The Iron Range Conference Preview
The three-way race between Hibbing, Greenway, and Virginia last year was a lot of fun. Could it be more fun this year? Will others enter the mix? The Iron Range Preview is now!
Conference Commentary
Potential Top Ten: Hibbing, Greenway, Virginia
Hibbing will start this season ranked just outside the top ten of Class AAA with a real chance to enter the rankings early in the year. The Bluejackets lost their leading scorer in Luke Lendell but five of their top seven guys return including double figure scorers Ayden McDonald, Parker Maki, and Mayson Brown. Greenway enters the season a top 20 Class AA level team with a chance to push for a top ten spot. The Raiders lost only two players from their 21 win season but one of them was the second leading scorer. That said, Dylan DeChampeau returns giving them a player that will go down as one of the highest ranking scorers in Minnesota history. Virginia is in a very similar spot to Greenway. The Blue Devils are a top 20 level squad with a star in Jayden Bernard and most of their rotation back. The one difference is that Virginia didn’t rely on their seniors as much as Greenway needed production from Jace Hanson-Cochrane. Greenway won the head to head match-up with Virginia early last year.
Compete with Most: Deer River, Mesabi East
Every year I felt like we were waiting for Mesabi East to make a run, and it never happened. They had way too much talent to go 15-13, but now this is Hunter Hannuksela’s team, a now junior that scored 20 a game last year. Deer River graduated four of their nine guys from a 15-14 rotation but return three guys that have been honorable mention all league players the past couple seasons.
Rebuilding: Eveleth-Gilbert, Chisholm, International Falls
Chisholm lost their four best players and four most consistent contributors from any angle you look at it. They often used a seven man rotation and five of those players were seniors. Sophomore Jude Sundquist steps into the top guy role. The Broncos lost the vast majority of their scoring last year as half of it came from one guy, Armando Barrios. Eveleth-Gilbert is still rebuilding – they won just one game last year – but they have a couple guys back that should get them out of last place.
19-20 Conference Predictions
- Hibbing
- Greenway
- Virginia
- Deer River
- Mesabi East
- Chisholm
- Eveleth-Gilbert
- International Falls
Preseason All Iron Range Conference
First Team
Dylan DeChampeau of Greenway (Sr)
Jayden Bernard of Virginia (Sr)
Ayden McDonald of Hibbing (Soph)
Parker Maki of Hibbing (Jr)
Hunter Hannuksela of Mesabi East (Jr)
Second Team
Kyle Williams of Virginia (Sr)
Mason Carlson of Virginia (Jr)
Mayson Brown of Hibbing (Jr)
Gordon Skaar of Greenway (Sr)
JJ Hall of Greenway (Jr)
Third Team
Tre Holmes of Hibbing (Soph)
Jake Sickel of Eveleth-Gilbert (Jr)
Austin Rasley of Deer River (Jr)
Jude Sundquist of Chisholm (Soph)
Eli Erickson of Hibbing (Jr)
Fourth Team
Quinten White of Deer River (Sr)
Daniel Rusten of Chisholm (Sr)
Blake Fox of Deer River (Jr)
Jace Hallin of International Falls (Sr)
Will Bittman of Eveleth-Gilbert (Soph)