Playoffs - Class 5A: Region 1-4 Preview

<p>As we get closer to spring and into the month of February it means one thing and one thing only for Iowa women's high school basketball and that is the start of post-season play on the way to crowning a state champion. (Records in this article reflect date when article was published)</p>   <h2 class="has-large-font-size">Region 1 </h2>   <p>In the 5A class each region has five teams seeded 1-5. The one seed receives the basics of home court advantage throughout regional play as well as a first round "bye" technically, though the 2 and 3 seeds have to win the same amount of games as the 1 seed to make it to the regional final championship game. Other than that the regions of this class are much in the same as the rest of the classes throughout the state. </p>   <p>In region 1 of this class we start off with a bang in the form of some big time players throughout this region. The #1 seed and finishing their season at 21-0 are the Pleasant Valley Spartans. The Spartans have made it through the regular season without a loss and hope to keep it rolling into the playoffs. The #2 seed is Cedar Rapids-Kennedy at 11-8 with Dubuque Senior in a close third at 11-9 thus far this season. </p>   <h2 class="has-medium-font-size">Teams & Their Leaders: </h2>   <p>Pleasant Valley Spartans (21-0) - [player_tooltip player_id='545645' first='Halle' last='Vice'] (21 PPG, 2.9 APG), [player_tooltip player_id='311385' first='Reagan' last='Pagniano'] (12.6 PPG, 4 APG), Jessie Clemons (9.2 PPG, 2.5 APG) </p>   <p>Davenport Central Blue Devils (6-13) - Addisen Ford (15.9 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 1 APG), Giselle Aceviz (6.7 PPG), Asian Pegues-Jarett (4.6 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 1 APG) </p>   <p>Davenport West Falcons (2-18) - [player_tooltip player_id='1055310' first='Ellie' last='Holdorf'] (6.3 PPG, 1.1 APG), Elizabeth Paustian (4.5 PPG, 1.1 APG), Madeline White (3.6 PPG, 3.7 RPG)</p>   <p>Cedar Rapids-Kennedy Cougars (11-8) - [player_tooltip player_id='127625' first='Kaliyah' last='Sain'] (20.4 PPG, 3.5 APG), [player_tooltip player_id='311378' first='Ella' last='Moser'] (12 PPG, 2 APG), Addy Alber (9.5 PPG, 7.4 APG)</p>   <p>Dubuque Senior Rams (11-9) - [player_tooltip player_id='502241' first='Samantha' last='Mcdonald'] (13.5 PPG, 5.9 RPG), [player_tooltip player_id='342199' first='Josie' last='Potts'] (10.5 PPG), Anna Kruse (8.9 PPG, 2.5 APG)</p>   <h2 class="has-medium-font-size">Prediction</h2>   <p>With having smaller brackets it becomes an quicker path to make it to the region final and sub-state game but at the same, all the high talent you have is now compact into some really stacked regions, including this one. I have seen all these teams play in person this season and I'm fairly certain with how this one is going to play out. On the top side I expect the Blue Devils to win their first round matchup and move onto play the Spartans in round 2 where the Spartans will come out on top, moving them to the R1 championship. The other round two contest between the Cougars and Rams is going to be a tight one but I see the Cougars advancing. They have a lengthy star in [player_tooltip player_id='127625' first='Kaliyah' last='Sain'] with a tempo controlling point guard in [player_tooltip player_id='311378' first='Ella' last='Moser']. Those two combined with some other players off their bench stepping up should be enough to get them to the region 1 finals. Leaving us with a Spartan VS Cougar championship. In this game we have four D1-capable players in Sain, Moser, Vice, and Pagniano that are all going to be showing off what they can do. The Cougars have had a tougher schedule up until this point but the Spartans have more depth as a team. If we include the factors of Pleasant Valley having an easier road prior to this game, the home court advantage factor , along with how these teams are structured, I give the game to PV and the Spartans when it's said and done. </p>   <h2 class="has-large-font-size">Region 2</h2>   <p>Region 2 contains two teams that I wish they didn't have to play each other before the state tournament. Those teams are the Johnston Dragons and the Sioux City East Black Pirates. The #1 seed Johnston Dragons, coming off of a state championship, are 20-1 behind the leadership of Iowa State commit [player_tooltip player_id='246121' first='Aili' last='Tanke'] and freshman phenom [player_tooltip player_id='557354' first='Jenica' last='Lewis']. The #2 seed is Sioux City East. The Black Pirates are 15-4 throughout their regular season and contain three of the best freshman in the state in [player_tooltip player_id='582806' first='Trishelle' last='Miller'], [player_tooltip player_id='592200' first='Hudsyn' last='Ranschau'], and [player_tooltip player_id='582807' first='Haevyn' last='Ranschau']. </p>   <h2 class="has-medium-font-size">Teams & Their Leaders: </h2>   <p>Johnston Dragons (20-1) - [player_tooltip player_id='246121' first='Aili' last='Tanke'] (15.5 PPG, 9 RPG), [player_tooltip player_id='557354' first='Jenica' last='Lewis'] (12.7 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.3 APG), [player_tooltip player_id='246101' first='Aaliyah' last='Riley'] (13.9 PPG, 3.6 APG)</p>   <p>Des Moines Lincoln Railsplitters (6-15) - [player_tooltip player_id='502229' first='Carlee' last='Julius'] (12.1 PPG, 15.7 RPG), [player_tooltip player_id='342190' first='Marissa' last='Albright'] (9.9 PPG, 3.4 APG) </p>   <p>Council Bluffs Jefferson Yellow Jackets (2-19) - Samara Alcaraz (9.4 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1 APG), Taryn Gant (6.6 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.6 APG), Grace Strong (7.6 PPG) </p>   <p>Sioux City East Black Raiders (15-4) - [player_tooltip player_id='582806' first='Trishelle' last='Miller'] (20.3 PPG, 4.3 APG), [player_tooltip player_id='246136' first='Alexandra' last='Flattery'] (13.8 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 3.8 APG), [player_tooltip player_id='592200' first='Hudsyn' last='Ranschau'] (12.7 PPG, 2.4 APG) </p>   <p>Council Bluffs Lincoln Lynx (11-9) - [player_tooltip player_id='421338' first='Emily' last='Pomernackas'] (12.4 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.9 APG), Jeena Carle (9.8 PPG, 5.8 RPG), Hutson Rau (12.7 PPG, 4.8 RPG)</p>   <h2 class="has-medium-font-size">Prediction </h2>   <p>I like the obvious favorite here for a number of reasons. The Dragons have a loaded roster with a ton of star talent and star players. They can beat you with their starters or bench, from inside or behind the arc. It doesn't really matter. Their team has 1-8 players who would be putting up career numbers at other programs but because this group is so good, they may not see the floor or touch the ball as much as they regularly would, in exchange they a lot of people's favorites to win the 5A state championship again this season. I anticipate the Dragons to beat the Raiders in the R2 championship here, moving them closer toward state. In most other matchups I really like the Pirates but this one is really tough for any group. They have three star freshman players that I named above along with some upperclassmen that make this team really dangerous against most other squads. If Sioux City East can make it to face off with the Dragons and end their year at 16-4 then they will have a great foundation to build on for next season and seasons to come, as other programs will be losing a lot of star power in the near future due to graduation. </p>   <h2 class="has-large-font-size">Region 3</h2>   <p>The #1 seeded Waterloos West Wahawks went an impressive 20-1 during their regular season campaign on the way into the playoffs. They will face the winner of the Ames Little Cyclones VS Des Moines East Scarletts. The #2 seed in region 3 was awarded to Des Moines North. The Polar bears are much deserving after kicking it in high gear and posting a 17-3 record this year. This is another team with a bunch of big name stars.</p>   <h2 class="has-medium-font-size">Teams & Their Leaders: </h2>   <p>Waterloo West Wahawks (20-1) - [player_tooltip player_id='127622' first='Halli' last='Poock'] (22.7 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 3.9 APG), [player_tooltip player_id='127635' first='Sahara' last='Williams'] (20.9 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 5 APG), [player_tooltip player_id='146976' first='Sierra' last='Moore'] (10.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG) </p>   <p>Ames Little Cyclones (7-13) - Anisa Percival (9.6 PPG, 3.7 RPG), [player_tooltip player_id='1055307' first='Karsyn' last='Pankonen'] (7.5 PPG, 1.4 APG), Abbey McGuire (4.2 PPG, 6 RPG)</p>   <p>Des Moines East Scarletts (0-20) - Arina Tembo (3.4 PPG, 1 APG), Tabitha Hochmuth (2.7 PPG) </p>   <p>Des Moines North Polar Bears (17-3) - [player_tooltip player_id='311351' first='Amani' last='Jenkins'] (19.3 PPG, 12 RPG), [player_tooltip player_id='160574' first='Elizabeth' last='Puot'] (12.7 PPG, 7 RPG, 1.9 APG), [player_tooltip player_id='63064' first='Nyla' last='Seay'] (6.9 PPG, 5.3 APG)</p>   <p>Waukee Warriors (10-11) - [player_tooltip player_id='743236' first='Kirsten' last='Hauck'] (12 PPG, 2.2 APG), [player_tooltip player_id='246149' first='Sophia' last='Hope'] (11.2 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 1.7 APG), [player_tooltip player_id='311372' first='Emilie' last='Sorensen'] (10.4 PPG)</p>   <h2 class="has-medium-font-size">Prediction </h2>   <p>Region 3 is going to come down to who can put together a great string of wins, giving them momentum into their sub-state matchup. On the top side the Wahawks are going to move on apast their second round matchup, while on the bottom half of the bracket the I can see the Polar Bears staying on the right track and moving to face off VS Waterloo West for the R3 championship. This matchup has a lot of stars and big names competing but the obvious advantage is to the Wahawks. [player_tooltip player_id='127635' first='Sahara' last='Williams'] is just different and the Polar Bears don't have a player that matchup well against her. (No one in this class does.) Beyond that I think that overall the advantage would go to Des Moines North but Williams is such an "IT" factor in games that it's going to be too much and give Waterloo West an easy win in the final, crowning them at the R3 champs. </p>   <h2 class="has-large-font-size">Region 4</h2>   <p>Starting off the season if you told the Dowling Catholic Maroons that they would be 16-4 with multiple top 5 ranked wins and the #1 seed in their region, would they believe you? Most likely not. This group has SHINED the second half of the season and really shown that on any night, they can win. They are 16-4 throughout their first 20 games behind their star PG [player_tooltip player_id='311396' first='Ava' last='Zediker']. The #2 seed in this region is not joke either in the Iowa City-West Trojans. The Trojans are 15-6, being led by Dartmouth commit [player_tooltip player_id='63070' first='Meena' last='Tate'] who is currently averaging 14.4 PPG, 3.6 APG. </p>   <h2 class="has-medium-font-size">Teams & Their Leaders: </h2>   <p>Dowling Catolic Maroons (16-4) - [player_tooltip player_id='311396' first='Ava' last='Zediker'] (20.4 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 3.6 APG), [player_tooltip player_id='63050' first='Julia' last='Moore'] (7.6 PPG), Ellie Muller (7.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG)</p>   <p>Sioux City West Wolverines (9-12) - [player_tooltip player_id='792539' first='Kiah' last='Davis'] (16.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 3.3 APG), [player_tooltip player_id='842624' first='Vera' last='Grom'] (11.5 PPG, 7.6 RPG), [player_tooltip player_id='453994' first='Hannah' last='Burge'] (10 PPG, 4.4 RPG) </p>   <p>Sioux City North Stars (4-17) - Sydney Rexius (10.7 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.4 APG), Hannah Morgensen (6 PPG, 2.1 APG)</p>   <p>Iowa City-West Trojans (15-6) - [player_tooltip player_id='63070' first='Meena' last='Tate'] (14.4 PPG, 3.6 APG), [player_tooltip player_id='160552' first='Anna' last='Prouty'] (9.3 PPG, 9.1 RPG), Grace Fincham (8.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.2 APG)</p>   <p>Des Moines Roosevelt Roughriders (15-7) - [player_tooltip player_id='13959' first='Arianna' last='Jackson'] (19.6 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 2.7 APG), Arrianna Johnson (11.9 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.7 APG)</p>   <h2 class="has-medium-font-size">Prediction</h2>   <p>I like the Maroons in this spot in general but they are not going to have an easy road. I do believe they win their first game against either the Wolverines or Stars. After that it's going to get tight. The Des Moines Roosevelt Roughriders are led by a D1 committed guard in [player_tooltip player_id='13959' first='Arianna' last='Jackson'] and are no joke. They have every possibility to come out on top, moving them onto the R4 championship game here and I like them to do just that. I'm going to take the "underdog" in the Roughriders. They won't have home court advantage and will be undersized but I think that their star power could shine, taking over this contest and pushing them forward to face the Maroons in the R4 finals. In the finals it is going to come down to star VS star, execution, and rebounding. Whichever star goes off is going to give their team a really good chance to win the game. I'm going with the Maroons for the sole reason of home court advantage. This squad has been extremely hard to beat at home this year and I expect that to stay truu up until they go to play their sub-state game. Maroons to advance. </p>

As we get closer to spring and into the month of February it means one thing and one thing only for Iowa women's high school basketball and that is the start of post-season play on the way to crowning a state champion. (Records in this article reflect date when article was published)