2024-2024 High School Season: Lakes Conference Preview

2023 - 2024 Season Standings   1. Estherville Lincoln Central (24-3; 8-0)   2. Spirit Lake (16-6; 6-2)   3. Cherokee Washington (15-8; 3-4)   4. Storm Lake (14-8; 2-5)   5. Spencer (1-21; 0-8)   2024 - 2025 Season Prediction   With only five teams within this Lakes Conference, it's fairly simply to sort out what is going to happen over the next six months as it pertains to the conference itself. The Estherville Lincoln Central Midgets are going to come back this Winter and finish what they started a year ago. Last season this team went 24-3, only falling to Bishop Heelan (4A) and eventual State Champion, Solon. Considering that the Midgets will bring back their top three producers and they will still have [player_tooltip player_id='311389' first='Haylee' last='Stokes'] running the show, I'm fairly confident that they will sweep their conference opponents once again. I would even go as far to say that they would be a favorite to win the 3A State Title but we will just have to wait and see.   Preseason Player Of The Year: [player_tooltip player_id='311389' first='Haylee' last='Stokes'] (Estherville Lincoln Central) - 2025   [player_tooltip player_id='311389' first='Haylee' last='Stokes'] of Estherville Lincoln Central has been the premier prospect out of the Lakes conference for three years running and shortly, it's about to be four years. Stokes ability is nothing short of spectacular. She is and has been one of the states best offensive scoring weapons the past three years at the Varsity level, along with being a stout defender, a solid rebounder, and a great leader/teammate. Following this season, Stokes will be joining up with the 2023-2024 D2 National Champions, The Minnesota State Mavericks. It might take a little time for Stokes to see the floor as a Freshman but once she does, it's going to be hard to take her off of it. Her scoring ability is truly one of the best the state of Iowa has to offer and that says a lot with the type of recruits the state currently has. That's why she is the preseason pick for Player Of The Year in this Lakes conference.   First Team   [player_tooltip player_id='311389' first='Haylee' last='Stokes'] (Estherville Lincoln Central): 24 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 6.6 APG, 5.5 SPG, 82 FT%   See Above   [player_tooltip player_id='842545' first='Rylee' last='Yager'] (Estherville Lincoln Central): 15 PPG, 9 RPG, 1.4 APG, 3 SPG, 62 FT%   I've mentioned [player_tooltip player_id='842545' first='Rylee' last='Yager'] several times over the past year because of her ability to change the outcome of any game in a hurry. Along with [player_tooltip player_id='311389' first='Haylee' last='Stokes'], Yager is the source that keeps the Midgets group running, especially near the bucket. Over the past couple of seasons, Yager has consistent been someone that her team can depend on to put up respectable numbers on both ends of the floor. She has done of great job in the past of showing out to her best ability and I expect nothing less this upcoming season. The Midgets are going to have a year to remember if Yager plays her game. There is not doubt about that and that's why she falls into this First Team All-Conference group.   [player_tooltip player_id='560334' first='Claire' last='Turner'] (Spirit Lake): 15 PPG, 7 RPG, 4 APG, 3 SPG, 70 FT%   [player_tooltip player_id='560334' first='Claire' last='Turner'] has solidified herself as the #2 PG throughout this Lakes conference over the past couple of years. Turner is an impressive prospect. She can do almost anything asked of her on the offensive side of the ball, while being the definition of an orchestrator out on the floor for her team. Defensively, she eats with a lot of steals because she gets a lot of active tips of the ball. Her mixture of active hands and natural instincts help her really stand out in those aspects. It should be another really positive year for Turner as a whole, as she returns from a positive off-season.   Addy Wolfswinkel (Cherokee Washington): 15 PPG, 6 RPG, 2 APG, 2.5 SPG, 72 FT%   The most impressive underclassmen that this conference has to offer comes to us in the form of Sophomore, Addy Wolfswinkel. Wolfswinkel was a First Team selection last Winter after putting together a very solid Freshman Campaign. Over the year she led her team in several different positive statistical categories, all while showing her crafty play-style. For her Sophomore season, Wolfswinkel is prepared to step up even more and show everyone watching that she is a collegiate level competitor. If she plays to her strengths, that's going to be obvious from very early on in the high school season.   [player_tooltip player_id='671469' first='Adeeya' last='Yanga'] (Storm Lake): 16 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.4 SPG, 1.6 BPG, 65 FT%   The force that really standouts in the middle for the conference would be 6'2 - PF/Center, [player_tooltip player_id='671469' first='Adeeya' last='Yanga'] of Storm Lake High School. Yanga is an underrated prospect throughout the state of Iowa. She is a solid force inside the paint, that knows how to hold her own against alike size and even bigger opponents. She is a competitor that understands what is needed out of her on the floor by her team and she is always willing to sacrifice for a good cause. I'm expecting Yanga to be the perimeter force that she was last year, this time around once again. There is no reason why she shouldn't be a beast and eat on both ends of the court. She just has to be motivated and the rest could be history.   Second Team   [player_tooltip player_id='560332' first='Avery' last='DeHaan'] (Storm Lake): 12.5 PPG, 3 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.7 SPG, 70 FT%   Behind the play of [player_tooltip player_id='671469' first='Adeeya' last='Yanga'] at Storm Lake, competing at the Guard position is [player_tooltip player_id='560332' first='Avery' last='DeHaan']. DeHaan was a prime producer for her team during the 2023-2024 high school season and she is going to be looking to be in that same spot this Winter as well. She even has a chance to be a First Team All Conference selection if she has a particularly impressive season. Something that is definitely do-able at this point in the process with her skill-set. She is someone that plays a calm style of game and she doesn't try to force anything crazy. She is someone that her teammates find solace in and that speaks volumes.   [player_tooltip player_id='1055324' first='Hillary' last='Ruschy'] (Estherville Lincoln Central): 9 PPG, 4 RPG, 1 APG, 1.6 SPG, 77 FT%   The third option last season for the Midgets was 5'9 Forward, Hillard Ruschy. Ruschy was one of the taller individuals on her Varsity roster and she put up solid numbers while doing so. On the year, she averaged 9 PPG, 4 RPG, and 1.4 APG in her efforts. I've noticed for being a Forward, Ruschy is not afraid of letting it go from deep. She actually had half of her shot attempts last season come from behind the arc and that tells a tail. It means that she can work from inside-to-out and that will be a key factor this season when they need some big time buckets down the stretch.   [player_tooltip player_id='833967' first='Deidra' last='Doeden'] (Cherokee Washington): 8 PPG, 7 RPG, 1 APG, 1.5 SPG, 1.5 BPG, 47 FT%   The next biggest and most impressive underclassman returning to this conference after putting together a very good Freshman season is 6'1 Center, [player_tooltip player_id='833967' first='Deidra' last='Doeden']. Doeden averaged really good numbers in the Rebounding and Blocking categories last year at Cherokee Washington because of her natural size and ability to make a play on the basketball. This is a player that can eat up space in a hurry coming down the floor but she also possesses some agile movement to pair along with it that, helping her in a number of different ways. I think that the Seniors are really going to take the First Team All Conference Selections this time around so I have Doeden falling to the Second Team. A spot that she should still be really proud of.   [player_tooltip player_id='1055327' first='Maddy' last='Raveling'] (Storm Lake): 7 PPG, 3 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.9 SPG, 77 FT%   [player_tooltip player_id='1055327' first='Maddy' last='Raveling'] doesn't get the credit that she should deserve with her Storm Lake team. This is a team that has some solid prospects at a few different positions and Raveling is one of them. During her Junior year, she averaged really nice numbers in Points, Rebounds, and Steals for her Guard position. If this program is going to want to have more success this upcoming six months for the 2024-2025 season, then Raveling is going to have to play like she did year ago, if not better. She is a prospect with coordination, fast movement from side-to-side, an act for rebounding hard, and she is very good at creating for others around her. As long as she plays her game, she is going to kill it for her last go around with her Tornadoes program.   [player_tooltip player_id='941007' first='Kadyn' last='Volkert'] (Cherokee Washington): 8 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1.6 SPG, 50 FT%   [player_tooltip player_id='941007' first='Kadyn' last='Volkert'] is the major three point threat that the Cherokee Washington Program brings to the floor every Varsity game. Volkert had 145 three points attempts during the 2023-2024 high school season, out of 174 total field Goal attempts on the year. As you can tell by these numbers alone, Volkert isn't afraid to let it go from deep and she is going to do that same job once again this time around. Last season she shot it from a 30% clip out of those 174 attempts and that could be a lot worse. If you take in consideration that her roster is returning most of their producers from the recent past, then you know that the system and strategy they have set in place as team is most likely going to stay that way.

2023 - 2024 Season Standings