Evaluating The Main Characters Of Six Varsity Programs

Each high school season we evaluate between 1,500 and 2,000 players out of the state of Iowa. To cover all of these prospects we search far and wide to find the top producers for each and every program so that we can keep an eye on them as things continue on. In this article we talk about six players that are the leaders of their Varsity program while dissecting their game as we look towards the season ahead.   Thanks for tuning in and enjoy!    HLV-TC High School has a hooper on their roster that competes with a lot of main character-energy, per se, and that hooper is their PG at the front of the pack - Emery Hall. Hall plays with positive energy, poise, and a ton of heart. Over the last three years she has proven that she is going to be their go-to player whenever she is on the court. The way she can move between the defense and make plays is special, no matter if the position ends with a bucket by Hall or an open teammate in some other fashion. Hall displays a quick dribble with an impressive ability to read what the defense is trying to do. She doesn't usually force any action going to the hoop unless she has too. Instead, she makes calculated reads and reacts from there - just like some of the best. Hall will be back for one more go-around this Winter with the Warriors. I would expect her to put up similar numbers to years past but we will see.     Leah Caffery of Wilton High School wasn't her team's leading scorer last season as a Junior but she did put up some PPG while being her team's main source of rebounding in the middle of the lane. Caffery also shot 1/6th of her Varsity team's total shot attempts on the season with half of those attempts coming from inside the lane and the other half from behind the three point line. Whenever Wilton could get Caffery in favorable matchups down-low, she did a great job of making the most of her opportunities. If she didn't convert the bucket off the catch, she would get to the line and knock down some foul shots. All in all, Caffery will be an impactful piece to the Beavers Varsity program over the next eight months. She is going to get her opportunities once again so she just needs to trust in her work and the rest will be history.     Sometimes you have prospects out there that are good enough to lead their Varsity programs in PPG, RPG, APG, along with other positive statistics because of how talented said player is compared to their competition level. We have that with Amanda Houser of Griswold High School. Houser is the type of guard that plays the PG/SG spot but she can move around as needed within her team's systems, depending on who else is placed around her. As a Junior last season she averaged 12.5 PPG, 6 RPG, and 3 APG to lead her program. These are numbers that you need to respect from an outside point-of-view. If you are going to matchup against Griswold, you need to stop Houser. She is one of the sources that keeps their group going but with production and with her general leadership.     It is time for Lauren Frantz to take over the Saydel Varsity program as we know it this Winter. Frantz, the 6'0 C, was a staple for her Eagles team last season. As a Junior she averaged near a double-double with 9.9 PPG and 10.6 RPG. The most impressive part about these numbers is that Frantz wasn't even her team's leader in either category. In front of her way a Senior, that competed at the CG position but now since that player has graduated - it's going to be time for Frantz to dominate every single night they take the court. This is one of those individuals that has a chance to put together a VERY special Senior year. She is going to get A LOT of attention from oppositions whenever they compete but I think she has the size and is skilled enough to still be able to go out there and thrive. As long as the team has a good idea of the game-plan as a whole, it could be a Winter to remember for the Eagles.     I'm looking to see some big games this Winter out of Paetyn Peterson of Pleasant Valley High School. Peterson was one of the biggest stock risers this Summer on the AAU scene. She plays her heart out in the Post and she put up some impressive stat-lines while helping her team to several wins throughout the season. She demonstrated that she can handle the work load of an entire team while controlling the area in-between the blocks on both sides of the ball so now we just need to see that against other high level competition at the Varsity level over the next eight months. If she can do it on the road, she should be able to easily replicate that as we move forward. I will be in attendance for a few of PV's games this Winter so I'm excited to see what she can put together first-hand.     Kesley Reed makes winning plays. She is a SF with a good touch on the basketball, balanced footwork, and ample coordination. Last season she was a big playmaker for her team while averaging just under 15 PPG and 9.5 RPG. As you might imagine, Reed was a lot a major influence for their group on the defensive end. She led the team with 35 Blocks, ranking her as one of the better shot blockers that the state of Iowa has to offer. Reed is going to return this Winter and she is going to look to have a better individual season while helping her team to a better overall record as well. She will be placed right back in the middle of their team's offense/defense and she is going to leave it all out of the floor each night. Which is all you can ask for from a coaching perspective.

Each high school season we evaluate between 1,500 and 2,000 players out of the state of Iowa. To cover all of these prospects we search far and wide to find the top producers for each and every program so that we can keep an eye on them as things continue on. In this article we talk about six players that are the leaders of their Varsity program while dissecting their game as we look towards the season ahead.