2024-2025 High School Season: Pride Of Iowa Conference Preview

2023 - 2024 Season Standings   1. Martensdale St. Marys (18-4; 13-0)   2. Nodaway Valley (20-4; 12-1)   3. Mount Ayr (16-7: 10-3)   4. Lenox (13-10: 8-5)   5. Central Decatur (11-11; 8-5)   6. Wayne (13-11; 6-7)   7. Bedford (10-13; 4-9)   8. Southeast Warren (8-14; 3-10)   9. Southwest Valley (3-18; 1-12)   10. East Union (2-18; 0-13)   2024 - 2025 Season Prediction   As we look into the 2024-2025 upcoming season, the team that stands out to be the favorite for this conference is Mount Ayr High School. Mount Ayr finished off their season last Winter with an overall 16-7 record, while going 10-3 in conference. When you take into consideration all of the prospects that are returning out of the ten teams listed above, the best complete unit will belong to the Raiders. Is it possible for Nodaway Valley or Lenox to beat them out for that top spot? Of course but to kick off the season, the Raiders are going to be the favors to bring home this conference title.   Preseason Player Of The Year: [player_tooltip player_id='510277' first='Izzy' last='Eisbach'] (Nodaway Valley) - 2026   This is somewhat an easy pick when looking at the overall player pool out of this specific conference. No disrespect to anyone else but Eisbach is the highest rated prospect out of all teams within this conference and that isn't close to a debate. If you have been paying attention at all over the past couple of seasons, this is a name that you are already familiar with because of her production on the Varsity floor and on the AAU scene during travel season with her [program_tooltip program_id='712377' first='All' last='Iowa Attack'] program out of Des Moines. At this time, Eisbach is the only player out of all of these programs, that currently possesses a full D2 scholarship offer, with more to come in the near future if she continues on her current trajectory.   First Team   [player_tooltip player_id='510277' first='Izzy' last='Eisbach'] (Nodaway Valley): 19.2 PPG, 6 RPG, 6 APG, 4 SPG, 82 FT%   See Above   [player_tooltip player_id='592193' first='Sadie' last='Cox'] (Lenox): 17.9 PPG, 14 RPG, 4 APG, 3 SPG, 45.9 FT%   Cox averaged great numbers the past three seasons at the Varsity level and she should do the same this Winter with her Lenox High School team. As a Junior, she put up 18 PPG on 50% shooting from the field, showing her worth underneath the basket at a higher rate than most others who compete at her position. Within this conference and who they will have to compete against, Cox should EAT for her Senior year. You have to remember, this is a Top 50 recruit out of the 2025 Class in Iowa for a reason. She knows how to compete.   [player_tooltip player_id='832208' first='Izzy' last='Gilbertson'] (Mount Ayr): 14.9 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.5 SGP, 53.1 FT%   Throughout her Freshman season last Winter, [player_tooltip player_id='832208' first='Izzy' last='Gilbertson'] put on a show. She finished off her first Varsity season while leading her team in PPG with 15 on 53% shooting. She also brought in 9.5 RPG throughout her team's 23 game season. Following the end of last year, Gilbertson received Second-Team All Conference honors for her production so this Winter, she is ready to step into that First Team position and show everyone that she is one of the best 2027's throughout this conference. Something that is definitely do-able at this time.   [player_tooltip player_id='592194' first='Zoey' last='Reed'] (Lenox): 14.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 2.9 APG, 2 SPG, 55.1 FT%   [player_tooltip player_id='592194' first='Zoey' last='Reed'] is right up there with [player_tooltip player_id='592193' first='Sadie' last='Cox'] on her team but instead of being an inside presence, she is more of a prospect that can play inside-to-out and get her's in whichever way necessary. She isn't someone that needs to stay underneath the hoop or near the paint to find success and that makes her Lexon team a dangerous one. If she comes out and has a great game, while Cox handles the middle, this group is going to be a tough one to beat on any given night. Last Winter, Reed stood out as a top prospect throughout her conference and I'm expecting that to repeat this upcoming season as well.   [player_tooltip player_id='1055375' first='Breya' last='Nickle'] (Mount Ayr): 12.5 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.5 APG, 2.7 SPG, 68 FT%   Right behind [player_tooltip player_id='832208' first='Izzy' last='Gilbertson'] of Mount Ayr on this first team is [player_tooltip player_id='1055375' first='Breya' last='Nickle'] of Mount Ayr. Nickle also put up some staggering numbers last season for her Junior year. She ended off the season while averaging 12.5 PPG and 6.5 RPG, making her another threat that opposing teams have to worry about at all times if they want to beat the Raiders. I have a feeling that Nickle's is going to have a Winter to remember. She can obviously score and rebound the ball so it'll all come down to what else can she bring to the floor. If she competes with confidence and plays to her strengths, there is no reasons why she shouldn't be in this conversation for First Team All Conference, by the time we get to the finish line in February.   Second Team   [player_tooltip player_id='873170' first='Jaxy' last='Knight'] (Mount Ayr): 10.3 PPG, 5 RPG, 4.6 APG, 3.2 SPG, 45 FT%   [player_tooltip player_id='873170' first='Jaxy' last='Knight'] is a top PG prospect out of this conference, that could easily make the All Conference First Team following this Winter season but we will just have to see how everything plays out. Knight averaged a stagger amount of Assists a year ago and I think she is going to have even better season over these next six months. It's also very important to state that Knight put together one of the best overall stat lines last year in the Pride Of Iowa Conference. She is one of two players that averaged over 10 PPG, over 5 APG, and over 4.5 RPG in her efforts and that is something that should not be overlooked.   [player_tooltip player_id='842594' first='Maddie' last='Weston'] (Nodaway Valley): 3.3 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 1.2 APG, 1.4 SPG   The counterpart to [player_tooltip player_id='510277' first='Izzy' last='Eisbach'] at NV is Guard, [player_tooltip player_id='842594' first='Maddie' last='Weston']. Weston has demonstrated that she has the skill and intangibles to be a Varsity produce at a high rate over her next six months with the Wolverines. Weston didn't put up the craziest numbers last Winter but I'm sure she is going to take major steps in her production this upcoming season. She should go from 3.3 PPG to around 7-10 PPG, while also racking up other positive statistics whenever the opportunities present themselves. This feels like a safe and accurate spot of Weston. If she ended her year being Second Team All Conference, I'm sure she would be satisfied with her efforts.   [player_tooltip player_id='842595' first='Mylee' last='Comstock'] (Nodaway Valley): 2.3 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 1 APG, 1 SPG   The prospects that I am not too familiar with from the Wolverines team, that could put together her best high school season to date is [player_tooltip player_id='842595' first='Mylee' last='Comstock']. Comstock did her part in moderation a year ago for NV and she is looking to build on that. With how competitive her team will be, with the prospects that will be situated around her, and with their abilities, it's not crazy to think that Comstock will have a lot of open opportunities, each game this Winter. As long as she makes the most out of those situations and steps into space confidently, then she is going to find herself in this conversation once again, when the season comes to a close.   [player_tooltip player_id='1055379' first='Dannie' last='Stewart'] (Mount Ayr): 8.8 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 3.8 APG, 2.3 SPG, 64 FT%   The third head of Mount Ayr's, "three headed monster", is [player_tooltip player_id='1055379' first='Dannie' last='Stewart']. Stewart put up better than average number last season while averaging 8.8 PPG and just under 6 RPG. The factor that Stewart will have on her side this Winter is that her team will have talent at every position. They aren't always going to have easy games but with so many weapons, if they play team ball, they could put together a Winter with very few losses in total. Opposing teams won't be able to focus in on Stewart as much as they will have to worry about Knight, Gilbertson, and Nickle. When that happens, Stewart will strike and that's why she falls into this spot moving into the 2024-2025 high school season.   [player_tooltip player_id='766457' first='Rylie' last='Fugate'] (Martensdale St. Marys): 4.4 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 1 APG, 1 SPG, 88 FT%   There is not a doubt in my mind that [player_tooltip player_id='766457' first='Rylie' last='Fugate'] will be a First Team All Conference prospect by the time that she becomes a Junior on the high school floor but to start things off, I think she falls into this Second Team All Conference selection for her Sophomore season with Martensdale St. Marys. With this groups loss of production from a year ago, they will be looking for someone to step up and show out. By the looks of it, that player is going to be Fugate. Last Winter, Fugate stepped in as a Freshman, put up some nice numbers and built a foundation that she will be able to add to moving into the future.   Two Prospects W/ Breakout Potential   [player_tooltip player_id='988399' first='Brystal' last='Peck'] (Wayne): 8.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1 APG, 2.7 SPG, 44 FT%   By the looks of it from afar, [player_tooltip player_id='988399' first='Brystal' last='Peck'] and Wayne High School are on the up and up these next few years. Peck took the floor last season and she did a great job of leading her team in several different positive statistical categories throughout their season, as she tried to play to her strengths and be someone that everyone else around her can look up to. It wouldn't shock me if Peck found herself as a top producer throughout this conference moving forward. She has the skill-set and intangibles, now she just needs to go out and take care of business.   [player_tooltip player_id='1055381' first='Ryley' last='Kentfield'] (Martensdale St. Marys): .2 PPG, .1 RPG, .2 APG, .1 SPG   As you can tell, [player_tooltip player_id='1055381' first='Ryley' last='Kentfield'] didn't put up any real numbers last Varsity season with her limited minutes on the Varsity floor but that is going to change over these next six months. Kentfield played up and saw some time last Winter with her Varsity squad, which is a very hard thing to do with how much they play upperclassmen. In their situation last season, Martendale had star Seniors, who were producers ever since they were Freshman but now that they have all graduated, it's time for others to fill those shoes and Kentifeld is in that conversation. Expect some big numbers out of this one over these next six months. She will definitely have the chances to make it count.

2023 - 2024 Season Standings