Postseason Preview: Section 7A
Section basketball is just around the corner and as the season comes to a close, it’s time to start looking at individual sections. Here’s the lowdown on Section 7A: Favorite: Mountain Iron-Buhl, North Woods The Grizzlies have quietly put together…
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Continue ReadingSection basketball is just around the corner and as the season comes to a close, it’s time to start looking at individual sections.
Here’s the lowdown on Section 7A:
Favorite: Mountain Iron-Buhl, North Woods
The Grizzlies have quietly put together an outstanding season thanks in large part to the excellence of sophomore guard Cade Goggleye. Goggleeye averages just under 20 points per game, dropped 37 in the team’s win over Virginia — the only team to have beaten North Woods this season — and has been a scoring machine all year for a team that averages better than 80 points per contest.
Senior forward George Bibeau is another top-end player and actually had the game-winning tip in to beat Mountain Iron-Buhl when the two teams met up in a holiday tournament in December. Tate Olson gives the team a third quality scoring option.
Fresh off their trip to the state tournament, Mountain Iron-Buhl looks poised for a repeat appearance if it can get past North Woods. Jaylon Holmes is one of the top players in the state and stuffs the stat sheet, averaging about 23 points, six rebounds and six assists for the Rangers.
Holmes just recently became the school’s all-time leading scorer and if all goes right for the Rangers, he’ll tack another couple hundred before his career is done. He’s got help too in the form sophomore duo Joe Buffetta and Justin Holmes.
In the Hunt: Chisholm, Deer River, Carlton
The top team in subsection one is Carlton. The Bulldogs have just four losses on the year and averages more than 70 points per game on the season. They’ve got four solid scorers, led by Tyler Ojibway (pictured). Sam Macor, Waylon Lekander and Matthew Hey can all provide double-figure scoring as well.
Photo courtesy of the Pine JournalThe Bulldogs’ look like the heavy favorite to emerge from that subsection given only two other teams average more points than they allow and neither will end up with more than 15 wins.
Lakeview Christian’s Josh Emerson is a super-sophomore and his ability to take over a game gives the Lions a chance. But it looks like Carlton’s subsection to lose.
On the other side, Chisholm and Deer River both have the requisite talent to give Moutain Iron-Buhl and North Woods a push.
Chisholm is a sophomore-dominated team led by Eli Sundquist, Alec Pessenda and Justin Pioske. The main senior is double-double machine Grayson Hartshorn.
Deer River’s got a balanced attack and the Warriors play solid defense. With a veteran team led by guys like Tyler Antilla and Chad Benham, they’ve found their stride late in the season. Sophomore Kyle Shevich and junior guard Garrett Schjenken have given the team a big lift as well.
What to watch: Shot-makers
Holmes and Goggleye aren’t the only guards that can stuff the box score in this section. In fact it’s loaded with guards that can fill it up in a hurry — many of whom will be around for a few more years.
Ojibway, Emerson, Jason Blood from Silver Bay, Patrick Vanderbeek and Carter Gaulke of Ely, Nick Mattson of Wrenshall and Carter Cook of Bigfork all put up around 20 points per game.
Projected Seedings:
Section 7A – SS1
- Carlton
- Lakeview Christian
- Silver Bay
- Wrenshall
- Fond du Lac Ojibwe
- Northland
- Floodwood
- South Ridge
- Hill City
- Cook Couty
Section 7A – SS2
- North Woods
- Mountain Iron-Buhl
- Deer River
- Ely
- Chisholm
- Bigfork
- Northeast Range
- Nashwauk-Keewatin
- Cherry
- Littlefork-Big Falls