PREP BASKETBALL: Daily Globe 2012 boys' basketball all-area team announced

ALL-AREA FIRST TEAM

Mitch Weg

6-8 senior post

Worthington

Described by Worthington head coach Ron Vorwald as “an outstanding leader with a tremendous work ethic,” Mitch Weg helped guide the Trojans to yet another stellar season and a thrilling playoff run that ended in the Class AA state tournament quarterfinals against Perham.

Weg combined his qualities as a team leader with consistent production on a nightly basis, scoring 678 points and pulling down 375 rebounds to top the Trojans in both categories this season. He averaged 24.2 points and 13.4 rebounds per game as a double-double machine.

“Mitch has a passion for the game of basketball and his teammates really bought into the same level of intensity and work ethic that he had as the season progressed,” Vorwald said. “We didn’t have a bad practice all year, as Mitch wouldn’t allow it to happen. Nobody works harder than Mitch, and he was a joy to coach because of how hard he played and how well he led our team.”

A two-time All-Southwest Conference performer, Weg finished his high school career as the Trojans’ all-time leading rebounder with 903 total boards. He is also fourth on Worthington’s all-time scoring list with 1,300 career points during his three years on the varsity team.

Weg, who will play collegiately for Southwest Minnesota State University, helped Worthington reach the state tournament for the first time since 1998. He led the Trojans to an overall record of 21-7 this season.

Becoming the all-time leader in both points (1,651) and rebounds (1,108) at Southwest Christian, Zach Huisken will be known as one of the best players to ever put on the Eagles’ uniform after assembling a fantastic four-year career as a starter.

Zach Huisken

6-9 senior post

Southwest Christian

Becoming the all-time leader in both points (1,651) and rebounds (1,108) at Southwest Christian, Zach Huisken will be known as one of the best players to ever put on the Eagles’ uniform after assembling a fantastic four-year career as a starter.

Huisken had a double-double in 23 of SWC’s 30 games this year and played a huge role in the Eagles’ terrific run to a second-place finish at the Class A state tournament. SWC ended with an overall record of 28-2 and went a perfect 17-0 to win the Red Rock Conference championship for the second straight season.

“Zach is a compassionate, determined young man who puts others before himself and remains humble at all times,” SWC head coach Jamie Pap said. “His ability to control the floor and maintain composure under pressure, while usually being double- or triple-teamed, is really phenomenal. He has a great inside game and can also shoot from the outside very comfortably.”

Leading the Eagles in points (548, 18.3 per game) and rebounds (387, 12.9 per game), Huisken was often a dominant force in the low-post area. He scored a career-high 41 points in a 78-65 regular-season victory over Russell-Tyler-Ruthton in January.

Huisken, who is signed on to play at Augustana College, was selected to the all-conference team four times during his storied career. In addition to his point and rebound numbers, Huisken also totaled 96 assists, 69 blocks and 52 steals this season.

Casey Schilling

6-6 senior forward

Ellsworth

Despite missing five games and playing the second half of the season with a broken right wrist, Casey Schilling helped lead the Ellsworth Panthers to another 20-win campaign and finished his high school career in impressive fashion.

Schilling averaged 18.6 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.7 steals and 2.5 blocks per game this season, as his all-around ability level was a key factor in the Panthers’ 20-9 record and a seventh straight appearance in the Section 3A South title game.

“Casey can do everything on the basketball court with his size, strength and smarts, plus his competitiveness is just unbelievable,” Ellsworth head coach JD Roberts said. “He didn’t care what needed to be done as long as it meant that we were winning. He was a great leader, and we were obviously a very different team without him in the lineup.”

Ellsworth lost all five games that Schilling and teammate Nick Nolte both missed due to injuries in early January, but the Panthers were undoubtedly a team to be reckoned with throughout the season. This was the seventh consecutive 20-win season for the Panthers’ program.

Schilling, who will also play at Augustana College, finishes his career with 2,179 points, 1,110 rebounds, 492 assists, 278 steals and 198 blocks in 137 games played. He typically filled the stat sheets on most nights and scored 20 or more points in 45 career games during his five years on the Panthers’ varsity team.

Beau Herrig

6-4 senior post

ML/B-O

Teaming with Carter Kirk to give Mountain Lake/Butterfield-Odin a formidable pair of post players, Beau Herrig had yet another steady season and led the Wolverines on a magical ride to their first Class A state tournament appearance in the final year of the sports pairing between the two neighboring schools.

Herrig, who played in 104 games during his four-year career on the Wolverines’ varsity team and totaled 1,584 points to go along with 1,215 rebounds, led ML/B-O to a programrecord 25 wins and a memorable Section 2A title this season.

“Beau really stepped up as the leader of our team this year and put us on his back at times, helping carry us to the state tournament,” ML/B-O head coach Shawn Naas said. “He gave us a physical presence inside on both ends of the court and displayed the ability to knock down shots from the perimeter in our tournament run. He had a great career for us and will be tough to replace.”

Herrig went 4-for-5 from 3-point range and delivered a huge 30-point, 15-rebound double-double against Browerville in the quarterfinals of the state tournament, helping the Wolverines to a fourth-place finish.

A three-time member of the All-Red Rock Conference team, Herrig produced 589 points (18.4 per game) and 382 rebounds (11.9 per game) to lead ML/B-O in both categories this season. He was a team captain for two years and was selected as the Wolverines’ MVP twice, as well.

Kyle Kilgore

6-7 senior post

Adrian

Leading the area in scoring average by pouring in 26.3 points per game (school-record 658 points), Kyle Kilgore helped the young Adrian Dragons improve their win total by nine from last year (2-24 record) to this year (11-15 record).

Kilgore also ripped down a teamrecord 343 rebounds (13.7 per game) this season and finished his high school career as Adrian’s all-time leading scorer (1,498 points) and rebounder (818 boards). He led the Red Rock Conference in both categories, averaging 27.2 points and 12.5 rebounds in 16 league contests.

“Kyle is an all-around player with the versatility to play inside and outside, and he did a nice job of leading us to improved success this season,” Adrian head coach Dean Schnaible said. “He is a very unselfish player and a go-to player during crunch time. He is the best passing post player I have coached in 44 seasons as a high school basketball coach.”

Kilgore, who turned in 10 doubledoubles (points and rebounds) this season, also handed out 68 assists and was “an excellent 3-D player” according to Schnaible, with the ability to drive, draw and dish.

Among the other single-season school records that Kilgore set this year include two-point field-goal percentage (63.1 percent, 244-for-388) and an impressive total of 13 slam dunks. He dropped in a career-high 42 points during a 71-36 win over Round Lake-Brewster on Jan. 12, making 18 field goals that night.

All-AREA SECOND TEAM

Jake Holt

6-5 senior post

Windom Eagles

Suiting up regularly on the Windom Eagles’ varsity team since his junior-high days, Jake Holt had an outstanding career and enjoyed lots of team and individual success along the way.

Holt finishes his high school career as Windom’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder, racking up 1,948 points and 1,152 rebounds. He also helped the Eagles win a trio of Section 3AA South championships and played in the state tournament as a sophomore.

Averaging 18 points and nine rebounds per game this season, Holt was once again selected to the All-Southwest Conference team while helping the Eagles to an overall record of 15-11.

Lee Holt 6-3 senior post Windom Eagles

Just like his twin brother Jake, Lee Holt has long been a key contributor for the Windom Eagles’ boys’ basketball team and wrapped up a terrific career with a solid senior campaign. Holt averaged 16 points and seven rebounds per game, earning All-Southwest Conference honors for his consistent production in the rugged seven-team league.

Finishing his career with more than 1,000 points and 700 rebounds, Holt was an impact player on three separate Section 3AA South championship teams and also played in the state tournament as a sophomore.

Andrew Top

6-4 senior forward

SWC Eagles

A versatile, reliable and clutch performer for a team that went 28-2 and played in the Class A state championship game, Andrew Top helped spark the Eagles’ season-long success. Top averaged 13.5 points and 6.9 rebounds per game for a balanced SWC squad that won the Red Rock Conference with an undefeated mark of 17-0. “Andrew really led us in so many ways this year,” SWC head coach Jamie Pap said. “He came through for us time and time again.”

Lucas Henning

6-3 senior guard

Worthington Trojans

Starting in the Worthington Trojans’ backcourt for the last three seasons, Lucas Henning made an impact on both ends of the floor and netted 165 3-pointers during his career (second all-time in school history).

Henning was selected to the All-Southwest Conference team for the second straight year, averaging 11.9 points and four assists per game to help the Trojans win the Section 3AA title.

“Lucas was our floor general and best perimeter threat,” Worthington head coach Ron Vorwald said. “He played with poise and provided great leadership.”

Dalton Huisman

6-0 senior guard

Ellsworth Panthers

One of the area’s premier 3-point shooters with deep range, Dalton Huisman had another standout season and was a key cog in Ellsworth’s high-powered engine.

Huisman averaged 16 points per game this year and finishes his high school career with 1,615 points. He scored 20 or more points in 21 games in his career, including 10 times this season.

“Dalton is one of the more gifted athletes that I have ever seen,” Ellsworth head coach JD Roberts said. “He was one of the most talented players on the floor in every game that we played.”

ALL-AREA THIRD TEAM

Matthew Appel

6-3 senior forward

Fulda Raiders

The leader of a team that went 20-8 overall, claimed corunner-up honors in the Red Rock Conference and earned the No. 2 seed in the Section 3A South tournament, Matthew Appel was a key player who was capable of scoring in a variety of ways for the Fulda Raiders.

Appel averaged 16.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game, finishing his three-year career on the Raiders’ varsity team with 1,081 points and 554 rebounds. He played in all 79 of Fulda’s games over the past three seasons.

Jameson Collin

6-6 senior post

SSC Quasars

Setting single-season Quasar records in points (468), rebounds (335) and double-doubles (21), Jameson Collin helped lead Southwest Star Concept to a pair of exciting tournament victories over higher-seeded teams and an appearance in the Section 2A South championship game against Mountain Lake/Butterfield-Odin.

Collin averaged 18 points and 12.9 rebounds per game this season to finish his three-year varsity career with 1,211 points and 965 rebounds (school record). He also set a school record with 57 career double-doubles.

“Jameson had another solid season for us,” SSC head coach Tim Owen said. “He was able to put up some very steady numbers in a very talented conference this season. He was named to the all-conference team three times, which is an honor.”

Brandon Klein

5-10 senior guard

Luverne Cardinals

After missing five weeks midway through the season due to a broken collarbone, Brandon Klein came back and produced a pair of 30-point games as a sparkplug for the Luverne Cardinals. Klein, who averaged 17 points per game and was selected to the All-Southwest Conference team, scored 36 points in a 68-67 victory over Windom on Feb. 16 and then scored 34 points in a 79-77 loss to Fairmont on Feb. 24. Klein helped the Cardinals go 14-11 this year after they went 3-21 last season.

Jeff DeCock 6-1 junior guard RRC Falcons

Increasing his production in every statistical category, Jeff DeCock was one of the few non-seniors to be named to the All-Red Rock Conference team and it’s his second time selected by the league’s opposing coaches.

DeCock averaged 18 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.5 steals per game, helping RRC to an 11-15 record.

“Jeff has great offensive skills and has a knack for getting to the free-throw line,” RRC head coach Brian Walker said. “His quickness and jumping ability really make him a tough matchup for opponents.”

Carter Kirk

6-6 sophomore post

ML/B-O Wolverines

Already a two-time pick to the All-Red Rock Conference team, Carter Kirk has quickly established himself as a dynamite player for the ML/B-O Wolverines.

Kirk averaged 16.9 points and 10.7 rebounds per game to help ML/B-O tie with Fulda for league runner-up honors, as the Wolverines went 13-4 in the conference and were 25-7 overall.

Kirk collected 542 points, 342 rebounds, 76 assists, 59 blocks and 52 steals this season, increasing his career point total to 915 with two more years still remaining.

HONORABLE MENTION

Brandon Weidert Adrian

Nick Nolte Ellsworth

Mic Holinka Fulda

Aaron Tiesler Fulda

Parker Lanoue T-M-B

Morgan Traylor Worthington

Dominic Nibbelink SWC

Klint Knutson SWC

Keeran Sampson SWC

Jon Harmening JCC

Seth Nuffer H-BC

Dylan Gehrke H-BC

Andrew Kramer SSC

Jake Walker RL-B

Andrew Hempeck ML/B-O

Henry Rogotzke RRC

Jacob Comnick W-WG

Chris Halbur MCC

Nate Wieneke MCC

Brett Heronimus Luverne

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