorers comprised of three sophomores and three juniors, and they’re a deep and balanced team that loves to pound the offensive glass (13.2 a game) and force turnovers (14.2 steals), which helps offset some of their shooting numbers. Hunter Hughes (11.9) is the top scorer, but this is a team that can have a different leading scorer every night. With Benjamin back on the floor, WACO shouldn’t be able to control the glass quite as well as they did in the last meeting.
Our pick: New London
District 11: Martensdale-St. Marys (20-3) vs. Lynnville-Sully (17-6) [at Pleasantville]
Lynnville-Sully was dealt a blow a few weeks ago when they lost
Preston Rodibaugh
Preston
Rodibaugh
6'3" | SG
Lynnville-Sully | 2023
State
IA
to injury. He was averaging 13.6 points a game, but they’ve played well in his absence, advancing to the district final. Junior guard
Conner Maston
Conner
Maston
6'1" | SG
Lynnville-Sully | 2023
State
IA
(13.7, 43.1 3P%) leads a trio of double-figure scorers, with sophomores
Corder Noun Harder
Corder
Noun Harder
5'9" | PG
Lynnville-Sully | 2024
State
IA
(10.7, 5.5 assists) and
Klayton Van Dyke
Klayton
Van Dyke
6'5" | PF
Lynnville-Sully | 2024
State
IA
(10.6, 9.5 rebounds). The Hawks have been strong on the defensive end, allowing 43.0 points a game, but they’ll have their hands full with a Martensdale-St. Marys team that averages 61.6 a night. The Blue Devils are led by senior guard
Hogan Franey
Hogan
Franey
6'0" | CG
Martensdale-St. Mary's | 2022
State
IA
(18.2, 6.6 assists) and
Gavin Stott
Gavin
Stott
5'10" | SG
Martensdale-St. Marys | 2022
State
IA
(17.2, 39.9 3P%). Franey is a quality lead guard with a lot of postseason experience, having been a key contributor on back-to-back state tournament teams, and that experience and his calmness with the ball in his hands could be a difference maker. Martensdale-St. Marys is also a significantly better free-throw shooting team, which could be key in what figures to be a tight game.
Our pick: Martensdale-St. Marys
District 12: Moravia (20-3) vs. North Mahaska (18-5) [at Central Decatur]
This is another game with a significant gap in strength of schedule, as Moravia has played the 144th most difficult schedule in 1A (out of 148 teams). A young Mohawks team that has four juniors and two sophomores comprising their top six scorers, they’ll be amped up for this opportunity after putting together one of the best seasons in school history.
Gage Hanes
Gage
Hanes
6'1" | PG
Moravia | 2023
State
IA
(16.1) and
Riley Hawkins
Riley
Hawkins
6'1" | SF
Moravia | 2023
State
IA
(14.8) lead a deep attack and they do an excellent job pounding the offensive glass, averaging 15.2 offensive boards a game, a stellar 48.0% offensive rebounding rate. They’ll have their hands full with North Mahaska’s star
Nash Smith
Nash
Smith
6'6" | SF
North Mahaska | 2023
State
IA
(20.5), a long and athletic 6-5/6-6 wing who is the front man of the Warhawks halfcourt trapping pressure that creates turnovers at a high clip.
Lane Harmon
Lane
Harmon
6'1" | SF
North Mahaska | 2023
State
IA
(14.1, 41.4 3P%) is an excellent shooter, and
Braden Steel
Braden
Steel
6'3" | PF
North Mahaska | 2023
State
IA
(9.7) has been excellent on the glass with his non-stop motor. The size and length of Smith will be tough for Moravia here.
Our pick: North Mahaska
District 13: Grand View Christian (22-0) vs. Madrid (17-6) [at Ballard]
The top-ranked Thunder have been dominant this season, beating teams by an average of 38.6 points a game and leading the class in scoring at 84.1 points a night. They are led by the high-scoring backcourt of seniors
Manny Hammonds
Manny
Hammonds
6'2" | SG
Grand View Christian | 2022
State
IA
(24.7) and
Josh Baucum
Josh
Baucum
6'1" | SG
Grand View Christian | 2022
State
IA
(19.5), a pair of quick guards who can break down a defense and get to the rim, but are also really good shooting threats.
Josh Sanderson
Josh
Sanderson
5'10" | PG
Grand View Christian | 2023
State
IA
(10.0, 6.4 assists) has stepped into the primary ball-handling role for the Thunder and been excellent, while junior big man
Daniel Tobiloba
Daniel
Tobiloba
7'0" | C
Grand View Christian | 2023
State
IA
(8.2, 14.3 rebounds, 4.7 blocks) is a human eraser at the back end of their defense. The athletic 7-footer allows their guards to take more chances on the perimeter, knowing that they have someone behind them that nobody can finish against. Freshman guard
Toryn Severson
Toryn
Severson
6'4" | SG
Madrid | 2025
State
IA
(19.1, 41.1 3P%) has been outstanding for Madrid this season, putting together one of the best freshman seasons we’ve seen.
Kadyn Severson
Kadyn
Severson
6'3" | CG
Madrid | 2023
State
IA
(14.9) is another strong scoring option on the perimeter, while senior forward
Brady Leonard
Brady
Leonard
6'2" | PF
Madrid | 2022
State
IA
(5.1, 12.8 rebounds) isn’t much of an offensive threat, but he’s fantastic on the glass. Look for the Tigers to try and attack Tobiloba early to open up the paint. If they have success in that regard, they have the weapons to keep pace with the Thunder. If not, Grand View Christian will roll to another win.
Our pick: Grand View Christian
District 14: East Mills (18-5) vs. St. Albert (11-11) [at Clarinda]
East Mills has the better record and stats, but those need to be taken with a grain of salt considering the extreme difference in level of competition that these teams have faced. According to BC Moore’s power rankings system, St. Albert has played the 4th most difficult schedule among 1A teams and East Mills strength of schedule ranks 130th. That type of difference provides a huge edge to the Falcons in this game. Carter White (13.6) leads a trio of double-figure scorers for St. Albert, and the Falcons do an excellent job controlling the glass, despite playing primarily against bigger schools and teams. Junior
Mason Crouse
Mason
Crouse
6'1" | SF
East Mills | 2023
State
IA
(20.5, 7.0 rebounds) is the catalyst for the Wolverines, a strong three-level scorer who can control the game on both ends of the floor, while Braden West (13.7, 7.6 rebounds) provides more scoring and rebounding. They’ll need to pound the glass on both ends of the floor if they want to advance to the substate final.
Our pick: St. Albert
District 15: AHSTW (22-1) vs. Exira-EHK (15-8) [at Harlan]
AHSTW won the regular-season meeting comfortably, 81-65, despite Exira-EHK shooting 65.8% from the floor. The Vikings have been dominant this season on both ends of the floor and should have their way in this rematch as well. Their trio of
Brayden Lund
Brayden
Lund
6'4" | SF
AHSTW | 2023
State
IA
(18.6, 41.5 3P%),
Raydden Grobe
Raydden
Grobe
6'2" | SF
AHSTW | 2022
State
IA
(18.0, 44.2 3P%), and
Kyle Sternberg
Kyle
Sternberg
6'4" | SG
AHSTW | 2023
State
IA
(16.0, 41.6 3P%) is one of the top trios in the state, each capable three-level scorers who share the ball and impact the game defensively, while junior point guard
Cole Scheffler
Cole
Scheffler
5'8" | PG
AHSTW | 2023
State
IA
(3.9, 4.6 assists) does a good job setting the table for everyone. Exira-EHK has a balanced attack with five players averaging between 8.0 and 12.3 points a game, led by sophomores Cash Emgarten (12.3) and Aiden Flathers (11.2), but they’re overmatched here against an AHSTW team that is on a mission.
Our pick: AHSTW
District 16: West Harrison (20-3) vs. Coon Rapids-Bayard (17-6) [at Denison-Schleswig]
Coon Rapids-Bayard won the regular-season meeting between these teams back on January 18, 56-41, outscoring the Hawkeyes 24-11 in the fourth quarter to come away with the convincing win. They took 34 free throws in that game and held West Harrison to just 14-53 shooting (26.4%), which is unlikely to happen again. West Harrison’s standout trio of
Mason King
Mason
King
5'10" | PG
West Harrison | 2023
State
IA
(15.6),
Koleson Evans
Koleson
Evans
6'6" | SF
West Harrison | 2023
State
IA
(14.3, 9.7 rebounds), and
Sage Evans
Sage
Evans
6'2" | PF
West Harrison | 2023
State
IA
(13.5, 14.1 rebounds, 6.4 assists) shot just 9-34 (26.5%) from the floor in that first meeting, and the trio shoots 48.5% from the floor combined, so don’t expect to see them struggle that badly again. The Crusaders are led by seniors
Gabe Obert
Gabe
Obert
6'2" | SF
Coon Rapids-Bayard | 2022
State
IA
(14.2) and
Tanner Oswald
Tanner
Oswald
6'3" | SF
Coon Rapids-Bayard | 2022
State
IA
(13.4), and junior Lance Clayburg (13.3, 10.3 rebounds). CR-B will definitely have confidence that they can win again after the way they dominated the fourth quarter in that game, but we don’t expect the Hawkeyes to shoot nearly as poorly as they did in that contest. This should be decided late.
Our pick: West Harrison