Section 5A – Upsala has several challengers in 26-27

<!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Section Power Rankings</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Upsala.  Upsala made state and won 24 games a season.  They have four starters back from a state team, and only two guys in the eight man rotation graduation. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Nevis.  Nevis had a streak of six straight trips to state but it was upset by Upsala.  Nevis only had two seniors but those two were there best two players.  That said, Nevis has another group of young players on the way up.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Sebeka.  Sebeka was young last season and they won 20 games.  With only two starters moving on and [player_tooltip player_id='2126157' first='Max' last='Lake'] ready for a monster year, Sebeka is one to watch close. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Braham. The Bombers have two double figure scorers back but they did lose their backcourt so the guards will be inexperienced. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Long Prairie-Grey Eagle.  LPGE won nine games last season, and they return their top three scorers and six of their top eight players. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Swanville,  A nine win team that lost its best player but has four starters back that will be seniors.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Cass Lake-Bena.  The Panthers return all of their key players and pieces from last year's team. Should take a step forward. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Pine River-Backus.  When it comes to the Tigers, they lost their top guy from a 17-win team but they do return multiple starters and should be solid again. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>East Central.  A 17-win team that was mostly seniors, only one player returns from the main rotation. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Verndale.  Verndale won nine games last year but have their top player back so they should be better. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Mille Lacs. The Raiders won ten games last season and lost their top player.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Hinckley-Finlaysion.  Rebuilding continues for the Jags who won eight games last year and lost a production from their senior frontcourt.   </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Bertha-Hewitt. Team that struggled to score at 52 a game but have players back with experience. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Browerville-Eagle Valley.  Return just one of their top five scorers from a 10-win team.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>North Lakes Academy.  Two starters back only but two of the top three players.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Walker-Hackensack-Akeley.  WHA had ten seniors that graduated, many of them made up the key spots in the rotation so lots of spots from a 8-win team. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Laporte.  Lost games by an average of 31 points, did get one win. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>St. John's Prep.  A team that fell to 1-20 last year, three starters lost to graduation. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Ogilvie. A winless team that lost games be an average of 45 points a game last season.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>All Section</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>First Team</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2126157' first='Max' last='Lake'] of Sebeka (Sr).&nbsp; Max scored 14 a game as a frosh, 21 a game as a soph, and 22.5 a game last year with 5.6 boards, 3.7 assists and 2.5 steals a game.&nbsp; Big year ahead of him expected.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2403777' first='Soren' last='Lilly'] of Braham (Sr).&nbsp; Lilly scored just under 20 points a game last season and the 6'3 forward is a preseason Class A All State level player.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2441789' first='Samuel' last='Laliberte'] of Upsala (Sr).&nbsp; A 6'2 guard that was the best player on a state team.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tjark Scheppeit of Nevis (Sr).&nbsp; One of the more interesting players, Tjark is from Germany and he stands 6'7 and 195 pounds.&nbsp; Top returning player for Nevis after scoring 13 a game.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dominic Nahl of Braham (Sr).&nbsp; Nahl is a 6'4 frontcourt player that put up 11 points a game for Braham last year.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Second Team</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='3582778' first='Dirk' last='Fellbaum'] of LPGE (Sr).&nbsp; A forward that scored 16 plus points a game as a junior and will be a top scorer in the section as a senior.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Braylin Deleon of Verndale (Sr). Point guard that led his team in scoring, rebounds and assists.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='3591406' first='Kenyen' last='Bell'] of Sebeka (Soph).&nbsp; As a frosh Bell averaged over ten points a game with nearly eight boards a contest.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Doug Cloud of Cass Lake-Bena (Sr).&nbsp; A 6'4 frontcourt player that is two time all league and two time 15-16 point per game scorer.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Quinn Guthrie of Upsala (Sr).&nbsp; A 6'1 guard that put up double figures for a team that went to state.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Third Team</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Caleb Guthrie of Upsala (Sr).&nbsp; Also a 6'1 guard, Caleb scored just under ten a game for his team.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2859869' first='Peyton' last='Benson'] of Nevis (Sr).&nbsp; Benson will be a three year starter coming off of a nine point per game season.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='3068484' first='Joseph' last='Wind'] of Cass Lake-Bena (Jr).&nbsp; Wind is a two time all league honored player, two times double figure scorer with two seasons to go.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Isaiah Downe of Pine River-Backus (Sr).&nbsp; Two time all league player returns.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2815270' first='Isaac' last='Miller'] of Swanville (Sr).&nbsp; Miller is a 6'3 wing that scored a dozen points a game and is the top returning starter for his team.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2813970' first='Jacob' last='Lester'] of Nevis (Soph).&nbsp; Lester played as a freshman and had a really good 15u season.&nbsp; Should have a bigger role.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Fourth Team</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gradyn Swenson of East Central (Sr).  A 5'11 player that is the lone returning starter for his team. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ephraim Swartzentruber of LPGE (Sr).&nbsp; Senior that scored a dozen points a game last season.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Luke Tande of WHA (Jr). Good shooter, smart player, best player returning for Walker.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Camilo Ironshell of North Lakes Academy (Sr).  Ironshell was a 12 point per game scorer last season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gavin Marxer of Browerville (Sr).&nbsp; Gavin is the top returning producer for Browerville, Gavin is a 5'7 guard.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2874045' first='Kenyon' last='Goggleye'] of Cass Lake-Bena (Jr).&nbsp; Kenyon scored double figure points per game last season.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>5A Section Summary</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Many eyes will be on this section with curiosity.&nbsp; Upsala is in a great spot as they won 24 games last season, made state, and have most of their team back including many of the top players. Can they hold off Nevis who will try to get back to state for the 7th time in eight years? Nevis lost their two best players but they return everything else. And they have good young talent.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sebeka is the team I could see making a push.&nbsp; They were a 20 win team last season and they return their top couple guys and have a chance to get in the race for state.&nbsp; Braham will be there too with a couple double figure scorers back but they need guards to step in from the younger levels.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->