Conference Preview: Northeast Iowa

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>The Teams</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Charles City (15-9 last season, 13.2% of scoring returning): </strong>The Comets lost their top four, and five of the top six, scorers from last year's roster, leaving senior Jordin Ritter (4.2) as the top returnee. He and [player_tooltip player_id='2906399' first='Henry' last='Ruzicka'] (3.6) are the only players who saw significant time in the rotation last season that are back, so there will be a lot of new faces taking the floor for them this season. The good news for the Comets, and the rest of the teams in the league, is that Waverly-Shell Rock is gone, which opens things up quite a bit behind Decorah.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Crestwood (2-19, 67.0%): </strong>The Cadets struggled to just two wins last season, and only had three games decided by ten or fewer points, so there is pretty much nowhere for them to go but up. They lost leading scorer Ty Cotant, who averaged over 15 a game, but bring back the next seven, giving them some experience to build around. Junior forward Alex Berg (10.2) is the top returning scorer, while Ben Isaacson (7.5) led the team in assists and returns to headline the backcourt. Look for junior forward Dane Curtin (2.8, 6.8 rebounds) to continue to emerge as a interior presence, and if this team can improve even just a little bit from 3-point range (29% as a team), they could be a much improved team that doubles or triples their win total.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Decorah (23-3, 39.3%): </strong>The Vikings lost two of their top three, and four of their top six, from a special, special team that reached the 3A semifinals last season. That's the bad news. The good news is that the two players they bring back will form one of the best one-two punches not just in the conference, but in Class 3A as a whole. Junior center [player_tooltip player_id='2413531' first='Cael' last='LaFrentz'] (15.4, 10.6 rebounds, 2.6 blocks) was dominant as a sophomore, using his 7-foot frame to protect the rim, control the glass, and finish at the bucket. The son of former NBAer Raef LaFrentz, he has advanced footwork and good touch, and if his 74.2% at the charity stripe is any indication, he may be able to add some range to his game. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1381408' first='Zach' last='Driscoll'] (9.8, 4.5 assists) transferred in from MFL MarMac before last season and played a bit of a different role, looking to be a bit more of a facilitator. He'll be the team's go-to perimeter scoring option after shooting nearly 51% from 3-point range last season, but he can also dominate the game as a facilitator. Louis Bucksa (2.4) and [player_tooltip player_id='2731781' first='Noah' last='Milburn'] (2.1) each saw a bit of time last season and return, but the other faces in the rotation will be largely new. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>New Hampton (2-19, 38.2%):</strong> In a league that was hit pretty hard by graduation, New Hampton was not an exception, losing three of their top four scorers. Senior guard Adam Ewert (8.1) is the top returnee, having led the team in assists last season, and he'll be the team's go-to option. Junior Caden Rochford (4.7) and senior Reid Rausch (3.1) are the only other players who saw a good amount of time last season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Waukon (7-15, 39.9%):</strong> Despite losing their top two scorers to graduation, Waukon could be the team that jumps up and pushes Charles City for second place in the league this season. The Indians bring back junior guard Colton O'Neill (8.6, 4.5 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 2.7 steals), a stat-sheet stuffer who impacts the game on both ends of the floor. Jaxon Brinkman (4.3), McKinley Rostvold (4.0), and Zach Perkins (3.9) all saw time last season and return alongside O'Neill. O'Neill could be one of the best all-around players in the conference, and if the other returnees can gain some comfort in their increased roles early on, they could be the team to finish behind Decorah.</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. Decorah<br>2. Charles City<br>3. Waukon<br>4. Crestwood<br>5. New Hampton</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Analysis: </strong>This league is in its final days, and Decorah will likely end up being the final league champion. The Vikings' tandem of LaFrentz and Driscoll is head-and-shoulders above the rest of the teams in the league, and with the departure of Waverly-Shell Rock, this should be a pretty smooth season in league play for Decorah.</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>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2413531' first='Cael' last='LaFrentz'] (Decorah): </strong>The 7-footer will be a truly dominant two-way player for the Vikings as a junior, leading the team back to the top of the conference while putting up huge numbers. This race likely comes down to LaFrentz and teammate [player_tooltip player_id='1381408' first='Zach' last='Driscoll'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Players to Watch</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2413531' first='Cael' last='LaFrentz'] (Decorah)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1381408' first='Zach' last='Driscoll'] (Decorah)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2731781' first='Noah' last='Milburn'] (Decorah)<br>2026 Alex Berg (Crestwood)<br>2026 Ben Isaacson (Crestwood)<br>2025 Brayden Thompson (Crestwood)<br>2026 Colton O'Neill (Waukon)<br>2026 Jaxon Brinkman (Waukon)<br>2025 McKinley Rostvold (Waukon)<br>2027 Zach Perkins (Waukon)<br>2025 Jordin Ritter (Charles City)<br>2025 Adam Ewert (New Hampton)<br>2026 Caden Rochford (New Hampton)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->