Conference Preview: Corner
The Teams East Mills (19-4): The Wolverines lost two games to Stanton last year, but rolled through the league otherwise. They have to replace two of their top three scorers, but bring back a solid piece to build around in…
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Continue ReadingThe Teams
East Mills (19-4): The Wolverines lost two games to Stanton last year, but rolled through the league otherwise. They have to replace two of their top three scorers, but bring back a solid piece to build around in sophomore Mason Crouse, who averaged 14.1 points and 5.8 rebounds last year. Shooting is going to be an issue for East Mills, as Crouse is the top returning shooter, but he shot just 31.6% from the arc last season. The Wolverines generally finish near the top of this league, and despite losing a good amount of production, they should find themselves near the top again this year behind the strength of Crouse’s play and increased production out of guys like Nolan Smily and Jerett Jetzsch.
Essex (0-18): Not much went right last year for the winless Tigers, with only two of their losses coming by single digits. They bring back Tucker Hadden (7.1 points, 4.7 rebounds) and six of their top eight scorers overall. They should be a little better, but they just don’t have the talent to compete with the mid-to-upper-tier teams in the conference.
Fremont-Mills (9-14): The Knights beat up on the lesser teams on the schedule, but really struggled against Stanton last season, losing a pair of games by an average of 28.5 points. They lose leading scorer Eli Owen, but bring back a solid pair of forwards to build around in Taylor Reed (9.0, 5.7 rebounds) and Cooper Langfelt (8.1, 6.3 rebounds). That tandem will be among the best on the glass in the conference, and if they can find someone to step up among the guards, they could make a leap up the league.
Griswold (4-18): The Tigers bring back nine of their top ten scorers from last year, including the top three, so expect some improvement. Senior forward Jayden Amend (11.2) is the top returnee, while Adam Houser, Colton Turner and Caleb Oakleaf are the other key returnees. They’ll need to take better care of the ball (442 turnovers last season) if they want to make significant improvement.
Heartland Christian (10-11): Leading scorer Syles Jordan graduated, but junior forward DJ Weilage should be one of the best players in the league after averaging 15.6 points and 8.4 rebounds last season. If Mitchell McCord of Colton Brennan can step into a reliable secondary scoring role, the Eagles could be a surprise team this season. (Note: Heartland Christian officially competes in the Frontier Conference in Nebraska, but they are based in Council Bluffs, so we are including them here.)
Sidney (12-11): If a team is going to jump up and challenge either East Mills or Stanton, it’s Sidney, who brings back a pair of double-figure scorers in juniors Cole Jorgenson (12.0) and Garett Phillips (10.7). They don’t bring back much else, but that tandem will be one of the better duos in the conference, and should win them plenty of games.
Stanton (19-4): The Vikings were the highest scoring team in the conference last season, averaging 65.5 points a game and winning games by an average of 25.8 points a game. They won two of three meetings with East Mills, with each game being played more at East Mills’ pace. Two losses came to a CAM team that plays in a much tougher league. They need to replace four of their top five scorers. Carter Johnson (9.2) is the leading returnee, and he’ll stuff the stat sheet as the go-to player for this group. Jack Roberts (6.0), Colby Royal (3.7) and Ransom Mascher (3.0) saw plenty of time last year due to the numerous blowouts, and that should help them out this year.
Note: Clarinda Academy is also in the Corner Conference, but they are a residential foster care facility that has complete roster turnover every year. Therefore, we don’t know what to expect from them.
Projected Order of Finish
1. East Mills
2. Stanton
3. Sidney
4. Fremont-Mills
5. Griswold
6. Essex
Analysis: While both East Mills and Stanton lose a significant amount of production from last year’s teams, they are still the top two programs in the conference and should finish at the top. Stanton had the edge last season, but with preseason POY Mason Crouse in tow, the edge goes to East Mills this year.
Preseason Player of the Year
Mason Crouse, East Mills (2023): 14.1 points, 5.8 rebounds
Crouse had a really solid freshman season, ranking among the freshman leaders in scoring and rebounding. With lots of production lost to graduation, Crouse’s numbers will skyrocket as a sophomore.
Players to watch
Mason Crouse, East Mills (2023)
Carter Johnson, Stanton (2022)
Cole Jorgenson, Sidney (2022)
Garett Phillips, Sidney (2022)
DJ Weilage, Heartland Christian (2022)
Taylor Reed, Fremont-Mills (2023)
Cooper Langfelt, Fremont-Mills (2021)
Jayden Amend, Griswold (2021)