Section 7AA Preview
**Photo Credit: Hibbing Daily Tribune** Playoffs?!? The playoffs are right around the corner. With small-school section tournaments set to begin next week, it’s time to turn our attention to the postseason. See Previous Section Previews Here Class A Section 1AA…
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Continue Reading**Photo Credit: Hibbing Daily Tribune**
Playoffs?!? The playoffs are right around the corner. With small-school section tournaments set to begin next week, it’s time to turn our attention to the postseason.
See Previous Section Previews Here
Here’s what you need to know about Section 7AA
Section 7 has been dominated by Esko and Crosby-Ironton for a number of years now. This year looks different not in that those two teams aren’t good, but that of the 16 teams in the section, 10 have winning records but there isn’t any one dominant team.
Favorite: Pequot Lakes
This section feels wide open at this point given how competitive so many of the games between the top teams in the section have been all season. The Patriots have a solid group of upperclassmen led by Jordan Schommer and Sean Ryan plus several other quality players. The Patriots will lean on a strong defense too, as they allow just 54 points per game.
Contenders: Greenway, Crosby-Ironton, Moose Lake-Willow River
Greenway might have the most individual talent in the section as Dylan DeChampeau and Jace Hansen-Cochran form the best duo in the section. The two combine to average more than 40 points per game.
Crosby-Ironton plays the best defense in the section and executes at a high level offensively. The Rangers have long been one of the best programs in the state and they’ve got plenty of talent to make a deep run again. Joseph Stokman gives them 15 points and four assists, Jon Jacobson averages 12 points and eight rebounds and Kyle Skeim averages 11.5 points and 6.9 rebounds inside.
MLWR is an up-and-coming team with two really talented sophomores in Mason Olson and Brady Watrin. The Rebels can score as well as any team in the section and while they haven’t been consistently tested throughout the year, there’s no denying how dangerous they can be in a tournament setting.
In the Mix: Virginia, Esko, Proctor, Mesabi East
Mesabi East has as much talent as any team in the section. Carson Becicka and Hunter Hannuksela both average more than 20 points per game and Tyler Baribeau is one of the best bigs in the section, averaging 15 points and 13 rebounds.
Virginia kept on rolling despite losing a few key guys off last year’s section final team. Jayden Bernard has taken his game to another level as an upperclassmen, averaging nearly 20 points per game on the wing. Mason Carlson has been consistent on the perimeter as well and Jack Perala is a double-double guy inside.
Proctor might not have a singular dominant player but the Rails have a solid cache of athletes who defend at a high level. They’ve taken some tough losses in the last few weeks, taking the shine off their hot start though.
Esko won the section handily last year but the Eskomos obviously had terrific senior talent leading the way. Those guys are gone. They’ve found a way to stay successful though, winning 15 games (plus a few depending on how the season ends). Trevor Spindler, Camden Berger and Payton Wefel give the Eskomos a very talented scoring trio.