Opening Night Junior Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2511617' first='Billie' last='Kindred'] (Keota) -- 22 points (8-14 FG, 4-9 3P, 2-2 FT), 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Keota opened the year with an easy 25-point win over Louisa-Muscatine, and Kindred was dominant. The 6-4 forward showed the ability to not only score around the bucket with efficiency, but also stretch the floor at a high clip. With a number of high-powered guards on the roster, Kindred being able to draw his defender away from the paint would be great for their attack. He was also great on the glass, pulling down 11 rebounds. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1874784' first='Jake' last='Hoyt'] (Creston) -- 21 points (10-13 FG, 1-1 FT), 8 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Creston was dominated by Winterset in their opener, but Hoyt, a 6-3 wing, was a major bright spot. The junior wing (pictured) will be asked to do a lot for the Panthers this season, and he accounted for 60% of their points in the opener. The encouraging thing about his performance was the efficiency, shooting 77% from the floor, using his long strides and off-ball movement to help get good looks at the rim.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mason Steckler (Audubon) -- 16 points (6-12 FG, 4-8 3P), 2 rebounds, 2 assists</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Steckler appeared in just eight games last season and attempted just 12 shots all year. He attempted 12 shots last night, and was pretty good on his looks, shooting 50% from both the floor and the 3-point line. The Wheelers need to find some scorers to step in alongside [player_tooltip player_id='2204868' first='Edward' last='Miller'], and Steckler could be a viable perimeter option this year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cade Westerhoff (Fort Dodge) -- 16 points (8-15 FG, 0-2 3P), 7 rebounds, 1 assist</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 6-3 forward is the top returning scorer and rebounder for the Dodgers, and he got his junior year off to a strong start, scoring efficiently around the rim and controlling the glass on the defensive end. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Drake Warland (Fort Dodge) -- 14 points (6-15 FG, 0-3 3P, 2-2 FT), 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Warland, a 5-9 guard, is one of the top ball-handlers this season for the Dodgers and he had a solid all-around floor game, showing the ability to get to the rim for buckets or find teammates for open looks. He's also a solid defender with quick hands. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jeremy Weispfenning (Easton Valley) -- 11 points (5-10 FG, 1-4 3P), 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bellevue handled Easton Valley pretty thoroughly on Monday night, but Weispfenning was a standout for the River Hawks, leading the team in scoring and rebounds. He's an undersized forward at 6-0, but he plays hard and crashes the glass on both ends of the floor. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2397315' first='Hank' last='Wilmes'] (Winterset) -- 5 points (2-6 FG, 0-2 3P, 1-1 FT), 6 assists, 6 steals</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wilmes' older brothers had the big scoring nights for the Huskies, but Hank provided a major spark off the bench on both ends of the floor in their blowout win over Creston. A tough, quick guard who looks to get his teammates involved first and foremost, Wilmes was a menace with his dribble penetration and playmaking as well as his work on the defensive end. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->