Section 7A Preview

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Playoffs are right around the corner. With small-school section tournaments set to begin in the next few weeks, it’s time to turn our attention to the postseason.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Section 7A has been dominated by North Woods for the last few years as the Grizzlies have reached the state championship games three years in a row. High-powered offenses are aplenty in this section traditionally and that’s the case again this year as six teams average more than 73 points per game. The balance of power seems to have shifted away from North Woods completely running away with things, as there are a number of high-quality teams seemingly poised for lengthy runs. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here’s a look at Section 7</span></p> <p><strong>Favorite: North Woods</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Grizzlies have dominated Section 7 for years now and while a lot of that was because of Cade Goggleye, who is now in college, there is still a ton of talent within the program. North Woods isn’t head-and-shoulders ahead of the pack like it was the last few seasons, but the Grizzlies average 87 points per game, force turnovers at a high rate and have excellent inside-outside balance. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/trevor-morrison/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/trevor-morrison/">Trevor Morrison</a></a> has been a mainstay in the rotation for three years now and is a force in the paint. He’s joined by <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/darius-goggleye/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/darius-goggleye/">Darius Goggleye</a></a> who has the blend of size and athleticism to play inside and out. TJ Chiabotti has taken the next step as the go-to guy on the perimeter and underclassmen like Jared Chiabotti and Brendan Chiabotti have developed into solid complementary pieces. </span></p> <p><strong>Contender: Nashwauk-Keewatin</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Spartans have been among the primary challengers to North Woods in recent years and it appears that they are equipped to not just challenge, but knock them out this time around. Nashwauk-Keewatin has the firepower, averaging 82 points per game. The Spartans play terrific defense - feasting on turnovers and using their athleticism to overwhelm teams. Jager Nash and Spencer Engel are rock-solid, experienced guards who can change the game on both ends of the floor. And Jeff Lorenz and Jack Lorenz form one of the best frontcourts in the section. The Spartans are the higher rated team in the QRF and could be the No. 1 seed in the section - if they are No. 1 or No. 2 is mostly inconsequential because they are talented and experienced enough to get to state. </span></p> <p><strong>In The Mix: Ely, Deer River</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ely is going to eclipse the 20-win mark before the postseason starts and while the Timberwolves are 0-2 against North Woods and Nashwauk-Keewatin, they’ve been competitive in both losses and have the high-end talent plus toughness on the defensive end of the floor to beat anybody. Dylan Fenske and Eric Omerza form one of the best duos in the section, averaging nearly 40 points per game combined. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Deer River is 14-8 on the season and has been competitive against a lot of quality teams. The Warriors are elite on the offensive end of the floor. They are led by a pair of super-sophs in Ty Morrison and Mikhail Wakonabo. Both guys are capable of popping off for 20-30 points. Senior guard Blake Fox has been a steady hand on the perimeter and freshman guard Sam Rahier has developed into a solid complementary scorer. </span></p> <p><strong>Watch Out For: Mountain Iron-Buhl</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Rangers are only a few games above .500 but likely tracking towards the No. 5 seed in the section thanks in large part to the freshman phenom tandem of Asher Zubich and Nikolas Jesch. Zubich is one of the state’s top scorers, averaging 31 points per game while knocking down 42 percent of his 3-pointers. He gets to the free throw line, he can create his own shot and he’s a strong playmaker. Jesch is no slouch, averaging 19 points per game while knocking down 37 percent of his 3-pointers. The Rangers don’t play great defense, and they can have issues with ball security, but they’ve got the collective firepower to put a scare into teams. </span></p>