SD Prep Boys BB Tourney Championship Outlook; O'Gorman Tries to Join Select Group with Three Titles
In South Dakota prep hoops this season, the top seeds have held court.
The recently completed SD AA Girls Tournament included titles by all three #1 seeds with B #1 Summit, #1 St. Thomas More and AA #1 Mitchell. Now, as the boys tournament hits the final night, the top three seeds in each class - O'Gorman in AA, St. Thomas More in A and White River in B - are in title showdowns.
Also of note, two schools, St. Thomas More and Mitchell have a unique opportunity to win both the girls and boys titles.
Before we look at capsules on each of those games, it is noteworthy that O'Gorman is trying for its third straight championship. It is indeed rare that a team wins three championships in succession in South Dakota hoops.
Just 3, 3-Peat Squads and One, 4-time Champ -- Across SD prep hoops history, including the various changes in classifications, just three schools have won three or more consecutive championships. The only prep team to win four straight titles in SD history is Yankton, a current AA squad that captured crowns in 1922, 1923, 1924 and 1925 when South Dakota operated in a one-class system. Webster claimed three straight titles in 1946-48 in the two-class Class B system. Mitchell, under the direction of Coach Gary Munsen, is the third team with three straight titles, winning the championships in two different classifications. They won the 1984 and 1985 crowns in the Class A two-class system and then won again in AA in 1986 after South Dakota moved to three classes.
In Class AA, established as part of a three-class system in 1986, four times a school has won consecutive titles; but not a third. Mitchell and O'Gorman did it twice with the Kernels winning in 1990 and 1991 and 1996 and 1997 but neither time advancing to the title game the following season. SF O'Gorman accomplished the feat in 2006, 2007 but did not make the 2008 final. This year the Knights get the opportunity of a third-straight title after copping crowns in 2010, 2011. And, yes, they have to defeat their nemesis Mitchell.
Now catch a breath, this blog has a little more about champions. In SD history, 17 different schools have won two consecutive titles in various classifications. In Class A, Custer, led by legendary head coach Larry Luitjens, made five straight state tournament appearances from 1989 to 1993 in the title game, winning three titles. They were second in 1989 to Vermillion and then took the 1990 title over Red Cloud. They also claimed second in 1991, falling to Lennox, before defeating Orioles twice in a row in title games in 1992 and 1993.
Schools with Two Straight Titles:
One Class - Elkton, 1919, 1920. Yankton, 1928, 1929 (lost in 1930 championship); Yankton, 1922-25.
Two-Class B -- Deadwood, 1939, 1940; Mobridge, 1943, 1944; Webster, 1946-48; Armour, 1978, 1979; DeSmet, 1970, 1971 (2nd, 1969)
Two Class A -- Huron, 1936, 1937; Sioux Falls Washington, 1955, 1956 (2nd in 1957); Mitchell, 1984, 1985 (won in 1986 in 3-Class AA)
Three Class B -- Warner, 1995, 1996
Three Class A -- Vermillion, 1988, 1989; Custer, 1992, 1993; West Central, 2000, 2001 (2nd in 1999); St. Thomas More, 2006, 2007; and Madison, 2009, 2010.
Three Class AA -- Mitchell, 1990, 1991; and 1996, 1997; Sioux Falls O'Gorman, 2006, 2007; and 2010 and 2011.
South Dakota Boys Basketball Championship Preview
Class AA
#1 SF O'Gorman (20-4) vs. #2 Mitchell (21-3)
#1 O'Gorman - When the Knights take the floor on Saturday night, they will be in search of a third straight title and fifth crown in seven years. Since South Dakota went to a three-class system in 1986, four times an AA school (including O'Gorman and Mitchell, twice) have won two straight titles. No AA school has won three straight. championships, as noted above. A win tonight would be unprecedented territory for the SF school. This is the second year in a that Sioux Falls O'Gorman and Mitchell have played for the AA title and they also met in the 2005 championship won by Mitchell, 69-64. O'Gorman won last season by a 56-49 decision, led by 17 points from Sterling Nielsen and 14 from center Cedric Lang. They led 40-35 after three quarters and held off the Kernels. The 2011-12 squad is directed by head coach Derek Robey (133-38 at O'Gorman; 375-210 overall), who has his team in the state championship game after losing three first-team all-state performers (Nielsen, Lang, and Keaton Moffitt, who are all playing collegiate ball). Robey's extraordinary coaching performance along with the play of senior Connor Schaefbauer (16.0 ppg) and forwards Sam Wallin and Nick Minnick has the team in the championship again. The Knights won state titles in 2006, 2007, 2010, and 2011 and are making their 15th tournament appearance. O'Gorman, which has a five-game winning streak, now has won 19-of-21 games vs. in-state foes and 57 of its last 59 games vs. in-state opponents. They had a streak of 47 in-state wins stopped earlier this season in a loss at Brookings.
How they advanced to the title game: The Knights reached the title game with a pair of close wins, including a 47-40 verdict over Rapid City Central and a 64-52 decision against city rival SF Washington. Schaefbauer has scored 43 points in the two games, hitting 16-of-32 shots. Minnick has 25 points while Wallin has added 15 in the two games. Overall, the Knights have made 39-of-89 shots from the field for .438 percent. O'Gorman has made it happen in the fourth quarter, outscoring two opponents by a 41-23 advantage (16-9 vs. RC Central and 25-14 vs. SF Washington).
#2 Mitchell - The Kernels, who have won six straight games and 9-of-10, are back in the state tournament for the 67th time seeking to add another title to a trophy case already filled with 16 championships. It is the last go around for one of the legends in South Dakota prep hoops, Gary Munsen, who is 642-240 in a distinguished career. Munsen, who has led the Kernels to nine of those titles, is looking to finish with #10. He will try and defeat his former pupil Robey, who bettered the mentor a year ago. This Mitchell team offers a balanced approach led by all-state guard/forward Tucker Volesky, the multi-skilled Jade Miller along with talented post player Brady Maxwell, who can shoot it inside or on the perimeter. Tate Martin and Matt Henriksen are a talented guard tandem. Volesky, Henriksen and Miller were starters on last year's squad that lost to O'Gorman in the state finals. If Mitchell wins it will be the school's first title since 2005.
How they advanced to the title game: Mitchell also has had a pair of scares in the opening two rounds of the 2012 state tourney. They defeated SF Roosevelt, 64-60 in overtime, before rallying from a halftime deficit to upend Pierre, 55-47, in the semifinals. Pierre had defeated Mitchell two times during the regular season. Key to the Kernels' success has been a 33-26 edge over two foes in the fourth quarter. Miller has been solid with a combined 36 points and 19 rebounds. He had 23 points and 10 boards in the first round and then 13 points and nine rebounds in the semifinal victory. Brady Maxwell also has been on fire with 35 points and 13 rebounds. Maxwell has hit 14-of-21 for 67 percent from the field. Matt Henriksen has scored double figures twice as well with a combined 27 points. Volesky has had 16 combined points. The Kernels are 43-of-103 for .417 percent from the field.
Class A
#1 St. Thomas More (23-2) vs. #3 Dakota Valley (22-3)
#1 St. Thomas More, directed by head coach Dave Hollenbeck, are trying to win back-to-back crowns after taking the Class A title over Viborg/Hurley, 63-47, a year ago. STM, which has won 14 straight, is making its seventh appearance at the State A tourney and have won three titles plus a runner-up finish in 2010. This is the Cavaliers third straight title game appearance. If successful, they will own back-to-back titles in both 2006 and 2007 and 2011 and 2012. It would mean four championships in seven seasons, a pretty impressive feat for the Rapid City-based basketball power. They have also defeated Class AA SF Washington, which plays for third place in that class today.
How they advanced to the title game: It hasn't been easy for STM to get back to the title game. In the opener, STM needed two overtimes and a clutch three-pointer from Skye Warwick in the closing seconds of double overtime to advance by a 67-64 2OT score against gritty #8 seed in Tri-Valley. In the semifinals, STM was able to defeat Dell Rapids, 48-38, avenging a loss to the Quarriers on Jan. 21 (58-47) in Mitchell. It was the only loss by STM to a South Dakota opponent this season. . STM is now 2-0 in overtimes this season, edging past Aberdeen Roncalli, 63-57 in OT on Dec. 29. STM has been paced by Warwick who scored 30 points in the opener of the state tourney and he added nine points against Dell Rapids. Warwick has made 11-of-29 shots from the field, including 10-of-26 from three-point range. He had eight 3-pointers against Tri- Valley. He is also 7-of-11 from the foul stripe. The Cavaliers have also received 18 points from Kilby Rech, 13 points and 17 rebounds from Jerome Henderson along with 23 points from Eric Hensch. Henderson had 12 points and nine rebounds and Hensch 15 points (3-of-5 from three-point range) vs. Dell Rapids, which did a solid defensive job on Warwick. Overall, the defending champs have made 39-of-82 field goals for .476 percent. They are 19-of-41 from three-point range and 18-of-29 from the foul stripe.
#3 Dakota Valley, which has won 11 straight, is seeking their first-ever state basketball crown. The school, based in North Sioux City, has made one appearance at the state tournament in 2000. Dakota Valley's last loss was a 73-68 loss to Elk Point-Jefferson on Feb. 10.
How they advanced to the title game: Dakota Valley defeated Clark/Willow Lake, 52-50, in a nail-biting first round affair. In the second round Dakota Valley edged Aberdeen Roncalli, 67-59. Dakota Valley has been led Brock Bergmann (49 points) and Blake Van Ginkel (37 points), who have combined for 86 points in the two games. In the opener Bergmann had 16 points, two rebounds and two steals while Van Ginkel added 18 points and three rebounds. He made 3-of-7 three-point field goals in the win. In the semifinals, Bergmann exploded for 33 points, including making 9-of-11 field goals and 15-of-16 from the free throw line. Bergmann has not attempted a 3-point basket. Van Ginkel had 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting including 3-of-6 from three-point range in the semifinal round. In two games he is 6-of-13 from three-point range. DV has made 39-of-93 field goals for .419 percent in two two tournament games. They are 8-of-27 from three-point range and 33-of-43 from the foul line. It is noteworthy that Dakota Valley has started quickly in each half of both games. They have a combined 32 to 22 edge in the first quarter of play and 30 to 20 edge in the third quarter.
Class B #1 White River (24-1) vs. #3 Viborg/Hurley (23-2)
White River (24-1), which has extended their streak of state tournament title game appearances to five, has lost only to Class A #1 St. Thomas More, 65-44, this season. White River is the only team in ether the boys or girls divisions to hold the top poll spot in the respective classes all season. Tonight, they place a team in Viborg/Hurley they already defeated 63-43 earlier this year. Other than the loss to STM, they have won every game by at least 11 points and defeated all but two opponents by 16 points or more. Directed by head coach Eldon Marshall, (185-37 at WR; 205-57 overall) White River has 16 wins of 21 points or more. Of note, they are 1-1 vs. Class A #1 teams this season. WR is seeking the school's fourth title in its 11th state tournament appearance (1949, 1955, 1956, 1993, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012). This is the school's seventh straight state tourney appearance, earning state titles in 1955, 2008, and 2010. They also finished third in 2007 and second in both 2009 and 2011 (54-47 loss to Corsica/Stickney).
How they advanced to the title game: White River has been dominating in two, 20-point wins over their Class B tournament opponents. In both games they have held opponents to below 35 points as well as limited both teams to less than 35 percent shooting while recording a combined 20 steals. They defeated Castlewood, 54-33, in the first round and then ousted Sully Buttes, 61-34. They were able to do it with leading scorers Nic Waln and Wyatt Krogman basically held in check. Waln has scored 21 points in two games while Krogman has 18. In the regular season Krogman averaged 18.5 ppg and 6.9 assists while Waln was at 18.8 ppg. In the first round, White River was paced by Joe Cameron with 16 points, six rebounds and three steals. Cody Young added 11 points and Wyatt Krogman supplied 10 points and six assists. In that win, they held Castlewood to 32.5 percent from the field. In the win over Sully Buttes, Waln was key with 19 points, including 4-of-5 from three-point range. Gilbert Morrison added 11 points and nine rebounds while Matthew Gillen provided 12 points and five rebounds. Krogman had just eight points. Obviously, Marshall's crew is talented and deep. So far, they have hit 44-of-89 field goals for 49 percent, 10-of-29 from three-point range and 17-of-22 free throws. This is a team that starts fast and ends with a bang. They have outscored two opponents, 35-9, in the first quarter and 26-10 in the fourth quarter.
Viborg/Hurley (23-2) is trying to win their first-ever state championship in its current co-op arrangement. A year ago, V/H made their only state tournament appearance a year ago (in the co-op), falling to St. Thomas More, 63-47, in Class A. Now they get a shot at top-ranked White River in Class B. So, obviously this talented Viborg/Hurley squad has not had an easy route to a title. Of note, Viborg and Hurley both have made tourney appearance with Viborg taking third in 2010 and winning the 2009 consolation championship. Meanwhile Hurley was second in 1946, and won the 2007 state B championship. They had appearances at the B in 1970 and 2006. In a way, Viborg/Hurley had a state title, depending on how one views championships. The Cougars are led by head coach Galen Schoenefeld, who is 172-57 in 10 years at the school. He is 182-123 overall. V/H is led by senior guard Dennis DeNeui who averaged 16.2 ppg and 5.7 rpg during the regular season. Trevor Jacobsen, a junior, scored 10.3 ppg while 6-9 senior center Zach Kraning supplied 11.1 ppg and 7.3 rpg, and has rebounded from a significant leg injury earlier this year. He could be a force against White River, controlling the middle.
How they advanced to the title game: Viborg Hurley defeated Wolsey Wessington, 48-27, in the first round, led by DeNeui's 21 points (28 in two games leads V/H). He hit two three-point field goals and was 8-of-15 from the field. In the semifinal round, the Cougars edged Langford Area, 37-36, as Andrew Hora had 12 points and eight rebounds. DeNeui added seven points and five rebounds for V/H which made just 38 percent from the field. In the tournament V/H has outscored two foes, 27-18, in the first quarter and 21-18 in the fourth quarter. The Cougars have made 22-of-74 from the field, including a combined seven 3-point field goals. They have made 22-of-39 from the foul stripe.
Who wins: I believe White River is too athletic and gifted and will beat a strong team from Viborg/Hurley in a close tussle, 74-67. In Class A, St. Thomas More, paced by Skye Warwick, will run past Dakota Valley, 77-68. In Class AA, this one is tough to pick but I am going with the sentimental favorite, Mitchell and retiring coach Gary Munsen. For some reason, I believe the Kernels will win a close contest with the difference being Brady Maxwell, who has been sensational throughout the tournament. Look for Schaefbauer to shine for O'Gorman but the Kernels will earn a win in the final moments of a 54-52 decision.
The recently completed SD AA Girls Tournament included titles by all three #1 seeds with B #1 Summit, #1 St. Thomas More and AA #1 Mitchell. Now, as the boys tournament hits the final night, the top three seeds in each class - O'Gorman in AA, St. Thomas More in A and White River in B - are in title showdowns.
Also of note, two schools, St. Thomas More and Mitchell have a unique opportunity to win both the girls and boys titles.
Before we look at capsules on each of those games, it is noteworthy that O'Gorman is trying for its third straight championship. It is indeed rare that a team wins three championships in succession in South Dakota hoops.
Just 3, 3-Peat Squads and One, 4-time Champ -- Across SD prep hoops history, including the various changes in classifications, just three schools have won three or more consecutive championships. The only prep team to win four straight titles in SD history is Yankton, a current AA squad that captured crowns in 1922, 1923, 1924 and 1925 when South Dakota operated in a one-class system. Webster claimed three straight titles in 1946-48 in the two-class Class B system. Mitchell, under the direction of Coach Gary Munsen, is the third team with three straight titles, winning the championships in two different classifications. They won the 1984 and 1985 crowns in the Class A two-class system and then won again in AA in 1986 after South Dakota moved to three classes.
In Class AA, established as part of a three-class system in 1986, four times a school has won consecutive titles; but not a third. Mitchell and O'Gorman did it twice with the Kernels winning in 1990 and 1991 and 1996 and 1997 but neither time advancing to the title game the following season. SF O'Gorman accomplished the feat in 2006, 2007 but did not make the 2008 final. This year the Knights get the opportunity of a third-straight title after copping crowns in 2010, 2011. And, yes, they have to defeat their nemesis Mitchell.
Now catch a breath, this blog has a little more about champions. In SD history, 17 different schools have won two consecutive titles in various classifications. In Class A, Custer, led by legendary head coach Larry Luitjens, made five straight state tournament appearances from 1989 to 1993 in the title game, winning three titles. They were second in 1989 to Vermillion and then took the 1990 title over Red Cloud. They also claimed second in 1991, falling to Lennox, before defeating Orioles twice in a row in title games in 1992 and 1993.
Schools with Two Straight Titles:
One Class - Elkton, 1919, 1920. Yankton, 1928, 1929 (lost in 1930 championship); Yankton, 1922-25.
Two-Class B -- Deadwood, 1939, 1940; Mobridge, 1943, 1944; Webster, 1946-48; Armour, 1978, 1979; DeSmet, 1970, 1971 (2nd, 1969)
Two Class A -- Huron, 1936, 1937; Sioux Falls Washington, 1955, 1956 (2nd in 1957); Mitchell, 1984, 1985 (won in 1986 in 3-Class AA)
Three Class B -- Warner, 1995, 1996
Three Class A -- Vermillion, 1988, 1989; Custer, 1992, 1993; West Central, 2000, 2001 (2nd in 1999); St. Thomas More, 2006, 2007; and Madison, 2009, 2010.
Three Class AA -- Mitchell, 1990, 1991; and 1996, 1997; Sioux Falls O'Gorman, 2006, 2007; and 2010 and 2011.
South Dakota Boys Basketball Championship Preview
Class AA
#1 SF O'Gorman (20-4) vs. #2 Mitchell (21-3)
#1 O'Gorman - When the Knights take the floor on Saturday night, they will be in search of a third straight title and fifth crown in seven years. Since South Dakota went to a three-class system in 1986, four times an AA school (including O'Gorman and Mitchell, twice) have won two straight titles. No AA school has won three straight. championships, as noted above. A win tonight would be unprecedented territory for the SF school. This is the second year in a that Sioux Falls O'Gorman and Mitchell have played for the AA title and they also met in the 2005 championship won by Mitchell, 69-64. O'Gorman won last season by a 56-49 decision, led by 17 points from Sterling Nielsen and 14 from center Cedric Lang. They led 40-35 after three quarters and held off the Kernels. The 2011-12 squad is directed by head coach Derek Robey (133-38 at O'Gorman; 375-210 overall), who has his team in the state championship game after losing three first-team all-state performers (Nielsen, Lang, and Keaton Moffitt, who are all playing collegiate ball). Robey's extraordinary coaching performance along with the play of senior Connor Schaefbauer (16.0 ppg) and forwards Sam Wallin and Nick Minnick has the team in the championship again. The Knights won state titles in 2006, 2007, 2010, and 2011 and are making their 15th tournament appearance. O'Gorman, which has a five-game winning streak, now has won 19-of-21 games vs. in-state foes and 57 of its last 59 games vs. in-state opponents. They had a streak of 47 in-state wins stopped earlier this season in a loss at Brookings.
How they advanced to the title game: The Knights reached the title game with a pair of close wins, including a 47-40 verdict over Rapid City Central and a 64-52 decision against city rival SF Washington. Schaefbauer has scored 43 points in the two games, hitting 16-of-32 shots. Minnick has 25 points while Wallin has added 15 in the two games. Overall, the Knights have made 39-of-89 shots from the field for .438 percent. O'Gorman has made it happen in the fourth quarter, outscoring two opponents by a 41-23 advantage (16-9 vs. RC Central and 25-14 vs. SF Washington).
#2 Mitchell - The Kernels, who have won six straight games and 9-of-10, are back in the state tournament for the 67th time seeking to add another title to a trophy case already filled with 16 championships. It is the last go around for one of the legends in South Dakota prep hoops, Gary Munsen, who is 642-240 in a distinguished career. Munsen, who has led the Kernels to nine of those titles, is looking to finish with #10. He will try and defeat his former pupil Robey, who bettered the mentor a year ago. This Mitchell team offers a balanced approach led by all-state guard/forward Tucker Volesky, the multi-skilled Jade Miller along with talented post player Brady Maxwell, who can shoot it inside or on the perimeter. Tate Martin and Matt Henriksen are a talented guard tandem. Volesky, Henriksen and Miller were starters on last year's squad that lost to O'Gorman in the state finals. If Mitchell wins it will be the school's first title since 2005.
How they advanced to the title game: Mitchell also has had a pair of scares in the opening two rounds of the 2012 state tourney. They defeated SF Roosevelt, 64-60 in overtime, before rallying from a halftime deficit to upend Pierre, 55-47, in the semifinals. Pierre had defeated Mitchell two times during the regular season. Key to the Kernels' success has been a 33-26 edge over two foes in the fourth quarter. Miller has been solid with a combined 36 points and 19 rebounds. He had 23 points and 10 boards in the first round and then 13 points and nine rebounds in the semifinal victory. Brady Maxwell also has been on fire with 35 points and 13 rebounds. Maxwell has hit 14-of-21 for 67 percent from the field. Matt Henriksen has scored double figures twice as well with a combined 27 points. Volesky has had 16 combined points. The Kernels are 43-of-103 for .417 percent from the field.
Class A
#1 St. Thomas More (23-2) vs. #3 Dakota Valley (22-3)
#1 St. Thomas More, directed by head coach Dave Hollenbeck, are trying to win back-to-back crowns after taking the Class A title over Viborg/Hurley, 63-47, a year ago. STM, which has won 14 straight, is making its seventh appearance at the State A tourney and have won three titles plus a runner-up finish in 2010. This is the Cavaliers third straight title game appearance. If successful, they will own back-to-back titles in both 2006 and 2007 and 2011 and 2012. It would mean four championships in seven seasons, a pretty impressive feat for the Rapid City-based basketball power. They have also defeated Class AA SF Washington, which plays for third place in that class today.
How they advanced to the title game: It hasn't been easy for STM to get back to the title game. In the opener, STM needed two overtimes and a clutch three-pointer from Skye Warwick in the closing seconds of double overtime to advance by a 67-64 2OT score against gritty #8 seed in Tri-Valley. In the semifinals, STM was able to defeat Dell Rapids, 48-38, avenging a loss to the Quarriers on Jan. 21 (58-47) in Mitchell. It was the only loss by STM to a South Dakota opponent this season. . STM is now 2-0 in overtimes this season, edging past Aberdeen Roncalli, 63-57 in OT on Dec. 29. STM has been paced by Warwick who scored 30 points in the opener of the state tourney and he added nine points against Dell Rapids. Warwick has made 11-of-29 shots from the field, including 10-of-26 from three-point range. He had eight 3-pointers against Tri- Valley. He is also 7-of-11 from the foul stripe. The Cavaliers have also received 18 points from Kilby Rech, 13 points and 17 rebounds from Jerome Henderson along with 23 points from Eric Hensch. Henderson had 12 points and nine rebounds and Hensch 15 points (3-of-5 from three-point range) vs. Dell Rapids, which did a solid defensive job on Warwick. Overall, the defending champs have made 39-of-82 field goals for .476 percent. They are 19-of-41 from three-point range and 18-of-29 from the foul stripe.
#3 Dakota Valley, which has won 11 straight, is seeking their first-ever state basketball crown. The school, based in North Sioux City, has made one appearance at the state tournament in 2000. Dakota Valley's last loss was a 73-68 loss to Elk Point-Jefferson on Feb. 10.
How they advanced to the title game: Dakota Valley defeated Clark/Willow Lake, 52-50, in a nail-biting first round affair. In the second round Dakota Valley edged Aberdeen Roncalli, 67-59. Dakota Valley has been led Brock Bergmann (49 points) and Blake Van Ginkel (37 points), who have combined for 86 points in the two games. In the opener Bergmann had 16 points, two rebounds and two steals while Van Ginkel added 18 points and three rebounds. He made 3-of-7 three-point field goals in the win. In the semifinals, Bergmann exploded for 33 points, including making 9-of-11 field goals and 15-of-16 from the free throw line. Bergmann has not attempted a 3-point basket. Van Ginkel had 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting including 3-of-6 from three-point range in the semifinal round. In two games he is 6-of-13 from three-point range. DV has made 39-of-93 field goals for .419 percent in two two tournament games. They are 8-of-27 from three-point range and 33-of-43 from the foul line. It is noteworthy that Dakota Valley has started quickly in each half of both games. They have a combined 32 to 22 edge in the first quarter of play and 30 to 20 edge in the third quarter.
Class B #1 White River (24-1) vs. #3 Viborg/Hurley (23-2)
White River (24-1), which has extended their streak of state tournament title game appearances to five, has lost only to Class A #1 St. Thomas More, 65-44, this season. White River is the only team in ether the boys or girls divisions to hold the top poll spot in the respective classes all season. Tonight, they place a team in Viborg/Hurley they already defeated 63-43 earlier this year. Other than the loss to STM, they have won every game by at least 11 points and defeated all but two opponents by 16 points or more. Directed by head coach Eldon Marshall, (185-37 at WR; 205-57 overall) White River has 16 wins of 21 points or more. Of note, they are 1-1 vs. Class A #1 teams this season. WR is seeking the school's fourth title in its 11th state tournament appearance (1949, 1955, 1956, 1993, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012). This is the school's seventh straight state tourney appearance, earning state titles in 1955, 2008, and 2010. They also finished third in 2007 and second in both 2009 and 2011 (54-47 loss to Corsica/Stickney).
How they advanced to the title game: White River has been dominating in two, 20-point wins over their Class B tournament opponents. In both games they have held opponents to below 35 points as well as limited both teams to less than 35 percent shooting while recording a combined 20 steals. They defeated Castlewood, 54-33, in the first round and then ousted Sully Buttes, 61-34. They were able to do it with leading scorers Nic Waln and Wyatt Krogman basically held in check. Waln has scored 21 points in two games while Krogman has 18. In the regular season Krogman averaged 18.5 ppg and 6.9 assists while Waln was at 18.8 ppg. In the first round, White River was paced by Joe Cameron with 16 points, six rebounds and three steals. Cody Young added 11 points and Wyatt Krogman supplied 10 points and six assists. In that win, they held Castlewood to 32.5 percent from the field. In the win over Sully Buttes, Waln was key with 19 points, including 4-of-5 from three-point range. Gilbert Morrison added 11 points and nine rebounds while Matthew Gillen provided 12 points and five rebounds. Krogman had just eight points. Obviously, Marshall's crew is talented and deep. So far, they have hit 44-of-89 field goals for 49 percent, 10-of-29 from three-point range and 17-of-22 free throws. This is a team that starts fast and ends with a bang. They have outscored two opponents, 35-9, in the first quarter and 26-10 in the fourth quarter.
Viborg/Hurley (23-2) is trying to win their first-ever state championship in its current co-op arrangement. A year ago, V/H made their only state tournament appearance a year ago (in the co-op), falling to St. Thomas More, 63-47, in Class A. Now they get a shot at top-ranked White River in Class B. So, obviously this talented Viborg/Hurley squad has not had an easy route to a title. Of note, Viborg and Hurley both have made tourney appearance with Viborg taking third in 2010 and winning the 2009 consolation championship. Meanwhile Hurley was second in 1946, and won the 2007 state B championship. They had appearances at the B in 1970 and 2006. In a way, Viborg/Hurley had a state title, depending on how one views championships. The Cougars are led by head coach Galen Schoenefeld, who is 172-57 in 10 years at the school. He is 182-123 overall. V/H is led by senior guard Dennis DeNeui who averaged 16.2 ppg and 5.7 rpg during the regular season. Trevor Jacobsen, a junior, scored 10.3 ppg while 6-9 senior center Zach Kraning supplied 11.1 ppg and 7.3 rpg, and has rebounded from a significant leg injury earlier this year. He could be a force against White River, controlling the middle.
How they advanced to the title game: Viborg Hurley defeated Wolsey Wessington, 48-27, in the first round, led by DeNeui's 21 points (28 in two games leads V/H). He hit two three-point field goals and was 8-of-15 from the field. In the semifinal round, the Cougars edged Langford Area, 37-36, as Andrew Hora had 12 points and eight rebounds. DeNeui added seven points and five rebounds for V/H which made just 38 percent from the field. In the tournament V/H has outscored two foes, 27-18, in the first quarter and 21-18 in the fourth quarter. The Cougars have made 22-of-74 from the field, including a combined seven 3-point field goals. They have made 22-of-39 from the foul stripe.
Who wins: I believe White River is too athletic and gifted and will beat a strong team from Viborg/Hurley in a close tussle, 74-67. In Class A, St. Thomas More, paced by Skye Warwick, will run past Dakota Valley, 77-68. In Class AA, this one is tough to pick but I am going with the sentimental favorite, Mitchell and retiring coach Gary Munsen. For some reason, I believe the Kernels will win a close contest with the difference being Brady Maxwell, who has been sensational throughout the tournament. Look for Schaefbauer to shine for O'Gorman but the Kernels will earn a win in the final moments of a 54-52 decision.
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