Iowa Playoffs: Class 3A, Substate 3 Preview
The favorite: Despite dropping a game to Crestwood just a few weeks ago, consider tradition rich Waverly-Shell Rock the favorite in this district. Led by Northern Iowa commit Austin Phyfe and senior guard Camry Moore, the Go-Hawks always seem to…
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Continue ReadingThe favorite: Despite dropping a game to Crestwood just a few weeks ago, consider tradition rich Waverly-Shell Rock the favorite in this district. Led by Northern Iowa commit Austin Phyfe and senior guard Camry Moore, the Go-Hawks always seem to make their way to Des Moines, and this year they should have a chance again.
The biggest threat: As mentioned before, Crestwood did knock off W-SR on February 5 (43-41), so they are certainly capable of grinding a win out against them. Senior wing Tristan Bohr (18.1 points) has been fantastic for the Cadets this year, and Alex Kerian (42.5 3P%) gives them a good shooter who could knock some shots down and make things interesting.
The dark horse: Freshman Jackson Molstead has been solid all year at point guard for Charles City, averaging a team high 15.4 points and posting a very solid 108-62 assist-to-turnover ratio. If Noah Schlader (39.6 3P%) can knock down some shots, they could pull off an upset.
Players to watch
Camry Moore, Waverly-Shell Rock, 2016
Austin Phyfe, Waverly-Shell Rock, 2017
Tristan Bohr, Crestwood, 2016
Matt Goodman, Crestwood, 2016*
Jackson Molstead, Charles City, 2019
The favorite: The two-time defending champions in 3A should hold serve in this district. Dubuque Wahlert is led by Iowa commit Cordell Pemsl is averaging just shy of a double-double with 22.3 points and 9.9 rebounds and will be a bear for any team in the district to try and slow down. Point guard David Wedewer has been solid for the Golden Eagles, and wing Riley Till gives them lots of things on the perimeter on both ends of the floor. This is a veteran group that knows how to win, something their biggest threat is just learning how to do now.
The biggest threat: That team that’s just learning how to win is West Delaware, a very young, but also very talented, group out of the WaMaC. The Hawks put together a 15-6 regular season and are holding opponents to under 50 points a game. They’ve got a pair of big bodies they can try to throw at Pemsl in junior John Nagel and freshman Derek Krogmann, but that will be a tall task. They should be able to keep it close against Wahlert, and this is a team to watch out for moving forward – there are no seniors among their top seven scorers.
The dark horse: Marion ended the regular season with a 16-point loss to West Delaware, their first round opponent. The Indians have some players that are capable of knocking down threes, something they’ll need to do in order to keep them competitive.
Players to watch
Cordell Pemsl, Dubuque Wahlert, 2016
David Wedewer, Dubuque Wahlert, 2016
Riley Till, Dubuque Wahlert, 2016
John Nagel, West Delaware, 2017
Derek Krogmann, West Delaware, 2019
Jacob Manderscheid, Marion, 2016
Nick Steger, Independence, 2016
SUBSTATE PREDICTION
Waverly-Shell Rock vs. Dubuque Wahlert
In a matchup of the past three champions in Class 3A, we’ll give Dubuque Wahlert the slight edge, having the best player on the floor in Pemsl. This is a game that should probably be being played in Des Moines, but nonetheless, it should be a good one.