Beach & Hettinger-Scranton: Season Reviews

Summer is coming in hot. Before we worry about the lake, vacations, camps, and fireworks, let's look back at high school hoops!   We are talking class B hoops, see below for info on the Buccaneers & Nighthawks.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/image_50b9d0.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/image_50b9d0.png" alt="" class="wp-image-2865083" style="width:349px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/beach-crop-1173x770-1747457110.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/beach-crop-1173x770-1747457110.jpeg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-2865086" style="width:348px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   Beach Buccaneers   Head Coach: Ben Baker   Class: B   Region: 4   District: 7   Record: 13-10   Shout-out to [player_tooltip player_id='2286705' first='Justus' last='Baker'] for being named as an All-District, All-Region, and All-State Player!   Stats   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/image_d8dd76.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/image_d8dd76.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2865093" /></a></figure>   Player Comments from Coach Baker   Seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2286705' first='Justus' last='Baker'] - "Had a historic season leading us to the Region Tournament, is looking at playing at the next level."   [player_tooltip player_id='2635940' first='Shawn' last='Murphy'] - "Improved this season and continues to have the ability to compete at the next level."   Juniors [player_tooltip player_id='2635941' first='Colt' last='Ambo'] - "Had a good season, will be our only returning senior varsity player."   Sophomores [player_tooltip player_id='2865339' first='Bennet' last='Braden'] - "Had his best games against the best team in the District. Looking forward to that carrying over into most games next season."   [player_tooltip player_id='2865340' first='Lucas' last='Brown'] - "Leading rebounder and plays bigger than he is, starting to develop his outside game, will be another player to watch next year."   [player_tooltip player_id='2865341' first='Sake' last='Baker'] - "Most improved varsity player this year, had his best game in our final game."   Tucker Madison - "Had a solid year playing both JV and varsity, brought energy and competitiveness every game."   <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:282px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   With Ben Baker   PHD: How would you sum up the season for your squad?   "Overall, we would say we had a successful season, although we feel we never met our potential of how good we were."   PHD: Do you have any fun memories to share with us?   "For sure winning our loser-out game at District, then winning the Regional qualifier. It's always a highlight when you can win against the best team in the District at home. That was a fun night!"   PHD: How did your team overcome adversity?   "Most of the adversity came from within by trying to understand and find what it was like to play team basketball. We found out how good we could be during the Regional-Qualifier, where we played our most complete game of the year."   PHD: What are a few things your team improved on?   "Team Play"   PHD: Who are some role players that stood out to you?   "[player_tooltip player_id='2865341' first='Sake' last='Baker'] and Tucker Madison - The only two to come off the bench in crucial times in the game, both didn't need to score but played great defense, rebounded, and didn't turn the ball over."   PHD: Can you talk about your seniors?   "[player_tooltip player_id='2635940' first='Shawn' last='Murphy'] - We will miss his size for sure and his ability to shoot the 3 for a big [player_tooltip player_id='2286705' first='Justus' last='Baker'] - Justus did everything – We will miss his leadership and ability to put up a lot of points in a short amount of time. His ability to shoot the long ball and his work ethic."   PHD: Who are some up-and-comers to look out for in the future?   "Next Year Junior -[player_tooltip player_id='2865340' first='Lucas' last='Brown']. Next Year Junior – [player_tooltip player_id='2865339' first='Bennet' last='Braden']- Next Year Senior- [player_tooltip player_id='2635941' first='Colt' last='Ambo']."   PHD: Who was your best defensive player?   "[player_tooltip player_id='2286705' first='Justus' last='Baker'] – Averaged 4.5 Steals per game, great basketball IQ to cut off passing lanes and create confusion."   PHD: Who was your top interior player?   "[player_tooltip player_id='2635940' first='Shawn' last='Murphy']- Smooth moving to the basket and a good shot blocker."   PHD: Any last comments/thoughts on the season?   "We made it our goal to play as a team, compete and represent our community well this year and we are very encouraged to say we did and we look forward to carrying everything into next season. Thank you to all those who make it possible for us to compete."   BEST OF LUCK TO THE BUCCANEERS THIS OFF-SEASON!!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/image_44a7ee.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/image_44a7ee.png" alt="" class="wp-image-2865392" style="width:296px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/image_c9079c.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/image_c9079c.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2865402" style="width:303px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   Hettinger-Scranton Night Hawks   Head Coach: Kelly Pierce   Class: B   Region: 4   District: 7   Record: 15-8   Shout-out to [player_tooltip player_id='2276348' first='Blake' last='Larson'] for being named as an All-District, All-Region, and All-State Player! Larson was also District 7 Senior Athlete of the Year! Last but not least, congrats to [player_tooltip player_id='2331458' first='Caden' last='Anderson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1921182' first='Gavin' last='Parnow'] for being named to the All-District 7 Team!   Player Comments from Coach Pierce   [player_tooltip player_id='2276348' first='Blake' last='Larson'] – Senior – "Was our leader and an absolute workhorse in the paint. We ran our offense through him, and he anchored our defense. Blake was All-District 7, All-Region 3, and a 1st Team Class B All-State selection. He was also the District 7 Senior Athlete of the Year. Blake had a phenomenal season and career for the Night Hawks. He finished with 1242 career points and 602 career rebounds. Post players are hard to find in this day and age of basketball, but he was a true post that could dominate a game on both ends of the floor."   [player_tooltip player_id='1921182' first='Gavin' last='Parnow'] – Junior – "Our Swiss army knife of a player. He could have scored more for us, but was needed to be a facilitator and a player that could get us organized offensively. He is so versatile defensively, as he can guard on the perimeter and match up against post players as well. Gavin was All-District 7 and a player that will be asked to take over a leadership role in our program moving forward."   [player_tooltip player_id='2331458' first='Caden' last='Anderson'] – Senior – "Was a vocal leader. Was a 3-year starter at guard and was named All-District 7 this season. He was known for making big shots down the stretch of games and could use his athleticism to pressure and cause problems for our opponents. He will be hard to replace next season."   [player_tooltip player_id='2276344' first='Aidyn' last='Fisher'] – Junior – "Aidyn was our second leading scorer and really spaced the floor for our team. He had unlimited range on his jump shot and could also get downhill in attacking the closeouts. I look for Aidyn to take a huge leap next season as a senior. He is a gym rat and will do what it takes to become a complete player. The weight room will become his friend and assist him becoming a better defender and rebounder. He has tremendous length and he used that to his advantage this past season. Aidyn will be a force next season."   Chason Schumacher – Senior – "Chason was our fifth starter this season and played the role to perfection. He was a strong leader and made several key shots down the stretch of the postseason. He was a good rebounder and defender and also took care of the basketball very well. He was everything a coach could ask for in a senior role player."   [player_tooltip player_id='2865433' first='Robert' last='Morris'] – Freshman – "Robert was our depth this year. He was really the only player off the bench who played extended minutes. He is very athletic and long. As with almost all freshmen, he struggled with some consistency and physicality, but he showed tremendous growth as the season went on. He will be a key player for the Night Hawks moving forward. He will continue to get stronger, and a good summer of skill work will assist him in his maturity as a player. Robert will grow into an impact player in his next three seasons as a Night Hawk."   Team Stats   PPG: 56 OPPG: 52 PPP: .96 PRG: 30.5 APG: 15.3 SPG: 7.5 BPG: 1.5   A/TO: 1.25 FG%: 43.9 eFG%: 50.8 2FG%: 52.2 3FG%: 32.7 FT%: 61.4   Individual Statistical Leaders   [player_tooltip player_id='2276348' first='Blake' last='Larson'] - 21 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 2 apg, 56.4 FG%, 56.7 eFG%   [player_tooltip player_id='2276344' first='Aidyn' last='Fisher'] - 12.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.7 apg, 36.5 FG%, 48.5 eFG%   [player_tooltip player_id='1921182' first='Gavin' last='Parnow'] - 7.9 ppg, 5 rpg, 5.4 apg, 37.6 FG%, 48.7 eFG%   [player_tooltip player_id='2331458' first='Caden' last='Anderson'] - 6.6 ppg, 3 rpg, 3.6 apg, 35.5 FG%, 48.6 eFG%   [player_tooltip player_id='2865433' first='Robert' last='Morris'] - 6.1 ppg, 1.7 rpg, .5 apg, 48.8 FG%, 49.2 eFG%   Chason Schumacher - 2.7 ppg, 3 rpg, 1.9 apg, 33.9 FG%, 42.7 eFG%   Season Summary with Kelly Pierce   "The Night Hawks this season were a made shot or two away from winning the District 7 Championship and making a deep run in the Regional Tournament. We had a team that could match up and play with the best teams in Southwest North Dakota. We were physical and played a style of basketball that held up against the other good teams. Our lack of depth hurt us in the end, as down the stretch in those key games, we hit scoring droughts where our shots just fell short. Super proud of the athletes, as they worked tirelessly each and every day to become a team to be reckoned with. We will miss our seniors dearly, but we have some talent returning that could allow us to compete again next season."   Fun Memories "Nothing stands out other than just the togetherness this team showed. We were close-knit and had many different laughs throughout the season. As a coach, I will miss trying to make halftime adjustments as our lead guard is throwing up each and every game. A nervous tradition like no other."   Adversity "Really, the only adversity we had was a stretch at the end of the season where we dealt with illness. With our lack of depth, this stretch of games tested us as players who did not play a lot all year had to step up in key situations and perform. The players did this and it made us a better team come tourney time."   Improvements Made "The Night Hawks really became a strong defensive team as the season progressed. We started the year thinking we may need to mix up some defensive looks, but we really became a strong half-court man-to-man defensive team. The players bought into our defensive philosophy and took pride in our ability to make our opponents take tough contested shots. Offensively, we also bought into our strengths. Our shot selection got much better as the season progressed and we understood that we needed to play from the inside out. We never really became the transition team I envisioned, but we did grow in that area as well."   Best Defensive Player "It is difficult to name one player as our best defender, as we had a heck of a defensive squad, but that title would have to be given to [player_tooltip player_id='1921182' first='Gavin' last='Parnow']. On some nights, he was tasked with playing all-region guards and on others he had to match up with All-Region post players. He really is an outstanding defender who understands angles and finishes off possessions well as a superb rebounder."   Best Player "[player_tooltip player_id='2276348' first='Blake' last='Larson'] had all the accolades with his awards at the end of the season. He truly was our best player and arguably the best post player the Night Hawks have had in their coop history. He battled night in and night out against exotic defenses and multiple double and triple teams. He was our leader and a player that is almost impossible to replace at the Class B level."   BEST OF LUCK TO THE NIGHT HAWKS THIS OFFSEASON!!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/ClassBBasketball.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/ClassBBasketball.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-2672394" /></a></figure>

Summer is coming in hot. Before we worry about the lake, vacations, camps, and fireworks, let's look back at high school hoops!