Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: St. Edmond seniors Grant Galles (12), Jakob Koopman (5) and Jack McElroy (10) have been playing together since elementary school.

DES MOINES — Sometime this week, Grant Galles, Jakob Koopman and Jack McElroy will walk off the basketball court together for a final time.

The three St. Edmond seniors started their journey together all the way back in elementary school along with several other teammates.

Galles, Koopman and McElroy are all multi-year starters for the top-ranked (Class 1A) Gaels, who open play here Tuesday vs. Woodbine in the state tournament.

While Casey’s Center will be the end of the 10-year run, the memories will carry on forever.

“This season has been so electric and exciting,” Koopman said. “Being with my best friends and playing for them while uniting together for our goal of winning a state title. I could never have asked for better friends to compete with.”

McElroy has been a four-year starter at point guard for St. Edmond, recording 571 points in 96 games with 444 assists. The Gaels have won 63 games during that span.

“I don’t think I’ve really grasped how close we are to the end,” McElroy said. “It’s going to be a surreal feeling when it’s all over and I don’t get to play with my guys anymore.

“Nothing was better than going to tournaments and spending the night in hotels and playing the next day with Grant and Koop. That, and spending time in the gym when it was just us is a memory I’ll have forever.”

Galles has also played for four seasons in the green and white, recording 568 points and 103 steals in 99 games.

“It feels great knowing that all the hard work that we put in during the offseason helped us get to where we are right now,” Galles said. “I’m excited to get back down to state and finish what we started.

“I’ve enjoyed playing with these guys because we have been together ever since I can remember. We’ve learned the tendencies of one another and that has really helped us on the court.”

Koopman, who missed his freshman season after suffering a knee injury in football, has become a steady hand since, playing in 73 games while recording 635 points, 512 rebounds and 163 steals. He was named third-team all-state a season ago after helping St. Edmond reach the state semifinals.

“We’ve dreamed of this since we first stepped on the court together so many years ago,” Koopman said. “We would run pick-up games against each other in our front yards in the summer. We went to tournaments every weekend, and even won our final 3-on-3 tournament that we played together in.”

Fellow starters Hunter Horn and Carson Bargfrede are both seniors who joined the program in high school from Fort Dodge and Webster City, respectively. Jackson Calvert, Thomas Knobbe, Drake Vandi, Jacob Moore and Jamison Baker round out the list of 12th-graders on the roster.