Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Girls basketball teams got their first look at their path to the state tournament on Wednesday morning.

The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union released the postseason basketball pairings for Classes 1A, 2A and 3A on Wednesday giving area teams Solon, West Branch and Regina their first look at potential roads to the state tournament scheduled for March 3-8 at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

Here are a few immediate reactions to the regional pairings for area teams.

Solon

There is no way around this one, Solon got the most difficult draw it could have received being paired with top-ranked Mount Vernon (18-1) in Class 3A, Region 1.

If the state tournament started today the Mustangs would be massive favorites.

Mount Vernon has won 17 in a row since its only loss to 5A fifth-ranked Cedar Rapids Prairie, a stretch that includes a 22-point win over 3A third-ranked Williamsburg.

The Mustangs won two regular season meetings over Solon by an average of 28 points so a rematch in the regional semifinals is less than ideal path for the Spartans.

That’s the bad.

The good, as Solon coach Jamie Smith pointed out is this Solon team has plenty to play for in 2025.

Solon (9-10) has two remaining regular season games left with Independence and Vinton-Shellsburg before hosting Davenport Assumption (8-10) in the Region 1 quarterfinals on February 15.

That provides a very realistic opportunity for a four-game winning streak heading into a third meeting with Mount Vernon.

“We don’t hide stuff in our program it is what it is and we are talking about an opportunity for a winning record still and a lot of people didn’t think there was any way we could be a .500 team,” Smith said following a win over West Delaware on Tuesday. “We are talking about an opportunity to play in a regional final for the fourth time in five years so there is a lot to play for here.”

This year’s Solon team reminds me a lot of Smith’s second season at Solon when the Spartans went 9-13 before winning 79 games over the next four seasons combined.

West Branch

Much like Solon West Branch has an opportunity to build momentum for coming seasons with a  strong finish to 2025.

West Branch (3-16) travels to West Burlington (5-14) for a Class 2A, Region 8 opening-round contest on February 15 with the winner going to Columbus (17-3) in the quarterfinals.

This sets up as a good opportunity for West Branch.

The Bears won at Burlington Notre Dame 55-23 back on January 9.

If you like to play the score comparison game West Burlington and Burlington Notre Dame have played twice this season.

Burlington Notre Dame won 52-31 at home on January 7 and West Burlington won 52-49 on its home floor on January 31.

Postseason wins are never easy, especially away from home and West Branch will be on the road throughout regional play, but a postseason win or two could be a big boost for a Bear team with just two seniors in its rotation.

Regina

It wasn’t a matter of if second-ranked Regina (18-1) would get a regional top seed just who the Regals would be paired with.

Regina landed in Class 2A, Region 8 opposite Columbus (17-3) as the number two seed.

The Regals will open regional play hosting the winner of Bellevue (8-11) and Northeast (5-12) in a Regional quarterfinal on February 18.

The interesting matchup for Regina likely comes in the semifinals against River Valley Conference rival Cascade.

Cascade (13-6) hosts Durant (10-9) in the quarterfinals and a win would set up a third meeting between the two teams in the past two season.

The Cougars defeated Regina 50-47 in the regional title game last season and Regina won a regular season meeting 58-45 last month in Iowa City.

Cascade has lost three of its last six and fallen out of the 2A rankings but is certainly a dangerous postseason team.

The good news for Regina is the game would come at home where the Regals are 8-0 this season and have won 11 straigh

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