Substate Preview: 1A-7

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/1A-13.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/1A-13.png?w=612" alt="" class="wp-image-2341973" /></a></figure>   District 13   The favorite: The top seed in the district is Lynnville-Sully, and deservedly so. The Hawks have lost just once this season, to undefeated Keota, and they have an experienced team that is led by three seniors in [player_tooltip player_id='2377418' first='Mitchell' last='Miller'] (13.6, 36.7 3P%), [player_tooltip player_id='1376719' first='Klayton' last='Van Dyke'] (12.2, 2.0 blocks), and [player_tooltip player_id='1171666' first='Corder' last='Noun Harder'] (8.1, 4.9 assists). [player_tooltip player_id='2886854' first='Dawson' last='James'] (9.4, 6.5 rebounds), a physical, undersized forward, gives them some toughness in the paint, and Lucas Sieck (4.5) is a solid two-way player who does a bit of everything for them. They've been really good on the defensive end this season, allowing 38.7 points per game, which ranks 5th in the class, and they have a nice mix of size and speed. That said, the major question for Lynnville-Sully, and other teams from their league this season, is just how good was the South Iowa Cedar League this year?   The biggest threat: Since combining schools, ACGC has not reached the state tournament. The Chargers have a very real chance at changing that this year. They're limping into the postseason a bit, having lost three straight and five of eight as of writing, but they played in a good 2A league and have no truly "bad" losses. Junior wing Jathan South (15.1) leads a quartet of double-figure scorers and is the leader of a strong 2025 class at ACGC that also includes [player_tooltip player_id='1416420' first='Noah' last='Kading'] (12.4, 4.4 assists) and [player_tooltip player_id='1797393' first='Payton' last='Policky'] (10.4, 9.9 rebounds). [player_tooltip player_id='1587392' first='Lance' last='Bunde'] (12.9) and Anthony Solorzano (7.6) are the only two seniors who see significant time. Bunde is the team's best perimeter shooting threat, and Solorzano is a solid role player who does a bit of everything. The Chargers don't shoot it very well from deep (29.6 3P%), but this is a team with a lot of options, pounds the glass, and has played a tough schedule. It certainly wouldn't be a surprise to see them come out of this district.   The dark horse: Earlham got off to a hot 9-0 start but have stumbled a bit after the holiday break, going just 4-7 since the hiatus. A majority of those losses are against bigger schools, so they've been tested, but so has conference mate ACGC, their likely semifinal opponent, who beat the Cardinals a few weeks ago. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2397202' first='Blake' last='Reynolds'] (13.1) and senior Jeret Petersen (11.1) leads this group on the offensive end, and they're a pretty good, athletic, disciplined defensive team that can frustrate opponents on that end of the floor. Can they re-gain the strong play from earlier this season? If so, they're certainly capable of making a run to a district title.   Players to watch 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='2377418' first='Mitchell' last='Miller'], Lynnville-Sully 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1376719' first='Klayton' last='Van Dyke'], Lynnville-Sully 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1171666' first='Corder' last='Noun Harder'], Lynnville-Sully 2025 Jathan South, ACGC 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1587392' first='Lance' last='Bunde'], ACGC 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1416420' first='Noah' last='Kading'], ACGC 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1797393' first='Payton' last='Policky'], ACGC 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2397202' first='Blake' last='Reynolds'], Earlham 2024 Jeret Petersen, Earlham 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2326844' first='Cam' last='Seuferer'], Southeast Warren 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2886812' first='Lucas' last='Dirkx'], Southeast Warren 2024 Titus Barber, Murray 2025 Caden Page, Murray 2025 Drew Heaberlin, Melcher-Dallas 2024 Triton Gwinn, Mormon Trail 2024 Degin Dixson, Mormon Trail 2024 Jaxson Bowlin, Martensdale-St. Marys 2025 Ambrose Savage, Lamoni   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/1A-14.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/1A-14.png?w=618" alt="" class="wp-image-2341974" /></a></figure>   District 14   The favorite: By virtue of their head-to-head win over #2 seed Bedford, East Mills is the favorite in the district. They have been great on the defensive end, allowing just 35.1 points a game, and while some of that can be attributed to playing in the Corner Conference, they did hold Bedford, a team averaging 61, to just 44 points in their meeting. The Wolverines don't really have a standout player, but do have three double-figure scorers in junior Jackson Embree (12.8, 7.0 rebounds) and seniors Layne Mastin (12.4, 7.3 rebounds) and Kyler Williams (10.7), as well as a pair of reliable ball-handler in Lincoln Palmer (8.9, 3.2 assists) and Zach Thornburg (6.8, 3.8 assists). They do a pretty good job limiting turnovers and they pound the offensive glass hard. When you play strong defense, protect the ball, and pound the glass, you'll always have a good shot at winning in the postseason.   The biggest threat: Bedford has put together another really strong year, compiling a 19-2 record with their two losses coming to powerhouse Grand View Christian and East Mills. Three juniors lead the team in scoring - [player_tooltip player_id='1874772' first='Cal' last='Peterman'] (15.6, 8.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists), Brody King (12.3), and Garrison Motsinger (8.0), while three others average between 6.2 and 7.8 points a game, giving them six viable scoring threats. Peterman has been one of the best all-around players in the area this season and is good enough to lead the Bulldogs to a district title. They swept the season series against likely semifinal opponent Mount Ayr by 11 and 16 points.   The dark horse: Mount Ayr is probably anxious to get a third shot at Bedford, as the old saying goes "It's hard to beat a team three times". The Raiders have a dynamic sophomore guard in [player_tooltip player_id='2886911' first='Jackson' last='Ruggles'] (18.8) who can take over a game as a scorer or playmaker, while Tyler Martin (11.9) is a good enough shooter to get hot and help carry this group to a few wins.   Players to watch 2025 Jackson Embree, East Mills 2024 Layne Mastin, East Mills 2024 Kyler Williams, East Mills 2024 Seth Hudson, East Union 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='2221596' first='Nolan' last='Grebin'], Stanton 2025 Evan Gettler, Stanton 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1951830' first='Gabe' last='Funk'], Lenox 2024 Carter Reed, Lenox 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1874772' first='Cal' last='Peterman'], Bedford 2025 Brody King, Bedford 2026 Alex Morgan, Southwest Valley 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2886911' first='Jackson' last='Ruggles'], Mount Ayr 2025 Michael Hensley, Sidney 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1951833' first='Braedon' last='Godfread'], Sidney 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1945659' first='Dawson' last='Nelson'], Nodaway Valley     SUBSTATE FINAL PREDICTION   Lynnville-Sully vs. East Mills   These are two of the top five teams in 1A in scoring defense, so don't expect fireworks here. Lynnville-Sully shoots it better and has a veteran, experienced team that has played in quite a few high-profile postseason games in the last few years. That experience gives them an edge here and the Hawks head back to Des Moines.