Conference Preview: Rolling Valley

<h4>The Teams</h4> <p><strong>Ar-We-Va (8-11):</strong> The Rockets lost their leading scorer, but bring back the next five from last year’s team, so expect to see a more competitive unit this year. Senior forwards Will Ragaller (14.7, 6.4 rebounds) and [player_tooltip player_id="1235030" first="Cooper" last="Kock"] (7.8, 10.6 rebounds) combined to average 22.5 points and 17.0 rebounds last season and will be the headliners for this group. They both pound the offensive glass hard, gaining extra possessions, which is valuable for a team that didn’t shoot the ball well last year. Ragaller does a little bit of everything for this group, leading the team in assists and steals last season. If one of Andres Cruz (4.5), Braeden Kirsch (2.7), or Conner Kirsch (0.9) can step up and become a decent shooting threat, this could be a much-improved team.</p> <p><strong>Boyer Valley (11-6):</strong> The Bulldogs got off to a strong 8-1 start last season before going just 3-5 down the stretch (although three of those losses came at the hands of West Harrison). They lost their only double-figure scorer from that team in Gavin Reineke, but bring back five contributors who averaged between 2.9 and 9.9 points a game, so they’ll be experienced. Seniors Jaidan TenEyck (9.9) and Trevor Malone (9.9) will be the leaders for this group, with TenEyck the top scoring threat on the perimeter and Malone anchoring the paint on both ends. Senior guard Adam Puck (4.8) isn’t much of a scoring threat, but he led the team in assists last season and does a great job protecting the ball. Boyer Valley routinely posts double-figure wins, and they’ve finished above .500 every year except for 2018-19 in the QuikStats/VarsityBound era. That should continue this year as a second-tier team in the conference.</p> <p><strong>CAM (14-9):</strong> The Cougars may get off to a bit of a slow start this year, as they’re playing for the 8-man championship in football as I type this preview up. With a number of players on that football team serving as key contributors on the hardwood, it would make sense if they are slow out of the gates. Senior guard Colby Rich (14.2) is one of the top returning scorers in the conference, and fellow seniors Cade Ticknor (8.0) and Lane Spieker (6.3) are key contributors as well. Spieker led the team, dishing out 4.4 assists a game, while Ticknor was the top rebounder, pulling down 6.1 boards a night. Juniors Sam Foreman (3.0) and Seth Hensley (2.1) should also step into larger roles this season. With six of their top eight scorers returning from last year’s team that lost five games by single digits, CAM should be a player in this league and a dangerous team in the postseason with their talent and athleticism.</p> <p><strong>Coon Rapids-Bayard (7-10):</strong> The Crusaders posted some strong wins last season against West Harrison in the regular season, and a pair of postseason upsets against Ankeny Christian and Ogden, showing some of their potential. They were inconsistent, but they showed a pretty high ceiling. They bring back their top four scorers from that group, led by seniors [player_tooltip player_id="962664" first="Gabe" last="Obert"] (14.8) and Tanner Oswald (11.1), which gives them one of the best tandems in the conference. In Oswald and senior Easton Hays (6.5), the Crusaders have a solid tandem of ball-handling guards who can get others involved and control the offense, while Obert is one of the league’s top scoring threats. Lance Clayburg (6.9) is the other key returnee, a physical junior forward who pounds the offensive glass hard. With their top four players back from a team that flashed some potential last season, it’s fair to expect Coon Rapids to at least flip their record this season, and if a few things break right, they could break into the top 3 in the league.</p> <p><strong>Exira-EHK (11-11):</strong> The Spartans are another team that was a bit up-and-down last season, posting wins against West Harrison, Boyer Valley, and Coon Rapids-Bayard, but also some perplexing losses to IKM-Manning and Audubon. They bring back a pair of double-figure scorers in juniors Easton Nelson (11.0) and Trey Petersen (10.6), as well as a pair of sophomores who were great as freshmen in Cash Emgarten (8.9) and Jackson Radcliff (7.7). Nelson and Radcliff are strong rebounders, while Petersen and Emgarten are more perimeter-oriented. With four players returning that averaged between 7.7 and 11.0 points a game, the Spartans should be a balanced team this season, and if they can cut down on the turnovers (15.5 a game), they could be a potent enough offensive unit to make a push for a top 2 or 3 finish in the conference.</p> <p><strong>Glidden-Ralston (4-18):</strong> The Wildcats lost their top three scorers from a team that won just four games last season, so it will probably be another long year in the Rolling Valley for them. Senior Cale Klocke (6.1) is the top returnee, while Tyler Brant (3.5) is the top returning rebounder. They should grab a few wins against the lower-level teams in the conference, but they may struggle to compete on a nightly basis.</p> <p><strong>Paton-Churdan (3-17):</strong> Four players return who averaged between 5.3 and 8.0 points a game for the Rockets. Senior guard Joe Carey (8.0) is the top returning scorer, but senior forward Bradyn Smith (6.2, 6.2 rebounds) is the most important returnee for this group. He led the team in rebounding and assists last season, and if they are going to be more competitive, it will be because of Smith improving.</p> [caption id="attachment_1290532" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/126-Koleson-Evans.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1290532 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/126-Koleson-Evans-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="1167693" first="Koleson" last="Evans"][/caption] <p><strong>West Harrison (18-6):</strong> The Hawkeyes have never made a state tournament, but that could certainly change this season following an 18-win year and 89% of their scoring returning. They got off to a bit of a rough start last season, going 3-5 before the holiday break, but then won 15 straight before a substate semifinal loss to St. Albert. They’re led by the (unrelated) Evans boys, [player_tooltip player_id="1167703" first="Sage" last="Evans"] (16.7, 14.5 rebounds) and [player_tooltip player_id="1167693" first="Koleson" last="Evans"] (15.5, 9.8 rebounds). They’re both dominant rebounders who combined to pull down just under 10 offensive boards a game, giving this group a ton of extra possessions. They’re physical, athletic, and skilled, combining to bury 52-119 3-pointers last season (43.7%). Fellow junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="1288871" first="Mason" last="King"] (13.1) gives them another big-time scoring threat on the perimeter, and he can get others involved. The Evans-Evans-King "Big Three" is without a doubt the best in the league, and should be one of the best in 1A.</p> <p><strong>Woodbine (15-7):</strong> The Tigers lost the league's leading scorer from last season (Layne Pryor), but do bring back a double-figure scorer in senior wing Dylan Hoefer (12.3). Hoefer is a three-level scorer who also rebounds at a high level. Cory Bantam (7.1) led the team in assists last season and does a good job protecting the ball, while Paul Fruend (7.0) gives them another experienced wing scorer. They'll take a bit of a step back after losing a player the caliber of Pryor, but with their returnees, they should remain competitive.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Projected Order of Finish</h4> <p>1. West Harrison<br /> 2. CAM<br /> 3. Woodbine<br /> 4. Coon Rapids-Bayard<br /> 5. Exira-EHK<br /> 6. Boyer Valley<br /> 7. Ar-We-Va<br /> 8. Paton-Churdan<br /> 9. Glidden-Ralston</p> <p><strong>Analysis:</strong> West Harrison should pretty much roll through the conference this season. They dominated everyone on the schedule post-holiday break, and bring back a ton of production from that team. CAM has talented athletes and a lot of returnees, while Woodbine should still compete. Coon Rapids-Bayard, Exira-EHK, and Boyer Valley will all be dangerous teams with their returning talent.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Preseason Player of the Year</h4> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/85-Sage-Evans.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1290488" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/85-Sage-Evans-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a>2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1167703" first="Sage" last="Evans"], West Harrison:</strong> You can take your pick on which of the Evans from West Harrison to choose here, but we’ll side with Sage, who was dominant on the glass last season while stuffing the stat sheet on both ends of the floor. He’s undersized at 6-2, but he plays with a relentless motor and has a nose for the ball. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Players to Watch</h4> <p>2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1167703" first="Sage" last="Evans"], West Harrison<br /> 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1167693" first="Koleson" last="Evans"], West Harrison<br /> 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1288871" first="Mason" last="King"], West Harrison<br /> 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="962664" first="Gabe" last="Obert"], Coon Rapids-Bayard<br /> 2022 Tanner Oswald, Coon Rapids-Bayard<br /> 2022 Will Ragaller, Ar-We-Va<br /> 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1235030" first="Cooper" last="Kock"], Ar-We-Va<br /> 2022 Colby Rich, CAM<br /> 2022 Cade Ticknor, CAM<br /> 2022 Dylan Hoefer, Woodbine<br /> 2023 Easton Nelson, Exira-EHK<br /> 2023 Trey Petersen, Exira-EHK<br /> 2024 Cash Emgarten, Exira-EHK<br /> 2024 Jackson Radcliff, Exira-EHK<br /> 2022 Jaidan TenEyck, Boyer Valley<br /> 2022 Trevor Malone, Boyer Valley</p>