State Tournament: Tuesday Game Recaps

2A Quarterfinal: #6 Monticello 46, #3 Mid-Prairie 43

They say basketball is a game of runs, and perhaps no game this week exemplified that adage more than the first quarterfinal of the day on Tuesday, with sixth-seed Monticello outlasting third-seed Mid-Prairie, 46-43, to advance to Thursday’s semifinals. 

A tight, back-and-forth game throughout most of the first half, it looked like Monticello might be starting to run away with in late in the second quarter, using a 9-0 run to take a 27-18 lead into the break. Then things got interesting.

Mid-Prairie’s length and some ice-cold shooting from the Panthers helped the Hawks hold Monticello scoreless in the third quarter, and the drought extended into the fourth quarter, as Mid-Prairie went on a 17-0 run to take an eight-point lead. In all, Monticello was held scoreless for 11:35 of game time. 

Trailing 35-27 with 5:35 to play, the Panthers got an offensive rebound and putback from Ian Temple to end the long drought. That was followed up by a Preston Ries Preston Ries 6'1" | SF Monticello | 2024 State IA offensive rebound and putback and a 10-2 Panthers run to tie the game at 37 with 2:30 to play.

After forcing a Mid-Prairie turnover, Monticello got a clean look for 3 from Preston Ries Preston Ries 6'1" | SF Monticello | 2024 State IA , who buried it to give the Panthers a 40-37 lead with 1:09 to play. The Panthers went 6-6 from the line in the final minute to help ice away the win, giving Monticello the school’s first state tournament win since 1960.

Monticello (22-3) avenged a regular-season loss to the Hawks with the win. The Panthers were led by Tate Petersen Tate Petersen 6'1" | PG Monticello | 2023 State IA , who had a game-high 19 points. Preston Ries Preston Ries 6'1" | SF Monticello | 2024 State IA added 11 points and 9 rebounds.

Mid-Prairie’s season ends with a 24-1 record and the school’s first state tournament appearance since 2010. The Golden Hawks were led by Carter Harmsen Carter Harmsen 6'5" | SF Mid-Prairie | 2022 State IA , who finished a stellar career with 11 points and 8 rebounds. Will Cavanagh added 9 points in the loss. 

Monticello: Tate Petersen Tate Petersen 6'1" | PG Monticello | 2023 State IA 19, Preston Ries Preston Ries 6'1" | SF Monticello | 2024 State IA 11, Ian Temple 7, Caleb Sauser 6, Peyton Schilling 3
Mid-Prairie: Carter Harmsen Carter Harmsen 6'5" | SF Mid-Prairie | 2022 State IA 11, Will Cavanagh 9, Alex Bean Alex Bean 6'1" | PG Mid-Prairie | 2023 State IA 7, Jackson Pennington Jackson Pennington 5'10" | PG Mid-Prairie | 2022 State IA 5, Ethan Kos Ethan Kos 6'4" | PF Mid-Prairie | 2022 State IA 5, Justice Jones 4, Camron Pickard 2

Team stats
Monticello: 15-42 FG (35.7%), 9-25 3P (36.0%), 7-7 FT (100.0%), 21 rebounds (6 offensive), 6 assists, 12 turnovers
Mid-Prairie: 15-30 FG (50.0%), 3-10 3P (30.0%), 10-15 FT (66.7%), 23 rebounds (4 offensive), 5 assists, 18 turnovers

MVP: 2023 Tate Petersen Tate Petersen 6'1" | PG Monticello | 2023 State IA (Monticello) — 19 points (6-14 FG, 4-9 3P, 3-3 FT), 4 rebounds, 1 assist

Petersen delivered a few huge 3-pointers in the Panthers fourth quarter run to help them get back into the game after their long scoreless drought. The 6-1 lead guard is a heady ball-handler who does an excellent job using ball fakes and jab steps to get the defender off balance for that split second he needs to get by them and get to his shot. 

2A Quarterfinal: #2 Rock Valley 75, #7 Jesup 61

The swarming athleticism and length of second-seeded Rock Valley proved to be too much for seventh-seed Jesup on Tuesday afternoon, with the Rockets advancing to Thursday’s semifinals with a 75-61 win, cooling off what had been a red-hot Jesup team. 

The Rockets feature a relentless attack of athletes who fly all over the floor on the defensive end, forcing 16 J-Hawk turnovers and turning them into 21 points. After a back-and-forth first quarter, the Rockets firmly took control of the game in the second quarter and held a comfortable lead of at least three possessions the rest of the way, taking a 38-25 lead into the break and leading 52-45 after three. Jesup routinely made pushes to get the deficit back down to seven or eight points, and Rock Valley would quickly answer with a 6-0 spurt to push it back to double digits. 

Rock Valley (20-5) was led by Bryson Van Grootheest Bryson Van Grootheest 6'0" | CG Rock Valley | 2022 State IA , who was fantastic finishing with 28 points on 11-16 shooting in the win. Sam Remmerde Sam Remmerde 6'3" | PF Rock Valley | 2022 State IA had a huge second half and finished with 22 points and 14 rebounds, and Landyn Van Kekerix Landyn Van Kekerix 5'11" | SG Rock Valley | 2022 State IA battled foul trouble to finish with 13 points. The Rockets shot nearly 53% from the floor and looked excellent on both ends of the floor throughout.

Jesup’s season ends with a 19-6 record. The J-Hawks were led by Carson Lienau Carson Lienau 6'4" | PF Jesup | 2022 State IA , who ended a stellar career with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Corbin Fuelling had 16 points, and Jack Miller Jack Miller 6'1" | PG Jesup | 2024 State IA chipped in 10 in the loss. 

Jesup: Carson Lienau Carson Lienau 6'4" | PF Jesup | 2022 State IA 18, Corbin Fuelling 16, Jack Miller Jack Miller 6'1" | PG Jesup | 2024 State IA 10, Carter Even 7, Nolan Evans 3, Kamden Ochsner 3, Brevin Dahl 2, Parker McHone Parker McHone 5'8" | PG Jesup | 2022 State IA 2
Rock Valley: Bryson Van Grootheest Bryson Van Grootheest 6'0" | CG Rock Valley | 2022 State IA 28, Sam Remmerde Sam Remmerde 6'3" | PF Rock Valley | 2022 State IA 22, Landyn Van Kekerix Landyn Van Kekerix 5'11" | SG Rock Valley | 2022 State IA 13, Dawson Van Beek 8, Brycen Zomer 2, Lane Schmidt 2

Team stats
Jesup: 23-48 FG (47.9%), 6-10 3P (60.0%), 9-11 FT (81.8%), 25 rebounds (10 offensive), 5 assists, 16 turnovers
Rock Valley: 31-58 FG (53.4%), 4-14 3P (28.6%), 9-13 FT (69.2%), 31 rebounds (15 offensive), 15 assists, 12 turnovers

MVP: 2022 Sam Remmerde Sam Remmerde 6'3" | PF Rock Valley | 2022 State IA (Rock Valley) — 22 points (10-15 FG, 1-3 3P, 1-2 FT), 14 rebounds (9 offensive), 3 assists, 5 steals

You could certainly go with Van Grootheest here as well, as he as excellent, but it was Remmerde’s dominant showing in the second half (18 points, 7 rebounds) that earned him this nod. His work on the offensive glass was huge, and the 6-5 stretch-4 was strong in the paint on both ends of the floor all game long. 

3A Quarterfinal: #1 Dallas Center-Grimes 65, #8 Carroll 45

These teams met toward the end of January at the Gilbert Basketball Showcase, a game won by Dallas Center-Grimes by just three points in overtime. The top-seeded Mustangs made sure there wasn’t any drama this time around, rolling past eighth-seeded Carroll on Tuesday afternoon, 65-45, to advance to the 3A semifinals. The win was the first state tournament win in school history, and also coach Joel Rankin’s 300th career victory.

The Mustangs have been an excellent defensive team all year long, and that was the case again in this one, as nothing came easy for Carroll. They smothered Kaleb Booth Kaleb Booth 6'1" | SG Carroll | 2022 State IA , the Tigers star guard who came in averaging over 20 points a game, really making him work hard to get anything going, and the rest of the Tigers role players couldn’t produce enough to get anything going offensively.

After a back-and-forth first quarter, DCG grabbed firm control of the game in the second quarter, outscoring Carroll 17-6 in the frame to take a 30-18 lead into the locker rooms. They extended that lead to as much as 28 in the second half en route to the blowout win. Standout guard Cole Glasgow Cole Glasgow 6'3" | SG Dallas Center-Grimes | 2022 State IA appeared to be nursing a right ankle injury that seemed to have happened at some point in the third quarter and played sparingly in the second half, but the Mustangs didn’t need him much in this one. 

Dallas Center-Grimes (20-5) was led by Jackson Jones Jackson Jones 6'3" | SG Dallas Center Grimes | 2022 IA , who had a game-high 18 points, going 4-7 from behind the arc. He was excellent on both ends of the floor for DCG. Bo Huston Bo Huston 5'10" | SG Dallas Center-Grimes | 2022 State IA added 13 points, and Jacob Runyan Jacob Runyan 5'9" | PG Dallas Center-Grimes | 2022 State IA had 10 points and 10 assists in the win.  

Carroll’s season ends with a 16-9 record and the school’s first state tournament appearance since 2010. The Tigers were led by Kaleb Booth Kaleb Booth 6'1" | SG Carroll | 2022 State IA , who finished his excellent high school career with 12 points. Tanner Gotto chipped in 8 points off the bench.

Carroll: Kaleb Booth Kaleb Booth 6'1" | SG Carroll | 2022 State IA 12, Tanner Gotto 8, Nick Macke Nick Macke 5'10" | SG Carroll | 2022 State IA 7, Gus Collison 7, Evan Hammer 6, Everett Sampson 3, Caden Kock 2
Dallas Center-Grimes: Jackson Jones Jackson Jones 6'3" | SG Dallas Center Grimes | 2022 IA 18, Bo Huston Bo Huston 5'10" | SG Dallas Center-Grimes | 2022 State IA 13, Jacob Runyan Jacob Runyan 5'9" | PG Dallas Center-Grimes | 2022 State IA 10, Trevor Hamil 7, Cole Glasgow Cole Glasgow 6'3" | SG Dallas Center-Grimes | 2022 State IA 5, Blake Perrin 5, Calix Cahill Calix Cahill 6'5" | PF Dallas Center-Grimes | 2024 State IA 3, Tyler Baliff 2, Skyler Nolte 2

Team stats
Carroll: 17-47 FG (36.2%), 4-15 3P (26.7%), 7-9 FT (77.8%), 20 rebounds (6 offensive), 8 assists, 7 turnovers
Dallas Center-Grimes: 23-40 FG (57.5%), 9-21 3P (42.9%), 10-18 FT (55.6%), 31 rebounds (6 offensive), 19 assists, 11 turnovers

MVP: 2022 Jacob Runyan Jacob Runyan 5'9" | PG Dallas Center-Grimes | 2022 State IA (Dallas Center-Grimes) — 10 points (4-8 FG, 1-3 3P, 1-2 FT), 10 assists, 1 rebound

The Mustangs got great contributions from a number of players in this one, but it was Runyan who captained the ship on both ends of the floor, getting others involved at a high level and playing stellar defense against one of the best scorers in 3A.

3A Quarterfinal: #4 Winterset 81, #5 Marion 77 (OT)

At times, it resembled a track meet. At times, a football game. And at other times, some of the best basketball you’ll see this year. But it was always competitive on Tuesday night, as fourth-seeded Winterset outlasted fifth-seeded Marion in a fantastic 3A quarterfinal, 81-77 in overtime, advancing to play top-seed Dallas Center-Grimes on Thursday afternoon in the semifinals. 

Neither team led by more than two possessions, with Marion’s largest lead being five points in the second quarter, and Winterset’s largest advantage six points early in the third quarter. The teams traded blows across all four quarters of regulation. With Winterset leading 69-65 with 1:18 to play, Marion got a layup from Payton Hodges, then Alex Mota Alex Mota 6'1" | SG Marion | 2023 State IA stole the ensuing inbounds pass and got a layup to tie it at 69. Dawson Forgy Dawson Forgy 5'11" | PG Winterset | 2022 State IA got a pretty good look at a game-winning 3-pointer at the horn, but it fell short and headed to overtime.

In the overtime, Winterset scored the first points on a pair of Brayden Dinkla Brayden Dinkla 6'0" | PG Winterset | 2023 State IA free throws and never trailed. Dinkla and Marion’s star guard Brayson Laube Brayson Laube 6'2" | PG Marion | 2023 State IA went shot-for-shot with each other throughout the second half, with Dinkla putting up 24 points in the second half and Laube scoring 28. 

For a grieving community in Winterset following the week’s tornado, the Huskies delivered a memorable game and a respite for 36 minutes on a Tuesday afternoon.

Winterset (20-5) was led by Brayden Dinkla Brayden Dinkla 6'0" | PG Winterset | 2023 State IA , who was stellar finishing with 26 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. Nathan Avery Nathan Avery 6'3" | SF Winterset | 2022 State IA had 22 points, Levi Gurwell Levi Gurwell 6'0" | SG Winterset | 2022 State IA 16, and Charlie McDonald Charlie McDonald 6'2" | SF Winterset | 2023 State IA was big off the bench with 11 points and 12 rebounds.

Marion’s season ends with a 19-6 record. The Wolves were led by Brayson Laube Brayson Laube 6'2" | PG Marion | 2023 State IA , who delivered a fantastic performance, finishing with 35 points. Alex Mota Alex Mota 6'1" | SG Marion | 2023 State IA had 16 and Payton Hodges added 13 points in the loss. Four starters and all of the bench contributors return for Marion, so expect the Wolves to be among the top contenders in 3A next season.

Marion: Brayson Laube Brayson Laube 6'2" | PG Marion | 2023 State IA 35, Alex Mota Alex Mota 6'1" | SG Marion | 2023 State IA 16, Payton Hodges 13, Boede Rahe 8, Calen Claypool 5
Winterset: Brayden Dinkla Brayden Dinkla 6'0" | PG Winterset | 2023 State IA 26, Nathan Avery Nathan Avery 6'3" | SF Winterset | 2022 State IA 22, Levi Gurwell Levi Gurwell 6'0" | SG Winterset | 2022 State IA 16, Charlie McDonald Charlie McDonald 6'2" | SF Winterset | 2023 State IA 11, Dawson Forgy Dawson Forgy 5'11" | PG Winterset | 2022 State IA 4, Blake Bellamy 2

Team stats
Marion: 28-58 FG (48.3%), 4-16 3P (25.0%), 17-23 FT (73.9%), 34 rebounds (10 offensive), 10 assists, 16 turnovers
Winterset: 29-62 FG (46.8%), 7-18 3P (38.9%), 16-23 FT (69.6%), 34 rebounds (11 offensive), 11 assists, 14 turnovers

MVPs: 2023 Brayden Dinkla Brayden Dinkla 6'0" | PG Winterset | 2023 State IA (Winterset) — 26 points (9-18 FG, 0-1 3P, 8-11 FT), 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals; 2023 Brayson Laube Brayson Laube 6'2" | PG Marion | 2023 State IA (Marion) — 35 points (12-23 FG, 1-7 3P, 10-10 FT), 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal

These two were sensational in the second half, delivering excellent performances and a great game. They both attacked the rim relentlessly and showed their ability to score from anywhere. 

3A Quarterfinal: #7 Central DeWitt 67, #2 Decorah 59

In the battle of speed versus size, size won out on Tuesday evening, with seventh-seeded Central DeWitt using their overwhelming size advantage to bully second-seeded Decorah en route to a 67-59 win, advancing to the 3A semifinals where they await the winner of the Assumption/Humboldt game still to come. 

Decorah rolled through the regular season on the strength of a potent, balanced offense that looks to relentlessly attack the rim and turn their defense into easy offense. They forced turnovers on Tuesday night, but struggled to turn them into points, as the Sabers quickly got back on defense, and the Vikings found scoring on the length of the Sabers in the halfcourt to be extremely difficult. In all, Decorah forced 18 turnovers, but managed to turn them into just 5 points in the game. 

Decorah held a 7-6 lead in the first quarter, but it was all Central DeWitt after that. Shawn Gilbert Shawn Gilbert 6'7" | PF Central DeWitt | 2022 State IA , the Sabers standout 6-9 big man, was unstoppable in the first half, scoring 10 points and grabbing 8 rebounds as the Sabers built a 27-21 halftime lead. They held a 17-4 edge on the boards in the first half, limiting a Vikings team that has thrived on the offensive glass all year to just one offensive rebound in the first 16 minutes. 

The Vikings came out of the locker rooms hot, pulling back to within a point, 31-30, with 3:40 left in the third quarter, but Central DeWitt closed the quarter on an 11-0 run and grab control of the game. 

The Sabers got a scare in the third quarter when Gilbert went down with an apparent knee injury after colliding with a Decorah player on a loose ball. Gilbert appeared to be in a lot of pain and was helped off the floor and back to the locker room, but came running back out of the tunnel several minutes later. He didn’t come back into the game, but the Sabers lead never got back within single digits, so it wasn’t necessary to risk his return. 

Central DeWitt (19-6) was led by Gibson McEwen Gibson McEwen 6'1" | SG Central DeWitt | 2022 State IA , who had a game-high 24 points, including 13-14 from the line. Shawn Gilbert Shawn Gilbert 6'7" | PF Central DeWitt | 2022 State IA had 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Ryan Watters contributed 10 points and 15 rebounds off the bench. The Sabers held a 35-24 rebounding edge.

Decorah’s season ends with a 22-2 record and the school’s first state tournament appearance since 1977. The Vikings were led by Treyton McCain Treyton McCain 6'1" | PG Decorah | 2024 State IA , who had 22 points. Joseph Bockman Joseph Bockman 5'10" | PG Decorah | 2022 State IA had 14 and Noah Storts Noah Storts 6'2" | PF Decorah | 2022 State IA chipped in 11. 

Central DeWitt: Gibson McEwen Gibson McEwen 6'1" | SG Central DeWitt | 2022 State IA 24, Shawn Gilbert Shawn Gilbert 6'7" | PF Central DeWitt | 2022 State IA 16, Ryan Watters 10, Gus Pickup 7, Matthew Watters Matthew Watters 6'2" | SF Central DeWitt | 2023 State IA 5, Paul Kuehn 3, Carter Drury 1, Brady Petersen 1
Decorah: Treyton McCain Treyton McCain 6'1" | PG Decorah | 2024 State IA 22, Joseph Bockman Joseph Bockman 5'10" | PG Decorah | 2022 State IA 14, Noah Storts Noah Storts 6'2" | PF Decorah | 2022 State IA 11, Ben Bockman Ben Bockman 6'4" | SF Decorah | 2024 State IA 5, Carson Wemark 4, Jacob Pipho 3

Team stats
Central DeWitt: 18-32 FG (56.3%), 3-5 3P (60.0%), 28-37 FT (75.7%), 35 rebounds (7 offensive), 7 assists, 18 turnovers
Decorah: 21-51 FG (41.2%), 6-17 3P (35.3%), 11-22 FT (50.0%), 24 rebounds (10 offensive), 7 assists, 8 turnovers

MVP: 2025 Ryan Watters (Central DeWitt) — 10 points (3-3 FG, 4-4 FT), 15 rebounds (5 offensive), 1 block

While his older brother battled foul trouble, Watters stepped up and played huge minutes off the bench. The 6-5 freshman played 28 minutes and helped lead a dominant effort on the glass for the Sabers while scoring efficiently around the rim and knocking down all of his free throws. 

3A Quarterfinal: #3 Assumption 69, #6 Humboldt 65 (OT)

Third-seeded Assumption got a major scare from sixth-seed Humboldt on Tuesday night, surviving an overtime thriller with a 69-65 win to advance to the 3A semifinals.

Humboldt, who has made and attempted more 3-pointers than any other team in the 3A field, got out of the gates lightning quick, knocking down their first four 3-point attempts and burying six of their first nine from behind the arc to build a 22-13 lead after the first quarter. Most teams that come into Wells Fargo Arena for the first time struggle to shoot, but that was not the case for the Wildcats, who came out playing aggressive and letting it fly. 

They were able to extend their lead up to as many as 14 points in the second quarter and took a 35-27 edge into the halftime break. They extended their lead to 12 points, 49-37, by the end of the third quarter and looked like they were just a minute or two away from landing the knockout blow on the Knights. 

Assumption was able to trim the lead down to 4 points, 55-51, with 2:56 to play after a 3-pointer from Ivan Prug. Humboldt guard Caden Matson made three out of four free throws over the next minute to push the lead back up to seven points with 1:25 remaining. Luke Klostermann was fouled and made both free throws, then the Knights got a steal and a Klostermann layup plus the foul, trimming the deficit down to two points. Matson split a pair of free throws, then Jay Costello got to the rim for a bucket plus the foul with 8.8 seconds left to tie the game. Will Orness Will Orness 6'1" | SG Humboldt | 2023 State IA got off a clean look from 3 for the win, but it fell short and the game headed to overtime. The Knights played the final 1:38 without Prug, and the final 1:26 without Noah Mack Noah Mack 6'0" | SG Assumption | 2022 State IA after each of them fouled out, leaving them to play the extra period without their top two scorers. 

Humboldt was able to grab a 64-61 lead with 1:01 left in the overtime, then Rico Byrd attacked the rim and scored. Will Orness Will Orness 6'1" | SG Humboldt | 2023 State IA split a pair of free throws then Luke Klostermann buried a 3-pointer with 16 seconds left to give the Knights a 66-65 lead. Before the Klostermann 3, Jay Costello had gotten to the rim and missed. Orness came down with the rebound but was called for a foul for swinging his elbows after pulling down the board and Assumption got the ball back. Klostermann buried the 3, and the Knights went on to win after Humboldt turned it over twice and Assumption went 3-4 from the line.

Assumption (20-5) was led by Noah Mack Noah Mack 6'0" | SG Assumption | 2022 State IA , who had 17 points before fouling out. Luke Klostermann had 16 points and 10 rebounds and was huge in the extra period, and Rico Byrd added 10 points off the bench. 

Humboldt’s season ends with a 21-4 record and the first state tournament appearance since 2014. The Wildcats were led by Will Orness Will Orness 6'1" | SG Humboldt | 2023 State IA who had 17 points. Ben Kuehnast had 13 points and 11 rebounds, and Trevor Jacobson had 12 in the loss. The ’Cats were 10-21 from behind the arc, but just 11-23 from the free-throw line.

Humboldt: Will Orness Will Orness 6'1" | SG Humboldt | 2023 State IA 17, Ben Kuehnast 13, Trevor Jacobson 12, Caden Matson 9, Joshua Thurm 9, Jacob Heier 5
Assumption: Noah Mack Noah Mack 6'0" | SG Assumption | 2022 State IA 17, Luke Klostermann 16, Rico Byrd 10, Jay Costello 9, Ivan Prug 9, JJ Stratman JJ Stratman 6'2" | SG Assumption | 2022 State IA 8

Team stats
Humboldt: 22-53 FG (41.5%), 10-21 3P (47.6%), 11-23 FT (47.8%), 39 rebounds (9 offensive), 14 assists, 16 turnovers
Assumption: 22-55 FG (40.0%), 10-29 3P (34.5%), 15-21 FT (71.4%), 34 rebounds (6 offensive), 11 assists, 14 turnovers

MVP: 2023 Luke Klostermann (Assumption) — 16 points (5-7 FG, 2-3 3P, 4-5 FT), 10 rebounds (2 offensive), 2 assists, 4 steals

The 6-3 wing was huge in the fourth quarter and overtime for the Knights, scoring 11 of his 16 points in those periods, including the huge 3-pointer that ended up being the game-winner.