Class A: Region 1 Run Through

Team Notes

Aberdeen Roncalli:  They were 23-3 last year and won the state title…Finished the season on an eight game winning streak and the only non double digit victory was the state title game…Lose seven seniors to graduation…The biggest returning player is 6-foot-2 junior Bronson Heier…Gus Reede was a freshman on the varsity roster last year…They had only two juniors on the team a year ago but six sophomores…Last year’s title was their second state title in school history…Both all tournament team players Daniel Holmstrom and Brayden McNeary graduated…Braden Sommers is one of the top juniors in the league and he will have a bigger role for the defending champs…Braden’s brother Alex and Gus Reede are sophomore talents that rank with the best in the state.  Gus is a very dangerous shooter that must be hotly guarded the second the ball is in his hands.  He’s the only non-senior that was in the rotation at the end of the year.  The rest were seniors…

Britton-Hecla:  The Braves were 7-15 a year ago…They had a mid-season 11 game losing streak, ouch…Last two games of the year were losses to Sisseton… Graduated only two seniors…Three guys who are sophomores with varsity time are Skylar MacConnell, Kyler Meyer, and Carter Deutsch…Eric Wegleitner and Logan Kann return and they were two of last year’s more important pieces in the rotation…

Groton Area:  A 15-6 team a year ago, season ended by Tiospa Zina…As good as they were, they lost their two games to Roncalli by a combined 63 points…Another team with few juniors, the Tigers also had just two…Seric Shabazz was a freshman on the varsity roster last season.  Seric’s brother Bennett is a junior.  Both saw solid time in the backcourt…Hunter Lewew stands 6-foot-8 and is one of the tallest players in the 2016 class of South Dakota, he’s a PHD top 50 prospect…They dressed a dozen on varsity last year and seven of them were seniors…The scoring of Luke Sterhagen and Spencer Knecht wasn’t huge but must be replaced.  Lewew had some monster games and is a developing big that needs to be watched closer…

Milbank Area:  Opened last year with eight straight losses but won four of five before the playoffs started and gave Groton a game in the playoffs…Only graduated three players…Jacob Jackson scored in double figures often last year as a 6-coot-3 small forward.  He won’t have the JP Lindquist length to help up front any more but Jackson will still take big steps forward… Sissteon brings back all the key pieces outside of their 6-foot-8 center including Nate Bien and Kyle Montag…

Sisseton:  Two late season wins over Britton-Hecla pushed them to nine wins before Roncalli ended their year…Started the year 4-1 but then lost 10 of 11 games…Graduated only two seniors…Only one player (now senior Ethan Kranhold) was over 6-foot-1 last year and Ethan is 6-foot-4.  Kranhold is a skilled player with size that will produce inside and out.  Another scorer for Sisseton is guard Hunter Mendenwald who is a junior this year… Dane Gill and Dustin Moshier are now seniors returning with experience…

Tiospa Zina:  An 18-5 team a year ago, the Wambdi lost four of those five by 18 or more so when they were beaten, they were beaten convincingly…Won 15 of 16 after an opening game loss to Pine Ridge…Graduated eight seniors including their three tallest players and Bruce Gunderson leaving is maybe the biggest loss as he had some massive scoring nights sometimes carrying the team.  Kobe Carlson also must be replaced…Dion Iyarpeya was the lone frosh on varsity, he is now a 5-foot-11 sophomore guard…

Webster Area:  The maroon and gold Bearcats of Webster won five games last year including only one on their home floor…15 of the 17 losses were by double figures…Only one senior on the roster last year. Breden Rithmiller, now a sophomore, was one of the biggest players on the squad a year ago…Guards Jordan Bauer and Noah Thurston also return for the Cats

Region Power Ranking

1. Abereen Roncalli
2. Groton Area
3. Sisseton
4. Tiospa Zina
5. Milbank Area
6. Britton-Hecla
7. Webster Area