By Mark Schafer | The News-Review
DES MOINES – A few blizzards and at least one buzzer beater didn’t slow down the State championships.
Last week the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU) crowned their State champions in basketball. Only one team, Johnston, was able to claim a championship for a second-straight year.
The story of the week wasn’t so much the play inside the Wells Fargo Arena, but rather what was happening outside the arena. On Wednesday, a blizzard across much of Iowa closed the Interstates and threatened to stall fans who were on their way to watch the games. The tournament continued as scheduled, adding more snow to the yearly totals. Another snow storm on Friday night closed much of western Iowa, but the championships continued on Friday and into Saturday.
In class 5A, Johnston, once again, was named the champion of the largest class in Iowa. The Dragons, once again, defeated Dowling Catholic in the championship game.
Both Johnston and Dowling met in 2024, and the two teams battled each other for the championship again this year.
The dreams of a second-straight State championship for the Dragons were in trouble after the first half as Dowling Catholic led 20-19.
Johnston went on a 20-8 run in the third quarter which gave them a lead they would never surrender. The Dragons would go on to win the game 55-44.
For Johnston it is their second-straight championship.
One upset minded team turned the class 4A tournament on its head.
Xavier, Cedar Rapids, entered the tournament as the No. 8 seed. They would leave the tournament as the champion.
The Saints started their tournament by downing No. 1 seeded Bishop Heelan in the first round. In the semifinals Xavier took down Norwalk.
The championship game featured Xavier battling North Polk. The 24-2 Comets were expected to stop the Saints run, but Xavier dominated the game in an eventual 66-47 victory.
North Polk led by one point after the first quarter, but Xavier was able to take a lead by by nine at halftime.
Xavier never trailed the rest of the game.
Class 3A featured No. 1 seeded Mount Vernon getting some revenge en route to their State championship.
Last season the Mustangs were upended by Estherville-Lincoln Central in the semifinals. This year the Mustangs were able to squeak out a semifinal win over the Midgets.
The 35-34 victory by Mount Vernon sent the Mustangs to the championship game where they downed Wahlert Catholic 47-36.
Both teams traded the lead early in the first quarter, but Mount Vernon took the lead 14-10 after one quarter and never gave it back.
Class 2A was expected to have their champion finish the season undefeated. While Hinton did finish the year without a blemish, they were not the team that was expected to hoist the trophy.
No. 1 seeded Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont was the overwhelming favorite to win the class 2A title. After winning their first round game over Treynor the Rockets met up with fifth-seeded Central Lyon in the semifinal round.
Central Lyon was able to dominate the post play and earn a 63-49 upset over the Rockets to advance to the title game.
Hinton took down Regina Catholic in the semifinals.
The class 2A game was a close one as Hinton won 48-46 to finish the year undefeated. Throughout the game both teams held the lead as the lead changed hands nine times. Five times the game was tied. Hinton took the lead early in the second half, and although their lead dwindled to just two at the end they never gave up the lead, and were able to claim the championship.
Class 1A featured St. Albert claiming their first girls championship in 25 years. The Saintes were able down Newell-Fonda 61-58 in double overtime to claim the victory.
As if the class 2A championship didn’t feature enough lead changes, the class 1A championship upped the ante.
St. Albert led after the first quarter 17-15. In the second quarter the St. Albert lead grew to eight, before the Mustangs started to gallop back. Although the Saintes led by one at halftime the Mustangs battled with the Saintes throughout the third and fourth quarters. The lead changed hands 10 times and was tied 11 times, including at the end of regulation when both teams finished with 51 points.
In the first overtime the Saintes led by as much as five, but a pair of free throw shots by Newell-Fonda with 44 seconds left tied the game up at 56. Both teams missed shots in the closing seconds of the first overtime.
The second overtime went on for over a minute before St. Albert hit a three pointer to give them the lead. Newell-Fonda scored a layup with 18 seconds left, but they trailed by three. A three pointer at the buzzer fell short and St. Albert won the school’s first basketball title since 2000.
