Conference Preview: Western Valley

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>The Teams</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kingsley-Pierson (17-5, 37.4% of scoring returning): </strong>The Panthers were a dominant defensive team last season, allowing just 38.8 points a game, which ranked second in Class 1A. They lost four key contributors from that team, but do bring back their do-it-all wing Beau Goodwin (13.3), who led the team in scoring, rebounding, and assists last season. A tough wing who can get to the rim for finishes at a high clip, his versatility makes him a difficult matchup in the league. They'll need players like sophomore Landon Howe (3.9) to step into bigger roles following the substantial graduation losses. They should still be a contender as a majority of the top teams lost a lot to graduation, and they're going to be tough defensively. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Lawton-Bronson (6-16, 76.6%):</strong> The Eagles bring back their top two, and seven of their top eight, scorers from last year's team, so there should be some reason for optimism heading into this season. They're led by the perimeter tandem of junior Gage Semple (13.6) and senior Kinnick Thoreson (10.1), a pair of viable scoring threats who can shoot it or get to the rim. The third member of their backcourt is Braden Heiss (5.8), who was second in assists behind Thoreson last season and gives them another reliable ball-handler. The painted area is held down by the tandem of juniors Louden Grimsley (5.3) and Eli Stadsvold (4.0), a pair of forwards who rebound well on both ends of the floor. They'll need to improve their ball security after posting a 0.46 assist-to-turnover ratio last season, and having seven players back with more experience should help in that regard. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>MVAOCOU (2-18, 100.0%): </strong>The Rams won just two games last season, but bring everyone back, so they should be improved. This was an extremely young team last season, with five freshmen, three sophomore, and two juniors on the varsity roster. They're led by junior Harry Spicer (9.9) and sophomore Tanner Dixon (9.3), a solid pair of wings who will shoulder a majority of the scoring load. Junior Peyton Gress (4.8) figures to be the primary ball-handler after leading the team in assists last season. Ball security (19.8 turnovers per game) and shooting (21.9 3P%) will need to be the primary areas of improvement if they want to add a few more to the "W" column. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OABCIG (18-3, 19.2%):</strong> The Falcons rolled through the league last season, going 12-1 against league foes with an average margin of victory of 24.4 points a game. They lost their top four scorers from that group, and six of the top eight, leaving senior [player_tooltip player_id='1172816' first='Anthony' last='Newquist'] (pictured, 6.9) and junior [player_tooltip player_id='2381205' first='Brysen' last='Kolar'] (3.7) as the only two returnees with relevant playing experience. That said, OABCIG has had a really good run of fantastic athletes coming through the school of late, and should remain a factor within the league. Keep an eye on incoming freshman [player_tooltip player_id='2420652' first='Jaxx' last='DeJean'], younger brother of former standouts Cooper and Beckett. Jaxx is a 6-4 athletic wing who should make an immediate impact. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ridge View (9-13, 57.9%): </strong>The Raptors bring back leading scorer Kellen Jensen (11.0), but lost the next three scorers from last year's team, so Jensen will be asked to do a lot, especially early on. The good news is that three other key rotation pieces return in senior Cayden Clausen (4.9), and sophomores Zach Kolpin (4.5) and Kinnick Jensen (4.4). Clausen is an interior scorer who shot 52% from the floor, while Kolpin and Jensen are both perimeter oriented weapons who will split primary playmaking responsibilities. In total, seven players who saw time in at least 21 games last year return, so they should be a pretty experienced team. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>River Valley (3-17, 39.0%): </strong>The Wolverines lost Caleb Burns to graduation, a player who accounted for 48.5% of their points and 53% of their assists last season, so they have a pretty gapping hole to fill in the backcourt. The good news, however, is that after losing him, they should be a little more balanced this season. Notable returnees are Cole Thomas (5.9), Adlyr Redenius (4.5), and Nathan Gotto (3.2). Both Thomas and Gotto are viable shooting threats from deep, while Redenius provides some size and rebounding. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Siouxland Christian (5-13, 14.4%):</strong> It will be an almost entirely new look team for Siouxland Christian, with four of the top five scorers graduating. Jeremiah Lynam (4.6) and Kaleb Kucera (2.2) are the two returnees with notable experience. With hardly anyone back for a team that struggled against most of the competition last year, it's hard to see the Eagles winning more than a few games. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>West Monona (11-12, 38.3%): </strong>The loss of Landon Blatchford, who averaged 20.3 points and 12.8 rebounds, is going to be extremely tough to overcome for the Spartans. Two of the next three scorers graduated as well, leaving senior wing Payton Purgett (6.5) and Laken Bellis (5.2) as the top returnees. Blatchford took a ton of pressure off of the rest of his teammates with all of the attention he commanded from opposing teams, and while this year's version of the Spartans may be more balanced, it'll be interesting to see if someone steps up and takes over as a go-to scoring threat. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Westwood (10-12, 69.3%): </strong>Westwood was the only team in the league to hand OABCIG a loss last season, beating them in the conference tournament semifinals. They bring back a pair of big-time scorers from that team in junior [player_tooltip player_id='1874770' first='Brody' last='Muenchrath'] (17.3) and senior [player_tooltip player_id='1878274' first='Carson' last='Topf'] (13.6), giving them arguably the best one-two punch in the conference. Muenchrath is a dynamic three-level scorer who shoots it well off the dribble and can create for his teammates, while Topf is at his best when he's attacking the rim and either finishing or finding open teammates. They'll be joined in the backcourt by Kyran Flowers (7.1), who gives them another reliable ball-handler and playmaker. Flowers also led the team in rebounding last season and will be asked to defend the bigger bodies that they'll run into. With the Muenchrath-Topf tandem leading the team, this could be the team to beat in the league. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Woodbury Central (5-17, 69.9%): </strong>The Wildcats bring back leading scorer and rebounder Drew Kluender (10.8, 9.1 rebounds), giving them a strong interior presence to build around. Keaton Gernhart (6.4), Joe DeStigter (5.1), Brady Tschirren (3.4), and Jackson Reblitz (2.2) are the other key returnees for this group, but they are going to go as Kluender goes. This is a group that really struggled with turnovers (20.3) and shooting the rock (20.2 3P%) last season, areas that must improve if they want to win a few more games. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Projected Order of Finish</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>1. Westwood<br>2. Kingsley-Pierson<br>3. OABCIG<br>4. Ridge View<br>5. Lawton-Bronson<br>6. West Monona<br>7. MVAOCOU<br>8. Woodbury Central<br>9. River Valley<br>10. Siouxland Christian</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Analysis: </strong>This league could end up being a complete tossup this year. Westwood, among the likely contenders, brings the most back and showed that they can play up to competition with their win over OABCIG last season. K-P figures to be the best defensive team, and despite a lot of personnel losses, OABCIG may still end up with the most talented and athletic roster. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Preseason Player of the Year</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1874770' first='Brody' last='Muenchrath'] (Westwood):</strong> This league was hit pretty hard by graduation, potentially opening the door for a team like Westwood to make a jump up the league standings. Muenchrath, coming off a 17 point-per-game season, would be the primary reason why.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Players to Watch</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1874770' first='Brody' last='Muenchrath'] (Westwood)<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1878274' first='Carson' last='Topf'] (Westwood)<br>2024 Kyran Flowers (Westwood)<br>2025 Gage Semple (Lawton-Bronson)<br>2024 Kinnick Thoreson (Lawton-Bronson)<br>2024 Braden Heiss (Lawton-Bronson)<br>2024 Beau Goodwin (Kingsley-Pierson)<br>2024 Drew Kluender (Woodbury Central)<br>2025 Keaton Gernhart (Woodbury Central)<br>2025 Kellen Jensen (Ridge View)<br>2025 Harry Spicer (MVAOCOU)<br>2026 Tanner Dixson (MVAOCOU)<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1172816' first='Anthony' last='Newquist'] (OABCIG)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2420652' first='Jaxx' last='DeJean'] (OABCIG)<br>2024 Payton Purgett (West Monona)<br>2024 Cole Thomas (River Valley)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->