Iowa Boys State Basketball: Johnston Stuns Waukee NW In 4A

The second day of the Iowa High School Athletic Association Boys State Basketball Tournament started off with an upset, as Johnston stunned Waukee Northwest in the Class 4A quarterfinals from Casey’s Center in Des Moines, Iowa.

Led by Tino Daye’s 15 points, the Dragons knocked off the Wolves and Landon Davis and Colin Rice, who are headed to Illinois and Nebraska, respectively. Along with Daye, Nicare Cavil scored 14 and Joshua Jenkins added 10.

Despite being undersized to Rice and Davis, Johnston held its own on the glass, including several key offensive rebounds that helped them secure a spot in the semifinals.

For the Wolves, Rice scored 17 points, Mack Heitland had nine and Davis finished with eight to go along with 11 rebounds. Davis, though, was just 1-for-5 shooting from the field, as Waukee Northwest made just seven field goals outside of Rice.

The second quarter ultimately decided the contest, as Johnston outscored Waukee Northwest, 17-9, to take an eight-point lead into the break. The Dragons shot 64 percent in the quarter and buried three 3-pointers.

Every Johnston player who saw the court had at least two rebounds, led by six from Darren Grandon. Jenkins and Emri Jones each had four.

Tournament action can be viewed live on the IAHSAA website.

Waukee Reaches Semifinals In 4A

After watching intra-city rival Waukee Northwest fall in the Class 4A quarterfinals, Waukee made sure the same would not happen to them.

The Warriors got by a pesky Cedar Rapids Prairie to advance inside the Casey’s Center in Des Moines, 57-51.

Max Roach scored 18 points with six rebounds and three steals to pace Waukee, as Pete Craig added 12 with five rebounds and two blocks. Evan Jacobson, who is headed to Texas A&M to play football and basketball, added nine points and four rebounds.

Tied at 15-all after the first, the Hawks took a slim advantage into the break. But in the third, Waukee went on a 14-8 run to put themselves in the driver’s seat.

For Cedar Rapids Prairie, Will Wehr had 20 points and Cayden Larson contributed nine with four steals and four assists.

No. 1 St. Edmond Overcomes Slow Start, Downs Woodbine

In a rematch from last year in the very same round, top-ranked and No. 1 seed St. Edmond recorded the same result, besting Woodbine in the Class 1A quarterfinals, 60-44.

Senior all-stater Hunter Horn scored 17 points with nine rebounds, Carson Bargfrede added 14 points and six boards, and Jakob Koopman produced 11 points and six rebounds for the Gaels.

The Tigers, led by top football recruit Landon Blum’s 20 points, kept it even through one thanks to five points off turnovers, resulting in a 12-12 tie. But in the second, St. Edmond got going, taking a 13-point lead into the break.

St. Edmond’s Jack McElroy added six points, five rebounds and four assists, committing just one turnover in 31 minutes on the court. Grant Galles added eight points and a pair of steals, as the Gaels led by as many as 20.

Jax Pryor recorded 15 points and nine rebounds for the Tigers, who made it to state three years in a row.

Shay Stephens Leads Burlington Notre Dame Into Semis

Western Illinois signee Shay Stephens scored a game-high 26 points to lead Burlington Notre Dame past Bellevue, 68-62.

Stephens went off early and never let up, adding eight rebounds with four assists and three steals. He drained five 3-pointers on the day as the Nikes had nine triples in all.

Griffin Kies added 12 points with five rebounds and L.J. Harris tallied six points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals. Burlington Notre Dame never trailed and led by as many as 18.

Cameron Casel paced Bellevue with 15 points, as KeShawn DeShaw had a double-double, scoring 13 with 13 rebounds. Jaxton Leach added 10 points and three steals.

The two teams combined to attempt 49 free throws in the game.

MMCRU Gets Revenge, Earns Spot In 1A Final Four

Last year, MMCRU was denied a spot in the Class 1A state tournament after falling to Boyden-Hull in a substate final.

This time around, the Royals took care of business, advancing to the semifinals with a 58-39 victory over the Comets on Tuesday.

MMCRU, a defending Iowa high school football state champion, controlled things from the start. They never trailed, taking a 23-14 lead into the half after holding Boyden-Hull to just 39 percent shooting from the field.

During that initial run, they converted eight Comet turnovers into 11 points and also had five second-chance points. Four players reached double figures for the Royals, as Kamden Bork and Eli Schlenger each had 14, with Wyatt Alesch and Josh Peterson both scoring 11.

Michael Schmillen had six points, five assists and four rebounds for MMCRU.

Garret Van Es and Carter Kleinwolterink each scored 14 points, as Van Es also had 10 rebounds. Jakob Pottebaum, averaging 15 per game, was injured early in the contest and unable to return.

Bellevue Marquette Upsets Bishop Garrigan

On paper, it was considered an upset, but don’t tell Bellevue Marquette that.

The Defenders, who finished second last year in Class 1A, are back in the semifinals after a 58-55 victory over Bishop Garrigan.

Bellevue Marquette never trailed, as they knocked down eight 3-pointers from five different players. Louis Gonner, who had the game-winner in the substate final, scored 17 points, with Justin Severson and Tate Kueter each adding 11.

Severson also pulled down 15 rebounds, five of which came on the offensive end.

The Golden Bears were led by Michael Joyce, as the junior scored a game-high 22 points with four made triples. Carter Schwab had 14 points and nine rebounds, adding two blocks and two steals, as Amaury Thomas finished with 10 points and nine rebounds.

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