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Grant is Meskwaki’s first all-stater

Junior point guard named to 1A third team

T-R FILE PHOTO - Meskwaki junior guard Taurice Grant (3) goes for a layup attempt against GMG’s Adam Cox during their game Feb. 20 at Meskwaki Settlement School. Grant was named to the Iowa Print Sports Writers Association’s all-state basketball third team in Class 1A.

DES MOINES — Meskwaki junior guard Taurice Grant was a key component to his team’s 12-0 record in the Iowa Star Conference’s South Division this year. His consistent performances earned him a third team all-state Class 1A selection over the weekend from the Iowa Print Sports Writers Association — the first-ever all-state honor for a member of the Warrior boys’ basketball program.

Grant, a 5-foot, 11-inch point guard, averaged 15.6 points, 6.6 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game across the Warriors’ 23-game season (the Warriors finished 18-5). He finished second in steals in 1A and sixth in assists. Grant hit 13 of his 37 3-point attempts this year as well — a 35.1 percent clip.

Meskwaki head coach Garrett Bear said multiple times this season Grant is the player who pulls the strings for the Warriors on offense and defense without scoring a ton of points, citing his vision and quick hands. Bear said Grant’s ability to draw attention creates opportunities for Victor Balderas and the team’s other players to have success.

The Warriors fell short of reaching the state tournament this season, losing to No. 4-ranked West Fork in the district final. Grant led Meskwaki with 22 points in that game.

Grant and the Warriors will be the likely favorites in the Iowa Star South again in 2020-21, with Emmett Roberts the team’s only departing senior. Fellow Iowa Star South player Cole Damman of Baxter was also named to the 1A all-state third team.

Norwalk senior point guard Bowen Born was named Mr. Basketball. Born led the Warriors to their first state championship in Class 3A.

Born is headed to the University of Northern Iowa after coming up 17 points shy of scoring 1,000 points in his senior season alone.

Born averaged 36.4 points per game this winter. The 5-foot-11 guard closed his career sixth on the all-time career scoring list, and Norwalk was 79-23 during his four-year career.

He is a three-time all-Little Hawkeye Conference first-team selection, and Norwalk won three league titles under his leadership. He was the Class 3A Iowa Basketball Coaches Association Player of the Year in 2018-19.

CLASS 4A

First Team

Braxton Bayless, sr., Ankeny; Ty Anderson, sr., North Scott; Tucker DeVries, jr., Waukee; Payton Sandfort, jr., Waukee; Even Brauns, sr., Iowa City West; Michael Duax, jr., Dubuque Hempstead; DaQuavion Walker, sr., Waterloo West; Cody McCullough, sr., Ankeny Centennial.

Second Team

Josh Ollendieck, sr., Cedar Falls; Jaleque Dunson, sr., Sioux City East; Jayden Houston, jr., Davenport North; Jaron Crews, jr., Ankeny Centennial; Jake Auer, sr., Valley; Sam Kilburg, sr., North Scott; Matt Stilwill, sr., Dowling Catholic; Trae Swartz, jr., Ottumwa.

Third Team

Landon Wolf, jr., Cedar Falls; Emarion Ellis, jr., Davenport Central; Caleb Schlaak, jr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Keshawn Christian, sr., Iowa City High; Josh Dix, so., Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln; AJ Toigo, sr., Indianola; Micah Johnson, sr., Ankeny Centennial; Ryan Riggs, jr., Dowling Catholic.

CLASS 3A

First Team

Bowen Born, sr, Norwalk; Xavier Foster, sr., Oskaloosa; Kieren Nichols, jr., Knoxville; Alex Van Kaalsbeek, sr., MOC-Floyd Valley; Easton Darling, sr., Winterset; Sean Peeters, sr., Davenport Assumption; Karson Sharar, jr., Iowa Falls-Alden; Keaton Kutcher, jr., Mount Vernon.

Second Team

Daniel Wright, sr., Sergeant Bluff-Luton; Logan Shetterly, sr., Pella; Wyatt Wegener, sr., Algona; Connor Drew, jr., Ballard; Luke Rankin, jr., Dallas Center-Grimes; Ryan Blum, jr., Glenwood; Tyler Johnson, sr., Norwalk; Christian Withrow, jr., Clear Creek-Amana.

Third Team

Tucker Kinney, sr., Central DeWitt; Kole Tupa, sr., Center Point-Urbana; Cole Glasgow, so., Dallas Center-Grimes; Andrew Formacek, jr., Clear Lake; Karter Lein, sr., Carroll; Cael Schmitt, sr., Dubuque Wahlert; Matthew McDonald, sr., Centerville.

CLASS 2A

First Team

Cooper DeJean, sr., OABCIG; Masen Miller, sr., Iowa City Regina; Caleb Delzell, sr., Camanche; Austin Miller, sr., North Linn; Austin Hilmer, sr., North Linn; Tanner Te Slaa, so., Boyden-Hull; Michael Keegan, sr., Dyersville Beckman; Bryce Coppock, sr., West Sioux.

Second Team

Jack Tiarks, sr., Treynor; Zane Neubaum, sr., South Central Calhoun; Hunter Dekkers, sr., West Sioux; Justin Decker, jr., Monticello; Anthony Pothoff, sr., Van Meter; Lucas Lorenzen, sr., Okoboji; Bryce Achenbach, sr., Woodward-Granger; Keyton Moser, sr., Boyden-Hull.

Third Team

Blake Chance, jr., Albia; Curren Ingram, sr., Des Moines Christian; Dane Fuller, jr., Dike-New Hartford; LJ Henderson, sr., Camanche; Cameron Soenksen, sr., Camanche; Jack Stogdill, sr., Treynor; Josh Van Gorp, sr., Pella Christian; Dan Jungling, sr., Pella Christian.

CLASS 1A

First Team

Trey Shearer, jr., Montezuma; Nick Reid, sr., Central City; Angelo Winkel, jr., Bishop Garrigan; JD Stout, sr., Keota; Kiks Rosengarten, sr., Wapsie Valley; Kaleb Cornilsen, jr., Easton Valley; Braden Gibbons, sr., Madrid; Alex Koppes, jr., Springville.

Second Team

Brennan Sefrit, sr., Bedford; Jackson Louscher, sr., South O’Brien; Nik Coble, sr., WACO; Zach Huff, sr., Don Bosco; Keegan Edwards, sr., Lone Tree; Noah Beck, sr., BGM; Kayden Ames, jr., West Fork; Trey Baker, jr., Martensdale-St. Marys.

Third Team

Spencer Schorg, sr., Remsen-St. Mary’s; Jessen Weber, sr., Easton Valley; Taurice Grant, jr., Meskwaki Settlement; Cole Damman, sr., Baxter; Nathan Moeller, sr., Prince of Peace; Gage Fry, sr., Grand View Christian; Creighton Nelson, sr., Exira-EHK; Chett Helming, sr., Lake Mills.

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