Recruiting Report: Tate Gale (2018)
Tate Gale led Irene Wakonda to a 15-8 basketball season in the face of strong expectations. The 5-foot-11 guard/quarterback is a college prospect in both sports.
The Eagles heard over and over how they were going to fall on their face with Gabe King moved on to the college level. However, after a rough start, Irene-Wakonda won their district.
“This winter season we had big shoes to fill since an excellent senior class graduated,” Gale told PHD. “Someone really needed to take over that role as the leader since Gabe King left.
“I told myself that someone needed to be me. One goal we had as a team was to get back to the state tournament and show everyone we didn’t need to rely on Gabe. We fell one game short of our goal. But I believe we proved people wrong and showed them we didn’t need him and we could succeed with what we had.”
Tate averaged 15.3 points, three assists, 2.5 rebounds, and almost two steals a game shooting 76 percent from the foul line and 40 plus percent from the floor.
“Like I said before we had some holes to fill with the 2016 graduating class leaving and I think making it to the Region Championship and winning 10 games in a row showed we were still the team to beat,” Gale said. “It was a wonderful season and definitely one I won’t forget.”
Gale wants to become more physical as a student athlete so he can push that career 1,053 points and every other team and individual number to a high level.
“In the offseason I’m really trying to focus on getting bigger, stronger, and faster. So hitting the weight room is big.
“I also want to improve my passing and being able to create shots for my teammates. There’s always room to improve rebounding numbers as well.”
Gale is keeping his basketball fix going by playing with one of the Pentagon Regional teams this spring and summer.
“It has helped me learn that the level of play gets nothing but more intense and fast paced going forward,” Gale said. “Playing at this level has helped me as a defender and has helped me learn how to get shots off quicker with all the athletic players from around the area.
“Everyone is quicker and more athletic at this level and playing AAU these last few summers, I believe have helped me become a smarter and more skilled player.”
Gale is a leader on the hardwood and on the football field where he is getting most of his next level interest.
“Not so much college basketball, but for college football I’ve been talking to Dakota Wesleyan University, Dakota State University, and a little bit of University of South Dakota and University of Sioux Falls.”