Conference Preview: Corner
For the next few weeks, we will be touching on each conference in the state. These will include last year’s standings, this year’s projected standings, team breakdown, preseason player of the year, and first and second teams. These articles will…
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Continue ReadingFor the next few weeks, we will be touching on each conference in the state. These will include last year’s standings, this year’s projected standings, team breakdown, preseason player of the year, and first and second teams. These articles will be the next 43 in the series of 70 season previews which will take us right into my preseason polls. Tomorrow, I will have the Hawkeye Ten conference preview.
2018-19 Standings
Sidney (14-0)
Griswold (11-3)
Fremont-Mills (10-4)
Stanton (9-5)
East Mills (5-9)
Essex (4-10)
Heartland Christian (2-12)
South Page (1-13)
Projected 2019-20 Standings
Fremont-Mills
Stanton
Sidney
Griswold
Heartland Christian
Essex
South Page
East Mills
Last year Sidney rolled to the top of the conference. This year I think there is going to be a change at the top and it could come from anyone. There are some really good players who have graduated, but there is a lot of talent returning as well. Look for this to be a heated battle all year long with no team blowing out the competition like last season. Each team in the conference is going to be different from last year in a big way. Fremont-Mills had some struggles last season but they are coming for the top spot this season. Look for a five team battle for that top spot.
Team Breakdowns
Fremont-Mills: Fremont-Mills is going to be a much improved team this season, and once that could gear up for a run at state. They only lose two seniors from a year ago and they averaged just 2.4 points combined. They return their top five scorers and should be locked and loaded to go this upcoming season. Sophmore Kaelynn Driskell returns as the leading scorer from last year. Kaylee Wright, Courtney Goodman, Lexie Howard, and Kelly Kesterton are four seniors who are going to have a big impact this year. Look for these five players to lead Fremont-Mills to a big season.
Stanton: Like Fremont-Mills, Stanton returns the bulk of their roster from a season ago. They will be led by the duo of seniors Kami Tibben and Devin Isaacson as well as juniors Hope Ogletree and Tara Peterson. This is a group that is going to really be able to make some things happen during this upcoming season. They have all the pieces to be at the top of the conference, they’ll just need some additional contributions from junior Kaitlyn Bruce and senior Madalyn Johnson in order to take that next step. They have a really good shot at the top spot.
Sidney: Sidney has the top player in the conference, and went through the conference slate last year unscathed. This year might be a little different though as they lose three of their top four scorers. Senior Maddy Duncan is in store for a huge year and I wouldn’t be surprised to see her top the 25 points a game mark. Duncan scored 18.7 a game last year and the next highest returnee was at 2.7 points a game. Look for players on this Sidney team to step up and help Duncan out this season as they have a number of capable seniors on the roster.
Griswold: Griswold is going to be an extremely interesting team this upcoming season. They lose their top scorer from a year ago and she made over half of their 41 shots from beyond the arc. A lot of Griswold’s success this upcoming year is based on whether or not they can find another outside shooter. Senior Jocelyn Amoes is coming back as the top scorer from a year ago with a 8.7 points a game average. The junior trio of Mikala Pelzer, Hope Ogg, and Josie Mondorf will be paramount in the success of this team this year.
Heartland Christian: Heartland Christian is going to be in a good spot this season but I don’t think they have enough to get into the top half of the conference. I can see them creeping up to overtake Griswold, but I don’t think they can get to third this season. Seniors Bella Dingus and Shelena Cochran will be the undoubted leaders on this team this season. They combined for 24.7 points a game last year and should see a healthy increase on that. With only seven returning varsity players I wonder about their depth.
Essex: Essex is likely a year away from contending for a conference title. They lose two key seniors from last season but return a trio of juniors who are going to be really solid. Elise Dailey, Sami York, and Helen Nicholas are going to lead this team the next two years and last year they combined for 18.9 points a game. Look for those three to set the tone this season for Essex all season long. If they can get some contributions from others this season I think that they can really make some noise.
South Page: South Page was a little tough to peg because they really only had two players last year who could score the ball consistently. One of those players has graduated which leaves junior Jessalee Neihart as the player who is likely going to carry the scoring this season. Last year she averaged 12.5 points a game and will likely heavily increase that this season. Look for some others to step up this year if South Page wants to stay out of the basement this season.
East Mills: East Mills had a few players last year that made an impact. With senior Alex Knop coming back East Mills is going to have some talent. Knop scored 12.6 points a game last season and has a real chance to push that into the 20 points range. The bad news for East Mills is that that Knop is the only returner who scored more than 1.4 points a game. With only six returning varsity players and most of it being youth, this could be a long year for East Mills.
All-Corner First Team
Bella Dingus (Heartland Christian, 5’3 PG, 2020)
Last season Dingus was the top performer for this Heartland Christian team. She likely will be the top player again and be close to the top of the conference in points per game. Look for Dingus to come out on a mission and set the tone for this group once again this season.
Kaelynn Driskell (Fremont-Mills, 5’6 SG, 2022)
Driskell is a bit of an unknown in the state, and I think she likes it that way. She goes about her job in a meaningful but yet silent way. She’s one of the top kids in the conference and her play is going to be paramount for this team. Fremont-Mills has a solid chance at winning the conference and Driskell is going to be a large part of that.
Alex Knop (East Mills, 5’9 SF, 2020)
Knop scored 12.6 points a game last year for East Mills and this year will see an even bigger scoring output. Knop is a do-it-all player on both ends with her ability to rebound the ball averaging a double-double this past season. Look for Knop to be a huge factor in East Mills’ path out of last place.
Jessalee Neihart (South Page, 5’7 SG, 2021)
Neihart is an electric player who is unafraid to pull the trigger at any time. She has a really solid knowledge of the game and shows that each time on the floor. If her shooting percentages rise this upcoming year then I think that she is really going to take off. Look for Neihart to lead South Page.
Kami Tibben (Stanton, 5’5 SG, 2020)
Tibben is a solid player from Stanton. She is one of the top players with the ball for Stanton and she makes good decisions with it. Tibben earned a spot on this team this year because of her ability to control the pace of the game as well as score the ball. Look for her to once again be one of the surest players in the conference.
All-Corner Second Team
Hope Ogletree (Stanton, 5’4 SG, 2021)
Ogletree is another one of Stanton’s premier players. She led the team in scoring last season and really helped them have a solid year. This upcoming season will be much of the same for Ogletree as she looks to lead them to another solid finish in the conference.
Jocelyn Amos (Griswold, 5’11 PF, 2020)
Amos was on the cusp of grabbing a double-double each night last season, and this year will be no different as she looks to prove that she can lead a team. Amos is going to be the leader on a team that is fighting for a shot at a conference championship.
Elise Dailey (Essex, 6′ C, 2021)
Dailey is a rebounding machine as evidenced by her grabbing 8.6 boards a game. Look for her to continue that rebounding prowess this season while increasing her scoring load. Dailey is going to be a player that teams must gameplan against this season.
Courtney Goodman (Fremont-Mills, 5’7 SG, 2020)
There are a ton of good players on this Fremont-Mills team and Goodman is certainly one of them. She is a solid scorer who isn’t shy about pulling the trigger. Look for her to set the tone for Fremont-Mills this year as part of a trio of high scorers.
Kaylee Wright (Fremont-Mills, 5’9 PF, 2020)
Like Goodman, Wright is going to be another player on this Fremont-Mills team who can do pretty much what she wants with the ball. She exclusively scores on the inside as she didn’t attempt any 3-pointers. Look for Wright to make some moves this upcoming season.
Preseason Player of the Year
Maddy Duncan (2020, 5’6 PG, Sidney)
A year removed from leading the conference in scoring, Duncan is going to lead the conference in scoring once again. There is less talent around her this season, which allows her to shoot the ball at a higher rate. She has a crisp outside shot and can score on the inside. Look for Duncan to push her scoring average way up and likely be in the top 10 in scoring this season in the state.
Five Questions For The Year
Will Sidney be able to repeat?
Does Fremont-Mills have enough firepower to win the conference?
How will the studs in the lower half of the conference respond?
Can Stanton make a run this year?
Who do you think will win the conference? Let me know on Twitter!