BOYS BASKETBALL
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2021 | E13
LQPV hopes to keep KMS believes things are looking up the string going Eagles return three starters from 17-4 squad that won Camden North BY TOM ELLIOTT
BY TOM ELLIOTT
Fragodt believes the Fighting Saints have one of the top players KERKHOVEN — The Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sun- in Camden Conference in Alex Call, a 6-foot-3 burg Fighting Saints are senior guard who earned optimistic about this all-conference honors last season because of four season. Unfortunately returning starters and a for KMS, he’s not expectsenior class of eight. They’re also anxious to ed back in the lineup erase a disappointing end until February because to last season, when KMS of a football injury. He averaged 14.8 points per was forced to forfeit its first-round playoff game game for the 6-13 Fighting Saints last season. because of being under “He is someone (who) quarantine due to the can put points up from coronavirus pandemic. the outside and inside,” “The team is ready to go especially on how last Fragodt said. “He will be out with an injury until year ended with being February, but we are quarantined at the start looking forward to his of the playoffs,” said Matt Fragodt, who begins return.” his eighth year as head Gage Thorson, Isaac coach at KMS. Rundingen and Drew West Central Tribune
West Central Tribune
MADISON — It was a season to remember for the Lac qui Parle Valley boys basketball team, culminating with a Camden Conference North Division co-championship, a long run in the state Class A rankings, and a 15-game winning streak to start the year. The Eagles advanced to the 3A-North Sub-Section championship, concluding with a 17-4 record. LQPV hopes it can pick up where it left off. Three starters return, though the Eagles must replace three key contributors from last season’s squad: Maverick Conn, Evan Hegland and Mykey Elias. Conn was a West Central Tribune All-Area selection who already is getting key minutes as a freshman this season at the University of Minnesota-Morris. A 6-foot-4 guard/forward, he averaged 18.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.8 steals per game. But LQPV’s coaching staff is optimistic about the three returning starters and four others who figure to be heavy contributors this season. Returning to the starting lineup are Kaiden Allpress, Hunter Conn and Landon Schirm. Allpress is a 6-foot guard who was an honorable-mention on the All-Camden Conference team. Conn is a 6-5 senior forward who also earned honorable-mention
Fighting Saints return four starters after having a disappointing end to last season
West Central Tribune file photo
Lac qui Parle Valley’s Hunter Conn takes an outside shot during tje Section 3A-North title game against Central Minnesota Christian on March 24, 2021 from the Lac qui Parle Valley High School all-conference honors. Schirm is a 5-0 senior guard who was an All-Camden pick. “We bring back three starters who were major contributors to our season last year,” LQPV head coach Barry Besonen said. “Replacing our graduates and developing our bench will be keys to our season.” New players to watch include Will Giese, Blake Wollschlager, T.J. Mitchell and Kaden Molden. Giese is a 5-8 senior guard. Wollschlager is a 6-3 senior center.
Mitchell is a 6-5 sophomore forward. Molden is a 6-4 sophomore center. It means LQPV will have decent size for a Class A team. Besonen is in his 10th year as LQPV’s coach. He has a career 116-115 record and is coming off a four-year string of successful seasons. The Eagles were 19-9 in 2019-20, 18-11 in ‘18-19 and 13-13 in ‘17-18. If everything comes together, LQPV believes it’ll be able to keep the string going.
Joe Brown / West Central Tribune
KMS' Alex Call (2) launches a 3-pointer over Ortonville's Zach Kuechenmeister seconds before the buzzer in the first half of a March 2, 2020 Section 6A-South play-in game in Kerkhoven. Call hit the shot and finished with a game-high 23 points.
Johnson also are returning starters. Fragodt is high on all of them. Jared Cortez was a key contributor mostly off the bench. Of Thorson, he said, “Gage has improved every year he has been at the varsity level. He will again be looked at to be more of a scorer. He is a very smart player and puts himself in spots to succeed.” Thorson is 6-foot senior forward who averaged 8.2 ppg and 4.7 rpg. Of Rundingen, Fragodt said, “He is really reliable at handling the ball. He has a knack to be able to get to the hoop and finish. He has become a lot stronger and can defend against anyone.” Rundingen has been the Fighting Saints’ starting point guard the past two seasons. The 6-1 junior was an honorable-mention all-conference selection who averaged 9.7 ppg and 3.5 rpg. Fragodt said Cortez “showed up late on the varsity level last season and finished on a high note. This year he will be a full-time varsity player and shoot the ball very well. He is also one of the smartest players I have coached and he’s a sophomore.” Cortez averaged 7.0 ppg and 2.4 rpg. On Johnson, Fragodt said, “He is a very strong defensive player. He is the player that gives our team a lot of energy when he makes hustle plays.” Johnson, a 6-1 senior forward, averaged 4.2 ppg last season.
