Elk Point-Jefferson: Season Preview

The Huskies have had a ton of success as of late. Last spring, EPJ had an excellent playoff run and they took 4th Place at the Class A State Basketball Tournament. This fall, the Huskies are 10-1 in football and they are in the State Championship Game. EPJ plays Hot Springs on Friday for the crown in Class 11B at the DakotaDome. Best of luck to the Huskies!   Now it is time to talk some basketball. See below for a Q&A session with coach Jake Otkin and the Huskies schedule.   Team: Elk Point-Jefferson   Mascot: Huskies   Head Coach: Jake Otkin   Class: A   Region: 4   Q&A with coach Jake Otkin   PHD: Could you write a couple sentences summing up last season?   "Last season we had our best season in EPJ history finishing 18-7 (we lost one game that we couldn't make up) and 4th in the State. We had a great team, great team chemistry, a great group of kids, and they absolutely deserved the recognition they received for bringing EPJ back to basketball prominence again."   PHD: How did the off-season go for your team/program?   "We had a great off-season where we attended team camp in Kansas and did a couple of bonding things there and also team camp at USD in Vermillion. We also played in the Tuesday night league at the Pentagon. Although baseball often takes precedence in the summer for our guys because we are a small community and need our students to play all sports, we had great participation this summer in our team camps and open gyms. I was very proud of the guy's effort and how they came to work every night wanting to get better and continue to build and improve our program."   PHD: Who are a few of your top players to look out for and why?   "[player_tooltip player_id='1489781' first='Garrett' last='Merkley'] - Senior guard that can shoot it and attack the rim and is also a very good defender. Can be the best player on the floor at any moment when he really gets his engine going."   "[player_tooltip player_id='1336177' first='Evan' last='Fornia'] - Senior Combo Forward that is extremely lengthy and tough to guard in the post and on the perimeter. Could've easily been a starter for us the last 2 years but embraced his role and we'll need him to have a big year for us."   "[player_tooltip player_id='1925700' first='Kayden' last='Moore'] - Senior Guard who is a pesky defender and an underrated finisher.  We will need him to step up on the offensive end, but he is a very underrated player that we expect to be a big contributor for us this year."   "Reed Sayler - Senior Forward who can shoot it and finish in the paint. We'll need him to improve defensively for us but know he is up to the challenge. Reed is a very good slasher and mover without the ball and great at setting screens and getting himself and his teammates open."   "Carson Timmins - Senior Guard that is another pesky defender that we'll need to contribute on the offensive end as well. If we can get his confidence going in his shot he is going to do some great things this year. Carson moves well without the ball and slashes and cuts well and we look forward to seeing his contributions this year."   "[player_tooltip player_id='2244976' first='Ashton' last='Fairbanks'] - Junior Forward that runs the floor well and finishes well. Ashton is very athletic and a great athlete that can jump out of the gym. We'll need him to improve his shooting but his ability to get to the hole and play defense and run will be a great asset for us this year."   "Grayson Girard - Junior Guard that we'll need to contribute big minutes for us this year. If he can get his offense going he is an underrated shooter that is a good defender and runs the floor well. Will need to improve his decision making but we know he is going to contribute a lot for us this year."   PHD: What style of basketball will your team play?   "We'll need to push the pace and get out and run this year as we lost a lot of size this year. We want to be a pesky defensive team that gets after you and gets up the floor in a hurry."   PHD: What are a couple of your team goals this year?   "Get to the SoDak 16 and make a return trip to the State Tournament."   PHD: Who are some of the top teams in your Region?   "Vermillion has a very good young team and will be a tough out this year."   "Dakota Valley lost a lot but will replace a lot and be tough."   "Lennox returns almost everyone and may be one of the toughest teams in the state this year."   "Tea will have a good crop of guys back and always brings in new talent that makes them tough."   "We have a tough Region all around and each team is extremely difficult to battle.  I'd say we have one of the toughest, if not the toughest Region in the state."   Huskies Schedule   12/7/23 - home vs. Canton   12/9/23 - at Madison   12/14/23 - home vs. Parker   12/15/23 - at Sioux Falls Christian   12/19/23 - home vs. Viborg-Hurley   12/28/23 - at Corn Palace (Hoop City Classic) vs. Campbell County (WY)   12/30/23 - home vs. Irene-Wakonda   1/6/24 - home vs. Dell Rapids   1/16/24 - at Vermillion   1/18/24 - home vs. Akron-Westfield (IA)   1/25/24 - at Tri-Valley   1/27/24 - at Madison (DAK XII/NEC Clash) vs. TBA   1/30/24 - home vs. Lennox   2/1/24 - at Dakota Valley   2/9/24 - at Beresford   2/16/24 - home vs. Tea Area   2/19/24 - home vs. West Central   <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>

The Huskies have had a ton of success as of late. Last spring, EPJ had an excellent playoff run and they took 4th Place at the Class A State Basketball Tournament. This fall, the Huskies are 10-1 in football and they are in the State Championship Game. EPJ plays Hot Springs on Friday for the crown in Class 11B at the DakotaDome. Best of luck to the Huskies!