Brackets released for area small school boys basketball teams

Class 1A and 2A boys basketball teams have learned their path to reach Casey’s Center for the 2026 IHSAA State Basketball Tournament on March 9-13. Brackets for the 1A and 2A district rounds were released Monday.

The Iowa boys basketball playoffs tip off Feb. 13 with the preliminary rounds in Class 1A. The first round district 1A and 2A games are scheduled for 7 p.m. Feb. 16.

In 1A Substate 5, District 9, No. 8 seed New London will take on No. 9 seed Highland in the preliminary round. The winner will face No. 1 seed Burlington Notre Dame.

Pekin was given the No. 2 seed in District 9 and will host No. 7 seed Seymour on Feb. 16. Winfield-Mt. Union earned the No. 4 seed and will host No. 5 Danville. No. 6 seed WACO will travel to Ft. Madison to face No. 3 seed Holy Trinity Catholic.

In District 10, No. 2 seed Hillcrest Academy will start its postseason journey against No. 7 seed Wapello, which it beat twice in the regular season. No. 3 Keota will host No. 6 Twin Cedars.

In Class 2A, Mid-Prairie received a first round bye in Substate 5, District 10 as the No. 2 seed. The Golden Hawks will face either No. 3 seed Mediapolis or No. 6 seed Louisa-Muscatine on Feb. 19 in the district semifinals.

Columbus was also drawn into District 10 and received the No. 5 seed. The Wildcats will travel to Durant on Feb. 16 for their first round game.

In 2A Substate 5, District 9, Van Buren County was given the No. 5 seed and will pay a visit to No. 4 seed Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont. No. 6 Cardinal will play No. 3 seed West Burlington.

The 16 winners of each district in Classes 1A and 2A will face each other in eight substate finals Feb. 28 for the right to go to the state tournament. The champion of District 1 will face the champion of District 2, and so on.

Fairfield, Mt. Pleasant and Washington will learn their district assignments Feb. 16 when the brackets for Classes 3A and 4A are released. First round substate games for 3A and 4A teams tip off Feb. 23.