Preseason All-Conference Teams: Lakes

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Preseason Player of the Year:</strong> 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765515' first='Jaidyn' last='Coon'] (Storm Lake)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is one of the easiest selections of any conference in the state. One of the state's elite players leading the team that is far-and-away the favorite to win the conference, Coon is an easy pick here. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>First Team</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765515' first='Jaidyn' last='Coon'] (Storm Lake): 23.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.7 steals, 1.7 blocks, 55.7 FG%</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The future Creighton wing impacts the game on nearly every possession on both ends of the floor. His strength, athleticism, length, ball-handling, and shot creation are rivaled by few in the state, especially at his size. After leading the Tornadoes to the state tournament as a junior for the first time since 1994, he'll be looking to help them take home the state title this winter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2731759' first='Coy' last='Lewis'] (Cherokee): 16.3 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.8 blocks, 57.3 FG%</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An athletic, physical 6-5 forward who can control the glass on both ends of the floor (3.6 offensive rebounds per game), Lewis was great as a junior as a scorer and rim protector. The Braves bring back their top two scorers from last year's team, and if anyone is going to push Storm Lake at the top, it may be them.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765508' first='Cameron' last='Boyd'] (Storm Lake): 14.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.5 steals, 53.1 FG%, 46.0 3P%, 80.0 FT%</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Boyd is the perfect complimentary piece alongside Coon, a shotmaker on the perimeter who shoots it at an incredibly high level from the arc. In addition to being a flamethrower from distance, he's also a skilled playmaker with size and great vision.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765548' first='Wesley' last='Walz'] (Spirit Lake): 14.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.7 steals</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An impactful two-way guard who uses his speed and IQ to his advantage on both ends of the floor, Walz led the Indians in assists and steals last season, while ranking second in scoring. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1978145' first='Jaxon' last='Paulsrud'] (Cherokee): 13.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.5 steals, 51.1 FG%</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A 6-1 guard, Paulsrud pairs with Lewis to give Cherokee a dynamic one-two punch. He's a quick guard who plays with pace, contributes on the glass, and does a great job getting his teammates involved. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Second Team</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2420801' first='Trey' last='Boettcher'] (Storm Lake)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2824178' first='Amari' last='Armstrong'] (Estherville Lincoln Central)<br>2026 Foster Roos (Spencer)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2833525' first='Garbieno' last='Weno'] (Storm Lake)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2420795' first='Timothy' last='Yanga'] (Storm Lake)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Honorable Mentions</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2026 Gavin Heifner (Estherville Lincoln Central)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2419850' first='David' last='William'] (Storm Lake)<br>2026 Landen Stowater (Cherokee)<br>2027 Kaden Fechter (Estherville Lincoln Central)<br>2028 [player_tooltip player_id='2917310' first='Xander' last='Gurash'] (Storm Lake)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->