Substate Preview: 1A-1

<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/02/1A-1.png"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1383202" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/02/1A-1.png" alt="" width="1016" height="421" /></a> <h4>District 1</h4> The favorite: The only two losses on the resume for Newell-Fonda are to 2A #1 Western Christian and to a 3A Spencer team that has spent a majority of the season ranked within the top 10. The Mustangs earned the district’s top seed by playing well against a schedule comprised primarily of 2A opponents. They’ve played just four games against 1A teams this season and won those games by an average of 36.8 points a game. Their backcourt made up of junior [player_tooltip player_id="1167701" first="Carter" last="Sievers"] (19.4) and senior [player_tooltip player_id="962677" first="Trey" last="Jungers"] (12.7) is among the best in 1A and paces a high-powered offensive attack. This is a group that loves to get up and down, using their quickness and athleticism to force turnovers left and right and turn those turnovers into easy buckets on the other end. They got deep into their bench with six other players averaging between 3.9 and 9.3 points a game, so foul trouble won’t really hurt them like it would a majority of 1A teams. They’ll get their first two games at home, are battle-tested against bigger schools, and have absolutely dominated the 1A competition that they’ve faced this season. The Mustangs should be considered the favorite to take home this district title. The biggest threat: After a fantastic year last season, Gehlen Catholic came into this year with some high expectations, and they’ve probably failed to live up to them by their standards. But the Jays still have a team that has a lot of talent and will be a real threat in this district and substate. In senior wing [player_tooltip player_id="962690" first="Carter" last="DeRocher"] (17.7) and junior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="956881" first="Keaten" last="Bonderson"] (17.4), they have a dynamic tandem of perimeter scoring threats who can take over any given game. Neither has been as efficient this season as they were last year, but they are both capable of dominating games on a given night. This group does a pretty good job limiting turnovers (10.2 a game), and they’re a good free-throw shooting team, which will be key in late-game situations during the postseason. The dark horse: In senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="1158450" first="Dallas" last="Kluender"] (21.3, 11.6 rebounds), Woodbury Central has a dominant interior player who can control the game on both ends of the floor in the painted area. In a district without much size, Kluender could have his way against just about any team the Wildcats will match up with. Fellow senior [player_tooltip player_id="1163642" first="Aidan" last="O’Mara"] (15.2) provides some additional scoring punch as a wing scorer. Kluender’s younger brother Drew (6.4, 7.8 rebounds) is also a force on the glass, and as a team, the ’Cats are pulling down 14 offensive rebounds a game. Gaining that many second chances will be extremely valuable in playoff games that tend to slow down a bit. Players to watch 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1167701" first="Carter" last="Sievers"], Newell-Fonda 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="962677" first="Trey" last="Jungers"], Newell-Fonda 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="962690" first="Carter" last="DeRocher"], Gehlen Catholic 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="956881" first="Keaten" last="Bonderson"], Gehlen Catholic 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1158450" first="Dallas" last="Kluender"], Woodbury Central 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1163642" first="Aidan" last="O’Mara"], Woodbury Central 2022 Jackson Howe, Kingsley-Pierson 2022 Mason Laven, Storm Lake St. Mary’s 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1367461" first="Caleb" last="Burns"], River Valley   <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/02/1A-2.png"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1383203" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/02/1A-2.png" alt="" width="1018" height="413" /></a> <h4>District 2</h4> The favorite: St. Mary’s, Remsen has to be considered one of the biggest favorites in any district in 1A. The Hawks have been absolutely dominant so far this season, winning games by an average of 27 points a game, holding teams to 35.3 points a night and showcasing probably the best offensive team they’ve had in this recent run of impressive success. They have 23 and 21 point wins over the district’s #2 seed, South O’Brien, and are currently 9-0 against teams within the district. Junior wing [player_tooltip player_id="1167735" first="Jaxon" last="Bunkers"] (13.1) leads a balanced attack that sees all five starters averaging between 8.9 and 13.1 points a game, and this unit has been highly efficient, posting 54-38-62 shooting splits as a team. If there is any concern with St. Mary’s, it’s the free-throw line, but they’ve been so dominant defensively that teams are rarely ever close late. They should breeze through district play and have a chance to make their sixth straight trip to the state tournament. The biggest threat: The only other team in the district with a record above .500 is South O’Brien, and the suffocating 2-3 zone that they like to play can be a difficult matchup for teams. Junior big man [player_tooltip player_id="956890" first="Jake" last="Wallin"] (14.3, 8.6 rebounds, 1.9 blocks) is a force in the paint on both ends of the floor, a wall who can protect the rim and allow his guards to play a little more aggressively on the perimeter. The Wolverines don’t shoot it very well from the arc (25.1% as a team), but they do a great job limiting turnovers and getting to the free-throw line. Always a stingy defensive team, they also hold a season sweep of MMCRU, their likely semifinal opponent. The dark horse: Only three teams have played St. Mary’s within single digits this year, and one of them is lurking as their potential semifinal opponent - Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn. HMS is headlined by a pair of very talented junior scorers in [player_tooltip player_id="1167717" first="Lance" last="Berends"] (20.5, 13.4 rebounds) and [player_tooltip player_id="1367440" first="Kooper" last="Ebel"] (17.8). Berends does most of his damage inside the paint, while Ebel is a slashing wing, and either is capable of taking over a game as a scorer. Berends can also present some issues with his size and rim protection, as St. Mary’s isn’t a very big team. Players to watch 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1167735" first="Jaxon" last="Bunkers"]. St. Mary’s, Remsen 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="962656" first="Austin" last="Jensen"], St. Mary’s, Remsen 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="956890" first="Jake" last="Wallin"], South O’Brien 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1167717" first="Lance" last="Berends"], Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1367440" first="Kooper" last="Ebel"], Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn 2024 Mitchell Schnepf, MMCRU 2024 Dustin Hoksbergen, Trinity Christian 2023 Elijah Clayes, Siouxland Christian 2024 [player_tooltip player_id="1376715" first="Drew" last="Denekas"], George-Little Rock   <h3 style="text-align: center;">SUBSTATE FINAL PREDICTION</h3> Newell-Fonda vs. St. Mary's, Remsen If this substate final materializes, it will be one of the best finals in 1A. Newell-Fonda is a team that loves to get out and run, force turnovers, and convert them into easy points, while St. Mary's prefers to play at a little slower pace, using their dominant defense to suffocate teams. Both of these teams are really good and would have a shot at making a run when they get to Des Moines, but we'll give the edge to the veteran St. Mary's, Remsen squad, who have played in a ton of substate finals and won't be intimidated by the moment. The Hawks make their sixth straight trip to Des Moines in a classic substate final.