Conference Preview: Northeast Iowa
The Teams Charles City: The youth movement in Charles City continues this season and is led by super-sophomore Jackson Molstead who averaged 15.5 points per game last season. The next three leading scorers were sophomores last season, and enter their…
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Continue ReadingThe Teams
Charles City: The youth movement in Charles City continues this season and is led by super-sophomore Jackson Molstead who averaged 15.5 points per game last season. The next three leading scorers were sophomores last season, and enter their upperclassmen years ready to make the Comets a contender which is capable of far exceeding the eight total wins from last season.
Crestwood: It’s top two scorers are gone from last season’s 15-win team, but some new talent waits in the wings for the Cadets. Alex Kerian is the leading returning scorer, and Spencer Cuvelier will be a formidable big-man. It will be tough to top last season’s win total with stars Tristan Bohr and Matt Goodman now gone.
Decorah: After a promising start to their 2015/16 season, the Vikings faded fast towards the end, losers of 10 of their final 11 games. They’ll look to end that skid when they start their season December 2nd against Spring Grove. We like their chances of eclipsing the eight win mark from last season, three of five starters return, including leading scorer Lowden Rockweiler.
New Hampton: After a middle-of-the-pack finish in the conference standings last season, the Chickasaws will look to junior Keegan John and sophomore Tristan Sweitzer to lead the charge this season. Four of five regular starters return this season for the upstart program, which looks to improve upon its nine wins from last winter.
Oelwein: After a 1-0 start to the season last winter (a 54-26 shellacking of Starmont), the Huskies could manage just two more wins the rest of the season. The good news: last season’s leading scorer was a freshman, and now-sophomore Dom Robertson will lead a new cast of starters to what the Huskies hope is a more successful campaign than last season.
Waukon: The Indians will have a new look to them this season after graduating four seniors last season — their four leading scorers to boot. Senior Tanner Mathis averaged 4.5 points per game as a junior, and is the team’s leading returning scorer from last season’s 12-10 squad.
Waverly-Shell Rock: Not only a perennial conference champion, but a serial threat to make the state tournament, the Go-Hawks are typically a program that will reload rather than rebuild. That won’t be necessary this season with the state’s 3rd-ranked 2017 manning the post. This team will go as far as 6-foot-9 Northern Iowa-commit Austin Phyfe will take them. Wells Fargo arena, maybe?
Projected Order of Finish
- Waverly Shell-Rock
- Charles City
- New Hampton
- Crestwood
- Decorah
- Waukon
- Oelwein
Analysis
Although the Go-Hawks lose quite a bit from last season’s 18-win team, the fact remains that Northern Iowa-commit Austin Phyfe is capable of carrying a team to a conference title. The race for second will be tight, but with Charles City’s youth movement giving way to a now veteran — albeit still young — squad, we give the nod to the Comets for runners-up.
Preseason Player of the Year
Austin Phyfe, 2017, Waverly Shell-Rock
Though there is plenty of young talent that will make this conference decent for years to game, when it comes to best of the bunch this wily vet takes it no question. As a matter of fact, Phyfe — a Northern Iowa-commit — is more than just the best player in the conference, he may be the best big-man in the state.
Biggest Sleeper
Tanner Mathis, Waukon, 2017
He only averaged 4.5 points per game last season on a good 12-win Waukon squad as the lone non-senior starter. This season — as the team’s leading returning scorer — he’s the guy that will take the reins and could see his scoring, and numbers across the board, rocket this season.
Players to Watch
Austin Phyfe, Waverly-Shell Rock, 2017
Jackson Molstead, Charles City, 2019
Cade Hemaseth, Charles City, 2018
Spencer Cuvelier, Crestwood, 2017
Lowden Rockweiler, Decorah, 2017
Alex Kerian, Crestwood, 2017
Nick Bockman, Decorah, 2017
Tristan Sweitzer, New Hampton, 2019
Dom Robertson, Oelwein, 2019
John Stensland, Waverly-Shell Rock, 2017