IHSAA- The Iowa High School Athletic Association released their first edition of the boys’ basketball rankings for all four classes on Monday, January 6th, and a pair of local teams claimed a spot in the top 10 for their respective classes.
Class 2A
Western Christian is the top team in Class 2A, despite being tied with #5 Unity Christian with the greatest number of losses in the top 10 with both yielding two losses. Grand View Christian took a brief hiatus from the state tournament last season, but has appeared to find their footing, boasting a 9-0 record and the #4 spot.
West Burlington also enters the list at #6 with a perfect 9-0 record. The Falcons have perhaps been more impressive than a season ago, averaging 82 points per game on 55% shooting from the field with a point average point differential of 34.3. West Burlington still boasts one of the best collections of guards in the state with seniors Mason Watkins (29.3 points per game), Quincy Collins (18.6 points per game), and Kobe Davis (10.8 points per game).
So far, the Falcons’ most notable win came against Holy Trinity Catholic in a 68-59 final. West Burlington will be tested on Tuesday, January 7th, against Burlington Notre Dame in a road matchup.
Class 1A
It is the usual suspects sitting atop the rankings with Marquette Catholic, Madrid, and St. Edmond grabbing the top three spots, respectively, with unblemished records. #6 Holy Trinity Catholic may not have a perfect record, but they have certainly earned the respect of their peers.
The Crusaders are 6-1 on the season with that loss to West Burlington. Beyond that, Holy Trinity Catholic has tabbed four wins by double digits and a 55-54 squeaker past the Notre Dame Nikes. Luke Hellige has continued dominating defenses, averaging 25.3 points and 7.6 rebounds per game as Adam Sobczak dishes out 8.4 assists per game and 2.9 steals per game.
Holy Trinity Catholic will travel to Mediapolis on Tuesday with their next big game occurring on January 17th against West Burlington in a rematch from earlier in the season.