Clark-Willow Lake: Championship Contenders

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Few teams in Class A enter the 2025–26 season with as much offensive firepower as the <strong>Clark-Willow Lake Cyclones</strong>. Led by veteran head coach <strong>Jerome Nesheim</strong>, one of South Dakota's brightest basketball minds, the Cyclones are built to score — and score big. Nesheim's teams are known for their crisp offensive action, spacing, and creativity, and this year's group might be his most dangerous yet.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontStyle":"normal","fontWeight":"100"}},"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size" style="font-style:normal;font-weight:100">Coming off a strong State Tournament run, the Cyclones return <strong>four starters and nine of their top ten players</strong>, giving them experience, chemistry, and balance across the board. With length, skill, and athleticism at every position, Clark-Willow Lake has the pieces to attack teams in multiple ways and overwhelm defenses with their scoring depth. Headlined by standout <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1655914' first='Sullivan' last='Felberg']</strong>, this roster is loaded with talent and driven to make another deep postseason push.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontStyle":"normal","fontWeight":"200"}},"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size" style="font-style:normal;font-weight:200">In this article, we'll share player thoughts and dive into an in-depth Q&amp;A with Coach Nesheim as the Cyclones prepare for what could be one of the most exciting seasons in program history.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":3046416,"width":"110px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/clarkcyclone.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/clarkcyclone.jpg?w=642" alt="" class="wp-image-3046416" style="width:110px;height:auto" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:image {"id":3046419,"width":"157px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"full","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/image_a2b79d.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/image_a2b79d.png" alt="" class="wp-image-3046419" style="width:157px;height:auto" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"25px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:25px"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Player Comments from Coach Nesheim</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>We return 4 starters and 9 out of our top 10 players.&nbsp;So our expectations are extremely high for the season.</em>"&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"18px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:18px"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1563151' first='Emmerson' last='Larson']. 6'3” Senior - </strong>12.2 ppg. 4.3 rpg.&nbsp;"<em>Emmerson is our most athletic player and a 3-year starter.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"18px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:18px"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2496205' first='Chris' last='Bevers']. 6'2” Junior -</strong> 12.8 ppg. 4.2 rpg. "<em>Started at point guard for us and is able to score in multiple ways.&nbsp; He made the Class A All-Tournament team.</em>"&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"18px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:18px"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1655908' first='Bo' last='Begeman'] 6'6” Junior -</strong> 11.5 ppg&nbsp; 6.2 rpg.&nbsp;"<em>Bo is a tremendous shooter with great length.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"18px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:18px"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1655914' first='Sullivan' last='Felberg']. 6'9” Sophomore -</strong> 13.9 ppg 7.4 rpg. "<em>Sully can play any position on the floor and is a mismatch for most teams. He is one of the best players in the state at his age.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2508303,"width":"286px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/QA.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/QA.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-2508303" style="width:286px;height:auto" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"25px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:25px"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">With Jerome Nesheim</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>PHD: How would you sum up last season?</u></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>We kind of took the back door into the State A tournament last season.&nbsp; We surprised a few teams with how good we were and were under the radar for most of the season.&nbsp;Mainly because of our youth.&nbsp;We started 1 Senior, 1 Junior, 2 Sophomores, and 1 Freshman, and our bench was Sophomores with the most playing time.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: Does your program/team have any non-negotiables?</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>We expect our kids to play extremely hard and compete on every play.&nbsp;We don't coach effort!!</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: What will your defense "hang its hat on"?&nbsp;</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>We have to use our athleticism and our length to our advantage.&nbsp;We want to get stops and turnovers to lead to easy baskets.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>PHD: Who will be a couple of your lead&nbsp;guards?</u></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>Our top 4 players will be able rotate positions so we can take advantage of mismatches.&nbsp;All four of them averaged double digits last season.</em>"&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: How did the offseason go for your team/program?</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>I thought we had a very good offseason.&nbsp;We have about 8 or 9 guys that play travel ball, plus our team camps and league play. The weight room has been good to us, we are bigger, stronger, and faster.&nbsp;I think we will be able to play a bit more physically and will be able to handle physical play better.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: Who are a few of your top defensive players?</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>Our defensive player is [player_tooltip player_id='1563151' first='Emmerson' last='Larson'] and there isn't a position he can't guard.&nbsp;He has such good instinct and great feet plus he is super athletic. [player_tooltip player_id='1551742' first='Jakob' last='Steen'] is also one of our top defenders, mainly because he is so competitive.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: Who are a few up-and-comers to look out for?</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>[player_tooltip player_id='2831228' first='Miles' last='Olson'] is a 5'9” sophomore who is quick and a very good ball handler who can help us at the point guard position.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>[player_tooltip player_id='1655915' first='Trigg' last='Felberg'] is a 6'5” Sophomore.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>[player_tooltip player_id='3046474' first='Aiden' last='Nelson'] is a 6'4” Freshman.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>These guys will be called upon in the near future to keep the success of this program going forward.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: Who do you think will be your&nbsp;best rebounders?</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>Our leading rebounders last season were [player_tooltip player_id='1563151' first='Emmerson' last='Larson'], Sully Felberg, and [player_tooltip player_id='1655908' first='Bo' last='Begeman']. Emmerson is relentless in going to the boards and is an explosive jumper. We will pride ourselves on both ends of the court in rebounding.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: What are&nbsp;your&nbsp;team goals this year?</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>We really want to be competitive every game and play our best at the end of the season.&nbsp;We have an opportunity to be one of the best teams in Class A, but we are going to need to play well.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline"><strong>PHD: Who are some of the top teams &amp; players in your Region?</strong></span></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>Hamlin - [player_tooltip player_id='1545637' first='Jackson' last='Wadsworth'], [player_tooltip player_id='2059573' first='Aiden' last='Abraham'], and [player_tooltip player_id='2059565' first='Boden' last='Stevenson'].</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>Sioux Valley - [player_tooltip player_id='1959432' first='Tobin' last='Squires'].</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: Any last comments about the upcoming season?</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<em>We have a very strong and rich tradition, and our expectation of how our kids need to play does not waver.&nbsp;We know we will be tested game in and game out, and these boys are up to the challenge.&nbsp;These guys are extremely competitive and eager to learn and keep winning.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"20px","fontStyle":"italic","fontWeight":"1000"}}} --> <p style="font-size:20px;font-style:italic;font-weight:1000">BEST OF LUCK TO THE CYCLONES THIS SEASON!!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":3046416,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/clarkcyclone.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/clarkcyclone.jpg?w=642" alt="" class="wp-image-3046416" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image -->