-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla Hunter Horn of St. Edmond shoots around Notre Dame Kellan Porter during 1A semi-finals on Thursday inside Casey's Center in Des Moines

DES MOINES — For the first time in 14 years, the St. Edmond boys will compete for a state championship on the basketball court.

And they did so just as they have all postseason long, advancing in dominant fashion.

Hunter Horn scored 27 points with 11 rebounds, Carson Bargfrede dropped in 17 points and Jakob Koopman had a double-double as the top-ranked and No. 1 seed Gaels rolled to a resounding 74-55 victory over Burlington Notre Dame in a Class 1A semifinal here on Thursday inside the Casey’s Center.

Awaiting St. Edmond (25-2 overall) in the championship tilt at 5 p.m. on Friday will be sixth-seeded Bellevue Marquette, which upset No. 2 seed MMCRU in the other semifinal, 65-56.

The Gaels have been on a mission to seek and destroy since the start of the second campaign, winning all six postseason games by at least 16 points during that time by using two long-preached staples of Adolph Kochendorfer teams: defense and rebounding.

St. Edmond held Notre Dame star Shay Stephens to 5 of 19 shooting from the field and 18 points while out-rebounding the Nikes, 40-34 — highlighted by a 12-1 domination on the offensive glass.

“We knew we just had to take it one game at a time and come out and play,” said Horn, who battled early foul trouble and was limited in the first half. “(Notre Dame) is obviously a good team, but we just had to play our game.

“Like Coach always tells us, defense and rebounding are the keys.”

After battling to an 18-18 draw in the first quarter, the Gaels took a three-point edge into the break on four points from Grant Galles and a basket by Koopman. Galles finished with 13 points and five rebounds.

“I was stressed out all day (before the game),” Galles said. “But once it started, we all found our rhythm and we were able to just play basketball.”

Just like in the quarterfinal win over Woodbine, Bargfrede came alive in the second half where he scored 11 of his 17 points. Some of that production came during the turning point of the contest.

Horn’s basket early in the third capped a quick run for the Gaels, and what followed included the Nikes (25-3) losing a starter to fouls and a swing in momentum. St. Edmond converted 3 of 4 at the free throw line after both a personal foul and technical were called, and Horn then scored to make it a five-point possession.

St. Edmond never looked back.

“I’m honestly just at a loss for words right now,” said Bargfrede, whose father, Cory, was on the state title squad of 2000. “I have all this energy just building up right now and I’m just so pumped that we got this one. But we have a little further to go.

“We aren’t done yet.”

St. Edmond eventually went up 49-32, capping a 16-4 run with another Koopman basket. The Gaels outscored the Nikes in the third period, 22-11.

“You could feel the energy shift,” Horn said. “It felt amazing because we knew we were in control and could play our style.

“We just kept the foot on the gas and didn’t let up.”

Jack McElroy, the fifth senior starter, added seven points with three assists, three rebounds and three steals. St. Edmond finished the game 26 of 38 from the free throw line and was 24-for-41 on two-point field goal attempts.

“We just had so many great performances from everybody,” Kochendorfer said. “Hunter battled foul trouble and had a big second half, Carson stepped up and hit some big shot and got to the free throw line, Jack knocked down a couple, as did Grant.

“But Jakob, he just played some incredible defense on a Div. I player who can really, really score. I’m just so proud of them. They are a great group and they have earned this opportunity.”

With the game out of reach, both sides emptied their benches, as the SEHS starting five walked off to a standing ovation from a large contingent of Gael supporters that filled the stands.

“That was awesome,” Galles said. “The crowd was amazing. It is just such an amazing experience being here and (getting to the finals) in the last season for Coach.”

This marks the sixth time the Gaels have reached the championship round under Kochendorfer. St. Edmond won it all in 2000, and the program has four more runner-up finishes to its credit since 2004.

Kochendorfer announced during the season that this would be his last at the helm.

St. Edmond is in the gold-medal round for the first time since the 2012 squad took second after falling to Madrid in the semifinals. The Tigers ironically bested Bellevue Marquette for that championship.

ST. EDMOND 74, BURLINGTON NOTRE DAME 55

St. Edmond — Jakob Koopman 4-9 2-4 10, Jack McElroy 2-5 3-6 7, Grant Galles 4-7 5-8 13, Hunter Horn 8-14 11-14 27, Carson Bargfrede 6-14 5-6 17, Ty Mericle 0-0 0-0 0, Garrett Royster 0-0 0-0 0, Jackson Calvert 0-1 0-0 0, Thomas Knobbe 0-0 0-0 0, Drake Vandi 0-0 0-0 0, Jamison Baker 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 24-50 26-38 74.

Burlington Notre Dame — L.J. Harris 4-6 0-0 8, Shay Stephens 5-19 8-9 18, Griffin Kies 4-11 0-0 12, Eli Oleson 2-9 0-0 4, Payne Prottsman 1-4 0-0 3, Tatum Warner 2-5 0-0 5, River Pfeiff 0-1 0-0 0, Curtis Randall 0-0 0-0 0, Garrison Reid 0-2 0-0 0, Case Johannsen 0-1 0-0 0, Kellan Porter 1-4 3-4 5, Ehren VanWinkle 0-0 0-0 0, Kinser Tripp 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 19-62 11-13 55.

Quarter scores: Tied 18-18; St. Edmond led 31-28, 53-39. Three-point goals: St. Edmond 0-9 (McElroy 0-1, Galles 0-2, Horn 0-1, Bargfrede 0-4, Calvert 0-1), Burlington Notre Dame 6-26 (Stephens 0-6, Kies 4-9, Oleson 0-2, Prottsman 1-2, Warner 1-3, Reid 0-2, Johannsen 0-1, Porter 0-1). Total rebounds: St. Edmond 40, Burlington Notre Dame 34. Assists: St. Edmond 7, Burlington Notre Dame 11. Steals: St. Edmond 3, Burlington Notre Dame 3. Blocked shots: St. Edmond 3, Burlington Notre Dame 2. Turnovers: St. Edmond 8, Burlington Notre Dame 10. Team fouls: St. Edmond 14, Burlington Notre Dame 27. Fouled out: Kies, Warner.