Postseason Preview: Class 1A, Substate 6

Tony Roe February 7, 2019 @ 06:00 PM

[caption id="attachment_312748" align="alignright" width="300"] Arturo Montes[/caption] The favorite: Nobody in any class, in any substate or district, is going to be a bigger favorite than Grand View Christian is here. The two-time defending champions have only lost once this year, a 10-point setback at 4A powerhouse Iowa City West, and they are able to put a frontline on the floor that rivals any in the state, regardless of class, in terms of both athleticism and skill. Their trio of big men, Arturo Montes (15.7), Harouna Sissoko (15.4) and Drake-bound Issa Samake (14.7), will overwhelm every team in this district with their size, athleticism and skill on both ends of the floor. Throw in quality, experienced guards like Bryce Crabb (9.9), Kong Neyail (6.5), Gage Fry (5.3), Andrew Long (4.7) and Andrew Gatto (4.6), and it's tough to see any team in the district staying within 30 points of the Thunder. They will roll through this district and be a heavy favorite in the substate game. The biggest threat: The second seed in the district is Moravia, and the Mohawks have some quality shooters in Carson Brown (11.3, 40.4 3P%), Hunter Arbogast (10.6, 41.4) and Brendan Gray (8.8, 38.8) who may be able to keep it competitive for a while, if they can limit turnovers. But they will be dominated on the glass by the size of GVC. The dark horse: North Mahaska has a 6-4 presence in the paint by the name of Addy Bollman (12.2) who could do some things and maybe get Samake or Montes into foul trouble in a district final, but the overwhelming athleticism of GVC would be way too much for the Warhawks guards to contend with. Players to watch 2019 Issa Samake, Grand View Christian 2019 Arturo Montes, Grand View Christian 2019 Harouna Sissoko, Grand View Christian 2019 Bryce Crabb, Grand View Christian 2021 Ryan Krpan, Melcher-Dallas 2019 Ethan Harrington, Melcher-Dallas 2021 Carson Brown, Moravia 2019 Hunter Arbogast, Moravia 2020 Prestyn Lawson, Seymour 2020 Noah Wells, Seymour 2021 Addy Bollman, North Mahaska       The favorite: Mormon Trail has put together a strong season and grabbed the top seed in the district behind a top 10 offense (71.3 points per game, 9th) and defense (42.8, 6th). The Saints are led by a trio of double figure scorers in Parker Hitt (19.1), George Shanks (12.2) and Keaton Gwinn (11.6), and do a great job taking care of the basketball, with 341 assists to 194 turnovers on the season. That type of efficiency should come in handy here. The biggest threat: The most individual talent of any team in the district is in Bedford, where the Bulldogs have Brennan Sefrit (21.1) and Cooper Nally (15.8) leading the charge. That tandem is really strong as an outside-in duo and can control games. Abe Weed (83 assists to 37 turnovers) is a quality point guard, and Jordan Perkins (10.8) and Damien Henry (10.6) give them more perimeter scoring punch. The 'Dogs will need to step it up on the defensive end if they want to make it through district play and get a meeting with GVC. The dark horse: Junior guard Reece Held (16.7) is capable of taking over a game on the offensive end for Murray, which makes the Mustangs dangerous. They've also been solid this year on the defensive end, allowing just 46 points a game. Players to watch 2019 Parker Hitt, Mormon Trail 2019 Keaton Gwinn, Mormon Trail 2020 George Shanks, Mormon Trail 2020 Brennan Sefrit, Bedford 2020 Cooper Nally, Bedford 2020 Cole Pedersen, Central Decatur 2020 Michel Evertsen, Central Decatur 2020 Stephen Ansong, Lamoni 2020 Reece Held, Murray 2020 Kade Klommhaus, Diagonal 2020 Caine Dominguez-Sechiest, Clarinda Academy     SUBSTATE FINAL PREDICTION Grand View Christian vs. Mormon Trail Honestly, it'll be considered a good game for the Saints if they're able to stay within 20 of Grand View Christian here. The Thunder roll through this game and advance to State for the fourth year in a row, where they'll be the heavy favorite to take home the crown for the third straight season.