By Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

During his high school career Cooper Kabela played an integral role in helping West Branch maintain its status as one of the top small class football programs in the state.

This winter Kabela helped West Branch basketball build its own reputation.

The senior forward turned in one of the best individual seasons in program history to lead West Branch to an 18-6 record, its first River Valley Conference South Division title and a spot in the sub-state final.  

For his efforts Kabela was named to the Class 2A all-state first team released by the Iowa Newspaper Association on Tuesday.  

“We always say that West Branch is a football town,” Kabela said last month. “This year we kind of put West Branch basketball on the map.”

Kabela was a big part of the best season in recent West Branch hoops history.

The 6-foot-4 senior averaged 23.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game while setting a school record for points in a season with 572.

Kabela shot 57 percent from the floor, including 57 percent from beyond the 3-point line, while breaking the previous single-season scoring record set by Rylan Murry in 2013.

His 1,245 career points rank second all-time at West Branch behind only Murry.

“In West Branch there is no reason that all athletics can’t be really good and I think Cooper was a huge reason that West Branch basketball was put back on map,” West Branch coach Tom Burger said. “There have been a lot of good players that have graduated from West Branch and I think he is going to be right up there with one of the most decorated careers.”

The 23.8 points per game by Kabela this season ranked 10th in the state and fourth in Class 2A.

He scored at least 13 points in every game this season, had 20 or more points 16 times and had five games with at least 30 points, including a career-high 33 in a district semifinal win over Wapello.

“It’s hard to average 23 points per game like he does, you have to have help,” Burger said. “He had help this year.”

Kabela did a lot more than score.

He led the Bears with 7.9 rebounds per game and had eight double-doubles on the season.

Kabela led West Branch with 23 blocked shots, added 30 steals and averaged 2.3 assists per game while committing a career-low 35 turnovers.

Iowa Newspaper Association All-State Teams

Class 1A

First Team

Front line – Nicholas Ruden, 6-4, Jr., Remsen St. Mary’s; Riley Van Wyhe, 6-3, Sr., Central Lyon; Brady Gavin, 6-7, Jr., Martensale-St. Mary’s; Back court – Joe Smoldt, 6-1, Sr., Gladbrook-Reinbeck; Jake Hilmer, 5-11, Soph., North Linn; Grant DeMeulenaere, 6-0, Jr., Grand View Christian; Utility – Jovonte Squiers, 6-1, Sr., Lone Tree; Jesse Van Wyk, 6-3, Jr., Lynnville-Sully.

Second Team

Front line – Seth Weiland, 6-7, Sr., West Hancock; Nathan Karsjens, 6-7, Sr., AGWSR; Seth Mieller, 6-3, Sr., Prince of Peace Prep; Back court – Christian Kyles, 6-0, Jr., Siouxland Christian; Mason Porter, 6-2, Soph., New London; Dakota Strong, 6-1, Sr., Montezuma; Utility – Kaleb Anderson, 5-9, Sr., Lenox; Zach Martinek, 6-4, Soph., West Fork.

Third Team

Front line –  Colby Seuntjens, 6-3, Jr., Maple Valley-Anthon-Oto; Jarod Nichols, 6-4, Jr., Colfax-Mingo; Niko Gosnell, 6-8, Sr., Lone Tree; Back court – Paul Rundquist, 5-10, Soph., Wapsie Valley; Ryan Miller, 5-10, Jr., North Linn; Dylan Eckels, 6-0, Sr., West Hancock; Utility – Brett Kelting, 6-3, Sr., Calamus-Wheatland; Stephen Glenn, 6-2, Sr., Grand View Christian.

Class 2A

First Team

Front line – Colin Hill, 6-6, Jr., South Hamilton; Matt Dentlinger, 6-7, Sr., Kuemper Catholic; Cooper Kabela, 6-4, Sr., West Branch; Back court – Ethan Wyant, 6-0, Sr., Jesup; Levi Jungling, 5-11, Sr., Pella Christian; Ben Gesink, 6-3, Sr., Western Christian; Utility – Jesse Jansma, 6-3, Sr., Western Christian; Jay Small, 6-3, Sr., Hinton.

Second Team

Front line – Austin Roetman, 6-7, Sr., Pocahontas Area; Dylan Hundley, 6-4, Sr., Camanche; Isaiah Humphrey, 6-2, Sr., Underwood; Back court – Ben Juhl, 6-1, Sr., Des Moines Christian; Dakota Soenksen, 6-3, Sr., Camanche; Trenton Massner, 6-1, Jr., Wapello; Utility – Ben Latusek, 6-4, Sr., Dike-New Hartford; Riley LeGrand, 6-3, Sr., Dyersville Beckman.

Third Team

Front line – Zane Johnson, 6-4, Jr., East Marshall; David Kacmarynski, 6-3, Sr., Pella Christian; James Betz, 6-7, Soph., Garner-Hayfield-Ventura; Back court – Drew Olson, 6-2, Jr., Osage; RJ Harris, 6-2, Jr., AHSTW; Gannon O’Brien, 6-0, Jr., Cascade; Utility – Marco Balderas, 5-7, Jr., South Hamilton; Isaac Heyer, 6-3, Sr., West Lyon.

Class 3A

First Team

Front line – Ryan Van Wyk, 6-5, Sr., Pella; Garrett Franken, 6-7, Sr., Atlantic; Austin Phyfe, 6-10, Sr., Waverly-Shell Rock; Back court – Brady Sartorius, 6-0, Jr., Mount Pleasant; Elijah Hazekamp, 6-5, Jr., Sioux City Heelan; Luke Vaske, 6-1, Jr., Norwalk; Utility – Matt Mims, 6-0, Jr., Cedar Rapids Xavier; Chris Kroll, 6-1, Sr., Sergeant Bluff-Luton.

Second Team

Front line – Cade McKnight, 6-9, Sr., Grinnell; Sam Snyder, 6-5, Jr., Forest City; Derek Krogmann, 6-7, Soph., West Delaware; Back court – Nate Mohr, 6-1, Jr., Glenwood; Trenton Hilbrands, 6-0, Jr., LeMars; Trey Tucker, 6-0, Sr., Greene County; Utility – Sam Allen, 6-3, Sr., Grinnell; Austin Ash, 6-2, Sr., Mount Vernon.

Third Team

Front line – Trevor Grove, 6-6, Sr., Dallas Center-Grimes; Andrew Blum, 6-4, Jr., Glenwood; Jackson Wright, 6-5, Sr., Sergeant Bluff-Luton; Back court – Jack Molstead, 5-9, Soph., Charles City; Trenton Wallace, 6-1, Sr., Davenport Assumption; Tajen Ross, 6-3, Sr., ADM; Utility – Lim Choul, 6-3, Sr., Chariton; John Nagel, 6-6, Sr., West Delaware.

Class 4A

First Team

Front line – Joe Wieskamp, 6-6, Jr., Muscatine; Van Rees, 6-6, Jr., Sioux City East; Douglas Wilson, 6-6, Sr., Des Moines Hoover; Back court – AJ Green, 6-2, Jr., Cedar Falls; Tyreke Locure, 5-10, Soph., Des Moines North; Devontae Lane, 6-2, Sr., West High; Utility – Connor McCaffery, 6-6, Sr., West High; Garrett Sturtz, 6-2, Jr., Newton.  

Second Team

Front line – Jacob Rau, 6-7, Sr., Waukee; Noah Carter, 6-5, Soph., Dubuque Senior; Patrick McCaffery, 6-8, Soph., West High; Back court – Sam Ingoli, 6-3, Jr., West Des Moines Dowling; Ray Miller, 6-0, Sr., Davenport Central; Kyle Lang, 6-0, Sr., Mason City; Utility – Drew Maschoff, 6-3, Sr., Ankeny; Bailey Basala, 6-5, Sr., North Scott.

Third Team

Front line – Quinton Curry, 6-6, Sr., West Des Moines Valley; Joe Evans, 6-3, Jr., Ames; Jal Bijiek, 6-7, Sr., Des Moines North; Back court – Max Smith Drahos, 6-1, Sr., Cedar Rapids Prairie; Aidan Vanderloo, 6-1, Soph., Sioux City East; Connor Gholson, 6-3, Sr., Newton; Utility – Connor Kasperbauer, 6-3, Sr., Ankeny Centennial; Chad Moran, 6-4, Sr., Lewis Central.