Season Intro: Aberdeen Central, Benson County, Garrison

Prep Girls Hoops Dakotas (PGHD) has THREE Season Introductions for basketball fans to check out.   PHD has a combo platter with 2 teams from NoDak and 1 squad from SoDak.   We are looking at the Golden Eagles from Aberdeen Central, the Wildcats from Benson County, and the Troopers from Garrison.   Benson County is 4-0 on the season with wins over North Prairie, Larimore, Nelson County, and Griggs-Midkota. The Wildcats are ranked #6 in the State Polls.   Garrison is 1-0 on the season with a 42-39 win over Richardton-Taylor. The Troopers are receiving votes in the State Polls.   When do you they play next?   Aberdeen Central: 12/13/24 at Rapid City Central   Benson County: 12/10/24 at Harvey Wells   Garrison: 12/10/24 home vs. Hazen   Introduction: Aberdeen Central   Program: Aberdeen Central   Mascot: Golden Eagle   Head Coach: Paiton Burckhard   Class: AA   Conference: Eastern South Dakota Conference   Burckhard is a first-year head coach. He is assisted by Tevan Newman, Mia Fries, Myah Stolp, and Madison Roth.   Top Returning Players   Comments from Coach Burckhard   [player_tooltip player_id='375879' first='Taryn' last='Hermansen'] - "Junior post player listed as 6'1. Averaged 13.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG. Taryn is a dominant and consistent post player that draws a lot of attention in the lane which opens up the outside for us. This year we plan to take advantage of that while still utilizing her as a tool down low."   [player_tooltip player_id='731193' first='Lauryn' last='Burckhard'] - "Sophomore forward listed as 6'1. Averaged 10.8 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 1.3 assists per game. Committed to play basketball at South Dakota State University. Lauryn is a strong power-forward that has a strong back-to-the-basket game but can also play on the perimeter to knock down shots, and facilitate/get the ball to open players."   Newcomers to Watch   [player_tooltip player_id='1093211' first='Kamdyn' last='Borge'] - "Freshman Guard listed as 5'9. Played for us last year in 8 games as an 8th grader. We are expecting to see a lot of good things from Kamdyn such as handling full-court pressure, making aggressive moves to the basket, and potentially being in the point guard position."   Ava Yeske - "Ava is a Junior guard listed as 5'4. Played for us last year in 16 games and came off the bench, role player last year. We are expecting a lot of minutes from Ava in the form of defending opponents best players, knocking down shots, and handling pressure in the full court."   <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/12/image_81e1d5.png" alt="" class="wp-image-1104950" style="width:181px;height:auto" /></figure>   With Paiton Burckhard   PGHD: What are your thoughts on the upcoming season?   "This year is a new fresh start for the Aberdeen Central Golden Eagles, new head coach, no seniors on the squad, and a team with potential. Last year the squad started the season strong but ended up finishing 9-12. This season will look different in the sense of our team being a defensively active team that likes to get steals and looks to score in transition."   PGHD: Who do you see as the top teams in AA?   "Top 5 teams in the state: Brandon Valley, Sioux Falls O'Gorman, Harrisburg, Sioux Falls Jefferson, Rapid City Stevens, Sioux Falls Washington."   PGHD: Who are the top players in AA?   "Top 5 Players in the State: Taliyah Porter - Stevens, [player_tooltip player_id='528170' first='Brinley' last='Altenburg'] - Jefferson, [player_tooltip player_id='421636' first='Alyvia' last='Padgett'] - Brandon Valley, [player_tooltip player_id='404951' first='Grace' last='Peterson'] - Washington, Lennix DuPris - Pierre."   GOOD LUCK GOLDEN EAGLES!!   Introduction: Benson County   Program: Benson County   Mascot: Wildcat   Head Coach: Bryan Kenner   Class: B   Region: 2   District: 4   Returning Statistical Leaders   [player_tooltip player_id='469472' first='Aubrey' last='Kenner'] (2026) 5'8 - 19.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 92 steals, 73 assists, 67 3FGM   [player_tooltip player_id='1104816' first='Ella' last='Fossen'] (2026) 5'5 - 8.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 78 steals, 42 assists, 24 3FGM   Emilie Baker (2027) 5'6 - .4 ppg, .6 rpg, 1 steal, 1 assist   Haley Scevers (2025) 5'4 - .1 ppg, .5 rpg, 8 steals, 3 assists   Isabella Engstrom (2026) 5'9 - 3 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 22 steals, 29 assists   Jorja Green (2027) 5'8 - 1 ppg, .6 rpg, 1 steal, 2 assists   [player_tooltip player_id='1104818' first='Kaitlyn' last='Maddock'] (2027) 5'5 - 14.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 89 steals, 139 assists, 45 3FGM   [player_tooltip player_id='1104817' first='Lacie' last='Fautsch'] (2029) 5'10 - 7.9 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 4 steals, 17 assists   Shayna Gossen (2025) 5'8 - 2.2 ppg. 2 rpg, 4 steals, 1 assist   Vada Fossen (2026) 5'6 - .3 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 4 steals, 7 assists   Player Comments with Coach Kenner   "We return all five starters from last year's team.  I have several younger players that have potential to have an opportunity to come off the bench this year and add some much-needed depth."   [player_tooltip player_id='1104816' first='Ella' last='Fossen'] 5'6" junior guard - "Excellent defender who hit some big shots for us on offense also last season. All-District selection last season. Ella's defensive pressure was a huge part of our success last year."   [player_tooltip player_id='469472' first='Aubrey' last='Kenner'] 5'8" junior guard - "Aubrey has been on varsity since 7th grade. She is one of the top returning scorers in the state at 19.4 ppg and an elite on-ball defender. She is an excellent three-point shooter and also can attack off the dribble. Aubrey was an All-District and All-Region selection last year."   Isabella Engstrom 5'9" junior forward - "Does all the little things right for us that don't always show up in the stat lines. Two-year starter."   [player_tooltip player_id='1104818' first='Kaitlyn' last='Maddock'] 5'5" sophomore guard - "Katie developed into a true point guard last season finishing with 139 assists on the year. She is also a great defender and a true three-point shooting threat. Katie was All-District and All-Region last year."   [player_tooltip player_id='1104817' first='Lacie' last='Fautsch'] 5'11" freshman center - "Lacie had a breakout season last year and has a huge ceiling. She improved a lot in the offseason and will be a strong presence for us inside this year. Lacie has quick feet and can finish on both sides of the basket well."   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/11/QA.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-1057756" style="width:223px;height:auto" /></figure>   With Bryan Kenner   PGHD: What can you tell us about last season?   "We finished last season 18-8 ending with a loss to state runner-up EKM in a state qualifier play-in game. We played some tough competition last year and improved significantly throughout the season."   PGHD: Do you have any non-negotiables? Tell us about your defense.   "Our defense, especially our man defense, is our emphasis every day. We have a commitment to be an aggressive team on defense ahead of everything else. We do have several other zones and press looks that we can mix in to throw teams off balance."   PGHD: Who is your primary ballhandler?   "[player_tooltip player_id='1104818' first='Kaitlyn' last='Maddock'] is our primary ball handler. She has learned to handle pressure very well. [player_tooltip player_id='469472' first='Aubrey' last='Kenner'] is also a very capable ball handler as well when we get into pressure situations."   PGHD: What did you do this off-season?   "Our team put in a lot of work this offseason to improve. We participated in a combination of team camps, leagues, individual camps, and open gyms. We have a committed group of players that are "bought in" and continue to work hard to achieve their goals."   PGHD: Who are your top players to watch?   "[player_tooltip player_id='469472' first='Aubrey' last='Kenner'] is probably the most widely known player on our team. She has been our main scorer the past two seasons and has had to do a lot for us. This year I expect to see other players develop into larger scoring threats and improve our balance. [player_tooltip player_id='1104818' first='Kaitlyn' last='Maddock'] has been our second scoring threat and our primary point guard."   PGHD: Who is an up-n-comer to keep eyes on?   "[player_tooltip player_id='1104817' first='Lacie' last='Fautsch'] has potential to have a big year for us. She improved a lot over the offseason. We have several other freshmen that could develop into important players for us off the bench also."   PGHD: Who is your top rebounder?   "Lacie was our top rebounder at 7.3 rpg as an 8th grader last year and I'd expect her to lead us again this season."   PGHD: What are your goals?   "Our team has a goal of winning the Region and competing for a State Championship."   PGHD: Who is your hardest worker?   "All of our players work hard. Part of our commitment to defense is to have five players working hard together at all times."   PGHD: Who are the top teams in your Region?   "Our region lost some great players to graduation last season, so it will look much different this year. Hatton-Northwood brings back [player_tooltip player_id='415426' first='Kennison' last='Azure'] who was an All-State selection, along with Elizabeth Pinke who was one of the best post players in our region so I believe they will be a solid competitor. Langdon is always a top team in our Region also. They graduated some great senior players but have some very talented young athletes that have the potential to be good playing alongside Merideth Romfo and Aubree Badding."   PGHD: Any last thoughts on the season?   "We have a great group of kids here that are starting to see their hard work develop them into a good basketball team. As a coach, it is a great experience to work with players that are hungry to get better and continue to work and improve every day."   GOOD LUCK WILDCATS!!   Introduction: Garrison   Program: Garrison   Mascot: Trooper   Head Coach: Matt Chase   Class: B   Region: 4   District: 8   Returning Statistical Leaders   JR [player_tooltip player_id='359445' first='Cara' last='Schlehr']-#3 F/G- 14.5PPG, 6.5RPG, 80 Steals, 110 Assists, 18 Blocks,   JR [player_tooltip player_id='1104657' first='Abba' last='Heinzen']- #25 F- 9.5 PPG, 5 RPG, 50 Steals, 28 Assists   JR Isabelle Rime- #23 G- 1.5 PPG, 1.5 RPG   JR Sadie Majeres- #10 G- 2.1 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 28 Steals   JR Morgan Torr- #22 F- 2.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG   Fresh [player_tooltip player_id='1104655' first='Addy' last='Iglehart']- #5 G- 6.5 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 45 Steals, 27 Assists, 27 3's   Soph Tanille Kallberg- #21 G- 3PPG, 2.1 RPG, 35 Steals   Players to Watch   Comments from Coach Chase   "[player_tooltip player_id='359445' first='Cara' last='Schlehr'] will continue to be our leader on both ends up the floor. She was All-District and All-Region last year and my hope is that she takes that next step as a leader for us.  [player_tooltip player_id='1104657' first='Abba' last='Heinzen'] will play a huge role for us as well. She is very versatile and has the ability to put up big numbers. Sadie Majeres is one of our better on the ball defenders who worked hard this offseason to be more of an offensive threat. [player_tooltip player_id='1104655' first='Addy' last='Iglehart'] is one of the best shooters in the district. Isabelle Rime put in a lot of work this last offseason and will be looking to compete for varsity minutes. Tannile and Morgan bring a very competitive mindset to our team. My hope is that they will be more of an offensive threat for us.  [player_tooltip player_id='1104677' first='Camrynn' last='Knorr'] is 6'2 and has gained confidence in her low post game. Hopefully, we can use her size to our benefit."   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/11/QA.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-1057756" style="width:197px;height:auto" /></figure>   With Matt Chase   PGHD: What can you tell us about last season?   "Last year we were 15-8 and I feel like we had a chance to win every game but one. We were playing better basketball towards the end of the season and that was truly our goal. I feel like our youth contributed to a few mistakes in the end-of-game moments and this year we will be better in those situations."   PGHD: Do you have any non-negotiables?   "We believe that every minute of playing time is earned. We treat every drill, every moment in practice like it's a game. Having that mindset will ensure we're never underprepared for games."   PGHD: What will you do on defense?   "My hope is to apply F/C pressure regularly. That is something I haven't been able to do in my 5 years as a coach. I think our athleticism will help cause turnovers, which will ultimately lead to easy points on the offensive end."   PGHD: Who is your primary ballhandler?   "[player_tooltip player_id='359445' first='Cara' last='Schlehr'] has been our PG since her freshman year when we went to the State Tournament. She will continue to have some ball-handling duties, but she will get some help this year with 7th Grader [player_tooltip player_id='1104745' first='McCall' last='Chase'] coming into the program. Our hope is to be able to utilize Cara's size and athletic ability in the high and low post."   PGHD: What did you do this off-season?   "We went to 3 team camps this past summer, and worked out 2-3 days a week. My goal was for us to get more individually sound with our skill sets and to build and maintain endurance."   PGHD: Who are your top players to watch?   "Cara, Abba, Addy, and McCall will be our main offensive threats. They all have a very high basketball IQ and can create not only for themselves but for their teammates as well."    PGHD: Who is an up-n-comer we should watch out for?   "[player_tooltip player_id='1104745' first='McCall' last='Chase'] is a 7th grader who has been playing basketball on the AAU circuit for 4 years now. She is a fierce competitor with a great skill set and although only a 7th grader has played a lot of meaningful basketball. [player_tooltip player_id='1104708' first='Sienna' last='Starr'] is an 8th grader who has a very high ceiling. She too, has played a lot of basketball."   PGHD: Who are your best rebounders?   "[player_tooltip player_id='359445' first='Cara' last='Schlehr'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1104657' first='Abba' last='Heinzen'] really anticipate well. Having that knack for the ball really helps them rebound along with their ability to play physically."   PGHD: What are your goals this season?   "Our goals are to improve with every game, so we are in position to compete for post-season Tournament Championships."   PGHD: Who are your hardest workers?   "Sadie Majeres and Morgan Torr are two girls that always sacrifice the “Me” for the “We.” They dive all over the floor and are always willing to take a charge."   PGHD: Who are the top teams/players in your Region?   "Central Mclean is definitely the team to beat. They are well-coached and very deep. [player_tooltip player_id='935277' first='Morgan' last='Snyder'] and Addy Eng are two of the best players in the Region and State in my opinion. Bowman County, Grant County, Washburn, and Flasher will always be very tough to compete with."   GOOD LUCK TROOPERS!!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/11/prepGIRLShoopsdakotas.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-1056252" /></figure>

Prep Girls Hoops Dakotas (PGHD) has THREE Season Introductions for basketball fans to check out.