Recaps: Central Cass & Larimore

It is hard to believe that we are two months removed from the high school hoops. Before anymore times passes, we have to take a look back on the prep season.   PHD has two more Season Recaps/Reviews. In this article, we are highlighting two squads, one from class A and another from class B.   We are talking Squirrels and Polar Bears!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/image_7e17d4.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/image_7e17d4.png" alt="" class="wp-image-2857136" style="width:162px;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/cCs.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/cCs.jpg?w=686" alt="" class="wp-image-2857226" style="width:132px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   Central Cass Squirrels   Head Coach: Matteson Norman   Class: A   Region: 1   Record: 9-16   Shout-out and congrats to [player_tooltip player_id='1267636' first='Brodie' last='Runck'] & [player_tooltip player_id='1651914' first='Easton' last='Holland'] for being named to the All-Region 1 Team!   Individual Statistical Leaders   [player_tooltip player_id='1267636' first='Brodie' last='Runck'] - 8.9 ppg, 6 rpg, 2.4 apg, 38.8 FG%   [player_tooltip player_id='1925132' first='Kash' last='Lorenz'] - 13.7 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 1.2 apg, 37.4 FG%   [player_tooltip player_id='2417308' first='Andrew' last='Ziemer'] - 5 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 2.6 apg, 36.5 FG%   [player_tooltip player_id='1632691' first='Keagan' last='Peterson'] - 6.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.6 apg, 35.4 FG%   [player_tooltip player_id='1651914' first='Easton' last='Holland'] - 14.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.5 apg, 48 FG%   [player_tooltip player_id='2417295' first='Zaine' last='Blixt'] - 1.4 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 1.3 apg, 31.6 FG%   [player_tooltip player_id='2414460' first='Jaxson' last='Haug'] - 2.9 ppg, .9 rpg, .8 apg, 34.1 FG%   [player_tooltip player_id='2412094' first='Kole' last='Buhr'] - 2.5 ppg. .6 rpg, .1 pg, 37.8 FG%   <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:287px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   With Coach Norman   PHD: How would you sum up the season for your squad?   "We had a lot of unknown variables going into this year after the graduation of a large group of seniors. It was fun to watch our team complete throughout the season, and though our execution wasn't perfect, our effort was always there."   PHD: Do you have any fun memories to share with us?   "As a coach, I am very proud of how willing our team was to rally around one another when outside factors could have caused distractions. Their willingness to be present and lift each other up during trying times factored into our successes at the end of the year."   HPHD: How did your team overcome adversity?   "It was fun watching our team embrace the "Brodie's Daycare" comment made by an announcer in reference to how young we were as a team. Instead of using youth as an excuse to underachieve, they saw it as a challenge that they could conquer."   PHD: What are a few things your team improved on?   "We became more deliberate as a team. More attention to how we could create an advantage offensively, and cause teams to play out of system defensively. Players were very willing to thrive in their role for the betterment of the team."   PHD: Who were some of your top role players?   "Central Cass played a deep bench throughout the season (playing 10-11 guys consistently). A few names that come to mind are our offensive leaders in [player_tooltip player_id='1267636' first='Brodie' last='Runck'], [player_tooltip player_id='1925132' first='Kash' last='Lorenz'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1651914' first='Easton' last='Holland']. Each player has their own unique strengths, but collectively, they did a nice job of scoring the basketball against a very challenging schedule."   "It was also fun to watch our bench players find success throughout the season. Whether it was [player_tooltip player_id='2414460' first='Jaxson' last='Haug'] or [player_tooltip player_id='2412094' first='Kole' last='Buhr'] coming in to score the ball, or [player_tooltip player_id='2416014' first='Ben' last='Nelson'] and Lucas Christianson providing length and physicality on the defensive end, it truly took a team effort night in and night out."   PHD: Can you talk about your seniors?   "[player_tooltip player_id='1267636' first='Brodie' last='Runck'] was our lone senior this year and did a wonderful job leading us both on and off the floor. His willingness to embrace this team of younger players and sacrifice for the successes of others cannot be understated. He will be greatly missed."   PHD: Who was your top interior player?   "Aiden Wunderlich (UND Football commit) decided to come out and give basketball a go for just the second season this year. His length defensively and rebounding abilities really helped us compete in stretches against our longer opponents."   PHD: Who was your best defensive player?   "[player_tooltip player_id='1632691' first='Keagan' last='Peterson'], [player_tooltip player_id='2417295' first='Zaine' last='Blixt'], & [player_tooltip player_id='2417308' first='Andrew' last='Ziemer'] all did great jobs of the defensive end of the floor for us. All are hard workers and love the challenge of defending the opposition's best guard. It will be very exciting to see how much they can grow their games in the offseason so we can continue to pressure teams in the full court."   BEST OF LUCK TO THE SQUIRRELS 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:244px;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/Lpolarbears.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Lpolarbears.jpeg?w=960" alt="" class="wp-image-2857251" style="width:244px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   Larimore Polar Bears   Head Coach: Kyle Kleven   Class: B   District: 4   Region: 2   Record: 14-9   Shout-out and congrats to [player_tooltip player_id='2277114' first='Jace' last='Collison'] & [player_tooltip player_id='2237846' first='Baron' last='Burns'] for being named to the All-District 4 Team!   Stats   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/image_ecdcce.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/image_ecdcce.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2857263" style="width:665px;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_282f83.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/image_282f83.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2857269" style="width:665px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   Season Recap with Coach Kleven   Returning Varsity Players   "[player_tooltip player_id='2237846' first='Baron' last='Burns']: Baron was a guy who was all over the floor. Defensively was always on the other team's #1 or #2 player. He gets to the rim really well for not being the biggest player. His leadership is excellent. Baron improved his outside shooting and just overall scoring ability. He wasn't afraid to go score this year. He was an all-district player and deservedly so."   "[player_tooltip player_id='2335354' first='Mason' last='Myers']: Mason had his first year in a big starting role and he did a lot of good things. His athleticism is right there with the best of them and he used it really well on the glass as he collected a ton of rebounds. He had multiple 14 rebound games as well as a 15&16 rebound performance. If he improves his finishing around the rim, he can be a real force next season."   "[player_tooltip player_id='2617642' first='Dyllan' last='Rethemeier']: Dyllan, unfortunately, was hampered by injuries this season, but he is very athletic and uses it to his advantage. His best attribute is his ability to get to the rim off the dribble."   "Case Knudson – Another athletic big man whose best attributes are rebounding and defense. He played mostly JV, but when he got his opportunity, he played well to give our bigs a break. He has a decent jump shot, but we will look for more scoring out of him next year."   "Braden Bacon – Braden was one of our bench guys and he's a kid who is always in the right spots and really doesn't do anything wrong. He is undersized, but he is really good outside shooter with a quick trigger. He made 6 3's in a game earlier in the year that helped spark a win. He was the leader of the JV team and will be looked towards for leadership next year."   Seniors Graduating   "[player_tooltip player_id='2277114' first='Jace' last='Collison'] – Jace was our overall best player. His scoring ability, especially shooting from deep is his best attribute. He improved his ability to attack the rim this year, which really helped us. He also was a great leader for us, especially in the last half of the year when he put the team on his back. He will be missed for sure."   "[player_tooltip player_id='2276981' first='Avery' last='Gratton']: Another guy who had a lingering football injury. He played all year, but could tell that his injury bothered him more than he would say. But he still was a great leader for us. His best attribute I would say was his defensive ability. Between him and Falch, they would always guard the best wing player of the other team. Avery has a decent jump shot too, but he was better at getting to the rim off the dribble this year. He will be missed, too."   "[player_tooltip player_id='2380546' first='Brison' last='Falch'] – Brison was a guy who wouldn't get a lot of credit in the stat sheet, but he did a lot of the dirty work and was tough as nails. He usually switched off with Avery guarding the best big man/wing player. He was a quiet leader for us and just his work ethic will be missed. Brison made improvements on his finishing ability around the basket."   The Season   "I would say overall it was a good season for the team. We started off slow, as it seemed like we were so up and down. We seemed like we would win a game by double digits, but then lose a game by double digits, so consistency was a little off to begin the season. But, we bounced back and went on a 7-game winning streak towards the end of the year and I think at one point winning 8 of 10 right before districts. We had a handful of players score their first varsity points and get their first varsity minutes, so that was really cool to see. This squad made Regionals for the first time since I believe 2017 or 2018, so that was a big hurdle that we were able to get over. Especially after going two and out at Districts last year. The Regional game against Midway-Minto was a really close battle and in my opinion showed how close this team really was to making the next step of a challenge game."   Fun Memories   "Well obviously making Regionals was a fun memory and seeing how the town traveled to that regional game. We saw so many people who came to watch that haven't in a long time, so it just showed what it meant to us as a community. These boys deserved that success. Some other cool memories were some of the younger kids getting their first varsity points and just seeing the reactions from their teammates. Braden Bacon's six three-pointer performance off the bench was another fun memory. [player_tooltip player_id='2277114' first='Jace' last='Collison'] making it over the 1000 point mark was also a cool memory as it was only the 9th time in school history that it's happened."   Overcoming Adversity   "Early on in the year we were just so inconsistent. So being able to bounce back the next game and not just let things unravel, when the consistency wasn't there. Watching this team have next man up, when we had guys missing due to injury or other scenarios, was cool too. Losing that first game of Districts is always tough, so again just the resiliency of these boys to dig deep and make the regionals by having to play two tough games back to back days with the 'lose and you go home' cloud over their heads was another instance."   Improvements   "It seems like a broken record, but just becoming more consistent throughout the year. And improving our rebounding and turnover numbers. It seemed as if when we win, we would have less than 15 turnovers and have under 10 offensive rebounds allowed. And during our winning streak at the end of the year, there really wasn't the turnover and offensive rebound numbers that there were early in the season."   Role Players   "Case Knudson, Braden Bacon, and Tatum Stark were role players that stood out to me. Braden is a kid that doesn't do a lot wrong. Sometimes he would have to step in and start and some nights he wouldn't play at all. But his attitude never changed and was always in the right places. It showed when he came in and got his opportunity and made 6 3's in a game. That's always cool to see a kid like that have success when he works his tail off. Case is a kid who again didn't see a whole lot of minutes at times, but when he did he would help out so much on the boards. If we had Falch or Myers get in some foul trouble, it really seemed like he would fill their roles for us. He did a really good job on the offensive glass, especially. Tatum was our spark plug. To me, he is almost like another Baron because we can put him in, and he is just a pest to the other team's guards. He works his tail off and never seems to get tired as he has an excellent motor. He helped spark a big win against Griggs-Midkota at the end of the year by just being a pest and creating turnovers."   Seniors   "We only had 3 seniors but they all were such big factors for our team. Jace, Avery and Brison have played a lot of basketball for this team and it's hard to imagine that they actually won't be there. Jace we will miss his scoring ability and leadership. He averaged around 17-18 ppg the last couple seasons, so we will need to find that from somewhere. And his leadership. Jace is a gym rat and always wanted to be in getting shots up, so just that mentality to have on our team will be missed. Avery has been starting since an 8 th grader, so again another kid who is going to be hard to think he's not coming back. Avery's athleticism and decision-making is what will be missed. He was a strong kid for his size and seemed as if he could get to the basket whenever he wanted. But his court vision is what I will miss the most. Avery was really good at finding his teammates and he leaves as the unofficial all time assists leader at Larimore. So that along with his leadership, will also be missed. Brison will be missed just because of his attitude. He was a guy who would show up every day and he never really changed. He was one of our best defenders and would do a lot of the dirty work for us. So, having to find someone to fill that role the way he played it will be tough."   Up and Comers   "A couple to watch out for will be Tatum Stark, Ivan Pic and Collyn Peterson. Tatum, as I said earlier, is a little spark plug. He will have to be a big part of our rotation next season and be another scoring option. Ivan is a really talented young player. If we can get him stronger, he can also be a big part of our rotation. Ivan is always the last one to leave the gym after practice. He is a good outside shooter and ball handler that got a good run on the JV floor this year. Collyn is another big body that has a lot of ability and is a better ball handler than a person thinks. You would think he's ambidextrous too with how many times he goes to his left and finishes, but he's right-handed. He always seems to make some tough shots and is a good finisher around the rim. He will more than likely figure into the big man rotation next year."   Best Defender   "[player_tooltip player_id='2237846' first='Baron' last='Burns'] is our best defender. He is just a pest to the other teams guards and it shows by how many steals and layups he gets. I wouldn't necessarily say he's fast, but he's quick and that's what he uses to his advantage on the defensive end. He never shy's away from a challenge since he usually comes up and says “I got so and so this game, right?” He will be on the other teams best guard most of the time, but if they have a smaller wing player as their best player, then he will get the first crack at them a lot of the time."   Best Interior Player   "This honor will go to [player_tooltip player_id='2335354' first='Mason' last='Myers']. He isn't your traditional back to the basket type of big man, but he gets a lot of offensive boards and putbacks like his older brother did. He is super athletic, so he can take the big guys out of the lane and attack them from outside the paint. He will need to improve on his consistency finishing around the rim, but if he can improve on that over the summer, then he will be a guy to watch out for next season."   Final Comments   "This was a fun group to coach again this season. From the inconsistency at the beginning of the season to making a Region Tournament it was a fun, stressful, but a successful season overall. Of course, we would have liked to play a few more games, but Region 2 has a lot of talented teams and it is tough to come out of this region year in and year out. We will lose a lot of experience and scoring, but there still is a lot of talent on this roster for the next couple years, so looking forward to continuing the work!"   BEST OF LUCK TO THE POLAR BEARS 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>

It is hard to believe that we are two months removed from the high school hoops. Before anymore times passes, we have to take a look back on the prep season.