Class 2A District Final Top Performing Wings and Bigs

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>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 2A action.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Note: There are a handful of teams without stats entered into Bound yet as of time of writing, and thus no players from those teams will be included: Denver, Central Lee, Cherokee, Pella Christian, Clarion-Goldfield-Dows, OABCIG, Western Christian.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 PF [player_tooltip player_id='2678903' first='Tate' last='Van Dyke'] (Union) – 20 points (9-11 FG, 2-6 FT), 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal [vs. Columbus Catholic]</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Van Dyke has been really good all year for the Knights, and was dominant in the painted area against an undersized Columbus team in the district final win, putting up a highly efficient double-double. His ability to control the glass and finish around the rim, while surrounded by so much shooting, is a big reason why Union is so dangerous.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 PF [player_tooltip player_id='2731896' first='Jared' last='Ciesielski'] (West Lyon) – 10 points (5-9 FG, 0-1 FT), 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals [at Unity Christian]</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The senior forward was really impressive with his playmaking in the Wildcats' narrow overtime loss to Unity Christian, dishing out a team-high eight assists. Anytime a big man is the one leading your team in helpers, it showcases some real flexibility on the offensive end of the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2027 PF [player_tooltip player_id='2419800' first='Tyce' last='Van Donge'] (Unity Christian) – 19 points (8-12 FG, 0-2 3P, 3-3 FT), 13 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal [vs. West Lyon]</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Van Donge was the hero of the night for UC, going coast-to-coast off a missed free throw with seven seconds left to the tie game against West Lyon and send it to overtime, keeping the Knights' title hopes alive. The 6-4 junior has really improved as a ball-handler over the last year, and last season he may not have been able to make that play. He was great, finishing with a double-double, but he lands on here because of that one play that saved Unity's season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2027 PF [player_tooltip player_id='2419815' first='Will' last='Litton'] (Regina Catholic) – 17 points (6-11 FG, 5-5 FT), 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal [vs. Central Lee]</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Regina overpowered Central Lee, using their size advantage to control the glass. Litton led the team in rebounds with 10 en route to his double-double. The Regals' size and athleticism in the paint is really difficult for teams at this level to contend with.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 PF Sam Benson (South Hardin) – 25 points (12-22 FG, 0-1 3P, 1-2 FT), 7 rebounds [at Kuemper Catholic]</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>South Hardin put up a good fight against Kuemper, but they just didn't have the horses to keep up with the high-powered Knights for 32 minutes. Benson tried his best in his final high school game, delivering one of the best games of his career with 25 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 PF [player_tooltip player_id='1765513' first='Ryan' last='Clair'] (Kuemper Catholic) – 17 points (8-13 FG, 0-1 3P, 1-4 FT), 10 rebounds, 1 assist [vs. South Hardin]</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Clair has consistently been one of the most productive and efficient players in the state for the last three years, and he was just that here against the Tigers. His combination of size, hands, footwork, and touch around the rim make him really difficult to defend and keep off the glass.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 PF [player_tooltip player_id='2628806' first='Tyler' last='Baatz'] (Tri-Center) – 22 points (10-15 FG, 2-2 FT), 7 rebounds [vs. Cherokee]</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tri-Center had a huge comeback against Cherokee to punch their ticket to the substate final against Western Christian behind the strong play of [player_tooltip player_id='2420786' first='AJ' last='Harder'] and Baatz. Baatz, an athletic, physical 6-4 forward, was great around the bucket, scoring 22 points on 67% shooting.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2027 PF [player_tooltip player_id='2420792' first='Emerson' last='Kreinbrink'] (Northeast) – 27 points (13-17 FG, 0-1 3P, 1-2 FT), 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block [vs. Mid-Prairie]</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kreinbrink is an undersized forward, but he plays much bigger than his size with his motor, toughness, and physicality. He has great hands, powers through contact, and is relentless on the glass on both ends of the floor. He overpowered a smaller Mid-Prairie team in this district final win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 SF [player_tooltip player_id='2287857' first='Brayden' last='Hoben'] (Grand View Christian) – 26 points (11-20 FG, 0-4 3P, 4-4 FT), 11 rebounds, 2 steals, 3 blocks [at Pella Christian]</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hoben has had a great career at GVC, and he played another great game in his final one for the Thunder, posting an impressive double-double and impacting the game on the defensive end in a significant way. With his size and length at 6-6, paired with athleticism, he was a matchup nightmare at this level and he had one final opportunity showcase it here.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->