2A: State Qualifiers – Seeds 3 & 5
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#3 Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont (24-0) The EBF Rockets have put together an undefeated season thus far and are hoping to keep that streak up throughout the rest of this week with the hopes of making it to the state championship. The Rockets…
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Continue Reading#3 Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont (24-0)
The EBF Rockets have put together an undefeated season thus far and are hoping to keep that streak up throughout the rest of this week with the hopes of making it to the state championship. The Rockets are solid. They have faced a good amount of ranked opponents this season on their way to beating them all. In those games in particular you can tell that the Rockets really lock in and focus on the task at hand. Something that is going to be needed in their round 1 matchup VS Pocahontas Area. No matter how this. games ends the Rockets have had a successful season and should keep their heads high but right now, losing isn’t even a thought.
Whitney Klyn
Whitney Klyn
Whitney Klyn has been the solo senior leader for this team among a group of impressive underclassmen. Klyn, a nice sized combo guard, has been fantastic for the Rockets on their way to a 24-0 start. She has been stuffing the stat sheets all season long in a positive way. Currently she is averaging 18.3 PPG, 7.6 RPG, and 4.6 APG prior to round 1 of the state tournament. What’s most impressive about this stat line is the fact that her team really does compete as 1-unit. They all do a great job of passing, rebounding and scoring open shots, so to see Klyn at the “top of the pack” in the categories shows all the hard work and dedication that she has put in over the years. Something that must continue to push them further along in this tournament if they want to have hope of winning out.
Ava Eastlick
Ava Eastlick
Ava Eastlick has stepped up as the Rockets main option for the three ball this season. Eastlick, a quick and shifty guard with a nice shot, has the ultimate green light for this team from the field and it shows. On the season she has 330 shot attempts from the floor, 227 which are from behind the three point line. If this shows anything to another team it’s that you need to know where she is at all times and you always close out with a hand-up. If not, that shot is going up and it’s usually going to be good. As you can see this season it has worked out just fine for the Rockets with this strategy. Ava is just one of 3 or 4 sophomores in this group that will headline their team to end this season and for years to come but boy does she stand out with her shooting and scoring ability at her size. Keep an eye on this one as she has some big things ahead of her.
#5 Iowa City-Regina Catholic (21-4)
Regina returns to the 2A state quarter-finals after being in the same position last season and falling just short to Panorama high school, a team the Regals may see down the line once again this week if things play out a certain way. The Regals have put together an impressive season. They lost all their height from a year ago and solely rely on guard play, a strategy that has gotten them to an overall record of 21-4 throughout their first 25 games. I see them going into this game against #4 Sibley HS with their usual game plan with the hope of making some adjustments in-game to help them pull off the victory. They will be undersized but they really have been all season and it hasn’t played that much of a factor. When they tend to face teams that are solid on defense the Regals struggle so it’ll be interesting to see what strategy this group goes with for their first game. They tip tonight at around 8 PM.
Morgan Miller Morgan Miller 5’9″ | PG Iowa City Regina | 2025 State IA has been the rising star of this group for 2 years now and this season, her sophomore season, she is having it all come to light. Miller is a savvy point guard. She is smart but keeps it simple. She is a great leader of tempo, control, and pace throughout a ball game while also filling up the bucket on her own at an extremely high rate. The knock on her coming into this season for me was her shooting consistency, she always created great looks for herself but never capitalized as much as she should have, well that has changed. All the work in the off-season that she is putting in has been paying off in a big way. The Regals are going to need her to show up once again in this one if they wanna move forward to the Semi’s with a chance at a state title before the year is over.
The biggest “X” factor in the game plan for Regina is Alli Clark Alli Clark 5’7″ | CG Iowa City-Regina | 2024 State IA . She has stepped into the third option/guard role this season behind Morgan Miller Morgan Miller 5’9″ | PG Iowa City Regina | 2025 State IA and Grace Gaarde Grace Gaarde 5’3″ | PG Iowa City Regina | 2023 State IA but it hasn’t seemed like that. Clark has been as productive, if not more productive, than some/most of her teammates this season on a regular basis, including having a 30 point outing and some other high scoring games to go along with it. Clark is going to be a major piece in their game plan tonight. Their big “3” are going to have to put the team on their shoulders and do some work as Sibley brings a roster full of seniors with some strength and size along with them. It’s going to come down to guard play VS post play, a matchup that has lasted the test of time and in this one, a matchup I cannot wait to see. As for Clark she is an interesting story, not highly scouted or recruited up until this year but does a lot of great things for her team on the floor and could definitely help a program at the next level. It’ll be cool to see the interest she received after this high school season comes to a close. She deserves it.