Wyndmere-Lidgerwood Warbirds

Mother Nature has not been very kind to the Warbirds. They have not played a game yet and tonight's game vs. Northern Cass has been postponed to a later date. There have been other changes to the schedule. W/L will now play in Wilmot (SD) on Friday 12/15, which will be a boys/girls doubleheader. The Warbird game with Larimore has moved to January 27th.   Practices have been going well for the Warbirds. The players are working hard and have really come together as a team. They are adjusting a few things with the loss of a player to an injury. On the defensive side of the ball, the Warbirds will be tough, they might have a ways to go on the offensive side of the ball. However, Wydmere-Lidgerwood has a very good leader with head coach Todd Hosford, who knows the game well and has a passion for hoops.   Get ready to watch some Warbird basketball tomorrow night in the season opener. I know that coach Hosford will have his squad ready to fly!   *See below for player comments and a Q&A session with coach Hosford.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/warbirds.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/warbirds.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1697652" width="481" height="296" /></a></figure>   Top Players   [player_tooltip player_id='1138706' first='Bryer' last='Kaczynski'] (2023) 7'0” – 21-22 stats: 12.3 ppg, 8.9 rpg, .7 apg, 2 bpg   He will be a force in the paint both offensively and defensively. Protecting the basket is his best strength and W/L will need him to play with a more physical mindset this year. Bryer had a very nice AAU season and he should come into the season ready to dominate in the paint. His wingspan is massive and that length is a game-changer. Expect a double-double every night from the Jamestown commit.   [player_tooltip player_id='1184526' first='Adam' last='Baldwin'] (2023) 6'1" – 21-22 stats: 10.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.9 apg, 1.5 spg   He will be a threat from behind the arc this year. Adam was the Warbirds most consistent shooter last season (47 treys made) and was the top assist guy as well.   Levi Kackman (2024) 5'11" – 21-22 stats: 3.7 ppg, 3.1 rpg, .9 apg, 1.2 spg   He is the Warbird energy/hustle guy. Levi has a nose for the ball and is not afraid to battle with the BIG guys. Kackman is the Warbirds best overall defender and he will be asked to guard 1 through 4 this year.   Landon Buehre (2024) 5'9" – 21-22 stats: 2.2 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 1.3 apg, .5 spg   He is a scrappy and tough-nosed kid. Landon attacks the basket well and has good court vision to make plays for the Warbirds.   Brian Quam (2025) 6'1" – 21-22 stats: 4.2 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1 spg   He has good range and was the Warbirds second most consistent shooter from deep last season. Quam will need to take better care of the ball this year but he should be a serious offensive threat for teams to worry about.   Mathias Kackman (2023) 6'3" – 21-22 stats: 3.4 ppg, 1.5 rpg, .6 apg, .6 spg   He is our W/L's most athletic player. Mathias has gained quite a bit of strength from last year and now just needs to learn how to take advantage of both his strength and athleticism. Kackman had a very good showing at NSU this summer so hopefully, he can build off of that.   Tyler Brandt (2024) 5'10" – 21-22 stats: 1.6 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1 spg   He is another athletic Warbird. Brandt attacks the basket strongly and finishes pretty well. Tyler has nice shooting range as well. Unfortunately, Brandt is currently out with an injury.   Carl Quam (2023) 6'6"     He is a very aggressive post-player. Carl is not afraid to bang and bump down low and does he a nice job of rebounding on both ends of the floor for W/L.   Jack Manstrom (2023) 5'9"   He is a pure energy player who works his tail off. The Warbirds will need Manstrom to be a pesky defender all season long.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/warbirdd-crop-1169x768-1671122096.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/warbirdd-crop-1169x768-1671122096.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1697915" width="180" height="118" /></a></figure>   Q&A with coach Todd Hosford   PHD: What can you tell us about last season?   Coach Hosford: “Last season we were plagued by turnovers and a lack of consistent, outside shooting. Teams were able to really double and triple team our big guys because of this so we really struggled to get into any offensive flow. I also felt like our team was not ready for the physicality of region 1 basketball. Hopefully, after a year of experience, these guys will be up to that task this year.”   PHD: How did the offseason/summer go for your team?   Coach Hosford: “This summer I felt like we got better and came together as a team. It was really good to see us win more games than lose in the two team camps we attended this year at Jamestown and Northern State. We needed the guys to gain some confidence and I think they did that this summer.”   PHD: Do the Warbirds have an Up-and-Comer that we should know about?   Coach Hosford: “[player_tooltip player_id='1697732' first='Jace' last='Stenson']- Freshman- Jace got moved up to JV late last year and did a great job of adjusting to that level of play off his JH season. He is a smart player that can play inside or out. He handles the ball great and has good court vision as well. Jace has a bright future due to his work ethic and knowledge of the game.”   PHD: What style of play should we expect from the Wardbirds?   Coach Hosford: “We will be an inside out team due to our size. We will look to push the ball when the chances are there, but we will be more of a half court team. Defensively we will mix it up, but I think zone defenses will be our strength.”    PHD: Who are the Warbirds biggest rivals?   Coach Hosford: “Hankinson, Richland, and Sargent County are our rivals due to them being so close to us. Hankinson and Richland are county rivals and Sargent County is just down the road 15 miles away.”   PHD: Who are the top teams in Region 1?   Coach Hosford: “Central Cass- great depth and balance.”    “Kindred- size and athleticism and a winning culture, great coach.”   “SC- lots of experience returning and are very athletic, deep.”    “Oak Grove- winning culture, great coach and systems in place, have two or three All-Region caliber players.”   Good Luck Warbirds!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/10/TeamPreview.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/10/TeamPreview.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-1634111" /></a></figure>

Mother Nature has not been very kind to the Warbirds. They have not played a game yet and tonight's game vs. Northern Cass has been postponed to a later date. There have been other changes to the schedule. W/L will now play in Wilmot (SD) on Friday 12/15, which will be a boys/girls doubleheader. The Warbird game with Larimore has moved to January 27th.