Tournament Preview: Class 5A, Region 8
Mason Asher
With the 5A tournament set to get underway on Wednesday, February 13th, we are going to be breaking down each region with in depth analysis. We will cover who you should watch for, the teams that could come out of nowhere, and of course, the bracket buster candidate. We will also list five players from each class that you need to keep an eye on throughout the bracket as they can really change the game in a hurry. The complete Region 8 bracket is posted below.
The Teams Pleasant Valley (20-0) Ankeny Centennial (13-7) Sioux City East (14-8) Davenport West (0-21) Sioux City North (0-21) The Favorite Pleasant Valley Pleasant Valley might look like the big favorite since they are 20-0, but I think that the gap between them and the two teams below them is much closer than one might think. This season they are scoring 56.8 points a game and are shooting just 39.1 percent from the field. This is a team that just doesn't turn the ball over and you'll have to take care of the ball to beat them. Pleasant Valley has 327 steals on the year. Senior Carli Spelhaug leads the team with 16.1 points a game. The Sleeper Ankeny Centennial This is not your typical 13-7 team. Ankeny Centennial has a ton of height on their team as they have three players taller than 6' and a ton of height in their wings and guards. Because of that height they pull down a ton of rebounds as they have been grabbing an average of 32 a game this year. They are shooting it well too as shown by their 34.6 percent mark from deep. Senior Rachel Schon leads her squad with 12.6 points a game. The Outside Shot Sioux City East While in the standings they are the third place team, they aren't playing like the third place team. Having ripped off four wins in a row, they are looking really solid competitor in the region. They have made 141 3-pointers on the year and have made 243 free throws, which is the best in the region. With a team that can score effectively at each level, you never quite know what will happen. Nyamer Diew, a junior, leads the team with 15.3 points a contest. Players to Watch 2019 Carli Spelhaug (Pleasant Valley) Macy Beinborn (Pleasant Valley) Rachel Schon (Ankeny Centennial) Hailee Enoch (Sioux City North) Mallory Lafever (Pleasant Valley) 2020 Nyamer Diew (Sioux City East) Kennedy McCloy (Sioux City East) Meg Burns (Ankeny Centennial) Alexandria Keahna-Harris (Ankeny Centennial) Kenidi Valladolid (Sioux City North) 2021 Bella Robben (Ankeny Centennial) Nevaeh Thomas (Davenport West) Sedrena Phillips (Sioux City North) Olivia Baier (Sioux City North) Jackie Pippett (Ankeny Centennial) 2022 Madison Craighead (Sioux City North) Cleao Murray (Ankeny Centennial) Kaitlyn Powell (Davenport West) Megan Callahan (Sioux City East) Elle Street (Ankeny Centennial)
The Teams Pleasant Valley (20-0) Ankeny Centennial (13-7) Sioux City East (14-8) Davenport West (0-21) Sioux City North (0-21) The Favorite Pleasant Valley Pleasant Valley might look like the big favorite since they are 20-0, but I think that the gap between them and the two teams below them is much closer than one might think. This season they are scoring 56.8 points a game and are shooting just 39.1 percent from the field. This is a team that just doesn't turn the ball over and you'll have to take care of the ball to beat them. Pleasant Valley has 327 steals on the year. Senior Carli Spelhaug leads the team with 16.1 points a game. The Sleeper Ankeny Centennial This is not your typical 13-7 team. Ankeny Centennial has a ton of height on their team as they have three players taller than 6' and a ton of height in their wings and guards. Because of that height they pull down a ton of rebounds as they have been grabbing an average of 32 a game this year. They are shooting it well too as shown by their 34.6 percent mark from deep. Senior Rachel Schon leads her squad with 12.6 points a game. The Outside Shot Sioux City East While in the standings they are the third place team, they aren't playing like the third place team. Having ripped off four wins in a row, they are looking really solid competitor in the region. They have made 141 3-pointers on the year and have made 243 free throws, which is the best in the region. With a team that can score effectively at each level, you never quite know what will happen. Nyamer Diew, a junior, leads the team with 15.3 points a contest. Players to Watch 2019 Carli Spelhaug (Pleasant Valley) Macy Beinborn (Pleasant Valley) Rachel Schon (Ankeny Centennial) Hailee Enoch (Sioux City North) Mallory Lafever (Pleasant Valley) 2020 Nyamer Diew (Sioux City East) Kennedy McCloy (Sioux City East) Meg Burns (Ankeny Centennial) Alexandria Keahna-Harris (Ankeny Centennial) Kenidi Valladolid (Sioux City North) 2021 Bella Robben (Ankeny Centennial) Nevaeh Thomas (Davenport West) Sedrena Phillips (Sioux City North) Olivia Baier (Sioux City North) Jackie Pippett (Ankeny Centennial) 2022 Madison Craighead (Sioux City North) Cleao Murray (Ankeny Centennial) Kaitlyn Powell (Davenport West) Megan Callahan (Sioux City East) Elle Street (Ankeny Centennial)
