Beresford Watchdogs: Season Review
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The Watchdogs played a challenging schedule this season against stiff competition. Beresford plays in Region 4A, arguably the best region in Class A, they also compete in the tough Big-East Conference. Ben Short was in his first season as the…
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Continue ReadingThe Watchdogs played a challenging schedule this season against stiff competition. Beresford plays in Region 4A, arguably the best region in Class A, they also compete in the tough Big-East Conference. Ben Short was in his first season as the new head coach for Beresford. He has the reputation of being one of the better up-and-coming coaches in South Dakota. The Watchdogs did not pick up as many wins as they would have liked, however they still won some quality games. Beresford had 3 players named to the Big-East All-Conference Team. Look out for the Watchdogs, they have the potential to be a dark-horse next season. Read below for an in-depth look at the Watchdogs!
Team Awards
Tate VanOtterloo Tate VanOtterloo 6'5" | SF Beresford | 2023 SD – Most Valuable Player
Mason Heiberger – Junior Varsity MVP
Cooper Nelson – C-Team MVP
Peyton Peterson – Mr. Hustle
Jon Delay – Junior Varsity Mr. Hustle
Noah Colford – C-Team Mr. Hustle
Andrew Atwood Andrew Atwood 6'2" | SG Beresford | 2024 State SD – Newcomer Of The Year
Ashton Tjaden Ashton Tjaden 6'4" | SF Beresford | 2022 State SD – Rebound Leader
Andrew Atwood Andrew Atwood 6'2" | SG Beresford | 2024 State SD – Sharpshooter
Ashton Tjaden Ashton Tjaden 6'4" | SF Beresford | 2022 State SD – Defensive Player Of The Year
Malachi James – Most Improved
Isaiah Richards Isaiah Richards 5'11" | PG Beresford | 2022 State SD – Mr. Dimes
Tate VanOtterloo Tate VanOtterloo 6'5" | SF Beresford | 2023 SD – Rim Protector
Aidan Hamm – Watchdog Practice Player Of The Year
All-Conference Players
Tate VanOtterloo Tate VanOtterloo 6'5" | SF Beresford | 2023 SD – 2nd team All-Conference
Ashton Tjaden Ashton Tjaden 6'4" | SF Beresford | 2022 State SD – Honorable mention All-Conference
Andrew Atwood Andrew Atwood 6'2" | SG Beresford | 2024 State SD – Honorable mention All-Conference
Watchdog Talk with coach Ben Short
PHD: What were some of the highlights of the season?
Coach Short: “Finished the season 8-13. Our program had two big wins against Canton and Elk-Point Jefferson, respectively. Beating both our rivals in an exciting fashion. Beating Canton in overtime on their court in front of a packed crowd was an amazing experience for our guys. Also, beating a hot team in regard to EPJ was huge. Giving up a late lead and coming up with a big stop on the last possession of the game gave our guys momentum moving into the home stretch of our season.“
PHD: Which players improved the most for you this season?
Coach Short: “Jake Goblirsch (Jr.) improved dramatically from the beginning of the season to the end. A strong, athletic post player, his basketball IQ and grasp of the game grew every day. He is still very raw when it comes to basketball. His natural abilities give our coaching staff excitement going into this offseason as he can continue to improve and be an even bigger part of our identity for our program next season.“
PHD: Who was your biggest “impact player” this season?
Coach Short: “Without a doubt, our biggest impact player was Tate VanOtterloo Tate VanOtterloo 6'5" | SF Beresford | 2023 SD . One of the better players not only in our talented conference/region but in the entire state of South Dakota. He led the team averaging 17.5 points per game. He also led us in almost every other statistical category defensively. When Tate is in his groove, the basket seems huge and there is nothing teams can do, several games he led all scorers with over 30+ points. Against a very good Lennox team, he had 5 blocks. He can be elite on either end of the court.“
PHD: Who was your best shooter?
Coach Short: “ Andrew Atwood Andrew Atwood 6'2" | SG Beresford | 2024 State SD was our “go-to” guy when we needed a 3pt shot. Not only did he shoot the ball from deep at the highest percentage, but he also seemed to knock down shots when we needed it the most. Whether it was to stop a run by the other team or to get us going on offense.”
PHD: Who were your best practice players and why?
Coach Short: “Two guys that stood out to us all season long were Mason Heiberger (Jr.) and Aidan Hamm (Fresh.). Their high energy every single day helped push others to compete at their best day in and day out. They are both leaders in the classroom as well. Having that high motor and high character were huge attributes to our team.“
PHD: Who were some of your key bench players?
Coach Short: “Peyton Peterson was our first guy off the bench, gave us lots of energy, high effort defense. His role changed about halfway through the season when our starting point guard Isaiah Richards Isaiah Richards 5'11" | PG Beresford | 2022 State SD injured his ankle. Without any reservations, Peyton stepped into the starting position and helped lead us on and off the court.”
PHD: Can you make a few comments about the seniors that you are losing?
Coach Short: “The Beresford program loses 8 seniors that dress varsity. These seniors not only contributed on the court in games but how we as a program attacked practices/workouts with positivity and a drive to get better every day. Having positive role models as a senior class has built us up for success in future years to come. They gave us a foundation of new excitement around our program, an excitement that has sparked motivation in a lot of our younger players to get better this offseason. The presence of our seniors will be missed, without a doubt, but what they were able to accomplish this past season will help motivate us for future years to come.“
PHD: Who are some of your top players that will be back next season?
Tate VanOtterloo Tate VanOtterloo 6'5" | SF Beresford | 2023 SD – Big East Conference 2nd Team All-Conference (17.5ppg, 4.2rebs, 1.7asts., 1.9stls, .7blks)
Andrew Atwood Andrew Atwood 6'2" | SG Beresford | 2024 State SD – Big East Conference Honorable Mention (10.6ppg, 4rebs, 1ast., 2stl, .1blks)
Scores/Schedule (8-13)
Dakota Valley L 14-60
Flandreau L 29-58
Baltic W 55-40
Sioux Valley L 61-77
Parker W 66-58
Garretson L 36-48
Parker L 50-60
Baltic W 60-34
McCook Central-Montrose W 61-54
Tri-Valley L 47-50
Canton W 71-68
Chester Area L 42-50
Vermillion L 31-67
Madison L 31-61
Alcester-Hudson W 71-35
Garretson L 27-59
Elk Point-Jefferson W 60-59
Lennox L 50-76
Wagner W 71-54
Tea Area L 43-81
Tea Area L 46-79