Class 1A District Final Top Performing Guards

Tuesday night's district finals in Class 1A and 2A delivered some high-level games and plenty of notable performances. Here we'll take a look at some of the top performing guards from 1A action.   Note: There are a handful of teams without stats entered into Bound yet as of time of writing, and those no players from these teams will be included: North Union, Belmond-Klemme, Nashua-Plainfield, Bedford, St. Edmond   2027 SG [player_tooltip player_id='2243086' first='Michael' last='Joyce'] (Bishop Garrigan) – 40 points (14-20 FG, 3-7 3P, 9-9 FT), 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block [vs. Nashua-Plainfield]   One of the best players in 1A was dominant in the Golden Bears' blowout district final win over Nashua-Plainfield, showcasing his ability to score from anywhere on the floor and do so in bunches. He had his best game of the season in their biggest game of the season to date.   2026 PG [player_tooltip player_id='2520046' first='Braiden' last='Todd'] (South Winneshiek) – 11 points (5-10 FG, 1-3 3P), 6 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals [at Wapsie Valley]   South Winn went on the road and pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the district final round, and Todd was a big reason why. The lead guard was in complete control of the game on both ends of the floor, setting his teammates up, playing strong defense, and creating quality looks for himself. When Todd is playing like this, the Warriors are tough to beat.   2026 SG [player_tooltip player_id='2887884' first='Layne' last='Rung'] (Holy Trinity Catholic) – 26 points (10-19 FG, 3-5 3P, 3-3 FT), 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block [at Notre Dame]   HTC played Notre Dame tough before ultimately coming up short, but Rung was great in his final high school game, dropping 26 points and stuffing the stat sheet for the Crusaders. After being a solid role player on a very strong Crusaders team for the last few years, he had a chance to shine as a senior and he thrived.   2027 SG [player_tooltip player_id='3453701' first='Griffin' last='Kies'] (Notre Dame) – 22 points (7-13 FG, 4-7 3P, 4-4 FT), 3 rebounds, 2 steals [vs. Holy Trinity Catholic]   HTC did a nice job defending Notre Dame star guard [player_tooltip player_id='1978106' first='Shay' last='Stephens'], limiting him as much as any team can limit him. Kies stepped up and delivered arguably his best game of his career, helping lead the Nikes into the substate final with 22 points on efficient shooting. He shoots it well off the catch and has shown some ability to create looks off the dribble as a secondary playmaker.   2026 SG [player_tooltip player_id='2809470' first='Jackson' last='Bidwell'] (East Marshall) – 18 points (7-14 FG, 4-8 3P), 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block [vs. Baxter]   A number of Mustangs had strong games against Baxter in the district final win, with Bidwell leading the team in scoring and doing so efficiently from both the field and the 3-point line. He paces a potent offensive attack that can beat you in a variety of different ways.   2026 SG [player_tooltip player_id='1765506' first='Brady' last='Boulton'] (Montezuma) – 33 points (11-19 FG, 3-8 3P, 8-8 FT), 2 rebounds, 7 assists, 7 steals, 1 block [at Lynnville-Sully]   The other significant upset that occurred in the 1A district finals was this one, with Montezuma handing Lynnville-Sully their only loss of the season. Boulton, known for his ability to drop 30+ on any given night, did just that against the Hawks, who have consistently been one of the best defensive teams in the state. A shifty guard with a lightning-quick release, he was outstanding on both ends of the floor in the win. Not only did he put up a huge scoring night, he also dished out 7 assists and came away with 7 massive steals to help hold down the Hawks offense.   2026 SG Sawyer Veldhuizen (Lynnville-Sully) – 19 points (7-13 FG, 4-6 3P, 1-2 FT), 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal [vs. Montezuma]   Veldhuizen had one of the best games of his high school career in his final game for the Hawks, scoring inside and out and leading the team in scoring in the upset loss.   2026 SG [player_tooltip player_id='2731675' first='Brady' last='Wall'] (Maquoketa Valley) – 23 points (8-15 FG, 4-8 3P, 3-3 FT), 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals [vs. Bellevue]   Maquoketa Valley pushed the favored Comets for quite a while in their district final loss, and that was largely because of Wall. A high-volume scorer, he had one of his most efficient games of the season and it came against one of the best defensive teams in 1A. Not only did he show that he can fill it up, he impacted the game on the defensive end, set up his teammates, and contributed on the glass.   2026 PG [player_tooltip player_id='3255100' first='Kamden' last='Bork'] (MMCRU) – 20 points (9-13 FG, 0-1 3P, 2-3 FT), 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals [vs. Sibley-Ocheyedan]   The Royals dominated S-O in their district final, cruising into the substate final where they should be a pretty heavy favorite against North Union. Bork has been one of the best players in 1A this season, a headliner on a very balanced and deep MMCRU team. He was efficient, set up his teammates, and was a pest on the defensive end against the Generals. A dominant all-around game from him and the Royals as a whole.

Tuesday night's district finals in Class 1A and 2A delivered some high-level games and plenty of notable performances. Here we'll take a look at some of the top performing guards from 1A action.