Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

The Matchups

No. 1 Johnston (24-0) vs. No. 12 Ankeny Centennial (12-11)

Two-time defending state champion Johnston rolls into the state tournament riding a 76-game winning streak and seeking to cap a third consecutive unbeaten season with a state title.

The 76-game winning streak for the Dragons is the longest active streak in the country and the third longest five-player streak in state history.

Half of the 24 wins for Johnston this season have come against state tournament qualifiers including a pair of regular season wins over Ankeny Centennial by a combined score of 159-85.

Johnston has six players averaging better than six points per game led by Notre Dame recruit JenicaRaine Lewis who is averaging 20.8 points per game.

Sophomore Kelli Kalb is averaging 13.2 points while junior Arianna Phillips averages 8.9 points and Jaliyah Kinnetz averages 8.8 points per game.

Ankeny Centennial returns to the state tournament for the sixth consecutive season after upsetting fourth-ranked Cedar Falls 40-35 in the regional title game.

The Jaguars opened the season 1-4 and was 6-9 in late January but have won six of their last eight games entering the state tournament including wins over 5A qualifier West Des Moines Valley and Cedar Falls.

Ankeny Centennial has faced as challenging a schedule as any team in the state with 12 games against state qualifiers.

Junior Lizzie Beam leads the Jaguars with 17.2 points per game while freshman Faith Perpich is averaging 10 points per game and senior Rylyn Boeding averages 8.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.

No. 5 Cedar Rapids Washington (18-4) vs. No. 6 Ankeny (15-8)

Cedar Rapids Washington and Ankeny meet in a 5A quarterfinal rematch that was more than a decade in the making.

The last state tournament appearance for both Cedar Rapids Washington and Ankeny was in 2013 when the Hawks edged the Warriors 66-58 in a 5A opening-round tilt.

The rematch should be just as good.

Ankeny returned to the state tournament with a 60-30 win over No. 11 Sioux City East in the regional title game.

The Hawks are 4-8 against state qualifiers this season with wins over 5A qualifiers West Des Moines Valley and Ankeny Centennial.

Creighton recruit Jayla Williams leads Ankeny with 21.1 points per game while freshman Aliyana Aguirre averages 9.7 points.

Senior Ainsley Kiene averages 9.4 points and 6.9 rebounds per game and senior Reagan Baldwin averages 7.9 points per game.

The state tournament appearance for Cedar Rapids Washington completes an impressive turnaround for the Warriors who went 1-21 three seasons ago.

Cedar Rapids Washington opened the season with consecutive losses to 5A qualifiers West Des Moines Valley and Waukee Northwest but has gone 16-2 since with loss to 5A qualifier West High and Cedar Rapids Prairie.

6-foot-4 junior Sira Doumbia leads the Warriors with 16 points and 10.1 rebounds per game and senior guard Samantha Becker averages 15.1 points, 6 rebounds and 3.1 steals per game.

Senior Lily Belle Barker averages 9.9 points per game and junior Jayla Strong averages 8.5 points per game.

No. 2 West Des Moines Dowling (20-3) vs. No. 9 West Des Moines Valley (13-10)

The third meeting of the season between West Des Moines neighbors comes with a trip to the state semifinals on the line and is the first state tournament meeting between the two long-time rivals since they clashed in the quarterfinals in 2017.

West Des Moines Dowling won each of the first two meetings, downing West Des Moines Valley 68-47 on December 12 and 79-41 on January 20.

Two-time defending 5A runner-up West Des Moines Dowling is making its sixth consecutive state tournament appearance and ninth trip to state in the past 10 seasons.

The Maroons are 7-3 against 5A state qualifiers this season with losses to top-ranked Johnston and third-ranked Waukee Northwest.

Senior Ellie Muller leads the Maroons with 17.5 points, 12.7 rebounds and 3.3 blocked shots per game while junior Katie Muller averages 17.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.

Freshman Adrienne Sears averages 7.3 points per game and senior Madison Rice averages 6 points per game.

West Des Moines Valley is making its fourth state tournament appearance in the past five seasons and enters playing its best basketball of the season.

The Tigers closed the regular season with a win over 4A state qualifier Carlisle and outscored Southeast Polk and No. 10 City High by a combined 61 points in two regional wins.

Junior Tylee Weite leads West Des Moines Dowling in scoring (14.9) and rebounding (5.3) while senior Avery Moon averages 9.4 points and 5 rebounds per game.

Sophomore Jenna Fuller averages 8.4 points and junior Olivia Adams averages 6.4 points per game.

No. 7 West High (17-7) vs. No. 3 Waukee Northwest (17-5)

West High returns to the state tournament for the first time since 2021 following a regional final win over rival Liberty High.

The Trojans closed the regular season with some momentum in the form of back-to-back wins over ranked teams Cedar Rapids Kennedy and Cedar Rapids Xavier and a 10-point home loss to top-ranked, two-time defending state champion Johnston.

West High is 3-2 against state qualifiers this season with wins over 3A qualifiers Mount Vernon and Dubuque Wahlert along with a victory over 5A qualifier Cedar Rapids Washington.

Senior Grace Fincham averages a team-high 19.4 points and 8.5 rebounds per game while Abby Neumiller averages 10.3 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.

Junior Sasha Baldwin is averaging 10.1 points and 3.4 rebounds per game while senior Kate Van Waning averages 6.2 points per game and senior Ava Frese averages 4.7 points and 2.8 assists per game.

Waukee Northwest made its state tournament debut last season and returns all five starters from last year’s squad that reached the 5A semifinals.

The Wolves are 7-4 this season against 5A state qualifiers with two of its four in-state losses a pair of six-point setbacks to top-ranked Johnston.

Waukee Northwest is led by sophomore Sadie McCann with 13.4 points per game while junior Romey Croatt averages 13.3 points and a team-high 6.1 rebounds per game.

Senior Vana Bilic (9.9), Victoria Burpo (6.4) and Iowa State volleyball recruit Logan Vogt (5.5) all average better than five points per game.

The Players

Johnston: JenicaRaine Lewis, 5-11, Sr. – A Notre Dame recruit and McDonalds All-American selection, Lewis has been exceptional in her final prep season ranking sixth in Class 5A in scoring with 20.8 points per game while averaging 6 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.8 steals per contest.

Ankeny Centennial: Lizzie Beam, 5-9, Jr. – Beam has made the jump from a 4.1 point per game scorer off the bench last season to one of the top scorers in 5A this season. Beam averages a team-high 17.2 points per game on 43 percent shooting from the floor and is averaging 5.7 rebounds, 2 assists and 1.7 steals per game.

Cedar Rapids Washington: Sira Doumbia, 6-4, Jr. – A breakthrough season from Doumbia has played a big role in the success for the Warriors this season. One of four players in 5A to average a double-double, Doumbia averaging career highs in points (16), rebounds (10.1) and blocked shots (1.9) per game.

Ankeny: Jayla Williams, 5-9, Sr. – A Creighton recruit Williams has been dynamite for the Hawks this season ranking fifth in 5A in scoring at 21.1 points per game while shooting 49 percent from the floor and 73 percent from the free throw line to go with 6.5 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 2.9 assists per game.

West High: Grace Fincham, 5-10, Sr. – A Drake recruit, Fincham has elevated her game to an all-time high this season ranking seventh in 5A in scoring at 19.4 points per game while averaging 8.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game.

West Des Moines Dowling: Ellie Muller, 6-3, Sr. – A Missouri recruit, Muller has been among the most dominant players in the state this season ranking 11^th in 5A in scoring (17.5) while leading 5A in rebounding (12.7) and ranking second in blocked shots (3.3).

West Des Moines Valley: Tylee Weite, 5-10, Jr. – Weite has emerged as one of the top players in 5A this season averaging a career-high 14.9 points per game on 45 percent shooting while leading the Tigers back to state. Weite averages 5.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game.

Waukee Northwest: Romey Croatt, 5-9, Jr. – A first-team all-state selection last season Croatt has been even better this year averaging 13.3 points per game on 46 percent shooting from the floor and 79 percent from the free throw line. Croatt averages a career-high 6.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.2 steals per game.

The Storylines

The Favorite

This is a no-doubter as two-time defending state champion Johnston enters riding a 76-game winning streak and as the undisputed favorite.

Johnston has run roughshod over the 5A field this season and is seeking a fifth title in the past seven seasons.

The Dragons have appeared in the last six 5A title games and this season have won games by an average of 25.2 points per game. s

The Underdog

If Johnston is the clear favorite that sets up the Dragons’ opening-round opponent, Ankeny Centennial as the obvious underdog.

Outside of a record barely above .500 Ankeny Centennial (12-11) isn’t your typical underdog.

The Jaguars are making their sixth consecutive state tournament appearance, have two wins over 5A state qualifiers this season and are coming off a 40-35 victory over fourth-ranked Cedar Falls in the regional title game.

The Darkhorse

West High has sort of gone under the radar this season and enters the state tournament ranked seventh and not exactly a popular pick for a deep run.

However, the Trojans are certainly capable of hanging around Des Moines for several days this week.

The Trojans showed that as they pushed top-ranked Johnston in the regular season finale for both teams earlier this month.

West High is one of the top 3-point shooting teams in 5A ranking in the top four in 3-point attempts (25.4) and makes (8.8) per game while shooting 34.6 from 3-point range with ranks fourth in 5A.

The Trojans were 8-of-13 from 3-point range in the regional final win over Liberty High and if the Trojans get hot from deep they can pull off upsets this week.

The Focus

Can anyone stop Johnston?

Or will any team stop a third consecutive Johnston and West Des Moines Dowling title game?

Two-time defending champion Johnston and West Des Moines Dowling appear to be on a collision course for another state title matchup.

Johnston handed Dowling two of its three losses this season while completing a fourth unbeaten regular season in the past five seasons.

Dowling handed Johnston its last regular season loss on January 20, 2023 and would like a third shot at the Dragons this season after Johnston won the first two meetings by three and six points.

The Numbers

Five Fast Facts

* – Waukee Northwest allowed a combined 45 points in two regional wins over Linn-Mar and Pleasant Valey.

* – West High senior Abby Neumiller set a single season school record with 66 3-pointers this season and ranks fourth in 5A in 3-pointers made.

* – Two-time defending state champion Johnston is on a 76-game winning streak and is 126-2 over the past five seasons.

* – Cedar Rapids Washington is making its first state tournament appearance since 2013 just three seasons after going 1-21 in 2022-23.

* – West High senior Grace Fincham was the only player in 5A this season to average at least 18 points per game while shooting 49 percent or better from the field.

The Schedule

Monday’s Quarterfinals

Johnston (24-0) vs. Ankeny Centennial (12-11), 10 a.m.

Cedar Rapids Washington (18-4) vs. Ankeny (15-8), 11:45 a.m.

West Des Moines Dowling (20-3) vs. West Des Moines Valley (13-10), 1:30 p.m.

West High (17-7) vs. Waukee Northwest (17-5), 3:15 p.m.

Thursday’s Semifinals

Johnston/Ankeny Centennial winner vs. Cedar Rapids Washington/Ankeny winner, 10 a.m.

West Des Moines Dowling/West Des Moines Valley winner vs. West High/Waukee Northwest winner, 11:45 a.m.

Friday’s Championship

Semifinal winners, 6 p.m.

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