Cloverbelt-West Conference Preview - Boys Basketball

Below is a boys basketball conference preview. Included in each preview is the previous year standings, review, returning all-conference players, projected standings with writeup, a sleeper team, top players to watch, conference break out candidates.

The Cloverbelt-West conference race game down to the final week of the season as Regis knocked off Fall Creek late in February to force a share of the conference crown. The West division showed out come playoff time as McDonell Central, Regis, and Stanley-Boyd all won regional titles and Regis advanced all the way to the Division 4 State Tournament, falling in the semifinals. As a whole the Cloverbelt-West won 10 playoff games outside of their conference. Fall Creek head coach Rick Storlie surpassed 400 career wins during the 2025-26 campaign.

The West division of the Cloverbelt is loaded as the top three teams will likely find themselves in state-wide rankings in the preseason and during the regular season. A lot of individual talent is in this conference, with a couple of the best big men in all of Division 4. Similar to last year, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this come down to the final few conference dates in 2026-27.

Head Coach: Dakota Nichols - 5th year (54 career wins)
Lost Contributors: Connor Goebel
Returners: Charlie Hoel, 6-8. sr; Brenner Myers, 5-11, sr; Josiah Demske, 6-7, jr; Brayton Mallo, 5-10, sr; Troy Haas, 5-10, sr; Jesse Allard, 5-10, sr; Carsen Woodcock, 5-10, sr; Micah Krajacic, 5-10, soph
Newcomers/New Contributors: Kaynen Steinbach, frosh
Breakout Candidate: Josiah Demske

Outlook: It’s a luxury to have five starters back and eight varsity players in any year you coach. It’s an even bigger luxury when two of those starters back stand 6-7 or taller. Head coach Dakota Nichols welcomes back almost his entire team from a season ago that won 22 games and a regional championship. North Dakota State commit Charlie Hoel is one of the top big men in the state and forms a daunting front court with Josiah Demske. Brenner Myers and Brayton Mallo are two talented guards that averaged double digit points a season ago while Troy Haas is the fifth returning starter. The Orioles drop down to Division 4 this year and that sort of size and experience is invaluable.

Head Coach: Rick Storlie - 28th year (409 career wins)
Lost Contributors: Evan Seidling, Cullen Kramer, Braylen Prorok, Corbin Sell, Jayse Hillman
Returners: Miles Schmidgall, 6-7, sr; Jackson Tangley, 6-2, sr; Josh Wright, 6-2, sr; Bryson Elkins, 5-11, jr; Koen Tumm, 5-11, sr; Finley Wright, 6-1, sr; Jamison Rochester, sr; Logan Gustafson, sr
Newcomers/New Contributors: Sawyer Rokus, 6-6, jr; Kale Korger, Trey Winsand, Tristan Widiker, Cass Short, Heath Rosemeyer
Breakout Candidate: Bryson Elkins

Outlook: Fall Creek returns three starters from last year’s conference co-champions as there are high expectations for this group in 2026-27. Head coach enters Year 28 and surpassed 400 career wins a season ago. He brings back first team all-conference selections Miles Schmidgall and Jackson Tangley and second team selection Josh Wright. That senior trio leads a group that is talented and will welcome players in from the lower levels that went a combined 44-2. The Crickets are going to be one of the top Division 4 teams in the state, and compete in one of the toughest smaller school conferences in the state.

Head Coach: Connor Miller - 5th year (59 career wins)
Lost Contributors: Blake Risler, Bennett Risler (transfer), Micah Olson, Tyler Gehling, Jack Schroeder
Returners: DJ Cooper, jr; Joey Brahmer, sr; Chase Brogelman, sr; Andrew Ricciardi, jr; Benjamin Balts, sr; Noah Laber, sr;
Newcomers/New Contributors: Greyson Rathbun, 6-2, soph
Breakout Candidate: Greyson Rathbun

Outlook: Regis is coming off a season where they advanced to the state tournament and return three starters and a few other pieces. Usually that wouldn’t result in a third place projected conference finish, but graduating the Player of the Year Blake Risler and then the transfer of his younger brother Bennett are two bigger losses. Connor Miller does have one of the top guards in Division 4 however in DJ Cooper. Cooper can go off for 20 points on any given night. Back as starters as well are Joey Brahmer and Ben Balts. Greyson Rathbun is a solid addition to the Ramblers as he transfers in from Altoona where played varsity minutes as a freshman. The Cloverbelt-West is going to be very competitive at the top this year so it’ll be fun to watch the Ramblers square off in the marquee games in the conference throughout the year.

Head Coach: Dennis Arneson - 3rd year (35 career wins)
Lost Contributors: Victor Noller, Brody Niven, Jack Buchholtz, Mason Mohr
Returners: Keston Niven, jr; Jaxson Fizel, jr; Paiton Nyren, jr; Landen Lipscomb, sr; Miles Woolever, jr; Zach Brantner, 6-6, sr
Newcomers/New Contributors: Liam Sivertson (transfer from Thorp)
Breakout Candidate: Zach Brantner

Outlook: It was the first year in the Cloverbelt for Elk Mound in 2025-26, coming over from the Dunn-St. Croix. The Mounders finished 9-5 in league play and have three starters to replace including 6-6 big man Victor Noller. Keston Niven and Jaxon Fizel are two quick guards that started a season ago and provide that steady hand on the perimeter. Zach Brantner is primed to step into a bigger role after sitting behind Noller the past few years while Paiton Nyren and Landen Lipscomb saw minutes for varsity as season ago. Add in Thorp transfer Liam Sivertson who averaged over 14 points per game as a sophomore a season ago. The Mounders are a perfect example of the depth of this league.

Head Coach: Adam Schilling - 9th year (142 career wins)
Lost Contributors: Eli Stepp, Karson Galvez, Cael Holm, Desian Matthews, Mason Busse,
Returners: Brennan Loiselle-Christianson, 6-6, sr; Nathan Hazel, 6-3, sr; Isaac Crawford, 5-9, sr; Luke Anderson, 6-3, sr; Andrew Hazel, 6-2, soph; Oliver Niese, jr
Newcomers/New Contributors:
Breakout Candidate: Nathan Hazel

Outlook: McDonell has three starters to replace from a team that got hot at the end of the year and won a regional championship. Brennan Loiselle-Christianson and Nathan Hazel are two starters back that provide good size and athleticism at the top of the rotation. Seniors Isaac Crawford and Luke Anderson will be asked to step into newer roles while players that were underclassmen a year ago such as Andrew Hazel, Oliver Niese and Jayden Mitchell will have the opportunity to step in more minutes.

Head Coach: Keenan Dahl - 3rd year (213 career wins)
Lost Contributors: Orin Buresh, John Bischel, Tegan Stiehl, Tyeson Schwarzenberger, Luke Carlson
Returners: Kaden Lesny, 6-9, sr; Wyatt Leverson, 6-4, jr; Connor Schemenauer, jr; Nolan Maidment, jr; Ty Herman, sr
Newcomers/New Contributors: Brennan Hansen, jr;
Breakout Candidate: Kaden Lesny

Outlook: Bloomer is two years removed from two conference titles in 2022-23 and 2023-24. The Blackhawks return some good size in their front court as Kaden Lesny and Wyatt Leverson both started for Coach Dahl a season ago. Lesny is returning from injury and may miss the early portion of the season, but once back the dynamic of the Blackhawks will change. Connor Schemenauer, Nolan Maidment, and Ty Herman are a trio back that saw varsity minutes and candidates for the open starter sports from a season ago.

Head Coach: Shawn Schoelzel - 4th year (116 career wins)
Lost Contributors: Aiden Rykal, Collin Kowalczyk, Aythen Wundrow, Asher Sikora
Returners: Kyle Kowalzcyk, soph; Max Schneider, soph; Brock Folczyk, sr; Brady Folczyk, jr; Jacob Anderson, soph; Jacob Pilgrim, soph; Jake Weeks, jr; Joel Weeks, jr
Newcomers/New Contributors: William Pilgrim, frosh, Bryce Ebert, frosh, Leo Roshell, frosh
Breakout Candidate: Kyle Kowalzyck

Outlook: Cadott won seven games a season ago and played a lot of freshmen and sophomores in the process. Coach Shawn Schoelzel has a group back in 2026-27 with just one senior listed on the roster. Kyle Kowalczyk and Max Schneider started as freshman, joined by Brock Folczyk as a junior. Brady Folczyk, Jacob Anderson, Jacob Pilgrim, and Jake and Joel Weeks all saw playing time as underclassmen. That group grew together a season ago and built momentum into the 2026-27 season.

Head Coach: Scott Horn - 8th year (41 career wins)
Lost Contributors: Liam Sivertson (transfer), Daniel Lechleitner, Brayden Wicks
Returners: Cooper Rosemeyer, 6-6, jr; Jaden Ciolkosz, 5-5, jr; Avery Girard, 5-10, soph; Jack Whitmire, 6-1, sr; Ethan Kane, 5-11, sr; Wyatt Joerger, 5-9, jr
Newcomers/New Contributors:
Breakout Candidate: Avery Girard

Outlook: Thorp will be young again in 2026-27 after the Cardinals started three players that are back. The transfer of Liam Sivertson is big hit for Coach Horn’s group, but four sophomores and a freshman saw extended action that are back. Versatile forward Cooper Rosemeyer is another in a long list of gifted big men in the conference and he’ll be joined back in the starting lineup by Jack Whitmire and Jaden Ciolkosz. Avery Girard was tied for second on the team in scoring, averaging 5.7 points per game as a freshman off the bench. Wins are tough to come by in the Cloverbelt-West, but that won’t mean that this Thorp team won’t be improved.

The top three in the league were pretty unanimous when it came to the coaches say coming into the 2026-27 season. Beyond that trio, Elk Mound is a program that has been to the state tournament recently and did combine to go 36-6 at the two lower levels a season ago. That makes the Mounders a team to can keep an eye on outside of Regis, Fall Creek, and Stanley-Boyd.

Joey Brahmer, sr, Regis
Brahmer is the muscle for the Ramblers and does a lot of the dirty work that may go unnoticed on the court. As a junior he averaged 8.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game and was an honorable mention all-league selection.

DJ Cooper, jr, Regis
One of the more electric players in all of Division 4, Cooper is a playmaker and competitor in every shape of those terms. As a junior he averaged 18.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists and buried 94 triples at a 46.3% clip. He was a first team all-conference and honorable mention all-state selection.

Josiah Demske, jr, Stanley-Boyd
Demske and teammate Hoel form the twin towers up in Stanley-Boyd as they are enforcers in the paint and difference makers on the court, especially at the Division 4 level. As a sophomore he averaged 10.6 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game, earning second team all-conference honors.

Charlie Hoel, sr, Stanley-Boyd
Hoel is one of the top players in the state and a versatile big man that can dominate games at both ends. As a junior he averaged 20.7 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game, earning first team all-conference and honorable mention all-state laurels. The 6-9 big man is committed to play at Division 1 North Dakota State next season.

Kaden Lesny, sr, Bloomer
Lesny has plenty of size at 6-9 and can effect games in and around the paint. As a junior he averaged 8.4 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.

Brennen Loiselle-Christianson, sr, McDonell Central
The senior wing is the top returner for the Macks and was a second team all-conference honoree. As a junior he averaged 12.7 points and 7.0 rebounds and nearly averaged a block and steal per game.

Brayten Mallo, sr, Stanley-Boyd
One of four double-digit scorers back for the Orioles, Mallo averaged 10.5 points and 2.1 assists per game a season ago. He also buried 50 made threes en route to honorable mention all-conference honors.

Brenner Myers, sr, Stanley-Boyd
Myers pulls defenses further from the rim with his shooting ability and is a great complement to Demske and Hoel on the interior. As a junior he averaged 13.0 points and 3.2 assists per game and made 58 triples at a 42% success clip. Myers was a second team all-league selection as a junior.

Keston Niven, jr, Elk Mound
Niven started at guard last season as a sophomore and is back to run the show as a junior this year. He averaged 13.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game earning honorable mention all-league honors.

Cooper Rosemeyer, jr, Thorp
The top returning scorer for Thorp, Rosemeyer is poised for another big year with the Cardinals. As a sophomore he averaged 12.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game.

Miles Schmidgall, sr, Fall Creek
A lengthy 6-7 forward, Schmidgall plays with great instinct and an ever-growing skillset. He averaged 15.3 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game as a junior, earning first team all-conference and all-state honors. Schmidgall is committed to Division II Upper Iowa.

Max Schneider, soph, Cadott
Schneider started every game as a freshman a season ago and returns as part of a very young group in Cadott. As a freshman he averaged 6.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game.

Liam Sivertson, jr, Elk Mound
Sivertson led Thorp in scoring as a sophomore a season ago, averaging 14.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game, earning honorable mention all-league honors. He’l fit right in with the guard oriented Mounders in 2026-27.

Jackson Tangley, sr, Fall Creek
Tangley has continued to progress over the past few seasons and comes into his senior year as one of the better point guards in Division 4. He averaged 13.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game earning first team All-Cloverbelt West honors. He holds a handful of Division 3 offers including in-state St. Norbert and UW-Stout.

Josh Wright, sr, Fall Creek
Wright does a bit of everything for the Crickets, with some of his production not always showing in the box score. He earned second team all-league recognition after averaging 6.4 points and 3.2 assists per game.