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A look at some of the big shots, top teams and outstanding players in the area Dec. 4-9

Roger Merriam, Watertown Public Opinion
·7 min read

The South Dakota High School basketball season kicked into high gear last week (Dec. 4-9) when the boys started playing later in the week.

There were definitely a good share of highlights for area teams and players including:

Milbank's Isabella Anderson attempts to score against Hamlin's Addie Neuendorf during their SoDak 16 Class A state-qualifying girls basketball game on Thursday, March 2, 2023 in the Watertown Civic Arena.
Milbank's Isabella Anderson attempts to score against Hamlin's Addie Neuendorf during their SoDak 16 Class A state-qualifying girls basketball game on Thursday, March 2, 2023 in the Watertown Civic Arena.

Shot of the Week (Jacob Keller, Webster Area)

The Bearcats definitely had an interesting season opener when they played Warner as part of girls-boys doubleheader on Saturday in the Webster Armory.

The boys' game went back and forth and the two teams were tied with 56-56 with six seconds left. Webster Area head coach Jared Vergeldt said he drew up and play for the Bearcats but his last words involved telling Jacob Keller (a 5-foot-11 senior guard) that if a backscreen didn't lead to open shooter that he would have to create his shot.

"He (Jacob) did ... he drove the lane and got one off in traffic," Vergeldt said of Keller's game-winning shot.

Athlete of the Week Poll: Poll highlighting area athletes who notched some of the top performances last week

Teams of the Week

Sisseton Girls — Coach Sara Lincoln's Sisseton team came on strong at the end of the last season on the way to a third-place finish in the state Class A tournament. The Redmen have opened as the No. 2-rated team in Class A, the only area girls team in the ratings, and recorded wins over Great Plains Lutheran 63-33 and Mobridge-Pollock 64-50.

Krista Langager, a 6-2 junior center, had 17 points and 13 rebounds against GPL and 17 and seven against MP. Her sister Chloe, a 6-1 senior, added 12 points against GPL and 10 points and eight rebounds against MP. Guards Hannah Leverson and Emmalee Nielsen added 13 and 10 points, respectively, against GPL.

Aberdeen Central's Lauryn Burckhard (34) and Watertown's Jaida Young battle for the ball during their high school girls basketball game on Monday, Feb. 20, 2023 in the Watertown Civic Arena.
Aberdeen Central's Lauryn Burckhard (34) and Watertown's Jaida Young battle for the ball during their high school girls basketball game on Monday, Feb. 20, 2023 in the Watertown Civic Arena.

Aberdeen Central Girls — The Golden Eagles opened their season with wins over Rapid City Central 49-34 and Rapid City Stevens 54-50. Aberdeen has some size and showed it off.

Taryn Hermansen, a 6-0 sophomore center, had 11 points and 13 rebounds against RCC and 14 and 11 against RCS. Lauryn Burckhard, a 6-1 freshman, also scored 14 points against RCC and added 17 points and six rebounds against RCS. Caydi Withers, a 5-9 senior forward, scored 18 points against RCS.

More: Five other area teams ranked in this week's South Dakota Prep Media polls

Milbank Boys — Coach Logan Diede's squad were one of only handful of area boys' teams to play twice last week and the Bulldogs handled Sisseton 69-24 and Lennox 63-54.

Garrett Mertens, a 6-3 senior, had 21 points and eight rebounds against Sisseton and 26 points and five assists against Lennox. Joe Schulte, a 6-6 senior, added 12 points against Sisseton Yohana Ajwanga, another 6-6 senior, added 15 points and Jackson Wildung, a 6-3 senior, nine points and 10 rebounds against Lennox.

Other Noteworthy Performers

Addalyn Steffensen, Arlington Girls — Steffensen notched 19 points and six rebounds in a 63-41 win over Howard and 22 more in a 58-35 win over Colman Egan. Jolyssa Steffensen and Jaelyn Huntimer each added 13 points and Harley Johnson 11 against Howard. Huntimer also had 15 against Colman-Egan.

Addie and Easton Neuendorf, Hamlin — The siblings helped Hamlin's basketball teams get off to good starts. Addie scored 29 points to lead Hamlin's girls past Castlewood 53-39 and 18 more in a big 42-39 Northeast Conference win over Groton Area. Marissa Bawdon added 13 points for Hamlin.

Easton scored 23 points to lead the No. 2 Class A Hamlin boys to a 68-36 win over Groton Area. (Castlewood's Ella Hunter had 17 points and seven rebounds in the loss to Hamlin's girls and Sydney Leicht scored 15 points for Groton Area's girls. Lane Tietz tallied 17 points for Groton Area's boys).

Isabella Anderson, Milbank Girls — Coach Brian Pauli's Bulldogs opened their season with a 61-56 win over a Wahpeton team that is ranked in North Dakota, Anderson led the way with 32 points, Tyra Berry added 19.

Bryon Laue, Castlewood Boys —The 6-9 junior center did his part to lead the No. 2 Class B Warriors to a 65-51 season-opening win over Waubay-Summit by scoring 15 points and pulling down 26 rebounds,. Lane Tvedt added 18 points and Jamison Keszler 13. Waubay-Summit's Jackson Wohlleber led all players with 24 points.

Great Plains Lutheran players Katherine Prahl (10) and Abby Kjenstad (12) watch as teammate Olivia Holmen hauls in a loose ball during a high school girls basketball game against Tri-State on Monday, Dec. 11, 2023 in Watertown. Great Plains Lutheran won 53-40.
Great Plains Lutheran players Katherine Prahl (10) and Abby Kjenstad (12) watch as teammate Olivia Holmen hauls in a loose ball during a high school girls basketball game against Tri-State on Monday, Dec. 11, 2023 in Watertown. Great Plains Lutheran won 53-40.

Special Mention for Great Plains Lutheran's teams

The Panther squads each won their divisions in the Lutheran Invitational tournament hosted by Wisconsin Lutheran College in Milwaukee.

Abby Kjenstad's 10 points led GPL's girls past Michigan Lutheran 49-16 on Friday. She added 17 more along with 14 from Madeline Prahl and 12 from Esta Cameron in the team's 66-22 championship win over Northland Lutheran (Wis.).

Alex Heil scored 25 points, Austin Rubendall 12 and Brody Scharlemann 10 to lead GPL's boys past Michigan Lutheran 71-30 in the first round and Rubendall notched 20 points and Heil 17 points and six rebounds in a 72-36 win over Northland Lutheran in the finals.

Other Girls Basketball Notes (From Reported Results)

Monday — Canby (Brynn Kockelman 17 points and Emily Nelson 12) beat Yellow Medicine East 67-31 in Minnesota.

Tuesday — Florence-Henry 48 (Caylin Kelly 13 points, 8 rebounds and Taylor Watson 10-8), Deuel 33 (Josie Andersen 10); Wilmot 45 (Addison Heinje 16 points and eight rebounds and Jada Cameron 12-10), Waverly-South Shore 15; Groton Area 54 (Rylee Dunker 15 points, 10 rebounds), James Valley Christian 53; Waubay-Summit 63 (Eva Benike 21 points, Kaycee Boerger 16), Webster Area 31 (Payton Snell 13 points); Sully Buttes 65, Ipswich 3-0 (Gabby Wald 13 points).

Thursday — Aberdeen Roncalli 42 (Maddie Huber 15 points), Redfield 9; Faulkton Area 43 (Carley Cotton 16 points, Addison Melius 12 rebounds), Wessington Springs 37; Iroquois-Lake Preston 63 (Adison Moore 26 points, 8 steals and Hadlee Holt 15 points, 11 rebounds), Oldham-Ramona-Rutland 34; Waubay-Summit 42 (Faith Larson and Peyton Rumpza each 12 points), Clark-Willow Lake 35 (Brynn Roehrich 10).

Friday — Deubrook Area 47 (Kylee Johnson 13 points and Mataya Gouws 12), De Smet 46 (Hazel Luethymers 24 points); Castlewood 38 (Presley Knecht 38), Waubay-Summit 32 (Eva Benike 12); Britton-Hecla 51 (Tiyanna Schott 18 points, 12 rebounds and Sterling Brassfield 15-7), Tiospa Zina 46; Sully Buttes 54, North Central 47 (Alaina Dosch and Amree VanderVorst 13 points each).

Saturday — Warner 61 (Kyra Marcuson 18 points), Webster Area 36 (Harley Johnson 11 points); Lennox 52, Milbank 39 (Trya Berry and Claire Snaza 12 points each); Hitchcock-Tualre 53 (Katelyn Schroeder 20 points, Cambree Hoekman 16), Ipswich 40 (Gabby Wald 16); and Leola-Frederick Area 41 (Sofi Losure 14 points and Laura Sumption 12), Langford Area 37 (Megan Gustafson 15).

Hamlin's Easton Neuendorf dribbles against Dakota Valley's Randy Rosenquist during their semifinal game in the state Class A boys basketball tournament on Friday, March 17, 2023 in the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center at Sioux Falls.
Hamlin's Easton Neuendorf dribbles against Dakota Valley's Randy Rosenquist during their semifinal game in the state Class A boys basketball tournament on Friday, March 17, 2023 in the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center at Sioux Falls.

Other Boys Basketball Notes

Thursday — Wessington Springs 68, Faulkton Area 46 (Layne Cotton 19 points).

Friday — Aberdeen Central 53 (Jett Carlson and Cam Olson each 11), RC Central 40; Iroquois-Lake Preston 64 (Josh McMasters 16 points, Weston Woodcock 13 and Rexton Blue 10), Oldham-Ramona-Rutland 48; No. 1 Class B De Smet (George Jensen 12, Kadyn Fast 10), Deubrook Area 49 (Jake Jorenby 16 points); Waverly-South Shore 47, Wilmot (Zane Owen 21 points); Aberdeen Roncalli 64 (Maddox Miller 21 points and Keegan Stewart 19), Redfield 25 (Tristen O'Daniel 13 points).

Saturday — Rapid City Stevens 54, Aberdeen Central 39 (Parker Lemer 11 points); Ipswich 57 (Trevor Heinz 24, Jace Konsor 15), Hitchcock-Tulare (Patrick Maynard 10); Webster Area 58 (Ian Lesnar 21 points, 10 rebounds and Matthew Mount 14 and eight), Warner 56 (Hunter Cramer 20 points and Brodey Sauerwein 17 points and 14 rebounds); Estelline-Hendricks 63 (Wyat James 14 points and Braxton Pravecek and Kyler Carlson 13 each), Sioux Falls Lutheran 33; Sanborn Central-Woonsocket 65, Sunshine Bible Academy 29 (Owan Watson 12); Leola-Frederick Area 58 (Noah Kippley 12 points), Langford Area 28 (Rennan Bruns 16 points); and No. 4 Class A Sioux Valley 69 (Alec Squires 21 points, 9 rebounds and Maverick Nelson 19 points), Clark-Willow Lake 36 (Emmerson Larson 12 points, Aaron Zemlicka 11).

Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com

This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Weekly roundup of area high school boys and girls basketball