Class B Region 1 Predictions – Top 3

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>1 - Maple River</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Nathan Hoots has done a terrific job as the head coach of the Maple River Raiders. He has a squad that I think will come out of District 1 and Region 1 and make the state tournament in 2025-2026. He is hoping to play an up-tempo style and use their speed and athleticism to create easy scoring opportunities in transition. Leading the way for the Raiders will be All-Region and All-State returner [player_tooltip player_id='935273' first='Violet' last='Richman']. She is currently the number four ranked player in the 2028 class, one of the best classes in the state. She is a total bucket and is starting to garner college interest, particularly at the division 2 level. Claire Ihry is an athletic 5'9 who will be asked to have a bigger scoring role this season. Another player to keep an eye on in the scoring column will be sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1126119' first='Abigail' last='Killoran']. Aliyah Hannig and Sophia Satrom are Maple Rivers tallest athletes and will be asked to increase their rebounding production. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2 - LaMoure Litchville-Marion</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>This Loboes team is a very good team and returns nearly every player from their 2025 state tournament qualifying team. Coach Benjamin Holen likes his teams chances this year to get back to the state tournament once again this season. He is anticipating very competitive practices. I am a firm believer that great teams have great practices, so this is an excellent predictor for a terrific season. Leading the way for LLM will be senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='379592' first='Norah' last='DelaBarre']. She is a beast around the basket and very difficult to defend. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='1220776' first='Addison' last='Smith'] is their leading returning scorer at 14.3 points per game. She is also an excellent passer and defender. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='1220886' first='Onika' last='Lesko'] is another All-Region talent and double-figure scorer. Look for her to have another outstanding season. Mia Van Eeden, Julia DelaBarre, and [player_tooltip player_id='1224884' first='Jada' last='Smith'] are all quality roles players that fill out this talented roster.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>3 - Sargent County </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Sargent County is coming off of a year where they just missed the state tournament. I think they have the pieces where they can compete in a tough district. They are going to need unproven players to line up each night and embrace expanded roles this season. [player_tooltip player_id='1096044' first='Mallory' last='Bogart'] is a 5'7 sophomore who saw a lot of varsity action last season as a freshman. She recorded 35 steals and 50 assists, which shows her value on the defensive end and her ability to create scoring opportunities for her teammates. She will need to improve her scoring this season. [player_tooltip player_id='1220775' first='Angong' last='Deng'] is a 6'2 forward with a lot of promise. She can plug up the lane defensively and has a long reach to snag rebounds. I am looking for her to have a nice season. The Bulldogs are led by 5'10 senior [player_tooltip player_id='889645' first='Karleigh' last='Kadoun'], arguably the best player to ever come through Sargent County. She is already the schools record holder for most career points with an entire season still left to play. She will be needed night in and night out to score, rebound, and lead this young squad.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list -->