Conference Preview: War Eagle
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The Teams Akron-Westfield (2-20): A pair of freshmen led the Westerners in scoring last season in Jackson Marnach (8.0) and Laytin Koch (6.6). In all, five freshmen saw a good amount of playing time last season, so the program has…
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Continue ReadingThe Teams
Akron-Westfield (2-20): A pair of freshmen led the Westerners in scoring last season in Jackson Marnach (8.0) and Laytin Koch (6.6). In all, five freshmen saw a good amount of playing time last season, so the program has some young talent. Expect to see those now sophomores get more playing time this year as they build for the future. They will still struggle to compete on a nightly basis, but getting playing time for those pieces will be important.
Gehlen Catholic (23-2): The Jays swept St. Mary’s in the regular season last year but lost in the substate championship game, falling short of their first state tournament appearance since 1983. They bring back 90% of their scoring output from last season, so expect them to be one of the best teams in 1A this year, and a real state championship contender. They’re headlined by the most dynamic backcourt in 1A basketball – junior Keaten Bonderson Keaten Bonderson 6'0" | PG Gehlen Catholic | 2023 State IA (20.4) and senior Carter DeRocher Carter DeRocher 6'2" | SF Gehlen Catholic | 2022 State IA (20.2). Bonderson is a bouncy point guard who can get to the rim for finishes or burn teams with his shooting, and DeRocher is an excellent complement to him, a knockdown shooter (44.2 3P%) who can also attack the rim when the defense closes out too hard. Keaton Logan (5.7) and Dylan Lehmann (3.9) started every game last season and return, as do role players Drake DeRocher (3.5), Ryan Augustine (2.0), and Gabe Wiltgen (1.6). This team should be deep and talented, and they’ll learn from that substate final loss last year and be ready to make a run this season.
Harris-Lake Park (8-13): The Wolves lose a pair of double-figure scorers, and three of their top four from last season. Junior guard Tyce Gunderson (8.0) is coming off a solid season, however, and will be a strong piece to start building around. He shot 39% from the arc and dished out 2.9 assists a game last season. Expect him to have the ball in his hands a ton this year. Senior forward Colton Voss (3.8) will likely be the team’s top rebounder, and Eli Robinson (2.3) and Jayden Hodgell (2.2) got a fair amount of run last season and are back to contribute. This team should have a similar amount of success as last season.
Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn (13-10): Juniors Lance Berends Lance Berends 6'4" | PF HMS | 2023 State IA (15.8, 9.8 rebounds) and Kooper Ebel (11.1, 4.2 assists) return to lead the Hawks, who played the top-tier teams in the league as tough as anyone did last year. Berends is a 6-5 big who scores at a high clip and rebounds the ball well on both ends of the floor, while Ebel is a quality lead guard who protects the ball and makes good decisions. They’ll need to find some rotation pieces to fill in alongside that duo, as the next four scorers from last year’s team graduated. If Berends can make another jump in his development, this team could be really dangerous, as few teams in the league have the combination of size and talent to match up with him.
Hinton (10-13): The Blackhawks have one of the most dynamic scorers in the state on their side in senior wing Caleb Holmes Caleb Holmes 6'2" | SF Hinton | 2022 State IA (19.5). Holmes is one of the few players in the state who can go off for 35 points on any night, and he has also improved his playmaking ability for others, leading the team in assists last season. Fellow seniors, Gavin Nelson (6.7) and Landon Lovrien (6.0), as well as juniors Carson Pierce (4.7), Beau DeRocher (3.3), and Caden Winters (2.6) return with experience as well. This team will go as Holmes goes, and if they can improve a tiny bit on the defensive end, they could be dangerous come postseason time.
MMCRU (4-17): Leading scorer and rebounder Kamden Steffen (13.6) returns to lead the Royals. A three-level scorer who gets to the free-throw line at a solid clip, Steffen could be in line for a big junior season. Junior Derek Goth Derek Goth 6'1" | SG MMCRU | 2023 IA (8.1) is another wing scoring option, while sophomore forward Mitchell Schnepf (6.1) pulled down 5.2 rebounds a game as a freshman and is also back. In all, over 76% of last year’s production returns, so expect to see MMCRU become a bit more competitive this season.
Remsen St. Mary’s (22-4): The Hawks have qualified for the 1A state tournament each of the last five seasons, and it has been the defense that leads the way each year. Expect more of the same this season, as they bring back a large majority of a roster that allowed just 41.8 points a game last season. The top three scorers, and four of the top five, return. Junior wing Jaxon Bunkers Jaxon Bunkers 5'11" | SF St. Mary's, Remsen | 2023 State IA (12.5) is the top returning scorer, a three-level scorer and a strong defender who also contributes on the glass. Senior forward Austin Jensen Austin Jensen 6'2" | PF St. Mary's, Remsen | 2022 State IA (10.1) is a highly efficient big man, and the perimeter pairing of Carter Schorg Carter Schorg 5'9" | PG Remsen, St. Mary's | 2022 State IA (9.4) and Alex Schroeder (8.6) give them some additional scoring punch. The Hawks lost both regular-season meetings against Gehlen Catholic last year but won the game that counted the most in the substate championship. Those games should be great this season.
South O’Brien (13-10): Using their tough 2-3 zone, the Wolverines allowed just 45.4 points a game last season, good for 22nd in 1A. The anchor of that defense is junior big man Jake Wallin Jake Wallin 6'7" | PF Spirit Lake | 2023 State IA (12.4, 8.8 rebounds), a physically intimidating presence in the paint who allows the guards to play a bit more aggressively on the perimeter. Wallin is also a talented offensive player that the offense can funnel through, as he dished out 2.0 assists a game last season, tying for the team lead. Hudson Oolman (3.2) is the team’s top returning perimeter scoring threat, so they’ll need to find some quality guard options. But this team will always play strong defense that will keep them in games, and if they can find some pieces to fill in alongside Wallin, they could be a solid club again.
Trinity Christian (5-17): The Tigers lose their top three scorers from last year’s team, leaving senior Ethan Kooima (4.0) and sophomore Dustin Hoksbergen (4.0) as the top returnees. Hoksbergen finished second on the team in rebounding last season and could emerge as one of the better players in the conference by the time he graduates, and that will need to start now if they want to improve this season.
Unity Christian (16-7): Unity was the only school in the league to hand Gehlen Catholic a regular-season loss last year, using a strong defensive effort and a roster that pounds the offensive glass hard. They lose their leading scorer, Clayton Bosma, but bring back four key contributors from last year’s team in seniors Bo Byl Bo Byl 6'4" | PF Unity Christian | 2022 State IA (8.6), James Bouma (6.0), and Carter De Jong (4.4), as well as junior Jacob Van Donge (8.5). Byl is a big, athletic combo forward who rebounds well and can impact the game defensively with his size and length. Bouma and De Jong each shot around 37% from the arc, and Van Donge is a solid ball-handler and decision-maker who can get to the bucket. Expect the Knights to be balanced, play tough defense, crash the offensive glass (13.5 offensive boards a game last season), and win double-digit games yet again.
West Sioux (11-12): After getting to the state tournament in the 2019-20 season, some drop-off was expected, as a huge chunk of production from that team graduated. The athletic and dynamic Falcons still managed to scrape together 11 wins, and they should be among the most improved teams in 2A this season, bringing back 96% of their production. Junior guard Mason Coppock Mason Coppock 6'0" | SG West Sioux | 2023 State IA (13.4) and senior wing Blake Van Ballegooyen (11.4) combine to give them a big-time scoring backcourt that can put up points in bunches. Five other players who averaged between 4.3 and 8.0 points a game, giving them a lot of experienced options. Expect the Falcons to become a more efficient offensive team this season with an additional year of experience, and as they become more efficient, they’ll become more dangerous. They should battle for a top-3 league finish.
Projected Order of Finish
1. Gehlen Catholic
2. Remsen St. Mary’s
3. West Sioux
4. Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn
5. Unity Christian
6. Hinton
7. South O’Brien
8. Harris-Lake Park
9. MMCRU
10. Trinity Christian
11. Akron-Westfield
Analysis: The battle at the top between Gehlen Catholic and St. Mary’s will be fantastic to watch. Both of their regular-season meetings will be must-see events, and will likely decide the league race. West Sioux will be much improved, and HMS, Unity, and Hinton all have pieces that will make them dangerous. The games among the top seven teams in the conference will be a battle on a nightly basis.
Preseason Player of the Year
2023 Keaten Bonderson Keaten Bonderson 6'0" | PG Gehlen Catholic | 2023 State IA , Gehlen Catholic: An athletic and highly efficient scoring guard, Bonderson led the War Eagle in scoring last season while shooting nearly 59% from the field. He can also get others involved at a high clip.
Players to Watch
2023
Keaten Bonderson
Keaten
Bonderson
6'0" | PG
Gehlen Catholic | 2023
State
IA
, Gehlen Catholic
2022
Carter DeRocher
Carter
DeRocher
6'2" | SF
Gehlen Catholic | 2022
State
IA
, Gehlen Catholic
2022
Caleb Holmes
Caleb
Holmes
6'2" | SF
Hinton | 2022
State
IA
, Hinton
2023
Lance Berends
Lance
Berends
6'4" | PF
HMS | 2023
State
IA
, Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn
2023 Kooper Ebel, Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn
2023
Jaxon Bunkers
Jaxon
Bunkers
5'11" | SF
St. Mary's, Remsen | 2023
State
IA
, Remsen St. Mary’s
2022
Carter Schorg
Carter
Schorg
5'9" | PG
Remsen, St. Mary's | 2022
State
IA
, Remsen St. Mary’s
2022
Austin Jensen
Austin
Jensen
6'2" | PF
St. Mary's, Remsen | 2022
State
IA
, Remsen St. Mary’s
2023 Alex Schroeder, Remsen St. Mary’s
2023 Kamden Steffen, MMCRU
2023 Derrick Goth, MMCRU
2023
Mason Coppock
Mason
Coppock
6'0" | SG
West Sioux | 2023
State
IA
, West Sioux
2022 Blake Van Ballegooyen, West Sioux
2023
Jake Wallin
Jake
Wallin
6'7" | PF
Spirit Lake | 2023
State
IA
, South O’Brien
2022
Bo Byl
Bo
Byl
6'4" | PF
Unity Christian | 2022
State
IA
, Unity Christian
2023 Jacob Van Donge, Unity Christian