The Park Region Preview

New York Mills was unbeaten in league play last season but they lost their star, and their entire starting five. Henning looks to be in the perfect spot to control the league. Will they have any contenders? We try and…

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Conference Commentary

Top Ten in State: Henning

I have Henning at 11/12 right now coming into the season for Class A which to me means if they get through two weeks without a loss they will be in the top ten. Henning is the only team in this league that has any kind of senior core to them and of course they are coming off of a 23 win season. With so much turnover in this league in terms of graduating seniors and young players replacing them, Henning is a really big favorite right now.

Compete with Most: Pillager, Wadena-Deer Creek

Pillager has three players entering their upperclassmen years that should be really good players including 6’4 Christian Hooge who could really emerge this season. About half of their rotation returns this season and even though their all league talent is gone, it seems like they have up and comers to move into those spots. Wadena-Deer Creek has been playing youth and last year that youth led them just over .500. I think next season they will be talking about being a ranked team, and maybe that could come this year with a big step? They are likely a 20 win team this season.

Rebuilding: Menahga, Bertha-Hewitt, Sebeka, Verndale, New York Mills

This many rebuilding? Look below at the preseason all league teams, there are barely any seniors returning in this league that have produced at a pretty high level.

Menahga lost a big share of their line-up from last season and they are a really small team. Looks like a step back from their .500 season from a year ago is coming. Bertha-Hewitt won five games last year but I think they could take a step forward this year, even if it’s a small step. If their senior size can improve they surely will take a step forward. With only one senior and a team that will play mostly juniors and young kids, and after losing by an average of 30 a game last year, Sebeka is in rebuild mode although this should be a step forward. Nobody lost more from their rotation than Verndale and New York Mills, especially percentage of production wise. Verndale was a game over .500 last year, I have to believe they will take a step back in some way. Vernadale may have lost the most names, but New York Mills lost the league MVP in Tate Olson Tate Olson 6'2" | PG St. Peter | 2024 State MN , they lost five all league players, and they will look as different as anybody. Everybody that scored in the section title game and in the game I saw versus Henning has graduated for NYM. That doesn’t mean that they will be bad, it just means their rotation will be full of guys that are new, who played behind an outstanding senior core. So it is a guessing game as NYM has a new line-up to build.