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Great Plains Lutheran girls, Felberg, Simon lead top performers list

roger merriam, watertown public opinion
·7 min read
Great Plains Lutheran High School's girls basketball team won the Martin Luther College Tip-Off Tournament over the weekend in New Ulm, Minn. Team members include, from left in front, assistant coach Mali York, Katherine Prahl, Halle Bauer, Abby Kjenstad, Kaitlyn Rawerts, Myra Lentz, Esta Cameron and Lydia Schleusener; and back, head coach Matt Bauer, Bri Cordle, Emma Dornbusch, Kate Holmen, Olivia Holmen, Madeline Prahl, Catie Neumann and assistant coach Aaron Schleusener.

Last week it was wrestling, but basketball takes center stage on our list of top high school performers for the week of Dec. 5-11.

Leading the way are Great Plains Lutheran's girls and senior standouts Kaplan Felberg of Clark-Willow Lake and Tyler Simon of Potter County.

Great Plains head out of state to get into the win column, topping Evergreen Lutheran (Wash.) 60-26 and Nebraska Evangelical Lutheran 54-34 to capture the championship in the Martin Luther Tip-Off Tournament at New Ulm, Minn.

Olivia Holmen led the way, collecting 10 points and seven rebounds against Washington and 10 and six against Nebraska.

The biggest one-game scoring production of the week was recorded by Felberg, a 6-foot-2 senior forward for Clark-Willow Lake's boys. He scored 33 points in a season-opening 70-54 loss to second-rated Class A Sioux Valley.

One of the biggest moments of the week came from Simon, a 5-10 senior guard-forward who drained two free throws with 4.9 seconds remaining to lead Potter County's girls past Lyman 60-58. She finished with 22 points and eight rebounds.

Other top performers of the week include:

Aberdeen Christian's Ethan Russell helped the third-rated Class B Knights open their 2022-23 high school boys basketball season with a 74-45 win over James Valley Chistian.
Aberdeen Christian's Ethan Russell helped the third-rated Class B Knights open their 2022-23 high school boys basketball season with a 74-45 win over James Valley Chistian.

Boys Basketball

Malek Wieker and Ethan Russell, Aberdeen Christian: The third-rated Class B Knights handled James Valley Christian in their opener by getting 23 points from Wieker and 17 from Russell.

Alec Squires and Oliver Vincent, Sioux Valley: The second-rated Class B Cossacks topped Clark-Willow Lake behind Squires' 23 points and Vincent's 17.

Hunter Cramer, Warner: Cramer went for 25 points and 15 rebounds in a 51-46 win over Webster Area.

Gavin Benck and Trey Maaland, Deuel: Benck scored 20 points and Maaland 18 in a 69-48 win over Florence-Henry.

Alex Tanner and Ryder Falkenhagen, Potter County: Tanner collected 20 points and 13 rebounds and Falkenhagen 19 and nine is a 62-60 loss to Lyman.

Grant Holman, Waverly-South Shore: The Coyotes handled Wilmot behind Holman's 15 points, nine rebounds and six steals.

Carter Dingman, Aberdeen Central: Dingman had 10 points and seven rebounds in a win over Rapid City Central and 13 and six in a loss to RC Stevens.

Garrett Mertens, Milbank: Mertens led the Bulldogs past rival Sisseton with 19 points.

Nate Tchida, Sisseton: Tchida tallied 16 points and six rebounds in the loss to Milbank and 15 points in a loss to Mobridge-Pollock.

Austin Rubendall and Alex Heil, Great Plains Lutheran: Rubendall produced 23 points and 12 rebounds in a win over Evergreen Lutheran (Wash.) in the Martin Luther College Tip-Off Tournament. Heil tallied 13 points and 10 rebounds in a loss to Nebraska Evangelical Lutheran.

Clark-Willow Lake's Kaplan Felberg (right) erupted for 33 points last week in a season-opening high school boys basketball loss to Sioux Valley.
Clark-Willow Lake's Kaplan Felberg (right) erupted for 33 points last week in a season-opening high school boys basketball loss to Sioux Valley.

Lane Tietz, Groton Area: The Tigers lost to Hamlin despite getting 31 points from Tietz.

Easton Neuendorf and Brennan Keszler, Hamlin: The Chargers outlasted Tietz and Groton Area with 20 points from Neuendorf and 18 from Keszler.

Nolan Triebwasser, Sunshine Bible Academy: Triebwasser finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds in a loss to Sanborn Central-Woonsocket.

Damon Wilkinson, De Smet: The big guy garnered 24 points and 13 rebounds in a win over Deubrook Area.

Jerron Haider, Redfield: Haider's 22 points carried the Pheasants to a 54-52 win over Aberdeen Roncalli.

Maddox Miller, Aberdeen Roncalli: Miller's 25 points helped the Cavaliers pushed Redfield to the wire.

Jacob Jorenby, Deubrook Area: Jorenby's 19 points and 10 rebounds led the Dolphins in a loss to De Smet.

Reondre Greeley and Juan Rios, Tiospa Zina: The Wambdi defeated Britton-Hecla with 15-point performances by Greeley and Rios.

Girls Basketball

Kayden Cronin, Potter County: Cronin pitched in with 19 points and 12 rebounds in the close win over Lyman.

Isabelle Bloker, Sioux Valley: Bloker hit five 3-pointers in the first quarter and scored 20 points in a win over Clark-Willow Lake.

Cambree Hoekman and Katelyn Schroeder, Hitchcock-Tulare: Hoekman produced 18 points and Schroeder 16 to lead the Patriots past Ipswich.

Emery Thury, Jaida Young and Kendall Paulson, Watertown: The Arrows topped Brookings in their opener with 17 points and four rebounds from Thury, 10 and nine from Young and 14 points from Paulson.

Kyra Marcuson, Warner: The Monarchs topped Webster Area with Marcuson's 18 points leading the wey.

Addie Neuendorf and Kami Wadsworth, Hamlin: The third-rated Class A Chargers downed Groton Area, getting 24 points from Neuendorf and 19 from Wadsworth.

Sydney Evans, Aberdeen Central: Evans tallied 15 points in a 55-52 loss to Rapid City Stevens.

Watertown's Emery Thury (5) advances the ball against Brookings' Sophia Hammrich during their season-opening high school girls basketball game Friday night in the Civic Arena.
Watertown's Emery Thury (5) advances the ball against Brookings' Sophia Hammrich during their season-opening high school girls basketball game Friday night in the Civic Arena.

Tiyanna Schott, Britton-Hecla: Schott's layup in the closing seconds lifted the Braves past Tiospa Zina. She finished with eight points and nine rebounds.

Jada Burke, De Smet: Burke could have led the list and she eventually will if she keeps getting 27 points, 12 rebounds and five steals in a game like she did in a win over Deubrook Area.

Caylin Kelly, Florence-Henry: The Falcons are going to be good again and Kelly's is one of the reasons. She had 18 points and nine rebounds in a win over Deuel.

Faith Larson, Eva Benike and Kailee Boerger, Waubay-Summit: Larson scored 17 points in a win over Webster Area nd 15 in a loss to Clark-Willow Lake. Benike added 16 points and Berger in the win over Webster Area.

Kennadee Bissonnette, Tiospa Zina: Bissonnette led the Wambdi with 18 points and 12 rebounds in the loss to Britton-Hecla.

Chloe Landmark, Sisseton: The Redmen topped Groton Area and Milbank with a combined 21 points and 19 rebounds from Landmark.

Alicia Vig, Clark-Willow Lake: Vig led the Cyclones past Waubay-Summit with 20 points and seven rebounds. She added 13 points in a loss to Sioux Valley.

Camryn Lee, Lac qui Parle Valley (Minn.): The Eagles blasted Central Minnesota Christian and Dawson-Boyd last week. Lee had 19 points and CMC and 23 points and seven rebounds against DB.

Girls Wrestling

Hope Orr, Watertown: Orr led the Arrow girls in the Rapid City Invite, going 3-1 to finish second at 285.

Boys Wrestling

Sloan Johannsen and Gage Lohr, Watertown: Johannsen went 5-0 and won the 120-pound championship in the Rapid City Invitational and Lohr was 4-1 and finished second at 106 to lead the Arrows to a third-place finish.

Mason Schrempp, Aberdeen Central: Schrempp went 4-1 and took second at 145 pounds in the Rapid City Invite. He also went 2-0 to help the Golden Eagles split duals against Rapid City Central and Sturgis.

Gannon Gilligan, Kingsbury County: Gilligan went 3-0 and won the 132-pound title in the Ken Ruml Invite at Howard.

Noah Smith, Hamlin: Smith took the 285-pound title by going 2-0 in the Ken Ruml Invite at Howard.

Cash Edgar and Parker Bode, Faulkton Area: Edgar went 3-0 with three falls to win the 98-pound title and Parker Bode also went 3-0 to win the 285-pound title in the Faulkton Invitational.

Cooper Pommer and Chase Chambers, Clark-Willow Lake: Pommer (106 pounds) and Chambers (160) each won titles in the Faulkton Invite with 3-0 records. Chambers recorded three falls.

Nicholas Schlachter, Potter County: Schlachter took the 113-pound title in the Faulkton Invite. He was 3-0.

Blake Steiner, Sisseton: Steiner went 2-0 with two falls and won the 120-pound title in the Faulkton Invite.

Clayton Dulany, Warner-Northwestern: Dulany also was 3-0 and won at 145 in the Faulkton Invite.

Cole Dunlavy, Aberdeen Central JV: Dunlavy won at 195 in the Faulkton Invite, also going 3-0.

Gymnastics

MaKia Moe, Deuel: Moe won the vault (9.35), uneven bars (8.55), balance beam (9.15) and all-around titles (35.85) in a dual against Estelline-Hendricks.

Sadie Johnson, Estelline-Hendricks: Johnson won the floor exercise (9.35) and took second in the all-around (34.95) in the dual against Deuel.

Shauna Evenson, Watertown: Evenson led the Arrows to a third-place finish in the Hub City Invite at Aberdeen. She took fifth in the all-around (35.4), sixth in the floor exercise (9.275) and tied for seventh in the vault (9.05).

Aiden Raap (right) sparked the Aberdeen Cougars to a 5-2 South Dakota Amateur Hockey Association win over the Brookings Rangers in SDAHA play over the weekend. She scored two goals in the victory.
Aiden Raap (right) sparked the Aberdeen Cougars to a 5-2 South Dakota Amateur Hockey Association win over the Brookings Rangers in SDAHA play over the weekend. She scored two goals in the victory.

Girls Hockey

Aiden Raap, Kailyn Poppen and Lauren Scheel, Aberdeen: The Cougars topped Brookings 5-2 with two goals from Raap and two assists apiece from Poppen and Scheel.

Boys Hockey

Caleb Schmaltz, Watertown: The Lakers suffered three losses in a tournament at Minnetonka. Schmaltz recorded 79 saves in the three games.

Swimming

Owen Muller and Madelynne Storm, Watertown Area Swim Club: Muller won eight races (13-14 boys) and Storm seven (17-19 girls) in the Candy Cane Swim Meet at the Prairie Lakes Wellness Center.

This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: GPL girls basketball team won Martin Luther College Tip-Off Tourney.