Playoff Preview: 1A-1

<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/1A-1.png"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-1126614" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/1A-1-1024x786.png" alt="" width="849" height="652" /></a>   The favorite: St. Mary’s has made four straight state tournaments, and will be the favorite to come out of this district and have a chance to make it a fifth straight trip to Des Moines. The Hawks have lost three times this year, both two losses coming to Gehlen Catholic and the other to Unity Christian. In non-Gehlen/Unity games, they’re winning by an average of 22.5 points a game. A young Hawks team is led by sophomore Jaxon Bunkers (13.2 points a game), while four others are averaging between 9.1 and 9.4 points a game, giving this group a lot of balance. They’ve made their name in previous years with their work on the defensive end, and that has been the case again this year, suffocating teams and holding their opponents to fewer than 39 points a game in their wins. The biggest threat: On the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of style of play is Newell-Fonda. The Mustangs like to get up-and-down, using their quickness and skilled guards to try and speed up the game. They rank 5th in 1A in scoring offense, putting up 72.6 points a game, and each of their four losses have come to quality 2A teams. They’re led by sophomore guard Carter Sievers (16.8, 41.0 3P%), while junior [player_tooltip player_id="962677" first="Trey" last="Jungers"] (12.5) and senior [player_tooltip player_id="964935" first="Tanner" last="Gerke"] (9.8, 41.5 3P%) provide some additional scoring punch on the perimeter. This group likes to force turnovers, which is easier said than done against a disciplined St. Mary’s team, but they are capable of beating the Hawks. The dark horse: South O’Brien played St. Mary’s tough once already this year, falling 53-48 back on December 11. They lost by 16 in the second meeting, but the Wolverines are a good defensive team, and with the way St. Mary’s likes to play (slow, lower-scoring), anything can happen. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="956890" first="Jake" last="Wallin"] (12.4, 8.9 rebounds), a 6-7 big man, could be an issue for the smaller teams in this district, and senior Josh Johannsen (13.7) is a solid scoring threat as well. Players to watch 2023 Jaxon Bunkers, St. Mary’s 2022 Carter Schorg, St. Mary’s 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="964940" first="Blaine" last="Harpenau"], St. Mary’s 2023 Carter Sievers, Newell-Fonda 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="962677" first="Trey" last="Jungers"], Newell-Fonda 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="956890" first="Jake" last="Wallin"], South O’Brien 2021 Josh Johannsen, South O’Brien 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="796136" first="Bubba" last="Sohn"], Harris-Lake Park 2023 Lance Berends, Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn 2023 Kamden Steffen, MMCRU     <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/1A-2.png"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-1126615" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/1A-2-1024x821.png" alt="" width="849" height="681" /></a>   The favorite: Behind a pair of dynamic scorers, Gehlen Catholic is an overwhelming favorite in this district. The Jays have lost just once, to a good 2A Unity Christian team, and they’ve been rolling everyone else they’ve played. Sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id="956881" first="Keaten" last="Bonderson"] (20.9) is the leading scorer, with junior wing [player_tooltip player_id="962690" first="Carter" last="DeRocher"] (20.3) not far behind. They’ve already beaten Woodbury Central, the district’s #2 seed, by 27 in the middle of January. That electric tandem of scorers is among the best duos in 1A, and they should carry the Jays to the district crown here. The biggest threat: Woodbury Central gets their first two games at home, which gives them an edge. They’ve also already beaten likely semifinal opponent River Valley, 57-47, before the holiday break. The Wildcats are led by junior Dallas Kluender (19.9, 10.6 rebounds), a double-double machine who can score inside and out. Senior forward Cane Schmitt (14.3, 7.8 rebounds) is another versatile scoring threat who helps Kluender control the glass. They need to take better care of the ball, as they turn over the ball nearly 16 times a game, but this is the biggest threat to the Jays. The dark horse: Outside of the Jays dynamic tandem, River Valley’s [player_tooltip player_id="796178" first="Garrett" last="Trapp"] (22.9) is the best scorer in the district, and he’ll make them a difficult out. He gets to the free-throw line a ton and he can shoot it from 3. Players to watch 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="956881" first="Keaten" last="Bonderson"], Gehlen Catholic 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="962690" first="Carter" last="DeRocher"], Gehlen Catholic 2022 Dallas Kluender, Woodbury Central 2021 Cane Schmitt, Woodbury Central 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="796178" first="Garrett" last="Trapp"], River Valley 2022 Jackson Howe, Kingsley-Pierson 2021 Dalton Dubois, Siouxland Christian 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="1070422" first="Cameron" last="Pierson"], Siouxland Christian   <h3 style="text-align: center;">SUBSTATE FINAL PREDICTION</h3> St. Mary’s, Remsen vs. Gehlen Catholic Gehlen Catholic hasn’t been to State since 1983, but the Jays have a real chance to make it to Des Moines for just the second time in school history. They’ve swept St. Mary’s this year, winning by 16 before the holiday break and 8 a week ago in overtime. It’s hard to beat a team three times in a season, but Gehlen Catholic makes school history and punches their ticket to State behind huge games from Bonderson and DeRocher.