The stage has been set for the boys basketball teams from Linn-Mar, Kennedy and Washington to play in the Class 4A substate finals at the U.S. Cellular Center on Tuesday, March 3.

Now all they have to do is win one game to get there.

Linn-Mar, Kennedy and Washington have all received first-round byes in the substate tournament. That sends all three Metro teams into the substate semifinals on Friday, Feb. 27, with the winners advancing to the substate finals.

The Class 4A and Class 3A pairings were announced Monday by the IHSAA.

The seventh-ranked Linn-Mar Lions will host Marshalltown or Waterloo West in the substate semifinals. The Kennedy Cougars will host Cedar Falls or Waterloo East in the semifinals. Linn-Mar is seeded No. 1 in Substate 3 and Kennedy is seeded No. 2, making them the favorites to meet in the substate finals in a showdown for a berth in the state tournament.

The Washington Warriors are the No. 2 seed in Substate 6, but they would face a formidable challenge in the substate finals against top-ranked Iowa City West should both teams get there. Washington will play Burlington or Ottumwa in the semifinals. Iowa City West will face Jefferson or Prairie in the semifinals.

Jefferson and Prairie will meet in the Substate 6 quarterfinals on Monday,  Feb. 23 at Prairie.

The Xavier Saints and Marion Indians are both in District 8 in Class 3A and could meet in the district finals. There will be a doubleheader at Marion on Feb. 23 in the district openers, with Xavier playing Benton Community at 6:30 p.m. and Marion meeting Solon at 8 p.m.

The winners of those games will meet on Feb. 26 at Kennedy, with the district champion advancing to the Class 3A substate finals at the U.S. Cellular Center on March 2.

Maquoketa, Davenport Assumption, Mount Vernon and DeWitt Central will battle for the District 7 title, with the winner facing the District 8 champion in downtown Cedar Rapids for a berth in the state tournament.

CLASS 4A SUBSTATE 3
Monday, Feb. 23

Marshalltown vs. Waterloo West, at Cedar Falls, 6:30
Waterloo East at Cedar Falls, 8

Friday, Feb. 27

Marshalltown/Waterloo West at Linn-Mar, 7
Cedar Falls/Waterloo East at Kennedy, 7

Tuesday, March 3

Substate finals, U.S. Cellular Center, 8

CLASS 4A SUBSTATE 6
Monday, Feb. 23

Jefferson at Prairie, 7
Burlington at Ottumwa, 7

Friday, Feb. 27

Jefferson/Prairie at Iowa City West, 7
Burlington/Ottumwa at Washington, 7

Tuesday, March 3

Substate finals, U.S. Cellular Center, 6:30

CLASS 3A DISTRICT 8
Monday, Feb. 23

Benton vs Xavier, at Marion, 6:30
Solon at Marion, 8

Thursday, Feb. 26

District 8 finals, at Kennedy, 7

Monday, March 2

Substate 4 finals, at U.S. Cellular Center, 8

CLASS 3A DISTRICT 7

Monday, Feb. 23

Maquoketa vs Davenport Assumption, at DeWitt, 6:30
Mount Vernon at DeWitt Central, 8

Thursday, Feb. 26

District 7 finals, at Clinton, 7 p.m.

Monday, March 2

Substate 4 finals, at U.S. Cellular Center, 8