Preseason All-Conference Teams: War Eagle

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Preseason Player of the Year: </strong>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1759937' first='Collin' last='Homan'] (St. Mary's, Remsen)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>St. Mary's should be a pretty overwhelming favorite in the league this season, and Homan, who has been a mainstay for the last few years, is a big reason why they're so dominant. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>First Team</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1759937' first='Collin' last='Homan'] (St. Mary's, Remsen): 16.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 56.2 FG%</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A physically imposing force in the middle for the Hawks, Homan is a highly efficient scorer, dominant rebounder, and while he doesn't block a ton of shots, he's a really good, intimidating presence as a defender in the paint.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2617521' first='Jeshua' last='Phillips'] (St. Mary's, Remsen): N/A</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Phillips played very sparingly at LeMars last season, but was arguably the best player in the gym at our Prep Hoops Expo earlier this month. An athletic wing who can score from all three levels, defend multiple positions, and create quality looks for himself and his teammates, he'll give St. Mary's a dimension they haven't had before in terms of length and athleticism on the wing.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1568264' first='Sam' last='Schmillen'] (St. Mary's, Remsen): 12.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A reliable, intelligent wing who impacts the game on both ends of the floor, Schmillen is another Hawk who has been a mainstay for the last several years for this group. He's a good scorer who moves well without the ball, contributes in a major way on the glass on both ends, and is a trustworthy playmaker with good vision. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2413648' first='Logan' last='Kempema'] (Hinton): 15.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.5 steals, 38.3 3P%</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A long 6-3/6-4 wing who can score from all three levels, Kempema had a really productive sophomore year for the Blackhawks, leading the team in scoring, rebounding, and steals. He's a good perimeter shooter who can also use his size advantage to see over the defense and create quality looks for his teammates. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2721643' first='Derek' last='Paulsen'] (South O'Brien): 15.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.4 steals, 55.7 FG%</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A strong, athletic guard with good size at 6-2, Paulsen led the Wolverines in scoring and steals, and was top three in rebounding, assists, and blocks per game. He scores at a highly efficient clip, getting to the rim for finishes time after time. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Second Team</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765534' first='Brayson' last='Mulder'] (MMCRU)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2025 Carter Westra (Trinity Christian)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2530660' first='Gavin' last='Gerritson'] (West Sioux)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2026 Blake Wiggins (West Sioux)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2025 Justus Voss (Harris-Lake Park)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Honorable Mentions</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2025 Jayden Kots (West Sioux)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2731835' first='Karver' last='DeGroot'] (Hinton)<br>2026 Isaac Schierholtz (Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2511517' first='Landon' last='Waldschmitt'] (St. Mary's, Remsen)<br>2025 Kyle Leary (Hinton)<br>2026 Nolan Teel (Gehlen Catholic)<br>2025 Carter Tentinger (St. Mary's, Remsen)<br>2026 Carson Arens (Gehlen Catholic)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->