Returners, Contenders and Unknowns are Teams to Watch in 1A DII
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Time to finish off our look at the most interesting Teams to Watch in each classification. Here are “returners,” “contenders” and “unknowns” in the smallest classification, 1A Div. II: Returners: South Central The Timberwolves placed third in state last year…
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Continue ReadingTime to finish off our look at the most interesting Teams to Watch in each classification. Here are “returners,” “contenders” and “unknowns” in the smallest classification, 1A Div. II:
Returners:
South Central
The Timberwolves placed third in state last year without a single senior! They developed throughout the year and peaked at the right time. Now with that experience back, they will be gunning for a title. They have balance, featuring guard Jamie Sarmiento Jamie Sarmiento 5'7" | PG South Central | 2025 State KS , forward Gavin Uhl and big Heath Howell.
Cheylin
If you’re looking for the team that returns the best “Big Three,” you have to consider the Cougars’ Pablo Bermudez Pablo Bermudez 6'0" | CG Cheylin | 2024 State KS , Logan McCarty and Brady Ketzner. Throw in two more seniors in Victor Hernandez and Matthew Hendricks, and you have a senior class like none other. This group will be anxious to put some basketball hardware in the trophy case after it goes for a 6-Man football title on Saturday.
Contenders:
Axtell
Axtell is hitting on all cylinders. They are about to play for an 8-Man football championship (which will set back their preparation for the basketball season) and return a lot of their basketball team that finished fourth last year. They lost their leader, Isaac Detweiler. But they were strong in the freshman and sophomore classes last year and will challenge again.
Northern Valley
One of the biggest shocks last playoff season was when the Huskies were knocked out in the substate round by Beloit St. John’s/Tipton. They had been among the top ranked teams in the state all season. So now the question is, can the Huskies rise above that disappointment without one of their primary producers a year ago. They do return most of their top performers, including seniors Kenton Thalheim Kenton Thalheim 6'0" | CG Northern Valley | 2024 State KS and Drew Schemper.
Unknowns:
Greeley County
How do you replace the senior class that just graduated? At a tiny school like Greeley County, groups like that don’t come along often. Most importantly, the state’s best 1A player – Jaxson Brandl – is gone. There are some good players back, led by playoff veteran Lincoln Shafer Lincoln Shafer 6'1" | CG Greeley County | 2025 State KS .
Southern Cloud
Here’s a team that has flown under the radar, but will be one to watch. Southern Cloud started clicking late in the year and reached the state tournament with just seven players on their roster. All but one is back. 6-foot-6 junior Trenton Welch might be the biggest unknown in the small school classes.