Kimball-White Lake: Hoops Review

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">We are highlighting the WildKats from Kimball-White Lake in this article! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The WildKats did not win as many games as they would have liked but they did pick up a playoff win over their rivals, Chamberlain. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontStyle":"normal","fontWeight":"200"}},"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size" style="font-style:normal;font-weight:200"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Kimball-White Lake had one of the more underrated players in Class A. [player_tooltip player_id='1687635' first='Blake' last='Leiferman'] was a Double-Double machine and a dude, he deserves a shoutout</span>! Keep track of Leiferman in college, he will be playing football for the Jacks at SDSU!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"small"} --> <p class="has-small-font-size"><strong>See below for player comments, Q&amp;A, player stats, leaders, and season results. </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2385437,"width":"222px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Kimballwhitelakewildkats.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Kimballwhitelakewildkats.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2385437" style="width:222px;height:auto" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Team:</strong>&nbsp;Kimball-White Lake</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Mascot:&nbsp;</strong>WildKats</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Head Coach:</strong>&nbsp;<em>Will Gottlob</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Class:</strong>&nbsp;A</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Region:</strong>&nbsp;5</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Record:</strong>&nbsp;6-16</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1842251,"width":"287px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/SeaonReview-.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/SeaonReview-.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-1842251" style="width:287px;height:auto" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"25px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:25px"><span style="text-decoration: underline"><strong>Player Comments from Coach <em>Gottlob</em></strong></span></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1687635' first='Blake' last='Leiferman'] (2024) |6'6 C|</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>He was our workhorse. Blake was a consistent 17 points and 13 rebounds per game. He never finished a game in single-digit points and rarely finished a game in single-digit rebounds. He set the school Career Rebounding Record along with the Single-Game Scoring Record.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Lantz Bass (2024) |5'9 G|</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>He was our best outside shooter.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Nathan Mohnen (2025) |6'1 F| &amp; [player_tooltip player_id='1535883' first='Park' last='Sinclair'] (2025) |6'1 G|</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>They were our best lockdown defenders.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Hudson Heath (2024) |6'2 F|</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>He was a strong rebounder complimenting Leiferman's output.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>JayDee Gough (2025) |6'2 F|</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>He was a strong rebounder off the bench.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Martin Josserand (2024) 5'7 G|</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>He was a playmaker with steals and assists off the bench.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2256337' first='Keaton' last='Christensen'] (2027) |6'0 G|</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>He came on strong as a scoring threat off the bench.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"25px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:25px"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Q&amp;A with <em>Will Gottlob</em></span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: How would you sum up the season for your squad?</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>I would sum up the season as very up and down. We had a strong start, only to lose 10 out of 11 mid-season, but finished with some strong performances towards the end of the year. The kids always played hard, but we had some limitations such as a lack of shooting and too many turnovers, that was our downfall at times during the year.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PHD: What was the strength of this team?</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>Our strength was certainly our defense and rebounding. We help teams under 40 points multiple times this season and much of our offensive output came on offensive rebounds. We made improvements on turning the ball over as the season progressed.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: Do you have any fun memories to share with us?</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>The most enjoyable memory from the season was our playoff win vs Chamberlain. It was just really well played by both teams. Chamberlain's two best players went for 31 points and 15 points, but we answered with a strong showing as a team having multiple players in double digits. It came down to composure and big shot-making towards the end. We finished the season with a big stop and rebound, the two attributes that are our team's strengths.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: How did your team overcome adversity?</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>We overcame adversity by sticking together. There was never finger-pointing or blaming others. They worked their buts off and took accountability for what they needed to improve on.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: What are a few things your&nbsp;team improved on this season?</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>Our biggest improvement was taking care of the ball. We had nearly 30 turnovers in our first game. We had four kids making their starting debut, so there was a lot of learning and growing that happened all season.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: Who are some of your role players that stood out?</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>Lantz's role of being a sharpshooter really took effect late in the season as he hit 5 three's and 4 three's in our last couple of games. He really gave us a lift we needed offensively. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1535883' first='Park' last='Sinclair']</strong> and <strong>Nathan Mohnen</strong> were always our unsung heroes by taking the team's best offensive threats. They always worked their buts off and took pride on the defensive end. [player_tooltip player_id='2256337' first='Keaton' last='Christensen'] came on as one of our best scorers by the end of the year giving us a spark we needed to complement our defense.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: Can you talk about your seniors and what will be missed?</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>It starts with [player_tooltip player_id='1687635' first='Blake' last='Leiferman']. It is almost impossible to replace an All-State candidate player. His rebounding and scoring have been a staple in our program for the last two years. He will be greatly missed in those categories.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em><strong>Lantz Bass</strong> and <strong>Hudson Heath</strong> will be missed for their upbeat energy. They always worked hard and enjoyed bringing the team together. They both knew their role and embraced it. <strong>Martin Josserand</strong> is a foreign exchange student who brought great intensity to the game. He was an incredible practice player as he always challenged his teammates.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: Who are some up-and-comers to look out for?</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2256337' first='Keaton' last='Christensen']</strong> has a very bright future. He shoots the ball really well, has great court vision and instincts. The rest will be about incoming seniors taking leadership roles. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1535883' first='Park' last='Sinclair']</strong> and <strong>Nathan Mohnen</strong> show the potential of being great leaders and holding others accountable. <strong>JayDee</strong> <strong>Gough </strong>has the size and skill to be dangerous on both ends of the floor. <strong>Cooper Leiferman</strong>, <strong>Graden Holan</strong>, and <strong>Daniel Leiferman </strong>could all make impacts next year by embracing their roles.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: Who was your best defensive player?</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>While it is a cop-out answer, it was a tie. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1535883' first='Park' last='Sinclair']</strong> was our best guard/small forward defender. <strong>Nathan</strong> <strong>Mohnen</strong> was our best small forward/power forward defender. Depending on the personnel of the other team, these two always knew they were going to be given the toughest assignments, and they both embraced the role.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: Any last comments/thoughts on the season?</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>We only had two returning letter winners so there were some understandable mistakes early, but we grew as a team and really played our best ball come playoff time. We had a thrilling 3-point victory over our rivals Chamberlain in the First Round of the playoffs. We put up a strong fight to Region 5A #1 seed Parkston in the second round but came up short.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>While we did not put as many wins together as we would have liked, this was a hard-working group that stuck together as a team. They pushed through adversity and played their best when it really mattered. This is exactly what our goal was all season.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"25px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:25px"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Stats</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2385664,"width":"986px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_8841.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_8841.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2385664" style="width:986px;height:auto" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"25px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:25px"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Leaders</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2385659,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_8840.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_8840.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2385659" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"25px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:25px"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Schedule/Results</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2385628,"width":"727px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_8839.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_8839.jpeg?w=809" alt="" class="wp-image-2385628" style="width:727px;height:auto" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2385437,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Kimballwhitelakewildkats.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Kimballwhitelakewildkats.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2385437" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image -->