Opening Night Underclassmen Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2906452' first='Caden' last='Oswald'] (Coon Rapids-Bayard) -- 10 points (4-8 FG, 0-1 3P, 2-2 FT), 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was a pretty good debut for the 5-8 point guard, dishing out a team-high six assists, contributing in a major way on the glass, and showing the ability to break down the defense and get to the rim for finishes. The Crusaders have a pair of big scoring threats in [player_tooltip player_id='1765521' first='Cal' last='Heydon'] and Cade Behrens, so if Oswald can provide some tertiary scoring and put them in positions to succeed all year, CR-B could be a surprise team in 1A. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1986602' first='Cameron' last='Mullen'] (Union) -- 25 points (9-18 FG, 6-11 3P, 1-1 FT), 2 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mullen (pictured) was 7-27 from behind the arc during his entire freshman season, and nearly matched the amount of made 3s in his sophomore debut. The 6-0 wing led the Knights in scoring in a destruction of Central City, showing the ability to score from all three levels. His five helpers matched his freshman total, and he also made a major impact on the defensive end, coming away with four steals. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765521' first='Cal' last='Heydon'] (Coon Rapids-Bayard) -- 20 points (8-17 FG, 1-3 3P, 3-6 FT), 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Coming off one of the most productive freshman seasons of anyone in the state, Heydon picked up right where he left off, putting up 20 points and stuffing the stat sheet in a variety of ways. He provides a ton of versatility on both ends of the floor for the Crusaders. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1726227' first='Caden' last='Sorensen'] (Union) -- 18 points (7-12 FG, 3-5 3P, 1-1 FT), 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sorensen was productive as a freshman, averaging 15.1 points and 4.4 assists, and the 5-10 guard picked up right where he left off. If the increased efficiency becomes a regular thing, Union could be explosive offensively.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2413487' first='Spencer' last='Abbott'] (Bellevue) -- 14 points (7-13 FG), 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Abbott played sparingly as a freshman, appearing in 18 games and scoring 62 points. The 6-1 forward steps into the starting lineup this season and was strong in his debut, scoring efficiently around the rim and controlling the glass on both ends of the floor. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1978109' first='Christian' last='Stacy'] (Mount Pleasant) -- 13 points (6-10 FG, 1-3 3P), 1 rebound, 2 assists, 3 steals </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Stacy struggled with turnovers, giving it away seven times, but the encouraging aspect of his performance was the efficiency with which he scored against an athletic Cedar Rapids Washington team. The Panthers need a third scorer to step up alongside [player_tooltip player_id='1376720' first='Payton' last='Hagans'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1499008' first='Nathan' last='Stroud'], and Stacy, an athletic 6-0 guard, could be the answer. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2679273' first='Maddux' last='DeWinter'] (Union) -- 12 points (5-11 FG, 2-6 3P), 4 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 steal</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>DeWinter appeared in every game as a freshman, but is stepping into a much bigger role this season and he didn't disappoint, dishing out nine assists against just one turnover. A 6-0 playmaker who sees the floor well and loves to get his teammates involved, he has a number of skilled scorers around him to dish it to.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765510' first='Cameron' last='Casel'] (Bellevue) - 13 points (6-11 FG, 1-5 3P), 3 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After losing a ton of production to graduation, Casel, who started every game as a freshman for the Comets, will be asked to step into a leadership role. He performed admirably in their opening blowout of Easton Valley, posting an 8-1 assist-to-turnover ratio and scoring efficiently. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->