OT- HS Boys State Finals wrapped up

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

Was it yet another waste of a season?

You got all 4 classes being won by evil empire programs for their level.

1A- North Linn
2A- Western Christian
3A- Davenport Assumption
4A- WDM, Valley

Much like the criticisms with high school wrestling in this state, da fuq are we doing in basketball in this state that we allow it to come to this?

Do better, Iowa........

And yes those 4 schools, fans, parents, players, coaches, and mascots (especially the mascots) should apologize.

 

[jerbob36]

Assuming you are talking about transfers?
I don't know a ton about North Linn, where did they pull kids from?

 

[jerbob36]

EMC, I'm sorry, I honestly don't know about what makes them an evil program other than their success. Have they snatched up transfers? Help me out, man. I don't watch much 1A basketball.
Thanks!

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

EMC, I'm sorry, I honestly don't know about what makes them an evil program other than their success. Have they snatched up transfers? Help me out, man. I don't watch much 1A basketball.
Thanks!

Oh I don't know either. I haven't followed HS boys basketball much in a few years.

I just notice who wins all the championships, and North Linn seems to win all the championships in their class, and that appears to be bleeding into their other sports, so they must be doing something villainous to be hoarding all the best players and championships in the state's smallest classes. The science doesn't suggest otherwise.........

 

[Bulldogs1974]

North linn is clean. Well coached. They aren’t poaching kids. Their youth travel teams put in the work.
They aren’t the god squad recruiting talent from the biggest cities in Iowa.

 

[ROCKY MOUNTAIN HAWK]

Man, does Des Moines have to always dominate all of Eastern Iowa in every sport in every year?!?!

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

North linn is clean. Well coached. They aren’t poaching kids. Their youth travel teams put in the work.
They aren’t the god squad recruiting talent from the biggest cities in Iowa.

Well then tell them to knock it the f*** off.

 

[Hawkfan_08]

It's honestly nothing that could or should be changed but Valley is so much bigger than every school in state. They have almost 500 more kids than the second biggest school. That's according to the BEDS document to base classes off of.

 

[wneff]

What happened at the end of the 4A game? I turned it on with 0.5 second left and Valley shooting technical free throws. The announcers talking about what a mess it was and a shame it had to end like that.

 

[ISUBryceC]

Kennedy picked up 3 techs at the end. Kind of a crapshow. Valley has won 2 in a row and returns all 5 starters next year, good squad.

 

[KuwaitHawk]

Always thought the finals were on Saturday? What changed?

 

[McIlraveysMullet]

I think Clear Lake gives Assumption a run for their money if they don’t have their top two scorers go down right at the end of the season.

 

[DropitlikeitsHawk]

It's honestly nothing that could or should be changed but Valley is so much bigger than every school in state. They have almost 500 more kids than the second biggest school. That's according to the BEDS document to base classes off of.

2024 Largest Public High Schools in Iowa

List of the largest public high schools in Iowa.

www.niche.com

That doesn’t seem accurate.

 

[joelbc1]

Always thought the finals were on Saturday? What changed?

You thought wrong...
Finals are on both nights, have been for years...
They split class title nights nowadays..just like in football.

 

[Packer54]

Man, does Des Moines have to always dominate all of Eastern Iowa in every sport in every year?!?!

It will continue. Central Iowa is booming.

 

[Mpchillin]

You thought wrong...
Finals are on both nights, have been for years...
They split class title nights nowadays..just like in football.

They have all classes for basketball on Friday, they just recently started doing this since they have no consolation games.

 

[BurgHawk87]

2024 Largest Public High Schools in Iowa

List of the largest public high schools in Iowa.

www.niche.com

That doesn’t seem accurate.

All of the schools ahead of them in that list use 9-12 enrollment, valley is 10-12.

 

[DropitlikeitsHawk]

All of the schools ahead of them in that list use 9-12 enrollment, valley is 10-12.

Interesting, thanks for the correction. Odd though, because 9th graders would still be eligible to play.

 

[joelbc1]

Interesting, thanks for the correction. Odd though, because 9th graders would still be eligible to play.

Valley has a separate building for its 9th graders...completely separate from the HS....might that factor in here?

 

[LaQuintaHawkeye]

Man, does Des Moines have to always dominate all of Eastern Iowa in every sport in every year?!?!

As to Central Iowa dominating, yes Valley seems to be, but Eastern Iowa had 4 teams in the final 8, 2 in the final 4, and 1 in the championship.

Out of the six games prior to the championship, the "crossover" games were split. CRK beat Dallas Center-Grimes and Ankeny. WDMV beat Bettendorf and Ankeny beat Dubuque Senior.

In the end though, Central Iowa gets the bragging rights... again

 

[DropitlikeitsHawk]

Valley has a separate building for its 9th graders...completely separate from the HS....might that factor in here?

Yeah I knew that but they are technically in high school. Just odd I guess.

 

[joelbc1]

Yeah I knew that but they are technically in high school. Just odd I guess.

For years (when I was in HS) you could plat HS baseball (summer) for 5 seasons..you could play the summer between your 8th grade and freshman year of HS and all the way thru HS and the summer after graduTion...I would think this has changed now as I played over 50 years ago and back then they offered Spring and Summer baseball in HS...

 

[DropitlikeitsHawk]

For years (when I was in HS) you could plat HS baseball (summer) for 5 seasons..you could play the summer between your 8th grade and freshman year of HS and all the way thru HS and the summer after graduTion...I would think this has changed now as I played over 50 years ago and back then they offered Spring and Summer baseball in HS...

I could be wrong but I think Lincoln McIlravy won 6 South Dakota stat wrestling titles.

 

[Hawkfan_08]

2024 Largest Public High Schools in Iowa

List of the largest public high schools in Iowa.

www.niche.com

That doesn’t seem accurate.

So the BEDS document I was referencing only counts enrollment 9-11. I'm not really sure the rationale why. Again, this is the official document used by the state to set classes.

https://www.iahsaa.org/classifications/

 

[DropitlikeitsHawk]

So the BEDS document I was referencing only counts enrollment 9-11. I'm not really sure the rationale why. Again, this is the official document used by the state to set classes.

https://www.iahsaa.org/classifications/

Interesting. I just searched biggest high schools and I had always thought Lincoln was.

 

[ICWestfan]

Assuming you are talking about transfers?
I don't know a ton about North Linn, where did they pull kids from?

Nowhere. They're a good 25-30 miles north of CR in Troy Mills. I suppose they could poach a kid or 2 from here or there, but I doubt that has happened.

Have you ever been to Troy Mills? Very small town on the Wapsi.

 

[HIWILLE]

I think Clear Lake gives Assumption a run for their money if they don’t have their top two scorers go down right at the end of the season.

Assumption starts for juniors and one sophomore. They will be ranked number one next year starting there season. Not sure about their sophomore squad and freshman but If they pick up another kid or two, they’ll be bad ass. Very talented group.

 

[joelbc1]

Assumption starts for juniors and one sophomore. They will be ranked number one next year starting there season. Not sure about their sophomore squad and freshman but If they pick up another kid or two, they’ll be bad ass. Very talented group.

And your thinking that is because of superior coaching? Parochial schools (Catholic in particular) have huge “recruiting” advantages over most public schools...”poaching” does take place in public schools to a point, but it is mostly limited to larger Metro areas where “school choice options” are more plentiful...

 

[HawkPT]

For years (when I was in HS) you could plat HS baseball (summer) for 5 seasons..you could play the summer between your 8th grade and freshman year of HS and all the way thru HS and the summer after graduTion...I would think this has changed now as I played over 50 years ago and back then they offered Spring and Summer baseball in HS...

You can still play HS baseball and softball in Iowa after your 8th grade year because it's a summer sport. As long as your junior high education has been completed, you are eligible.

 

[hawkjt]

This year's senior class in Iowa seems devoid of any star players.
Usually you have an Omaha or Devries or Paige or Barnes but I do not see anyone highly rated.
Maybe the junior class is better?
Stinson Jr or, kid from Davenport north?
Seemingly better girls prep talent in Iowa right now?

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

It's honestly nothing that could or should be changed but Valley is so much bigger than every school in state. They have almost 500 more kids than the second biggest school. That's according to the BEDS document to base classes off of.

So split them up like Waukee was forced to do.

Problem solved.

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

They have all classes for basketball on Friday, they just recently started doing this since they have no consolation games.

Yup. Can't recall how recently they made the change, but they wanted to market "Championship Friday" as the end-all, be-all, especially after they sadly ended the consolation games because too many people cried about having to play the extra game................................there I said the truth. And people will still rebutt with their excuses..........but I said the truth.

 

[ICWestfan]

This year's senior class in Iowa seems devoid of any star players.
Usually you have an Omaha or Devries or Paige or Barnes but I do not see anyone highly rated.
Maybe the junior class is better?
Stinson Jr or, kid from Davenport north?
Seemingly better girls prep talent in Iowa right now?

I don't follow IHSBB but do know that Decorah HS has 6'10 soph Cael Lafrentz. Not sure if he is a "player to watch" or not.

 

[McIlraveysMullet]

Assumption starts for juniors and one sophomore. They will be ranked number one next year starting there season. Not sure about their sophomore squad and freshman but If they pick up another kid or two, they’ll be bad ass. Very talented group.

I don’t know about next year, just their team this year. Clear Lake beat Waverly in Waverly early in the season.
Thomas Meyer dislocated his shoulder with a week left in the season and their second leading scorer broke his wris with about two weeks to go in the regular season. He came back for the playoffs but had a brace on his shooting wrist. They then had to lean on 3 Sophs and a freshman quite a bit to finish the season.
They will be good next year again. Pretty talented freshmen and sophomore class.

 

[joelbc1]

Yup. Can't recall how recently they made the change, but they wanted to market "Championship Friday" as the end-all, be-all, especially after they sadly ended the consolation games because too many people cried about having to play the extra game................................there I said the truth. And people will still rebutt with their excuses..........but I said the truth.

Plus...a few years ago they moved the state tourney schedules ahead a week so the boys bb tourney would dovetail into whT has become a week off for Spring Break...andmost schools don’t gave Friday classes....

This allows families to more easily schedule their “family spring vacations” and make them a 10 vacation period...
When I was in school, decades ago, “spring break” was perhaps 3 days in late March/ early April, that were usually “built in” to the school schedule as “snow days” and were seldom available when scheduled.
Spring vacations for families have forced schools to adjust their schedules to accommodate them first and foremost.

 

[BurgHawk87]

Yup. Can't recall how recently they made the change, but they wanted to market "Championship Friday" as the end-all, be-all, especially after they sadly ended the consolation games because too many people cried about having to play the extra game................................there I said the truth. And people will still rebutt with their excuses..........but I said the truth.

Consolation games were a mess to be honest. We played in one my senior year and I can verify that half the team hadn't slept since the semi final game the night before due to doing various mischievous things at the hotel and the surrounding area.

 

[jerbob36]

I do know the Valley freshmen were fantastic this year. Lost only 1 game because the coach sat the studs who weren't playing as hard as he wanted. They got the message and ran the table.
I left before the fireworks at the end of the Kennedy/Valley game, but there were already 2 techs called before that. One on a player after a loose ball situation and one on the HC for chirping.
Valley was the better team last night, but Kennedy had a really nice team.

3A next year
Assumption is always going to be a problem for 3A teams because they play the toughest schedule of any 3A team, take some lumps along the way, but are battle-tested by playoff time.
They will be #1 for sure. Keep them in a half-court game and they aren't that impressive, but let them get out in space and they are dangerous. They lack 3-point shooting, which almost cost them the title game as WSR packed the paint to prevent drives/layups.
Waverly-SR will take a hit, losing their PG, SG, C, and Cole Marsh (going to Iowa as a PWO Tight End), who is a man and really good bball player, too.
Decorah will also take a hit. Excellent guard (McClain) is gone as is Bochman, their 2 best players. LaFrentz is tall. More athletic than I thought he would be before seeing him life at state. He is only a soph and could keep developing, but I dont see him as a P5 starter right now.
MOC loses Van Kalsbeek, who was their best player, but has everybody else back. 2A mostly conference, so they will have a shiny record, but won't be as good as this year.
Pella should be ranked in the top 5 to state the year. 5 of top 8 players are back and lost to Waverly in OT in the quarters.
Honestly, it's going to be an interesting battle to see who competes for the spots behind DAV-Assumption.

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

Consolation games were a mess to be honest. We played in one my senior year and I can verify that half the team hadn't slept since the semi final game the night before due to doing various mischievous things at the hotel and the surrounding area.

And whose fault was that?........

 

[BurgHawk87]

And whose fault was that?........

I blame the coat closet sized locker rooms at vets

 

[Hwkfn1]

North Linn does not poach kids, and no, I am not a North Linn fan. Coach Hilmer and his staff, along with the community, have done and tremendous job of building the program from the youth level on up. Their kids work extremely hard in the weight room and in other sports. They may get an occasional open enrollment student, but the vast majority of their athletes are from there.