West River Contenders: Spearfish Spartans Preview

<p class="has-medium-font-size">The Spearfish Spartans enter the 2025 season positioned as the clear AA powerhouse of West River basketball. Led by head coach Ben Schultz, who has quietly built a talented and deep program. The Spartans have all the ingredients to be great with skill, size, and the mentality to go toe-to-toe with any opponent that lines up across from them. Last year's State Tournament appearance wasn't a lucky break—it was a preview of what's coming.</p>   <p class="has-medium-font-size" style="font-style:normal;font-weight:100">Spearfish brings back the kind of roster that coaches dream of: long athletes, playmakers who can run and finish in transition, ball-handlers who create and distribute, and shooters who can stretch the floor from deep. This is a lineup with legitimate depth, multiple scoring threats, and the versatility to win in different styles of play. They will compete with the best in South Dakota.</p>   <p class="has-medium-font-size" style="font-style:normal;font-weight:200">Spearfish has the potential to be exceptional, and PHD fully expects this group to be back at the State Tournament with serious intentions. <span style="text-decoration: underline">The Spartans are coming. <strong>Beware of Spearfish</strong></span><strong>!</strong></p>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/spearfish.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/spearfish.jpg?w=1000" alt="" class="wp-image-3141687" style="width:224px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/06/Preview-crop-823x540-1688699564-crop-719x472-1763386614.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/06/Preview-crop-823x540-1688699564-crop-719x472-1763386614.jpg?w=718" alt="" class="wp-image-3070651" style="width:224px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   <p class="has-small-font-size"><strong>School:</strong> Spearfish</p>   <p class="has-small-font-size"><strong>Mascot: </strong>Spartan</p>   <p class="has-small-font-size"><strong>Head Coach:</strong> Ben Schultz</p>   <p class="has-small-font-size"><strong>Athletic Director:</strong> Dalton Wademan</p>   <p class="has-small-font-size"><strong>Class:</strong> A</p>   <p class="has-small-font-size"><strong>Conference: </strong>Black Hills</p>   <p style="font-size:30px"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Spearfish Spartans</span></strong></p>   <p>The Spearfish Spartans enter the new season building off a breakthrough year—one that marked their first AA State Tournament appearance since 2009 and signaled that the program is officially back in the big conversation. That experience, the growth it demanded, and the confidence it generated all carry over into this winter.</p>   <p>What makes this group different is maturity. Spearfish returns nearly every key contributor, including four starters and the core of last year's rotation. That continuity is rare—and powerful. The offseason was anything but casual: open gyms, AAU reps, team camps, and a major emphasis on strength work. This is a team that didn't just hope to get better—they <em>willed</em> themselves better.</p>   <p>On the court, fans can expect fast-paced, unselfish basketball with multiple scoring threats and a defense that sprints, swarms, and suffocates. Spearfish has veterans ready to lead, juniors ready to break out, and young players pushing for minutes—creating internal competition that only raises the ceiling.</p>   <p>PHD's outlook is simple: Spearfish has the size, athleticism, effort, chemistry, and hunger required to contend for hardware.</p>   <p style="font-size:20px"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Players To Watch</span></strong></p>   <p style="font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-weight:200"><em>*Comments from Coach Schultz</em></p>   <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2344085' first='Bennett' last='Kortan'] Senior, 6' PG</strong></p>   <p>"<em>Bennett is one of the best athletes in the state. His quickness and vertical make him an elite defender. He showed this by leading class AA in steals/deflections last season. He is a very unselfish player who can fill up a stat book in many different ways.</em>"</p>   <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2338059' first='Kamren' last='Davis'] Senior, 6'3 G</strong></p>   <p>"<em>Kam is coming off of his junior season, shooting 42% for the 3-point line and 97% from the free throw line. Look for Kam to take another step this season. A long athletic wing that can score at all 3 levels.</em>"</p>   <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2612675' first='Cooper' last='Gibbs'] Senior, 6'5 F</strong></p>   <p>"<em>Cooper came on strong at the end of his junior season. Cooper, a long athlete that can stretch the floor offensively, is looking to keep his momentum going. He is a good rim protector and rebounder. He put in a good offseason and is ready to elevate his game to another level.</em>"</p>   <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2544075' first='Mason' last='Southern'] Junior 5'10 PG</strong></p>   <p>"<em>Extremely skilled guard with elite vision/ playmaking ability. Mason unlocks the Spartan offense with his high-level basketball IQ. He put in a great offseason working on his shot-making ability.</em>"</p>   <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2344051' first='Kade' last='Vavruska'] Junior 6'4 G/F</strong></p>   <p>"<em>A very athletic wing player that will mix it up on the block as well. As a sophomore, Kade did a little of everything. Scored, defended, and rebounded very well. Kade made a huge commitment to the weight room this offseason and is poised for a breakout season.</em>"</p>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/image_9f0eaf.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/image_9f0eaf.png" alt="" class="wp-image-3142081" style="width:253px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   <p style="font-size:20px"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">With Ben Schultz</span></strong></p>   <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: How would you sum up last season?</span></strong></p>   <p>"<em>The Spartans ended the season 15-9 and placed 7th at the AA State Tournament. This was the first time the Spartans made the State tournament in AA since 2009.</em>"</p>   <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: Does your program/team have any non-negotiables?</span></strong></p>   <p>"<em>Effort, Attitude, and Accountability. Our goal is to go 1-0 every single day, no matter what is in front of us. We have high standards and accountability in our program.</em>"</p>   <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: What will your defense "hang its hat on"?</span></strong></p>   <p>"<em>We are going to complete at a extremely high level. Doesn't matter what team is in front of us, they are going to know we are here to play with our effort and intensity.</em>"</p>   <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline"> PHD: How does this year's team differ from last year's?</span></strong></p>   <p>"<em>We got older. We only lost 1 contributor from last year's team (Dylon Doren). We bring back 4 starters and all of our rotational players. Dylon Doren, being a 2nd team All-State player last season, will be big shoes to fill.</em>"</p>   <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: How did the offseason go for your team/program?</span></strong></p>   <p>"<em>This group works very hard in the offseason. Open gym 4 days a week. 3 team camps with many playing aau basketball. We really focused on the weight room this offseason.</em>"</p>   <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: Who are some players you expect to take on expanded roles this season? </span></strong></p>   <p>"<em>[player_tooltip player_id='2708783' first='Karsen' last='Seyer'], [player_tooltip player_id='2250341' first='Thomas' last='Hughes'], and [player_tooltip player_id='2544075' first='Mason' last='Southern']. 3 Juniors with some varsity experience last season. They have been looking very good and expect them to have breakout seasons.</em>"</p>   <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: Who are a few of your top defensive players?</span></strong></p>   <p>"<em>[player_tooltip player_id='2344085' first='Bennett' last='Kortan'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2344051' first='Kade' last='Vavruska']. Very good athletes with high level of focus and effort. They made big impacts on the defensive end last year with steals, shot blocking, and rebounding.</em>"</p>   <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: Who are a couple of up-and-comers to look out for?</span></strong></p>   <p>"<em>Keagan Ozuna and [player_tooltip player_id='2562343' first='Payton' last='Jones']. Two Sophomores who will be competing for rotational minutes. These two do an outstanding job pushing our upperclassmen.</em>"</p>   <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: What style of play can fans expect on both ends of the floor? </span></strong></p>   <p>"<em>Fast unselfish play. We averaged 15 assists as a team last season. We are going to try and push that to 17-20. We have a group of high-level athletes who like to compete and play hard.</em>"</p>   <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: Who do you think will be your best rebounders?</span></strong></p>   <p>"<em>[player_tooltip player_id='2344051' first='Kade' last='Vavruska'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2612675' first='Cooper' last='Gibbs']. These two are very long and athletic. They have a knack for getting the team extra possessions and keeping their men off the glass. Mainly due to their physicality.</em>"</p>   <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: What are your team goals this year?</span></strong></p>   <p>"<em>Our team goal is the same as every year. Our goal is to win a State Championship. We focus on going 1-0 in every rep/ drill/ practice/ possession/ quarter/ half/ and game.</em>"</p>   <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: Who are some of the top players in Class AA?</span></strong></p>   <p>"<em>[player_tooltip player_id='1641205' first='Sam' last='Ericsson'], SF Lincoln</em>"</p>   <p>"<em>[player_tooltip player_id='1949563' first='Sam' last='DeGroot'], SF Lincoln</em>"</p>   <p>"<em>[player_tooltip player_id='2250311' first='Brody' last='Schafer'], SF Lincoln</em>"</p>   <p>"<em>[player_tooltip player_id='1467166' first='Blake' last='Ellwein'], Hurron</em>"</p>   <p>"<em>[player_tooltip player_id='1466940' first='Colton' last='Smith'], Mitchell</em>"</p>   <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: Can you tell us about an assistant coach?</span></strong></p>   <p>"<em>Coach Yost: Does an excellent job scouting opponents' Xs and Os. He is elite at building relationships with our players.</em>"</p>   <p>"<em>Coach Sava: Elite at skill development. He does an excellent job on player scouts and identifying weaknesses of opposing players.</em>"</p>   <p>"<em>Coach Stevenson: Very good at developing young players in our program. Has a great offensive mind and contributes to strategic game plans.</em>"</p>   <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">PHD: Any last comments about the upcoming season?</span></strong></p>   <p>"<em>We are excited for the opportunity.</em>"</p>   <p style="font-size:16px;font-style:italic;font-weight:1000">BEST OF LUCK TO THE SPARTANS!!</p>   <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Spearfish Schedule</span></strong></p>   <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><thead><tr><th>Date</th><th>Opponent</th><th>Home/Away</th></tr></thead></table></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>12/12/25</td><td>Belle Fourche</td><td>Home</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>12/19/25</td><td>Aberdeen Central</td><td>Away</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>12/20/25</td><td>Pierre T.F. Riggs</td><td>Away</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>12/30/25</td><td>Rapid City Stevens</td><td>Away</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>1/8/26</td><td>Hill City</td><td>Home</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>1/16/26</td><td>Douglas</td><td>Away</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>1/20/26</td><td>Hot Springs</td><td>Home</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>1/22/26</td><td>Mahpíya Lúta</td><td>Away</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>1/27/26</td><td>St. Thomas More</td><td>Away</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>1/29/26</td><td>Rapid City Central</td><td>Home</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>2/3/26</td><td>Lead-Deadwood</td><td>Home</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>2/6/26</td><td>Huron</td><td>Home</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>2/7/26</td><td>Mitchell</td><td>Home</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>2/10/26</td><td>Sturgis Brown</td><td>Home</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>2/12/26</td><td>Custer</td><td>Away</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>2/17/26</td><td>Rapid City Christian</td><td>Home</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>2/20/26</td><td>Brandon Valley</td><td>Away</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>2/21/26</td><td>Harrisburg</td><td>Away</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>2/27/26</td><td>Yankton</td><td>Home</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>2/28/26</td><td>Brookings</td><td>Home</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/spearfish.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/spearfish.jpg?w=1000" alt="" class="wp-image-3141687" style="width:473px;height:auto" /></a></figure>

The Spearfish Spartans enter the 2025 season positioned as the clear AA powerhouse of West River basketball. Led by head coach Ben Schultz, who has quietly built a talented and deep program. The Spartans have all the ingredients to be great with skill, size, and the mentality to go toe-to-toe with any opponent that lines up across from them. Last year's State Tournament appearance wasn't a lucky break—it was a preview of what's coming.