Postseason Preview: Class 1A, Substate 8
The favorite: One of five remaining undefeated teams in 1A, Ar-We-Va swept the season series against second seeded Exira-EHK, winning 66-65 and 58-53. The Rockets have led by the inside-out tandem of Keegan Simons (19.4) and Drew Schurke (17.1),…
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The favorite: One of five remaining undefeated teams in 1A, Ar-We-Va swept the season series against second seeded Exira-EHK, winning 66-65 and 58-53. The Rockets have led by the inside-out tandem of Keegan Simons (19.4) and Drew Schurke (17.1), while Derek Oeser (9.5) and Henry Segebart (7.3) add some additional shooting, while Wyatt Neumann (6.4) gives them additional size and punch on the glass. This is a veteran group that has won a ton of games over the last four years, building towards this season and a run to the 2019 state tournament. While they’ve been given a tricky district to navigate, they’ve won every game so far and it’s tough to pick against that.
The biggest threat: Exira-EHK has dominated every team on the schedule not named Ar-We-Va this year, going 18-0 against all other teams, with an average score of 74.8-43.2. The Spartans have a dominant inside-out tandem with 6-7 senior Dakota Rold (16.7) and 5-9 point guard Cole Burmeister (14.9). Rold is a dominant rim protector and efficient scoring big man who controls the paint on both ends of the floor, and Burmeister has a nearly 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Josh Pettepier (12.5, 55 3PM) provides perimeter shooting, while Trever Schulz (11.6) gives them another efficient scorer inside the arc. The Spartans should get their third shot at Ar-We-Va, and since they’ve only lost those two games by a combined six points, they’ve got a very real shot.
The dark horse: Audubon has won six of seven down the stretch, with the lone loss coming to Treynor, a 2A team that has been ranked all year. The Wheelers did lose to likely semifinal opponent Exira-EHK by 20 earlier this season, but this group shoots the 3 more than any other team in the district, and if guys like Tate Killeen (19.7, 39 3PM), Lane Lawson (15.4, 26 3PM), Kaiden Smith (12.3, 19 3PM), SKyler Schultes (6.1, 25 3PM) and Noah Muzney (6.0, 18 3PM) can get hot, Audubon is capable of winning a few games and making it through to the district final.
Players to watch
2019 Keegan Simons, Ar-We-Va
2019 Drew Schurke, Ar-We-Va
2019 Dakota Rold, Exira-EHK
2019 Cole Burmeister, Exira-EHK
2019 Tate Killeen, Audubon
2019 Lane Lawson, Audubon
2019 Matt Soetmelk, Logan-Magnolia
2019 Calvin Coffman, West Monona
2020 Lucas Berens, Boyer Valley
2021 Layne Pryor, Woodbine
2020 Wyatt Pryor, Woodbine
2020 Nick Rife, West Harrison
The favorite: With their only two losses this season coming to a ranked 3A team (Spencer) and a ranked 2A team (South Central Calhoun), Sioux Central is the favorite here. The Rebels swept second seed Newell-Fonda 77-64 and 68-64 this season. Hunter Decker (19.0, 49 3PM) is the headliner, but this is a fairly balanced group with all five starters averaging at least 6.8 points a game. Prestan Samson (11.3, 64.0 FG%) leads the team in rebounding, and Logan Grote (83 assists, 48 turnovers) and Blake Cavanaugh (54 assists, 21 turnovers) combine to give them a backcourt that values possessions and takes care of the ball. Playing their first two games at home, the Rebels should cruise into the district final and a likely third meeting with Newell-Fonda.
The biggest threat: Newell-Fonda has used one of 1A’s best offensive attacks to grab the second seed in the district. The Mustangs only losses to 1A teams this year came to Sioux Central, with their other six losses coming to 2A and 3A teams. They’re led by Bryce Coppock (29.7), a diminutive guard who is one of the best scorers in the state. This group has made and attempted more 3s than any other team in the state, with Coppock (43.4%) and Aden Mahler (10.0, 43.2%) the biggest weapons. Five different ‘Stangs have made at least 20 3s this season, and if they can get hot, they’re more than capable of beating Sioux Central, especially if they can tighten up the defense a little bit (111th in 1A, 60 points a game).
The dark horse: Behind one of the best defenses in 1A, IKM-Manning could make some noise if they’re able to slow the game down. The Wolves allow just 43.5 points a game, good for 8th in the class. Alex Lingle (13.5) is the leading scorer, but five other players average between 5.2 and 7.1 points a game. That type of balance can make them tough to game plan for.
Players to watch
2019 Prestan Samson, Sioux Central
2019 Hunter Decker, Sioux Central
2020 Bryce Coppock, Newell-Fonda
2019 Alex Lingle, IKM-Manning
2019 Jacob Tokheim, Ridge View
2021 Garrett Trapp, River Valley
2020 Thomas Fehr, West Bend-Mallard
SUBSTATE FINAL PREDICTION
Ar-We-Va vs. Sioux Central
Ar-We-Va has a veteran group that has won a lot of games over the last four years, but this is a spot where the major difference in strength of schedule could come back to bite them. Sioux Central has only lost games to ranked teams against bigger schools, and the Rebels punch their first ever ticket to State.