With the 2A tournament set to get underway on Saturday, February 9th, 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 2 bracket is posted below.
The Teams
Aplington-Parkersburg (19-2)
South Central Calhoun (19-2)
North Union (13-6)
Emmetsburg (13-7)
Sioux Central (13-8)
East Sac County (12-9)
Ridge View (11-9)
Manson-NW Webster (10-10)
Belmond-Klemme (2-17)
Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn (2-17)
St. Edmond (2-18)
Alta-Aurelia (1-20)
The Favorites
Aplington-Parkersburg
Sitting at 19-2, Aplington-Parkersburg has played some really good basketball this season. A loss to Dike-New Hartford and Sumner-Fredricksburg are the only slip ups that they have this season. They have taken 1,026 shots this year which is a testament to how quickly they play. Scoring 55.2 points a game they are well on their way to Des Moines. They are tremendous at creating turnovers as they have stolen the ball 348 times, 69 times more than the next team in the region. Sophia Jungling, a junior, leads them in scoring with 12.3 points a game.
South Central Calhoun
South Central Calhoun got the short end of the stick as they are in the much tougher side of the bracket. They will likely have to play three teams in a row over .500 and Aplington-Parkersburg does not. They do have a loss on the season to East Sac County, a team they could face in the first game of the tournament. This is a team that just doesn’t turn the ball over as they have 287 turnovers on the year, second lowest in the region. They are led in scoring by the second leading scorer in the region, senior Maddie Jones. She scores 20.4 points a game.
The Sleepers
North Union
This is a team that has lost six games on the season but none to teams within this region. North Union has the ability to play with anyone as they look to dictate the pace by playing solid defense. They have the ability to score the ball when they want to though. They are scoring 55.2 points a game which is tied for the region lead. Chloe Lofstrom is leading the region in points a game with 22.5, all while only attempting three 3-pointers. The junior has also brought down 12.5 rebounds a game.
Emmetsburg
Despite getting off to a 3-6 start, Emmetsburg has turned their season around. Now sitting at 13-7, they are riding a five game win streak and have won 10 of the last 11 games. This is a roster without a senior and they are growing up quickly here late in the season. Emmetsburg is experienced with eight juniors on the roster and that experience will play dividends for them in the tournament. Their leading scorer is Molly Schany, a junior, who is scoring 15.2 points a game and has knocked down over 50 percent of her shots this season. Schany is also averaging 9.5 rebounds a contest.
Sioux Central
A fun team to watch when they are on, Sioux Central has attempted 386 3-pointers this season which have led them to making the most in the region so far. Those 119 made 3s have allowed them to win games when their shot is working, but it can also spell trouble if it isn’t. With quite a few shooters on the team, they are a pain to game plan for. They will likely see Ridge View in the second round as they sit with a bye. The junior and sophomore combo of Karly Boettcher and Maddy Mueller have led Sioux City this season. Boettcher is scoring 12.3 points a game while Mueller is chipping in 11.4 points a game. Boettcher is shooting over 40 percent from deep this season.
The Outside Shot
East Sac County
I put East Sac County on here just because they are blazing hot. Starting off 3-8 it seemed like it would be a long year, but they turned it around. Just one loss in their last 10 games and they are looking like a team that can throw in an upset. They did beat South Central Calhoun during this stretch, but their lone loss came to Manson-NW Webster so they are a bit of an up-and-down team. One senior on the roster sets them up for a potentially big season next year. Senior Taylor Houska is the motor that moves East Sac County. She has hit 59 3s on the season, which is tops in the region, and is averaging 16.4 points a game. Houska also leads the region in assists with 90.
Players to Watch
2019
Maddie Jones (South Central Calhoun)
Taylor Houska (East Sac County)
Jennie Riedermann (Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn)
Kennedy Mason (Ridge View)
Kinzey Dutler (Ridge View)
2020
Chloe Lofstrom (North Union)
Molly Schany (Emmetsburg)
Kenzee Wunschel (Ridge View)
Karly Boettcher (Sioux Central)
Sophia Jungling (Aplington-Parkersburg)
2021
Maty Quirk (East Sac County)
Maddy Mueller (Sioux Central)
Abbie Schany (Emmetsburg)
Taylor Krager (Sioux Central)
Brie Korleski (South Central Calhoun)
2022
Maria Kueny (Alta-Aurelia)
Jenna Neilsen (Alta-Aurelia)
Carly Fischer (East Sac County)
Lily Henderson (North Union)
Sam Neilsen (North Union)
