Reviews: Four Winds-Minnewaukan & Sargent County

Prep Hoops Dakotas has two more Season Reviews for the basketball junkies to read.   The club/grassroots season is starting to heat up, before we get too deep into spring basketball, PHD wants to look back at the high school season.   In this article, we are highlighting two squads, one from class A and another from class B.   We are talking Indians & Bulldogs!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/SeaonReview-.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/SeaonReview-.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-1842251" style="width:269px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/4winds-crop-700x460-1745450242.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/4winds-crop-700x460-1745450242.jpg?w=700" alt="" class="wp-image-2846398" style="width:269px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   Four Winds-Minnewaukan Indians   Head Coach: Rick Smith   Class: A   Region: 2   Record: 16-9   Shout-out to [player_tooltip player_id='1894947' first='Ron' last='McKay'] & [player_tooltip player_id='1363917' first='Marial' last='Deng'] for being named to the All-Region 2 Team!   Player Comments from Coach Smith   [player_tooltip player_id='1894947' first='Ron' last='McKay'] – Sr.: "Ron started out the season with an odd injury to his foot, I just thought this set him back all year with nagging injuries after that. He led the team in rebounding and second in scoring. He was our vocal leader on the floor."   [player_tooltip player_id='2344136' first='Dorvan' last='McKay'] – Sr.: "Dorvan was our point guard and also went through a stretch of missing games due to an ankle injury. There were games when he carried us offensively and games when he slowed due to the injury."   [player_tooltip player_id='1894874' first='Keilan' last='Longie'] – Sr.: "Coming off his second ACL injury, Keilan never really trusted that knee, which limited him a lot. He had games where we thought he was breaking out and getting back to his old self, and they never really got going."   Kashton Keja – Sr.: "Another player coming off a horrific knee injury in his sophomore year, couldn't quite get back to his old self. A very good gritty point guard, showed flashes, but wasn't consistent at all. A great kid, who had a great football year. Always dealing with a nagging injury during his basketball season."   Greyson Delorme - Sr.: "A very great practice player, who could never really carry it on to the games. Showed signs but probably never got to show what he could have been capable of because we played so many players."   Wakia Greybear – Sr.: "Wakia didn't get a lot of minutes this year. A nice kid, probably a better football player, but never could play ahead of the guys that were on the floor."   [player_tooltip player_id='1363917' first='Marial' last='Deng'] – Jr.: "Marial had a very nice junior season. He showed flashes of what he was capable of doing, always had the teams best defender on him. Marial biggest strength was being able to play on the defensive end. He had a great defensive year. Marial just needs to be more of a selfish basketball player on the offensive side, because he can score in so many ways. I look to him to have a bigger year his senior season."   [player_tooltip player_id='1894915' first='Tyler' last='Black Jr.'] – Jr.: "Tyler started every game for us last year as a junior. He has the strength to guard the big players we had in our Region. He lacks confidence in his offensive game, but has the ability. If he can improve in that area, he will add a much-needed aspect to his game."   [player_tooltip player_id='1894932' first='Jonte' last='Delorme'] – Jr.: "Jonte was a spot starter for us at the beginning of the year. He had some great games for us. We added a few JV quarters to him each game, and it seemed to be working for him. He improved on the defensive side of the ball, which is what we were looking for from him. Jonte is a great shooter and I believe he will have a great senior year."   Rich Cavanaugh – Jr.: "Rich was another player who was moved to the JV to add confidence and structure to his game. He really improved with the extra playing time that he received and played valuable minutes for the varsity team down the stretch."   [player_tooltip player_id='2846658' first='Dion' last='Jackson'] – Jr.: "A player that probably deserved more playing time, but with the number of guys playing, he just didn't get in the varsity games as much I liked him to. A sharpshooter from the 3-point line, Dion plays the game extremely hard."   [player_tooltip player_id='2846659' first='Frankie' last='Belille'] – Jr.: "A big, strong physical post, Frankie was a great practice player and always worked hard to give our other players in practice the intensity and power that we had to go against in our Region."   [player_tooltip player_id='1894872' first='Joran' last='Lohnes'] – Soph.: "Joran started a few games for us this year because of injuries and did well. A very smart player and a really good shooter. Joran struggled with the physicality part of the game. If he can get stronger, the sky is the limit."   [player_tooltip player_id='1894873' first='Dayson' last='Dubois'] – Soph.: "Dayson was another player who deserved more varsity playing time. A great practice player and a good little point guard, he works his tail off and has a very good motor."   [player_tooltip player_id='2409449' first='Sonny' last='Alberts'] – Fresh.: "Sonny had some nice moments as a freshman and also battled some injuries. Sonny could be a key for the Indians in the future."   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/QA.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/QA.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-2511663" style="width:220px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   With Coach Smith   PHD: How would you sum up the season for your squad?   "Inconsistent. There were times when we played with the best teams in the state, and there were times when it didn't feel like we showed up and lost games we shouldn't have. The team and players were very inconsistent all year. We worked our butts off in practice, but we just couldn't get consistent play during the games."   PHD: Do you have any fun memories to share with us?   "You look at the top teams in the State Tournament. Devils Lake, Shiloh Christian, Thompson, Des Lacs Burlington, Beulah, Wahpeton. (We didn't play Kindred or Killdeer) You could also put Grafton up there as they were as strong of a team as any in the state. For the most part, we played those teams pretty strong. We made it a step further than we did last year."   PHD: How did your team overcome adversity?   "With the loss of 5 seniors, two of whom were Deng Deng and Dalen Leftbear (both playing college sports), then losing [player_tooltip player_id='1894947' first='Ron' last='McKay'] to a foot injury to start the season, losing [player_tooltip player_id='2344136' first='Dorvan' last='McKay'] to an ankle injury, missing four games, losing our 6'4 freshman post to a knee injury (4 games), it didn't really seem like we got in a rhythm this season. A lot to overcome, but we did finish with a 16-9 record and one game away from a State Tournament birth, but we couldn't ever get that consistent feel."   PHD: What are a few things your team improved on this season?   "I thought we got a chance to play a lot of kids this year. With that many of the kids coming back last year, they got some varsity minutes under their belt and hopefully make them feel a little more prepared going into next season."   PHD: Who are some of your role players that stood out?   "I thought [player_tooltip player_id='1894932' first='Jonte' last='Delorme'] & Richard Cavanugh are two players that really improved throughout the season. Both were starters at the start of the year, went back and received a lot of JV minutes to improve on their skill and really took advantage of that. I was really proud of the way they handled that transition and it really paid off for them as they seen a lot of minutes during tournament time. [player_tooltip player_id='1894872' first='Joran' last='Lohnes'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2409449' first='Sonny' last='Alberts'] were two of the younger guys who showed flashes this year. Joran had some very nice games and started a few games for us this year and sometimes Sonny could dominate the game, but again the word inconsistent comes to mind with both players."   PHD: Can you talk about your seniors and what will be missed?   "This senior class won't be as tough to replace as last year's group was. We had 6 seniors. 3 of them end up starting this year. [player_tooltip player_id='1894947' first='Ron' last='McKay'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2344136' first='Dorvan' last='McKay'] will be the toughest to replace because of the positions that they played. Post and Point. [player_tooltip player_id='1894874' first='Keilan' last='Longie'] and Kashton Keja showed promise in a few games but the injuries that they had as sophomores and juniors they really never overcame, I believe."   PHD: Who are some of the up-and-comers to look out for?   "We have a very nice core coming back for the next two years. [player_tooltip player_id='1363917' first='Marial' last='Deng'], [player_tooltip player_id='1894932' first='Jonte' last='Delorme'], [player_tooltip player_id='1894915' first='Tyler' last='Black Jr.'], Rich Cavanaugh, [player_tooltip player_id='2846658' first='Dion' last='Jackson'], [player_tooltip player_id='1894872' first='Joran' last='Lohnes'], [player_tooltip player_id='1894873' first='Dayson' last='Dubois'], [player_tooltip player_id='2409449' first='Sonny' last='Alberts'], Keyson Littlewind, [player_tooltip player_id='2573832' first='Kaleb' last='Keja'], and all very nice basketball players and I look for good things out of them in the next few years."   PHD: Who was your best defensive player?   "I have a few that can play that spot. [player_tooltip player_id='1363917' first='Marial' last='Deng'] stands out the most because he can guard all 5 positions. With his length, he is very tough to score on. Marial has also gotten stronger which allows him to bang with the posts also. [player_tooltip player_id='1894915' first='Tyler' last='Black Jr.'] and Keyson Littlewind are also very good defenders. Tyler had to guard many of the big posts this year in our Region. Keyson who didn't get a lot of varsity minutes brings that 32 minutes on non-stop tenacity on the opposing player. He just has to harness it a little bit more to stay out of foul trouble."   PHD: Who was your top interior player?   "We didn't have many options, as we had post players that could also step out and pass or shoot. When [player_tooltip player_id='1894947' first='Ron' last='McKay'], [player_tooltip player_id='1363917' first='Marial' last='Deng'], and [player_tooltip player_id='2409449' first='Sonny' last='Alberts'] played in the interior, they were inconsistent at the spot, Sonny brought the strength to post, Ron could use either hand to score and Marial could post up guards that tried to guard him. Effective but very inconsistent."   PHD: Any last comments on the season?   "If there is a positive to our inconsistent season, it is that we did play a lot of kids and coming into next season will have varsity minutes under their belts, which I hope gets us off to a better start. We will have to get stronger physically and mentally to continue to play with many good teams in the Region and state."   BEST OF LUCK TO THE INDIANS THIS OFFSEASON!!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/SeaonReview-.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/SeaonReview-.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-1842251" style="width:217px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/sargentcountybulldogs.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/sargentcountybulldogs.jpg?w=648" alt="" class="wp-image-2846713" style="width:184px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   Sargent County Bulldogs   Head Coach: Ryan Weber   Class: B   District: 1   Region: 1   Record: 6-15   Shout-out to [player_tooltip player_id='2252792' first='Jace' last='Fyre'] for being named to the All-District 1 Team!   Player Comments from Coach Weber   [player_tooltip player_id='2252792' first='Jace' last='Fyre'] (2026) |6'0 G| - "Jace was obviously our guy this year. We leaned heavily on him to score, handle the ball, manage the offense, and manage the defense. He did the best he could and fought each game to make our team better. He'll have a big year next year."   [player_tooltip player_id='2846876' first='Andrew' last='Yagow'] (2027) |6'3 F| - "Andrew needed some time to get used the pace of the varsity game. By the end of the year, we could see his potential. He got more aggressive and more confident."   [player_tooltip player_id='2846875' first='Cole' last='Fyre'] - (2028) |5'10 G| - "Kid's a terror on defense. He's always going. Led our team in offensive rebounds, charges taken, and steals. He's only a freshman, so look for his growth to continue to next year."   [player_tooltip player_id='2846734' first='Tristen' last='Peterson'] (2027) |6'3 G| - "Long, lanky kid. His defense is tough. He needs to be more consistent and take care of the ball."   [player_tooltip player_id='2692311' first='Hans' last='Hanson'] (2029) |5'10 G| - "Only an 8th grader this year. He's got the skills to be a special player. He got frustrated a couple times this year because things he was used to doing weren't happening. This kid has a bright future."   [player_tooltip player_id='2846735' first='Eli' last='Olson'] (2029) |5'9 SF|- "Another 8th grader. He didn't see varsity time until a bit into the season. He's a high energy guy that always works as hard as he can (think Gaven Christianson if you remember him). He understands positioning on rebounds and knows his role. Another kid with a bright future."   Carson Deyle (2027) |5'10 G| - "Carson will be a junior next year and we expect him to make a leap. He's a very smart player and takes care of the ball. He's gotten better each year. He's a coach on the floor."   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/QA.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/QA.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-2511663" style="width:242px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   With Ryan Weber   PHD: How would you sum up the season for your squad?   "A year of growth. We had a lot of young guys with minimal varsity experience take on major minutes. It was good to get them time; get them used to the speed of the varsity game, and see them grow throughout the season."   PHD: How did your team overcome adversity?   "Learning to improve from our mistakes. I needed these young guys to know that they were going to make mistakes, but they needed to learn and improve throughout the season. Try not to make the same mistake multiple times and they started to do that."   PHD: What are a few things your team improved on?   "Taking care of the ball. We didn't value each possession at the start of the season. We got better at that as season went along."   PHD: Who are some role players that stood out to you?   "[player_tooltip player_id='2846875' first='Cole' last='Fyre'] – Cole was only a freshman and stepped into the starting lineup around game 4. He's a menace on defense, works hard all the time, and does the little things right."   "[player_tooltip player_id='2846735' first='Eli' last='Olson'] – Eli was only an 8 th grader this year, but started to get more and more varsity time as the year went on. He's such a high-energy guy and gave us a boost in some really important games."   "[player_tooltip player_id='2692311' first='Hans' last='Hanson'] – Another 8 th grader that improved greatly as the season went on. He took a bit to get used to the varsity speed, but towards the end of the season you could see his immense potential."   PHD: Can you talk about your seniors?   "[player_tooltip player_id='2528188' first='James' last='Throener'] – High energy guy and a great defender. He's incredibly quick and fast and could get his shot whenever we needed it."   "[player_tooltip player_id='2692351' first='Michael' last='Hoistad'] – Michael got better at the smaller things as the season went on. He was a good rebounder and good shooter from the outside."   "Robert Mund – Rob was our leader. He brought consistent energy to each game and did everything I asked him."   PHD: Who are some up-and-comers to look out for?   "[player_tooltip player_id='2846875' first='Cole' last='Fyre'], [player_tooltip player_id='2692311' first='Hans' last='Hanson'], [player_tooltip player_id='2846735' first='Eli' last='Olson'], Brody Mahrer, [player_tooltip player_id='2846734' first='Tristen' last='Peterson']."   PHD: Who was your best defensive player?   "[player_tooltip player_id='2252792' first='Jace' last='Fyre'] – He just understands the game. Knows where to be and when to be there. Excellent help defender."   PHD: Who was your top interior player??   "Robert Mund – Big kid, knows the game extremely well. Excellent passer and did a nice job of helping teammates get open or get their shots."   BEST OF LUCK TO THE BULLDOGS THIS OFFSEASON!!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/NorthDakota.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/NorthDakota.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-1606306" /></a></figure>

Prep Hoops Dakotas has two more Season Reviews for the basketball junkies to read.