The race to the North Central Conference championship will start to take shape this week for the St. Edmond boys.

The Gaels put their unbeaten record on the line against Humboldt Tuesday and Clear Lake on Friday.

Both games will be girl/boy doubleheaders beginning at 6:15 p.m.

Adolph Kochendorfer has St. Edmond (6-0 overall, 3-0 in the league) riding high, earning a convincing win over South Hamilton last Thursday in Des Moines as part of the Iowa Wolves High School Hoops Series.

The intensity — and competition — though, will pick up in a big way for the Gaels now.

Humboldt (2-4, 2-1) has had an up-and-down start to the season, but the Wildcats feature a potent scorer in Elliot Carlson and reigning Class 3A football player of the year Coen Matson.

Carlson averages almost 20 points per game, shooting 45 percent from the field. Matson adds11 while junior Jackson Flaherty chips in eight. They have posted convincing wins over Clarion-Goldfield/Dows and Hampton-Dumont/CAL around losses to Mason City, Clear Lake and Spirit Lake.

Clear Lake (6-0, 2-0), meanwhile, sits tied with the Gaels and Iowa Falls-Alden atop the NCC standings. Led by University of Iowa football commit Thomas Meyer, the Lions are averaging almost 70 points per game.

Meyer leads the way at 16 while sophomore Jaxson McIntire adds 12 and senior Titan Schmitt 10.5.

St. Edmond is paced by junior Hunter Horn, who is averaging 25 points and almost 12 rebounds a night. Jakob Koopman adds 11 points and eight rebounds while Jack McElroy chips in nine points and six assists.

The Gael girls started the new year off right, picking up a win over South Hamilton to improve to 2-5 on the year. St. Edmond has yet to secure a victory in league play, sitting at 0-3.

Sophomore Chloe Palmer leads the team at 8.4 points per game while senior Payton Bradley is right behind her at 7.6. Classmate Josie Harvey adds seven, as Anna Lursen is averaging 11 rebounds and three assists per game.

Humboldt (4-4, 2-1) is led by career-scoring leader Morgan Mann, as the senior is putting up 16.4 points, seven rebounds and 2.6 assists per game to lead the Wildcats in all three categories. Ava Fischer adds 14 points and five boards.

Clear Lake (1-6, 0-3) is paced by Taylor Schwenn, as the sophomore averages almost nine points per game. Madi Ott is second at eight points with 9.4 rebounds.