Class A…A Taste
The Class A level is a new place with stars having graduated and the champs playing up at AA. It’s a new day in Class A.
1A. Colt Landers of Grand Meadow is one of the freshmen in Minnesota to know. The young man had a great year as an eighth grader and expectations for him are quite high despite being so young.
2A. This section ranks with the toughest in the state of Minnesota. Three of the leading Class A contenders are in this section (Cleveland, Springfield, and Mayer Lutheran) plus Cedar Mountain-Comfrey is right there with them and several others are also good. WEM has moved down from Class AA to A here, Mountain Lake has talent, New Ulm Cathedral is getting better as is LPHT, and teams like St. Clair and Minnesota Valley Lutheran have stars in Mitch Weber and Jake Kettner respectively.
3A. Garrett Kern and Weston Kirk. These are two of the many R-T-R players that return from an excellent team last year that will only get better. A squad from 3A will make some noise in the state tournament and there is very real chance that it could be one of these boys. Kern is a solid athlete and he can score while Kirk is tough inside. Guys like the Hansens (Cooper and Carter) as well as Jonah Johnson are among the others returning.
4A. Minneapolis North and Maranatha Christian Academy have been running this section since Kevin and Kyle Noreen left the high school basketball level. Nobody else has really had a chance. But with North, MCA, Cristo Rey, and St. Paul Prep all moving up and taking talent with them there is an opening for Prairie Seeds Academy or Hope Academy or Bethany Academy to make their dream run. Or Heritage Christian (I was running hard with the Academies for a moment there).
5A. The entire state of Class A needs to watch out for Hinckley-Finlaysion who has moved down to Class A from AA. The squad brings everybody back from last year (for the most part) and has a standout in Travis Visser that can led them. He and Trevor Johnson lead the returning group of four starters. Visser rebounds like a monster and he’s a skilled threat facing the basket or with his back to the bucket.
6A. NCE/U-H. Lots of letters we understand, but a lot of balance, a lot of returning players, and a lot of Ws a year ago with 24. Main man Isaac Habedank is one of the several returning from last year’s squad with a near double-double average at 6-foot-4 inside. Has one of the best low post motors in the state.
7A. The Cooks of Bigfork. Dalton Cook the senior point guard and Carter Cook the junior shooter. Both have been giving Bigfork numbers for a couple years but now this 19-7 team from a year ago has a chance to make a legit run. North Woods is the name but Bigfork is one of the team’s that will work for the upset.
8A. At 14-13 Sacred Heart was solid but they bring everything back. Everything. That includes Jordan Tomkinson who scored 20 a game and Jack Gerber, a 6-foot-5 low post double-double guy. They are the sleeper that will win 20 and could make a run.