Conference Preview: WaMaC West

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>The Teams</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Benton (7-15 last season, 79.4% of scoring returning): </strong>Led by senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2731750' first='Eli' last='Patterson'] (16.0, 6.9 rebounds), the Bobcats bring back the top three, and four of their top five, scorers from last season. Patterson can stuff the stat sheet in a variety of ways, on both ends of the floor, and is capable of scoring inside and out. [player_tooltip player_id='2887899' first='Carson' last='Pickering'] (12.6, 40.3 3P%) is the team's top perimeter shooting threat, and Brody Timmerman (5.7, 3.0 assists) and Carson Nolan (4.1, 5.5 rebounds) were both solid role players last season. Patterson will be one of the best players in the division, and they should be significantly improved.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Clear Creek Amana (19-5, 11.4%): </strong>After a 19-win season, expect to see the Clippers take a step back this winter, having lost the top six, and nine of the top 10, scorers to graduation. That leaves junior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2906415' first='Beckett' last='Boeset'] (5.4) as the lone returnee with much experience. Boeset is coming off a really good spring and summer, and has the size and three-level scoring abilities to become a go-to scorer this season for CCA. Outside of Boeset, it will be almost entirely new faces taking the floor for the Clippers, so there are a lot of questions about this roster heading into the winter. Brandon Clubb has had a lot of success at CCA, and they should remain competitive, just with new pieces.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Grinnell (12-10, 24.2%):</strong> The Tigers lost the top three scorers from last year's team, leaving senior wing Kegan Hobbs (4.0) as the top returning scorer. Jase Kaester (2.9) and Jake Van Compernolle (2.6) are the only other returnees with much experience for this group, so, like CCA, it will be an almost entirely new group of kids taking the floor in Grinnell. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>South Tama (1-21, 88.6%): </strong>The Trojans won just one game last season, and it came against a 2-17 1A team, Meskwaki Settlement, so there's nowhere to go but up. The top three scorers return in seniors Cyrell Etzen (8.9), Tanner Large (8.2), and Barrett Jesina (6.9), giving them some experienced pieces to build around. After posting a -37.9 point differential last season, anything remotely more competitive would be an improvement.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Vinton-Shellsburg (10-14, 100%): </strong>The Vikings bring everyone back from a 10-win team that also suffered five losses by single digits last season. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2886875' first='Jacoby' last='Johnson'] (12.8, 4.4 assists) leads a group that saw seven players average at least 4.5 points per game, giving them plenty of depth. [player_tooltip player_id='2906467' first='Colt' last='Koeppen'] (11.4, 5.7 rebounds) and [player_tooltip player_id='2906502' first='Kade' last='Sutton'] (9.9) are the other significant scoring threats, while Jack Blais (5.3), Jakob Becker (5.2), Kaden Fisher (4.6), and Leif Allen (4.5) are the other notable returnees. With some more experience, they should do a better job protecting the ball (16.1 turnovers a game) this season, and if they can also improve a bit from the 3-point line (30.5%), they could not only be a team to beat in the division, but a sleeper to make some noise in 3A.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>WIlliamsburg (10-12, 41.9%): </strong>Senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2731902' first='Dylan' last='Weisskopf'] (13.4) returns after leading the Raiders in scoring last season and will once again be the focal point of the attack. Griffin Becker (4.4) and PJ Carey (3.2) are the only other returnees with relevant experience, so a lot will be asked of those three, especially early in the year while newcomers get broken in. Weisskopf will be one of the top players in the division, but do the Raiders have enough around him to be competitive at the top of the league?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Projected Order of Finish</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>1. Vinton-Shellsburg<br>2. Clear Creek Amana<br>3. Benton<br>4. Williamsburg<br>5. Grinnell<br>6. South Tama</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Analysis: </strong>CCA and Williamsburg have run this division in recent years, but this could be the year that Vinton-Shellsburg takes over with everyone coming back. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Preseason Player of the Year</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2886875' first='Jacoby' last='Johnson'] (Vinton-Shellsburg): </strong>The division looks wide open, and the Vikings bring everyone back. Johnson stuffs the stat sheet and should be the best player on a team that we project to win the division.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Players to Watch</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2731750' first='Eli' last='Patterson'] (Benton)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2887899' first='Carson' last='Pickering'] (Benton)<br>2026 Brody Timmerman (Benton)<br>2026 Carson Nolan (Benton)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2731902' first='Dylan' last='Weisskopf'] (Williamsburg)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2886875' first='Jacoby' last='Johnson'] (Vinton-Shellsburg)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2906467' first='Colt' last='Koeppen'] (Vinton-Shellsburg)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2906502' first='Kade' last='Sutton'] (Vinton-Shellsburg)<br>2027 Jakob Becker (Vinton-Shellsburg)<br>2028 Kaden Fisher (Vinton-Shellsburg)<br>2027 Leif Allen (Vinton-Shellsburg)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2906415' first='Beckett' last='Boeset'] (Clear Creek Amana)<br>2026 Cyrell Etzen (South Tama)<br>2026 Tanner Lange (South Tama)<br>2026 Barrett Jesina (South Tama)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->