22′-23′ Class A Preview Part 4
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Part 4 is the last and final Preview of the WDA Teams for this upcoming season. Continuing on with the preview we will be moving to the EDC in parts 5,6 and 7. Just as the last few articles we…
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Continue ReadingPart 4 is the last and final Preview of the WDA Teams for this upcoming season. Continuing on with the preview we will be moving to the EDC in parts 5,6 and 7. Just as the last few articles we will be touching base on the teams, players and what is in store for 2022-2023. Let’s check out the last few teams in Class “A” for the WDA!
St. Mary’s High School
Bismarck’s St. Mary Saints are coming into the 22′-23′ season with a very experienced squad. This coming year they will be returning with 4 Seniors, 4 Juniors and numerous Sophomores with good Varsity Time. Last year was Coach Daryl Bearstails first year with his new Team, and it was a learning/rebuilding year for the Saints. They finished the year 6-14, and 4-14 in the WDA. This upcoming year, they are coming back with a solid team, filled with experience, great leadership on the court, and you can bet they are coming in looking to make their presence up the WDA. Let’s dig into the team and returners for 22-23′
Mykendra Messer Mykendra Messer 5'10" | SF St. Mary’s | 2023 State ND (Mykie) the 5’10 Senior Forward will be coming back and looking to put up even bigger numbers then she did last year. The Senior is coming into this season averaging 14.2ppg, 5.8rpg and shot 42% from the field. There is no doubt Messer is an outright shooter from anywhere on the floor, and she can knock them down. Last year she was 10th in scoring in the WDA with 259pts, and 4th in 3-point Field Goals/FG% with 38-99 and 38.3%. She will play a pivotal role on the team as not only a shooter, but will also be a team leader on the floor. She’s a quality guard with many tools in her bag, and you can bet she will be using them all to make a good run in the WDA.
Another impactful player that is looking to make her mark on the stat sheet is 5’9 Senior G Lydia Spies Lydia Spies 5'9" | CG St. Mary’s | 2023 State ND . Lydia is a crafty guard that has good size to her and knows how to score from anywhere. Last year she was #2 in scoring for her team with 209pts 11.6ppg, shot 34% from the field and showed off her defensive skills with 33 steals last year. She is a scrappy defender who moves well side to side and also runs the floor good. Look for her to not only knock down shots from the mid-range but she will be a key player in the paint for the Saint’s.
5’4 Senior G, Gabrielle Mann Gabrielle Mann 5'4" | CG St. Mary's | 2023 State ND will be another key asset on the court for St. Mary’s. She showed last year she is not only a helpful scorer 7.2ppg/129total but she is just as versatile on the defensive end picking up 11 steals and 18 deflections last year. I expect her to be a starter as well for the saints, she is a refined player who not only has plenty of skills to her name, but she is a hard worker on both ends of the court.
One name I can see getting significant playing time this year, and the following years is Sophomore Natalie Larson Natalie Larson 5'8" | SG St. Mary's | 2025 State ND . The 5’8 G averaged 6.2ppg and shot 31% from the field and behind the arch. She is a speedy, talented guard who spends quite a bit of time on her game. She is a proven shooter, and defensively is all around tough. Larson has a ton of upside to her game and she will only get better as the years come. She is a true athlete, and you will see her name many times in the next few years. She is one name you’ll want to remember.
Jamestown High School:
Jamestown was another solid squad coming out of the WDA last year, looking to make another good deep run this coming year. Last year the Blue Jays lead by Coach Andy Skunberg went 13-9 overall and 11-7 in the WDA with some notable wins against Mandan, Legacy and a tough 1pt loss to the defending state Champions Minot High. This year they will be returning a hand-full of Seniors backed by the Falks, Teegan Bosche and Rylee Joseph Rylee Joseph 5'7" | CG Jamestown | 2023 State ND . They have experience, depth, grit and are looking to make this coming year, one to remember.
Coming back for their Senior campaigns are cousins Katie and Ella Falk Ella Falk 5'10" | SG Jamestown | 2023 State ND . Ella the 5’10 G and Katie the 5’8 Forward have almost identical stats when it comes down the line. Both averaged a respective 12.3 and 12.7ppg and hit over 230points for the Bluejays last year. The 2 seniors will be the big leaders on the court not only for their scoring abilities but the character and leadership qualities they both possess.
Katie Falk Katie Falk 5'8" | SF Jamestown | 2023 State ND comes in averaging 12.3ppg and shoots 49.7% from the field and knows how to work the paint very well. She’s aggressive, likes to draw the foul, and knows how to make it count from the charity stripe hitting 68% from the line. She is a proven quality player that will be an instrumental key for Jamestown this year. Be on the look for her to add some digits to the stat sheet, she’s a player that does good work on both ends of the floor.
Ella Falk Ella Falk 5'10" | SG Jamestown | 2023 State ND will play the leadership role on the team much like Katie. Ella is a top-notch guard that knows how to handle the ball and pressure alike. She is shifty, sees the court and knows how to make things happen. She averaged 12.7ppg and can flat out knock um’ down from behind the arch as she went 39-98 in her Junior year. On the other end of that, like I mentioned before, she is a playmaker. Last year she added an impressive 106 assists to her resume, she’s a very skillful guard that can turn a game around real quick.
Another name to remember is Tegan Bosche. The 5’2 guard is packed with aggressiveness and quick feet that will make a defense suffer. Everything about Tegans work ethic on the court is excellent. She’s a handworker, knows her role on the court and pressures the defense/ball incredibly well. She comes in averaging 4.7ppg and you an bet she will make that stat soar this year.
Rylee Joseph Rylee Joseph 5'7" | CG Jamestown | 2023 State ND will be returning as well. A 5’3 G who averages 7.6ppg and put up 145 points last year will also be another person to keep an eye on. Don’t get relaxed on her, last year she shot 34% from behind the arc and 32% from the field. She herself is crafty and a playmaker as well, but be aware, she has the green light to shoot and she will do just that!
TMCHS:
TMCHS comes into the 22′-23′ looking to improve on last years season. Last year they went 4-18 overall and 2-16 in the WDA. The team has talent, grit and a strong group of players who know how to work to say the least. The Bravettes will be lead by standout All-State Senior Amya Gourneau Amya Gourneau 5'7" | PG Turtle Mountain | 2023 State ND looking to make more noise then she did last year.
Amya Gourneau Amya Gourneau 5'7" | PG Turtle Mountain | 2023 State ND the Senior 5’8 G is nothing short of a basket waiting to happen. She has one of the most pure shots in the state and she knows how to use it to say the least. Last year for the TMCHS she was #2 in scoring in the WDA with 356pts/19.8ppg and shot 29% from the floor. She has great ball handling abilities, and is fluid at getting open and sinking the open shot. On top of that she is also very shifty and can hit in transition as well. She is an excellent player on both sides of the court who without a doubt has the ability to play at the next level. You’ll see her name a few times this year that for sure, she’s proven and she’s flat out good.
Returning for TMCHS as well will be Senior Sydnee Bruce a 5’9 Forward who shot 27% from the field can hit from the outside as well. She will be looking to play a key role for the Bravettes as a team leader and playmaker.