Class 1A - District 1[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Eight
Boyer Valley, Dunlap
Charter Oak-Ute
Galva-Holstein
Kingsley-Pierson
River Valley, Correctionville
West Harrison, Mondamin
West Monona, Onawa
Whiting
Woodbine
Woodbury Central, Moville
How
did District 1 do at the State tournament?
No teams
qualified for State
Thoughts on
District 1
for the 2005-2005 Season:
After a 6-15 finish last winter, Boyer Valley will be hoping turn the ship
around. The biggest problem with that is graduation because the Bulldogs
said goodbye to most of their scoring punch. Charter Oak-Ute has already
started off the new year with a big win and hopes to keep the ball rolling the
rest of the year. With leading scorer Kyle Savery back on the team, the
Bobcats could be a tough team to beat in the Boyer Valley Conference. The
honor of the most talented player in the district may belong to Elijah Miller of
Galva-Holstein. As a sophomore, this guard averaged seventeen points in a
secondary role offensively. Look for that average to go above twenty
points per game this winter. Kingsley-Pierson made it to the second round
of the postseason last year but fell to Woodbury Central 53-52 in a dramatic
loss. Could the Panthers get a rematch in the playoffs? River Valley
center Steven Graham started the new year off with 31 points and 14 rebounds in
the opener. While I wouldn't expect those numbers to be put up every
night, this kid is good. Outside of him the team did lose a great deal.
West Harrison had a very good year last winter and brings back their top scorer
in Wade Remington. Remington is another talented bigman who is capable for
going over twenty points any night. West Monona is making the jump down
from Class 2A and that could give them some momentum when thinking about the
postseason. The problem is the team was one and done in the postseason.
Whiting was another team who struggled at times last season but leading scorer
Drew Hanson is back in the fold. This senior has a chance to put up big
numbers if his teammates can prove they can score around him. Woodbine was
able to win their first two playoff games before getting knocked out by Manning.
This was the same Manning team who finished fourth in Class 1A. Woodbury
did the same feat in district #1 last year. They won two games before
being defeated at home to Gehlen Catholic. From top to bottom, this
district is tough to predict because of how many good teams are playing in here.
Five Players to Watch
(* Denotes Pre-season District MVP):
Steven Graham - River Valley
Drew Hanson - Whiting
Elijah Miller - Galva-Holstein
Wade Remington - West Harrison
Kyle Savery -
Charter Oak-Ute
Sleeper Team:
West Harrison
Predictions:
1.)
Galva-Holstein
2.)
River Valley, Correctionville
3.)
Charter Oak-Ute
4.)
West Harrison, Mondamin
5.)
Woodbine
6.)
Woodbury Central, Moville
7.)
Kingsley-Pierson
8.)
West Monona, Onawa
9.)
Whiting
10.)
Boyer Valley, Dunlap
Agree/disagree? Talk about it now!
Class 1A, District 2[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Eight
Akron-Westfield
Aurelia
Boyden-Hull
Gehlen Catholic, LeMars
George-Little Rock
Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn
Remsen-Union
Rock Valley
St. Mary’s, Remsen
Spalding Catholic, Granville
How
did District 2 do at the State tournament?
Rock Valley
Lost to North Mahaska in the quarterfinals (67-64)
Thoughts on
District 2
for the 2005-2005 Season:
Akron-Westfield battled to stay over the .500 mark last year and achieved
the goal at 12-9. This team lost some offensive weapons but does return
point guard Dustin Carter. This solid senior averaged nine points per
game. Aurelia graduated their leading scorer, Matt Berg, who went on to
walk-on at Iowa State. The Bulldogs do bring back Chris Handy. Handy
is a solid who was third on the team in scoring. Boyden-Hull has a very
tradition rich basketball program but last year the team struggled to a 12-10
finish. Two starters are back, including Ryan Hoogeveen. This senior
scored fifteen points per game last winter and will be improved. Gehlen
Catholic finished just under .500 but has guard Jason Rohe returning. Rohe
led the team in scoring and finished his junior year very strong. The team
to beat may be George Little Rock. Led by senior Tyler Fluth, this squad
has some talented athletes that may be fighting for a district title.
Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn is making the big move down from Class 2A basketball and
will hoping the competition helps them advance in the postseason. This
team was one and done last year and doesn't want that to happen again.
With their five top scorers coming back, Remsen-Union on paper will be a tough
team to beat. The Rockets finished last year right above the .500 mark but
has the talent to surprise some teams. Kyle Ortmann led the team in
scoring and will be harder to guard. Rock Valley is the only squad to make
the State tournament last year but they were hit hard by graduation. These
new Rockets will have to adjust to varsity basketball. The other Remsen,
this time St. Mary's Remsen, hopes to get another first round bye. However
the team did not come to play in their matchup with Gehlen Catholic and saw
their season end earlier than they wanted. Spalding Catholic only won five
games last winter and lost their top two scorers. Who is going to take
over for that scoring?
Six Players to Watch
(* Denotes Pre-season District MVP):
Dustin Carter - Akron-Westfield
Tyler Fluth - George Little Rock *
Chris Handy - Aurelia
Ryan Hoogeveen - Boyden Hull
Kyle Ortmann - Remsen-Union
Jason Rohe - Gehlen Catholic
Sleeper Team:
Remsen-Union
Predictions:
1.)
George-Little Rock
2.)
Boyden-Hull
3.)
Remsen-Union
4.)
Gehlen Catholic, LeMars
5.)
Rock Valley
6.)
Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn
7.)
Aurelia
8.)
St. Mary’s, Remsen
9.) Akron-Westfield
10.)
Spalding Catholic, Granville
Agree/disagree? Talk about it now!
Class 1A - District 3[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Eight
Alta
Laurens-Marathon
Newell-Fonda
Odebolt-Arthur
Pomeroy-Palmer
Sac City
St. Mary, Storm Lake
Schaller-Crestland
Wall Lake View Auburn
How
did District 3 do at the State tournament?
No teams
qualified for State
Thoughts on
District 3
for the 2005-2005 Season:
Alta has their hands full if they want to better their 12-10 season from
last year. With the graduation of their top three starters, a number of
younger players must step up and make an impact at the varsity level. One
player to keep an eye on is senior Brad Payne.
Laurens-Marathon was another team struck hard by graduation as they said goodbye
to 6-foot-10 bigman Ryan Sones. This All Stater averaged a double-double
as a senior and has since moved on to NIACC. Newell-Fonda finished last
year 19-4 but could not get back to the State tournament. Tim Seagren is
now gone but Chad Buchholz is back and averaged double-digits last year.
With another off-season of workouts, Buchholz is a player to keep an eye on.
Mark Fertig of
Odebolt-Arthur is one of the top inside players to return in this district after
posting fifteen points and nine boards per contest. The team also returns
their other two top scorers. Pomeroy-Palmer struggled to a .500 season
last year but brings back their top two scorers. These players, Josh Hawks
and David Erickson, combined to average nearly twenty points. Sac City
could not win over eight games last winter but does bring back some solid
talent. They have the majority of their top players back and that will
help this team improve on that record. St. Mary has their work cut out for
them after winning only two games last year.
Schaller-Crestland said goodbye to most of their scoring but has a bright future
with sophomore Kiley Murra. The big question is will anyone be able to
score around him? One team that finished exactly at .500 was
Wall Lake View Auburn. The team lost their two leading scorers and fell in
the season opener to #2 rated Battle Creek-Ida Grove. Steven Aschinger led
the team in scoring at nine points.
Five Players to Watch
(* Denotes Pre-season District MVP):
Chad Buchholz - Newell-Fonda *
David Erickson - Pomeroy-Palmer
Mark Fertig -
Odebolt-Arthur
Kiley Murra -
Schaller-Crestland
Nathan Poen - Sac City
Sleeper Team:
Sac City
Predictions:
1.)
Newell-Fonda
2.)
Pomeroy-Palmer
3.)
Odebolt-Arthur
4.)
Sac City
5.) Alta
6.)
Schaller-Crestland
7.)
Wall Lake View Auburn
8.)
Laurens-Marathon
9.)
St. Mary, Storm Lake
Agree/disagree? Talk about it now!
Class 1A - District 4[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Eight
Armstrong-Ringsted
Clay Central-Everly
Graettinger/Terril
Harris-Lake Park
North Kossuth, Swea City
Ruthven-Ayrshire
Sentral, Fenton
Twin River Valley, Bode
West Bend-Mallard
How
did District 4 do at the State tournament?
No teams
qualified for State
Thoughts on
District 4
for the 2005-2005 Season:
Favorites? This district may be up for grabs and that could see for
some great games in the playoffs. Armstrong-Ringsted finished 10-12 last
year but graduated their four leading scorers. Look for a lot of new faces
early in the year. Clay Central-Everly made it all the way to the district
semifinal before seeing their season end against Harris-Lake Park. Could
the Mavericks get another chance this postseason? Graettinger-Terril
exceeded a lot of expectations last year on the way to a 14-7 finish. The
problem is that the team said goodbye to their three leading scorers. Kyle
Noble, the leading scorer for
Harris-Lake Park, will be back and hopes to get his team to the State
tournament. The Wolves have four of their top five scorers back for
another season and that has things looking up for this team. North Kossuth
made it all the to the substate finale last year before falling to Rockwell
City-Lytton. This dramatic one point loss left a bitter taste in their
mouths over the off-season and could propel them into the State tournament.
Ruthven-Ayrshire finished under the magical .500 mark but brings back Joe Knoer
and some solid other scorers. Sentral-Fenton made the State tournament two
years ago but could not make it past one playoff win this past winter. The
Spartans always seem to bring back talented athletes. Twin River Valley
had an opening round bye in the playoffs but lost their first game to West
Bend-Mallard. Speaking of West Bend-Mallard, the Wolverines made it all
the to district final before seeing their year end at the hands of Rockwell
City-Lytton.
Three Players to Watch
(* Denotes Pre-season District MVP):
Seth Hiveley -
Harris-Lake Park
Joe Knoer -
Ruthven-Ayrshire
Kyle Noble -
Harris-Lake Park *
Sleeper Team:
Ruthven-Ayrshire
Predictions:
1.)
Harris-Lake Park
2.)
North Kossuth, Swea City
3.)
Ruthven-Ayrshire
4.)
West Bend-Mallard
5.)
Clay Central-Everly
6.)
Graettinger/Terril
7.)
Sentral, Fenton
8.)
Twin River Valley, Bode
9.) Armstrong-Ringsted
Agree/disagree? Talk about it now!
Class 1A - District 5[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Eight
C-W-L, Corwith
Newman Catholic, Mason City
Nora Springs-Rock Falls
North Central, Manly
Northwood-Kensett
Rockwell-Swaledale
SCMT, Sheffield
Ventura
West Hancock, Britt
Woden-Crystal Lake-Titonka
How
did District 5 do at the State tournament?
SCMT
Lost to NU High in the quarterfinals (65-54)
Thoughts on
District 5
for the 2005-2005 Season:
Favorites? With SCMT having State tournament experience that could
help but this one is up for grabs. C-W-L had the tough task of opening the
playoffs at Laurens-Marathon. Although they kept it close, the team fell
in their first postseason game. Newman Catholic is making the bump down
from Class 2A and hope that bigger school competition will help. The
Knights will hope to turn around their one and done postseason experience from
last year.
Nora Springs-Rock Falls was one of those classic .500 teams from last season and
saw the majority of their team graduate. That has not stopped them to
quickly jumping out to a 1-0 start on the year. North Central Manly
struggled last winter and could not win a game. Will they come closer this
time around? A school that has really made a name for itself on the
hardwood is Northwood-Kensett. The Vikings return junior standout Cody
Hanson. Despite playing against older players, he led the team in scoring.
Also keep an eye on Dan Bestul. Rockwell-Swaledale may have one of the
greatest names for a high school in Iowa but lost their top two leading scorers.
Like Northwood-Kensett, their leading returning scorer is only a junior.
That player, Zach Elsbecker, averaged double-digits and will get a bigger role
offensively this winter.
SCMT has a lot of work to do if they want to return to State because their top
four scorers all graduated. Some of those players were very good athletes
and will be missed. Ventura surprised a lot of people by going 18-5 last
year but fell to SCMT in the postseason. The Vikings will also have a lot of
fresh faces on the varsity team because of graduation. Despite getting the
advantage of home playoff games, West Hancock could not win their opener against
Armstrong-Ringsted. This loss put the the Eagles home for the off-season.
Another team who was one and out was
Woden-Crystal Lake-Titonka. Their loss to North Iowa was only by five
points but it was disappointing.
Three Players to Watch
(* Denotes Pre-season District MVP):
Dan Bestul -
Northwood-Kensett
Zach Elsbecker - Rockwell-Swaledale
Cody Hanson -
Northwood-Kensett *
Sleeper Team:
Newman Catholic
Predictions:
1.)
Northwood-Kensett
2.)
Rockwell-Swaledale
3.)
Newman Catholic, Mason City
4.)
SCMT, Sheffield
5.)
Nora Springs-Rock Falls
6.)
West Hancock, Britt
7.)
Ventura
8.) C-W-L, Corwith
9.)
Woden-Crystal Lake-Titonka
10.)
North Central, Manly
Agree/disagree? Talk about it now!
Class 1A - District 6[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Eight
CAL, Latimer
Colo-Nesco
Don Bosco, Gilbertville
GMG, Garwin
Hubbard-Radcliffe
North Tama, Traer
Northeast Hamilton, Blairsburg
NU High
Walnut Ridge Baptist Academy, Waterloo
How
did District 6 do at the State tournament?
NU High
Beat SCMT in the quarterfinals (65-54)
Lost to North Mahaska in the semifinals (67-65)
Beat Manning in the consolation game (70-55)
Thoughts on
District 6
for the 2005-2005 Season:
NU High had a great season last year while finishing third in their class
but that doesn't mean they will be the favorite this year. Gone from that
team are Luke Warren and Nick Iverson. Both players were amazing high
school athletes and have since moved on to college. This NU High team will
be much different. CAL returns leading scorer Nate Johnson but the team
only won two games last season. They have a lot of work to do.
Colo-Nesco plays some very good competition in the Heart of Iowa Conference and
has a chance to do some damage in this district. Andy Becker led the team
in scoring as a junior and put up nearly twenty points per game in the process.
Don Bosco will finally get a chance to compete against programs similar in size
as the Dons have moved conferences. How they adjust will be interesting to
see. GMG was up and down last winter but was dominated by seniors.
With those players gone, a lot of inexperienced players will see time at
varsity. Hubbard-Radcliffe lost one of the top players in their program's
history with Adam Weig but could not get past the first round of the postseason
without him. North Tama finished just under .500 last season and has a
much different team this year. Coach Brandon Clubb will be hoping to help
turn things around with this team. Northeast Hamilton got past the first
round of the postseason last year but could not get Madrid in the second round.
Could this be the year that they get further? Walnut Ridge Baptist Academy
had an outstanding season in 2004-2005 and hopes to continue their success.
Second leading scorer Josh Willms returns and he put up over fourteen points per
contest.
Five Players to Watch
(* Denotes Pre-season District MVP):
Andy Becker - Colo-Nesco *
Luke Rosekopf - Walnut Ridge Baptist Academy
Josh Willms - Walnut Ridge Baptist Academy
Sleeper Team:
GMG
Predictions:
1.)
Colo-Nesco
2.)
Walnut Ridge Baptist Academy, Waterloo
3.)
NU High
4.)
GMG, Garwin
5.)
Northeast Hamilton, Blairsburg
6.)
North Tama, Traer
7.)
Don Bosco, Gilbertville
8.)
Hubbard-Radcliffe
9.) CAL, Latimer
Agree/disagree? Talk about it now!
Class 1A - District 7[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Eight
Clarksville
Dunkerton
Edgewood-Colesburg
Janesville
Kee, Lansing
Postville
Riceville
Tripoli
West Central, Maynard
How
did District 7 do at the State tournament?
No teams
qualified for State
Thoughts on
District 7
for the 2005-2005 Season:
With one of the best bigmen in Iowa, Dunkerton will be a tough team to beat.
Keith Kuenstling is that player and he returns after putting up sixteen points
and eight rebounds per game. And with his 6-foot-7 size, Kuenstling is a
tough player to stop inside. He also has big game experience as the sixth
man on a State title team. Clarksville finished last year 1-20 and has
already started the new year with two losses. They have a tough road to
turn things around.
Edgewood-Colesburg graduated their leading scorer but has Ryan Putz and Matt
Mescher back in the fold. That duo put up nearly twenty points per game
and that will be huge this year. Nick Weinmeister of Janesville returns as
the team's leading scorer. This senior is one of four players who started
at times last season on a team that finished 10-9. Kee High brings back
sixteen points per game scorer Gabe Schultz and five other players who saw
extensive action at the varsity level. If they can answer the question in
the post, they could compete in this district. Postville had some
struggles last year but brings back Darren Kraus. This talented forward is
the leading returning scorer for his team and wants to help his team to
improvement this winter. One team that was heavily hurt by graduation was
Riceville. They had some outstanding athletes on the team last year but
the majority of them are gone. That means there will be a lot of new faces
getting playing time. When matching up with Tripoli, the opposition must
keep a close eye on Bryce Lahmann. This senior guard averaged thirteen
points per game as a junior. West Central Maynard was able to get past
their opening playoff game against Janesville. They needed overtime in
this dramatic win but couldn't get past Dunkerton in the next round.
Five Players to Watch
(* Denotes Pre-season District MVP):
Keith Kuenstling - Dunkerton *
Bryce Lahmann - Tripoli
Ryan Putz -
Edgewood-Colesburg
Gabe Schultz - Kee
Nick Weinmeister - Janesville
Sleeper Team:
Kee, Lansing
Predictions:
1.)
Dunkerton
2.)
Janesville
3.)
Edgewood-Colesburg
4.)
Kee, Lansing
5.)
Postville
6.)
Tripoli
7.)
West Central, Maynard
8.)
Riceville
9.) Clarksville
Agree/disagree? Talk about it now!
Class 1A - District 8[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Eight
Andrew
Calamus-Wheatland
Central City
East Central, Miles
Marquette Catholic, Bellevue
Olin
Preston
Prince of Peace Prep, Clinton
Rivermont Collegiate, Bettendorf
Scattergood Friends
How
did District 8 do at the State tournament?
No teams
qualified for State
Thoughts on
District 8 for the 2005-2005 Season:
Because of the size, strength, and skills of Jordan Eglseder, Bellevue
Marquette is going to be a difficult team to beat. This 7-footer and
future Northern Iowa Panther is very skilled for his size and is an impossible
matchup at any level. Andrew had a number of different coaching changes
over the off-season but has some solid talent returning. These players
must work hard on their game if they want to make some noise in this tough
district.
Calamus-Wheatland had a bye in the first round of the playoffs last year but the
season ended very quickly at the hands of Prince of Peace. This contest
was ugly very early. Central City went defeated last year and will be
hoping to break the losing streak early in 2005-2006. Junior Graham Valdes
returns and he saw a great deal of varsity action. East Central has the
talent to play with Marquette but they are lacking the size. This squad
has three starters ready to improve on their 16-8 finish last year.
Leading the scoring is Kurtis Cornilsen, back for his senior year. Olin
will once again be sporting some talented athletes after the success they have
had on the football field. Will that give the team some momentum heading
into the new year? Preston is always very competitive and gave Marquette a
scare in the district quarterfinals last season. They slowed the game down
and held the opposition to thirty-four points, which in most cases is good.
But Preston only put up twenty-four points on the scoreboard. Prince of
Peace is a team that always comes to play every night. Their athletes
always work hard and that helps the team succeed. Last year, Prince of
Peace made it to the district final before falling to Marquette.
Rivermont Collegiate returns Raheel Yaseen but the team said goodbye four
starters. There will be a lot of inexperienced players seeing time early.
Five Players to Watch
(* Denotes Pre-season District MVP):
Kurtis Cornilsen - East Central
Jordan Eglseder - Bellevue Marquette *
Colin Kilburg
- Bellevue Marquette
Graham Valdes - Central City
Raheel Yaseen -
Rivermont Collegiate
Sleeper Team:
Andrew
Predictions:
1.)
Marquette Catholic, Bellevue
2.)
East Central, Miles
3.)
Prince of Peace Prep, Clinton
4.) Andrew
5.)
Preston
6.)
Olin
7.)
Calamus-Wheatland
8.)
Rivermont Collegiate, Bettendorf
9.)
Central City
10.)
Scattergood Friends
Agree/disagree? Talk about it now!
Class 1A - District 9[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Eight
Alburnett
English Valleys, North English
Highland, Riverside
H-L-V, Victor
Iowa Mennonite, Kalona
Iowa Valley, Marengo
Lisbon
Lone Tree
Springville
Tri-County, Thornburg
How
did District 9 do at the State tournament?
Iowa Mennonite
Beat Lynnville-Sully in the quarterfinals (70-40)
Beat Manning in the semifinals (59-47)
Lost to North Mahaska in the championship game (74-63)
Thoughts on
District 9
for the 2005-2005 Season:
After looking at the district pairings, there appears to be three favorites
here. Iowa Mennonite played at the State tournament many times and made it
all the way to the State title last winter. Although that still leaves a
bitter taste in their mouths, this team doesn't return quite the firepower that
it had last season. There are still some very good players but it may be
difficult to advance as far as they did last year. Keep an eye on Thomas
Davis. Tri-County is one squad to watch and they are the up-and-comers. Led by senior bigman Brian
Metz, this team returns a number of starters and has all the makings of a
potential State tournament. They must however get past IMS to get there.
And what about Lone Tree? With only one starter graduated off of a 16-9
team they are going to be difficult to defend. All Stater Zach Ryerson
returns and will have another year of experience under his belt. Alburnett
lost a lot of talent last year with graduation but did open the new campaign off
with a big win over Center Point-Urbana. Korey Johnson had a big game and
will be looking for a good year. English Valleys had their struggles last
season and will hope to turn the corner. That is a very tough test,
especially when considering the teams in this district. Highland went
defeated last winter but stopped the winning streak early this year.
Freshman Ben Weeks put up 17 points and has a chance to be special. HLV
put a lot of faith in Sean Campbell last year. As a sophomore, Campbell
was second on the team in scoring at the forward position. Iowa Valley
opened the 2004-2005 playoffs with a win over English Valleys and then was
dominated by IMS. What are they odds they could get another chance?
Lisbon opened the new year with a win and was led by the 25 points that Marquis
Stephens put up. This senior averaged double-digits last year and will
hope for monster numbers like that. Springville was another one and done
team in the playoffs as they fell at the hands of Alburnett.
Four Players to Watch
(* Denotes Pre-season District MVP):
Thomas Davis - Iowa Mennonite
Brian Metz - Tri-County *
Zach Ryerson - Lone Tree
Marquis Stephens - Lisbon
Sleeper Team:
Highland
Predictions:
1.)
Tri-County, Thornburg
2.) Lone Tree
3.)
Iowa Mennonite, Kalona
4.)
Lisbon
5.)
Highland, Riverside
6.)
H-L-V, Victor
7.) Alburnett
8.)
Iowa Valley, Marengo
9.) Springville
10.)
English Valleys, North English
Agree/disagree? Talk about it now!
Class 1A - District 10[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Eight
Cardinal Stritch, Keokuk
Harmony, Farmington
Holy Trinity Catholic, Fort Madison
Keota
Maharishi, Fairfield
New London
Notre Dame, Burlington
Waco, Wayland
Winfield-Mt. Union
How
did District 8 do at the State tournament?
No teams
qualified for State
Thoughts on
District 10
for the 2005-2005 Season:
With what WACO did last year and with what they have returning, they are
going to be a tough team to beat in district #10. The Warriors are stacked
once again and ready for another State run. All Stater Travis Temple leads
the team and will be a tough player to stop. Cardinal Stritch was up and
down last year but brings back their second leading scorer in Grant Erhart.
This senior nearly averaged double-digits. When teams are scouting
Harmony, one player who will catch their eye is
Drew Zane. This 6-foot-4 senior poured in
fifteen points per game and his game will be better this winter. If there
is one team that may have the talent to compete with WACO it is Holy Trinity.
This consolidated school returns five starters and has a lot of players with
varsity experience. If this team can gel early, watch out because they
could be good. Keota was able to get past their first round matchup
against Lisbon last year but fell at the hands of Lone Tree. With the game
only being a five point win, will Keota get another shot at that talented Lone
Tree team? Maharishi is another squad
who won their playoff opener against New London before falling in the next
round. This team fell to WACO but may have a tough test if there is a
rematch. New London had some serious struggles during the 2004-2005 year
but will be hoping to turn things around. The problem is who is going to
pick up the scoring slack? Burlington Notre Dame has two starters
returning and that includes leading scorer Jacob Brueck. Brueck averaged
twelve points per game as a junior and leads a strong core of guards. With
6-foot-8 bigman Marcus Loyd
back in the fold, Winfield-Mt. Union
has one inside player that is going to be tough to contain. However the
team has few other players with returning experience.
Five Players to Watch
(* Denotes Pre-season District MVP):
Jacob Brueck - Burlington Notre Dame
Grant Erhart - Cardinal Stritch
Jimmy Reynolds - Holy
Trinity
Travis Temple - WACO *
Drew Zane - Harmony
Sleeper Team:
Holy Trinity Catholic
Predictions:
1.)
Waco, Wayland
2.)
Holy Trinity Catholic, Fort Madison
3.)
Harmony, Farmington
4.)
Notre Dame, Burlington
5.)
Keota
6.)
Winfield-Mt. Union
7.)
Maharishi, Fairfield
8.) Cardinal Stritch, Keokuk
9.)
New London
Agree/disagree? Talk about it now!
Class 1A - District 11[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Eight
Lineville-Clio
Lynnville-Sully
Moravia
Moulton-Udell
North Mahaska, New Sharon
Russell
Seymour
Twin Cedars, Bussey
Wayne, Corydon
How
did District 8 do at the State tournament?
Lynnville-Sully
Lost to Iowa Mennonite in the quarterfinals (70-40)
North Mahaska
Beat Rock Valley in the quarterfinals (67-64)
Beat NU High in the semifinals (67-65)
Beat Iowa Mennonite in the championship game (74-63)
Thoughts on
District 11
for the 2005-2005 Season:
Two State tournament bound teams in the same district? That will make
it very tough for everyone to seriously think about a run at Des Moines without
getting through those teams. But the squad to beat is obviously the
defending State champions from North Mahaska. The team brings back a lot
of their scoring punch, which includes All Stater Blake McGriff. This
four-year starter is now finally a senior and has played in the last three State
tournaments. That experience is very beneficial in big games. Josh
Fry is back for
Lineville-Clio. This senior guard was second on the team in scoring and
hopes for an even better year. Lynnville-Sully already opened the new year
with a huge win over English Valleys. But this team has some tough
pre-Christmas tests with North Mahaska and Tri-County coming up soon.
Moravia was hit very hard by graduation and has very little varsity experience
back. That will force a lot of new players to step up.
Moulton-Udell was struck hard by graduation but has already shown their depth
this year with a lot of new players stepping up to the challenge. Chaz
Welch has started the new year very strong. Keep an eye on this junior
guard. Russell said goodbye to their top three leading scorers. That
alone will leave a huge hole in their lineup. Seymour graduated leading
scorer Eric Jones. This talent averaged well over twenty points and was by
far the leading scorer on this squad. Twin Cedars may have the most talent
outside of North Mahaska in this district and could give them a run for their
money. Jesse DeGeest and Justin Wurr provide a formable one-two punch that
is difficult to stop. Dean Dady returns as the leading scorer for Wayne
but the team has been led early by Levi Jaeckel. Will these two have
enough offensive firepower to help the team over .500?
Five Players to Watch
(* Denotes Pre-season District MVP):
Jesse DeGeest - Twin Cedars
Levi Ferguson - North Mahaska
Josh Fry -
Lineville-Clio
Blake McGriff - North Mahaska *
Chaz Welch -
Moulton-Udell
Sleeper Team:
Twin Cedars
Predictions:
1.)
North Mahaska, New Sharon
2.)
Twin Cedars, Bussey
3.)
Lineville-Clio
4.)
Moulton-Udell
5.)
Lynnville-Sully
6.) Wayne, Corydon
7.)
Russell
8.)
Moravia
9.)
Seymour
Agree/disagree? Talk about it now!
Class 1A - District 12[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Eight
Ankeny Christian Academy
Des Moines Christian
Earlham
Grandview Park Baptist, Des Moines
Iowa Christian Academy
Martensdale-St. Mary’s
Melcher-Dallas
Southeast Warren, Liberty Center
Van Meter
How
did District 12 do at the State tournament?
No teams
qualified for State
Thoughts on
District 8 for the 2005-2005 Season:
Ankeny Christian only won one game last year but began the 2005-2006 season
with a big win. This team returns their top two leading scorers, including
Nathan Ihnen. This talented forward is only a junior. Des Moines
Christian had an outstanding year last winter before falling in the playoffs.
This team will have a lot of fresh faces at the varsity level. Earlham
said goodbye to Justin Lillie but does have junior and second leading scorer
Daniel Ory back on this squad. That will help the team fight for district
title. With three of their top four scorers returning, Grandview Park
Baptist has already started the new year quickly and has proven they are going
to be a tough out. Zach Westrum is a very talented bigman who can score in
a variety of ways. Iowa Christian saw leading scorer A.J. Malone transfer
to North Mahaska and his twenty points per game will be missed. With him
gone, this team must find someone to step up and score.
Martensdale-St. Mary’s has that scoring firepower returning with Corey Sherwood
back for another year. Also keep an eye on Jeremy Lynch.
Melcher-Dallas was hit hard by graduation and had to say goodbye to B.J. Wells.
The team does bring back Jordy Tickle but the team must pick up the scoring and
the leadership that has graduated. Southeast Warren could not get over the
.500 barrier last winter but has Luke Putz back. This junior guard
narrowly averaged double digits but will need to pick up his play on both ends
of the court. Van Meter had their struggles last year and was blown out in
their only postseason game last year.
Five Players to Watch
(* Denotes Pre-season District MVP):
Nathan Ihnen - Ankeny Christian
Daniel Ory - Earlham
Corey Sherwood -
Martensdale-St. Mary’s
Jordy Tickle -
Melcher-Dallas
Zach Westrum - Grandview Park Baptist *
Sleeper Team:
Melcher-Dallas
Predictions:
1.)
Grandview Park Baptist, Des Moines
2.)
Martensdale-St. Mary’s
3.)
Des Moines Christian
4.)
Southeast Warren, Liberty Center
5.)
Melcher-Dallas
6.)
Earlham
7.) Ankeny Christian Academy
8.)
Iowa Christian Academy
9.)
Van Meter
Agree/disagree? Talk about it now!
Class 1A - District 13[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Eight
Ar-We-Va, Westside
Coon Rapids-Bayard
East Greene, Grand Junction
Glidden-Ralston
Madrid
Paton-Churdan
Rockwell City-Lytton
Southeast Webster, Burnside
Southern Cal, Lake City
How
did District 8 do at the State tournament?
Rockwell City-Lytton
Lost to Manning in the quarterfinals (62-54)
Thoughts on
District 13
for the 2005-2005 Season:
Ar-We-Va was ranked all of last year but just couldn't make it to the State
tournament. Gone from that team are the top four leading scorers,
including All Stater Teddy Hawley (Now at Buena Vista). So where does this
team go? Look for a youth movement but expect the players to be skilled.
Coon Rapids-Bayard hit a similar fate as Ar-We-Va with their top four scorers
now gone, including leading scorer Jacob Waddle. This team has a lot to do
if they want to match the success from their 18-6 year. Another senior led
team was East Greene but they return a solid player in junio Robert Milham.
This center is undersized but works extremely hard.
Glidden-Ralston had a great year on the football field but unfortunately that
doesn't mean much during the winter. Zach Schweers is back for his senior
year and was second in scoring as last year. Madrid is normally a football
school but had two basketball players move on to the college ranks. The
problem is that there is little left on this team, especially because basketball
seems like a secondary sport at Madrid.
Paton-Churdan opened the playoffs last year against Earlham and were outplayed
in a 37-point loss. That was an ugly game.
Rockwell City-Lytton finished 22-4 last year and made it all the way to the
State tournament. They return the majority of their firepower and are
going to be a tough team to beat. Have they gotten new jerseys after
making State? If not, the
Rockwell City-Lytton players deserve them. After only winning five games
last year,
Southeast Webster, Burnside graduated the majority of their top players.
This will make for a very interesting season considering the lack of experience
they will have. Southern Cal has some serious talent on their roster but
has yet to prove they can win. Once they can get a winning mentality,
Southern Cal will be tough to beat. Keep an eye on Gavin Crandall.
Five Players to Watch
(* Denotes Pre-season District MVP):
Gavin Crandall - Southern Cal
Jace Hawley - Ar-We-Va
Brent Miller -
Rockwell City-Lytton *
Trevor Richardson -
Rockwell City-Lytton
Zach Schweers -
Glidden-Ralston
Sleeper Team:
Southern Cal
Predictions:
1.)
Rockwell City-Lytton
2.) Ar-We-Va, Westside
3.)
Coon Rapids-Bayard
4.)
Glidden-Ralston
5.)
Southern Cal, Lake City
6.)
East Greene, Grand Junction
7.) Southeast Webster, Burnside
8.)
Madrid
9.)
Paton-Churdan
Agree/disagree? Talk about it now!
Class 1A - District 14[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Eight
Adair-Casey
A-H-S-T, Avoca
CAM, Anita
Elk Horn-Kimballton
Exira
Guthrie Center
IKM, Manilla
Manning
Walnut
How
did District 14 do at the State tournament?
Manning
Beat Rockwell City-Lytton in the quarterfinals (62-54)
Lost to Iowa Mennonite in the semifinals (59-47)
Lost to NU High in the consolation game (70-55)
Thoughts on
District 8 for the 2005-2005 Season:
After making the last two State tournaments, Manning finally lost Brian
Fogelman to college hoops at Buena Vista. Despite his loss, the team does
bring back Brad Renze. This junior averaged double digits and is one of
the top athletes in Iowa. The big question is who will fill the hole on
the inside for Fogelman? Adair-Casey is mainly known as a football school
but had a solid year on the basketball court. The problem is that their
top five scorers are no longer eligible for high school hoops. A-H-S-T has
had some major success in multiple sports as of late. They made it to the
district finals in basketball before losing to Manning and recently made it to
the football semifinals in Class A. Will they get another shot at Manning?
CAM Anita had a surprising 18-8 finish last winter and welcomes back two of
their top three leading scorers. This is the same squad that made it to
the substate finale before being denied a trip to State.
Elk Horn-Kimballton had opposite playoff success with an opening round loss to
A-H-S-T. Will they get a rematch? Exira could only put up thirty-one
points in their season opener. If they want to win games, the offense must
step up. Guthrie Center is one team that is loaded with returning athletes
and that will allow them to compete for this district title. Leading
scorer Tyler Vaughan is back as well as All State football player Andrew Meier.
And after going 20-4 last winter, Guthrie Center will be tough to beat.
IKM had the unfortunate task of facing Manning in their playoff opener and
suffered a blowout loss. Walnut also was one and done but only lost by
fourteen points in their season finale.
Four Players to Watch
(* Denotes Pre-season District MVP):
Jack Mailander -
CAM, Anita
Andrew Meier - Guthrie Center
Brad Renze - Manning
Tyler Vaughan - Guthrie Center *
Sleeper Team:
Manning
Predictions:
1.)
Guthrie Center
2.)
CAM, Anita
3.)
A-H-S-T, Avoca
4.)
Manning
5.) Adair-Casey
6.)
Elk Horn-Kimballton
7.)
Exira
8.)
Walnut
9.)
IKM, Manilla
Agree/disagree? Talk about it now!
Class 1A - District 15[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Eight
Central Decatur, Leon
Diagonal
East Union, Afton
Lamoni
Lenox
Mormon Trail, Garden Grove
Murray
Orient-Macksburg
Villisca
How
did District 15 do at the State tournament?
No teams
qualified for State
Thoughts on
District 15 for the 2005-2005 Season:
Central Decatur could not get over the .500 mark last year and has since
lost their top three scorers. But even with those factors, this team still
won their first game in impressive fashion. Diagonal had some serious
struggles last season as they limped to a 1-20 record. It is easy to
improve on but that is easier said than done. East Union couldn't do much
better but they did double Diagonal's win total, so they ended with two.
Despite their struggles, this team started off with a 79-12 win over Diagonal.
Uh-oh. Lamoni finished the 2004-2005 season at 13-9 and brings back their
second leading scorer, Zach Kotz. Outside of Kotz, this team is young but
talented. Lenox made it all the way to the State title game during the
football season but if anything that will give some of their players a late
start on hoops. All State football player Jake Samo is back and is just a
great athlete. Also keep an eye on Cruz Reed. With their three
leading scorers graduated, Mormon Trail will have to pin a lot of their
offensive success on Dillon Lavely. This senior forward is currently
leading the team in scoring. Murray was able to finish over .500 and
returns two of their three scorers who averaged double digits. Ryan Robins
and Justin Halls are two talented guards who have proven they can score.
Orient-Macksburg is coming off a great year with a 22-3 finish but graduated
four standout players. Each player will be missed because they knew their
roles. Villisca only won six games last year and graduated a lot of
talent. Will the younger players be able to step up?
Four Players to Watch
(* Denotes Pre-season District MVP):
Justin Halls -
Murray *
Zach Kotz - Lamoni
Cruz Reed - Lenox
Ryan Robins -
Murray
Sleeper Team:
Lenox
Predictions:
1.)
Murray
2.)
Lamoni
3.)
Orient-Macksburg
4.)
Lenox
5.) Central Decatur, Leon
6.)
Mormon Trail, Garden Grove
7.)
Villisca
8.)
East Union, Afton
9.)
Diagonal
Agree/disagree? Talk about it now!
Class 1A - District 16[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Eight
Essex
Farragut
Fremont-Mills, Tabor
Hamburg
Malvern
Nishna Valley
Sidney
South Page, College Springs
Stanton
Treynor
How
did District 16 do at the State tournament?
No teams
qualified for State
Thoughts on
District 8 for the 2005-2005 Season:
Essex finished last year at 9-10 but brings back their top five scoring
threats. That offensive firepower will be tough to slow down, especially
when considering that these players are familiar with one another.
Farragut player better than most expected last winter with a 15-6 overall
record. Like many teams, Farragut must prove that they can reload if they
want to remain successful. Fremont-Mills started the new year off with a
loss and will have to prove that they can score points. There are a lot of
returning players with varsity experience but few have really had huge offensive
games. Hamburg opened last year's playoffs with a game against
Sidney on a neutral court. The problem is that they lost 90-45.
Malvern did a very good job last year both offensively and defensively but lost
most of their top players. That basically means a lot of fresh faces will
see action this winter. Nishna Valley was able to win their first round playoff
game against Essex in narrow fashion but then were bombarded by Stanton in the
district semifinals. Sidney ended the year around the .500 mark but
welcomes back bigman Morgan Starner. This talented athlete averaged
fourteen points per contest. South Page only won two games last year and
that will make it tough to turn the ship around. Stanton has a chance to
make some noise in this district because they return their top three leading
scorers. Ryan Meier and Drew Whigham are tough players to stop and both
averaged over twelve points a game last year. Treynor welcomes back two
standout players in Derek Floerchikger and Austin Frain but only one other
player came back with serious varsity experience. Frain is a two-time All
State football player.
Five Players to Watch
(* Denotes Pre-season District MVP):
Derek Floerchikger - Treynor
Austin Frain - Treynor
Ryan Meier - Stanton *
Drew Whigham - Stanton
Will Young - Essex
Sleeper Team:
Treynor
Predictions:
1.)
Stanton
2.) Essex
3.)
Treynor
4.)
Farragut
5.)
Sidney
6.)
Malvern
7.)
Fremont-Mills, Tabor
8.) Nishna Valley
9.)
Hamburg
10.)
South Page, College Springs
Agree/disagree? Talk about it now!
This post was edited on 12/4 2:04 AM by LukeFeddersenif(GetAdminCookie() != 0) {document.write(' (Revisions[/URL])');}
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Eight
Boyer Valley, Dunlap
Charter Oak-Ute
Galva-Holstein
Kingsley-Pierson
River Valley, Correctionville
West Harrison, Mondamin
West Monona, Onawa
Whiting
Woodbine
Woodbury Central, Moville
How
did District 1 do at the State tournament?
No teams
qualified for State
Thoughts on
District 1
for the 2005-2005 Season:
After a 6-15 finish last winter, Boyer Valley will be hoping turn the ship
around. The biggest problem with that is graduation because the Bulldogs
said goodbye to most of their scoring punch. Charter Oak-Ute has already
started off the new year with a big win and hopes to keep the ball rolling the
rest of the year. With leading scorer Kyle Savery back on the team, the
Bobcats could be a tough team to beat in the Boyer Valley Conference. The
honor of the most talented player in the district may belong to Elijah Miller of
Galva-Holstein. As a sophomore, this guard averaged seventeen points in a
secondary role offensively. Look for that average to go above twenty
points per game this winter. Kingsley-Pierson made it to the second round
of the postseason last year but fell to Woodbury Central 53-52 in a dramatic
loss. Could the Panthers get a rematch in the playoffs? River Valley
center Steven Graham started the new year off with 31 points and 14 rebounds in
the opener. While I wouldn't expect those numbers to be put up every
night, this kid is good. Outside of him the team did lose a great deal.
West Harrison had a very good year last winter and brings back their top scorer
in Wade Remington. Remington is another talented bigman who is capable for
going over twenty points any night. West Monona is making the jump down
from Class 2A and that could give them some momentum when thinking about the
postseason. The problem is the team was one and done in the postseason.
Whiting was another team who struggled at times last season but leading scorer
Drew Hanson is back in the fold. This senior has a chance to put up big
numbers if his teammates can prove they can score around him. Woodbine was
able to win their first two playoff games before getting knocked out by Manning.
This was the same Manning team who finished fourth in Class 1A. Woodbury
did the same feat in district #1 last year. They won two games before
being defeated at home to Gehlen Catholic. From top to bottom, this
district is tough to predict because of how many good teams are playing in here.
Five Players to Watch
(* Denotes Pre-season District MVP):
Steven Graham - River Valley
Drew Hanson - Whiting
Elijah Miller - Galva-Holstein
Wade Remington - West Harrison
Kyle Savery -
Charter Oak-Ute
Sleeper Team:
West Harrison
Predictions:
1.)
Galva-Holstein
2.)
River Valley, Correctionville
3.)
Charter Oak-Ute
4.)
West Harrison, Mondamin
5.)
Woodbine
6.)
Woodbury Central, Moville
7.)
Kingsley-Pierson
8.)
West Monona, Onawa
9.)
Whiting
10.)
Boyer Valley, Dunlap
Agree/disagree? Talk about it now!
Class 1A, District 2[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Eight
Akron-Westfield
Aurelia
Boyden-Hull
Gehlen Catholic, LeMars
George-Little Rock
Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn
Remsen-Union
Rock Valley
St. Mary’s, Remsen
Spalding Catholic, Granville
How
did District 2 do at the State tournament?
Rock Valley
Lost to North Mahaska in the quarterfinals (67-64)
Thoughts on
District 2
for the 2005-2005 Season:
Akron-Westfield battled to stay over the .500 mark last year and achieved
the goal at 12-9. This team lost some offensive weapons but does return
point guard Dustin Carter. This solid senior averaged nine points per
game. Aurelia graduated their leading scorer, Matt Berg, who went on to
walk-on at Iowa State. The Bulldogs do bring back Chris Handy. Handy
is a solid who was third on the team in scoring. Boyden-Hull has a very
tradition rich basketball program but last year the team struggled to a 12-10
finish. Two starters are back, including Ryan Hoogeveen. This senior
scored fifteen points per game last winter and will be improved. Gehlen
Catholic finished just under .500 but has guard Jason Rohe returning. Rohe
led the team in scoring and finished his junior year very strong. The team
to beat may be George Little Rock. Led by senior Tyler Fluth, this squad
has some talented athletes that may be fighting for a district title.
Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn is making the big move down from Class 2A basketball and
will hoping the competition helps them advance in the postseason. This
team was one and done last year and doesn't want that to happen again.
With their five top scorers coming back, Remsen-Union on paper will be a tough
team to beat. The Rockets finished last year right above the .500 mark but
has the talent to surprise some teams. Kyle Ortmann led the team in
scoring and will be harder to guard. Rock Valley is the only squad to make
the State tournament last year but they were hit hard by graduation. These
new Rockets will have to adjust to varsity basketball. The other Remsen,
this time St. Mary's Remsen, hopes to get another first round bye. However
the team did not come to play in their matchup with Gehlen Catholic and saw
their season end earlier than they wanted. Spalding Catholic only won five
games last winter and lost their top two scorers. Who is going to take
over for that scoring?
Six Players to Watch
(* Denotes Pre-season District MVP):
Dustin Carter - Akron-Westfield
Tyler Fluth - George Little Rock *
Chris Handy - Aurelia
Ryan Hoogeveen - Boyden Hull
Kyle Ortmann - Remsen-Union
Jason Rohe - Gehlen Catholic
Sleeper Team:
Remsen-Union
Predictions:
1.)
George-Little Rock
2.)
Boyden-Hull
3.)
Remsen-Union
4.)
Gehlen Catholic, LeMars
5.)
Rock Valley
6.)
Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn
7.)
Aurelia
8.)
St. Mary’s, Remsen
9.) Akron-Westfield
10.)
Spalding Catholic, Granville
Agree/disagree? Talk about it now!
Class 1A - District 3[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Eight
Alta
Laurens-Marathon
Newell-Fonda
Odebolt-Arthur
Pomeroy-Palmer
Sac City
St. Mary, Storm Lake
Schaller-Crestland
Wall Lake View Auburn
How
did District 3 do at the State tournament?
No teams
qualified for State
Thoughts on
District 3
for the 2005-2005 Season:
Alta has their hands full if they want to better their 12-10 season from
last year. With the graduation of their top three starters, a number of
younger players must step up and make an impact at the varsity level. One
player to keep an eye on is senior Brad Payne.
Laurens-Marathon was another team struck hard by graduation as they said goodbye
to 6-foot-10 bigman Ryan Sones. This All Stater averaged a double-double
as a senior and has since moved on to NIACC. Newell-Fonda finished last
year 19-4 but could not get back to the State tournament. Tim Seagren is
now gone but Chad Buchholz is back and averaged double-digits last year.
With another off-season of workouts, Buchholz is a player to keep an eye on.
Mark Fertig of
Odebolt-Arthur is one of the top inside players to return in this district after
posting fifteen points and nine boards per contest. The team also returns
their other two top scorers. Pomeroy-Palmer struggled to a .500 season
last year but brings back their top two scorers. These players, Josh Hawks
and David Erickson, combined to average nearly twenty points. Sac City
could not win over eight games last winter but does bring back some solid
talent. They have the majority of their top players back and that will
help this team improve on that record. St. Mary has their work cut out for
them after winning only two games last year.
Schaller-Crestland said goodbye to most of their scoring but has a bright future
with sophomore Kiley Murra. The big question is will anyone be able to
score around him? One team that finished exactly at .500 was
Wall Lake View Auburn. The team lost their two leading scorers and fell in
the season opener to #2 rated Battle Creek-Ida Grove. Steven Aschinger led
the team in scoring at nine points.
Five Players to Watch
(* Denotes Pre-season District MVP):
Chad Buchholz - Newell-Fonda *
David Erickson - Pomeroy-Palmer
Mark Fertig -
Odebolt-Arthur
Kiley Murra -
Schaller-Crestland
Nathan Poen - Sac City
Sleeper Team:
Sac City
Predictions:
1.)
Newell-Fonda
2.)
Pomeroy-Palmer
3.)
Odebolt-Arthur
4.)
Sac City
5.) Alta
6.)
Schaller-Crestland
7.)
Wall Lake View Auburn
8.)
Laurens-Marathon
9.)
St. Mary, Storm Lake
Agree/disagree? Talk about it now!
Class 1A - District 4[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Eight
Armstrong-Ringsted
Clay Central-Everly
Graettinger/Terril
Harris-Lake Park
North Kossuth, Swea City
Ruthven-Ayrshire
Sentral, Fenton
Twin River Valley, Bode
West Bend-Mallard
How
did District 4 do at the State tournament?
No teams
qualified for State
Thoughts on
District 4
for the 2005-2005 Season:
Favorites? This district may be up for grabs and that could see for
some great games in the playoffs. Armstrong-Ringsted finished 10-12 last
year but graduated their four leading scorers. Look for a lot of new faces
early in the year. Clay Central-Everly made it all the way to the district
semifinal before seeing their season end against Harris-Lake Park. Could
the Mavericks get another chance this postseason? Graettinger-Terril
exceeded a lot of expectations last year on the way to a 14-7 finish. The
problem is that the team said goodbye to their three leading scorers. Kyle
Noble, the leading scorer for
Harris-Lake Park, will be back and hopes to get his team to the State
tournament. The Wolves have four of their top five scorers back for
another season and that has things looking up for this team. North Kossuth
made it all the to the substate finale last year before falling to Rockwell
City-Lytton. This dramatic one point loss left a bitter taste in their
mouths over the off-season and could propel them into the State tournament.
Ruthven-Ayrshire finished under the magical .500 mark but brings back Joe Knoer
and some solid other scorers. Sentral-Fenton made the State tournament two
years ago but could not make it past one playoff win this past winter. The
Spartans always seem to bring back talented athletes. Twin River Valley
had an opening round bye in the playoffs but lost their first game to West
Bend-Mallard. Speaking of West Bend-Mallard, the Wolverines made it all
the to district final before seeing their year end at the hands of Rockwell
City-Lytton.
Three Players to Watch
(* Denotes Pre-season District MVP):
Seth Hiveley -
Harris-Lake Park
Joe Knoer -
Ruthven-Ayrshire
Kyle Noble -
Harris-Lake Park *
Sleeper Team:
Ruthven-Ayrshire
Predictions:
1.)
Harris-Lake Park
2.)
North Kossuth, Swea City
3.)
Ruthven-Ayrshire
4.)
West Bend-Mallard
5.)
Clay Central-Everly
6.)
Graettinger/Terril
7.)
Sentral, Fenton
8.)
Twin River Valley, Bode
9.) Armstrong-Ringsted
Agree/disagree? Talk about it now!
Class 1A - District 5[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Eight
C-W-L, Corwith
Newman Catholic, Mason City
Nora Springs-Rock Falls
North Central, Manly
Northwood-Kensett
Rockwell-Swaledale
SCMT, Sheffield
Ventura
West Hancock, Britt
Woden-Crystal Lake-Titonka
How
did District 5 do at the State tournament?
SCMT
Lost to NU High in the quarterfinals (65-54)
Thoughts on
District 5
for the 2005-2005 Season:
Favorites? With SCMT having State tournament experience that could
help but this one is up for grabs. C-W-L had the tough task of opening the
playoffs at Laurens-Marathon. Although they kept it close, the team fell
in their first postseason game. Newman Catholic is making the bump down
from Class 2A and hope that bigger school competition will help. The
Knights will hope to turn around their one and done postseason experience from
last year.
Nora Springs-Rock Falls was one of those classic .500 teams from last season and
saw the majority of their team graduate. That has not stopped them to
quickly jumping out to a 1-0 start on the year. North Central Manly
struggled last winter and could not win a game. Will they come closer this
time around? A school that has really made a name for itself on the
hardwood is Northwood-Kensett. The Vikings return junior standout Cody
Hanson. Despite playing against older players, he led the team in scoring.
Also keep an eye on Dan Bestul. Rockwell-Swaledale may have one of the
greatest names for a high school in Iowa but lost their top two leading scorers.
Like Northwood-Kensett, their leading returning scorer is only a junior.
That player, Zach Elsbecker, averaged double-digits and will get a bigger role
offensively this winter.
SCMT has a lot of work to do if they want to return to State because their top
four scorers all graduated. Some of those players were very good athletes
and will be missed. Ventura surprised a lot of people by going 18-5 last
year but fell to SCMT in the postseason. The Vikings will also have a lot of
fresh faces on the varsity team because of graduation. Despite getting the
advantage of home playoff games, West Hancock could not win their opener against
Armstrong-Ringsted. This loss put the the Eagles home for the off-season.
Another team who was one and out was
Woden-Crystal Lake-Titonka. Their loss to North Iowa was only by five
points but it was disappointing.
Three Players to Watch
(* Denotes Pre-season District MVP):
Dan Bestul -
Northwood-Kensett
Zach Elsbecker - Rockwell-Swaledale
Cody Hanson -
Northwood-Kensett *
Sleeper Team:
Newman Catholic
Predictions:
1.)
Northwood-Kensett
2.)
Rockwell-Swaledale
3.)
Newman Catholic, Mason City
4.)
SCMT, Sheffield
5.)
Nora Springs-Rock Falls
6.)
West Hancock, Britt
7.)
Ventura
8.) C-W-L, Corwith
9.)
Woden-Crystal Lake-Titonka
10.)
North Central, Manly
Agree/disagree? Talk about it now!
Class 1A - District 6[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Eight
CAL, Latimer
Colo-Nesco
Don Bosco, Gilbertville
GMG, Garwin
Hubbard-Radcliffe
North Tama, Traer
Northeast Hamilton, Blairsburg
NU High
Walnut Ridge Baptist Academy, Waterloo
How
did District 6 do at the State tournament?
NU High
Beat SCMT in the quarterfinals (65-54)
Lost to North Mahaska in the semifinals (67-65)
Beat Manning in the consolation game (70-55)
Thoughts on
District 6
for the 2005-2005 Season:
NU High had a great season last year while finishing third in their class
but that doesn't mean they will be the favorite this year. Gone from that
team are Luke Warren and Nick Iverson. Both players were amazing high
school athletes and have since moved on to college. This NU High team will
be much different. CAL returns leading scorer Nate Johnson but the team
only won two games last season. They have a lot of work to do.
Colo-Nesco plays some very good competition in the Heart of Iowa Conference and
has a chance to do some damage in this district. Andy Becker led the team
in scoring as a junior and put up nearly twenty points per game in the process.
Don Bosco will finally get a chance to compete against programs similar in size
as the Dons have moved conferences. How they adjust will be interesting to
see. GMG was up and down last winter but was dominated by seniors.
With those players gone, a lot of inexperienced players will see time at
varsity. Hubbard-Radcliffe lost one of the top players in their program's
history with Adam Weig but could not get past the first round of the postseason
without him. North Tama finished just under .500 last season and has a
much different team this year. Coach Brandon Clubb will be hoping to help
turn things around with this team. Northeast Hamilton got past the first
round of the postseason last year but could not get Madrid in the second round.
Could this be the year that they get further? Walnut Ridge Baptist Academy
had an outstanding season in 2004-2005 and hopes to continue their success.
Second leading scorer Josh Willms returns and he put up over fourteen points per
contest.
Five Players to Watch
(* Denotes Pre-season District MVP):
Andy Becker - Colo-Nesco *
Luke Rosekopf - Walnut Ridge Baptist Academy
Josh Willms - Walnut Ridge Baptist Academy
Sleeper Team:
GMG
Predictions:
1.)
Colo-Nesco
2.)
Walnut Ridge Baptist Academy, Waterloo
3.)
NU High
4.)
GMG, Garwin
5.)
Northeast Hamilton, Blairsburg
6.)
North Tama, Traer
7.)
Don Bosco, Gilbertville
8.)
Hubbard-Radcliffe
9.) CAL, Latimer
Agree/disagree? Talk about it now!
Class 1A - District 7[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Eight
Clarksville
Dunkerton
Edgewood-Colesburg
Janesville
Kee, Lansing
Postville
Riceville
Tripoli
West Central, Maynard
How
did District 7 do at the State tournament?
No teams
qualified for State
District 7
for the 2005-2005 Season:
With one of the best bigmen in Iowa, Dunkerton will be a tough team to beat.
Keith Kuenstling is that player and he returns after putting up sixteen points
and eight rebounds per game. And with his 6-foot-7 size, Kuenstling is a
tough player to stop inside. He also has big game experience as the sixth
man on a State title team. Clarksville finished last year 1-20 and has
already started the new year with two losses. They have a tough road to
turn things around.
Edgewood-Colesburg graduated their leading scorer but has Ryan Putz and Matt
Mescher back in the fold. That duo put up nearly twenty points per game
and that will be huge this year. Nick Weinmeister of Janesville returns as
the team's leading scorer. This senior is one of four players who started
at times last season on a team that finished 10-9. Kee High brings back
sixteen points per game scorer Gabe Schultz and five other players who saw
extensive action at the varsity level. If they can answer the question in
the post, they could compete in this district. Postville had some
struggles last year but brings back Darren Kraus. This talented forward is
the leading returning scorer for his team and wants to help his team to
improvement this winter. One team that was heavily hurt by graduation was
Riceville. They had some outstanding athletes on the team last year but
the majority of them are gone. That means there will be a lot of new faces
getting playing time. When matching up with Tripoli, the opposition must
keep a close eye on Bryce Lahmann. This senior guard averaged thirteen
points per game as a junior. West Central Maynard was able to get past
their opening playoff game against Janesville. They needed overtime in
this dramatic win but couldn't get past Dunkerton in the next round.
Five Players to Watch
(* Denotes Pre-season District MVP):
Keith Kuenstling - Dunkerton *
Bryce Lahmann - Tripoli
Ryan Putz -
Edgewood-Colesburg
Gabe Schultz - Kee
Nick Weinmeister - Janesville
Sleeper Team:
Kee, Lansing
Predictions:
1.)
Dunkerton
2.)
Janesville
3.)
Edgewood-Colesburg
4.)
Kee, Lansing
5.)
Postville
6.)
Tripoli
7.)
West Central, Maynard
8.)
Riceville
9.) Clarksville
Agree/disagree? Talk about it now!
Class 1A - District 8[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Eight
Andrew
Calamus-Wheatland
Central City
East Central, Miles
Marquette Catholic, Bellevue
Olin
Preston
Prince of Peace Prep, Clinton
Rivermont Collegiate, Bettendorf
Scattergood Friends
How
did District 8 do at the State tournament?
No teams
qualified for State
District 8 for the 2005-2005 Season:
Because of the size, strength, and skills of Jordan Eglseder, Bellevue
Marquette is going to be a difficult team to beat. This 7-footer and
future Northern Iowa Panther is very skilled for his size and is an impossible
matchup at any level. Andrew had a number of different coaching changes
over the off-season but has some solid talent returning. These players
must work hard on their game if they want to make some noise in this tough
district.
Calamus-Wheatland had a bye in the first round of the playoffs last year but the
season ended very quickly at the hands of Prince of Peace. This contest
was ugly very early. Central City went defeated last year and will be
hoping to break the losing streak early in 2005-2006. Junior Graham Valdes
returns and he saw a great deal of varsity action. East Central has the
talent to play with Marquette but they are lacking the size. This squad
has three starters ready to improve on their 16-8 finish last year.
Leading the scoring is Kurtis Cornilsen, back for his senior year. Olin
will once again be sporting some talented athletes after the success they have
had on the football field. Will that give the team some momentum heading
into the new year? Preston is always very competitive and gave Marquette a
scare in the district quarterfinals last season. They slowed the game down
and held the opposition to thirty-four points, which in most cases is good.
But Preston only put up twenty-four points on the scoreboard. Prince of
Peace is a team that always comes to play every night. Their athletes
always work hard and that helps the team succeed. Last year, Prince of
Peace made it to the district final before falling to Marquette.
Rivermont Collegiate returns Raheel Yaseen but the team said goodbye four
starters. There will be a lot of inexperienced players seeing time early.
Five Players to Watch
(* Denotes Pre-season District MVP):
Kurtis Cornilsen - East Central
Jordan Eglseder - Bellevue Marquette *
Colin Kilburg
- Bellevue Marquette
Graham Valdes - Central City
Raheel Yaseen -
Rivermont Collegiate
Sleeper Team:
Andrew
Predictions:
1.)
Marquette Catholic, Bellevue
2.)
East Central, Miles
3.)
Prince of Peace Prep, Clinton
4.) Andrew
5.)
Preston
6.)
Olin
7.)
Calamus-Wheatland
8.)
Rivermont Collegiate, Bettendorf
9.)
Central City
10.)
Scattergood Friends
Agree/disagree? Talk about it now!
Class 1A - District 9[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Eight
Alburnett
English Valleys, North English
Highland, Riverside
H-L-V, Victor
Iowa Mennonite, Kalona
Iowa Valley, Marengo
Lisbon
Lone Tree
Springville
Tri-County, Thornburg
How
did District 9 do at the State tournament?
Iowa Mennonite
Beat Lynnville-Sully in the quarterfinals (70-40)
Beat Manning in the semifinals (59-47)
Lost to North Mahaska in the championship game (74-63)
District 9
for the 2005-2005 Season:
After looking at the district pairings, there appears to be three favorites
here. Iowa Mennonite played at the State tournament many times and made it
all the way to the State title last winter. Although that still leaves a
bitter taste in their mouths, this team doesn't return quite the firepower that
it had last season. There are still some very good players but it may be
difficult to advance as far as they did last year. Keep an eye on Thomas
Davis. Tri-County is one squad to watch and they are the up-and-comers. Led by senior bigman Brian
Metz, this team returns a number of starters and has all the makings of a
potential State tournament. They must however get past IMS to get there.
And what about Lone Tree? With only one starter graduated off of a 16-9
team they are going to be difficult to defend. All Stater Zach Ryerson
returns and will have another year of experience under his belt. Alburnett
lost a lot of talent last year with graduation but did open the new campaign off
with a big win over Center Point-Urbana. Korey Johnson had a big game and
will be looking for a good year. English Valleys had their struggles last
season and will hope to turn the corner. That is a very tough test,
especially when considering the teams in this district. Highland went
defeated last winter but stopped the winning streak early this year.
Freshman Ben Weeks put up 17 points and has a chance to be special. HLV
put a lot of faith in Sean Campbell last year. As a sophomore, Campbell
was second on the team in scoring at the forward position. Iowa Valley
opened the 2004-2005 playoffs with a win over English Valleys and then was
dominated by IMS. What are they odds they could get another chance?
Lisbon opened the new year with a win and was led by the 25 points that Marquis
Stephens put up. This senior averaged double-digits last year and will
hope for monster numbers like that. Springville was another one and done
team in the playoffs as they fell at the hands of Alburnett.
Four Players to Watch
(* Denotes Pre-season District MVP):
Thomas Davis - Iowa Mennonite
Brian Metz - Tri-County *
Zach Ryerson - Lone Tree
Marquis Stephens - Lisbon
Sleeper Team:
Highland
Predictions:
1.)
Tri-County, Thornburg
2.) Lone Tree
3.)
Iowa Mennonite, Kalona
4.)
Lisbon
5.)
Highland, Riverside
6.)
H-L-V, Victor
7.) Alburnett
8.)
Iowa Valley, Marengo
9.) Springville
10.)
English Valleys, North English
Agree/disagree? Talk about it now!
Class 1A - District 10[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Eight
Cardinal Stritch, Keokuk
Harmony, Farmington
Holy Trinity Catholic, Fort Madison
Keota
Maharishi, Fairfield
New London
Notre Dame, Burlington
Waco, Wayland
Winfield-Mt. Union
How
did District 8 do at the State tournament?
No teams
qualified for State
Thoughts on
District 10
for the 2005-2005 Season:
With what WACO did last year and with what they have returning, they are
going to be a tough team to beat in district #10. The Warriors are stacked
once again and ready for another State run. All Stater Travis Temple leads
the team and will be a tough player to stop. Cardinal Stritch was up and
down last year but brings back their second leading scorer in Grant Erhart.
This senior nearly averaged double-digits. When teams are scouting
Harmony, one player who will catch their eye is
Drew Zane. This 6-foot-4 senior poured in
fifteen points per game and his game will be better this winter. If there
is one team that may have the talent to compete with WACO it is Holy Trinity.
This consolidated school returns five starters and has a lot of players with
varsity experience. If this team can gel early, watch out because they
could be good. Keota was able to get past their first round matchup
against Lisbon last year but fell at the hands of Lone Tree. With the game
only being a five point win, will Keota get another shot at that talented Lone
Tree team? Maharishi is another squad
who won their playoff opener against New London before falling in the next
round. This team fell to WACO but may have a tough test if there is a
rematch. New London had some serious struggles during the 2004-2005 year
but will be hoping to turn things around. The problem is who is going to
pick up the scoring slack? Burlington Notre Dame has two starters
returning and that includes leading scorer Jacob Brueck. Brueck averaged
twelve points per game as a junior and leads a strong core of guards. With
6-foot-8 bigman Marcus Loyd
back in the fold, Winfield-Mt. Union
has one inside player that is going to be tough to contain. However the
team has few other players with returning experience.
Five Players to Watch
(* Denotes Pre-season District MVP):
Jacob Brueck - Burlington Notre Dame
Grant Erhart - Cardinal Stritch
Jimmy Reynolds - Holy
Trinity
Travis Temple - WACO *
Drew Zane - Harmony
Sleeper Team:
Holy Trinity Catholic
Predictions:
1.)
Waco, Wayland
2.)
Holy Trinity Catholic, Fort Madison
3.)
Harmony, Farmington
4.)
Notre Dame, Burlington
5.)
Keota
6.)
Winfield-Mt. Union
7.)
Maharishi, Fairfield
8.) Cardinal Stritch, Keokuk
9.)
New London
Agree/disagree? Talk about it now!
Class 1A - District 11[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Eight
Lineville-Clio
Lynnville-Sully
Moravia
Moulton-Udell
North Mahaska, New Sharon
Russell
Seymour
Twin Cedars, Bussey
Wayne, Corydon
How
did District 8 do at the State tournament?
Lynnville-Sully
Lost to Iowa Mennonite in the quarterfinals (70-40)
North Mahaska
Beat Rock Valley in the quarterfinals (67-64)
Beat NU High in the semifinals (67-65)
Beat Iowa Mennonite in the championship game (74-63)
District 11
for the 2005-2005 Season:
Two State tournament bound teams in the same district? That will make
it very tough for everyone to seriously think about a run at Des Moines without
getting through those teams. But the squad to beat is obviously the
defending State champions from North Mahaska. The team brings back a lot
of their scoring punch, which includes All Stater Blake McGriff. This
four-year starter is now finally a senior and has played in the last three State
tournaments. That experience is very beneficial in big games. Josh
Fry is back for
Lineville-Clio. This senior guard was second on the team in scoring and
hopes for an even better year. Lynnville-Sully already opened the new year
with a huge win over English Valleys. But this team has some tough
pre-Christmas tests with North Mahaska and Tri-County coming up soon.
Moravia was hit very hard by graduation and has very little varsity experience
back. That will force a lot of new players to step up.
Moulton-Udell was struck hard by graduation but has already shown their depth
this year with a lot of new players stepping up to the challenge. Chaz
Welch has started the new year very strong. Keep an eye on this junior
guard. Russell said goodbye to their top three leading scorers. That
alone will leave a huge hole in their lineup. Seymour graduated leading
scorer Eric Jones. This talent averaged well over twenty points and was by
far the leading scorer on this squad. Twin Cedars may have the most talent
outside of North Mahaska in this district and could give them a run for their
money. Jesse DeGeest and Justin Wurr provide a formable one-two punch that
is difficult to stop. Dean Dady returns as the leading scorer for Wayne
but the team has been led early by Levi Jaeckel. Will these two have
enough offensive firepower to help the team over .500?
Five Players to Watch
(* Denotes Pre-season District MVP):
Jesse DeGeest - Twin Cedars
Levi Ferguson - North Mahaska
Josh Fry -
Lineville-Clio
Blake McGriff - North Mahaska *
Chaz Welch -
Moulton-Udell
Sleeper Team:
Twin Cedars
Predictions:
1.)
North Mahaska, New Sharon
2.)
Twin Cedars, Bussey
3.)
Lineville-Clio
4.)
Moulton-Udell
5.)
Lynnville-Sully
6.) Wayne, Corydon
7.)
Russell
8.)
Moravia
9.)
Seymour
Agree/disagree? Talk about it now!
Class 1A - District 12[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Eight
Ankeny Christian Academy
Des Moines Christian
Earlham
Grandview Park Baptist, Des Moines
Iowa Christian Academy
Martensdale-St. Mary’s
Melcher-Dallas
Southeast Warren, Liberty Center
Van Meter
How
did District 12 do at the State tournament?
No teams
qualified for State
Thoughts on
District 8 for the 2005-2005 Season:
Ankeny Christian only won one game last year but began the 2005-2006 season
with a big win. This team returns their top two leading scorers, including
Nathan Ihnen. This talented forward is only a junior. Des Moines
Christian had an outstanding year last winter before falling in the playoffs.
This team will have a lot of fresh faces at the varsity level. Earlham
said goodbye to Justin Lillie but does have junior and second leading scorer
Daniel Ory back on this squad. That will help the team fight for district
title. With three of their top four scorers returning, Grandview Park
Baptist has already started the new year quickly and has proven they are going
to be a tough out. Zach Westrum is a very talented bigman who can score in
a variety of ways. Iowa Christian saw leading scorer A.J. Malone transfer
to North Mahaska and his twenty points per game will be missed. With him
gone, this team must find someone to step up and score.
Martensdale-St. Mary’s has that scoring firepower returning with Corey Sherwood
back for another year. Also keep an eye on Jeremy Lynch.
Melcher-Dallas was hit hard by graduation and had to say goodbye to B.J. Wells.
The team does bring back Jordy Tickle but the team must pick up the scoring and
the leadership that has graduated. Southeast Warren could not get over the
.500 barrier last winter but has Luke Putz back. This junior guard
narrowly averaged double digits but will need to pick up his play on both ends
of the court. Van Meter had their struggles last year and was blown out in
their only postseason game last year.
Five Players to Watch
(* Denotes Pre-season District MVP):
Nathan Ihnen - Ankeny Christian
Daniel Ory - Earlham
Corey Sherwood -
Martensdale-St. Mary’s
Jordy Tickle -
Melcher-Dallas
Zach Westrum - Grandview Park Baptist *
Sleeper Team:
Melcher-Dallas
Predictions:
1.)
Grandview Park Baptist, Des Moines
2.)
Martensdale-St. Mary’s
3.)
Des Moines Christian
4.)
Southeast Warren, Liberty Center
5.)
Melcher-Dallas
6.)
Earlham
7.) Ankeny Christian Academy
8.)
Iowa Christian Academy
9.)
Van Meter
Agree/disagree? Talk about it now!
Class 1A - District 13[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Eight
Ar-We-Va, Westside
Coon Rapids-Bayard
East Greene, Grand Junction
Glidden-Ralston
Madrid
Paton-Churdan
Rockwell City-Lytton
Southeast Webster, Burnside
Southern Cal, Lake City
How
did District 8 do at the State tournament?
Rockwell City-Lytton
Lost to Manning in the quarterfinals (62-54)
District 13
for the 2005-2005 Season:
Ar-We-Va was ranked all of last year but just couldn't make it to the State
tournament. Gone from that team are the top four leading scorers,
including All Stater Teddy Hawley (Now at Buena Vista). So where does this
team go? Look for a youth movement but expect the players to be skilled.
Coon Rapids-Bayard hit a similar fate as Ar-We-Va with their top four scorers
now gone, including leading scorer Jacob Waddle. This team has a lot to do
if they want to match the success from their 18-6 year. Another senior led
team was East Greene but they return a solid player in junio Robert Milham.
This center is undersized but works extremely hard.
Glidden-Ralston had a great year on the football field but unfortunately that
doesn't mean much during the winter. Zach Schweers is back for his senior
year and was second in scoring as last year. Madrid is normally a football
school but had two basketball players move on to the college ranks. The
problem is that there is little left on this team, especially because basketball
seems like a secondary sport at Madrid.
Paton-Churdan opened the playoffs last year against Earlham and were outplayed
in a 37-point loss. That was an ugly game.
Rockwell City-Lytton finished 22-4 last year and made it all the way to the
State tournament. They return the majority of their firepower and are
going to be a tough team to beat. Have they gotten new jerseys after
making State? If not, the
Rockwell City-Lytton players deserve them. After only winning five games
last year,
Southeast Webster, Burnside graduated the majority of their top players.
This will make for a very interesting season considering the lack of experience
they will have. Southern Cal has some serious talent on their roster but
has yet to prove they can win. Once they can get a winning mentality,
Southern Cal will be tough to beat. Keep an eye on Gavin Crandall.
Five Players to Watch
(* Denotes Pre-season District MVP):
Gavin Crandall - Southern Cal
Jace Hawley - Ar-We-Va
Brent Miller -
Rockwell City-Lytton *
Trevor Richardson -
Rockwell City-Lytton
Zach Schweers -
Glidden-Ralston
Sleeper Team:
Southern Cal
Predictions:
1.)
Rockwell City-Lytton
2.) Ar-We-Va, Westside
3.)
Coon Rapids-Bayard
4.)
Glidden-Ralston
5.)
Southern Cal, Lake City
6.)
East Greene, Grand Junction
7.) Southeast Webster, Burnside
8.)
Madrid
9.)
Paton-Churdan
Agree/disagree? Talk about it now!
Class 1A - District 14[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Eight
Adair-Casey
A-H-S-T, Avoca
CAM, Anita
Elk Horn-Kimballton
Exira
Guthrie Center
IKM, Manilla
Manning
Walnut
How
did District 14 do at the State tournament?
Manning
Beat Rockwell City-Lytton in the quarterfinals (62-54)
Lost to Iowa Mennonite in the semifinals (59-47)
Lost to NU High in the consolation game (70-55)
Thoughts on
District 8 for the 2005-2005 Season:
After making the last two State tournaments, Manning finally lost Brian
Fogelman to college hoops at Buena Vista. Despite his loss, the team does
bring back Brad Renze. This junior averaged double digits and is one of
the top athletes in Iowa. The big question is who will fill the hole on
the inside for Fogelman? Adair-Casey is mainly known as a football school
but had a solid year on the basketball court. The problem is that their
top five scorers are no longer eligible for high school hoops. A-H-S-T has
had some major success in multiple sports as of late. They made it to the
district finals in basketball before losing to Manning and recently made it to
the football semifinals in Class A. Will they get another shot at Manning?
CAM Anita had a surprising 18-8 finish last winter and welcomes back two of
their top three leading scorers. This is the same squad that made it to
the substate finale before being denied a trip to State.
Elk Horn-Kimballton had opposite playoff success with an opening round loss to
A-H-S-T. Will they get a rematch? Exira could only put up thirty-one
points in their season opener. If they want to win games, the offense must
step up. Guthrie Center is one team that is loaded with returning athletes
and that will allow them to compete for this district title. Leading
scorer Tyler Vaughan is back as well as All State football player Andrew Meier.
And after going 20-4 last winter, Guthrie Center will be tough to beat.
IKM had the unfortunate task of facing Manning in their playoff opener and
suffered a blowout loss. Walnut also was one and done but only lost by
fourteen points in their season finale.
Four Players to Watch
(* Denotes Pre-season District MVP):
Jack Mailander -
CAM, Anita
Andrew Meier - Guthrie Center
Brad Renze - Manning
Tyler Vaughan - Guthrie Center *
Sleeper Team:
Manning
Predictions:
1.)
Guthrie Center
2.)
CAM, Anita
3.)
A-H-S-T, Avoca
4.)
Manning
5.) Adair-Casey
6.)
Elk Horn-Kimballton
7.)
Exira
8.)
Walnut
9.)
IKM, Manilla
Agree/disagree? Talk about it now!
Class 1A - District 15[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Eight
Central Decatur, Leon
Diagonal
East Union, Afton
Lamoni
Lenox
Mormon Trail, Garden Grove
Murray
Orient-Macksburg
Villisca
How
did District 15 do at the State tournament?
No teams
qualified for State
Thoughts on
District 15 for the 2005-2005 Season:
Central Decatur could not get over the .500 mark last year and has since
lost their top three scorers. But even with those factors, this team still
won their first game in impressive fashion. Diagonal had some serious
struggles last season as they limped to a 1-20 record. It is easy to
improve on but that is easier said than done. East Union couldn't do much
better but they did double Diagonal's win total, so they ended with two.
Despite their struggles, this team started off with a 79-12 win over Diagonal.
Uh-oh. Lamoni finished the 2004-2005 season at 13-9 and brings back their
second leading scorer, Zach Kotz. Outside of Kotz, this team is young but
talented. Lenox made it all the way to the State title game during the
football season but if anything that will give some of their players a late
start on hoops. All State football player Jake Samo is back and is just a
great athlete. Also keep an eye on Cruz Reed. With their three
leading scorers graduated, Mormon Trail will have to pin a lot of their
offensive success on Dillon Lavely. This senior forward is currently
leading the team in scoring. Murray was able to finish over .500 and
returns two of their three scorers who averaged double digits. Ryan Robins
and Justin Halls are two talented guards who have proven they can score.
Orient-Macksburg is coming off a great year with a 22-3 finish but graduated
four standout players. Each player will be missed because they knew their
roles. Villisca only won six games last year and graduated a lot of
talent. Will the younger players be able to step up?
Four Players to Watch
(* Denotes Pre-season District MVP):
Justin Halls -
Murray *
Zach Kotz - Lamoni
Cruz Reed - Lenox
Ryan Robins -
Murray
Sleeper Team:
Lenox
Predictions:
1.)
Murray
2.)
Lamoni
3.)
Orient-Macksburg
4.)
Lenox
5.) Central Decatur, Leon
6.)
Mormon Trail, Garden Grove
7.)
Villisca
8.)
East Union, Afton
9.)
Diagonal
Agree/disagree? Talk about it now!
Class 1A - District 16[/URL]
Here is a look at how all the current teams in
District Eight
Essex
Farragut
Fremont-Mills, Tabor
Hamburg
Malvern
Nishna Valley
Sidney
South Page, College Springs
Stanton
Treynor
How
did District 16 do at the State tournament?
No teams
qualified for State
District 8 for the 2005-2005 Season:
Essex finished last year at 9-10 but brings back their top five scoring
threats. That offensive firepower will be tough to slow down, especially
when considering that these players are familiar with one another.
Farragut player better than most expected last winter with a 15-6 overall
record. Like many teams, Farragut must prove that they can reload if they
want to remain successful. Fremont-Mills started the new year off with a
loss and will have to prove that they can score points. There are a lot of
returning players with varsity experience but few have really had huge offensive
games. Hamburg opened last year's playoffs with a game against
Sidney on a neutral court. The problem is that they lost 90-45.
Malvern did a very good job last year both offensively and defensively but lost
most of their top players. That basically means a lot of fresh faces will
see action this winter. Nishna Valley was able to win their first round playoff
game against Essex in narrow fashion but then were bombarded by Stanton in the
district semifinals. Sidney ended the year around the .500 mark but
welcomes back bigman Morgan Starner. This talented athlete averaged
fourteen points per contest. South Page only won two games last year and
that will make it tough to turn the ship around. Stanton has a chance to
make some noise in this district because they return their top three leading
scorers. Ryan Meier and Drew Whigham are tough players to stop and both
averaged over twelve points a game last year. Treynor welcomes back two
standout players in Derek Floerchikger and Austin Frain but only one other
player came back with serious varsity experience. Frain is a two-time All
State football player.
Five Players to Watch
(* Denotes Pre-season District MVP):
Derek Floerchikger - Treynor
Austin Frain - Treynor
Ryan Meier - Stanton *
Drew Whigham - Stanton
Will Young - Essex
Sleeper Team:
Treynor
Predictions:
1.)
Stanton
2.) Essex
3.)
Treynor
4.)
Farragut
5.)
Sidney
6.)
Malvern
7.)
Fremont-Mills, Tabor
8.) Nishna Valley
9.)
Hamburg
10.)
South Page, College Springs
Agree/disagree? Talk about it now!
This post was edited on 12/4 2:04 AM by LukeFeddersenif(GetAdminCookie() != 0) {document.write(' (Revisions[/URL])');}
