SD: Class B State Tournament (Preview)
2019 Class B State Tournament The small-town schools are up first. I’m sure they will show these “City Folks” how to jump start a state tournament. This year site for the State tourney is at the Huron Arena from March 7-9, hosted…
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Continue Reading2019 Class B State Tournament
The small-town schools are up first. I’m sure they will show these “City Folks” how to jump start a state tournament. This year site for the State tourney is at the Huron Arena from March 7-9, hosted by the Huron Tigers. The 8 qualifying teams have a combined record of 155-23. That’s a lot of W’s! There will not be a repeat state winner as the 2018 State Champions, Castlewood Warriors lost to De Smet in the SoDak 16. Ethan and Warner are the only two schools that made a return visit to the tournament. So we will definitely have a new QUEEN of the court.
#1 Ethan vs #8 Waverly South-Shore 12pm
Ethan comes in undefeated at 22-0 and looks like the best team in the state. They are led by Karly Gustafson, a 6’0 senior forward who dominates the paint. She can easily put up a double-double game in the state tourney. Gustafson has been a constant presence for Rustlers.
#2 De Smet vs #7 White River 6pm
The combination of senior Rynn Osthus and junior Autumn Wilkinson can be tough to guard. Just last year, Osthus witnessed her order sister win a National Championship at Dakota Wesleyan University. She has been wanting the same feeling. PGH spoke with her before the season and she mentioned how much she loved her teammates and their dedication.
Avery Broughton #34 of Corsica-StickleyCorn Palace. (Matt Gade / Republic)
White River has a bonafide scorer! Caelyn Valandra-Prue is our PGH #2 ranked player in 2021. She can score with the best of them. She easily can put up numbers in the 30’s and 40’s. The Bulldogs of De Smet will have to be in fact a bulldog on defense. Like a pack of wild bulldogs ready to pounce.
#3 Corsica-Stickley vs #6 Ipswich 7:45pm
Ipswich has the Class B version of the splash brothers, the Heinz splash sisters. The elder sister, Kamryn, is a senior. The younger sister is Halle, a junior and in my opinion is the better shooter. Sorry Kam. But who cares! I mean Halle did have 10 3’s in one game this season. Kam is a smart volume shooter. She picks and chooses the right time to let it fly.
Corsica is one of the best teams in the state. They have some young talent starting with 8th grader Avery Broughton and 9th grader Rachel Gerlach. Both stand at 5’10 but have a different skill set. Broughton is the low-post presence, while Gerlach is the shooter.
#4 Warner vs #5 Freemen 1:45pm
The Warner Monarchs have been here before. They lost in the first round of the tournament last year, even though they were the heavy favorites. The All State player in Laurie Rogers is looking to leave her mark with a title before she exits for Northern State University in the fall. She and the Monarchs will rely on their experience to get them into the next round.
Top Photo Courtesy of the Mitchell Republic