One Vital Player From Each Class 5A Team – Part 5

Over the next several weeks, prior to the high school season kicking off, we are going to highlight a prospect on each team throughout the state of Iowa, that is vital to the success of their Varsity program over the next six months. To start things off, we are going to lock in with the biggest Class in the state and that is the 5A Class. In this specific piece, we highlight the schools of Linn-Mar, Des Moines Lincoln, Roosevelt, Johnston, Ankeny Centennial, Des Moines East, Southeast Polk, and Des Moines Valley.   Thanks for tuning in and enjoy!    [player_tooltip player_id='592198' first='Dreya' last='Kern'] might not have any college offers just yet but I think that changes this next six months during her Junior high school season. Last Winter, Kern lead her squad in several statistical categories individually, while helping her team to a respectable record. In a recruitment sense, this is someone that has consistently gotten better over her career and she seems locked in more than ever. As long as she plays to her strengths, she is going to be the main factor to her team killing it.     [player_tooltip player_id='1055301' first='Leiah' last='Ochoa'] has a unique play-style, that I've never really seen before to be quite honest. Ochoa is a player of opportunity. She moves well off of the ball, usually beats her defender down the court, and she has great touch when attacking the rim. More time than not, it seems like Ochoa is just throwing up a shot but in reality, the shot usually falls for her so all you can do is respect it. She has put up noteworthy numbers for two years now and she is hoping to add onto that over these next few months.     I'm expecting for a big season out of [player_tooltip player_id='777233' first='Romey' last='Croatt'] and her Waukee NW team. I've described Croatt as a killer on the hardwood because of her natural instincts and her aggressive behavior. The Wolves will return some pretty eye opening prospects this season but I think a lot of their future success will come from Croatt in the scoring, defending, and assisting categories. To begin the year it'll be interesting to see how everything starts off across the state. If Croatt uses her opportunities to show her real skill-set, she is going to love how her year goes as a whole.     Big move this offseason from Malaina Hackely to transfer to Roosevelt. With this transfer, I'm not sure if Hackely will need to sit out any time but either way, when she is back, she is going to be a huge plus that they have gained. I am a firm believer that Hackley is one of the best passers in the state for her PG position. She understands how to open up the floor, she drives with elite vision, and she knows to bounce pass the ball compared to throwing it in the air - helping her get more passes through on a regular basis. This should be a a great season for high school ball and I can't wait to see how Hackley does in her new environment.     One of the best defenders that the state of Iowa has to offer this Winter comes to us in the form of [player_tooltip player_id='311377' first='Mya' last='Crawford'] of Ankeny Centennial High School. Crawford stands out because of the chip on her shoulder that she competes with on both sides of the floor. Most of the time, this is the player that is tasked with guarding the opposing team's best offensive prospect, while also needing to run the offense on that side of things. Drake is going to love Crawford when she gets there but prior to that, she has one more chance to make the most of the high school floor and she is ready to make that last.     To know if someone is going to be vital to their team is only possible if you understand the offensive system that the player is competing with. In [player_tooltip player_id='311394' first='Alyssa' last='Bartlett']'s case, she is going to be looked upon for a crazy amount of production this season on the basketball within their offense. This is going to be a lot of dribble-drive or pass-and-cut it seems like from a far, tasking Bartlett with the job of creating for everyone around her, including herself. That's why this season, this is going to be the Ram's main producer in a lot of ways.     [player_tooltip player_id='1055302' first='Serenity' last='Thompson'] is going to take the reins over at Des Moines East over the next two season by the looks of it. Thompson is the little sister of their main producer from years past and she is ready to show her worth even more compared to a Winter ago. Which is noteworthy because she didn't do bad at all during the 2023-2024 high school season. This is someone that competes out of the SG position and she got up a good amount of 2 and 3 point attempts for her Sophomore campaign. I'm sure she has been working the past few months to lock in more efficiently in all aspects of her game. If she can translate that to the Varsity floor these next two years, this team is going to look great as a group.     The Johnston Dragons return this Winter as one of the favorites to bring home another 5A State Title and maybe their most vital prospect, that is going to directly the impact of them winning tight ball games is PG - [player_tooltip player_id='557354' first='Jenica' last='Lewis']. Lewis is a Top 20 rated prospect in the Country by ESPNW for a reason. She has always been the real deal from a young age but this Winter is going to be her biggest challenge. Can she lead them to wins, while taking her game to another level? Her pure skill, natural athletic ability, and knowledge of the game are second-to-none but it's still going to take everything she has if they want to bring home back-to-back as championships.     Valley High School losses a lot this Winter but that just means they will have some opportunity open for the taking and I actually think that they are going to fill in those spots just fine. One of their best, if not thee best player that this roster possesses is 5'10 SG - [player_tooltip player_id='1044965' first='Tylee' last='Weite']. Weite is a competitor, who can light it up from deep with her shooting ability off of the catch or dribble. This past AAU season Weite was a standout on the EYBL Circuit, doing her thing and making waves. It's going to really feel like "her" team this time around so as long as she can play into that, she is going to have a memorable season with the Tigers.

Over the next several weeks, prior to the high school season kicking off, we are going to highlight a prospect on each team throughout the state of Iowa, that is vital to the success of their Varsity program over the next six months. To start things off, we are going to lock in with the biggest Class in the state and that is the 5A Class. In this specific piece, we highlight the schools of Linn-Mar, Des Moines Lincoln, Roosevelt, Johnston, Ankeny Centennial, Des Moines East, Southeast Polk, and Des Moines Valley.