Northern Cass: Program and Player Analysis

<p>This will be a tough up-and-coming Jaguar team. Region 1 is stacked and loaded! The Jaguars will be a team to watch out for. The young athletic guards and wings will make for a fun team to watch for the black and gold. Put the Jags on your radar!</p> <p><u>Coach <strong><em>Bryce Laxdal</em></strong> comments</u>:</p> <p><em>“Northern Cass lost a heartbreaker to Oak Grove in the Regional Tournament and ended their season 12-10. Bryce Laxdal returns for his 4th season (107-61 career record) the Jaguars play one of the tougher non-region schedules to prepare them for the always deep and tough Region 1. The Jaguars lost plenty to graduation, but they will have a deep group of returning letter winners ready and hungry to make names for themselves. Next year’s Jags will not have the elite height that some teams in the Region possess but they will have some nice overall size. They need a lot of time and dedication to the weight room, and to each other to help mold them into the team they want to be.  Summer camps, summer lifting, and individual workouts will be key to next year’s success.”  </em></p> <p><strong><u>Top Players</u></strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1135607" first="Brock" last="Carpenter"] (2022) |6-0 G|</strong> Brock is a knock-down shooter, who had a nice Junior season. Brock needs to continue to get stronger and work on creating shots for himself. He is a very smart basketball player with a high IQ and has a knack for always being in the right place at the right time.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1159611" first="Leighton" last="Strommen"] (2022) |6-1 G|</strong> AAU team <strong>ND Attack</strong>. Leighton is a basketball junkie, you can always find him in a gym. He can get to the rim and finish with either hand, he needs to continue to find ways to absorb and finish through contact. Leighton has helped run the guard spot for Northern Cass the past 3 seasons, look for him to be a potential breakout player for the Jags.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1135608" first="Jacob" last="Larson"] (2022) |6-0 G|</strong> Jacob has one of the better floater games around. He is someone that can create a shot of himself or find an open teammate. Larson is a great teammate and is very coachable.</p> <p><strong>Carter Osland (2022) |6-1 G|</strong> Carter is a terrific outside shooter, who can take over a game with his ability to score the basketball.  Carter needs to stay engaged for 32 minutes and he has a very high ceiling.</p> <p><strong>Luke Wagmer (2022) |6-1 G|</strong> Luke is one of the players I expect to break out. He is a physical defender and can attack the hoop off the bounce two things the Jags will be looking for, I think Luke will surprise some people next season.</p> <p><strong>Jon Rietschel (2022) |5-10 G|</strong> Jon has had a run of tough luck, he played as an 8th grader and started in 9th but has suffered 3 straight torn ACL’s. We are all hopeful for a healthy senior season for Jon, he is very competitive and confident in himself. </p> <p><strong>Camden VanWechel (2022) |6-3 F|</strong> Cam is a great passer and zone buster of a big. He can stretch the D and shoot the ball well from the outside, he started a few games for us last season. </p> <p><strong>Jack Metzger (2022) |5-11 G|</strong> Jack leads the state in floor burns, he is a physical defender who never gives up on a play.  When he is confident in himself, he is a tough basketball player.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1145107" first="Landon" last="Moser"] (2024) |6-0 G|</strong> AAU team <strong>ND ATTACK</strong>. Landon is a great defender and can score in multiple ways. Landon made some big shots and played a lot of minutes for the Jags as a freshman, he is the type of player that can take over a game. Look for him to step up and become more of a leader for the Jags as a sophomore.</p> <p><strong>Isaac Johnson (2023) |6-3 F|</strong> Isaac is a fast and physical post player who beats his man with hustle and heart. He needs to fine-tune his game but has a lot of upside with the type of energy he brings to the court.</p> <p><strong><u>Off-Season Plans</u></strong></p> <p>The Jaguars will be busy all summer working hard in the weight room. Three days a week they will be working on their game at open gyms. Northern Cass has team camps scheduled at Mayville, MSUM, and TBD. They will also be playing in the summer league at Courts Plus on Monday nights.</p> <p><strong><u>High School Season Schedule </u></strong></p> <p>Region-1 includes the following teams: Kindred, Central Cass, Oak Grove, Northern Cass, Lisbon, Wyndmere/Lidgerwood, Sargent County, Maple Valley, Hankinson, Tri-State, and Richland.</p> <p><strong><u>Non-Region Schedule</u></strong></p> <p>North Border</p> <p>Thompson</p> <p>Hillsboro Central-Valley</p> <p>NDSCS Shootout – opponent TBD</p> <p>Jamestown Shootout – opponent TBD</p> <p>Drayton Valley/Edinburg</p> <p>Midway/Minto</p> <p><strong>The Jags will be ON THE PROWL next season!</strong></p>