Central Lakes Conference Preview 2018

Alexandria and Fergus Falls have won the Central Lakes title 7 years running now, but the Cards and Otters have lost more than 100 points of scoring from last year between them. So, finally, it might be somebody else’s turn, but whose? St. Cloud Tech, Brainerd, Willmar, Sartell-St. Stephen and St. Cloud Apollo all have more than 40 ppg of talent returning. But some 40 points are more equal than others. Willmar and Brainerd each won more than 10 (actually, 12 and 11) conference games last year and so you’d say that their 40 points are better than the rest. And, then, there’s Alexandria. Despite the loss of guards Macy Hatlestad and Kendall Kohler, somehow I have a hard time ruling them out. They return 5 players who each scored 2, 3 or 4 ppg last year, but they did that playing behind a huge and productive senior class. They could be a time bomb whose time has come. We’ll see. 1. Willmar (12-4, 2nd place last year) The Alexandria Cardinals were not the only Central Lakes Cardinals in last year’s state tourney. Willmar came on strong at the end of last season with a win over Alex and then 3 wins in section 5AAA. Heidi Sellman and Gabi Sawyer are gone from that team, but Cayle Hovland, Jordan Svoboda, Hannah Johnson and Madison Linbo are not, and a total of 8 contributors in all. They’re a big, strong, deliberate group that gets a high percentage shot and denies the same to their opponents. Linbo is the one who did not start last year, and she may be ready to step in at the point, though Hannah Johnson was solid there last year, but Linbo could give them a new look, a little more pace on offense. That could make them even doubly hard to beat. They’re a game better than last year at 13-3. 2. Brainerd (11-5, 3rd) The Warriors lose all-time scorer Kylee Heurung and her 20 ppg, but everybody else is back and the sum total could be even better. Off-guard Regan McElfresh scored 9 ppg last year, and she proved over the summer than she can be one of the conference’s top scorers. Lexi Roby scored 10 ppg at the 1. Lillee Hardee, Cara Helgeson and Ashley Huber all scored 5, and 4 more girls scored 3 ppg. So there is lots of depth and, more to the point, lots of ways to put together a high-powered starting five. They’re also a game better than last year at 12-4. 3. Alexandria (15-1, 1st) These Cards have not been as low as #3 since 2008 nor below #3 since 2006. The talent this year is lacking in experience, to be sure, but there is talent nevertheless. So, #3 is as low as I’m willing to go with a team of coach Wendy Kohler’s kids. The pressure will be on junior off-guard Kaye Paschke and sophomore guard Ella Grove. Paschke scored just 3 ppg last year but got the game-winner against Grand Rapids in the state tournament. She’s a bundle of energy. Grove scored just 2 ppg as a freshman but, seriously, there just weren’t any minutes for her then. Now, there are, lots of them. It might take ‘em awhile to get their footing, so I’ll say 11-5, but you’re not going to want them in March. 4. Fergus Falls (10-6, 4th) The Otters won 4 straight conference titles at 64-2 from 2011 to 2014. They’re 23-25 since then. This team will be more like the former than the latter though the record might not show it. Combo guard Kate Strand leads the way at 13 ppg, while post Lily Pearson is a solid, experienced player, too, who scored 10 last year. Much will depend on the improvement of junior win Emma Norgard. Still, it looks like 10-6. 5. Sartell-St. Stephen (8-7, 5th) The Sabres have probably been better than you remember with 10 or more wins 6 times in 11 years, and 14-2 as recently as 2015. And, now they return 3 10 ppg+ scorers in Megan Sieben, Addison DeMaine and Lexi Winter. All are seniors, so the future is now. Still, there’s a shortage of size and this conference is better than it’s been. 9-7. 6. St. Cloud Tech (6-9, 6th) Tech has won 10 or more conference games 7 times in 11 years but they won’t do that in 2018. Too much talent was lost from last year. Still, Meya Washington can protect and distribute the ball, and Gemaya Murray is going to be a major scoring threat someday. Still, 6-10 is about as good as it gets. 7. Sauk Rapids-Rice (4-12 tied 7th) It’s Sauk, not Sartell, that has struggled over the past decade. I get those 2 mixed up. The Storm went 10-6 as recently as 2016 but it was their first winning record in more than a decade, then last year was tough, again. They’ll be better but certainly not 2016 better. Bailey Becker is solid at the 2-guard with 12 ppg, 8 boards and 3 assists. And Sauk has more size than most with Angela Konz at the post. But there doesn’t appear to be much depth. 5-11. 8. St. Cloud Apollo (4-12, tied 7th) 9. Rocori (1-15, 9th) Here are 2 teams with no winning records in the conference over the past dozen years. But, if you want evidence that the Central Lakes has improved, well, these 2 are not quite the pushover that they’ve been. Still, what they’ll be doing this year is making games closer, but not turning losses into wins. Still, Apollo is a team to see because of 2-guard Lariah Washington and her 23 ppg average, plus 8 boards and 2.5 steals. And guard Ashley Koepp is a pretty good sidekick. But, overall, there’s not enough depth. 4-10. Ditto, Rocori, where Callie Swanberg and Michael Kuhn will be carrying most of the load. Unfortunately, it would probably take 2 Swanbergs and 2 Kuhns to get really competitive in this conference. 2-14. All-Central Lakes Center—Lily Pearson, Fergus Falls, 6-0, senior, 10 ppg last year Power Forward—Cayle Hovland, Willmar, 5-11, senior, 8 ppg Small Forward—Lariah Washington, St. Cloud Apollo, 5-9, junior, 23 ppg-8 reb-2.5 stl Point Guard—Kate Strand, Fergus Falls, 5-7, senior, 13.5 ppg Shooting Guard—Bailey Becker, Sauk Rapids-Rice, 5-9, senior, 12 ppg-8 reb-3ast Second Team Center—Angela Konz, Sauk Rapids-Rice, senior, 6 ppg-6 re Power Forward—Courtney Gould, Alexandria, 5-11, senior, 4 ppg-3 reb Point Guard—Ashley Koepp, St. Cloud Apollo, junior, 10 ppg-2 stl Shooting Guard—Hannah Johnson, Willmar, 5-10, junior, 7.5 ppg Shooting Guard—Regan McElfresh, Brainerd, 5-8, senior, 9 ppg Risers Center—McKenzie Duwenhoegger, Alexandria, junior, 2 ppg-2 reb Power Forward—Gemaya Murray, St. Cloud Tech, sophomore, 4 ppg Point Guard—Madison Linbo, Willmar, sophomore, 5 ppg Shooting Guard—Ella Grove, Alexandria, sophomore, 2 ppg Shooting Guard—Kaye Paschke, Alexandria, 5-9, junior, 3 ppg