The Boys State Basketball Tournament begins in Des Moines today with the 1A opening round games and a couple of the 2A games. In 1A, Northern University High out of Cedar Falls, the number one seed, will face Coon Rapids-Bayard. Defending state champs Rock Valley will face St. Albert, Council Bluffs in the second game. On the other side of the bracket, number 2 seed Lynnville-Sully, the team that came out of Keota’s district, will face Bishop Garrigan, Algona. The last 1A game will feature Ankeny Christian Academy against Calamus-Wheatland.

There are two Class 2A games on the schedule, top seed Des Moines Christian will meet Kuemper Catholic out of Carroll, and the last game of the first day will feature Western Christian, Hull taking on Wapsie Valley from Fairbank.

The Mid-Prairie Golden Hawks will be in action tomorrow. The first 2A game will be IKM-Manning taking on Turkey Valley from Jackson Junction. Then Mid-Prairie will face former Eastern Iowa Hawkeye Conference foe Solon. Mid-Prairie Head Coach Don Showalter says they plan on leaving for Des Moines today. 80821 Showalter says they’ve left later in the past but feel like they’ve found what works well 80822 The last time the Golden Hawks went to the state tournament was in 2007 and they went in as the seventh seed at 15-10 and reached the championship game losing to Western Christian Hull. This season they come in as the sixth seed at 19-5.