State Tournament: Championship Friday Game Recaps

1A Championship: #1 Grand View Christian 63, #2 North Linn 46

The first thing that people notice when they look at Grand View Christian's roster is the overwhelming size. There's the 7-0 Daniel Tobiloba Daniel Tobiloba 7'0" | C Grand View Christian | 2023 State IA . There's the 6-9 Emiliano Barrantes Emiliano Barrantes 6'9" | PF Grand View Christian | 2025 State IA . There's the 6-5 Noah John Noah John 6'3" | PF Grand View Christian | 2024 State IA . But this week, and all season, the biggest difference-maker has been the 5-11 Josh Sanderson Josh Sanderson 5'10" | PG Grand View Christian | 2023 State IA , who concluded a tremendous run through this week with a state tournament title, as Grand View Christian capped off their undefeated season with a 63-46 win over North Linn. This is the fourth state title in school history, their first since winning three straight from 2017-19.

North Linn jumped out of the gates early in this one, taking an early 10-4 lead on the strength of their quickness and shooting. They were beating the bigger Thunder to loose offensive rebounds, and knocking down their 3s early, which was what they were going to need to do if they were going to pull off the upset. The Lynx led 21-17 after the first quarter.

Grand View Christian opened up the second quarter on one of their patented runs, scoring 13 of the first 16 points to grab a 30-24 lead with 3:21 left in the half, and the Thunder held a 32-30 lead at the break.

The size, length, and quickness of the Thunder eventually won out, however, as they broke the game open in the third quarter, outscoring the Lynx 19-8 in the frame and taking a comfortable 13-point lead into the fourth quarter. In the fourth, it was Sanderson who iced the game away, using his blazing speed and tight handles to routinely dribble out 25-30 seconds of the shot clock, then still get into the paint and get a quality look. North Linn wasn't able to get the ball out of his hands, and he made them pay.

Grand View Christian closes out the perfect season with a 27-0 record and with only one game decided by single digits all season. The Thunder were led by Josh Sanderson Josh Sanderson 5'10" | PG Grand View Christian | 2023 State IA and Noah John Noah John 6'3" | PF Grand View Christian | 2024 State IA , who each had 18 points. Sanderson was named captain of the all-tournament team, and Daniel Tobiloba Daniel Tobiloba 7'0" | C Grand View Christian | 2023 State IA joined him.

North Linn's season ends with a 26-1 record and a sixth consecutive appearance in a state championship game. The Lynx were led by Tate Haughenbury Tate Haughenbury 6'5" | PF North Linn | 2023 State IA , who concluded a stellar career with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Ben Wheatley Ben Wheatley 6'1" | SG North Linn | 2023 State IA , also playing his final game for North Linn, had 13 points in the loss. The Lynx will once again be one of the best teams in 1A basketball next season, bringing back three starters and nearly every key role player from this year's team.

Team stats
North Linn: 18-49 FG (36.7%), 6-14 3P (42.9%), 4-10 FT (40.0%), 25 rebounds (6 offensive), 6 assists, 5 turnovers
Grand View Christian: 28-57 FG (49.1%), 4-15 3P (26.7%), 3-9 FT (33.3%), 41 rebounds (13 offensive), 7 assists, 6 turnovers

MVP: Josh Sanderson Josh Sanderson 5'10" | PG Grand View Christian | 2023 State IA (Grand View Christian) -- 18 points (7-16 FG, 3-6 3P, 1-1 FT), 2 rebounds, 3 assists

You could make a really strong argument for Noah John Noah John 6'3" | PF Grand View Christian | 2024 State IA here as well, but Sanderson's ability to control the clock and still get quality looks made a North Linn comeback impossible. He concluded a great week with another fantastic performance.

All-tournament team: Tate Haughenbury Tate Haughenbury 6'5" | PF North Linn | 2023 State IA (North Linn), Daniel Tobiloba Daniel Tobiloba 7'0" | C Grand View Christian | 2023 State IA (Grand View Christian), Collin Homan Collin Homan 6'5" | PF Remsen St. Mary's | 2025 State IA (Remsen, St. Mary's), Sage Evans Sage Evans 6'2" | PF West Harrison | 2023 State IA (West Harrison), Mason Bechen Mason Bechen 6'1" | PG North Linn | 2025 State IA (North Linn), Josh Sanderson Josh Sanderson 5'10" | PG Grand View Christian | 2023 State IA (Grand View Christian, captain)

2A Championship: #1 Central Lyon 72, #3 Western Christian 59

In the time it takes to brush your teeth, Central Lyon put together a run that captured them a state championship, beating Western Christian 72-59 on Friday afternoon to take home the school's first boys state basketball championship.

Two teams that weren't separated by much this week, that stayed true to form for a majority of this championship game as well. Central Lyon held a 16-13 lead after the first quarter, and the teams were tied at 32 heading into the half.

Western Christian scored the first six points of the second half, grabbing a 38-32 lead. Central Lyon battled back again to tie it at 44 with about a minute to play in the third quarter.

Central Lyon got 3-pointers from Ephraim Hoefert Ephraim Hoefert 6'8" | SF Central Lyon | 2025 State IA and Josh Elbert in the final 55 seconds of the quarter to give them a 50-44 edge after three. Zach Lutmer Zach Lutmer 6'1" | PG Central Lyon | 2023 IA opened the fourth quarter with another 3, then Reece Vander Zee Reece Vander Zee 6'5" | SF Central Lyon | 2024 State IA scored inside, giving them another five points in the first 49 seconds of the fourth quarter. 11 points in 104 seconds. Ball game. State title heading to Rock Rapids.

After finishing second here last year, Central Lyon has been on a mission all year to get back to this spot, and to complete the task, and they did just that.

Central Lyon finishes the season with a 24-1 record and a state championship to put with their football state title won back in November. The Lions were led by Zach Lutmer Zach Lutmer 6'1" | PG Central Lyon | 2023 IA , who concluded a stellar high school career with 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. He's headed to Iowa to play football next season. Reece Vander Zee Reece Vander Zee 6'5" | SF Central Lyon | 2024 State IA had 21 points, and Andrew Austin Andrew Austin 6'6" | PF Central Lyon | 2023 State IA chipped in 17 in the win. Lutmer, Vander Zee, and Austin all were named to the all-tournament team, with Austin being named captain. The Lions shot 58% from the floor, 47% from 3, and 82.4% from the line. That type of efficiency will win you a lot of games.

Western Christian's season ends with a 22-4 record and their 12th appearance in a state championship game. The Wolfpack were led by Tate Van Regenmorter Tate Van Regenmorter 6'5" | PF Western Christian | 2023 State IA , who had 19 points. Kaden Van Regenmorter Kaden Van Regenmorter 6'4" | SF Western Christian | 2025 State IA chipped in 10 in the balanced attack. Kaden Van Regenmorter Kaden Van Regenmorter 6'4" | SF Western Christian | 2025 State IA and Karsten Moret Karsten Moret 6'3" | SG Western Christian | 2025 State IA will return among the starters, and Western Christian is Western Christian; they'll be back.

Team stats
Western Christian: 23-56 FG (41.1%), 3-16 3P (18.8%), 10-12 FT (83.3%), 28 rebounds (11 offensive), 7 assists, 12 turnovers
Central Lyon: 25-43 FG (58.1%), 8-17 3P (47.1%), 14-17 FT (82.4%), 26 rebounds (3 offensive), 13 assists, 13 turnovers

MVP: 2023 Zach Lutmer Zach Lutmer 6'1" | PG Central Lyon | 2023 IA (Central Lyon) -- 25 points (7-12 FG, 2-5 3P, 9-10 FT), 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal

As he did in November with the Central Lyon/George-Little Rock football team, Lutmer stepped his game up when it mattered most and led his team to a state championship. A flat-out winner who saved his best performance of the week for last, he was dominant in all facets, in complete control.

All-tournament team: Zach Lutmer Zach Lutmer 6'1" | PG Central Lyon | 2023 IA (Central Lyon), Reece Vander Zee Reece Vander Zee 6'5" | SF Central Lyon | 2024 State IA (Central Lyon), Tate Van Regenmorter Tate Van Regenmorter 6'5" | PF Western Christian | 2023 State IA (Western Christian), Luke Patton Luke Patton 6'5" | PF Roland-Story | 2023 State IA (Roland-Story), Kaden Van Regenmorter Kaden Van Regenmorter 6'4" | SF Western Christian | 2025 State IA (Western Christian), Andrew Austin Andrew Austin 6'6" | PF Central Lyon | 2023 State IA (Central Lyon, captain)

3A Championship: #1 Bondurant-Farrar 58, #2 Xavier 55

Bondurant-Farrar completed their undefeated season on Friday night, coming back from a nine-point second-half deficit to beat Cedar Rapids Xavier 58-55, taking home their first state championship since 1997.

This was a back-and-forth game throughout, with nine lead changes and seven ties, including five in the first half. Xavier took a narrow 25-24 advantage into the break after a Tyler Netolicky Tyler Netolicky 6'8" | C Xavier | 2024 State IA offensive rebound and putback.

The Saints came out of the break hot, going on a 12-4 run to open the half and take a 37-28 lead midway through the third quarter. Some teams would fold against a team as talented as the Saints, facing that type of deficit. But not this team. Not this year.

Colby Collison Colby Collison 6'4" | SF Bondurant-Farrar | 2023 State IA , the Bluejays leading scorer this season, started to post up more and had a bunch of success, scoring nine third quarter points and the Jays as a whole gave up shooting jumpers and took the ball to the rim relentlessly in the second half.

Bondurant-Farrar controlled the final eight minutes, opening the quarter with a 9-3 spurt to grab a brief 46-45 lead. Xavier answered with the next five, and held a 52-50 lead with 1:43 to play. Collison made a pair of free throws to tie it at 52. Following a Xavier miss, Jaxson Fried Jaxson Fried 6'6" | SF Bondurant-Farrar | 2023 State IA scored inside to give the Jays a 54-52 lead.

Aidan Yamilkoski Aidan Yamilkoski 6'4" | SG Xavier | 2023 State IA answered with an Ali Farokhmanesh-esque shot to give Xavier the 55-54 lead with 50 seconds to play, but then committed a foul on the ensuing Bluejay possession, fouling him out and giving the Jays a chance to take the lead. Reed Pfaltzgraff made both of his free throws to take a 56-55 lead. Xavier turned it over with 4 seconds left, Pfaltzgraff made two more free throws, and the Bluejays are your Class 3A state champions.

Bondurant-Farrar closes the season with a perfect 26-0 record. They were led by Colby Collison Colby Collison 6'4" | SF Bondurant-Farrar | 2023 State IA , who had 19 points. Reed Pfaltzgraff had 15, and Jaxson Fried Jaxson Fried 6'6" | SF Bondurant-Farrar | 2023 State IA chipped in 10. Fried and Cole Miller Cole Miller 5'10" | PG Bondurant-Farrar | 2025 State IA were voted onto the all-tournament team.

Xavier's season ends with a 20-7 record. The Saints were led by Aidan Yamilkoski Aidan Yamilkoski 6'4" | SG Xavier | 2023 State IA , who had 17 points. Tyler Netolicky Tyler Netolicky 6'8" | C Xavier | 2024 State IA had 14, Josef Lemker Josef Lemker 6'2" | SG Xavier | 2023 State IA 13, and Joseph Bean Joseph Bean 6'3" | PG Kennedy | 2024 State IA 11 in the loss. The Saints will bring back Bean and Netolicky, and should be in contention in 3A again next season.

Team stats
Xavier: 20-51 FG (39.2%), 6-17 3P (35.3%), 9-17 FT (52.9%), 28 rebounds (8 offensive), 7 assists, 10 turnovers
Bondurant-Farrar: 18-39 FG (46.2%), 2-9 3P (22.2%), 20-26 FT (76.9%), 30 rebounds (3 offensive), 4 assists, 11 turnovers

MVP: 2023 Colby Collison Colby Collison 6'4" | SF Bondurant-Farrar | 2023 State IA (Bondurant-Farrar) -- 19 points (5-8 FG, 9-11 FT), 2 rebounds

4A Championship: #4 Valley 75, #3 Northwest 67

The path to the Class 4A championship for the next two years will very clearly be going through West Des Moines. Four sophomores in the starting lineup? No problem for this group, as their supreme talent and athleticism carried them to the Class 4A championship on Friday night, knocking off Waukee Northwest 75-67. Good luck, rest of the state.

These Tigers play well beyond their years. They're disciplined defensively, efficient offensively, and have an overwhelming amount of length, athleticism, and talent. They suffocated Northwest's stars, completely taking Cade Kelderman Cade Kelderman 6'0" | PG Waukee Northwest | 2023 State IA out of the game, and making life difficult for Pryce Sandfort Pryce Sandfort 6'7" | SF Waukee Northwest | 2023 State #123 Nation IA throughout.

A tight game throughout the first 11 minutes was blown open late in the second quarter when Valley went on a 14-3 run to take a 32-22 lead, and Northwest never got back to closer than five points the rest of the way. Xzavion Robinson Xzavion Robinson 6'1" | PG Valley | 2025 State #342 Nation IA was simply unstoppable, delivering one of the performances of the tournament with 28 points on 9-12 shooting.

Valley ends the season with a 21-5 record and the school's third state championship. Xzavion Robinson Xzavion Robinson 6'1" | PG Valley | 2025 State #342 Nation IA had 28 points to lead the way. Curtis Stinson Jr Curtis Stinson Jr 6'5" | SG Western Reserve | 2025 State #157 Nation OH . had 19 points, Kiki Deng Kiki Deng 6'4" | SG Valley | 2025 State IA had 12 points, and Trevin Jirak Trevin Jirak 6'9" | C Valley | 2025 State #349 Nation IA had 8. Sophomores accounted for 67 of their 75 points. They will be a formidable favorite each of the next two years. Stinson and Robinson were named to the all-tournament team, with Robinson being named cap

Northwest's season ends with a 23-3 record. The Wolves were led by Grant Tigges Grant Tigges 6'4" | SG Waukee Northwest | 2024 State IA , who had 27 points. Pryce Sanndfort had 19 in his final high school game. Tigges is the only starter who will be back. Sandfort and Cade Kelderman Cade Kelderman 6'0" | PG Waukee Northwest | 2023 State IA were named to the all-tournament team.

Team stats
Valley: 29-47 FG (61.7%), 7-14 3P (50%), 10-16 FT (62.5%), 26 rebounds (4 offensive), 11 assists, 9 turnovers
Northwest: 25-49 FG (51.0%), 9-19 3P (47.4%), 8-12 FT (66.7%), 22 rebounds (5 offensive), 10 assists, 9 turnovers

MVP: 2025 Xzavion Robinson Xzavion Robinson 6'1" | PG Valley | 2025 State #342 Nation IA (Valley) -- 28 points (9-12 FG, 3-5 3P, 7-8 FT), 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal

Robinson was far and away the best player on the floor in this one. In constant attack mode, he was absolutely dominant offensively, scoring from all three levels and providing some major highglights.