2023 Cloquet Pine Journal All-Area Boys Basketball Team
Apr. 12—CLOQUET — The 2023 Cloquet Pine Journal All-Area boys basketball team boasts a majority of upperclassmen, with four juniors and four seniors leading the list of 10 area athletes.
The seniors are headlined by All-Area Boys Basketball Player of the Year Marco Mayorga of Cloquet. He's joined by Cuinn Berger (Esko), Layne Wickstrom (Barnum) and Jimmy Walker (Moose Lake/Willow River).
The class of 2024 includes Koi Perich and Dalton Spindler of Esko, along with Luuke Korpela and Sam Ojibway of Carlton.
Rounding out the the inaugural squad are sophomores Dylan Nyberg (Cromwell-Wright) and Jack Battaglia (Cloquet).
Marco Mayorga
Cloquet
Sr. —C — Led the Lumberjacks in scoring with 17 points and six rebounds per game. — First team all-Lake Superior Conference — Coach Steve Battaglia describes Mayorga as a "crafty, undersized big man."
Cuinn Berger
Esko
Sr. —G — Finished his senior season with averages of 13 points, three assists, three rebounds and two steals per game. — First team all-Polar League Conference (Large) — "(Berger is a) great shooter who has led the team in 3-pointers each of the last three seasons," coach Derek Anderson said.
Jimmy Walker
Moose Lake/Willow River
Sr. —G — Nearly averaged a double-double with 9.6 points and 10 rebounds per game for the Rebels. — Second team all-Polar League Conference (Large) — "(Walker) averaged 10 rebounds per game and (was) a double-double machine (with a) high motor," coach Paul Dewey said.
Layne Wickstrom
Barnum
Sr. —G — Top-defender for the Bombers who averaged just over 14 points, seven rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. — First team all-Polar League Conference (Large) — "Layne plays the game with passion and was the leader of a team that made it to the section finals," coach Richard Newman said. "In the championship game, he was our leading scorer and went 16-for-16 in free throws. He was our top defender and was a tough player grabbing rebounds from the guard position."
Luuke Korpela
Carlton
Jr. —G — Nearly averaged a double-double with a team-high 21 points per game along with 9.5 rebounds. Also posted 2.5 steals and 3.5 assists per game. — Polar League Conference MVP (Small) — "Luuke really turned on the scoring this year and reached his 1,000 point milestone in our last regular season game," coach Shawn Filipiak said.
Sam Ojibway
Carlton
Jr. —G — Point guard for the Bulldogs who averaged 13 points, eight assists, six rebounds and four steals per game. — First team all-Polar League Conference (Small) — "Sam took charge as the point guard and floor general for our team," coach Shawn Filipiak said. "He played several great all around games this season, having two triple-doubles, and only coming up shy one rebound or steal on three other occasions in effort of a triple-double."
Koi Perich
Esko
Jr. —G — Paced the Eskomos with 22.8 points per game to go along with 3.4 assists, 6.6 rebounds and 2.7 steals. — First team all-Polar League Conference (Large) — "Finishes well around the rim and is very explosive," coach Derek Anderson said. "(Perich) has led the team in scoring each of the last two seasons."
Dalton Spindler
Esko
Jr. —G — Well-rounded contributor for the Eskomos who averaged just over 10 points, five assists and five rebounds per game. — Second team all-Polar League Conference (Large) — "(Spindler) sees the court well and does a little bit of everything for us," coach Derek Anderson said.
Jack Battaglia
Cloquet
So. —G — Shot 36% from beyond the arc en route to averaging 15 points per game for the Lumberjacks. — Second team all-Lake Superior Conference — "A smart player who can score in multiple ways," coach Steve Battaglia said.
Dylan Nyberg
Cromwell-Wright
So. —G — Averaged 14.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game for the Cardinals — First team all-Polar League Conference (Small) — "Dylan was a solid perimeter scorer and creator," coach Bill Pocernich said. "Additionally, he was a very good leader on our team, especially considering his relative youth."
