Class 1A: Region Previews
Every team in the state is now 0-0. Whether you finished the regular season 21-0 or 0-21 – you can throw that out the window. Win and you move on, lose and your season is over. There will be a…
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Continue ReadingEvery team in the state is now 0-0. Whether you finished the regular season 21-0 or 0-21 – you can throw that out the window. Win and you move on, lose and your season is over. There will be a bit of a consolation prize for eight of the 120 Class 1A teams as there will only be a select few make it through their region and onto Wells Fargo at the beginning of March. From there, one will stand alone as the state champion. Before we get to Des Moines we have eight very interesting brackets to be played out. We preview each of those below with five different categories.
We will look at which team we think could pull off the biggest upset in the bracket as well as the team that has a chance to make a sustained run through the region. We will then predict the championship game and dive into players who are going to impact the region. You can see the 1A brackets in their entirety HERE.
Region 1
Team Most Likely to be a Bracket Buster: GTRA
I think GTRA is a little overlooked as they sit at 7-14 but they have played the toughest schedule in the entire region as their opponents are a combined 204-147, which is third out of all 1A teams. Only four of their losses have come by more than 15 points and a number of those are against much larger schools. On December 14th they lost to MMRCU by just two points so I don’t think it is out of the question at all for them to knock off the #1 seed in the bracket.
Darkhorse That Could Make a Run: Akron-Westfield
I think there are really only three teams that have a shot to win Region 1 and Akron-Westfield would be my third pick. I think MMRCU and Kingsley-Pierson are both better talent-wise but Akron-Westfield got the easiest draw to the semi-finals. The best team they’ll have to face in the first two games is a 6-15 team while both Kingsley-Pierson and MMRCU have to likely face a bit tougher of a road. Akron-Westfield has six wins over teams above .500 so its not like they are incapable of beating good teams.
Region Championship Prediction: MMRCU 58, Kingsley-Pierson 53
Even though I think GTRA has a chance at beating MMRCU and I think Akron-Westfield could make a run, I’m going with a chalk prediction just because talent-wise they are the best two teams. They have both played the two easiest schedules in the region this year so I think there could be a potential slip-up due to not having to face a ton of adversity. Regardless of that, I think they are the last two teams standing. MMCRU’s height and defense will lead them to Wells Fargo.
X-Factor Player: Jayde Barto, Sr., Kingsley-Pierson
Kingsley-Pierson has a few players they can rely on but one of the most important to the success of the team is senior forward Jayde Barto. Barto has the ability to impact the game in many different ways. She is scoring 17.1 points a game while pulling down 7.3 rebounds. She is also dishing off 3.7 assists a game while having 3.8 steals a game. Barto is a player who can definitely lead her team to Wells Fargo. The Graceland commit doesn’t want her senior year to end before March.
Ten Other Players To Keep an Eye on
Taylor Harpeneau, So., MMRCU
Ellie Hilbrands, So., MMRCU
Emily Dreckman, So., MMRCU
Cassie Jones, Jr., Siouxland Christian
Riley Doenhoefer, Sr, Siouxland Christian
McKenzie Goodwin, So., Kingsley-Pierson
Danika Demers, So., Storm Lake St. Marys
Chloee Colt, So., Akron-Westfield
Madison Hough, Sr., GTRA
Mackensie Post, Jr., George-Little Rock
Region 2
Team Most Likely to be a Bracket Buster: AGWSR
AGWSR has a good draw in terms of not facing a talented team in the first round and then getting a beatable opponent in the second round. I think they’ll run by North Iowa in the first round but it might get tricky in the second against BCLUW as they are 1-1 against them this season. Provided that AGWSR wins their first two games I actually think that they are the best matchup for Bishop Garrigan in the region. I don’t think they’ll win against Bishop Garrigan, and they might not even play them, but if they did end up meeting I think that AGSWR has the potential to throw 1A into a loop if they play really well.
Darkhorse That Could Make a Run: East Buchanan
Despite being 14-7 I think that East Buchanan is the second most talented team in the region. They’ve beaten the teams they are supposed to beat this year and they have four wins against teams over .500. In general, I think they’ve played a very tough schedule this year and are well prepared for the tournament. They should easily make it to the semi-finals and I believe will beat Colo-Nesco. I don’t think they’ll win the region but I do think they have as good of a shot of anyone in the bottom half.
Region Championship Prediction: Bishop Garrigan 73, East Buchanan 52
While I do think that Bishop Garrigan has the possibility of getting upset, I think the likelihood of that happening is about 2%. They are one of the top teams in 1A this year and have shown the ability to knock off some of the top teams in the state. East Buchanan’s guards are very solid but I think that Garrigan’s overall talent is just way too much for anyone else. I like East Buchanan to make a run but they are still a step or two below Bishop Garrigan
X-Factor Player: Audi Crooks, Fr., Bishop Garrigan
Crooks is undoubtedly the top freshman player in the state. Once she gets the ball deep in the post she is going to turn and score it. She also rebounds the ball at a very high level and is one of the biggest nightmares to guard in the state. If Crooks can’t be stopped then no team in the region will have a chance to beat them.
Ten Other Players To Keep an Eye on
Molly Joyce, Fr., Bishop Garrigan
Alyssa Hames, Jr., AGWSR
Rachel Sicard, Sr., AGWSR
Kealan Curley, Jr., Newman Catholic
Madison Ubben, Sr., BCLUW
Chloe Walters, So., BCLUW
Rylee McLean, Jr., North Tama
Rylee Purvis, Sr., Colo-Nesco
Erica Hoffman, Sr., East Buchanan
Nicole Pettinger, Sr., East Buchanan
Region 3
Team Most Likely to be a Bracket Buster: Kee
Kee is the fifth seed in the bracket but I really don’t think it is out of the question for them to end up knocking some teams off. They have played a very tough schedule this season but they are just 2-7 against teams over .500. They do play a lot of out of state teams so it’s tough to really say how good they are but they’ve impressed. One of the teams over .500 they have beaten is Turkey Valley and they’ll likely see them again in the second round. I wouldn’t put another win out of the question for Kee in that game.
Darkhorse That Could Make a Run: Janesville
Janesville has a pretty solid draw for being 10-11 as they face off with 4-16 Rockford in the first round and then play at the top seed in the second round. I don’t think that Saint Ansgar is the best team in this region which might make some people write off Janesville, provided they make it to the second round. I think that Janesville has a real shot to knock off the top seed provided they start the game quickly. Saint Ansgar has played just five games against teams above .500 and they are 3-2 in those games.
Region Championship Prediction: Clarksville 55, Turkey Valley 48
With everything I said above I still think that the two most talented teams are Clarksville and Turkey Valley. In postseason play a lot of it comes down to who is a more complete team and I think these two groups are the two most complete in the region. Turkey Valley could get upset but Kee or beaten by Central Elkader but my feeling is that they are able to come through. I honestly don’t think that Clarksville will have a ton of trouble on the top half of the bracket. Whoever the last two teams standing are will give us a great final game.
X-Factor Player: Hannah Erickson, Sr., Central Elkader
Out of all the teams in this region, Central Elkader needs to rely on Erickson the most. The senior leads the team in every single statistical category except for blocks and has the ability to lead her team to a win in any game. It’s not all Erickson as there are a few other very solid players on the team but if Erickson goes cold then Central Elkader could be in for a long night.
Ten Other Players To Keep an Eye on:
Reagan Mudderman, So, Kee
Hali Anderson, Jr., Saint Ansgar
Booklyn Hackbart, Jr., Saint Ansgar
Janet Borchardt, Sr., Clarksville
Kori Wedeking, Sr., Clarksville
Ali Hoffert, Jr., Turkey Valley
Jaycie Byrne, Jr., Turkey Valley
Zoe Semelroth, Sr., Tripoli
Bailey Hoff, Sr., Janesville
Kaci Beesecker, Sr., Wapsie Valley
Region 4
Team Most Likely to be a Bracket Buster: Prince of Peace
Prince of Peace sits at 12-9 on the year and they will have a very tough road to the semi-finals. The draw did them no favors as despite having 12 wins they gained the seven seed, even though there were only three teams with more than 12 wins. They have to face 10-8 Easton Valley in the first round and if they make it past them, I think they have a real shot to take down the top seed Marquette Catholic. They have played them twice this year with Marquette Catholic coming out on top 60-41 and 44-34. It is tough to beat a team three times in a year so I think Prince of Peace can really do some damage if they make it to the second round.
Darkhorse That Could Make a Run: Winfield-Mount Union
If there is any team in the region that I think could surprise a lot of people and make a run it’s Winfield-Mount Union. They are 11-10 on the season and have three wins over teams over .500 this season. They have struggled a bit in the big games they’ve played this season but I think they match up with Burlington Notre Dame really well. If they can make it past Burlington Notre Dame I think they’ve got a great shot to make it to the region finals.
Region Championship Prediction: Marquette Catholic 68, Burlington Notre Dame 53
Even though I think that Marquette Catholic could get beat, I don’t think they win. The same goes for Burlington Notre Dame on the bottom half of the bracket. These are the two most talented teams in the region and I think that they will be left standing at the very end. Marquette Catholic is so very talented and I think they ride their post play to Wells Fargo.
X-Factor Player: Miranda Peters, Sr., Marquette Catholic
Peters is going to be a huge reason that Marquette Catholic has a great chance to make it to Des Moines. She’s a solid shooter who is making it at a 40% rate from behind the arc this year. They have a couple of really solid kids but I think that if Peters is on then Marquette Catholic won’t struggle at all throughout the region. If she hits a couple of 3-pointers in each game then I think Marquette Catholic rolls through.
Ten Other Players To Keep an Eye on:
Anabel Blount, Jr., Prince of Peace
Lilly Isenhour, So., Prince of Peace
Tori Michel, Sr., Marquette Catholic
Holly Johnson, Sr., Lone Tree
Sara Reid, So., Central City
Katy Stephens, So., Burlington Notre Dame
Ryley Todd, Sr., Burlington Notre Dame
Layney Loyd, Sr., New London
Alyssa Brase, Sr., Highland
Region 5
Team Most Likely to be a Bracket Buster: Meskwaki Settlement
Meskwaki Settlement is very overlooked in this region. They have struggled at times this season but they have proven that they can beat good teams. I think that when push comes to shove they aren’t the most talented team but they’ve shown they can play really well in flashes. If they get hot, like they have shown the ability to do this year, I think they could upset Montezuma.
Darkhorse That Could Make a Run: Sigourney
At 16-4 Sigourney has the three seed locked down and likely are in the best position to knock off Springville. I think that Sigourney has the players that can potentially get hot and knock off Springville. They have taken care of business so far this season and I think they’ll easily make it all the way to the semi-final and have a showdown with Springville. If they knock off Springfield I think they would even have a shot to take down Montezuma.
Region Championship Prediction: Montezuma 69, Springville 61
Montezuma has the best player in 1A right now and they have held steady near the top of the rankings all season long. Springville is a tough team but I think they are a year away from competing to get back to state. It wouldn’t shock me completely to see Springville win but Montezuma just has more weapons right now on their team and are well-suited to get back to the well and compete.
X-Factor Player: Megan Stuhr, Sr., Sigourney
Stuhr is one of the top players in the region and she can score the ball really well. Stuhr takes care of the ball as well and this upcoming week will really show what she can do. If Sigourney does want to have a shot at making a deep run Stuhr is going to have to play really well throughout the entire bracket. If she does, Sigourney might find themselves at the well.
Ten Other Players To Keep an Eye on:
Shateah Wetering, Sr., Montezuma
Elise Boulton, Jr., Montezuma
Payton Tahahwah, Sr., Meskwaki Settlement
Deandra Navarro, Jr., Meskwaki Settlement
Lauren Wilson, So., Springville
Morgan Nachazel, So., Springville
Reagan Franzen, Jr., Collins-Maxwell
Kaylee Weber, Jr., Sigourney
Caitlyn Bruntz, Sr., Baxter
Rylie VanErsvelde, Sr., BGM
Region 6
Team Most Likely to be a Bracket Buster: Lynnville-Sully
Lynnville-Sully gets the benefit of a great draw as they should easily be able to get to the semi-finals where they will face off with North Mahaska. Their ability to score the ball will really help them but their tough regular season schedule will also pay dividends. They have three wins over teams over .500 but they’ve lost to North Mahaska by 20+ points twice this year. Lynnville-Sully could turn this bracket upside down as they have an outside shot to upset North Mahaska before the finals.
Darkhorse That Could Make a Run: Martensdale-St. Marys
Martensdale-St. Marys has played the second toughest schedule to date in the region and they are well prepared to make some noise. They haven’t lost to a team under .500 this season and that won’t change. I think they have a real shot at beating Lamoni in the semi-finals provided both teams get there. While Lamoni has four more wins this year I believe that Martensdale-St. Marys is the more talented of the two teams. This should be a team to watch out for in the region.
Region Championship Prediction: North Mahaska 65, Martensdale-St. Marys 43
Despite Lamoni being 18-2 this season they have a tough road to get to the region finals. They will likely have to play a 16-6 team, a 16-8 team, and a 18-2 to get there. Martensdale-St. Marys has a much easier route to the finals being on the bottom of the bracket. North Mahaska should be able to squeeze by everyone in this region on the way to state as they have an excellent draw and a clear path.
X-Factor Player: Kassidi Steel, Sr., North Mahaska
Steel is the player that makes North Mahaska tick. She is their leading scorer, leading rebounder, and their leading assist-getter. I have seen her in her off games this season and she still makes plays happen and leads her team to the victory. This is a very team-oriented team but at the head of that is Steel. I look for her to step up and make sure that North Mahaska gets back to Wells Fargo as they are clearly the best team in the region.
Ten Other Players To Keep an Eye on:
Abby Martin, So., Lamoni
Jensen Archibald, Sr., Martensdale-St. Marys
Mallory Loftus, Sr., Lynnville-Sully
Krystal Van Dyke, Jr., Lynnville-Sully
Jade Hay, Sr., North Mahaska
Emma Tyrrel, Sr., North Mahaska
Thayda Houser, Sr., Seymour
Natalee Watters, Jr., Seymour
Chelsey Boettcher, Sr., Moulton-Udell
Kynser Reed, Jr., Melcher-Dallas
Region 7
Team Most Likely to be a Bracket Buster: Fremont-Mills
This might be my boldest bracket buster pick yet as Fremont-Mills sits at 9-11 on the season. They face 13-7 Sidney in the first round and then they have to face off with the top seed Exira-EHK. In fact, Fremont-Mills has lost to Sidney twice this year by 16 points and then 33 points but they’ve beat them by three points. I have a feeling Fremont-Mills will be better prepared for game four this year and will make it a competitive game. If they get past Sidney I think Exira-EHK could be in trouble due to the matchup problems that Fremont-Mills provides.
Darkhorse That Could Make a Run: East Mills
East Mills has the best draw they could have possibly asked for as they won’t have to face a team over .500 until the semi-finals. They have really struggled to beat the good teams they have faced this season but I don’t think that will matter since they shouldn’t have to worry about meeting a dominant team until the semi-finals. Central Decatur will be one of the teams in the semi-finals and East Mills should have a solid shot at knocking them off and getting to the region championship.
Region Championship Prediction: Exira-EHK 58, Central Decatur 46
Exira-EHK is easily the most dominant team in this region and they should make it to the region finals with relative ease. They might have a tough time in a game or two but they are just so much more talented that I don’t think that they’ll end up having too much trouble. They aren’t a guarantee to make it to state but out of everyone in this region I think they have the best chance. Central Decatur is a formidable opponent but I just don’t think they are as strong as many think. I could see really anyone coming out of the bottom of the bracket.
X-Factor Player: Macy Emgarten, So., Exira-EHK
Emgarten is going to be a huge factor in how far Exira-EHK can make it this season. She is a do-it-all player who has been a catalyst all season long. She should be able to continue her play through March and if Emgarten plays when then Exira-EHK is going to be a big favorite in every game that they play. I love her ability to distribute the ball as well as score it and when you have a player like that it makes your team so much more dangerous.
Ten Other Players To Keep an Eye on:
Allie Petry, Jr, St. Albert
Maddy Duncan, Sr., Sidney
Kaela Eslinger, Sr., Orient-Macksburg
Aleah Hermansen, So., Audubon
Jaci Christensen, So., Audubon
Alex Knop, Sr., East Mills
Emily Williams, Fr., East Mills
Riley Bell, Sr., Central Decatur
Alaina Applegate, Sr., Central Decatur
Quinn Grubbs, Fr., Exira-EHK
Region 8
Team Most Likely to be a Bracket Buster: Ar-We-Va
I might be crazy for thinking that a 5-15 team could be a bracket buster, but not when you really look into the underlying metrics that surround Ar-We-Va. Their first opponent is Glidden-Ralston, a 9-12 team whom they’ve gone 1-1 against this year. They won by 15 points and they’ve lost to them by two points. I think that Ar-We-Va has a talent advantage in this one. If they win they’ll likely face Paton-Churdan who would be 14-8 on the year. I think that they are a little overrated right now so I would give the edge to Ar-We-Va again. They then would play Newell-Fonda and that’s where the upsets would stop.
Darkhorse That Could Make a Run: Boyer Valley
Boyer Valley has already beaten their first-round opponent, Woodbine, twice this season and I think they will beat them again. They would then likely play Woodbury Central who I think is very good but beatable. Boyer Valley has the momentum right now to be able to beat anyone but Newell-Fonda in this region and I think they would be a big threat to take down Woodbury Central in the second round. CAM could provide resistance but I think they would fall to both Woodbury Central and Boyer Valley as they’ve been struggling a lot this season.
Region Championship Prediction: Newell-Fonda 81, Woodbury Central 35
Newell-Fonda isn’t going to lose in the region. If I had a pick of one lock to make it to state out of the 40 regions in the state, I would pick Newell-Fonda 10/10 times. They are just that good.
X-Factor Player: Maddie Paulsen, Sr., Woodbury Central
Paulsen is a huge reason for Woodbury Central’s success this year. She is the leading scorer for her team and has shown the ability to lead her team to wins herself. She could have a great couple games and easily push Woodbury Central to the region final. If she struggles against anyone though, Woodbury Central is going to have a tough time winning games with ease. She is the most important player to her team in the entire regional lineup.
Ten Other Players To Keep an Eye on:
Bella Dingus, Sr., Heartland Christian
Danielle Hoyle, Jr., Paton-Churdan
Haley Koch, Jr., West Harrison
Jadeyn Smith, Jr., Ar-We-Va
Macy Sievers, So., Newell-Fonda
Maggie Walker, Jr., Newell-Fonda
Bailey Sievers, Jr., Newell-Fonda
Jaeden Ferris, Fr., Westwood
Gretchen Wallace, Jr., Glidden-Ralston
Katelyn Neilsen, Jr., Boyer Valley