I took some time to myself immediately following the 2023-24 high school basketball season, so I’m a bit late in posting these. I will confess that this year’s selections for myself were much tougher having not seen as many teams without the league tournament taking place. It’s always tough to narrow down the teams and I will say as a tie-breaker on some of these picks on both the boys and girls side, I looked at the coach selections. Disclaimers: these are just one man’s OPINION on this basketball season. My opinion is also not that of my employer.
Boys 1st Team
Jonny Hamel, 5’10”, Sr., G, Osborne Bulldogs
Hamel is on my first team for the third straight season and all three seasons he played in the NPL at Osborne. Hamel helped lead the Bulldogs to a 20-2 season, which included an 11-0 record and an outright regular season title in the NPL. He led the league in scoring, averaging 20.5 ppg while adding 4.6 rpg, 4.6 spg and 3.4 apg. Hamel scored in double figures in 19 of the 20 contested games Osborne played, finishing his Bulldog career with 58 double figure games. He scored 30 or more three times this season with a career high 32 in a 69-43 win at Pike Valley on February 6. Hamel shot 48% from the floor and made 43 three-pointers, shooting 33% from beyond the arc. He also added a 70% free throw mark at 43-61. Hamel crossed the 1,000 point mark in his career during his final season as well.
Cooper McDill, 6’0″, Jr., G, Rock Hills Grizzlies
McDill moves up from the second team to my first team this season. McDill became one of the top scorers in the Northern Plains League in his junior season, averaging 17.0 ppg on 42% shooting from the floor. He made 33 total three-pointers, shooting 32% from beyond the three-point line and shot 56% (57-87) from the free throw line. McDill scored in double figures in 18 of 20 games, scoring 20 or more nine times. He had a career high 27 in a hard-fought 65-58 loss at Lakeside on December 5.
Andy Cooper, 6’3″, Jr., G/F, Pike Valley Panthers
After being a second team pick last season, Cooper moves up to the first team after a breakout junior season. Cooper put up 17.4 ppg for the 10-8 Panthers in 2023-24. He also added 8.2 rpg, 2.8 apg, 2.8 spg and 1.6 bpg. He shot 55% from the floor and made a living at the free throw line, going 62-103 (60%) on the season. Cooper scored in double figures in all 18 games for Pike Valley, eclipsing the 20-point mark five times. He put up a career high 31 in a 65-38 win at Thunder Ridge on February 10. Cooper also registered seven double-doubles this season.
Edward Horinek, 5’11”, So., G, St. John’s/Tipton Blujays
Horinek got off to a great start in his career and was on my third team as a freshman, moving to the first team with a great sophomore campaign. After averaging 10.5 ppg as a freshman, Horinek put up 15.0 ppg this season in helping St. John’s/Tipton to a 14-8 record and a 1A-DII State Tournament appearance. He also added 3.5 rpg, 3.4 apg, 2.0 spg and shot 43% from the floor. Horinek made a team-high 41 three-pointers, shooting 33% from beyond the arc and was also 82% (42-64) from the free throw line. In 2023-24, Horinek scored in double figures in 16 of 21 contested games. He came up big at important times, scoring a career-high 27 points in the Blujays’ 51-47 Sub-State Championship win over Victoria on March 2.
Dalton Garman, 6’0″, Jr., G, Osborne Bulldogs
After a third team selection last year, Garman also elevated to my first team with a big junior season. Garman was the second-leading scorer for the 20-2 Osborne squad that won the league title. He put up 13.9 ppg and added 4.7 rpg and 2.1 apg. He scored in double figures in 18 of 20 contested games. Garman’s career high came in a 58-39 win over Sylvan-Lucas on January 20, as he put up 26 points in the victory. Garman shot 43% from the floor and was second on the team with 36 made three-pointers, shooting 32% from three. He also was efficient at the free throw line, going 29-38 (76%) for the season.
Boys 2nd Team
Reece Remus, 6’2″, Jr., F/C, Lakeside (13.9 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 2.1 spg, 1.3 bpg; 52% FG; 53% (37-70) FT)
Jace Cunningham, 6’3″, Jr.; G/F, Lakeside (13.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg; 40% FG)
Nathan Goheen, 6’4″, Sr., C, Osborne (9.5 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.6 spg; 51% FG, 51% (32-63) FT)
Kye Chase, 6’6″, Jr., C, Southern Cloud (13.3 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 2.8 bpg, 2.1 spg; 52% FG)
Lane Homewood, 6’1″, Sr., G/F, Sylvan-Lucas (13.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.7 apg; 42% FG; 64% (33-52) FT)
Boys 3rd Team
Cooper Rathbun, 6’3″, Jr., C, Lincoln (11.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 54% FG)
Connor Charvat, 5’7″, Jr., G, Sylvan-Lucas (12.2 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.8 apg; 44% FG; 34% 3’s (44 total); 64% (27-42) FT)
Jacob Winkler, 6’2″, Sr., C, St. John’s/Tipton (9.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.8 apg, 52% FG; 68% (17-25) FT)
Doak Guttery, 6’2″, Sr., F, Osborne (8.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.7 apg, 2.0 spg; 48% FG; 54% (28-52) FT)
Tyson Gates, 6’0″, Jr., G, St. John’s/Tipton (7.9 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.9 apg, 2.2 spg; 38% FG; 21 total 3’s; 56% (22-39) FT)
Girls 1st Team
Gracie Riner, 5’8″, Sr., G, Osborne Bulldogs
Riner moves up to my first team after being a second team selection as a junior. She led all Northern Plains League players in scoring at 22.3 ppg, scoring in double figures in 18 of 20 contested games, adding 20 or more ten times and 30 or more five times. Riner also passed the 40-point mark once this season, scoring a career high 42 in a 65-28 win over Thunder Ridge on December 19. With her final bucket in that game, Riner also crossed the 1,000 point mark in her career and she finished with 1,261 pts over her four seasons. Riner added 3.7 rpg, 3.5 apg and was a force on defense, picking off 5.2 spg. She shot 46% from the floor overall and made a team-high 58 three-pointers, with a 38% mark from beyond the arc. Riner also went 48-58 (83%) from the free throw line for the season.
Carlie Brummer, 5’7″, Jr., G, St. John’s/Tipton Blujays
After being on my second team as a sophomore, Brummer also moves up to the first team after helping lead the St. John’s/Tipton Lady Jays back to the 1A-DII State Tournament with a 16-6 record in 2023-24. Brummer averaged 15.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 4.5 spg and 3.2 apg. She scored in double figures nearly every game this season. Her career high of 31 points came in a 78-46 win at Thunder Ridge on January 30.
Maggie Labertew, 5’6″, Jr., G, Sylvan-Lucas Mustangs
Labertew makes her first appearance on my all-league selections with a first team nod. She helped lead the Lady Mustangs to a 16-5 overall record and a 10-1 mark in the NPL. Labertew became a sharp-shooter from beyond the three-point line, shooting 42% from long range this season. She was in double figures nearly every game for Sylvan-Lucas, putting up 16.1 ppg. She also added 2.0 apg in 2023-24.
Kamryn Rietzke, 5’5″, Sr., G, Thunder Ridge Longhorns
For the first time since her freshman year, Rietzke was able to play an entire season for Thunder Ridge as a senior in 2023-24. She was an honorable mention pick on my all-league teams over the past two seasons after having each season cut short due to a knee injury. After playing in just 13 games combined over the past two seasons, Rietzke saw the floor in 19 games this season, scoring in double figures in 16 of them. For the season, she averaged 15.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg and 4.0 spg, helping Thunder Ridge to a 13-7 record. She shot 37% from the floor with a team-high 44 made three-pointers, cashing in on 33% of her shots from beyond the arc. She was also 51-77 (66%) from the free throw line. The individual highlight of the season for Rietzke was a career high 29 points in a 56-49 win over Pike Valley on February 10.
Jenna Gengler, 5’8″, Sr., G, St. John’s/Tipton Blujays
Gengler was on my third team as a junior and moved up to first team in her final season. She improved her shooting as a senior and was second on the team in scoring, putting up 15.2 ppg. Gengler added 4.9 rpg, 3.0 spg and 2.2 apg for the 16-6 Lady Jays. She was also in double figures nearly every game this season and scored a career high 25 in a 67-36 win over Stockton in Tipton on February 9.
Girls 2nd Team
Bethany Simmelink, 5’4″, So., G, Rock Hills (16.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 4.9 apg, 4.1 spg; 40% FG; 37% 3’s (30 total); 70% (89-172) FT)
Breanna Reeves, 5’7″, Jr., G, Pike Valley (18.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.0 spg; 37% FG; 71% (97-137) FT)
Lauren Brummet, 5’11”, Sr., F, Lakeside (13.8 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 1.1 bpg; 42% FG)
Grace William, 6’0″, Jr., F, Osborne (11.5 ppg, 9.1 rpg; 42% FG; 64% (52-81) FT)
Halle Mizner, 5’9″, So., F, Rock Hills (14.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 2.9 spg, 2.7 apg; 41% FG; 54% (40-74) FT)
Girls 3rd Team
Aubrey Kesler, 5’10”, Jr., C, Stockton (11.9 ppg)
Serenity Steinike, 5’11”, Jr., C, Sylvan-Lucas (9.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 5.0 apg)
Lynelle Gengler, 5’8″, So., C, St. John’s/Tipton (9.2 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 2.0 spg)
Aubrey Gengler, 5’9″, Sr., F, St. John’s/Tipton (7.0 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 2.1 spg)
Leavie Riner, 5’10”, So., G, Osborne (8.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 2.8 apg, 2.5 spg; 23 total 3’s)
Previous All-League Teams
2022-23
2021-22
2020-21
2019-20
2018-19
2017-18
2016-17
2015-16
2014-15 (No team as I missed all of the regular season due to sickness)
2013-14
2012-13
2011-12
dusty40 