STATE TOURNAMENT: Tuesday Game Recaps

4A Quarterfinal: #6 Johnston 48, #3 Waukee Northwest 42

Third time's the charm. At least it was for sixth-seeded Johnston on Tuesday morning, with the Dragons avenging a pair of regular-season losses and upsetting heavily favored Waukee Northwest, 48-42, to advance to the Class 4A semifinals.

Rivals from the CIML, they had met twice during the regular season, with Northwest winning 62-52 and 69-46. But the old saying is that it's hard to beat a team three times in a season, and that proved true in this one.

Johnston, giving up several inches across the board in the starting lineup, used their guard-heavy attack to spread the bigger Wolves out, drawing standout rim protector Landon Davis Landon Davis 6'8" | PF Waukee Northwest | 2026 State #195 Nation IA out to the perimeter and attacking off the dribble. Their fearless guards were able to routinely blow by Northwest defenders and get to the rim for tough finishes, or stop on a dime and elevate into a mid-range jumper. And on the defensive end, their quick hands and constant doubles on the catch forced 14 Northwest turnovers that they turned into 17 points. They never really allowed Colin Rice Colin Rice 6'8" | SG Waukee Northwest | 2026 State #83 Nation IA to get loose, and held the Wolves to just 38.9% shooting. Northwest's last lead came at the 1:34 mark of the first quarter, with Johnston controlling the game the rest of the way.

Johnston improves to 16-8 with the win and will face either Waukee or Prairie in the 4A semifinals on Thursday morning. The Dragons were led by Tino Daye Jr Tino Daye Jr 6'0" | PG Johnston | 2026 State IA , who had 15 points. Nicare Cavil Nicare Cavil 5'11" | PG Johnston | 2027 State IA had 14 points, and Joshua Jenkins Joshua Jenkins 6'5" | SF/SG Johnston | 2027 State IA added 10 in the win.

Waukee Northwest's season ends with a 20-5 record and the school's fourth state tournament appearance. The Wolves were led by Colin Rice Colin Rice 6'8" | SG Waukee Northwest | 2026 State #83 Nation IA , the lone player in double figures with 17 points. They will lose Rice and Landon Davis Landon Davis 6'8" | PF Waukee Northwest | 2026 State #195 Nation IA , a pair of Big Ten commits to graduation, as well as Isaiah Oliver Isaiah Oliver 6'0" | PG Waukee Northwest | 2026 State IA , but it is a school loaded with talent and they should remain a factor in 4A next season.

Team stats
Johnston: 18-46 FG (39.1%), 4-9 3P (44.4%), 8-13 FT (61.5%); 27 rebounds (12 offensive); 5 assists, 7 turnovers
Waukee Northwest: 14-36 FG (38.9%), 6-15 3P (40%), 8-13 FT (61.5%); 27 rebounds (10 offensive); 6 assists, 14 turnovers

MVP: 2026 PG Tino Daye Jr Tino Daye Jr 6'0" | PG Johnston | 2026 State IA (Johnston) -- 15 points (6-13 FG, 1-1 3P, 2-2 FT), 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals

Take your pick between Daye and Cavil, both Johnston guards were fantastic in this upset. Daye's quick hands on the defensive end consistently frustrated Northwest and forced turnovers, and his comfort level late in the shot clock really allowed the Dragons to execute their game-shortening game plan to a T.

4A Quarterfinal: #2 Waukee 57, #7 Prairie 51

Second-seeded Waukee got everything they could handle from upset-minded, seventh-seeded Prairie on Tuesday afternoon, but the Warriors survived, 57-51, to advance to the Class 4A semifinals.

Prairie came out of the gates hot, using their vast arsenal of 3-point shooting threats to take a 32-30 lead into the half. The Hawks were 7-14 from the 3-point line in the first 16 minutes, but, as has been an issue for them all year long, they couldn't keep that hot shooting going for all 32 minutes.

Waukee made some adjustments in the second half, making a concerted effort to run the Hawks shooters off the 3-point line and make them attack the size and length that the Warriors have in the paint. As a result, Prairie shot just 1-7 from the 3-point line in the second half and scored just 19 points in the final 16 minutes.

Waukee senior guard Max Roach Max Roach 5'11" | PG Waukee | 2026 State IA spent much of the first half playing the role of facilitator, dishing out five assists. In the second half, he was the dominant scorer. He scored 15 of his team-high 18 points in the second half, taking over the game with his ability to create quality looks for himself off the dribble. Prairie didn't have an answer for his speed and handles, able to get into the teeth of the defense at will as well as knock down shots from 3 off the dribble. He was the best player on the floor in the second half and is the reason Waukee is living to play another day.

Waukee improves to 22-2 with the win, running their winning streak to 17 games. The Warriors were led by Max Roach Max Roach 5'11" | PG Waukee | 2026 State IA , who had 18 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals. Pete Craig Pete Craig 6'4" | SF Waukee | 2028 State IA added 12 points in the win, and all five Warriors starters scored at least eight points. They will take on Johnston, who they swept in the regular season, on Thursday at 12:15 pm in the 4A semifinals.

Cedar Rapids Prairie's season ends with an 18-6 record, and the school's fifth state tournament appearance. The Hawks were led by Will Wehr Will Wehr 6'2" | SG Cedar Rapids Prairie | 2026 State IA , who had 20 points in his final game. Cayden Larson had 11 points in the loss. The Hawks will bring back three starters and have a program loaded with young talent. Expect to see the Hawks back in the mix in 4A again next season.

Team stats
Prairie: 19-43 FG (44.2%), 8-21 3P (38.1%), 5-6 FT (83.3%); 26 rebounds (6 offensive); 12 assists, 14 turnovers
Waukee: 21-41 FG (51.2%), 7-18 3P (38.9%), 8-13 FT (61.5%); 21 rebounds (3 offensive); 10 assists, 10 turnovers

MVP: 2026 PG Max Roach Max Roach 5'11" | PG Waukee | 2026 State IA (Waukee) -- 18 points (7-10 FG, 2-4 3P, 2-4 FT), 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals

Roach was the best player on the floor in the second half, taking over the game to lead Waukee into the semifinals. He's a gifted shot creator with tight handles, the ability to shoot from 3 off the dribble and the catch, and tremendous feel for the game.

1A Quarterfinal: #1 St. Edmond 60, #8 Woodbine 44

After falling in the semifinals last season, top-ranked St. Edmond has one goal in mind this year: a state title. The Gaels got one step closer to that goal on Tuesday afternoon, rolling past Woodbine, 60-44, to advance to the Class 1A semifinals on Thursday afternoon.

Woodbine, a school filled with great athletes who led the Tigers to a runner-up finish in 8-man football this season, hung tough for the first 12 minutes, but a 10-0 run to close the first half gave St. Edmond a 31-18 advantage at the break, and the Gaels didn't look back after that.

The Gaels really locked in on the defensive end in the final three quarters, holding Woodbine to 32 points on 32% shooting over the final 24 minutes of play. The Tigers were just 1-17 from the 3-point line, outscored by 18 points from the arc. St. Edmond led by double figures for the final 17:26 of action, extending the advantage to as many as 20 points in the fourth quarter.

St. Edmond improves to 24-2 with the win. The Gaels were led by Hunter Horn Hunter Horn 6'5" | SF St. Edmond | 2026 State IA , who had 17 points and 9 rebounds. Carson Bargfrede Carson Bargfrede 6'2" | SG/CG St. Edmond Fort Dodge | 2026 State IA had 14 points, and Jakob Koopman Jakob Koopman 6'1" | PF St. Edmond | 2026 State IA added 11 in the win. They now await either Notre Dame or Bellevue in the 1A semifinals, to be played Thursday afternoon.

Woodbine's season ends with a 17-9 record and the school's third consecutive state tournament appearance. The Tigers were led by Landon Blum Landon Blum 6'5" | SG Woodbine | 2027 State IA , who had 20 points. Jax Pryor Jax Pryor 6'3" | PF Woodbine | 2026 State IA chipped in 15 in the loss. They'll graduate two starters, but will bring back the rest of the roster, including Blum. They should once again be in the mix to make it to the state tournament next season.

Team stats
Woodbine: 17-50 FG (34%), 1-17 3P (5.9%), 9-18 FT (50%); 39 rebounds (18 offensive); 5 assists, 18 turnovers
St. Edmond: 21-52 FG (40.4%), 7-18 3P (38.9%), 11-20 FT (55%); 35 rebounds (15 offensive); 9 assists, 14 turnovers

MVP: 2026 PF Hunter Horn Hunter Horn 6'5" | SF St. Edmond | 2026 State IA (St. Edmond) -- 17 points (7-17 FG, 1-1 3P, 2-4 FT), 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks

Horn was able to control the painted area for the Gaels, coming up just shy of a double-double and helping St. Ed cruise into the semifinals. It was a pretty balanced effort from the Gaels all afternoon.

1A Quarterfinal: #4 Burlington, Notre Dame 68, #5 Bellevue 62

The first half was the Shay Stephens Shay Stephens 6'5" | PG/SG Notre Dame | 2026 State IA show. The second half was all about the surrounding cast. The end result? The first state tournament win for Burlington, Notre Dame since 1981. The Nikes outlasted Bellevue on Tuesday evening, 68-62, to advance to the Class 1A semifinals.

Stephens, committed to play Division I basketball at Western Illinois, was sensational in the first half. The 6-5 guard scored 21 points on 7-11 shooting (4-6 3P, 3-3 FT) in the first 16 minutes and looked like he was playing a completely different game than everyone else on the floor. The Nikes rode his hot hand to a 34-18 edge at the half.

Bellevue came out of the locker rooms with their hair on fire, pounding the offensive glass and constantly attacking the Nikes off the dribble. The Comets used a huge 27-point third quarter to claw back to within four points heading into the fourth, trailing 49-45 after three. They got as close as two points, 51-49, with 7:15 left in the game, but could never quite get all the way over the hump after digging a 20-point hole in the first half.

Notre Dame got great production out of their surrounding cast in the second half while Bellevue face-guarded and sent doubles at Stephens on every touch. LJ Harris LJ Harris 6'0" | SG Notre Dame | 2027 State IA had all six of his points in the second half along with some massive offensive rebounds. Griffin Kies Griffin Kies 6'0" | CG Notre Dame | 2027 IA had nine of his 12 points in the final 16 minutes, and Tatum Warner Tatum Warner 5'7" | SG IA (5) and Kellan Porter Kellan Porter 6'1" | CG IA (7) were also huge in the last two frames.

Notre Dame improves to 25-2 with the win and will take on top-seeded St. Edmond, Fort Dodge on Thursday afternoon in the 1A semifinals. The Nikes were led by Shay Stephens Shay Stephens 6'5" | PG/SG Notre Dame | 2026 State IA , who had a game-high 26 points. Griffin Kies Griffin Kies 6'0" | CG Notre Dame | 2027 IA added 12 points in the win for the Nikes.

Bellevue's season ends with a 22-4 record and the school's third state tournament appearance. The Comets were led by Cameron Casel Cameron Casel 5'10" | PG Bellevue | 2026 State IA , who had 16 points. KeShawn DeShaw KeShawn DeShaw 6'5" | PF Bellevue | 2027 IA had 11 points and 13 rebounds before fouling out, and Jaxton Leach chipped in 10 points. They will graduate three starters and their top three bench players, but coach Chet Knake has done a nice job building up this program and they should remain competitive.

Team stats
Bellevue: 20-58 FG (34.5%), 5-19 3P (26.3%), 19-27 FT (70.4%); 38 rebounds (18 offensive); 7 assists, 10 turnovers
Notre Dame: 21-50 FG (42%), 9-22 3P (40.9%), 17-22 FT (77.3%); 33 rebounds (12 offensive); 10 assists, 16 turnovers

MVP: 2026 PG Shay Stephens Shay Stephens 6'5" | PG/SG Notre Dame | 2026 State IA (Notre Dame) -- 26 points (8-13 FG, 5-8 3P, 5-6 FT), 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals

The future Leatherneck guard was sensational in the first half, scoring 21 points and showing that he was the best player on the floor. With Bellevue paying extra attention to him in the second half, he attempted just two shots in the final 16 minutes, but was extremely unselfish and let his teammates do the work while he drew a ton of attention away.

1A Quarterfinal: #2 MMCRU , #7 Boyden-Hull

There were no jitters from MMCRU on Tuesday evening, as the second-seeded Royals, making their state tournament debut, smothered Boyden-Hull, 58-39, to advance to the Class 1A semifinals.

It shouldn't come as a surprise that, despite never reaching the boys state basketball tournament before, the Royals would be calm, cool, and collected. Most of the pieces on the basketball team are Class A football champions, after all.

The top-ranked scoring defense in Class 1A, they were every bit as good as advertised on that end of the floor. Filled with athletic, strong, switchable pieces, they frustrated Boyden-Hull throughout the night, holding the Comets 20 points below their season scoring average. They're fast, tough, and disciplined on both ends of the floor, and they do a fantastic job of converting the turnovers that they force into points, truly making the opposition pay for the giveaway. They also do a great job of ending possessions on the glass, out-rebounding the Comets 31-16.

MMCRU improves to 26-1 with the win and will await either Bishop Garrigan or Marquette Catholic in Thursday night's semifinals. The Royals got production across the board, led by _____.

Boyden-Hull's season ends with a 18-8 record and the school's 21st state tournament appearance. The Comets were led by _____. They will graduate two of their top three scorers, but bring back three starters and will be led by Jakob Pottebaum Jakob Pottebaum 6'1" | PF Boyden-Hull | 2027 State IA , who missed a majority of this game after suffering a shoulder injury on MMCRU's first possession. And it's Boyden-Hull. The Comets will always be a factor.

Team stats
Boyden-Hull: 17-38 FG (44.7%), 1-12 3P (8.3%), 4-7 FT (57.1%); 16 rebounds (3 offensive); 7 assists, 15 turnovers
MMCRU: 21-41 FG (51.2%), 6-11 3P (54.5%), 10-18 FT (55.6%); 31 rebounds (10 offensive); 11 assists, 12 turnovers

MVP: 2026 SF Wyatt Alesch Wyatt Alesch 6'3" | PG/SG MMCRU | 2026 State IA (MMCRU) -- 11 points (3-4 FG, 2-2 3P, 3-4 FT), 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal

This could go to any of the Royals starters, all made massive impacts on both ends of the floor. Alesch led the team in rebounding, was incredibly active on the defensive end with his length, and showed the ability to score inside and out.

1A Quarterfinal: #6 Marquette Catholic 58, #3 Bishop Garrigan 55

For the third year in a row, Marquette Catholic of Bellevue will play in the Class 1A semifinals. The Defenders outlasted third-seeded Bishop Garrigan of Algona on Tuesday night, 58-55, to move to the next round where they'll face MMCRU.

As they've had all year, the Defenders got strong production across the board from all seven players who took the floor. They have six players who average double figures in scoring, and had three finish there in this one, with another just outside. Consistent production from everyone makes a team difficult to defend, and that proved to be the case for Garrigan. Five different Marquette players made 3-pointers in the game, five different Marquette players grabbed at least three rebounds, and all seven players who played scored.

A team that can spread you out, attack and kick out to open shooters, they're a fun group to watch and have the ability to beat you in a number of different ways. They led the entire way, with Garrigan never holding a lead. The Golden Bears tied it at 50 with 3:34 to play, but Marquette responded with the next four points. Garrigan could never completely climb out of the 12-point hole they dug in the first half, with the Defenders taking their jabs and landing jabs of their own until finally landing the knockout blow.

Marquette Catholic improves to 24-2 with the win. The Defenders were led by Louis Gonner Louis Gonner 5'8" | PG Marquette Catholic | 2027 State IA , who had 17 points and 5 assists. Justin Severson had 11 points and 15 rebounds, and Tate Kueter Tate Kueter 5'11" | SF Marquette | 2028 State IA added 11 points off the bench.

Bishop Garrigan's season ends with a 23-3 record and the school's fifth state tournament appearance. The Golden Bears were led by Michael Joyce Michael Joyce 6'2" | CG Bishop Garrigan | 2027 State IA , who had a game-high 22 points. Carter Schwab Carter Schwab 6'2" | PG Bishop Garrigan | 2026 State IA had 14 in his final game, and Amaury Thomas Amaury Thomas 6'3" | PF Bishop Garrigan | 2026 State IA , also playing his final game, added 10. They'll lose three starters but bring back Joyce, one of 1A's best players, and should be a factor again next season.

Team stats
Marquette Catholic: 19-46 FG (41.3%), 8-19 3P (42.1%), 12-20 FT (60%); 36 rebounds (12 offensive); 10 assists, 10 turnovers
Bishop Garrigan: 21-52 FG (40.4%), 7-15 3P (46.7%), 6-9 FT (66.7%); 29 rebounds (10 offensive); 9 assists, 5 turnovers

MVP: 2026 PF Justin Severson (Marquette Catholic) -- 11 points (4-7 FG, 3-6 FT), 15 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block

Take your pick of the several Marquette standouts, but we'll give the nod to Severson, who not only dominated the glass on both ends of the floor, he kept Bishop Garrigan off of it. The Golden Bears are a team that thrives by pounding the offensive glass, and Severson did his part to prevent that from happening.

Team	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q	Final
Johnston	13	17	8	10	48
Waukee Northwest	13	9	8	12	42

STATE TOURNAMENT: Tuesday Game Recaps

In this article:

Five Standouts from the 5 Seasons Shoot Out

Midwest Warmups: 2027-2028 Prospects Making Early Noise

Midwest Warmups: Top Playmaking Combo Guards Regardless Of Class

Midwest Warmups: 2027 Interior Anchors

1A Way-Too-Early Title Contenders: Woodbine

Team	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q	Final
Prairie	15	17	8	11	51
Waukee	15	15	14	13	57

Team	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q	Final
Woodbine	12	6	13	13	44
St. Edmond	12	19	17	12	60

Team	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q	Final
Bellevue	11	7	27	15	62
Notre Dame	15	19	15	19	68

Team	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q	Final
Boyden-Hull	8	6	11	14	39
MMCRU	13	10	17	18	58

Team	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q	Final
Marquette Catholic	18	13	14	13	58
Bishop Garrigan	11	13	19	12	55