Section 8AA Preview

Can anybody slow down Roseau? Sure, long about 2020, or so. Not in 2018. It is true, however, that there is more talent in Section 8AA than there’s been in many years. Just look at our “3rd” team of all-stars, which is the Breakouts, the younger talent that seems destined to put themselves on the map this year. Roseau, of course, has some of that younger talent themselves, but nobody’s got veteran talent like Roseau’s Kacie Borowicz and its 3 bigs. Still, I would guess that a semi-final matchup of future MS-Moorhead guards Natalie Steichen of Dilworth-GF and Nicole Herbranson of Barnesville, if it comes off, will be one of the year’s great games. And either of them will give Roseau a better battle than anybody did last year. So, sure, this might be hockey country, but girls basketball keeps getting better. 1. Roseau 32-0 last year, def. Sauk Centre 75-64 for state championship It took 3 years and 3 state tournaments but Roseau and the Borowicz sisters finally won a state title, completing an unbeaten 32-0 season no less. Senior wing Kiley led the way, scoring almost 30 ppg over 3 years. 5-10 sophomore (now junior) point guard Kacie Borowicz is now poised to become an even better all-around player than Kiley. And, Katie Borowicz came off the bench with some big minutes and some big plays, which is something for a 5-4 8th (now 9th) grader. Katie may have the highest basketball IQ of them all. So now Kacie and Katie need to show they can do it without Kiley, except that, you know what? They can. They will. They will return to a 4th state tournament, and they’ll have a seed. Will they win? Well, they won’t be a #1 seed. But, they’ll have more confidence than anybody and they’ll be a tough out. Because, don’t forget that, in addition to Kacie and Katie, there’s pretty good size, too, in 6-2 Victoria Johnson, plus Mya Hough (rhymes with tough) and McKayla Christianson. Still, the Section 8AA semi-finals will be very competitive. 2. Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton 19-10, lost to Roseau 76-64 in section SF 3. Barnesville 23-6, lost to Staples-Motley 45-43 in section SF It’s the last go-round for senior guards Natalie Steichen of DGF and Nicole Herbranson of Barnesville, who will be teammates next year at MSMoorhead. Steichen is a quicker-than-quick point guard, a great defender both on the ball and helping, who really pushes the pace and hits the 3. Herbranson is a combo guard who is pretty much unstoppable at this level with a jumper off the dribble. Steichen has as a #2 option same age sister Grace, surprisingly enough the post, who is much bigger but skilled in her own way and who scored 17 ppg last year. Herbranson doesn’t have a #2 option but about 4 #3s led by senior guards Andria McIntyre, Grace Mulcahy and Emma Nielsen. 4. East Grand Forks 19-8, lost to Barnesville 41-28 in section QF 5. Thief River Falls 15-12, lost to Bemidji 71-54 in Section 8AAA QF 6. Crookston 7-20, lost to DGF 64-50 in section 1st round The big 3 on the Red River will be pretty equal this year. EGF is on the way up and 19-8 (last year) is not going to be the peak. They’ll go at least 9 deep this year with 5 seniors and 2 freshmen. The tent-poles are 5-10 senior forward Brooke Filipi (18 ppg) and 5-9 freshman forward Haley Berger (12 ppg).There are 5 more girls who scored 5 to 8 ppg last year. Thief is coming down off a great stretch as the younger talent seems to have dried up. They’ll go as far as 2 great players can take you in a 5-on-5 game. They are 6-2 senior post Tiahna Nicholson and 5-9 combo guard Kylea Praska. Crookston is also on the way up behind freshman guard Emma Borowicz (14 ppg a an 8th grader; and, yes, apparently she’s a cousin to the Roseau Borowicz’s.) Senior guard Bailey Folkers provided an additional 11 ppg plus a bundle of energy. 7. Breckenridge 13-14, lost to BGMR 61-48 in section 1st round The Cowgirls have 6 contributors back, 4 seniors and 2 juniors, so if you’re going to make a move, now would be the time. 5-7 junior Amy Kaehler is the ringleader at 13 ppg while 6-0 senior Claire Conzemius provides 7 ppg and some size. 8. Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 13-12, lost to Osakis 71-35 in Section 6AA 1st round LP moves from the frying pan into the fire. If anything 8AA is going to be tougher than 6AA these next 2 seasons. But LP has senior guards Taylor Kingston (17 ppg) and Rachel Middendorf (9 ppg) so they’ll be around the .500 mark again in 2018. 9. Frazee 5-21, lost to Perham 53-44 in section 1st round Frazee should be much improved as 5-9 sophomore forward Paige Zeigler (14 ppg) leads the way. 10. Perham 19-9, lost to DGF 49-48 in section QF Perham will not be much improved as they lose 2 of last year’s big 3—Josie Beachy and Janie Wunderlich. But, Gabby DeBoer, 5-10 senior power forward, returns so the Yellowjackets will be respectable. All-Section 8AA Center—Tiahna Nicholson, Thief, 6-2, senior, 20 ppg Power Forward—Brooke Filipi, EGF, 5-10, senior, 18 ppg Small Forward—Claire Wolhowe, Staples-Motley, 5-11, senior, 17 ppg Point Guard—Kacie Borowicz, Roseau, 5-10, junior, 17 ppg Combo Guard—Natalie Steichen, DGF, 5-7, senior, 20 ppg 2nd Team Center—Victoria Johnson, Roseau, 6-2, senior, 11 ppg Forward—Grace Steichen, DGF, 5-11, senior, 17 ppg Point Guard—Kacie Borowicz, Roseau, 5-10, junior, 17 ppg Combo Guard—Nicole Herbranson, Barnesville, 5-9, senior, 17 ppg Combo Guard—Kylea Praska, Theif, 5-9, senior, 14 ppg Breakouts Center—Rachel Hefta, Crookston, sophomore, 4 ppg Forward—Paige Zeigler, Frazee, 5-9, sophomore, 14 ppg Forward—Haley Berger, East Grand Forks, 5-9, sophomore, 14 ppg Point Guard—Katie Borowicz, Roseau, 5-4, freshman, 6 ppg Combo Guard—Emma Borowicz, Crookston, freshman, 14 ppg