Falcons Sweep South Hardin as Thomas Notches 400th Win

AP Boys Coach Aaron Thomas reaches career milestone in final regular season doubleheader

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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In the final basketball doubleheader of the season, Aplington-Parkersburg swept South Hardin on Tuesday, with the girls winning 68-59 and the #7 (2A) boys winning 81-57. AP Boys Coach Aaron Thomas notched his 400th career win as a head coach, recording his 294th at AP after winning 106 at Union.

Why it matters

Thomas' 400th career win is a significant milestone, highlighting his long and successful tenure as a high school basketball coach. The sweep over South Hardin also demonstrates the strength of the Aplington-Parkersburg basketball programs, with both the boys and girls teams securing victories against a tough opponent to close out the regular season.

The details

The boys' game featured the Tigers jumping out to an early 18-14 lead after the first quarter, but the Falcons cranked up the intensity in the second quarter, limiting South Hardin to just 3 points. Aplington-Parkersburg maintained a large lead throughout the game, closing it out with reserves on the floor. Benny Waller led the Falcons with 23 points, while Tyler Wedeking added 18. Owen Larson led the Tigers with 13 points.

  • The final basketball doubleheader of the season took place on Tuesday.

The players

Aaron Thomas

The head coach of the Aplington-Parkersburg boys basketball team, who recorded his 400th career win as a head coach, with 294 of those wins coming at AP.

Benny Waller

The leading scorer for the Aplington-Parkersburg boys team, with 23 points in the win over South Hardin.

Tyler Wedeking

A key contributor for the Aplington-Parkersburg boys team, scoring 18 points in the win over South Hardin.

Owen Larson

The leading scorer for the South Hardin boys team, with 13 points in the loss to Aplington-Parkersburg.

Lorna Bernard

The leading scorer for the Aplington-Parkersburg girls team, with 22 points in their 68-59 win over South Hardin.

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What they’re saying

“I'm obviously getting older, but just been so blessed at both schools with great, great assistant coaches. And I can think of everyone, I'd like to thank them all by name. And I've had really, really good players who bought in, and to achieve something like that, it's not because of me. And honestly, probably the MVP of it all, the one person who's been a part of all 400 is my wife Ellie, just how supportive she is, the fact she lets me pursue my passions of coaching.”

— Aaron Thomas, Aplington-Parkersburg Boys Basketball Coach (RadioOnTheGo)

What’s next

The Falcon boys will return to action on Thursday at Hampton-Dumont-CAL, while the other three teams have closed their regular seasons.

The takeaway

Coach Thomas' 400th career win is a remarkable achievement that highlights his long-standing dedication to the Aplington-Parkersburg basketball program and the support he has received from his family and assistant coaches over the years. The Falcons' sweep of South Hardin also demonstrates the strength and competitiveness of both the boys and girls teams as they head into the postseason.