Girls Preview

The carousel continues to spin new a new girls champion in the NEKL. There has been four different teams win the league title the last four years.  JCN in 2017, Valley Falls in 2018, Pleasant Ridge in 2019 and Jackson Heights took the title last year in 2020.  Could ACCHS or MH-MA try to make it a fifth different champ? Jeff County North and Jackson Heights are likely to have something to say about that, but the point stands, there is great parity and plenty of competitive games in this league. Several teams are also making changes in classification for this year as Valley Falls bumps up to Class 2A switching places with Jackson Heights who drops to Class 1A. MH-MA and ACCHS drop down to Class 2A this year while Oskaloosa moves up to join Pleasant Ridge as the only 3A school in the NEKL. 

The JEFF COUNTY NORTH girls have been the most consistent team in the league and finished second in the final standings the past three years. Coach Steve Noll has won 265 games in 16 years with the Lady Chargers. JCN graduated three seniors but return three  senior starters including All League performer Kinsey Schneider with perhaps the most experienced team entering 2020-21.

JACKSON HEIGHTS has had a couple great years and posted their first outright league title since 1998 last season but fell one game short of returning to State. Dan Shupe enters his 8th year looking to replace four key starters with Amaya Marlatt the only one back. She earned league honors but will have a supporting cast this season that includes several underclassmen. 

Two teams looking to make a big move up the standings are MH-MA and ACCHS.  Both teams return a pair of all-league performers, but ACCHS had twice as many wins last season. Both ACCHS top players are still just sophomores. There is no doubt that Addison Schletzbaum and Aleah Wallisch have very bright futures ahead with the Tigers as part of a talented sophomore class. Austin Eckert takes over as head coach after serving as an assistant to his dad Mike the past few years.

The MAUR HILL MOUNT ACADEMY Lady Ravens return three of their top five players, but don't have a ton of upperclassmen and will likely rely on young newcommers for depth. Malia DuLac and Madison Folsom return as top league performers and will Zoey Stec present a great nucleus that should be more comfortable in Coach Luke Noll's second season.

After taking a pretty big step back last year, PLEASANT RIDGE also returns a second-year coach in Steve Watkins. Gabbi Watkins earned league kudos and leads a solid group of guards, but the Lady Rams don't have much size and experience at the forward positions. 

OSKALOOSA has a new coach this year as Zach Carlton takes over a team that was around .500 last winter. The Curry sisters are great athletes that signed to play softball at Divison One Central Arkansas. Regan and Reese  along with fellow senior returner Sophia Rockhold provide a solid foundation for the Bears to be successful on the basketball court.

Like ACCHS and Oskaloosa, the HORTON girls also have a new coach this year as Zach Nelson takes over the program. Last year the Chargers returned all five starters and posted 15 wins, the most since 2014, but graduated most of their varsity production with six seniors. Maliyah Soto and Tommi-Anne McAfee are the only players back with much varsity experience and will lead Horton from the guard position in what looks like a rebuilding season.

Teams with smaller rosters that have had to play many freshman and sophomores the past couple years have understandably struggled.  VALLEY FALLS and MCLOUTH each finished with just one league victory last year and look to make strides this season. The Lady Bulldogs started four sophomores and a freshman a year ago, including Jill Holwick who earned league honors scoring over 10 points per game as a frosh. Cach Phillipe McCree expects McLouth to be much more competitive. Valley Falls only had eight girls out for basketball last season but have over 20 this year including 12 new freshman. The Lady Dragons are still very young and don't have much size but have several talented guards including all league standout Lilly Darveaux, who is one of many sophomores that will again start under third-year Coach Jordan Hale. 

Boys Preview

The Northeast Kansas League was shutout of any state tournaments for the boys last year although MH-MA and McLouth just barely missed return trips to the big dance. The Ravens did repeat as NEKL champs for a third straight campaign. Four new coaches will grace the varsity sidelines this year and like the girls four teams are changing classification. Valley Falls bumps up to Class 2A switching places with Jackson Heights who drops to Class 1A. MH-MA and ACCHS drop down to Class 2A this year while Oskaloosa moves up to join Pleasant Ridge as the only 3A school in the NEKL.  A case could be made for MH-MA to win the league a fourth straight year, but JCN and Valley Falls also look like strong contenders in 2020-21.

After going from just seven wins two years ago to only seven losses last year, the JEFF COUNTY NORTH Chargers return the bulk of their team, including three players that all averaged more than 10 points per game last season. James Kramer and Ryan Feldkamp earned top League honors and Emmitt Jobbins runs the point for Coach Tonya Kramer.

VALLEY FALLS has won 15 games each of the past two years and has the longest tenured boys’ coach as Caleb Gatzemeyer enters his 16h season. The Dragons return all five starters and should vie for the league title after losing just three senior role players from last year.  Nathan Hawk and Avery Gatzemeyer both earned top NEKL honors last year combining for 27 points and 13 rebounds per game. Valley will be able to score with about any team and should have a terrific year. 

Brad Kunecke returns for his second season with the MAUR HILL MOUNT ACADEMY boys who must replace two key senior starters. The Ravens don't have any returning all-league performers but do have a solid group of several experienced seniors plus returning point guard Drew Caudle (junior) that will keep them competing at the top of the NEKL.

Another team that returns all five starters and looks to contend and show improvement this season is PLEASANT RIDGE. The Rams have a new coach in Isaac Jaramillo and like a couple other NEKL foes, have some nice size and experience to work with. Connor Gibson is the All-League guard that makes the Rams go at the point.

Like the Rams, JACKSON HEIGHTS also has a new leader this year as Brett Plattner takes over for Chris Brown. JH struggled to just five wins a year ago but lost only two seniors and returns the bulk of their production, although no players that earned league accolades. With playmakers like Jason Bosley and Dylan Thompson, the Cobras have a chance to fly under the radar and are more than capable of knocking off some teams and improving their win total this year.

After winning only one game last season, Jeremy Rockhold returns to coach the OSKALOOSA boys for a fifth campaign. The Bears return six varsity players that all contributor between four and seven points per game. Brayden Hast is 6'5” and earned honors last year and a force inside. Like many of the NEKL boys’ teams, Oskie should be improved and more competitive this winter.       

After posting two great seasons with 35 total wins, including a trip to state, MCLOUTH has a new coach this year in Eric Gorenc. Only two players are returning to varsity this year including senior Ben Arnett and All-League product Matt Kuglin to build around as Coach Gorenc tries to lay the foundation for his system and figure out what players to insert and how to make them most effective.

Coach Troy Hoffman took over at ACCHS after a win-less season and directed the Tigers to seven wins last year. There is confidence back in the program, although only one starter returns for Hoffman and ACCHS this year in Kieran Courter who earned NEKL honors as a Junior last year.

HORTON also has a new coach this year as Don Smith takes over for the Chargers. They also have a returning all-league performer in Trey Lockwood but have struggled to find wins with just two each of the past three years.  Several upperclassmen will look to get more consistent in their game and stay committed to the process of improvement.