Substate Preview: 1A-8
In this article:
District 15 The favorite: AHSTW has to be considered a prohibitive favorite in this district. The Vikings are winning games by an average of 26 points a game behind a potent and efficient offense, and a smothering defense. Their…
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District 15
The favorite: AHSTW has to be considered a prohibitive favorite in this district. The Vikings are winning games by an average of 26 points a game behind a potent and efficient offense, and a smothering defense. Their lone loss has come against #1 Grand View Christian. The Vikings are led by their “Big Three” of juniors Brayden Lund Brayden Lund 6'4" | SF AHSTW | 2023 State IA (18.2) and Kyle Sternberg Kyle Sternberg 6'4" | SG AHSTW | 2023 State IA (16.3), and senior Raydden Grobe Raydden Grobe 6'2" | SF AHSTW | 2022 State IA (17.8). All three of them shoot at least 41% from behind the arc, and each of them can score efficiently from all three levels. Junior point guard Cole Scheffler Cole Scheffler 5'8" | PG AHSTW | 2023 State IA (4.3, 4.7 assists) is a solid lead guard who protects the ball and puts that trio into scoring positions. This group was really good last season and has been building towards this season for a while now. They’re the favorite to win this district and this substate.
The biggest threat: There are a ton of players from the 8-man football championship team on the hardwood for CAM, giving the Cougars a lot of athleticism and physicality. Senior point guard Lane Spieker (7.1, 6.3 assists) put up eye-popping numbers as the Cougars’ quarterback, and is the quarterback of the basketball team as well, getting others involved and protecting the ball. Colby Rich (12.0) and Sam Foreman (10.6, 8.6 rebounds) are the team’s top scorers, but this is a team with a balanced attack that sees all five starters averaging between 7.1 and 12.0 points a game. With their athleticism, they may be able to give AHSTW some trouble for a bit in a district final.
The dark horse: It would be a major upset if AHSTW doesn’t come out of this district, but if someone were to knock them off, perhaps it could be league rival Riverside, who feature sophomore guard Grady Jeppesen Grady Jeppesen 6'0" | SG Riverside | 2024 State IA (18.6), a high-volume scorer who could get hot and carry the Bulldogs to a few wins and a district title. Aiden Bell (13.1) gives them some more scoring, and Ayden Salais (9.1, 5.3 assists) has been a solid lead guard who can make things happen on the defensive end.
Players to watch
2022
Raydden Grobe
Raydden
Grobe
6'2" | SF
AHSTW | 2022
State
IA
, AHSTW
2023
Brayden Lund
Brayden
Lund
6'4" | SF
AHSTW | 2023
State
IA
, AHSTW
2023
Kyle Sternberg
Kyle
Sternberg
6'4" | SG
AHSTW | 2023
State
IA
, AHSTW
2022 Colby Rich, CAM
2023 Sam Foreman, CAM
2024
Grady Jeppesen
Grady
Jeppesen
6'0" | SG
Riverside | 2024
State
IA
, Riverside
2024 Cash Emgarten, Exira-EHK
2023 Colton Brennan, Heartland Christian
2023
Boston Devault
Boston
Devault
5'10" | SG
Nodaway Valley | 2023
State
IA
, Nodaway Valley
2023 Carson Bauer, Audubon
District 16
The favorite: West Harrison has put together one of the best seasons in school history, compiling an 18-3 regular-season record and earning this district’s top seed. They’ve gone 12-1 against teams in the district, including a blowout win over likely semifinal opponent Tri-Center. The Hawkeyes’ top five scorers are juniors, and there are no seniors on the roster, so next year will be even better for this group. Mason King Mason King 5'10" | PG West Harrison | 2023 State IA (16.3, 4.5 assists) is the team’s top scorer, shooting 46.2% from behind the arc and serving as the top perimeter threat. Koleson Evans Koleson Evans 6'6" | SF West Harrison | 2023 State IA (14.6, 10.0 rebounds) and Sage Evans Sage Evans 6'2" | PF West Harrison | 2023 State IA (13.7, 14.0 rebounds, 6.4 assists) (no relation, by the way) are a pair of dominant rebounders who pace a team that pulls down 15.8 offensive rebounds a game, a rate of 49.0%. A cohesive team with three dominant scoring threats and a slew of solid role players, West Harrison has to be considered the favorite in this district.
The biggest threat: The lone team in the district to beat West Harrison this season is Coon Rapids-Bayard, who handed the Hawkeyes a 56-41 decision on January 18. The Crusaders have been playing excellent ball after the holiday break, winning 12 of their last 13 games heading into postseason play. They’re a senior-laden team with a trio of double-figure scorers in Gabe Obert Gabe Obert 6'2" | SF Coon Rapids-Bayard | 2022 State IA (14.0), Lance Clayburg (14.0, 10.1 rebounds), and Tanner Oswald Tanner Oswald 6'3" | SF Coon Rapids-Bayard | 2022 State IA (13.8). In that win over West Harrison, they held the Hawkeyes to 26.4% shooting and outscored them by 10 points at the free-throw line, both marks that are unlikely to happen again. But this is a team that is playing really well, knows that they can beat West Harrison, and has a trio of scoring threats, so opposing teams can’t just focus on taking away one piece.
The dark horse: Boyer Valley grabbed the district’s #2 seed on the strength of their head-to-head win over Coon Rapids-Bayard (the teams had their second meeting after the seeding meeting took place, a game won by Coon Rapids-Bayard). The Bulldogs will get their first two games at home as a result, including that semifinal meeting with Coon Rapids-Bayard. Senior wing Trevor Malone (11.0) is the team’s top scorer, but this is a balanced team that has four players averaging between 8.0 and 11.0 points a game. Getting that district semifinal game at home will be a boost for the ’Dogs, but West Harrison would much rather see Boyer Valley than CR-B in the final.
Players to watch
2023
Sage Evans
Sage
Evans
6'2" | PF
West Harrison | 2023
State
IA
, West Harrison
2023
Koleson Evans
Koleson
Evans
6'6" | SF
West Harrison | 2023
State
IA
, West Harrison
2023
Mason King
Mason
King
5'10" | PG
West Harrison | 2023
State
IA
, West Harrison
2022
Gabe Obert
Gabe
Obert
6'2" | SF
Coon Rapids-Bayard | 2022
State
IA
, Coon Rapids-Bayard
2023 Lance Clayburg, Coon Rapids-Bayard
2022
Tanner Oswald
Tanner
Oswald
6'3" | SF
Coon Rapids-Bayard | 2022
State
IA
, Coon Rapids-Bayard
2022 Trevor Malone, Boyer Valley
2023 Michael Turner, Tri-Center
2022
Cooper Kock
Cooper
Kock
6'2" | PF
Ar-We-Va | 2022
State
IA
, Ar-We-Va
2022 Dylan Hoefer, Woodbine
SUBSTATE FINAL PREDICTION
AHSTW vs. West Harrison
Neither team has ever made a state tournament appearance in boys basketball, so we’ll be making some history if this is the substate final that does end up coming to fruition. We’ve been extremely high on AHSTW all season long, as we think the Vikings have a real chance at becoming state champions. The length and size of their “Big Three” is too much for West Harrison here, as AHSTW advances to Des Moines as the final member of the Class 1A tournament field.