Corsica-Stickney and Oak Grove: Team Intro's

We have two more Season Introductions for the basketball fans in the Dakotas. PHD is looking at a squad from Class B SD and another from Class A ND. Each team has played 1 game so far this season and they will be looking to bounce back in their next contest. See below for info on the Jaguars and the Grovers!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/image_f6825e.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/image_f6825e.png" alt="" class="wp-image-3229587" style="width:166px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   Corsica-Stickney   In 2024-25, the Jaguars finished with a 12-10 record and they went 3-3 in Conference games. In the playoffs, the Jags beat Andes Central/Dakota Christian in District 5B Quarterfinals and lost to Gregory in District 5B Semifinals.   The Jags started the 2025-26 season with a 17-point loss against a tough Bridgewater-Emery squad. Next up, they host Avon on Tuesday.   Head Coach: Luke Bamberg (4th Season), 32-32 record   Assistant Coach(es): Gavin Zomer, Wade Gall, Micheal Plooster   Names of Returning Letter Winners: [player_tooltip player_id='2531172' first='Jett' last='Kemp'], Aiden Clites, Peyton Denning, Sawyer Schmidt, Dawson Timmermans, Connor Wright, [player_tooltip player_id='3229626' first='Max' last='Vanden Hoek'], Jaxson Feenstra   Names of Seniors Who Graduated: Tyson Wentland, Jarrett Olawsky, Brock Hinker   Teams to Beat During the Regular Season: Bridgewater-Emery, Sanborn Central-Woonsocket, Freeman, Parkston   Teams to Beat in the Conference: Marty, Tripp-Delmont/Armour, Gayville-Volin, Centerville   Team Strengths: Speed, athleticism, work ethic   Biggest Challenges: Size, physicality, experience   Players to Watch for Leadership: [player_tooltip player_id='2531172' first='Jett' last='Kemp'], Sawyer Schmidt, [player_tooltip player_id='3229626' first='Max' last='Vanden Hoek'], Connor Wright   <a href="https://gobound.com/sd/sdhsaa/boysbasketball/2025-26/corsicastickney/v/roster">Jaguars Roster</a>   <a href="https://gobound.com/sd/sdhsaa/boysbasketball/2025-26/corsicastickney/v/schedule">Jaguars Schedule</a>   BEST OF LUCK TO THE JAGS!!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/TeamIntroduction.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/TeamIntroduction.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-3043169" style="width:202px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   Oak Grove   The Grovers open the season at 0–1 after dropping an 84–54 decision at Four Winds–Minnewaukan on Saturday (12/13). Oak Grove is a youthful group without a ton of size, and the loss of last year's lead guard (Zabel to focus on other sports) has left a significant offensive void to fill. That said, the Grovers have several capable shooters within the program and are led by a veteran coach who knows the game well. Expect this team to continue improving as the season progresses. Oak Grove is a Class A squad in Region 1 and is led by longtime head coach Kyle Card.   Q&A with Coach Kyle Card   PHD: How would you sum up last season?   "We were a young and inexperienced team again, but I thought we made some good strides at the end of the season. We ended up losing in the first round of Regions to Wahpeton."   PHD: Does your program/team have any non-negotiables?   "I'm still a little old school, so the players seem to know what to expect. Show up every day, work hard, and good things will happen. Do the dirty work."     PHD: What will your defense "hang its hat on"?   "Typically, we are a man-to-man team, but I see us playing quite a few defenses this year."   PHD: How does this year's team differ from last year's?   "We should have a little more size and athleticism, so hopefully we can fly around a little more on both ends of the court."   PHD: How did the offseason go for your team/program?   "We had a very busy and successful summer, with a variety of team camps around the region. Hopefully, playing against some very good teams will help us in the regular season. We emphasized to our kids that we needed to get bigger, faster, and stronger, so let's hope that will show on the court."   PHD: Who are some players you expect to take on expanded roles this season?   "[player_tooltip player_id='2237756' first='Pierce' last='Thomsen'] & [player_tooltip player_id='2715957' first='Will' last='Olson'] will need to be more of a presence for us on the interior. All players showed improvements this summer, so hopefully everyone will be ready to contribute in more ways."   PHD: Who are a few of your top defensive players?   "[player_tooltip player_id='1541564' first='Noah' last='Meidinger']. He can guard just about every position on the floor, and he loves a good challenge. [player_tooltip player_id='2411681' first='Ryder' last='Soper'] is long and athletic, so hopefully he can guard multiple spots as well."   PHD: Who are a couple of up-and-comers to look out for?   "[player_tooltip player_id='2411681' first='Ryder' last='Soper'], [player_tooltip player_id='2573786' first='James' last='Chaffee'], [player_tooltip player_id='2421427' first='James' last='Henderson'], Sophomores.  [player_tooltip player_id='2411138' first='Beckett' last='Johnson'], [player_tooltip player_id='3228971' first='Alex' last='Meidinger'], [player_tooltip player_id='3228972' first='Bryce' last='Baker'], Freshman. [player_tooltip player_id='2846158' first='Max' last='Maple'], 8th Grader. Harby McCamy,7th grader."   What style of play can fans expect on both ends of the floor?   "We hope to use our athleticism a little more this year, and attack teams on both offense and defense. We need to get back to running the floor to create some easy baskets."   PHD: Who do you think will be your best rebounders?   "[player_tooltip player_id='1541564' first='Noah' last='Meidinger'] & [player_tooltip player_id='2715957' first='Will' last='Olson'], go after the ball hard.  [player_tooltip player_id='2237756' first='Pierce' last='Thomsen'], due to his athletic ability."   PHD: What are your team goals this year?   "We have been young and inexperienced the past two years, but that excuse is over, and it is time for us to get back into the top part of Region 1."     PHD: who are some of the top teams & players in your Region?   "Central Cass has the most talented players, as they can play 9-10 guys.  [player_tooltip player_id='1484338' first='Brooks' last='Bakko'], [player_tooltip player_id='1798696' first='Brayden' last='Steffens'], and [player_tooltip player_id='2055924' first='Miken' last='Mattson'] are probably the most talented."   PHD: Can you tell us about an assistant coach?   "Josh Kading & Joe Welsch have been assistants as long as I have been head coach. I think we work together very well as a team and have had pretty good success in the past. They each bring something a little bit different to the table. Dave Carlson is our long time 7/8 grade coach, and he does a great job preparing our kids to be ready for high school basketball."   PHD: Any last comments about the upcoming season?   "I am super excited to coach this team. They get along great and love being around each other. It is a very close group, so hopefully that will help us on the court. We will be much faster and more athletic this year, so hopefully we can get back to doing the things we have done in the past to be more successful."   BEST OF LUCK TO THE GROVERS!!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/NDSD.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/NDSD.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-2950876" /></a></figure>

We have two more Season Introductions for the basketball fans in the Dakotas. PHD is looking at a squad from Class B SD and another from Class A ND. Each team has played 1 game so far this season and they will be looking to bounce back in their next contest. See below for info on the Jaguars and the Grovers!