Brooks a driving force for Bobcats
Marshalltown senior guard Tre Brooks named All-Area Boys Basketball Player of the Year
T-R PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER - Marshalltown High School senior Tre Brooks has been named the Times-Republican’s All-Area Boys Basketball Player of the Year after averaging 12.7 points and 3.9 assists per game this season.
Tre Brooks had big shoes to fill.
Not everything went to plan for the Marshalltown senior on the basketball court, but the Bobcat point guard stepped up to be one of the team’s leaders like those that led him before.
After missing the first three games of the season due to injury, Brooks went on to average 12.7 points per game and a team-leading 3.9 assists per game for MHS, earning his second All-Iowa Alliance Conference honor as a first-teamer and earning the title of 2023-24 Times-Republican Boys Basketball Player of the Year.
“Tre is an unbelievable talent that continued to grow as a player each year he’s been at MHS,” Bobcats head coach Michael Appel said. “He was an ultimate competitor — the only stat he cared about was if we won the game.”
Brooks said he was inspired by, among others, 2022 MHS grad and two-time T-R Player of the Year Armonniey Thomas, who is the all-time leading scorer in MHS history.
“I’ve always been willing to hang out with the older guys and learn,” Brooks said, citing Drake Kapayou and Brayden Weatherly as other influences on his improvement as a basketball player.
After Thomas’ graduation, Appel said the task fell upon Brooks to push himself further: “He took that challenge on exceptionally.”
Brooks averaged 9.2 points, five rebounds and 4.7 assists per game in his first season as a regular starter for the Bobcats in his junior year.
It was a year that Brooks felt like he left something on the table, though.
“I really built on energy from that previous year and brought it all to showcase my talent and also help the team get better,” Brooks said. “When I stepped on the court, I knew I could score when needed, so why not go out there and let your team eat?”
An injury from football season put Brooks on crutches until four games into the regular season, which he said stunted the momentum he hoped to have going into his senior year on the hardwood.
But he felt like he accomplished his goal of becoming a more well-rounded teammate.
“I feel like I’m a better passer and facilitator than anything,” Brooks said. “There were multiple games where things were clicking for me and it definitely was an eye opener for what I could be or become.”
With Class 4A’s leading 3-point shooter in sophomore Kyle Smith taking attention off Brooks, the Bobcats were tough customers, fighting their way to a 9-13 final record and a 4-4 record against the Iowa Alliance North Division.
The Bobcats bowed out in the first round of substate against Southeast Polk.
“This season wasn’t our best, but the team still fought and did what needed to be done — we never gave up,” Brooks said.
Next up for Brooks is track season, and then lifting and gaining more weight and muscle for college, where he’ll go to Grand View University to play football.
He considers his fellow seniors — Carter Giannetto, Jacob Thiessen, Cory Smith, Rogelio Ceren, Ryan Schmit, Gatleel Joar, Tate Riang, Jose Vargas and Blane Landeros — like brothers, and also said he was influenced a lot by Mary Fuchsen, a teacher he met this year who he said was a very outgoing person and very understanding: “I learned a lot from her.”
Appel believes Brooks built himself into one of the top point guards in the Alliance.
“He came to practice each day with the mindset of helping his team get better with his consistent work and his competitive drive,” Appel said.
2023-2024 Times-Republican All-Area Boys Basketball Teams
Player of the Year — Tre Brooks, sr., Marshalltown
Coach of the Year — Scott Kiburis, Gladbrook-Reinbeck, and Brent Thoren, Grundy Center
FIRST TEAM
Michael Boyd, jr., F, Gladbrook-Reinbeck
Drew Eilers, jr., F, Gladbrook-Reinbeck
Jalen Kirkpatrick, jr., F, Grundy Center
Kyle Smith, so., G, Marshalltown
Brayden Wallis, jr., F, Grundy Center
Jabari Woodbury, sr., F, GMG
SECOND TEAM
Isaac Clark, sr., G, Gladbrook-Reinbeck
Josh Dostal, jr., G/F, North Tama
Tate Jirovsky, sr., F, Grundy Center
Landen Neuroth, sr., F, East Marshall
Cade Rosenberger, sr., G, South Tama County
Tiernan Vokes, jr., F, Grundy Center
THIRD TEAM
Hudson Clark, so., G, Gladbrook-Reinbeck
Jared Dvorak, sr., G, North Tama
Cael Keller, sr., G, BCLUW
Rider Kupka, so., G, GMG
Owen Siegert, sr., G, West Marshall
Cory Smith, sr., G/F, Marshalltown
Former All-Area Players of the Year
2022-23 — William Kiburis, sr., Gladbrook-Reinbeck
2021-22 — Armonniey Thomas, sr., Marshalltown
2020-21 — Taurice Grant, sr., Meskwaki, and William Kiburis, so., Gladbrook-Reinbeck
2019-20 — Armonniey Thomas, so., Marshalltown
2018-19 — Tátè Bear, sr., Meskwaki Settlement
2017-18 — Luke Appel, sr., Marshalltown
2016-17 — Joe Smoldt, sr., Gladbrook-Reinbeck
2015-16 — Joe Smoldt, jr., Gladbrook-Reinbeck
2014-15 — Camden Kickbush, sr., Gladbrook-Reinbeck
2013-14 — Zach Pierce, jr., Gladbrook-Reinbeck
2012-13 — Mitchell Boerm, sr., North Tama
2011-12 — Michael Newton, sr., West Marshall
2010-11 — Trent Trowbridge, sr., Marshalltown
2009-10 — Chanse Creekmur, sr., Marshalltown
2008-09 — Chanse Creekmur, jr., Marshalltown
2007-08 — Walker Seim, sr., East Marshall
2006-07 — Tyson Dirks, sr., Gladbrook-Reinbeck
2005-06 — Justin Green, sr., Eldora-New Providence
2004-05 — David Walters, sr., BCLUW
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- T-R PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER – Marshalltown High School senior Tre Brooks has been named the Times-Republican’s All-Area Boys Basketball Player of the Year after averaging 12.7 points and 3.9 assists per game this season.
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