Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

The Matchups

No. 1 Clear Creek Amana (23-0) vs. Gilbert (15-9)

A couple of programs seeking a historic state tournament win meet in the 4A quarterfinals.

Clear Creek Amana is making its third state tournament appearance and second straight and seeking the first state tournament win in program history.

The Clippers completed an unbeaten regular season and secured the first back-to-back state tournament appearances in program history with a 68-35 win over Keouk in the regional final.

Clear Creek Amana has been dominant all season ranking second in 4A in points per game (63.7), first in points allowed (31.2) and first in point differential (32.5).

The Clippers have five wins over state tournament qualifiers including victories of 3A third-ranked Solon, 3A fourth-ranked Mount Vernon and 1A top-ranked North Linn.

Clear Creek Amana has one of the best duos in Class 4A in senior Ava Locklear and sophomore Averie Lower.

Locklear is averaging 11.9 points and leads the Clippers with 10.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.1 blocked shots per game while Lower leads the Clippers with 17.8 points per game on 59 percent shooting.

Sophomore Lena Evans has provided a boost off the bench averaging 9.1 points per game while senior Bliss Beck averages 7.5 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2 blocked shots per game.

Gilbert is making the sixth state tournament appearance in program history and first since 2000 and is seeking its first win at state since 1955.

The Tigers bring a six-game winning streak into the state tournament that includes a 66-61 win over sixth-ranked Mason City in the regional semifinals and a 60-57 overtime win over Cedar Rapids Xavier in the regional title game.

Gilbert has three losses to 4A state qualifiers North Polk and Waverly-Shell Rock and two other losses to top-six ranked teams Mason City and Roland-Story.

The Tigers have three players averaging in double figures led by senior Ella Henningsen who leads the team with 13.4 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.

Junior Mollie Schnormeier averages 12 points and 6.7 rebounds and Mia Kautman is averaging 11.4 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.

No. 4 Dallas Center-Grimes (20-3) vs. No. 5 North Polk (22-2)

The most exciting and intriguing quarterfinal matchup in the 4A tournament is a rematch of last year’s title game won by Dallas Center-Grimes 57-50 in overtime.

Dallas Center-Grimes won the first title game rematch defeating North Polk 55-44 on November 21 at North Polk.

The Mustangs graduated their top two scorers from last season but returned three starters from its state title game and are making their third consecutive state tournament appearance.

Dallas Center-Grimes has won 10 straight games including a 58-45 win over No. 13 Pella in the regional title game.

The three losses for the Mustangs have come to 5A top-ranked Johnston, 5A eighth-ranked Ankeny and 4A third-ranked Sioux City Heelan.

Senior Kayla Reis is the only Dallas Center-Grimes player averaging double figures at 11.2 points per game but six players are scoring at least 6.3 points per game.

Vanessa Bickford is averaging 8.8 points, 5 rebounds and 3.9 assists and Aubrey Johansen is averaging 8.4 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.

North Polk is back at the state tournament for the second straight season and the fifth time in the past seven seasons.

The Comets have won 15 in a row including a 49-42 victory over No. 11 Maquoketa in the regional final.

North Polk opened the season with a loss to Dallas Center-Grimes and fell to 5A state qualifier Ankeny Centennial 58-43 on December but hasn’t lost in 2024, a stretch that includes a win at 2A top-ranked Dike-New Hartford.

Junior all-stater Abby Tuttle is the only player averaging double figures for North Polk, scoring a team-high 15.5 points per game but four other players score at least 6.7 per game.

Junior Grete Dillinger is averaging 9 points per game and junior Beca Aagard averages 7.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game.

No. 2 Waverly-Shell Rock (23-0) vs. Sioux Center (17-6)

Another excellent opening-round contest features one of the most impressive teams in 4A all season in Waverly-Shell Rock and a reigning state champion in last year’s 3A champ Sioux Center.

Waverly-Shell Rock is making its fourth state tournament appearance in the past six seasons after missing out last season.

The Go-Hawks are 1-5 all-time in state tournament opening-round games and are seeking their first win at state since 2013.

Waverly Shell-Rock joins 4A qualifier Clear Creek Amana as unbeaten teams in the 4A bracket and is one of final undefeated teams remaining.

The Go-Hawks have wins over state tournament qualifiers Forest City and Benton Community and defeated No. 14 Western Dubuque 43-37 in the regional title game.

Senior Katelyn Eggena leads three Go-Hawks that average double figures with 13.7 points per game while senior Brenna Bodensteiner averages 11.2 points per game and freshman Lizzy Frazell averages 10.8 points per game.

Sioux Center returns to the state tournament for the second straight season after winning the Class 3A crown a year ago.

The Warriors opened the season 5-5 but have won 12 of their last 13 games with the lone loss in that stretch coming at 5A tenth-ranked Sioux City East.

Sioux Center avenged a 15-point regular season loss to seventh-ranked LeMars with a 62-48 win in the regional semifinals and defeated No. 15 Humboldt 61-45 in the regional title game.

Junior Makailyn Vander Waal leads three players averaging in double figures with 12.6 points per game while freshman Maryn Franken averages 12.3 points and 7.3 rebounds and junior Margo Schuiteman averages 10.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

No. 3 Sioux City Heelan (22-1) vs. No. 8 Council Bluffs Lewis Central (19-4)

A pair of Western Iowa powers meet in a quarterfinal rematch of a regular season contest won by Sioux City Heelan all the way back in November.

Sioux City Heelan defeated Lewis Central 47-33 in its season opener on November 28 and has since put together perhaps the best regular season resume in Class 4A.

The Crusaders have wins over 3A top-ranked Estherville Lincoln Central, 4A seventh-ranked LeMars and twice defeated 5A No. 10 Sioux City East.

Sioux City Heelan also defeated defending 4A champion Dallas Center-Grimes by 31 on January 20.

The Crusaders are making their third straight state tournament appearance, their fifth in the last six years and 13^th in the last 18 seasons.

Freshman Melina Snoozy averages a team-high 18.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.3 steals per game to lead three players scoring at least 14 a game for Heelan.

Junior Abby Lee averages 14.8 points and a team-high 8.2 rebounds and senior all-stater Brooklyn Stanley is averaging 14.1 points, 4.8 assists and 3.8 steals.

Council Bluffs Lewis Central is making its fifth state tournament appearance in the past nine season but its first since 2000.

The Titans lost to Sioux City Heelan in November and to 1A state qualifier Council Bluffs St. Albert in December but have been perfect against in-state competition since.

The last two losses for Council Bluffs Lewis Central were to Nebraska teams Gretna East (18-7) a Class B state qualifier and Papillion-LaVista (13-10) a Class A team.

Lewis Central brings a 10-game winning streak into the state tournament, a stretch that includes a win over 3A state qualifier Harlan and a 53-49 win over Norwalk in the regional title game.

Junior Brooke Larsen leads the Titans with 15.2 points and 6.9 rebounds per game while senior Lucy Scott is averaging 14.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.1 steals per game.

The Players

Clear Creek Amana: Ava Locklear, 5-10, Sr. – One of only two players in Class 4A averaging a double-double Locklear is averaging 11.9 points and leads the Clippers with 10.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.1 blocked shots per game.

Gilbert: Ella Henningsen, 5-10, Jr. – After ranking second on the team in scoring as a freshman and sophomore Henningsen leads the Tigers with 13.4 points and 8.6 rebounds per game this season.

Dallas Center-Grimes: Vanessa Bickford, 5-10, Sr. – A second team all-state pick last season the Minnesota Duluth averages 8.8 points and leads the Mustangs with 5 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game.

North Polk: Abby Tuttle, 5-9 Jr. – A second-team all-state selection last season Tuttle leads the Comets in scoring (15.5), assists (4.3) and steals (2.5) and ranks second on the team with 4.2 rebounds per game.

Sioux City Heelan: Brooklyn Stanley, 5-9, Sr. – A first-team all-state selection last season Stanley the Northwest Missouri State recruit averages 14.1 points, 4.8 assists, 3.8 steals and 3.3 rebounds per game.

Waverly-Shell Rock: Katelyn Eggena, 6-1, Sr. – A Western Illinois recruit, Eggena was a second-team all-state pick last season and leads the Go-Hawks with 13.7 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocked shots per game.
Sioux Center: Maryn Franken, 6-0, Fr. – Franken has fit right in as a freshman ranking second on the team with 12.3 points, 2.7 assists and .7 blocked shots per game while leading the Warriors in rebounds with 7.3 rebounds, 1.8 steals per contest.

Council Bluffs Lewis Central: Brooke Larsen, 5-11, Jr. – A versatile forward Larsen leads the Titans in scoring (15.2), rebounding (6.9), steals (3.6) and blocked shots (.7) and ranks second on the team with 2 assists per game.

The Storylines

The Favorite

In a field that features the defending state champion (Dallas Center-Grimes) and runner-up (North Polk), an unbeaten team (Waverly-Shell Rock) and a perennial powerhouse (Sioux City Heelan) the favorite role belongs to top-ranked Clear Creek Amana.

The Clippers have been dominant throughout an unbeaten season and have all the makings of a team capable of a deep tournament run.

With four starters back from last year’s state tournament team Clear Creek Amana has experience.

The Clippers have front court size in Locklear and Beck, have a dynamic shot maker in Lower and more depth with the emergence of junior Kennedy Stratton and sophomore scorer Lena Evans.

The Underdog

Gilbert has all the makings of a classic underdog.

The Tigers are unranked, seeded eighth and the nine losses for Gilbert this season are the most for a team in the 4A field.

That does not mean that Gilbert can’t be a dangerous dog.

The Tigers have won six in a row and are averaging better than 63 points per game during that stretch that includes regional victories over sixth-ranked Mason City and 2023 state qualifier Cedar Rapids Xavier.

The Darkhorse

In an 4A field filled with teams boasting impressive resumes it’s easy to overlook six-loss Sioux Center.

The Warriors showed last season they are not a team to be taken lightly in the postseason.

Sioux Center was the six seed in the 3A state tournament a year ago but rattled off three straight wins to claim the first title in program history.

The Warriors lost four senior starters from last year’s title game and opened the season 5-5 but have once again hit stride late, winning 12 of their last 13.

Keep an eye on a Sioux Center squad that has shown a knack for playing its best in the biggest moments.

The Focus

Do we get a first-time champion or does a recent champion add to their title history?

Three teams in the 4A field have won state titles in the past three seasons.

Dallas Center-Grimes (4A) and Sioux Center (3A) each won titles last season and Sioux City Heelan won the 3A crown in 2020.

The other five teams in the 4A field (Clear Creek Amana, Gilbert, North Polk, Waverly-Shell Rock and Council Bluffs Lewis Central) are all in search of their first title.

So, will it be two in a row for Dallas Center-Grimes or Sioux Center, the fourth title for Heelan since 2008 or will a new champion be crowned in what looks like a balanced 4A field?

The Numbers

Scoring Leaders

1. Melina Snoozy, Fr., Sioux City Heelan – 18.1
2. Averie Lower, Soph., Clear Creek Amana – 17.8
3. Abby Tuttle, Jr., North Polk – 15.5
4. Brooke Larsen, Jr., Council Bluffs Lewis Central – 15.2
5. Abby Lee, Jr., Sioux City Heelan – 14.8

Rebounding Leaders

1. Ava Locklear, Sr., Clear Creek Amana – 10.3
2. Ella Henningsen, Jr., Gilbert – 8.6
3. Abby Lee, Jr., Sioux City Heelan – 8.2
4. Katelyn Eggena, Sr., Waverly-Shell Rock – 7.4
5. Maryn Franken, Fr., Sioux Center – 7.3

Assist Leaders

1. Maddie Demke, Sr., Sioux City Heelan – 5
2. Brooklyn Stanley, Sr., Sioux City Heelan – 4.8
3. Abby Tuttle, Jr., North Polk – 4.3
4. Ava Locklear, Sr., Clear Creek Amana – 4.1
5. Vanessa Bickford, Sr., Dallas Center-Grimes – 3.9

Five Fast Facts

* – North Polk junior Becca Aagard leads Class 4A and ranks fifth in the state with 3.9 blocked shots per game

* – Clear Creek Amana sophomore Averie Lower is the only player in the state shooting better than 58 percent from the field and better than 48 percent from 3-point range.

* – Class 4A is the lone state tournament field with two unbeaten teams with Clear Creek Amana (23-0) and Waverly-Shell Rock (23-0) both entering the state tournament undefeated.

* – Sioux City Heelan guard Melina Snoozy is the second highest scoring freshman in the state this season at 18.1 points per game trailing on Exira-EHK freshman Taryn Petersen who averaged 19.4 per game.

* – Gilbert ranks second in Class 4A in free throws made this season with 241 which is tops among 4A state qualifier and 13^th in the state.

The History

Last 5 Champions

2023 – Dallas Center-Grimes

2022 – Cedar Rapids Xavier

2021 – Ballard

2020 – North Scott

2019 – North Scott

Last Year’s Qualifiers

Clear Creek Amana; North Polk; Dallas Center-Grimes; Glenwood; Ballard; Decorah; Sioux City Heelan; Cedar Rapids Xavier

The Schedule

Tuesday’s Quarterfinals

Clear Creek Amana (23-0) vs. Gilbert (15-9), 11:45 a.m.

Dallas Center-Grimes (20-3) vs. North Polk (22-2), 1:30 p.m.

Waverly-Shell Rock (23-0) vs. Sioux Center (17-6), 3:15 p.m.

Sioux City Heelan (22-1) vs. Council Bluffs Lewis Central (19-4), 5 p.m.

Thursday’s Semifinals

Clear Creek Amana/Gilbert winner vs. Dallas Center-Grimes/North Polk winner, 5 p.m.

Waverly-Shell Rock/Sioux Center winner vs. Sioux City Heelan/Council Bluffs Lewis Central winner, 6:45 p.m.

Saturday’s Championship

Semifinal winners, 2:30 p.m.

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