Players to Watch:
Ben Hess, Grace Lutheran
Koden Krosch, Mackay
Evan O’Brien, North Gem
Teague Matthews, Rockland
Brigham Permann, Rockland
Augie Droegemuller, Taylor’s Crossing
Daniel Canfield, Watersprings
Jrew Plocher, Watersprings
Rockland is downright terrifying headed into this season. They are the defending 1AD2 state champions and return a TON. They return the defending 1AD2 Player of the Year in Teague Matthews. They also return 1st team all-conference performer Brigham Perman, and 6th man of the year Brandon Neal. They are again loaded and are among the favorites to win the state championship this season.
If there is any team within the Rocky Mountain Conference that can challenge Rockland this year, it will likely be Watersprings.
The most notable thing about this team is that they return every player from last year’s 19-6 squad. Among those returning is Rocky Mountain Conference Player of the Year Daniel Canfield. Alongside Canfield is 1st team all-conference performer Jrew Plocher and Jackson Aldiner (2nd team all-conference). This team is very hungry and in the words of head coach Even Bindenagel, “I think the X-factor our team has is the chip on the shoulder we are bringing with us from last season. This team came so close to a state play-off berth last season before being knocked off in districts and they want to prove they can compete with the best!” There is a lot of excitement around this year’s Watersprings team.
The team that actually finished above Watersprings last year in conference standings was North Gem.
North Gem also compiled a 19-6 record last season. However, the outlook for this team is much different than Watersprings. Most notably, they have lost their entire starting five from last year’s team. Among that starting five includes Bridger Hatch (1st team all-state), Ransom Cooper (2nd team all-state), and Chayce Low (2nd team all-conference). So with a much younger and thinner roster than last year (only 10 guys this year) it is hard to gauge exactly how this team will perform in 2022-23.
A team that could see much improvement from last year is Grace Lutheran.
They were a respectable 11-11 in the 2021-22 season. The team members returning, though, has a lot of experience together which could lead to an improvement in the win column. In the words of head coach Jeremy Hess, “I’m excited about coaching a talented group that has played together for a few years now. We’re experienced and ready to compete!” A key player in all of this will be Ben Hess. Hess was 2nd team all-conference and will look to serve as the leader for this team.
Sho-Ban is a team that could turn some heads within the Rocky Mountain Conference this year.
They finished last year at .500 with a 10-10 record. However, expectations are rather high around the conference. One coach was cited as saying, “Sho-Ban’s two young guards could lead them to some surprise results.” Another coach said, “I think that Sho-Ban will surprise some people this year. They have a talented group that can shoot the ball well and make some plays if left open.” Look out for Sho-Ban this year.
A team that could see vast improvement in 2022 is Mackay.
They only went 4-18 last season. However, they were a VERY young team. This team is now a year older, and a majority of their roster consists of sophomores this year. So, it is only natural to see improvement from this team. If you are a fan of Mackay, you should be very excited about the upcoming years, and expect improvement every single season.
Leadore finished last season 3-15 and is looking to take a step forward in the upcoming season.
The same can be said about Clark County, who is looking for any signs of improvement after a disappointing 0-19 season in 2021-22.
Taylor’s Crossing is new to the Rocky Mountain Conference and hoping to make some noise.
They finished with a 2-12 record within their previous conference. It will be interesting to see how they acclimate to a new playing environment. Head Coach Cody Nelson named junior guard Augie Droegmuller as the player to watch this year.