[player_tooltip player_id="682284" first="Karter" last="Petzenhauser"] (red) Substate 1: Spencer (20-3) vs. Humboldt (20-3) at Storm Lake Two of the top three scoring teams in the class meet in this game, with Spencer (66.2, 2nd) and Humboldt (66.0, 3rd) clashing in what…
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Substate 1: Spencer (20-3) vs. Humboldt (20-3)
at Storm Lake
Two of the top three scoring teams in the class meet in this game, with Spencer (66.2, 2nd) and Humboldt (66.0, 3rd) clashing in what promises to be an up-tempo, exciting game. Senior guard
Karter Petzenhauser
Karter
Petzenhauser
6'4" | SG
Spencer | 2022
State
IA
(19.8, 45.2 3P%) is one of the best pure scorers in the class, a 6-2 guard who can dominate games from all three levels. Owen Olson (11.6, 46.5 3P%) and Devin Dirkx (9.7, 42.7 3P%) provide additional shooting on the perimeter, while
Evan Schmidt
Evan
Schmidt
6'5"
Spencer | 2022
IA
(11.2, 7.6 rebounds) has been an efficient scorer in the paint. Humboldt has been one of the best stories in 3A this season, winning their first 12 games behind a high-powered offense and staunch defense.
Will Orness
Will
Orness
6'1" | SG
Humboldt | 2023
State
IA
(13.5) and Caden Matson (12.6) are the team’s top two scorers, but this is a Wildcats team that has a number of talented scoring threat, with four others averaging between 7.3 and 9.8 points a game. Spencer has played the more difficult schedule, is the hotter team, and has the best player on the floor. For the first time since 2004, Spencer is headed to the state tournament.
Our pick: Spencer
Substate 2: Decorah (21-1) vs. Clear Lake (17-5)
at Waterloo East
Decorah has been the most dominant team in 3A this season, winning games by an average of 25.3 points a game behind the power of a quintet of double-figure scorers. The Vikings have a trio of strong ball-handlers and playmakers who each average at least four assists a game in
Joseph Bockman
Joseph
Bockman
5'10" | PG
Decorah | 2022
State
IA
(13.7, 4.1 assists),
Treyton McCain
Treyton
McCain
6'1" | PG
Decorah | 2024
State
IA
(11.8, 4.8 assists), and Carson Wemark (10.5, 4.0 assists). Each of them are athletic and quick guards who can get to the rim and draw the defense in then kick to open shooters.
Ben Bockman
Ben
Bockman
6'4" | SF
Decorah | 2024
State
IA
(12.4), Jacob Pipho (10.0), and
Noah Storts
Noah
Storts
6'2" | PF
Decorah | 2022
State
IA
(8.4) provide additional scoring, and the Vikings can comfortably go eight deep with scoring options. This is an undersized but physical and athletic team that crashes the offensive glass hard, pulling down 14.2 offensive boards a game, so Clear Lake will need to focus on keeping them off the glass and limit second-chance opportunities. Clear Lake got off to a bit of a slow start this season breaking in a number of new faces from last year’s state-qualifying team, but the Lions have played good ball after the holiday break, winning 13 of 16 games heading into this substate final. The Lions are led by the experienced senior guard
Carson Toebe
Carson
Toebe
6'3" | PG
Clear Lake | 2022
State
IA
(19.6), one of the best shot makers in the state. Toebe has played in a pair of state tournaments, and that experience could prove to be very valuable in this big-game setting.
Thomas Meyer
Thomas
Meyer
6'4" | SF
Clear Lake | 2025
State
IA
(11.1, 6.3 rebounds), a talented freshman, has provided efficient scoring in the paint, and
Travaughn Luyobya
Travaughn
Luyobya
5'10" | PG
Clear Lake | 2023
State
IA
(10.2, 7.3 assists) has been one of the best pure lead guards in the state this season. While the experience of Toebe will be key here, the overall depth of the options that Decorah can put on the floor will be huge.
Our pick: Decorah
Substate 3: Assumption (18-5) vs. Wahlert Catholic (16-6)
at Maquoketa (on Tuesday)
A pair of parochial powers that have combined for 44 state tournament appearances will meet on Tuesday night to add another to that total. These teams met at the beginning of the regular season, an 82-71 win by Wahlert. The Golden Eagles outscored Assumption 41-27 in the second half of that win, getting a huge game from
Duke Faley
Duke
Faley
6'5" | C
Wahlert Catholic | 2023
State
IA
(16.6, 7.5 rebounds), who had 19 points and 17 rebounds. Assumption got 38 points from
Noah Mack
Noah
Mack
6'0" | SG
Assumption | 2022
State
IA
(16.1, 44.8 3P%) in the loss, but a lot has changed since that game that could go a long way in changing the outcome of the rematch. Most notably, Croatian student Ivan Prug (13.7, 6.5 rebounds, 50.0 3P%) has become eligible for Assumption, giving them another scorer and interior presence in the paint. Prug, a 6-9 stretch-4 who can score inside, protect the rim, and stretch the floor with an efficient stroke, has been a major addition to the Knights’ lineup, and they’ve gone 12-2 since he became eligible, with their lone losses coming to Davenport North and Pleasant Valley. Mack,
JJ Stratman
JJ
Stratman
6'2" | SG
Assumption | 2022
State
IA
(8.2, 37.7 3P%), and Jay Costello (5.9, 36.6 3P%) were all key pieces on last year’s state semifinalist, and that experience could be huge in this one. Wahlert has been led by the aforementioned Faley, who has been excellent on the offensive end, scoring in the paint and stretching the floor. Ben Freed (15.2) and Carson Cummer (13.0) have given the Golden Eagles plenty of perimeter scoring punch, and Seamus Crahan (8.9, 3.8 assists) is an athletic difference-maker on the wing with his athleticism and length. This should be an excellent game and the winner has to be considered one of the favorites to take home the title in 3A.
Our pick: Assumption
Substate 4: Central DeWitt (17-6) vs. Solon (15-9)
at Mount Vernon
Central DeWitt got an all-time performance from
Shawn Gilbert
Shawn
Gilbert
6'7" | PF
Central DeWitt | 2022
State
IA
(23.7, 10.2 rebounds) in their semifinal win over Xavier, as the 6-9 big man dropped 45 points and dominated the game in every facet, so Solon will have their work cut out for them in this one. The Spartans have the top scoring defense in 3A, allowing just 42.0 points a game, and unlike Xavier, they have a few bigger, thicker players that they can throw at Gilbert and who may have a better chance at holding their ground against him. Expect to see the Spartans throw 6-5 Kinnick Pusteoska (8.4, 7.0 rebounds) at him, as well as a mixture of different zone looks to try and confuse the Sabers. With the expectation that Solon will be looking to take Gilbert away in any way possible,
Gibson McEwen
Gibson
McEwen
6'1" | SG
Central DeWitt | 2022
State
IA
(13.6, 37.6 3P%),
Matthew Watters
Matthew
Watters
6'2" | SF
Central DeWitt | 2023
State
IA
(8.9, 36.6 3P%), and Paul Kuehn (5.9, 38.5 3P%) become even more important pieces for the Sabers in this game. They’ll need to step up and provide some scoring and allow Gilbert, who is also a talented passer, to find them. While Solon has been excellent on the defensive end, the Spartans can struggle at times to score, shooting under 40% as a team and averaging just 48.3 points a game.
Jake Benzing
Jake
Benzing
6'2" | SG
Solon | 2024
State
IA
(9.7) is a talented sophomore wing, and they get scoring production from all nine or ten players who see time, but it will be what they can accomplish on the defensive end that will determine whether or not the Spartans are heading to Des Moines.
Our pick: Central DeWitt
Substate 5: Marion (18-5) vs. Clear Creek-Amana (16-7)
at Liberty
Marion won the regular-season meeting between these teams on February 1, 77-61, behind 24 points from star guard
Brayson Laube
Brayson
Laube
6'2" | PG
Marion | 2023
State
IA
(19.3, 43.7 3P%).
Alex Mota
Alex
Mota
6'1" | SG
Marion | 2023
State
IA
(9.0, 5.5 rebounds), a fellow junior guard, provides a ton of athleticism on both ends of the floor. He has committed to play football at Iowa. The Clippers pulled down 16 offensive rebounds in that game, which is an area that the Wolves will really need to focus in on if they want to repeat the earlier meeting and punch their ticket to the state tournament. CCA is led by a pair of senior sharpshooting guards in
Ben Swails
Ben
Swails
6'2" | SF
Clear Creek Amana | 2022
State
IA
(17.7, 42.9 3P%) and
Kyle Schrepfer
Kyle
Schrepfer
6'0" | SG
Clear Creek Amana | 2022
State
IA
(14.1, 37.2 3P%), and they do a great job of rebounding as a team, with seven players averaging between 3.8 and 5.0 rebounds a game. They’re the bigger team, and they will need to control the glass on both ends of the floor if they want to keep pace with Laube and company.
Our pick: Marion
Substate 6: Dallas Center-Grimes (18-5) vs. Newton (13-10)
at Centennial
Dallas Center-Grimes swept the regular-season series fairly handily, winning 67-41 on January 17 and 59-45 on February 11. The Mustangs shot a combined 52.3% from the floor in those two meetings, while holding the Cardinals to 35.9%. They have an edge in athleticism on the perimeter, and that goes a long way into forcing Newton into poor shots, and that will likely play out again in this game. DCG is led by a trio of senior guards in
Cole Glasgow
Cole
Glasgow
6'3" | SG
Dallas Center-Grimes | 2022
State
IA
(14.7),
Jacob Runyan
Jacob
Runyan
5'9" | PG
Dallas Center-Grimes | 2022
State
IA
(11.4, 5.0 assists), and
Bo Huston
Bo
Huston
5'10" | SG
Dallas Center-Grimes | 2022
State
IA
(10.3, 38.1 3P%). Glasgow is headed to Kansas City and is an athletic, slashing guard who can get to the rim at will; Runyan is an excellent floor general who gets others involved at a high level and can really shoot it; and Huston is a knockdown shooter who pairs well with the court vision of Runyan and slash-and-kick ability of Glasgow. Glasgow and
Jackson Jones
Jackson
Jones
6'3" | SG
Dallas Center Grimes | 2022
IA
(8.9, 40.5 3P%) are both really good perimeter defenders who will make life difficult on the Newton guards. Newton will need to find a way to get
Brody Bauer
Brody
Bauer
6'2" | SG
Newton | 2023
State
IA
(9.7, 37.1 3P%) and
Jake Ingle
Jake
Ingle
5'7" | PG
Newton | 2023
State
IA
(9.2, 36.3 3P%) some open looks from the arc to help them keep pace. Senior wing
Adam Mattes
Adam
Mattes
6'3" | SG
Newton | 2022
State
IA
(11.0) is the biggest potential matchup problem that Newton has here, and they’ll need a big game from him as a scorer and playmaker.
Our pick: Dallas Center-Grimes
Substate 7: Winterset (18-5) vs. Pella (17-6)
at Indianola
This figures to be one of the most entertaining games on Monday night, with the excellent Winterset trio of guards trying to take down the defending 3A champions. The Huskies are led by seniors
Levi Gurwell
Levi
Gurwell
6'0" | SG
Winterset | 2022
State
IA
(17.6) and
Dawson Forgy
Dawson
Forgy
5'11" | PG
Winterset | 2022
State
IA
(11.0, 3.7 assists), and junior
Brayden Dinkla
Brayden
Dinkla
6'0" | PG
Winterset | 2023
State
IA
(9.4, 6.6 assists, 3.2 steals). Gurwell is a crafty three-level scorer with excellent footwork that he uses to create space, while Forgy is a powerful and quick guard who can get to the rim seemingly at will. Dinkla is an excellent floor general who sees the floor well and thrives on getting others involved. They’ll need to play under control against the pressure that Pella likes to apply, and if they can keep it to 12 turnovers or less, they’ll have a great chance at knocking off the Dutch. The defending 3A champion Dutch have had a bit of an up-and-down year, but the championship pedigree is still here with a trio of key contributors from that team back in
Karl Miller
Karl
Miller
6'4" | SF
Pella | 2022
State
IA
(15.9, 39.3 3P%),
Noah Allen
Noah
Allen
5'10" | PG
Pella | 2022
State
IA
(14.6, 40.1 3P%), and
Parker Elder
Parker
Elder
6'4" | SF
Pella | 2022
State
IA
(9.0, 4.2 assists). They’re starting to play well down the stretch, winning five straight by an average of 18.2 points a game, and the big-game experience that Miller, Allen, and Elder provide could be a difference-maker in this one. Pella has been a bit inconsistent, but we like the way they’re playing now and this may still be the team to beat in 3A.
Our pick: Pella
Substate 8: Carroll (15-8) vs. Denison-Schleswig (15-9)
at Atlantic
Carroll won the regular-season meeting 58-55 earlier in the moth behind 23 points from
Kaleb Booth
Kaleb
Booth
6'1" | SG
Carroll | 2022
State
IA
(20.2, 4.9 assists). Booth is a quick three-level scorer who is one of the best in the state at getting into his shot off the dribble, and he’s a nightly threat to go off for 30 points while also getting others involved.
Nick Macke
Nick
Macke
5'10" | SG
Carroll | 2022
State
IA
(10.5) is another quality guard who can score from all three levels and he plays well off of Booth. The tandem of Caden Kock (8.9, 6.1 rebounds) and Evan Hammer (7.5, 6.4 rebounds) will need to control the glass on both ends of the floor. Denison-Schleswig shot just 7-22 from the free-throw line in that three-point loss, and that number obviously can’t repeat if they want to make their first state tournament appearance since 1986. The Monarchs are led by their backcourt of
Carson Seuntjens
Carson
Seuntjens
6'1" | PG
Denison-Schleswig | 2023
State
IA
(14.2) and
Luke Wiebers
Luke
Wiebers
6'1" | SG
Denison-Schleswig | 2024
State
IA
(10.2), a pair of solid scoring threats who can make plays for others. Carroll has the better backcourt, and in big games, we’ll go with the better guards.
Our pick: Carroll
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