Conference Preview: War Eagle

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>The Teams</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Akron-Westfield (13-8 last season, 4.7% of scoring returning): </strong>The Westerners had their best season since 2011-12 last year, but will have difficulty coming anywhere near replicating that success after losing their top six scorers, and seven of their top eight. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='1978143' first='Reegan' last='McKee'] (2.6) is the only returnee who saw much time last season and will have to be the leader of the attack this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Gehlen Catholic (9-13, 44.5%): </strong>The Jays lost their top two scorers from last year's team but bring back a solid group of 2026s who will lead the way this year in Nolan Teel (7.5), Carson Arens (6.4), Dane Lehmann (4.5), and Dylan Lubben (3.7). Teel led the team in assists last season and will be the team's top ball-handler and playmaker this season in addition to being a go-to scorer, while Arens and Lehmann will provide some size and rebounding. A young group gained a lot of valuable experience last season, and while they won't compete with the top of the league, they should be a solid middle-of-the-pack team that could challenge for the league crown in 2025-26.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>George-Little Rock (16-6, 3.0%): </strong>Another team that was absolutely decimated by losses to graduation, the Mustangs lost their top nine scorers from a 16-win team, so there will certainly be a significant step back this winter. Senior forward Jack Krull (1.3, 3.3 rebounds) is the top returnee, while a group of 2027s - Cade Groen, Wyatt Minter, and Cash Sandbulte - figure to be the faces of the program moving forward. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Harris-Lake Park (7-13, 43.8%): </strong>The Wolves lost both double-figure scorers from last year's team but bring back a pair of talented pieces in Justus Voss (9.4, 7.6 rebounds) and Duane Ingham (8.0, 6.5), giving them a solid tandem to build around this season. Both are great on the glass and should help give them an advantage in that area of the game nearly every night. Look for Mason Ahrenstorff (3.6) and Seth Goodell (1.5) to step into bigger roles as juniors.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn (0-22, 72.3%): </strong>The Hawks were winless last season and didn't have any game decided by single digits, so there's nowhere to go but up. They bring back their top four scorers from that group, including a trio of juniors in Isaac Schierholtz (8.8), Lawton Schiphoff (8.4), and Josh Cruz (4.7) who should be the headliners of the group for the next two years. Getting a win or two this season would be a nice step in the right direction for HMS.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Hinton (15-8, 100%):</strong> The Blackhawks bring everyone back from a 15-win team, so expectations should be pretty high heading into this winter. [player_tooltip player_id='2413648' first='Logan' last='Kempema'] (15.7) is the headliner of the group, having led the team in scoring and rebounding last season. He's a talented three-level scorer who can also create plays for his teammates off the dribble. [player_tooltip player_id='2731835' first='Karver' last='DeGroot'] (8.8, 39.2 3P%) provides some additional perimeter shooting and scoring, while Kaden Barrett (7.1) gives them playmaking in the backcourt, having been the top assist man last season. Kyle Leary (8.7), Will Hagestrom (6.2), Logan Coffee (3.7), Cole Friessen (2.7), and Dawson Spies (2.6) all saw plenty of playing time last season and will be ready for bigger roles. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>MMCRU (14-9, 73.4%):</strong> Four of the top five scorers return for a Royals team that posted some solid wins last season, including one over South O'Brien. Junior wing [player_tooltip player_id='1765534' first='Brayson' last='Mulder'] (13.8) and seniors Michael Peterson (8.4, 6.6 rebounds), Lucas Braun (6.4), and Jace Colling (4.5) will be the headliners of the group. Mulder is a versatile scorer who can score in bunches both inside and out, while Peterson is the team's top rebounder. Colling provides playmaking in the backcourt, while Clint Staab (1.6, 3.3 assists) led the team in helpers last season and while he isn't a big-time scorer, he does a nice job getting his teammates involved. This is a program that has been steadily building and improving, and this could be their best team yet. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Remsen, St. Mary's (19-4, 94.6%): </strong>Always one of the best defensive teams in the state, that was the case again last season for the Hawks, allowing just 38.9 points per game. With nearly everyone returning from a 19-win team that fell just short of the state tournament for an eighth straight year, this year's team should be even better defensively. This will be a senior-heavy team, with each of the top six returnees each being seniors, led by forward [player_tooltip player_id='1759937' first='Collin' last='Homan'] (16.4, 8.1 rebounds). A physically imposing big man with strength, soft hands, and good touch around the bucket, he's also the anchor of the team defensively. [player_tooltip player_id='1568264' first='Sam' last='Schmillen'] (12.6), [player_tooltip player_id='2511517' first='Landon' last='Waldschmitt'] (8.5, 5.4 assists), Carter Tentinger (6.8), Daenon Loucks (5.5), and Keaton Harpenau (4.2) all saw a ton of time last season and will return to be major contributors on both ends of the floor, while juniors Elijah Schroeder and Aiden Homan will step into bigger roles as well. The X-factor for this group will be the addition of LeMars transfer [player_tooltip player_id='2617521' first='Jeshua' last='Phillips'], a hyper-athletic, long, and talented wing who can score from all three levels, defend multiple positions, and create quality looks off the dribble. He was the best player at our Iowa Expo in October and will be the difference-maker for the Hawks this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>South O'Brien (21-4, 39.8%): </strong>The Wolverines bring back leading scorer [player_tooltip player_id='2721643' first='Derek' last='Paulsen'] (15.5), one of the best players in the conference, and that, along with their rich tradition, will keep them competitive in the league. They lost the next three scorers from that group, but Jaden Kreber (5.2), Caden Wittrock (1.9), and Gabe Moermound (1.2) each saw time alongside Paulsen last season and should step into bigger roles. With Paulsen leading the way, SOB should still be one of the top teams in the league.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Trinity Christian (6-15, 47.9%): </strong>The Tigers lost a big-time contributor with the loss of Dustin Hoksbergen, who averaged nearly 20 points a game, but bring back senior Carter Westra (12.3) to give them a go-to scorer in the backcourt. Luke De Jong (4.9, 5.5 rebounds) and James Postma (2.7) provide some additional experience. They should grab a handful of wins against the bottom teams in the league, but they'll struggle to compete against the top teams unless they really clean up the ball security (20.1 turnovers a game last season).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>West Sioux (2-21, 100%): </strong>Another team that returns the entire roster, West Sioux was actually fairly competitive for being just a 2-win team last season, and there should be some reason for optimism heading into 2024-25. Sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id='2530660' first='Gavin' last='Gerritson'] (11.8) led the team in scoring and assists as a freshman and could be one of the better players in the league this season. Blake Wiggins (10.7) and Jayden Kots (9.2) are both reliable scorers as well who should step into bigger roles. If they can improve even just a little bit with their shooting (21.6 3P%), they could triple their win total and greab some momentum heading into 2025-26.</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. Remsen, St. Mary's<br>2. Hinton<br>3. South O'Brien<br>4. MMCRU<br>5. Gehlen Catholic<br>6. Harris-Lake Park<br>7. Trinity Christian<br>8. West Sioux<br>9. George-Little Rock<br>10. Akron-Westfield<br>11. Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Analysis: </strong>St. Mary's looks like a pretty heavy favorite in the league heading into the season. They would've been the team to beat before the [player_tooltip player_id='2617521' first='Jeshua' last='Phillips'] addition, but with him in tow, they should be dominant. Hinton, with everyone back, will contend, and South O'Brien is always strong and has one of the best players in the league.</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='1759937' first='Collin' last='Homan'] (Remsen, St. Mary's): </strong>The Hawks should be a pretty heavy favorite in the league this season, and Homan, the big, physical presence on both ends of the floor is the biggest reason why.</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='1759937' first='Collin' last='Homan'] (Remsen, St. Mary's)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2617521' first='Jeshua' last='Phillips'] (Remsen, St. Mary's)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1568264' first='Sam' last='Schmillen'] (Remsen. St. Mary's)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2511517' first='Landon' last='Waldschmitt'] (Remsen, St. Mary's)<br>2025 Carter Tentinger (Remsen, St. Mary's)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2413648' first='Logan' last='Kempema'] (Hinton)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2731835' first='Karver' last='DeGroot'] (Hinton)<br>2025 Kyle Leary (Hinton)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2721643' first='Derek' last='Paulsen'] (South O'Brien)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765534' first='Brayson' last='Mulder'] (MMCRU)<br>2025 Carter Westra (Trinity Christian)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2530660' first='Gavin' last='Gerritson'] (West Sioux)<br>2026 Blake Wiggins (West Sioux)<br>2025 Jayden Kots (West Sioux)<br>2025 Justus Voss (Harris-Lake Park)<br>2026 Nolan Teel (Gehlen Catholic)<br>2026 Carson Arens (Gehlen Catholic)<br>2026 Isaac Schierholtz (Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->