Conference Review: Western Dakota Association (WDA)
North Dakota Class A (WDA) The season has started here in North Dakota! With that being said let’s preview one of the top conferences in Class A. Reigning champ Bismarck Century is looking to capture the crown once again, while…
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Continue ReadingNorth Dakota Class A (WDA)
The season has started here in North Dakota! With that being said let’s preview one of the top conferences in Class A. Reigning champ Bismarck Century is looking to capture the crown once again, while the rest of the league is up for the challenge.
Last season the Demons were a .500 team. They were led by Junior Cadee Ryckman who poured in 11 ppg, senior Hannah Golus with 7 ppg and senior Mady Mosolf with 7 ppg. They are going to rely heavily on their returning starters, who will try to get them over the hump. They have some good pieces to the puzzle, now lets see if they can fit them all together.
“The Champ is here!” once said by the late, great Muhammad Ali. That indeed is the truth. With only one blemish on their record a year ago, Century dominated. Returners include Player of the Year, junior Lauren Ware and senior Lily Keplin. Both are proven winners and know how to remain poise. Let’s not forget there is always a Frazier to an Ali!! Who’s ready for the knock out?
Courtesy of WDALegacy almost had that Cinderella story. The Sabers were 5 points shy of going to the state tittle game. Last season started off rough, but they pulled it together and made a nice run. Keep an eye out for this sleeper team. They know how to get hot and at the right moment.
8-16 was not the ideal season for Dickinson. Having had 2 separate losing streaks of 4 games, the Midgets will need to cut those in half in order to keep up with the crowd. Gabrielle Jung will lead the pack, returning with her 15 ppg from last year. Look for those numbers to increase. It’s like a marathon runner, break up the task, then finish strong.
Jamestown lost 15 ppg from Megan Gaffaney, who graduated last year. However, the new lead senior will be Courtney Peterson. She will get help from junior Kamerson Selvig. Both are double digit scorers and will get the other youngsters involved. The Blue Jays are capable of long winning streaks. In the past they have put together 4 and 5 game winning streaks.
3rd place in the conference and 2nd place at state?!?!? Mandan can’t catch a break. They are right there. Like right there, right there. The Braves return 20 ppg Megan Zander, 14 ppg Kennedy Harris and Lakyn Darras who chipped in with 12 ppg. They have been to the mountaintop but couldn’t capture the flag. Is this their year?
Finished last year below .500. Had some tough losses during the mid-season stretch. They lost a few graduates who posted double digits for the Majettes. That will be tough to overcome. Fortunately, they return some sophomores, now juniors, who got tons of minutes last year. Hopefully that experience helped with getting them prepared for a bigger role this year.
Photo Courtesy of WDABesides Mandan and Century, you can look at St. Mary’s as one of the favorites. They had balance scoring across the board. The Saints will lean on Taylor Gerving to lead them back to the state tournament.
Last season was one to forget. With only one win on the season, the Bravettes seem to be in rebuilding mode. Despite the showing, there are bright spots for this team. Some young talent is coming through the program. They just have to “Trust The Process!”
The Coyotes were one of the teams at the bottom of the league. 3 wins in the conference, 2 from TMCHS and another from newly added conference member Watford. Not too many of the games have been competitive. That can just be an testament of the tough conference or Williston needing to reevaluate themselves.
The newbie of the group. Only time will tell if they can withstand and/or stand out amongst the best.