Aplington-Parkersburg boys poised for another state run

PARKERSBURG – Aplington-Parkersburg boys basketball returns three regular starters from last season's state semifinalist team in Class 2A.

The Falcons' depth will make the team a prime candidate to return to Wells Fargo Arena later this winter.

"We return a lot of firepower," A-P head coach Aaron Thomas said. "A lot of guys are battling for playing time and trying to determine what their role will be. Our practices have been extremely competitive."

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Leading the returning group is Upper Iowa recruit Jayden Mackie. As a junior, he was a first-team all-state performer averaging 14.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game last season. Mackie was also named to the Class 2A all-tournament team after scoring 55 points in two games at Des Moines, including dropping 34 on Van Meter in a quarterfinal matchup.

Garrett Hempen enters his junior season after contributing 12.2 points and 3.2 assists per game as a sophomore. Gavin Thomas is now a sophomore, looking to build on his 9.4 points and 2.4 assists averages from last season.

After a jamboree with Cedar Falls and a Hall of Pride scrimmage with Roland-Story, A-P officially kicked off the season with an 82-29 win at Oelwein on Tuesday, Nov. 30. The three returning regular starters all scored in double digits - Hempen with 18, Mackie 17 and Thomas 12.

"It was a good first experience for us," Thomas said. "Our focus and unselfishness was a huge plus for us, and we only had six turnovers and didn't give up an offensive rebound until the fourth quarter."

The Falcons will also have Elijah Switzer and Christian Haugstad back as seniors that saw intermittent starting roles as juniors. Switzer averaged 4.8 points per game last season, Haugstad was the team's leading rebounder at 7.3 boards per contest last season and added 8.4 points per game.

Switzer is currently out of the lineup with an injury, but Thomas said Haugstad has bounced back well from on-and-off battles with shin splints last season.

"Haugstad being healthy for us is huge," Aaron Thomas said. "He looks like a different player. … We've all gotten bigger and stronger, which will be a good thing -- last year Gavin, Garrett and Jayden were all pretty thin, smaller guards and they've all added muscle, put on weight and are just a year older. I've seen huge growth and improvement in their leadership."

If that isn't enough, the Falcons also had a junior varsity team last season that went undefeated, beating all but one opponent by more than 10 points.

Figuring out where all those talented ballers fit won't be easy for Thomas and his staff.

"We want to see games and how guys do under the lights," Thomas said. "It takes a little bit of time to figure out those pieces, but that's what coaches go through at the beginning of the year finding those opportunities."

Thomas also noted seniors Kale Riherd and Sam Livingood stepping into bigger roles as leaders. Riherd started the opener with Oelwein with four points and six rebounds; Livingood came off the bench to contribute three points and four rebounds.

The Falcons were 22-4 last season, bowing out to Boyden-Hull in the semifinals by a 77-66 margin. The Comets went on to fall to Western Christian in the championship game, 56-50.

Those three teams are ranked in the top three of Prep Hoops Iowa's Class 2A preseason rankings: Western Christian 1st, Boyden-Hull 2nd and Aplington-Parkersburg 3rd.

The Falcons open the home schedule against Grundy Center in a Central-West NICL crossover on Friday in Parkersburg.

"The thing I enjoy and appreciate is seeing juniors and sophomores competing for playing time," Thomas said. "That will make us better whether it's in varsity this year or making them better players for next year."