Preseason All-Conference Teams: War Eagle

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Preseason Player of the Year:</strong> 2023 [player_tooltip player_id='1167735' first='Jaxon' last='Bunkers'] (St. Mary's, Remsen)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The War Eagle is an interesting POY race. Do you go with the huge statistical profile that a [player_tooltip player_id='1167717' first='Lance' last='Berends'], [player_tooltip player_id='956881' first='Keaten' last='Bonderson'], or [player_tooltip player_id='956885' first='Mason' last='Coppock'] provides? Or do you go with the do-it-all player who doesn't put up huge numbers but is the most impactful player on a team that rules the league? We'll side with the latter and tab Bunkers as the POY in the league. He's the best player on the team that has dominated the War Eagle for the last handful of years and figures to do so again.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>First Team</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2023 [player_tooltip player_id='1167735' first='Jaxon' last='Bunkers'] (St. Mary's, Remsen): 12.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.6 steals, 52.6 FG%, 48.2 3P%</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An efficient 6-2 combo forward, Bunkers can defend multiple positions at a high level, get others involved, and score efficiently from all three levels. He's a team-first player who is perfectly content putting up solid, but unspectacular, numbers because it means that his team is hyper successful.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2023 [player_tooltip player_id='1167717' first='Lance' last='Berends'] (Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn): 20.5 points, 13.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 2.8 blocks, 65.6 FG%</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A talented 6-4 big man who protects the painted area and is a dominant interior scorer, Berends averaged a huge double-double as a junior and blocked nearly three shots a game. He'll pair with Ebel to give the Hawks a dominant one-two punch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2023 [player_tooltip player_id='956881' first='Keaten' last='Bonderson'] (Gehlen Catholic): 18.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 2.3 steals, 48.7 FG%</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A quick-twitch athlete who can blow by defenders and get to the rim seemingly at will, Bonderson had a strong junior year for the Jays, although his perimeter shooting numbers dropped a bit from his sophomore to junior years. If he's able to shoot it better from the arc as a senior, he could be a darkhorse to lead 1A in scoring.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2023 [player_tooltip player_id='956885' first='Mason' last='Coppock'] (West Sioux): 16.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.2 steals, 37.4 3P%, 77.3 FT%</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The younger brother of one of the most potent scorers in recent state history, Coppock is a guard who is capable of getting scorching hot and carrying his team offensively. He has a quick release both off the dribble and the catch, and he has really improved as a playmaker over the last few years, dishing out 5.5 assists a game as a junior.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2023 [player_tooltip player_id='1367440' first='Kooper' last='Ebel'] (Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn): 16.1 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.4 steals, 1.1 blocks, 47.4 FG%</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ebel will pair with Berends to give the Hawks a pair of dominant scoring threats. He figures to have the ball in his hands a ton after dishing out nearly three assists a game last season, and he'll provide a lot of defensive versatility.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Second Team</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2024 Dustin Hoksbergen (Trinity Christian)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2024 Laytin Koch (Akron-Westfield)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2023 [player_tooltip player_id='1367448' first='Jacob' last='Van Donge'] (Unity Christian)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2023 [player_tooltip player_id='1469786' first='Cael' last='Ortmann'] (St. Mary's, Remsen)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2023 [player_tooltip player_id='1469821' first='Ryan' last='Willman'] (St. Mary's, Remsen)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Honorable Mentions</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2023 Carter Bultman (West Sioux)<br>2024 Kyler Bork (MMCRU)<br>2023 Carson Pierce (Hinton)<br>2023 Tyce Gunderson (Harris-Lake Park)<br>2024 Caleb Hemphill (Harris-Lake Park)<br>2023 Booker Walsh (West Sioux)<br>2023 [player_tooltip player_id='1139474' first='Derek' last='Goth'] (MMCRU)<br>2024 Mitchell Schnepf (MMCRU)<br>2023 Hudson Oolman (South O'Brien)<br>2023 Alex Schroeder (St. Mary's, Remsen)<br>2023 Keaton Logan (Gehlen Catholic)<br>2023 Brady Lynott (West Sioux)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->