Regional Pairings: A Quick Glance at 1A, 2A, and 3A Potential Matchups and Roadblocks
Having been on the full Ragbrai route the past five years, I can honestly say I have been to some of these small towns that make up the school districts in Class 1A, 2A, and 3A. Underwood? Yep, was in…
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Continue ReadingHaving been on the full Ragbrai route the past five years, I can honestly say I have been to some of these small towns that make up the school districts in Class 1A, 2A, and 3A. Underwood? Yep, was in the rain this past summer. Lisbon? Another pass through town where I remember waiting out rain and buying cupcakes from a local high school student. Wilton and West Liberty? Always on the last day of the route heading to the tire dip in Davenport or Muscatine. Stopped at the ACGC volleyball and basketball stand this past summer. And New Hartford, the place where I first heard this really talented singer who was some high school girl in 2015 in a park where everyone was stopping to listen. Her name? Maddie Poppe. These towns and communities have character and a story. They also happen to have some really solid volleyball programs. I’ve been through some of these areas on a bike so I get how close they are to each other. But how will that affect them come regional pairings with some of these teams being only a bike ride away from each other?
Class 1A
Sidney, Council Bluffs St. Albert, and Le Mars Gehlen really aren’t that far from each other. However, with all of them being in the top five that would be reason enough to send them in different directions. Gehlen would have the Northwest area, Sidney South and St. Albert to Central Iowa. When you get to the Cedar Valley is where there is a lot of grey area as to where teams could go for regional play. Janesville, North Tama, Tripoli, Wapsie Valley, BCLUW, EdCo, and Gladbrook-Reinbeck are all within reasonable distance to be in the same region. Throw Lisbon, which is just South into the mix and its a big party of rated teams. Tripoli and Janesville have been separated while last year Gladbrook-Reinbeck made it after beating North Tama and then Ar-We-Va in the regional final.
Class 2A
The top four teams can relatively claim their own territory with Western Christian in Northwest Iowa, Osage most likely going the North Central route, Beckman takes Northeast Iowa and Van Buren in Southeast Iowa. However, there are some schools that will be a question mark that are right near the top that will want to be separated. Wilton and Mediapolis are in close proximity to each other and are not too far from Van Buren. Will they be sent in a different direction? There is also a log jam of rated teams from the Cedar Valley and Central Iowa that could potentially clash with Clarion-Goldfield-Dows, Grundy Center, Hudson, and Denver. What a final four of a regional final that would be.
Class 3A
The IGHSAU I’m sure will be creative with some of these matchups because Class 3A on the Eastern side of the state is loaded with top teams. I have to assume that #1 Union and #5 Dike-New Hartford will be in separate regionals. Another hope would be to put West Liberty, Davenport Assumption, and Tipton in separate regionals as well. Anything can go when these three get together, a lot of familiarities. Western Iowa could be a really big wildcard with Spirit Lake as the top team ranked out of that region. Will the Indians stay Northwest, but then have to run into the likes of Unity and MOC-Floyd Valley or South with Carroll-Kuemper and Red Oak. New Hampton is another team that could go a variety of ways. They could possibly be sent to the West where they could meet Spirit Lake for a Regional Final in a central location such as Clear Lake. And then you have Mount Vernon just sitting there, waiting to cause some damage come early November. Nevada will be a Central Iowa teams that no one wants to see in their draw. The Cubs have played a schedule full of top opponents in Class 4A and 5A and have the athletes to compete with anyone.