Conference Preview: West Central

The Teams   ACGC (14-9 last season, 64.6% of scoring returning): Three of the top four scorers, with all three averaging in double-digits last season, return for a Chargers team that lost six games by single digits, giving ACGC not only a strong foundation to build upon, but a chance to put together the best season in school history this year. They're led by the senior trio of [player_tooltip player_id='2480003' first='Jathan' last='South'] (15.4), [player_tooltip player_id='1416420' first='Noah' last='Kading'] (12.0, 4.6 assists), and [player_tooltip player_id='1797393' first='Payton' last='Policky'] (10.5, 9.6 rebounds), a threesome of players whose skill sets complement each other well. South is a versatile, athletic wing who can score from all three levels. Kading does a great job getting his teammates involved, posting a 3.79 assist-to-turnover ratio last season, and Policky is a powerful, athletic forward who pounds the glass hard on both ends of the floor. Mason Wahl (0.4) didn't produce much last season, but was a standout at the Winterset Shootout in June, and if he's able to give them some more production as an interior presence, it would be big for them, especially defensively. This group will have no issues scoring, but if they want to push DMC and Madrid at the top of the conference, a little improvement will need to come on the defensive end.   Des Moines Christian (16-5, 34.3%): The Lions were slated to bring back their top two scorers to a 16-win team, but [player_tooltip player_id='2398006' first='Sean' last='Tunks'], who averaged over 19 points a game, transferred to 4A Ankeny Centennial, leaving a big hole in the backcourt. Senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='1759901' first='Seaton' last='Ingram'] (12.1, 6.8 rebounds) is a great athlete who can defend multiple positions, pound the glass, and is a menace in transition, and he'll need to be the focal point on the offensive end of the floor. [player_tooltip player_id='1978133' first='Max' last='Town'] (11.0, 39.6 3P%) is a talented shooter who can play without the ball in his hands, and senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2511537' first='Quinton' last='Bailey'] (1.9) and sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id='2530654' first='Davis' last='Tokheim'] (1.5) were standouts over the summer and should step into bigger roles. DMC hasn't won fewer than 16 games in any season during the Bound era, an annual contender, and that won't change this year, despite losing a lot of production. They'll always have talent, and will always be one of the top teams in this league.   Earlham (13-9, 39.6%): Leading scorer [player_tooltip player_id='2397202' first='Blake' last='Reynolds'] (12.8) returns, but he's the only returnee among last year's top five scorers for the Cardinals. He's a good place to start, a talented scoring guard who can play with or without the ball in his hands, knocking down shots off both the dribble and the catch. Blaine Tiedemann (3.7) and Carter Hohertz (3.6) are the only other players who saw significant time last season and will need to step up alongside Reynolds to provide secondary and tertiary scoring. There will be a lot of new faces in the rotation, and a step back should be expected from Earlham this season.   Interstate 35 (3-18, 82.7%): The Roadrunners won just three games last season, and averaged just 46.2 points a game, but they bring back the top three, and six of the top seven, scorers from that group. With additional experience, they should be improved. Junior guard Ben McCuddin (8.4, 3.7 assists) led the team in scoring and helpers last season and should be the team's top player, while seniors Will Goering (8.4) and Brendan Goering (6.7) provide some senior leadership and additional scoring punch. McCuddin's classmates - Jack Glenn (4.9), Porter Cannoy (4.3), and Hutch Howard (3.5) - all saw a good amount of time last season and should step into bigger roles.   Madrid (22-3, 85.9%): The Tigers were one of the best teams in Class 1A last season, and then they brought back the top three scorers and added a talented transfer and standout freshman, so expect more of the same this season. The senior trio of [player_tooltip player_id='1174816' first='Toryn' last='Severson'] (22.6, 39.1 3P%), [player_tooltip player_id='2397210' first='Brody' last='Buck'] (17.3, 37.5 3P%), and [player_tooltip player_id='2398087' first='Fabian' last='Ortiz-Alaniz'] (15.4, 6.5 assists, 41.5 3P%) will be the headliners of the roster again. Three four-year starters, they bring a ton of big-game experience to the floor, and all three complement each other well. Severson is a long, skilled 6-4 wing who does a little bit of everything, shooting it well off the dribble and the catch, creating off the bounce, and defending one through five. Buck and Ortiz-Alaniz are both talented shooters and ball-handlers who create off the dribble as well. If only those three returns, the Tigers would've been a top-3 team in 1A heading into the season. Then they added South Tama transfer [player_tooltip player_id='2420789' first='Emerson' last='Bridgewater'] and added freshman forward [player_tooltip player_id='2439640' first='Jevyn' last='Severson'], a tandem that gives them some needed size, toughness, and interior scoring and rebounding. Bridgewater averaged 9.8 points and 7.4 rebounds at South Tama, and Severson is one of the top freshmen in the state. This team is going to be loaded with talent and will score in bunches.   Ogden (9-13, 37.6%): The Bulldogs were hit hard by graduation, losing four of their top five scorers. That leaves senior guard Tanner Rohe (6.4) as the top returnee, and he'll be asked to do a lot as a scorer and playmaker, especially early in the season. Colson Carson (5.2), Brady Van Sickle (4.8), and [player_tooltip player_id='1978140' first='Cayden' last='Dudley'] (4.6) each saw a fair amount of playing time last season as well and should be ready to contribute at a higher level. Ogden hasn't won fewer than eight games since 2009-10, so the bottom probably won't fall out on this group, but they may struggle to compete with the top teams in the conference.   Panorama (13-9, 26.4%): Another middle-of-the-pack team that got hit hard by graduation and transfer, the Panthers lost four of their top five, and six of their top eight, from last year's team. AJ Draper (9.2, 6.8 rebounds, 67.2 FG%) is an extremely efficient interior scorer who does a great job pounding the glass on both ends of the floor, while [player_tooltip player_id='2529620' first='Jaxson' last='Stauffer'] (4.0) was productive as a freshman and should emerge as the team's top perimeter scoring threat. If [player_tooltip player_id='2420801' first='Trey' last='Boettcher'], who averaged over 11 a game as a freshman, hadn't moved to Storm Lake, the Panthers could have maybe come close to replicating last year's success, but with so much inexperience in a good league, it's hard to see them competing with the top teams.   Pleasantville (14-10, 48.6%): In sophomore forward [player_tooltip player_id='2419699' first='Braylon' last='Bingham'] (20.6, 7.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists), the Trojans have the benefit of having one of the best players in the conference on their side. An athletic, physical 6-4 forward who can score inside and out, create for his teammates, and defend multiple positions, Bingham had a ridiculously productive freshman season and will only continue to improve and develop. He's the only returnee among the top four scorers from last year's team, meaning a lot of players will need to step into bigger roles alongside him, notably Lukas Klootwyk (4.1), Jaydin Boone (2.7), and Cash Klootwyk (1.2). Bingham is good enough to win this group some games, but their ceiling will be determined by the other weapons.   Van Meter (12-11, 31.2%): The Bulldogs lost a pair of double-figure scorers but bring one back in senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2398079' first='Caleb' last='Moore'] (12.6, 3.7 assists), who led the team in assists last season. Moore, a 40.3% 3-point shooter, is a dynamic guard who shoots it well off the dribble. Junior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2381239' first='Andon' last='Watson'] (5.1) looks like he may be ready to step into a much larger role this season as well, but after those two, there are a lot of unknowns on the 'Dogs roster. Van Meter is always a program that has good athletes and talent, and they'll probably be a factor again, we just don't know who will be the ones contributing alongside Moore and Watson quite yet.   West Central Valley (10-14, 15.7%): No team in the conference was hit as hard as the Wildcats were by graduation, losing their top four scorers, leaving sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id='2906470' first='Colton' last='Lindsay'] (2.8) as the top returnee. He gained some valuable experience as a freshman contributor, but he'll be asked to do a lot for them this season. With a lot of new faces taking the floor, it's hard to see WCV getting close to their 10-win total from last season.   Woodward-Granger (10-12, 34.8%): Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2887868' first='Vinny' last='Sebastian'] (7.3, 45.7 3P%) was a standout as a shooter last season for the Hawks and will be asked to step into a bigger role as both a scorer and playmaker this season following the departure of three of the top four scorers. He's a sharpshooting guard with a quick release and plenty of range. Chandler Drake (5.0) gives them another reliable ball-handler, and CJ Petersen (3.6) saw some time, but those are really the only three with any real experience on the roster.   Projected Order of Finish   1. Madrid 2. ACGC 3. Des Moines Christian 4. Van Meter 5. Pleasantville 6. Earlham 7. Panorama 8. Ogden 9. Woodward-Granger 10. West Central Valley 11. Interstate 35   Analysis: With everyone they have coming back, and the two notable additions to the roster, Madrid is #1 with a bullet here. ACGC has a group that can challenge and could deliver their best season ever, and DMC and Van Meter are always good.   Preseason Player of the Year   2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1174816' first='Toryn' last='Severson'] (Madrid): The best two-way player on the team that should control the conference, Severson is a pretty easy selection here. He should put up huge numbers for one of 1A's best teams.   Players to Watch   2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1174816' first='Toryn' last='Severson'] (Madrid) 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2397210' first='Brody' last='Buck'] (Madrid) 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2398087' first='Fabian' last='Ortiz-Alaniz'] (Madrid) 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2420789' first='Emerson' last='Bridgewater'] (Madrid) 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2419699' first='Braylon' last='Bingham'] (Pleasantville) 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2480003' first='Jathan' last='South'] (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='1759901' first='Seaton' last='Ingram'] (Des Moines Christian) 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1978133' first='Max' last='Town'] (Des Moines Christian) 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2398079' first='Caleb' last='Moore'] (Van Meter) 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2381239' first='Andon' last='Watson'] (Van Meter) 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2397202' first='Blake' last='Reynolds'] (Earlham) 2025 AJ Draper (Panorama) 2026 Ben McCuddin (Interstate 35) 2025 Will Goering (Interstate 35) 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2887868' first='Vinny' last='Sebastian'] (Woodward-Granger)

The Teams