Substate Preview: 1A-1
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District 1 The favorite: The top seed in the district, North Union, has put together the best season in school history, racking up an 18-2 record behind a quartet of double-figure scorers. An experienced group, their top five scorers are…
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Continue ReadingDistrict 1
The favorite: The top seed in the district, North Union, has put together the best season in school history, racking up an 18-2 record behind a quartet of double-figure scorers. An experienced group, their top five scorers are all seniors. They’re led by the forward tandem of Kody Irmiter (11.8, 8.1 rebounds) and Aiden Lofstrom Aiden Lofstrom 6'3" | SF North Union | 2024 State IA (11.2, 7.6 rebounds), a pair of dominant rebounders who have controlled the painted area on both ends of the floor and scoring efficiently around the rim. Preston Guerdet (10.8, 37.6 3P%) is the team’s best perimeter shooting threat, while Danyal Fothergill (10.5) is a reliable secondary ball-handler and playmaker alongside Kyan Jones Kyan Jones 5'11" | PG North Union | 2024 State IA (7.8, 5.7 assists), who will be one of the best lead guards in the substate. A strong defensive team that is allowing just 45.2 points a game, they hold quality wins over Estherville-Lincoln Central and Lake Mills.
The biggest threat: Despite being the third seed in the district, and having to go on the road for their district semifinal matchup, St. Edmond is the biggest threat to North Union in this district. The Gaels play in the 3A-dominant North Central Conference and have been solid since the holiday break, going 7-5 after the hiatus with all five losses coming against 3A competition. Sophomore forward Hunter Horn Hunter Horn 6'5" | SF St. Edmonds | 2026 State IA (20.3, 11.1 rebounds) is a 6-4 efficient scorer and dominant rebounder who will be a difficult matchup for most teams in the district. Sam Mericle Sam Mericle 6'1" | PG St. Edmond | 2024 State IA (13.7, 39.0 3P%) is a good perimeter shooter and scorer, and as a whole, they have three reliable shooting threats in Mericle, Grant Galles (5.1, 36.7 3P%) and JT Laufersweiler (5.1, 35.1 3P%).
The dark horse: If there’s one thing we know about Newell-Fonda, it’s that they’re always going to be a potent offensive team, and this year is no exception, with four players averaging in double-figures, and one more just outside that mark. They play a four-guard lineup, with sophomore guard Jacksyn Hogrefe (13.6) and juniors Mason Hoberman (11.7), Max Carlson (11.2), and Guyson Lyman (9.7, 4.2 assists), giving them four reliable ball-handlers who are each capable of playing with or without the ball. Those four play around senior forward Eli Roberts (10.3), giving them five viable scorers whose games complement each other well. Defense and size will be the question for this group, and size could be an issue against St. Edmond in the district semifinals, but if they can get past the Gaels, they have the firepower to play with North Union.
Players to watch
2024 Kody Irmiter, North Union
2024
Aiden Lofstrom
Aiden
Lofstrom
6'3" | SF
North Union | 2024
State
IA
, North Union
2024 Preston Guerdet, North Union
2024 Danyal Fothergill, North Union
2024
Kyan Jones
Kyan
Jones
5'11" | PG
North Union | 2024
State
IA
, North Union
2026 Jacksyn Hogrefe, Newell-Fonda
2025 Mason Hoberman, Newell-Fonda
2025 Max Carlson, Newell-Fonda
2024 Eli Roberts, Newell-Fonda
2025 Blayne Smith, Ar-We-Va
2024 Emmett Neumann, Ar-We-Va
2026 Wyatt Ragaller, Ar-We-Va
2024 Jack Bloom, Alta-Aurelia
2024 Ayden Dullea, Alta-Aurelia
2026
Hunter Horn
Hunter
Horn
6'5" | SF
St. Edmonds | 2026
State
IA
, St. Edmond
2024
Sam Mericle
Sam
Mericle
6'1" | PG
St. Edmond | 2024
State
IA
, St. Edmond
2025 Kasey Hough, GTRA
2026 Sullivan Hall, GTRA
2024 Dustin Hoksbergen, Trinity Christian
2024 Sam Schnepf, Sibley-Ocheyedan
District 2
The favorite: Three double-figure scorers pace a South O’Brien team that has been impressive this season, rolling to a 15-3 record as of the time of writing. Junior guard Derek Paulsen (16.3, 36.1 3P%) leads the team in scoring and rebounding, while David Bottjen (13.3) and Willie Conley (12.2) are a pair of veterans with a lot of experience. Their 2-3 zone can be difficult for opposing teams to crack, especially when seeing it for the first time. They shouldn’t have too many issues getting out of the top of the bracket and reaching the district final, where either MMCRU, who they split with, or IKM-Manning, one of the hottest teams in 1A, will likely be waiting.
The biggest threat: IKM-Manning has been really good since the holiday break, going 8-2 during that stretch, with their only two losses coming to Treynor and Underwood, a pair of ranked 2A teams. The Wolves are led by a pair of big-time scorers in sophomore guard Ben Ramsey Ben Ramsey 6'0" | PG IKM-Manning | 2026 State IA (15.9, 40.3 3P%) and senior wing Ross Kusel (15.3), giving them a pair of dynamic scorers who can take over a game at any point in time. Senior guards Lane Sams (9.7, 35.5 3P%) and Justin Segebart (5.1, 37.9 3P%) are both solid shooting threats as well who can help space the floor and knock down open looks. They’ll have to go on the road for their district semifinal meeting with MMCRU, but this team is good enough, and playing well enough, to win this district.
The dark horse: MMCRU has clinched their first winning season since the 2013-14 season when they went 13-10. They’re limping a bit heading into the postseason, having lost three straight games, but they split with South O’Brien during the regular season, so they should have some confidence that they can play with the Wolverines if they meet for a third time. Sophomore wing Brayson Mulder Brayson Mulder 6'3" | SF MMCRU | 2026 State IA (14.2) is the only player averaging in double-figures, and this is a team that likes to play at a little more deliberate pace, using a strong defense to try and suffocate teams. Kyler Bork Kyler Bork 6'1" | SG MMCRU | 2024 IA (8.7) is a reliable playmaker in the backcourt, and Michael Peterson (8.4, 6.6 rebounds) is a good interior presence on both ends of the floor. The Royals don’t shoot it well from deep (26.1 3P%), but they do a good job forcing turnovers and pounding the offensive glass to help gain more possessions.
Players to watch
2025 Derek Paulsen, South O’Brien
2024 David Bottjen, South O’Brien
2024 Willie Conley, South O’Brien
2026
Brayson Mulder
Brayson
Mulder
6'3" | SF
MMCRU | 2026
State
IA
, MMCRU
2025 Michael Peterson, MMCRU
2025
Brody Muenchrath
Brody
Muenchrath
6'0" | SG
Westwood | 2025
State
IA
, Westwood
2025 Wes Vana, Logan-Magnolia
2026 Adam Roden, Logan-Magnolia
2024 Mason McIntosh, West Harrison
2026
Ben Ramsey
Ben
Ramsey
6'0" | PG
IKM-Manning | 2026
State
IA
, IKM-Manning
2024 Ross Kusel, IKM-Manning
2024 Aiden Holverson, West Monona
2024 Jeriah Sorensen, West Monona
SUBSTATE FINAL PREDICTION
North Union vs. South O’Brien
North Union is an extremely balanced, talented team that plays good defense and has put together an all-time season for the school. Despite being senior-heavy, they don’t have much postseason experience, which could be a factor in this district and substate. That said, could they be a team of destiny? It kind of has that type of feel. For the first time in school history, the North Union Warriors head to Des Moines.