Iowa Class 4A Mid-Season Title Favorites: Dowling Catholic

Charlie Crane and Dowling Catholic moved up to #3 in Class 4A this week

Eliot Clough January 28, 2026 @ 02:58 PM

Kicking off a series of at least three schools per class that have the best chance at winning the state title. We begin with Iowa's largest schools, Class 4A.   <a href="https://prephoops.com/2026/01/iowa-class-4a-mid-season-favorites-cedar-falls/">Iowa Class 4A Mid-Season Title Favorites: Cedar Falls</a>   <a href="https://prephoops.com/2026/01/iowa-class-4a-mid-season-title-favorites-dubuque-senior/">Iowa Class 4A Mid-Season Title Favorites: Dubuque Senior</a>   <a href="https://prephoops.com/2026/01/iowa-class-4a-mid-season-title-favorites-waukee-northwest/">Iowa Class 4A Mid-Season Title Favorites: Waukee Northwest</a>   The Case for the Maroons:   Led by Navy commit and 6-foot-10 big man, [player_tooltip player_id='2617486' first='Charles' last='Crane'], Dowling Catholic is one of just five one-loss teams in Class 4A at this point in the season. Not many teams in the state can match up with a player of that size, plus his supporting cast.   Crane, who averages 12.9 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per contest, may be considered the best big in the state, depending on who you ask. With offers from North Dakota, South Dakota, South Dakota State and Denver, the senior center had quite the list of options before deciding to follow the route of joining the military and playing the Midshipmen.   Described as "an absolutely dominant interior defender," and "a bouncy 6-10 big man who runs the floor, can switch defensively, and [is] blessed with great length and impeccable timing as a shot blocker, he's the prototypical modern big man with his ability to stretch the floor, protect the rim defensively, and control the glass," by <a href="https://prephoops.com/2025/10/introducing-mr-basketball-candidate-12-charles-crane/">our Tony Roe</a>, Crane's defensive presence is enough to count the Maroons as one of the top contenders in 4A for the state title.   Now, to his supporting cast.   Second in scoring for Dowling is fellow senior, [player_tooltip player_id='2731790' first='Noah' last='Martens']. A 6-foot guard and captain, Martens serves as the lead guard for the Maroons, averaging 11.6 points along with team-leading 4.7 assists and 2 steals per game.   Fellow starter and big man, [player_tooltip player_id='2443978' first='Alfred' last='Kolee'] is a 6-foot-8 forward/center that plays alongside Crane. Long, athletic and a rim-runner, Kolee is an excellent compliment alongside Crane, who can defendi opposing team's best scorer, score a bit himself in attacking the rim and as a roller, and serve as another rebounder in the starting five alongside Crane. Averaging 9.6 points and 8.7 rebounds per game while shooting 61.6% from the field, Kolee is another key player for the Maroons.   Then, it's [player_tooltip player_id='2204869' first='Giovanny' last='Quiles'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1978098' first='Nathan' last='Jenkins']. Two more guards that round out the starting five alongside their bigs and Martins, Quiles and Jenkins provide the most consistent three-point shot making of the starting lineup. Though none of Dowling's main rotational players shoot 40% or more from three (on at least 20 attempts), Quiles and Jenkins provide the best numbers from the perimeter, as Jenkins shoots 37.5% and Quiles 36.4% from deep. Quiles averages 9.5 PPG, while Jenkins contributes 7.8 PPG.

Kicking off a series of at least three schools per class that have the best chance at winning the state title. We begin with Iowa's largest schools, Class 4A.