Conference Preview: Tri-Rivers East

The Teams   Calamus-Wheatland (14-8 last season, 40.8% of scoring returning): The Warriors put up points in bunches last season, averaging 69.4 points a game, which ranked 9th in Class 1A. They lost a pair of double-figure scorers from that group, but bring back two reliable scoring threats in junior [player_tooltip player_id='2887794' first='Chase' last='Klatt'] (12.2, 7.4 rebounds) and senior James Prachar (9.5, 6.9 rebounds), giving them a pair of solid pieces to build around. Brayden Svejda (4.6) will be asked to shoulder the load as the team's top ball-handler and playmaker, while Klatt and Prachar should hold down the painted area on both ends of the floor. Look for Cal-Wheat to play a bit slower this season, playing to their strengths, and if a few things break their way they could push for a top-3 finish in the division again.   Cedar Valley Christian (2-15, 90.9%): The Huskies were extremely young last season and bring back almost all of their scoring as a result. Senior Caleb Krueger (11.8, 8.4 rebounds) led the team in scoring and rebounding last season and will be the headliner of the group, while sophomores Max McDill (6.5) and Jaden Amisi (4.8) should be key contributors as well. They'll need to cut down on the turnovers (26.4 a game) and improve their shooting a bit if they want to win more games this season, but they should at minimum be a more competitive group this winter.   Easton Valley (3-21, 83.0%): Last year's three wins were far-and-away the lowest that this proud program has had in a long, long time. In fact, the worst season the River Hawks had in the Bound era (dating back to 2007-08) before last year was the 2011-12 season when they went 11-11. Needless to say, this is a program and community that isn't used to losing. They bring back all but one player from last year's roster, returning the Weispfenning brothers - Jeremy (8.5) and Justin (6.8) - to lead the charge. there will need to be significant improvement on the defensive end after allowing 68.5 points a game last season, if they want to win a few more games this winter.   Lisbon (12-11, 68.9%): Despite losing leading scorer Michael Gadberry, Lisbon should be a much improved team this winter. They're led by senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2617504' first='Grayson' last='Wollum'] (16.9, 8.1 rebounds), an athletic 6-8 big man who can score from all three levels, protect the paint, and control the glass. He was arguably the best player in the gym at our Expo in October, and he'll be a dominant two-way force for this group. Daylin Schaefer (12.5, 6.7 rebounds) and [player_tooltip player_id='2204866' first='Devin' last='O'Brien'] (8.1, 39.8 3P%) give the Lions some additional scoring and size. If they can find a reliable ball-handler in the backcourt, they should be a really good offensive team that also has a great anchor on the defensive end. They probably won't push Marquette at the top of the division, but they should battle it out with Prince of Peace for second place, and they'll be a team that nobody wants to see in their district or substate come February.   Marquette Catholic (27-2, 54.1%): Last year's 1A runner-ups are hungry to get back to the state tournament and finish the job this year. Both of their losses came at the hands of champion North Linn, and they largely dominated the rest of the schedule, with only four of their 27 wins coming by single digits (with two of those coming in Des Moines). They lost three starters from that team, but bring back their top two scorers in [player_tooltip player_id='1759939' first='Spencer' last='Roeder'] (16.0, 8.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists) and [player_tooltip player_id='2511527' first='Eli' last='Scott'] (11.1, 4.5 assists), giving them the best one-two punch in the division. Roeder is a versatile 6-5/6-6 combo forward who can score inside and out, create plays off the dribble, and defend multiple positions, while Scott is a quick, downhill attacking guard who likes to put pressure on opposing teams with his speed. [player_tooltip player_id='2721446' first='Jacob' last='Litterer'] (9.6) came off the bench last year to provide some scoring spark, and he'll be asked to step into a tertiary role this season for the Defenders. The rest of the rotation will be filled with new faces, and this group probably won't be quite as dominant as they were last season, but with Roeder, Scott, and Litterer leading the way, this is still without a doubt the team to beat in the division.   Midland (6-16, 19.2%): Both double-figure scorers from last year's team graduated, leaving Kael Cress (4.7) as the top returning scorer for the Eagles. Look for junior forward Anthony Harrington (2.8, 5.3 rebounds) to take a step forward this season. He's a big, athletic forward who is a standout on the baseball diamond, and he should see his role increase this season.   North Cedar (9-14, 9.8%): The Knights were hit harder than anyone in the division by graduation, losing over 90% of their scoring from last year's team. That leaves junior guard Dylan Wachendorf (3.5) as the only returnee who averaged more than 1.6 points per game last season. With so many new faces taking the floor this winter, it may be a long season in Clarence.   Prince of Peace (14-9, 71.7%): The top returning scorer in the state, regardless of class, plays for the Irish, which is obviously a good reason for optimism heading into this winter. [player_tooltip player_id='1759934' first='Hakeal' last='Powell'] (27.2) is not only a tremendous scoring threat from all three levels, he's also a skilled playmaker who led the team in assists and steals last season. Despite taking a ton of shots, he scored pretty efficiently, posting 49-38-71 shooting splits last season, and he could average 30 a game as a senior. Forward Logan Detterman (8.5, 7.7 rebounds) provides some size and rebounding in the paint, while Carson DeBo (6.7) could take some of the pressure off of Powell on the wing as a scorer in his junior year. Powell will have some huge scoring nights, and he's good enough to get this group back to the 14-16 win range. The ultimate ceiling of the team will depend on how the new rotation pieces fill in.   Projected Order of Finish   1. Marquette Catholic 2. Prince of Peace 3. Lisbon 4. Calamus-Wheatland 5. Easton Valley 6. Midland 7. Cedar Valley Christian 8. North Cedar   Analysis: Marquette rolled through the division last year, and while they probably won't be quite as dominant, they're still the team to beat. PoP returns the top scorer in the state, and Lisbon has arguably the most dynamic player in the division on their side. This should be a fun league to keep track of.   Preseason Player of the Year   2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2617504' first='Grayson' last='Wollum'] (Lisbon): You could go a number of different ways with this honor, with the East Division returning a ton of talent. While Lisbon may not be the top team in the division, Wollum's versatility on both ends of the floor should be on full display and he'll put up some monstrous numbers during his senior year.   Players to Watch   2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2617504' first='Grayson' last='Wollum'] (Lisbon) 2025 Daylin Schaefer (Lisbon) 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2204866' first='Devin' last='O'Brien'] (Lisbon) 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1759934' first='Hakeal' last='Powell'] (Prince of Peace) 2025 Logan Detterman (Prince of Peace) 2026 Carson DeBo (Prince of Peace) 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1759939' first='Spencer' last='Roeder'] (Marquette Catholic) 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2511527' first='Eli' last='Scott'] (Marquette Catholic) 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2721446' first='Jacob' last='Litterer'] (Marquette Catholic) 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2887794' first='Chase' last='Klatt'] (Calamus-Wheatland) 2025 James Pracher (Calamus-Wheatland) 2025 Caleb Krueger (Cedar Valley Christian) 2027 Max McDill (Cedar Valley Christian) 2025 Jeremy Weispfenning (Easton Valley) 2025 Nolan Sandholt (Easton Valley) 2026 Easton Rathje (Easton Valley)

The Teams