PHD Playoff Central: Class A Best of the Regionals

<p>Today we honor Class A’s best from this past weekend.  What players were the Best of the Best?  PHD runs through it today. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><u>PHD Playoff Central</u></strong>.   The Sweet 16 - SoDak 16 is set.  How those games looking?</p> <p>Vermillion vs Milbank - The David vs Goliath game</p> <p>Dakota Valley vs Sisseton - If the previous game is David vs Goliath than this was USSR vs USA of 1980 </p> <p>Sioux Valley vs Wagner - Wagner was a .500 team this summer while the Cossacks have lost onece</p> <p>Sioux Falls Christian vs Custer - Custer will need a lot of stands to win this one</p> <p>St. Thomas More vs Madison - A couple of slower starters from this past week who won big. No slow starts this time.</p> <p>Chamberlain vs Flandreau - This could be the best game of Tuesday night. </p> <p>Winner vs Mobridge-Pollock - A pair of top ten Class A squads in the second half of the rankings.</p> <p>Dell Rapids vs RC Christian - RCC has said they are looking for respect, well, here’s your chance.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><u>All Class A Weekend Team</u></strong>.  </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="975500" first="Brady" last="Fritz"]</strong> of Winner.  The most unstoppable force of the Sweet 16 qualifiers was [player_tooltip player_id="975500" first="Brady" last="Fritz"].  Fritz scored 38 of his team’s 61 points and then got to relax at the end of the game cheering on the bench. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="732179" first="Paul" last="Bruns"]</strong> of Dakota Valley. In the most anticipated game of the weekend, UND signed [player_tooltip player_id="732179" first="Paul" last="Bruns"] put 21 points and 19 rebounds in the book to lead Dakota Valley over Tea Area 64-58.  In a close game, Bruns kept his team up a couple scores throughout the second half. </p> <p><strong>Alex Cournoyer</strong> of Wagener.   Wagner turned the game around in the second half with the senior Alex Cournoyer stepping forward to lead.  Cournoyer scored 22 points with four assists. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="812212" first="Hayden" last="Ruesink"]</strong> of Sioux Valley.  The 6-foot-5 Cossacks big was the difference in Friday’s game vs Clark/Willow Lake.  Hayden shot 8 of 11 from the floor and scored 1 of his team’s 57 points.  </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="732203" first="Colin" last="Rentz"]</strong> of Dell Rapids.   Dell Rapids qualified for the Sweet 16 (SoDak 16) knocking off West Central 65-52.  Point guard [player_tooltip player_id="732203" first="Colin" last="Rentz"] led his team to the convincing win with 21 points and ten boards on six of nine shooting. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="975544" first="Taryn" last="Ukestine"]</strong> of Flandreau.  Taryn is a 6-foot-1 guard that is relied on as the playmaker.  In a two score, slower paced game, Ukestine made the plays to earn the win.  Taryn scored 16 points and that included clutch scores late in the game including a key jumper and some foul shots.</p> <p><strong>Nate Ricke</strong> of Madison.  What a clutch performance off the bench from the Bulldogs 6-foot-3 junior.  Ricke recorded 22 points with six boards turning a Parkston four score lead into a blowout.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="975587" first="Charlie" last="Larson"]</strong> of St. Thomas More.  The 6-foot-3 senior had one of his better games of the winter scoring 20.  The Cavs move the ball as well as anybody and their many leads put the ball on the hands of Larson for several scores in the paint. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="757844" first="Dillon" last="Gestring"]</strong> of Vermillion.  Gestring controlled a good part of the game finishing in the paint for his 17 points and then controlling the glass with 11 rebounds.</p> <p><strong>Max Scott</strong> of Parkston.  The 6-foot-5 junior big had another eye-opening game. Scott went to the rim and scored four times in the first quarter moving through contact.  He had 22 points and eight boards. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="975516" first="Jakob" last="Dobney"]</strong> of Vermillion. Dobney put together a 15 point, eight rebound, and four assist performance in the victory over Lennox before taking an early seat.  Strong performance in limited time. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Upset </strong><strong>City. </strong></span>The upset of the weekend?  Milbank and their .500 record knocked off the number one seed Groton Area squad 51-42.  This is after Groton won the first game by 21 points.  Six foot guard [player_tooltip player_id="968186" first="Bennett" last="Schwenn"] and a balanced squad put together an excellent team effort and now Milbank is in the Sweet 16.  Next up for them?  Vermillion. </p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tip of Hat to the Career.</strong></span><strong>    </strong>A player in Class A that has seen his final game come and go is <strong>Jaxson Frankenstein</strong> of Redfield.  Jaxson is a top 50 level senior that scored 20 points and 10 rebounds a game for his team this winter.  Frankenstein is one of the more efficient seniors out there with his 57 percent shooting including 45 percent from the arc.  </p>