Top Players: #3 Fargo Davies vs. Fargo North

Fargo, ND - Coming into this game Davies was ranked #3 in the latest State Polls and Fargo North was receiving votes. Before last night’s game, the Eagles had a record of 5-1 and the Spartans had a record of 5-3. The new polls will come out tonight. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/klabomason-crop-2813x1847-1642004637.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1364456" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/klabomason-crop-2813x1847-1642004637-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1364512" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/semFT-crop-3493x2294-1642009082-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> Game Notes We had a wild one last night in this EDC matchup. It was a tight first half for the most part. Both teams traded punches early on and they each held the lead. Davies went on a big run late in the first half and they went into halftime up by 9 points. Early on in the second half, the Eagles dominated and it looked like they were going to have a blowout win. At one point Davies was up by 19 in the second half. North had a momentous comeback and even took the lead at a few different moments. Eventually, Davies had too much for North to overcome. I was super impressed with the Eagle’s defense. They got many tips, deflections, and steals with their pressure. Davies picked up fullcourt and they applied run-n-jump pressure along with some double-team traps. They also trapped in the halfcourt near the timeline, which looked really good. On the other side, North looked like they were out for the count but they had a crazy comeback. It was great to see that grit and fight. The Spartans are a scary team, nobody will want to play them come tournament time. Both of these Fargo squads are going to have excellent seasons! Scores 1st Half - Davies 44 North 35 Final - Davies 99 North 90 <h4>Top Eagles</h4> [player_tooltip player_id="1169136" first="Mason" last="Klabo"] (2025) |6-1 SG| 45 points, 7 triples, 6-8 ft’s. He was easily the player of the game! Klabo is mature beyond his years. He is athletic and very strong for just a 9th grader. Mason is a precision shooter with flawless form. He shoots with great confidence and timing. Klabo is not just a shooter, he can get to the rim off the dribble and he scored multiple points from O-board putbacks. His mid-range game was on point and he hit the jumpers with consistency. I loved the way he used screens and came off ready to shoot with a quick trigger. Against the Spartan zone in the second half, Mason spaced and moved to the open areas for great looks. He showed off his shooting range with NBA 3-pointers. The young Klabo finishes in traffic like a strong senior, not a freshman. On defense, Klabo was aggressive and smart with many deflections and steals. He is a scrapper and he is not afraid to get physical when fighting for 50/50 balls. Mason was great in transition and he shared the ball and made the correct pass. He was great at handling pressure and he is ball strong. It was an epic performance by [player_tooltip player_id="1169136" first="Mason" last="Klabo"], it was a game for the ages! [player_tooltip player_id="812229" first="Ian" last="Motschenbacher"] (2022) |6-0 G| 17 points, 1 triple. He was putting pressure on the defense all night by slashing and penetrating. Motschenbacher is a great cutter. Ian also had a very nice give-and-go cut/basket. His fake crossover is very nice and super effective. Ian scored most of his points by attacking the basket, he is a crafty and creative finisher. He also hit a 3-pointer from the corner in the second half. Ian scored a bucket with excellent effort on an O-board tip-in. Ian was disruptive on defense and he was good in the transition game. [player_tooltip player_id="1050247" first="Raymond" last="Brown"] (2024) |5-11 G| 11 points, 3 triples. His defense and pressure were ever-present last night. Brown had many steals in the press and in the half-court. He also grabbed offensive rebounds because of his hustle. Raymond is a great athlete that moves phenomenally well. He dropped multiple dimes to other Eagles for good looks. I loved how he drove and kicked to open shooters, especially to Klabo. His 3-point shooting was spot on. Brown provided a nice offensive boost and he was a game-changer on defense. Kaden Braaflat (2022) |6-1 G| 7 points, 5-6 ft’s. He was great last night with his effort and understanding of his role. Kaden provided NRG and enthusiasm for the Eagles. I thought his on-ball defense was excellent. To start the game, Kaden had a steal. He also erased a shot from a Spartan shooter at the rim. I loved his effort when diving for a ball and keeping it from going out of bounds. Braaflat is an opportunistic player that is not afraid to step up and make a play. Kaden knocked down some big free throws in the second half. He also had an important cutting basket near the end to help seal the victory. [player_tooltip player_id="1273987" first="Evan" last="Van Dam"] (2022) |6-6 F| 4 points. In the first half, Evan had a very nice give-and-go pass to Motschenbacher. When finishing, I like how Van Dam keeps his shoulders square to the rim. That way if anyone tries to block his shot, they will have to go through his body and foul him. I liked his anticipation on the back of the press, this led to him picking off a Spartan pass. In the second half, Evan did a great job of sealing on a BLOB and it led to an easy basket. [player_tooltip player_id="1161524" first="Daniel" last="Yorke"] (2024) |6-0 G| 4 points. He is a hustler on defense and he was impressive in the Eagles pressure defense. Yorke seemed to get his hands on the ball with deflections and tips whenever he was in the game. Daniel had a nice steal which led to a layup on the other end. His other basket was a running-shot in traffic. It was a tough shot that showed great concentration by Yorke. He provided excellent energy and effort off the bench. <h4>Top Spartans</h4> [player_tooltip player_id="1144475" first="Jeremiah" last="Sem"] (2024) |6-3 G| 26 points, 4 triples, 8-12 ft’s. He is an amazing athlete that makes the game look easy. Sem slices and glides through the defense as few can. He is super bouncy and very fast. His hang time is phenomenal. Sem can get red hot from the 3-point arc and he does not need much room to get his shot off. Jeremiah looked great feeding the ball to Zeller and setting up his younger brother for good looks. He also had some huge blocks on defense and some sneaky steals. Jeremiah is a game-changer and playmaker. He was instrumental in the Spartan come back last night. Sem will be a huge part of the success that North has this season and he is a human highlight reel. [player_tooltip player_id="1144600" first="Carter" last="Zeller"] (2024) |6-6 PF| 24 points, 2-4 ft’s. This kid is a beast and he is only a sophomore! His patience, strength, rebounding, nose for the ball, unselfishness, and movement away from the ball really impressed me. Zeller did a nice job of passing to teammates out of the post. He rolled off screens and found the open spot in the paint for good looks. When his teammates slashed to the hoop, Carter shaped up in the perfect spot to receive the pass and score. His offensive rebounding was phenomenal. Zeller had a ton of his points from O-board putbacks. He had two big blocks on defense and he scored immediately on the other end, those types of plays can be a momentum changer. Carter had another great play when he handed the ball off to Sem and he ran to the rim, received the pass, and had an AND1 finish. North lost the game but Zeller was marvelous. [player_tooltip player_id="1167610" first="Matthew" last="Sem"] (2025) |6-1 G| 15 points, 2 triples, 3-3 ft’s. This was my first time seeing him in varsity action and the young Sem was impressive. Matthew is a slimmer version of his older brother and he is very athletic. He did not get in the game until the second half and he was a big reason for the Spartan comeback. He is lightning quick and very bouncy, he showed great hang time when finishing. Matthew looks to be a good shooter from beyond the arc. He played well off his older brother, Jeremiah set him up for some sweet looks. Matthew had a great backdoor cut for a reverse layup. He showed a slick spin-move with an AND1 left-handed finish. The young Sem also put in a soft runner off the glass. It was a great second half for the freshman. [player_tooltip player_id="1135520" first="Isaac" last="Cody"] (2022) |6-4 G/F| 12 points, 1 triple. 5-6 ft’s. He is a versatile player that handles the ball often, slashes to the basket, rebounds, and shoots it well from deep. Cody also had some very nice passes that led to buckets for the Spartans. Isaac’s length and hustle led to a blocked shot that saved a basket. Cody showed off his speed with a coast-to-coast basket. He had some crafty baskets and an O-board putback. I really liked the looks of his post entry, cut, and short jumper. Isaac is a multi-talented player that can hurt you in many ways. [player_tooltip player_id="1364397" first="Carson" last="Hannestad"] (2024) |6-0 G| 12 points, 3 triples, 1-2 ft’s. He was a nice spark off the bench for the Spartans and Carson did all of his scoring in the second half. He showed excellent hustle and NRG. Hannestad has a good-looking shooting stroke and he showed good footwork going into his shot. He has extended range, Carson hit a deep 3-ball from college range. He stood out as a smooth shooter. Hannestad showed good anticipation on defense when stealing the basketball from an Eagle player. Hannestad had timely and clutch 3’s when the Spartans made their comeback.