Washington Boys Basketball

Oglesby named to Register's all-state 1st team

DES MOINES -- Jarrod Uthoff of Cedar Rapids Jefferson, Marcus Paige of Linn-Mar and Josh Oglesby of Cedar Rapids Washington were named first team all-state by the Des Moines Sunday Register on its Class 4A all-star basketball squad.

Matt Bohannon of Linn-Mar was a third-team pick in Class 4A and Kasey Semler of Marion was a second-team selection in Class 3A.

Paige and Bohannon led Linn-Mar to the Class 4A state title Saturday night with a 56-42 victory over Des Moines Hoover. Bohannon was named the tournament MVP and the captain of the Class 4A all-tournament team.

The Register's all-state teams were selected prior to Saturday night's championship game.

Uthoff, a 6-foot-8 senior who has signed with Wisconsin, led the state in scoring at 26 points per game. Oglesby, a 6-6 senior who has signed with Iowa, averaged 21.4 points. Paige, a 6-1 junior who has committed to North Carolina, averaged 17.7 points this season.

Uthoff, Oglesby and Paige were joined on the Class 4A all-state team by Adam Woodbury, a 7-1 junior from Sioux City East, and Judd Welfringer, a 6-5 senior from Waukee.

Bohannon, a 6-4 senior who has signed with Northern Iowa, averaged 16.5 points. Semler, a 6-1 senior, was the second-leading scorer in Class 3A this season at 21 points.

For more information on the Register all-state teams, go to DesMoinesRegister.com/HS Insider.

Des Moines Sunday Register All-State teams

Class 4A

FIRST TEAM
Josh Oglesby — C.R. Washington, 6-6, Sr., Guard
Marcus Paige — Linn-Mar, 6-1, Jr., Guard
Jarrod Uthoff, C.R. Jefferson, 6-8, Sr., Forward
Judd Welfringer, Waukee, 6-5, Sr., Forward
Adam Woodbury, Sioux City East, 7-1, Jr., Center

SECOND TEAM
F — Kelly Madison, D.M. Hoover, 6-3, Sr.
F — Kale Abrahamson, Valley , 6-7, Jr.
C — Matt Tiby, Urbandale, 6-8, Sr.
G — Corey Schaefer, Johnston, 6-0, Sr.
G — Grant Lang, Ankeny, 6-4, Sr.

THIRD TEAM
F — Alex Olsen, C.B. Abraham Lincoln, 6-4, Sr.
F — Tavian Pomlee, Davenport Central, 6-5, Sr.
C — Nate Wells, Davenport West, 7-1, Sr.
G — James Harrington, Cedar Falls, 6-1, Jr.
G — Matt Bohannon, Linn-Mar, 6-4, Sr.

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Washpun scores 23, but Warriors bounced from tourney

DES MOINES -- Jason Bohannon helped Linn-Mar win the Class 4A state basketball title in 2004 and Zach Bohannon got his state crown with the Lions in 2007.

Now Matt Bohannon wants his.

Bohannon fired in a career-best 32 points Wednesday afternoon as No.1 Linn-Mar hammered Cedar Rapids Washington, 71-54, in the quarterfinals of the 4A state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena.

Bohannon destroyed the Warriors with 24 points in the first half, hitting his first six shots and 10 of 11 overall with a sensational display on the big stage.

"He was terrific," said Linn-Mar Coach Chris Robertson. "I don't know if I've seen a better first half down here in a long time.

"It was great. For a senior, he's pretty hungry to be down here and obviously his goals are really high."

Bohannon is proud of what his older brothers accomplished during their basketball careers at Linn-Mar, but he's always wanted to make a name for himself and win a state title of his own.

Linn-Mar needs two more victories to claim its third state championship in eight years. The Lions will face Iowa City West (20-4) in the semifinals Friday at 1:30 p.m. in another matchup of Mississippi Valley Conference teams.

Iowa City West topped Waukee, 57-47, in the first round Wednesday.

Bohannon scored 30 points in a victory at Cedar Rapids Jefferson last month, but he topped that as the Lions whipped Washington (17-9) for the third time this season. He said he's never had a half like he had Wednesday.

"Not here. Not at a game like this," he said. "I couldn't have asked for anything better than that."

Bohannon made it look easy in the first 16 minutes. He nailed layups, mid-range jumpers and 3-pointers with ease.

Washington star Josh Oglesby, the logical choice to guard Bohannon, picked up two fouls in the first four minutes of the game and had to back away on defense. Bohannon smelled blood.

"He played extremely well, he shot it extremely well," said Oglesby. "He let the game come to him and took over in the first half."

Oglesby was the anti-Bohannon. He struggled all day and finished 5 for 20 from the field, including 1 for 10 on 3-pointers. "I couldn't buy a basket today," he said.

Oglesby finished with 16 points. He was tightly guarded by Shane Benton and Mason Krusie much of the day in a man-to-man, but also missed some open shots.

Wes Washpun kept Washington in the game with a superb performance. The 6-foot-1 senior flashed a series of quick drives to the basket and tallied 23 points. Washpun won his personal battle with Linn-Mar guard Marcus Paige, 23-14, but the Lions didn't need Paige to score a ton of points with Bohannon on fire.

"Matt was great," said Paige, who collected seven assists. "He hit his first couple of shots and that's a good sign for us. We got him the ball a couple more times.

"He just kind of put the team on his back in the first half. It really gave us confidence and was great to see."

Bohannon finished 12 for 16 from the field, including 4 for 6 on 3-pointers. He was 4 for 7 at the foul line, grabbed five rebounds and had three assists.

Linn-Mar raced to a 47-25 lead with 5 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter on a three-point play by Benton for its largest lead of the game. The Warriors scored eight straight points to pull within 47-33 and later made it 51-38 when Oglesby hit his only 3-pointer, but the Lions quickly pulled away again.

It was a good day all-around for Linn-Mar, which welcomed Josh Montague back to the lineup after the 6-foot-6 senior had missed four games with a right knee injury. Montague played 17 minutes, scored four points, grabbed four rebounds and looked like he's ready to help the Lions contend for their third state title in eight years.

"It's awesome having Montague back," said Benton, who scored 10 points.

Linn-Mar is the first team in Iowa history to make eight straight trips to the state tournament. And with Wednesday's victory, the Lions have assured themselves of finishing in the top-four of the state tournament for the eighth straight time.

Linn-Mar is the heavy favorite to win the state title after being ranked No.1 all season, but Washington Coach Brad Metzger declined to make predictions when asked if the Warriors lost to the probable state champs.

"I don't want to put anything on them like that," he said. "They have to do that on their own, but I think they're pretty driven for it."

Linn-Mar beat Washington by 25 and 21 points in the Misssissippi Valley Conference this season, then beat them by 17 points in the state tournament after leading by 22.

North Carolina Coach Roy Williams sat along press row Wednesday to watch Paige, the Linn-Mar junior who committed to the Tar Heels in January.

"I didn't notice at first, until probably late in the second half," said Paige. "I was kind of focused on the game. I knew he was coming, I just couldn't find him."

Washpun will visit Missouri State this weekend. The Bears offered him a scholarship several weeks ago.

WASHINGTON (54): David Tann 3 0-0 8, Wes Washpun 9 5-10 23, Cybryan Moa 0 0-0 0, Josh Oglesby 5 5-6 16, Sean Bredl 2 0-0 4, Alex Carr 1 0-0 3, Trent Hoekstra 0 0-0 0, Jason Oney 0 0-0 0, Austin Bergstrom 0 0-0 0, Cory Matteson 0 0-0 0, Peter Holmes 0 0-0 0, McCauley Todd 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 10-16 54.

LINN-MAR (71): Shane Benton 3 4-4 10, Marcus Paige 5 2-2 14, Matt Bohannon 12 4-7 32, Ian McBrayer 3 1-2 7, Josh Montague 2 0-0 4, Michael Thul 0 1-2 1, Nick Soyer 0 0-0 0, Matt Lassen 0 0-0 0, Mason Krusie 1 1-2 3, Braxton Lancial 0 0-0 0, Nick Gentzler 0 0-0 0, Andy Henry 0 0-0 0, Derik Gogg 0 0-0 0. Totals 26 13-19 71.

Halftime -- Linn-Mar 36, Washington 24. 3-point goals -- Washington 4 (Tann 2, Oglesby, Carr), Linn-Mar 6 (Bohannon 4, Paige 2).

Metro stars shooting on state stage

High school basketball fans in the Metro area have been treated to something very special in local gyms this season, something they may never see again.

Jarrod Uthoff, Josh Oglesby, Marcus Paige, Wes Washpun, Matt Bohannon. Remember those names.

All five of them will play Division I college basketball at a high level. There could be a Mr. Basketball (or two) in the group, and there might be a couple of NBA players.

It's been a special season, and the best part of the campaign begins this week with the Class 4A boys state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

Uthoff has Cedar Rapids Jefferson in the field. Oglesby and Washpun have led Cedar Rapids Washington back to Des Moines. Paige and Bohannon have top-ranked Linn-Mar looking for another state title.

All five of those players and their schools played in the state tournament last year. None of them came home with the grand prize, but Linn-Mar is the No.1 seed and the favorite this time around.

It starts Wednesday.

Linn-Mar (23-0) faces Washington (17-8) in an all-Metro opener at 1:45 p.m. at Wells Fargo Arena. Jefferson (17-5) plays Des Moines Hoover (21-2) in the nightcap at 8:15 p.m.

The semifinals are Friday, with the finals and consolation game for third place on Saturday.

All three Metro schools have won state titles before. Washington claimed championships in 1914, 1916 and 1922 - before the IHSAA began sanctioning the tournaments - and prevailed again in 1969. Jefferson was the state champion in 1967, while Linn-Mar has captured titles in 1983, 2004 and 2007.

It usually takes at least two ingredients to win a state title: Talent and experience. Jefferson, Washington and Linn-Mar have both. All three schools played in the state tournament last year, and all three teams have star players.

Uthoff, a 6-foot-8 senior, leads the state in scoring at 26.2 points and averages a double-double. He'll play in the Big Ten at the University of Wisconsin next season.

Oglesby, a 6-6 senior, averages 21.4 points and is one of the top 3-point shooters in the state. He'll join the Iowa Hawkeyes. Washpun, a 6-1 senior, averages 17.8 points and is one of the top point guards in the state. He has a scholarship offer from Missouri State of the Missouri Valley Conference.

Paige, a 6-1 junior, is considered the No.1 point guard in the state, a do-everything guard who has committed to the North Carolina Tar Heels. Bohannon, a 6-4 senior, is a solid all-around player who has signed with the University of Northern Iowa.

Linn-Mar drubbed Washington in both of their meetings this season in the Mississippi Valley Conference, 80-55 and 62-41, so the Warriors will have to try something new this time. Washpun and Oglesby versus Paige and Bohannon might be a fair fight, but Linn-Mar pours it on with Shane Benton, Ian McBrayer and Josh Montague, although Montague is questionable with an injured knee. Linn-Mar Coach Chris Robertson said after Linn-Mar's substate win over North Scott that Montague will play in the state tournament.

The eighth-ranked Jefferson J-Hawks will need all they can muster against third-ranked Hoover, which has good size and a balanced attack. Kelly Madison leads Hoover at 12.0 points per game.

The other first-round games on Wednesday match No.4 Iowa City West (19-4) against No.9 Waukee (19-5) at 3:30 p.m., and No.2 Ankeny (20-3) against No.6 Sioux City East (19-4) at 6:35 p.m.

The semifinals are Friday at 1:30 and 3:15. The consolation game for third place is set for Saturday at 1:45 p.m., with the championship game Saturday night at 8:05.

Prime time Warriors headed to state

The Washington boys looked like a team primed for state tournament play as they cruised  past Dubuque Hempstead 56-31 Tuesday night in a 4A substate final at the U.S. Cellular Center.

The Warriors completely throttled the Mustangs’ only real scoring threat. And once they got their own offensive motor running in the second half, the Warriors put the pedal to the metal.

“Coach (Brad) Metzger told us at halftime to keep putting the pressure on and to blow the game out,” said Washington senior sharpshooter Josh Oglesby.

“Then they opened the second half with a couple of 3. That seemed to get us motivated. It really got us going and got me going, too.”

Oglesby led all scorers with 22 points, 18 of them coming in the second half. He hit five 3-point goals.

As usual, running mate Wes Washpun provided the rest of the Warrior offensive punch. He pitched in with 18 points on a variety of acrobatic moves, including a flurry one minute just before halftime when he had two jumpers on either side of a high-flying runaway dunk after a steal.

Washpun's six quick points gave Washington a comfortable 27-9 cushion at the break.

“It was another good defensive night for us,” said Metzger. “We held the other team to the low 30s, which is what we wanted to do.”

Metzger said a similar effort is going to be needed when Washington (17-8)  faces Linn-Mar (23-0) for the third time this season in the first round of the state tournament next Wednesday at 1:45 p.m. in Des Moines. It is Washington's second straight trip to the state tournament. The Warriors lost to eventual state champion Ames in the first round of last year's tournament.

Oglesby said dpace of play will be the key to bumping off the top-ranked Lions.

 “We’ll have to slow the tempo down, slow the pace of the game and concentrate on getting good shots,” he said.

For the Hempstead Mustangs (11-13), Tuesday’s loss put the brakes on their magic bus ride of a season.

Eight of the losses this year came on their home court, two others were in Dubuque against Wahlert and Senior High and only three were on out-of-town trips at Pleasant Valley, Kennedy and again last night.

 “We were 7-3 when we got on the yellow school bus,” said third-year Coach Curt Deutsch. “For some reason, we played better on the road.”

Their season-ending game was an exception. They seemed to wilt under the bright lights.

“This is all new to us, playing before a big crowd on a big floor,” Deutsch said. “We just weren’t ready to play. It wasn’t our night.”

His team missed the first eight shots they took, fell behind 10-0 and never could catch up.

Normally potent post man Gage Heffernan was bottled up by stifling Warrior zone defense and saw very few touches all night. He ended up with just six points and none of his teammates could pick up the slack.

“Wash did a great job on Gage,” Deutsch said. “And our shots weren’t falling. It was the wrong night to have a bad game.”

HEMPSTEAD (31): Crawford 0 0-0 0, Johnson 3 0-0 7, Duwe 3 0-0 7, Smith 0 0-0 0, Goerdt 0 0-0 0, Viertel 1 0-0 2, Leach 2 2-4 6, Breitbach 1 0-0 3, Heffernan 2 1-6 6. Totals 12 3-10 31.

WASHINGTON (56): Carr 1 0-0 2, Tann 0 0-0 0, Washpun 9 0-1 18, Moa 1 0-0 3, Oglesby 8 1-2 22, Hoekstra 0 0-0 0, Oney 1 0-0 2, Bergstrom 0 0-0 0, Matteson 0 0-0 0, Rosenthal 0 0-0 0, Bredl 4 1-1 9, Williams 0 0-0 0, Todd 0 0-0 0. Totals 24 2-4 56.

Halftime -- Washington 27, Hempstead 9. 3-point goals -- Hempstead 4 (Johnson, Duwe, Breitbach, Heffernan), Washington 6 (Oglesby 5, Moa).