2024-2025 High School Season: Corner Conference Preview

2023 - 2024 Season Standings   1. Fremont-Mills (23-1; 12-0)   2. Stanton (17-6; 9-4)   3. East Mills (12-10; 8-5)   4. Essex (6-15; 3-10)   5. Griswold (6-16; 4-9)   6. Sidney (6-15; 4-7)   7. Hamburg (1-19; 0-6)   2024 - 2025 Season Prediction   Looking back at this conference from a year ago and there are some major changes that are going to directly impact the outcome of the future of this conference for this upcoming season and the seasons to follow. My preseason pick for the 2024-2025 is going to be Stanton High School. If you look deep into the winner from last season, Fremont-Mills absolutely killed it but they lose a ton of production on both sides of the ball. Their main producer, [player_tooltip player_id='896746' first='Ella' last='Thornton'], has transferred to Treynor for her Junior season and they will also lose a few other producers due to graduation. When you consider that, the prospects that Stanton High School is returning and their future schedules, you start to see how the Viqueens could make some waves over these next six months. It's not going to be an easy task but as long as Stanton takes it one game at a time, they should come out on top of all by the end of the 2024-2025 high school season.   Preseason Player Of The Year: [player_tooltip player_id='1055354' first='Lauren' last='Johnson'] (Stanton) - 2025   The Preseason Player Of The Year out of the Corner Conference is 2025 Guard, [player_tooltip player_id='1055354' first='Lauren' last='Johnson'] of Stanton High School. Johnson receives this honor to kick things off because of the season she put together as a Junior. Last Winter, this is someone that averaged a double-double in Points/Rebounds. Which is extremely impressive considering her team had a great season as a whole and she is averaging 11 boards at the size of 5'7. This is also someone that gets her hands on a lot of tips/deflections because of her mixture of active hands, natural instincts, and fast feet. If she goes onto build off of what was put in place a year ago, she is going to have a Winter to remember with her Viqueens program.   First Team   [player_tooltip player_id='1055354' first='Lauren' last='Johnson'] (Stanton): 11 PPG, 11 RPG, 2 APG, 2 SPG, 1 BPG, 68.6 FT%   See Above   [player_tooltip player_id='842552' first='Hannah' last='Olson'] (Stanton): 15.4 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 2 APG, 4 SPG, 1 BPG, 66%   [player_tooltip player_id='842552' first='Hannah' last='Olson'] is going to be the other prospect out of this conference that is in the conversation for Player Of The Year. Olson will share the floor with some talented teammates but she will primary be their force down low next to the basket. This is a prospect that is willing to step out and shoot some three pointers but she really thrives underneath the hoop. When you look at some of Olson's stat-lines from last season, you notice that she had some really impressive contests. I'm sure that will be the case again this Winter, as she tries to help her team in any way possible.   [player_tooltip player_id='883735' first='Ryleigh' last='Ewalt'] (Fremont-Mills): 7 PPG, 3 RPG, 4 APG, 2.2 SPG, 34 FT%   Considering the turnover, I'm expecting [player_tooltip player_id='883735' first='Ryleigh' last='Ewalt'] to have a sensational season with her Fremont-Mills team as being their unquestionable leader. I had the chance to watch Ewalt compete the past couple of years on the AAU scene with her [program_tooltip program_id='716010' first='Western' last='Iowa Express'] program and both years, she impressed me with her shooting ability and her ability to make the others around her better prospects. A key factor to being a PG leader for a program at any level is having the ability to get the ball to your best play-makers and to set up everyone around yourself for success in some way. Ewalt embodies that and really does a solid job of showing off her worth, every time she takes the floor. Something I can't wait to see more of over these next six months.   [player_tooltip player_id='1055357' first='Bella' last='Gute'] (Fremont-Mills): 7.7 PPG, 3 RPG, 2 APG, 2 SPG, 54 FT%   Speaking of Fremont-Mills and their prospects that are going to have a chance to step up this Winter, another impressive piece from this program is [player_tooltip player_id='1055357' first='Bella' last='Gute']. Gute registered just under 8 PPG and 3 RPG a year ago and she is going to have bigger opportunities this Winter to build on those numbers. Like I said prior to this eval, [player_tooltip player_id='883735' first='Ryleigh' last='Ewalt'] is going to be a huge leader within their system but I also think that Gute will be too. She put together a respectable year as a Junior during the 2023-2024 season and she could do even better this time around.   [player_tooltip player_id='1055361' first='Loycee' last='Palmer'] (East Mills): 4.7 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1 APG, 4 SPG, 28 FT%   [player_tooltip player_id='1055361' first='Loycee' last='Palmer'] jumps off of the screen whenever you watch her compete because of her superior mixture of athletic ability and coordination. Palmer is someone that thrives when it comes to the athletic's side of any sport. Doesn't matter if it's on the Basketball court or the Volleyball court, either way, she is always one of the most athletic participating and that says something. This ability alone is going to help her average some noteworthy numbers over the next six months. When you pair that with her tenacious attitude, her eager determination, and her Will to be the best, you start to understand why should could put together a really impressive Winter as a whole.   Second Team   [player_tooltip player_id='1055363' first='Addison' last='Adams'] (Griswold): 7.6 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 1.1 APG, 1.1 SPG, 45 FT%   [player_tooltip player_id='1055363' first='Addison' last='Adams'] is a knock down shooter from behind the three point line when given adequate time, she is a solid rebounder on both ends of the floor, and she understands situational basketball. Adams knows her strengths, where she wants to go with the ball, and where she would like to set up for a jumper. She has the ability to bring up the ball as the PG coming down the floor with a solid handle or she can play at the off-guard spot and make it rain from deep. Griswold has some solid players but by far their best is Adams moving into this season. That could change but I'd still expect a solid year out of the Senior for her last go-around.   [player_tooltip player_id='842582' first='Kyla' last='Hart'] (Stanton): 2.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 5.1 APG, 2.1 SPG, .5 BPG, 45 FT%   The individual that is going to make everything go for the Stanton Viqueens is PG - [player_tooltip player_id='842582' first='Kyla' last='Hart']. Hart is someone that really demonstrates what it means to be a true PG in every definition of the phrase. As a Junior, Hart didn't score the ball a ton but instead, she did a little bit of everything else. She put up great numbers in the Rebounding and Assisting departments, while being a stout defender in both the half and full courts. This Staton team is my favorite to win this conference this Winter but that only happens if Hart can be her natural self and lead. If she can do that, the rest will be history. If not, then things will become a lot more interesting.   [player_tooltip player_id='1055366' first='Addyson' last='Foster'] (Sidney): 5 PPG, 5 RPG, 1.9 APG, 2 SPG, 54 FT%   Sidney High School has a prospect on their hands that will average near a double-double this Winter in Points/Rebounds and that player is [player_tooltip player_id='1055366' first='Addyson' last='Foster']. Foster put up 5 PPG, 5 RPG, 2 APG, and 2 SPG last season for Sidney and she is ready to take that next step, putting together an even better year than the one she just previously had. Foster would be considered a quick and agile guard, that has a solid scoring ability on the offensive end of the floor. During her campaign as a Freshman, Foster shot the ball around 115 times on the season with half of those being from behind the three point arc. Taking into consideration all factors and I think Foster has a high probability to lead her team in scoring this Winter. From an individual standpoint, that is a solid goal to have in mind, as long as she is doing it in an efficient way.   [player_tooltip player_id='1055369' first='Riley' last='Burke'] (Stanton): 6.9 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 1.5 APG, 2 SPG, 55 FT%   The reason that Stanton High School is favorited to win this conference this season is because of how many solid producers they have on their roster. There shouldn't be any program that can keep up with them throughout an entire ballgame. Another individual from this team that oppositions will have to worry about is [player_tooltip player_id='1055369' first='Riley' last='Burke']. Burke averaged better than average numbers a year ago for her Viqueens program and she is going to be able to build on that over the next few months. Stanton is a pick your poison type of situation for their opponents. They are going to be able to focus on 1 or 2 of their top players but not all of them, which will leave a lot of opportunity for someone to have impressive contests and that could very well be Burke.   [player_tooltip player_id='1055371' first='Ruby' last='Hastie'] (East Mills): 4.8 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 1.2 APG, 1.8 RPG, 42 FT%   Truthfully, I have only had the chance to see [player_tooltip player_id='1055371' first='Ruby' last='Hastie'] compete on the Volleyball court and she has demonstrated that she is an athletic individual, that has a lot of common sense, no matter what she is trying to accomplish. At East Mills, Hastie will return as one of their top producers from a year ago and she is going to have her eyes set on gold. As long as her coaching staff can get her the proper position to make it simple, she is going to do well. There won't be many athletes that can match her athletic ability, so she just needs to be put in favorable positions of opportunity and the rest could be history.   Two Prospects W/ Breakout Potential   [player_tooltip player_id='1055373' first='Mariska' last='Kirchert'] (Essex): 2 PPG, 6 RPG, 1.1 APG, 1.3 SPG, 35 FT%   Essex finished off their season last Winter with a 6-15 rebound but they will jump into this season with new leaders and new objectives in mind. One of their leaders, who showed glimpses of being a solid prospect last year was [player_tooltip player_id='1055373' first='Mariska' last='Kirchert']. Kirchert was one of those players that did whatever she could to help her team and in her efforts, she put up some decent numbers. I wouldn't say that there is one ability that stands out about Kirchert other than her adaptability. She can adapt to several different situations and that is going to help her see the floor for her next few years of high school ball that she has remaining.   Mackenzie Stearns (East Mills): 1 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 68 FT%   Mackenzie Stearns comes into this Winter for East Mills as their tallest prospect on roster. Stearns isn't only the tallest player on her own roster, she is also one of the tallest players out of her entire conference moving into her Junior season. This is an individual that walks into her Junior year standing at 6'1 and competing at the Center position. Last season Stearns didn't see a ton of the Varsity floor or a lot of Varsity minutes but with them needing to replace two producers moving into this year, I could see Stearns catching huge minutes over the next six months. If she shows that she has gotten better this past offseason and that she can be a positive resource for those around her, she should be someone that is tough to take off the floor this season from a coaching perspective.

2023 - 2024 Season Standings