LaMoure-Litchville/Marion: Season Summary

In this article, we are checking out the Loboes from LaMoure-Litchville/Marion (LLM). The Loboes are a Class B team from District 5 and Region 3. LLM is a school/community that is rich in history and they are no strangers to success. They are always strong in basketball and are also perennial powers in football & baseball. If you pay attention to high school sports in North Dakota, then you already know that the Loboes are regulars at the State Tournaments in football, basketball, and baseball.

Last season, LLM won Region 3 and went to State in basketball. Long-time coach Darren Thielges retired after the season. His son Tyler took over and this was his first season at the helm. Tyler had a great familiarity with the program and it was a seamless transition going from father to son in terms of the head coach. Tyler Thielges has a passion for the game of basketball and I expect Loboe basketball to thrive in the coming years. The 2022-23 season may not have gone exactly how he envisioned but the future continues to look bright for the Loboes.

See below for a deep dive into the LLM Loboes!

2022-23 Record: 13-10

Wins Against: Lisbon, Barnes County North (3 times), Standing Rock, May-Port CG, Richland, Griggs-Midkota, Enderlin, Oakes, Maple River, South Border, Ellendale.

Team Stats: PPG: 52.1 OPPG: 43.9 RPG: 26.8 ORPG: 10 APG: 10.8 SPG: 9.1 BPG: 1.4

FG%: 39.4 2FG%: 44 3FG%: 29.9 2FGMPG: 14.5 3FGMPG: 4.8 FTMPG: 8.7 FPG: 13.5

Player Stats

Blase Isaacson (2024) |5’8 G| – 3.7 ppg, 1 rpg, 1 apg, 33.3 FG%

Brayan Karlgaard Brayan Karlgaard 6'3" | SF LaMoure-Litchville/Marion Loboes | 2025 State ND (2025) |6’2 F| – 4.9 ppg, 2.2 rpg, .3 apg, 45.7 FG%

Tate Mart Tate Mart 5'10" | SG LaMoure/Litchville-Marion | 2023 State ND (2023) |5’8 G| – 4.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.9 apg, 26.9 FG%

Max Musland Max Musland 6'4" | SG LaMoure-Litchville/Marion | 2024 State ND (2024) |6’4 SG| – 18.9 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.5 apg, 42 FG%

Anthony Hanson (2023) |6’2 F| – 6.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg, .9 apg, 44.2 FG%

Connor Johnson (2023) |6’1 G| – 3.1 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.5 apg, 30.3 FG%

Colton Ness Colton Ness 6'2" | SG LaMoure/Litchville-Marion | 2023 State ND (2023) |6’1 SF| – 10.8 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.8 apg, 45.5 FG%

Gunner Thielges Gunner Thielges 6'0" | CG LaMoure-Litchville/Marion | 2026 State ND (2026) |6’0 G| – 1.1 ppg, 1.4 rpg, .1 apg, 21.1 FG%

Q&A with coach Tyler Thielges

PHD: How would you sum up the season for your squad?

Coach Thielges: “On the surface, a 13-10 record & a quarterfinal of Regionals exit is disappointing in the Loboe program. We expect to be at that 20-win mark & competing in State Tournaments most seasons. With that said – we had to replace some key players from our 21-22 team & battled the injury bug a little more than usual. We played a challenging non-district schedule that included several teams that have had some sort of Top-10 recognition throughout the season. Our region was deep with about 7-8 teams that felt like they had a legitimate shot at winning the Regional Tournament. Overall, we had some high-quality wins & some tough losses. We just weren’t able to string together enough quality wins to get enough momentum to get over the hump.“

PHD: What were some of the highlights that stick out?

Coach Thielges: “We won the Barnes County Tournament this year and we made it to the District 5 Championship game.“

PHD: How did your team overcome adversity?

Coach Thielges: “Dating back to last season, our group has had to overcome more adversity than I’d wish upon anyone. The loss of a special player, friend & classmate in Carter is on our minds & hearts every day. Injury-wise – we had one of our best pure athletes in Owen Lesko miss this season due to a knee procedure & starter Connor Johnson battled through a torn labrum in his shooting shoulder for most of the season. Our guys have a tremendous camaraderie about them & didn’t hang their heads or make excuses when our season didn’t go according to expectations. They are a high-character group that kept working & had us in the thick of things by tournament time.“

PHD: Who were some of your hardest workers and what did they do?

Coach Thielges: “I thought the way that Connor Johnson battled & played through a torn labrum was admirable. Everyone in the North Dakota baseball world knows about how good he is on the diamond, so for him to make the decision to fight through his injury rather than try to save it for baseball season says a lot, not only about his toughness but also his commitment to the basketball team. Max Musland Max Musland 6'4" | SG LaMoure-Litchville/Marion | 2024 State ND gets a lot of recognition (and rightfully so) for his prowess on the court, but sometimes that can overshadow how hard he works behind the scenes. He built upon his roles last season & excelled as a creator on the offensive end and a rim protector on the defensive end. He also had to battle through lingering knee pain from an injury he sustained in the State Baseball Tournament back in August.“

PHD: Who are a couple of role players that stood out to you?

Coach Thielges: “We return a stretch forward in Brayan Karlgaard Brayan Karlgaard 6'3" | SF LaMoure-Litchville/Marion Loboes | 2025 State ND that emerged as a tough scoring threat late in the season. He shoots the 3-pointer at a really efficient clip. His length is tough to defend on the perimeter & allows him to post most guards up. He finished the season playing his best basketball, including a 14-point game in our Regional Quarterfinal. Our other returning role player is Blase Isaacson. Blase is a smart ball player that works hard & can space the floor with his 3PT shot. He had a game in Richland earlier this season where he made five 3’s for us.“

PHD: Can you talk about your seniors and what will be missed? 

Coach Thielges: “We lose seniors Tate Mart Tate Mart 5'10" | SG LaMoure/Litchville-Marion | 2023 State ND , Anthony Hanson, Connor Johnson & Colton Ness Colton Ness 6'2" | SG LaMoure/Litchville-Marion | 2023 State ND . These are some good athletes that brought a mixture of speed, strength & toughness to our team. Tate & Anthony had limited varsity roles before their senior seasons. Each of them were asked to step into full-time varsity roles and did a solid job bringing consistency to our lineup. Connor put in his time at the junior varsity level before emerging as a defensive stopper for us as a senior. Colton has had a significant role in our varsity program since his freshman year. He brought a scoring & rebounding presence to this year’s team. We will miss their experience, character & athleticism.“

PHD: You have a special player, Max Musland Max Musland 6'4" | SG LaMoure-Litchville/Marion | 2024 State ND , can you make a few comments on him as a player?

Coach Thielges: “We return one of the best players in the state in Max Musland Max Musland 6'4" | SG LaMoure-Litchville/Marion | 2024 State ND . He was asked to do a lot of everything for us. Once he settled into his expanded role, his production was as good as anyone’s in the state. Max is a long, athletic guard that can score from all three levels. Although he had a great individual season, his best basketball continues to be in front of him. It’s hard to do for talented players that are already good, but I felt like he was actually our most improved player throughout the season. The way he was playing at the end of the year had us feeling like we could compete with anyone. Max can defend & be disruptive with his length on the perimeter as well as protecting the rim. He is a team-first player that can be unselfish to a fault. His goal for this offseason will be to put on weight/strength & to add more assertive attack moves to his repertoire.“

PHD: Who are some up-and-comers to look out for in the future?

Coach Thielges: “Our JV team featured three talented freshmen. Gunner Thielges Gunner Thielges 6'0" | CG LaMoure-Litchville/Marion | 2026 State ND is an elite athlete that provided situational varsity depth for us this season. He has good length for a guard & uses that combination of athleticism & length to disrupt opponents on the defensive end. He is also one of the best rebounders in our program. If he decides to improve skill-wise on the offensive end, he can be a difference-maker on the varsity team. Avery Kramer is another athletic guard with really good instincts. He averaged nearly 5 steals per game in JV action & finishes really well in transition. If he develops his weak hand & an understanding of the half-court game, he will be a contributor for us next year. Jarin Ragan is a tough forward that has a never-ending motor. He provides a physical presence in the paint. His varsity time will come as his overall skill development & his continued growth comes along.“

PHD: I know it’s early, but what are the plans for the offseason?

Coach Thielges: “We will host our team camp again & try to get some of the best programs/players in the Dakotas to be there. In addition, we’re looking at a couple of other team camps, running open gyms & getting skill work in during our weekly summer camp.“