State Tournament: Tuesday Game Recaps

2A Quarterfinal: #2 Hudson 55, #7 Grundy Center 51

Sometimes the first game of a tournament is the hardest, and Hudson will certainly be hoping that rings true, as the Pirates escaped a tough, physical battle against fellow North Iowa Cedar League foe Grundy Center on Tuesday morning with a 55-51 win, advancing to the 2A semifinals on Thursday afternoon.

One of the highest-scoring offenses in the state, Hudson was frustrated throughout most of this quarterfinal contest by the length and physicality of the Spartans. Featuring a starting lineup that goes 6-1, 6-4, 6-3, 6-5, and 6-6, the Spartans dominated the glass to the tune of 19-10 in the first half and took a 29-23 lead into the break behind 16 points in the paint.

Hudson opened the third quarter with a 7-0 run to take their first lead since late in the first quarter, but Grundy Center quickly responded with five straight from Judd Jirovsky off the bench. The Spartans maintained a 41-36 lead after three and had control of the game until the final few minutes. Tied at 49 with 1:01 to play, Hudson missed a good look at a 3, then forced a turnover. On the ensuing breakaway, Camden Davis Camden Davis 6'5" | SF Hudson | 2024 State IA was fouled hard and the Spartans were whistled for an intentional foul, giving the Pirates two free throws and the ball back. Davis made his free throws, was fouled again on the ensuing inbounds with 22 seconds left, and made two more, giving Hudson a two possession lead and ultimately deciding the game.

Hudson improves to 24-2 with the win and will await the winner of the Unity Christian vs. Underwood game to follow. The Pirates were led by Tanner Michael Tanner Michael 6'0" | PG Hudson | 2024 State IA , who had a game-high 21 points. Camden Davis Camden Davis 6'5" | SF Hudson | 2024 State IA added 16 points and 12 rebounding, including going 12-16 from the free throw line. Lyle Olsen Lyle Olsen 6'0" | PG Hudson | 2024 State IA added 9 points in the win for the Pirates, who shot 20-25 from the charity stripe.

Grundy Center's season ends with a 20-4 record and their first state tournament appearance since 2003. The Spartans will bring back four starters and two key bench players from this roster and will once again be a factor in 2A next season. They were led by Jalen Kirkpatrick Jalen Kirkpatrick 6'6" | SF Grundy Center | 2025 State IA , who had 18 points and 9 rebounds. Tiernan Vokes Tiernan Vokes 6'4" | SF Grundy Center | 2025 State IA , Tate Jirovsky Tate Jirovsky 6'5" | PF Grundy Center | 2024 State IA , and Judd Jirovsky each added 8 points in the loss.

Team stats
Grundy Center: 20-53 FG (37.7%), 5-19 3P (26.3%), 6-10 FT (60.0%); 38 rebounds (13 offensive); 14 assists, 18 turnovers
Hudson: 15-41 FG (36.6%), 5-15 3P (33.3%), 20-25 FT (80.0%); 25 rebounds (4 offensive); 6 assists, 13 turnovers

MVP: 2024 Tanner Michael Tanner Michael 6'0" | PG Hudson | 2024 State IA (Hudson) -- 21 points (6-11 FG, 2-5 3P, 7-7 FT), 3 rebounds, 2 steals

A great argument could be made for Camden Davis Camden Davis 6'5" | SF Hudson | 2024 State IA here as well, as the 6-4 forward struggled from the floor but was great at the line in big moments. But it was Michael's ability to play downhill and attack the rim, scoring or getting to the free throw line, that turned the tides for Hudson offensively in the second half.

2A Quarterfinal: #6 Unity Christian 59, #3 Underwood 55

The state was introduced to the dynamic sophomore duo from Unity Christian on Tuesday afternoon, with guards Dylan Bosma Dylan Bosma 6'1" | PG Unity Christian | 2026 State IA and Austin Wieringa Austin Wieringa 6'0" | SG Unity Christian | 2026 State IA combining for 46 points in the Knights 59-55 win over previously undefeated Underwood, advancing to the 2A semifinals.

Unity Christian, playing in their first state tournament since winning it all in 2005, certainly didn't look overwhelmed on the big stage, setting the tone early with their constant penetration and strong work on the offensive glass. They led for 11:04 out of the 16 first half minutes, getting 20 points in the paint, and took a 29-25 lead into the break.

Throughout the second half, Underwood, making their first state tournament appearance in school history, kept making mini runs to pull back to within a possession, but Unity always had an answer for the run, keeping the Eagles just outside of striking distance. The Knights led 42-37 after three quarters, and extended the lead to as many as nine early in the fourth quarter. Things got a little interesting late, after Wieringa split a pair of free throws and Josh Ravlin knocked down a 3, the Knights lead was down to just two, 57-55, with 8.9 seconds left. But Bosma knocked down a pair of free throws to ice the game away and send the Knights on to Thursday afternoon.

Unity Christian improves to 21-4 with the win and will meet Hudson in the 2A semifinals at 12:15 pm on Thursday. The Knights were led by Dylan Bosma Dylan Bosma 6'1" | PG Unity Christian | 2026 State IA , who had a game-high 25 points. Austin Wieringa Austin Wieringa 6'0" | SG Unity Christian | 2026 State IA had 21 points and 14 rebounds, and Traevin Van Beek chipped in 7 points in the win.

Underwood's season ends with a 24-1 record and the school's first state tournament appearance. The Eagles will graduate all five starters from this special team. They were led by Owen Larsen Owen Larsen 6'5" | PF Underwood | 2024 State IA and Jack Vanfossan Jack Vanfossan 6'3" | PF Underwood | 2024 State IA , who each had 13 points. Vanfossan added 13 rebounds and Larsen grabbed 10. Mason Boothby had 12 points and Josh Ravlin added 11.

Team stats
Unity Christian: 21-55 FG (38.2%), 7-16 3P (43.8%), 10-13 FT (76.9%); 38 rebounds (12 offensive); 10 assists, 14 turnovers
Underwood: 20-49 FG (40.8%), 4-17 3P (23.5%), 11-21 FT (52.4%); 32 rebounds (8 offensive); 9 assists, 11 turnovers

MVP: 2026 Austin Wieringa Austin Wieringa 6'0" | SG Unity Christian | 2026 State IA (Unity Christian) -- 21 points (7-14 FG, 1-1 3P, 6-9 FT), 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal

The sophomore tandem from Unity was fantastic, but it was Wieringa and his work on the glass that stood out the most for the Knights. A tough 6-0 guard who excels playing downhill and getting to the rim, he's a skilled playmaker, great finisher around the rim, and was tenacious on the glass throughout this quarterfinal win.

3A Quarterfinal: #1 Decorah 66, #8 Williamsburg 42

All year long, Decorah has been able to put big runs on teams, turning tight games into blowouts with their explosive offense. The Vikings did it again against Williamsburg on Tuesday afternoon, using a 32-1 run to grab control and cruise into the 3A semifinals with a 66-42 win, the first state tournament win in school history.

Williamsburg came out hot, with Derek Weisskopf Derek Weisskopf 6'3" | SG Williamsburg | 2024 State IA , the future Iowa linebacker, scoring 11 points in the first quarter as the Raiders held a 14-12 lead after the first quarter. His layup with 6 seconds left in the first quarter was the only field goal the Raiders would score over the next 14:18 of game time, during which the Vikings went on that aforementioned run and turned a possible upset into a laugher.

Behind a swarming, athletic defense, and non-stop effort on the offensive glass, Decorah can come at you in waves with a number of different offensive weapons. In this one, it was senior wing Ben Bockman Ben Bockman 6'5" | SF Decorah | 2024 State IA who had the hot hand and carried the team until the rest of his teammates got settled in. Bockman had 15 points in the first half, and his 3-pointer with 5:59 left to play triggered the 35-point running clock rule.

Decorah improves to 23-2 with the win and will await either Ballard or Davenport Assumption in Thursday's semifinals. The Vikings were led by Ben Bockman Ben Bockman 6'5" | SF Decorah | 2024 State IA , who had a game-high 29 points to go with 7 rebounds. Sophomore forward Cael LaFrentz Cael LaFrentz 6'10" | C Decorah | 2026 State IA added 12 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 blocks. The Vikings had 21 offensive rebounds, which led to 19 second-chance points.

Williamsburg's season ends with a 16-9 record and the school's first state tournament appearance since 2015. The Raiders will graduate four starters, including star Derek Weisskopf Derek Weisskopf 6'3" | SG Williamsburg | 2024 State IA , who had 18 points in his final high school game. The Raiders were 0-23 from the floor during that extended drought and just had a rough shooting night overall against the athletic Vikings defense.

Team stats
Williamsburg: 15-51 FG (29.4%), 4-19 3P (21.1%), 8-14 FT (57.1%); 30 rebounds (10 offensive); 7 assists, 11 turnovers
Decorah: 26-65 FG (40.0%), 7-19 3P (36.8%), 7-10 FT (70.0%); 52 rebounds (21 offensive); 10 assists, 8 turnovers

MVP: 2024 Ben Bockman Ben Bockman 6'5" | SF Decorah | 2024 State IA (Decorah) -- 29 points (11-17 FG, 5-9 3P, 2-2 FT), 7 rebounds, 2 steals

There's no doubt about who the headliner was in this one. Bockman kept the Vikings afloat in the first half while the rest of his teammates got their feet wet, scoring from all three levels and flying around on the defensive end. A 6-4 wing with a pure stroke from deep and a quick release on his jumper, he had a huge game, scoring a tournament-high 29 points.

3A Quarterfinal: #4 Assumption 84, #5 Ballard 73

When Assumption is locked in, their ceiling is higher than any team in 3A. After a shaky first four minutes, the Knights got locked in and rolled to an impressive 84-73 win, advancing to the 3A semifinals, where they'll meet Decorah.

Ballard came out firing, bombing away from 3-point land. The Bombers made four of their first five attempts from the arc and quickly built a 17-5 lead, but Assumption closed the quarter on a 13-4 run, and took control of the contest in a 22-10 second quarter, taking a 40-31 lead into the break. The Knights built their lead up to as many as 15 points in the third quarter, and led the last 12:17 of action by double digits.

The athleticism, quickness, shooting, and playmaking of the Knights makes them extremely difficult to defend, as they showed throughout the afternoon. They shot 63.3% from the floor and out-rebounded Ballard 37-16. Ballard didn't play poorly, shooting 46.3%, including 13-27 from 3-point range and only turning it over six times. They just ran into a buzzsaw.

Assumption improves to 17-8. Damyen Jackson Damyen Jackson 6'0" | PG Assumption | 2025 State IA had 21 points and 8 assists, while Navon Shabazz Navon Shabazz 6'4" | CG United Prep | 2026 State IA also had 21 in the win. Kayvion Hodges Kayvion Hodges 6'3" | SF/SG Muscatine | 2025 State IA had 19 points and 12 rebounds, and Braylon Thomsen Braylon Thomsen 6'4" | SF Assumption | 2025 State IA added 13 points in the win.

Ballard's season ends with a 16-9 record and the school's 12th sate tournament appearance. The Bombers will bring back four starters and should be one of the early favorites in 3A next season. The Bombers were led by Jackson Brown Jackson Brown 6'1" | SG Ballard | 2025 State IA , who had 21 points. Miles Mudd Miles Mudd 6'2" | SG Ballard | 2025 State IA had 17, Nolan Cogdill Nolan Cogdill 6'7" | SF Ballard | 2024 State IA 15, and Jude Gibson Jude Gibson 6'0" | PG Ballard | 2026 State IA had 11 points and 12 assists.

Team stats
Ballard: 25-54 FG (46.3%), 13-27 3P (48.1%), 10-20 FT (50.0%); 16 rebounds (7 offensive); 15 assists, 6 turnovers
Assumption: 31-49 FG (63.3%), 7-18 3P (38.9%), 15-19 FT (78.9%); 37 rebounds (10 offensive); 13 assists, 14 turnovers

MVP: 2025 Kayvion Hodges Kayvion Hodges 6'3" | SF/SG Muscatine | 2025 State IA (Assumption) -- 19 points (8-12 FG, 1-2 3P, 2-2 FT), 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal

Take your pick from any of Hodges, Damyen Jackson Damyen Jackson 6'0" | PG Assumption | 2025 State IA or Navon Shabazz Navon Shabazz 6'4" | CG United Prep | 2026 State IA , but we'll side with the 6-3 junior wing, who provided constant energy on both ends of the floor for the Knights. He set the tone early, with 13 points and 9 rebounds in the first half.

3A Quarterfinal: #3 MOC-Floyd Valley 67, #6 Bondurant-Farrar 50

Northwestern College is getting a steal. That's the lesson we learned here, as Jesse Van Kalsbeek Jesse Van Kalsbeek 6'6" | SF MOC-Floyd Valley | 2024 State IA exploded for 37 points and 14 rebounds in leading MOC-Floyd Valley into the 3A semifinals with a 67-50 win over defending champion Bondurant-Farrar.

The Dutchmen exploded out of the gates, taking a 27-15 lead after the opening quarter, going 11-14 from the floor in the first eight minutes, and building a lead as large as 15 points early in the second quarter, and taking a 36-29 lead into the locker rooms.

Bondurant-Farrar was able to claw back to within five points on three different occasions in the third quarter, but each time the Dutchmen had an answer, usually from Van Kalsbeek. The 6-6 wing was everywhere on both ends of the floor, putting together the most dominant performance of the week to date.

MOC-Floyd Valley improves to 22-3 with the win and will await either Waverly-Shell Rock or Pella in the semifinals. The Dutchmen put on an offensive clinic, shooting 55.8% from the floor and going 8-17 from 3. They were led by Jesse Van Kalsbeek Jesse Van Kalsbeek 6'6" | SF MOC-Floyd Valley | 2024 State IA , who had a tournament-high 37 points and 14 rebounds. Carter Van Gelder Carter Van Gelder 6'3" | SG MOC-Floyd Valley | 2026 State IA added 11 points in the win.

Bondurant-Farrar's season ends with a 15-10 record and a second straight state tournament appearance. They were led by Hudson McConnell Hudson McConnell 6'2" | SF Bondurant-Farrar | 2025 State IA , who had 18 points. Cole Miller Cole Miller 5'10" | PG Bondurant-Farrar | 2025 State IA added 17, and Tanner Berggren Tanner Berggren 6'3" | SF Bondurant-Farrar | 2024 State IA had 11. The Bluejays fell short of defending the state title, but with the personnel losses they suffered to graduation and injury, the season was a major success. They will lose three starters, but will bring back Cole Miller Cole Miller 5'10" | PG Bondurant-Farrar | 2025 State IA and Hudson McConnell Hudson McConnell 6'2" | SF Bondurant-Farrar | 2025 State IA , giving them a solid base to continue to build upon.

Team stats
Bondurant-Farrar: 21-64 FG (32.8%), 4-25 3P (16.0%), 4-7 FT (57.1%); 33 rebounds (18 offensive); 6 assists, 11 turnovers
MOC-Floyd Valley: 24-43 FG (55.8%), 8-17 3P (47.1%), 11-18 FT (61.1%); 35 rebounds (8 offensive); 8 assists, 18 turnovers

MVP: 2024 Jesse Van Kalsbeek Jesse Van Kalsbeek 6'6" | SF MOC-Floyd Valley | 2024 State IA (MOC-Floyd Valley) -- 37 points (12-20 FG, 3-5 3P, 10-15 FT), 14 rebounds, 1 block, 5 steals

There's a chance that Van Kalsbeek could play his way into this year's Mr. Basketball award with a big week, and he got off to a stellar start, scoring a tournament-high 37 points. The 6-6 wing can score from all three levels, has a great second jump that he uses to control the glass, and he has great instincts on the defensive end. A dominant all-around performance from the future Northwestern College standout.

3A Quarterfinal: #2 Waverly-Shell Rock 65, #7 Pella 64 (OT)

Waverly-Shell Rock and Pella delivered a state tournament classic in the finale on Tuesday night, with Waverly-Shell Rock escaping in overtime, 65-64, to advance to Thursday's 3A semifinals.

Pella led 18-13 after the first quarter, and Waverly-Shell Rock won the second quarter by the same score, sending the teams into the half tied at 31. The teams exchanged leads for a large chunk of the second half, with Pella taking a 56-55 lead with 47 seconds left on a Cole Griffith Cole Griffith 5'10" | PG North Linn | 2025 State IA layup. Waverly-Shell Rock turned it over on the ensuing possession and Jack McGuire Jack McGuire 6'5" | SF/CG Pella | 2026 State IA was fouled with 32 seconds to play. McGuire split his free throws, giving the Dutch a 2-point lead. On the next Go-Hawk possession, Cole Marsh Cole Marsh 6'6" | SG Waverly-Shell Rock | 2024 State IA was able to get into the paint and find Jude Landers, who was fouled with 17 seconds left. Landers, who entered the starting lineup in place of Luis Portillo Luis Portillo 6'4" | PF Waverly-Shell Rock | 2024 State IA , who injured his ankle in practice, had attempted just two free throws all season, but calmly sank both freebies to tie it up. Luke Hardman Luke Hardman 6'0" | SF Pella | 2024 State IA got a good look at a layup as time expired but it went off the iron and to overtime we went. Regulation featured 16 lead changes and eight ties.

The extra period featured seven lead changes. McGuire tied it up at 64 by splitting a pair of free throws with 41 seconds left, missing the second. The Dutch got a decent look at a go-ahead bucket but a Hardman jumper missed, and the Go-Hawks got the ball down court to Noah Frazell Noah Frazell 6'1" | SG Waverly-Shell Rock | 2024 State IA , who was fouled with 1.8 seconds to play. The 93.5% free-throw shooter missed his first attempt, but made the second to give the Go-Hawks a 65-64 lead. McGuire got a look at a game-winning 3, but it hit iron and fell harmlessly away, sending Waverly-Shell Rock into a frenzy.

Waverly-Shell Rock improves to 21-3 with the win and will take on MOC-Floyd Valley in Thursday's semifinals, with tip scheduled for approximately 3:45 pm. They were led by Cole Marsh Cole Marsh 6'6" | SG Waverly-Shell Rock | 2024 State IA , who had 17 points and 14 rebounds in the win. Benny Ramker Benny Ramker 5'8" | PG Waverly-Shell Rock | 2024 State IA had 15 points, Luke Frazell Luke Frazell 6'6" | SG Waverly-Shell Rock | 2025 State IA 14, and Noah Frazell Noah Frazell 6'1" | SG Waverly-Shell Rock | 2024 State IA chipped in 12, including the game-winning free throw.

Pella's season ends with a 15-10 record and the schools' 19th state tournament appearance. The Dutch were led by Jack McGuire Jack McGuire 6'5" | SF/CG Pella | 2026 State IA , who had 17 points to lead. Cole Griffith Cole Griffith 5'10" | PG North Linn | 2025 State IA had 12 points, and Luke Hardman Luke Hardman 6'0" | SF Pella | 2024 State IA added 10 in the loss. The Dutch will return McGuire, Traetow, and top bench player Austin Schulte Austin Schulte 6'3" | SF Pella | 2026 State IA , and are always solid and should be competitive again next season.

Team stats
Pella: 25-57 FG (43.9%), 7-17 3P (41.2%), 7-11 FT (63.6%); 24 rebounds (7 offensive); 10 assists, 9 turnovers
Waverly-Shell Rock: 24-50 FG (48.0%), 6-19 3P (31.6%), 11-13 FT (84.6%); 33 rebounds (7 offensive); 8 assists, 14 turnovers

MVP: 2024 Jude Landers (Waverly-Shell Rock) -- 2 points (2-2 FT), 2 rebounds, 1 steal

Landers entered the starting lineup following an injury to Luis Portillo Luis Portillo 6'4" | PF Waverly-Shell Rock | 2024 State IA , and while he only provided 2 points, 2 rebounds, and a steal in the box score, he made two MASSIVE free throws, tying the game with 17 seconds left after having only attempted four free throws all season. The unsung hero of the game, Landers is now a perfect 4-for-4 from the charity stripe this season.

State Tournament: Tuesday Game Recaps

In this article:

Preseason All-Conference Teams: Rolling Valley

Prep Hoops Expo: Team 1, 2, 9, 10 Evaluations

Prep Hoops Expo: Tony’s Top Scorers

Prep Hoops Iowa Expo Team 3 Standouts

Prep Hoops Expo: Team 6 Evaluations

Team	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q	FINAL
Grundy Center	16	13	12	10	51
Hudson	11	12	13	19	55

Team	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q	FINAL
Unity Christian	15	14	13	17	59
Underwood	8	17	12	18	55

Team	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q	FINAL
Williamsburg	14	1	5	22	42
Decorah	12	12	29	13	64

Team	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q	FINAL
Ballard	21	10	19	23	73
Assumption	18	22	23	21	84

Team	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q	FINAL
Bondurant-Farrar	15	14	10	11	50
MOC-Floyd Valley	27	9	15	16	67

Team	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q	OT	FINAL
Pella	18	13	15	11	7	64
Waverly-Shell Rock	13	18	17	9	8	65