Hitchcock-Tulare Patriots

The Patriots finished the season with a .500 record. Hitchcock-Tulare had some quality wins on the season but they ran into a buzzsaw in the SoDak 16 Qualifier game. That buzzsaw is called Aberdeen Christian. The Patriots lose a nice group of seniors but they will bring some solid players back and they have intriguing youngsters coming up the ranks. Expect a big offseason from Hitchcock-Tulare, the Pats will certainly put in the work!   Hitchcock-Tulare is an athletic school/community and they are full of hard workers. They certainly know how to win! Do not forget that they won the 9B State Championship this fall in football!   See below for team stats, player stats, player comments, and a Q&A session with coach Nowell.   GO PATS!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/SD-1.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/SD-1.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-1399487" /></a></figure>   2022-2023 Record: 11-11   Wins Against: Langford Area, Potter County, Faulkton Area, Wessington Springs, Sully Buttes, Sunshine Bible Academy, Deubrook Area, Highmore-Harrold, Iroquois-Lake Preston, Ipswich, Leola-Frederick Area   Team Stats: PPG: 52.5 RPG: 36.2 ORPG: 13.4 DRPG: 22.8 APG: 7.1 SPG: 7.1 BPG: 3 TOPG: 13 FG%: 35.8 3FG%: 23.9 3FGM: 92 FT%: 50.3 FTM: 148   Stat Leaders   [player_tooltip player_id='963797' first='TJ' last='Salmen'] (2023) |6'7 PF| - 10.6 ppg, 8.9 rpg, .8 apg, 42.3 FG%   [player_tooltip player_id='1314147' first='Jackson' last='Maynard'] (2024) |6'3 F| - 8.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg, .7 apg, 37.2 FG%   Carter Binger (2023) |5'10 G| - 8.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.8 apg, 29.9 FG%   Erik Salmen (2024) |6'0 F| - 8 ppg, 3 rpg, 1 apg, 35.9 FG%   Riley Fliehe (2023) |6'1 F| - 5.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, .5 apg, 34.3 FG%   Brendan Nowell (2024) |5'8 G| - 4.3 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 1.5 apg, 32 FG%   Cole Schroeder (2023) |6'2 F| - 3.5 ppg, 3 rpg, .4 apg, 46.8 FG%   Jacob Michlitsch (2023) |6'3 C| - 1.7 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 35.9 FG%   Landon Puffer (2023) |5'11 G| - 1.4 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 30 FG%   Mason Bottum (2023) |6'1 G| - 1.2 ppg, 1.6 rpg, .5 apg, 31.4 FG%   Player Comments from coach John Nowell   Carter Binger (sr) - "Leader. Just gave everything he had for us. Beginning of the season, he struggled with his shot, but kept grinding and really found his spot on this team."   [player_tooltip player_id='963797' first='TJ' last='Salmen'] (sr) - "Worker. TJ was our leading scorer and rebounder. He carried us in many games this season when the rest of the team needed him to."   [player_tooltip player_id='1314147' first='Jackson' last='Maynard'] (jr) - "Scorer. Jackson has the ability to go inside and outside for us. He really stepped up for us this season after not being a starter in the beginning and continued to work hard to get back to the starting lineup."   Erik Salmen (jr) - "Worker. Erik really improved his shooting throughout the season and his ability to get to the hoop. His defense has always been something he leans on and made a ton of plays for us."   Brendan Nowell (jr) - "PG. Brendan stepped up huge for us midway through the year. I asked him to take over PG for Carter so we could get both of them different looks. He did a great job. His 3pt shot improved each game and his decision-making made a huge difference for our team."   Riley Fliehe (sr) - "Worker. Riley really put in the time this offseason and season to make his game better. His ability to get to the hoop was the best on the team. His 3pt shot really came along as well."   Q&A with coach John Nowell   PHD: How would you sum up the season for your squad?   Coach Nowell: "We had a season of ups and downs. We started out the season doing some really good things, and then we lost our way for a few games. I made a change to the starting lineups before the Sully Buttes game, and that worked for us to finish out the season. The end of the season was a challenge for us because the level of competition was really good. I believe we played only 1 team in the last 7 games with a losing record. Overall, though, it was a great year. We finally finished a season .500 or better since I have been here and the last time since our State Tournament teams."   PHD: What were some of the highlights that stick out?   Coach Nowell: "We had quite a bit of highlights this season. We beat some quality teams that we haven't in a long time and some teams that were playing in the SoDak 16! (Langford, Ipswich, Sully Buttes, Faulkton, Highmore-Harrold, Wessington Springs) The Sully Buttes game was a fun atmosphere. We just made the change to our starters and the game went back and forth until the final buzzer, at which Brendan Nowell hit a 3-pointer to win the game! Going to Highmore and being able to beat a great team on their home floor was an amazing experience."   PHD: How did your team overcome adversity?   Coach Nowell: "Each team has their adversities, ours is no different. Playing time is always an issue with guys who are athletes and want to contribute to the team, but finding court time for 7 Seniors and 5 Juniors is hard at times. We just kept pushing each other in practice to be better and to work hard. You have to earn your spot and that is done in practice and how you motivate each other to be better."   PHD: Who were some of your hardest workers and what did they do?   Coach Nowell: "Carter Binger is just a workhorse. He gave everything he had to give this season. He battled 2 ACL tears throughout his career, wearing two knee braces to just make it through each game. [player_tooltip player_id='963797' first='TJ' last='Salmen'] and Erik Salmen are workers. They always do their best to make this team go. TJ provided us with a post player and inside presence that many teams don't have. Erik had to guard posts and guards all season long and has the strength to do that. Riley Fliehe is a guy whose motor is always going. He worked really hard this year to earn a Varsity spot and even started the season for us. [player_tooltip player_id='1314147' first='Jackson' last='Maynard'] is a scorer and is very knowledgeable about basketball. He continues to shoot the ball well and provides the team with offense. All of the Varsity guys worked extremely hard this season and it showed."   PHD: Who are a couple of role players that stood out to you?   Coach Nowell: "Brendan Nowell had a great year for us. He started off the season playing JV games and by the end of the year, he was starting Varsity. Cole Schroeder, Mason Bottum, Landon Puffer, and Jacob Michlitsch did a lot of the dirty work for us. The things that you don't always see in the stat sheet. Each one of them provided us with sparks and different times this season."   PHD: Can you talk about your seniors and what will be missed?   Coach Nowell: "We had 7 Seniors this season. They all contributed to this team and played significant minutes. They each had their uniqueness that they brought to this team and their brotherhood will be missed. TJ was a 3-year starter and has played Varsity basketball since his 9th-grade year. Only getting Carter for his Sophomore and Senior years due to ACL injuries, really changed our basketball seasons and what he could have done for the team over his 4 years. He is a leader and demanded that others work hard every play."   PHD: Who are some up-and-comers to look out for in the future?   Coach Nowell: "Brendan Nowell, [player_tooltip player_id='1314147' first='Jackson' last='Maynard'], and Erik Salmen will be Seniors next season. All 3 have played significant time on Varsity, starting half the season this year. Jackson started all 20 games his sophomore year. We have a solid group of 8th graders who will be 9th graders next season that have a ton of talent and work ethic. (Logan LaBrie, Devin Enander, Patrick Maynard, Kaiden Weinreis, Aiden Frankenstein, Briggs LaBrie, Dalton Rathjen, Derek Johnson) Excited to see what they bring to our team this summer and next season.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/SeaonReview-.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/SeaonReview-.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-1842251" /></a></figure>

The Patriots finished the season with a .500 record. Hitchcock-Tulare had some quality wins on the season but they ran into a buzzsaw in the SoDak 16 Qualifier game. That buzzsaw is called Aberdeen Christian. The Patriots lose a nice group of seniors but they will bring some solid players back and they have intriguing youngsters coming up the ranks. Expect a big offseason from Hitchcock-Tulare, the Pats will certainly put in the work!