Conference Preview: Corner

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>The Teams</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Bedford (23-3 last season, 76.9% of scoring returning): </strong>The Bulldogs join the Corner Conference this season after spending years in the Pride of Iowa, and they enter the league as the team to beat after winning 23 games last year and bringing back four of their top five scorers. They're led by the tandem of [player_tooltip player_id='1874772' first='Cal' last='Peterman'] (15.5, 8.8 rebounds) and Brody King (11.2), a pair of big scoring threats on the wing who can control the game on both ends of the floor. The 'Dogs were excellent defensively last season, allowing just 42.1 points a game, good for 6th in 1A, and they should be great on that end again. An experienced team that is elite on the defensive end and has a star on the wing, Bedford is without a doubt the team to beat in the Corner.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>East Mills (21-2, 37.0%): </strong>The Wolverines were great last season, controlling the league and ranking as the #1 scoring defense in Class 1A (35.4 points per game). They dropped a heartbreaker to Bedford in the district final, falling a game short of having the chance to play for a state tournament berth, and then lost four starters to graduation. The good news is that leading scorer Jackson Embree (12.6) returns, giving them one of the best players in the conference. A 6-1 wing who can score from all three levels, he's a good athlete who should have a big year as a senior. Sheldon Vandenberg (5.3) gave them great minutes off the bench as a versatile scorer, and Caleb Urban (3.7, 2.4 steals) will give them some quickness and playmaking in the backcourt. The cupboard isn't bare in Malvern, but replicating the 21 wins they put together last season will be difficult.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Essex (6-17, 33.4%): </strong>Essex was ridiculously good on the glass last season, averaging an eye-popping 44.2 rebounds a game, including 16.2 on the offensive end. Of course, part of that can be attributed to the fact that they shot just 14.2% from 3-point range as a team, but that type of work on the glass is still impressive. One of the headliners of that group, junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2731804' first='Isaiah' last='Sholes'] (10.7, 10.6 rebounds) returns. Unfortunately for the Trojans, he's the only one among the top five scorers who is back, so he will shoulder a heavy load this season. He's a good athlete who can obviously pound the glass, but will Essex be able to surround him with enough perimeter scoring for them to win more games this season?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Fremont-Mills (9-13, 56.0%):</strong> Leading scorer Sawyer Forney (9.0) returns to lead the charge this season, joined by fellow juniors Mason Reed (7.2) and Anders Langille (7.2), giving them a solid trio of weapons on the perimeter. Ball security will be paramount if the Knights are going to make a leap this season after they posted a 0.76 assist-to-turnover ratio last season. If that number improves, they could finish above .500 given what they have coming back and what the rest of the league lost.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Griswold (5-16, 100.0%): </strong>Every player from last year's roster returns for the Tigers, led by the tandem of Peyton Cook (11.6) and Bode Wyman (11.1), which gives them a pair of experienced perimeter scorers to build off of. This is a group that didn't shoot it very well from 3-point range (26.3%) last season, but they're good on the offensive glass, getting extra bites at the apple routinely. If they can cut down on the turnovers a bit, and shoot it a little better from 3-point range, they will be much more competitive.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Sidney (6-16, 98.2%):</strong> Sidney brings back just about everyone from last year's team, so expect this to be among the most improved teams not only in the conference, but in Class 1A as a whole. They're led by a pair of athletic forwards in Michael Hensley (14.6, 7.0 rebounds) and Bradedon Godfread (14.2, 6.9 rebounds), who will give the Cowboys one of the best one-two punches in the conference. Godfread is a versatile defender who can protect the paint and score inside and out, while Hensley does a majority of his damage inside the arc. Grant Whitehead (7.8, 3.8 assists) and Adreas Buttry (6.0, 3.2 assists) return to lead the backcourt, giving them a pair of playmakers who can get their teammates involved well. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Stanton (13-10, 43.1%): </strong>The Vikings lost a pair of double-figure scorers but bring back Evan Gettler (13.5, 3.9 assists), who will be one of the best players in the conference. He's a versatile scorer who can get to the rim or knock down shots from 3-point range, and he's also the team's top playmaker in the backcourt. Brody Gibbs (5.2, 6.5 rebounds) will provide some size and rebounding in the frontcourt, while Gavin Ford (4.0, 2.9 assists) provides some additional playmaking. If they can find some quality pieces to step in alongside that trio, Stanton could push for a top-2 finish.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Projected Order of Finish</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>1. Bedford<br>2. East Mills<br>3. Stanton<br>4. Sidney<br>5. Fremont-Mills<br>6. Griswold<br>7. Essex</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Analysis:</strong> In their first year in the league, it would be surprising to see any team other than Bedford winning it. The Bulldogs were the best team among this group last season, bring back a majority of their talent, and should be fantastic defensively. East Mills is going to be good, especially defensively, again, and Stanton and Sidney should both be improved.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Preseason Player of the Year</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1874772' first='Cal' last='Peterman'] (Bedford):</strong> A tough, physical wing who can score from all three levels, create plays off the dribble, and control the game on the defensive end, Peterman is the best player on the team that should control this league from start-to-finish. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Players to Watch</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1874772' first='Cal' last='Peterman'] (Bedford)<br>2025 Brody King (Bedford)<br>2025 Garrison Motsinger (Bedford)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1951833' first='Braedon' last='Godfread'] (Sidney)<br>2025 Michael Hensley (Sidney)<br>2025 Kolt Payne (Sidney)<br>2025 Grant Whitehead (Sidney)<br>2025 Andreas Buttry (Sidney)<br>2025 Evan Gettler (Stanton)<br>2025 Brody Gibbs (Stanton)<br>2025 Jackson Embree (East Mills)<br>2025 Sheldon Vandenberg (East Mills)<br>2025 Bode Wyman (Griswold)<br>2025 Peyton Cook (Griswold)<br>2025 Hogan Hook (Griswold)<br>2025 Auden Wilson (Griswold)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2731804' first='Isaiah' last='Sholes'] (Essex)<br>2026 Sawyer Forney (Fremont-Mills)<br>2026 Mason Reed (Fremont-Mills)<br>2026 Anders Langille (Fremont-Mills)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->