Substate Preview: 3A-2

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/3A-2.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/3A-2.png?w=616" alt="" class="wp-image-2779240" /></a></figure>   The favorite: Junior wing [player_tooltip player_id='1765515' first='Jaidyn' last='Coon'] (23.8, 8.7 rebounds) has helped lead Storm Lake to their best season in decades. A nationally ranked prospect who uses his blend of size, length, athleticism, and talent to control the game on both ends of the floor, he can score in bunches, control the glass, and defend multiple positions. He's not alone, however, with classmate [player_tooltip player_id='1765508' first='Cameron' last='Boyd'] (14.2, 4.8 assists, 45.5 3P%) providing some big-time floor spacing with his ability to shoot it from deep. Having him stretching the floor allows Coon more room to operate off the dribble and makes this group dangerous. Sophomores [player_tooltip player_id='2420801' first='Trey' last='Boettcher'] (8.6), [player_tooltip player_id='2420795' first='Timothy' last='Yanga'] (6.4), and [player_tooltip player_id='2419850' first='David' last='William'] (6.4), junior Garbieno Weno (7.2), and senior [player_tooltip player_id='2811931' first='Charlie' last='Dvergsten'] (7.1, 37.6 3P%) provide more depth and scoring alongside the Coon-Boyd tandem. The Tornadoes are the highest scoring team in the class, averaging 78 points per game, and they've been really good defensive, allowing just 49.2 a night. They haven't really been tested much, playing a lot of 2A schools, so it will be interesting to see how they adjust to postseason play as the hunted team, but this is the most talented team in the substate.   The biggest threat: Second-seeded Gilbert has stumbled a bit down the stretch, losing three straight and four out of six at the time of this writing, but they could still get a pair of games at home before the substate final. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1765542' first='Preston' last='Stensland'] (18.2, 40.0 3P%) is an efficient three-level scoring threat who can take over a game, and [player_tooltip player_id='1413686' first='Brody' last='Hague'] (15.8, 36.2 3P%) has been great as a secondary scorer. [player_tooltip player_id='1765544' first='William' last='Terrones'] (9.4, 5.6 assists) is a skilled lead guard who does a great job getting his teammates involved and protecting the ball, and [player_tooltip player_id='2511628' first='Will' last='Hawthorne'] (6.8, 8.3 rebounds) gives them some size, athleticism, and toughness in the paint. The Tigers swept quarterfinal opponent Winterset in the regular season, but they won those two games by a combined 13 points, so they'll have their hands full.   The dark horse(s): We'll quickly touch on three different teams here that could be dangerous - Carroll, Humboldt, and Algona. Carroll is the only team that has handed Storm Lake a loss so far this season, so the Tornadoes can't be thrilled to see them in the 4-5 game. The Tigers beat Storm Lake, 57-53, back on January 4 behind 15 points from [player_tooltip player_id='2413644' first='Jared' last='Mohr'] (13.5). Stone Sibenaller (11.1) is the other double-figure scorer for this group. They've had an up-and-down year, but knowing that they have already beaten Storm Lake has to give them some confidence.   Humboldt is averaging 9.3 made 3-pointers a game, and anytime a team can shoot like that from the 3-point line, they're going to be dangerous in postseason play. [player_tooltip player_id='2474854' first='Elliot' last='Carlson'] (20.8, 35.0 3P%), [player_tooltip player_id='2511501' first='Coen' last='Matson'] (13.9, 40.4 3P%), and Mason Van Pelt (10.1, 34.4 3P%) are all viable shooting threats who can get hot and carry the team for stretches. They're averaging 74.1 points per game and love to play an up-tempo game that can put pressure on opposing teams.   The final team we'll touch on here is Algona, a team that hasn't had a great year, but is one that has an outstanding individual player in senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1288917' first='Ben' last='Helmers'] (26.7, 51.8 FG%). Helmers has had some big-time scoring games this season, including dropping 51 against Pocahontas Area on January 23. Anytime a team has a player capable of scoring like that they'll be dangerous.   Players to Watch 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765515' first='Jaidyn' last='Coon'] (Storm Lake) 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765508' first='Cameron' last='Boyd'] (Storm Lake) 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765542' first='Preston' last='Stensland'] (Gilbert) 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1413686' first='Brody' last='Hague'] (Gilbert) 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765544' first='William' last='Terrones'] (Gilbert) 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2474854' first='Elliot' last='Carlson'] (Humboldt) 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2511501' first='Coen' last='Matson'] (Humboldt) 2025 Mason Van Pelt (Humboldt) 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2413644' first='Jared' last='Mohr'] (Carroll) 2025 Stone Sibenaller (Carroll) 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2420787' first='Brady' last='Hicks'] (Saydel) 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2731882' first='Gage' last='Moreno'] (Saydel) 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1288917' first='Ben' last='Helmers'] (Algona) 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2397315' first='Hank' last='Wilmes'] (Winterset)   SUBSTATE FINAL PREDICTION   Gilbert at Storm Lake   Despite facing a fairly light schedule throughout the regular season, Storm Lake was handed a pretty straight forward path to the state tournament. Led by a high-major talent on the wing, and with plenty of other scoring options around him, Storm Lake punches their ticket to the state tournament for the first time since 1994 in front of a raucous home crowd.