Trailways-South 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.

Parkview and Abundant Life split the conference crown a season ago with Johnson Creek finishing third and two games back. Abundant Life was the only team to advance to the sectionals, beating Johnson Creek in a regional championship and subsequently falling to Barneveld in the sectional semis.

A season ago coach Mike Thies won his 100th career game at Abundant Life. Coming into this season Nick Krull sits at 97 career wins with Deerfield.

Head Coach: Mike Thies - 8th year (114 carer wins)
Lost Contributors: Anthony Ellingson, Warren Kurth, Josepablo Ruiz
Returners: Nick Thies, 6-5, sr; Mo Aeschliman, 5-10, sr; Evan O’Brien, 6-0, jr; Jeremiah Ethen, 6-1, sr; Cohen Ives, 6-4, jr; Michard Jean-Charles, 5-8, jr
Newcomers/New Contributors: Xzander Rego, 5-11, soph; Eamonn Compton, frosh
Breakout Candidate: Mo Aeschliman

Outlook: Abundant Life has won three straight conference crowns and three straight regional titles under the tutelage of head coach Mike Thies. They’re primed for a fourth straight with three starters back from last year’s squad. Nick Thies, son of Mike, is back as a rim-running, versatile forward that is the best player in the conference. Moe Aeschliman is another returning all-league player and Evan O’Brien started 21 games as a sophomore a season ago. There is good size and balance with this Challengers team that make them the favorite going into the 2026-27 season.

Head Coach: Tarek Oellerich - 5th year (42 career wins)
Lost Contributors: Brady Fincutter, Evan Malueg, Julius Cheaney
Returners: Hayden Wagner, 5-9, sr; Kace Freimund, 6-2, sr; Jon Kamuchey, 5-9, sr; Ethan Broich, 6-1, jr; Wyatt Wagner, 5-10, jr; Carlos Martinez, 5-10, sr; Kenny Siewert, 6-2, jr
Newcomers/New Contributors:
Breakout Candidate: Kace Freimund

Outlook: Johnson Creek won a school record 16 games last season and are looking to build upon that momentum in Coach Oellerich’s fifth season. Hayden Wagner and Kace Freimund were both all-league selections a season ago with Jon Kamuchey and Carlos Martinez back as well, that’s four seniors who started a good chunk of the year last year. That experience is paramount to keeping pace and challenging for the program’s first conference championship in 63 years.

Head Coach: Nick Krull - 7th year (97 career wins)
Lost Contributors: Landon Brattlie, Noah Maginn, Cevonte Thomas, Chance John, Will Reed (transfer), Jordy Bystol (transfer)
Returners: Otto Ammerman, 6-2, jr; Brenden Bergeron, 6-1, jr; Reid Tourangeau, 5-10, soph; Brayden Halverson, 6-4, jr; Jace Caygill, 6-2, soph
Newcomers/New Contributors: Jordan Pahmeier, 6-0, soph; Noah Zimmerman, Reese Paoli, 5-8, soph
Breakout Candidate: Brenden Bergeron

Outlook: Deerfield won 14 games a season ago while playing nine sophomores and freshman throughout the year. Nick Krull does graduate three starters, but there is a lot of youth back. Otto Ammerman and Brenden Bergeron started last season as sophomores and are back to lead the Demons. This Deerfield squad has no seniors out this upcoming season which means it will be another year of youth. Players will need to step into that leadership role for Coach Krull on the court which will best determine how quickly the group can progress from November to February.

Head Coach: Brandon Wilde - 6th year (64 career wins)
Lost Contributors: Ryan Brodzik, Justin Thomas, Alex Harbison, Will Herriges, Brady Hoffkins
Returners: Dillen Patrick, 5-11, jr; Nathan Brodzik, 5-8, jr; Jack Thomas, 6-2, jr; Sebastian Brook, 5-10, jr; Jake Rohda, 6-1, jr; Joey Peardon, 5-11, sr
Newcomers/New Contributors: Michael Harris, soph; Cordell Rosenow, frosh
Breakout Candidate: Nathan Brodzik

Outlook: For the third straight season, Palmyra-Eagle will have to replace four senior starters from the season before. Coach Wilde will have junior guards Dillen Patrick and Nathan Brodzik back which is a big strength for the Panthers going into 2026-27. Only one senior is back for Palmyra-Eagle as well, so this will be a young group on the court learning and growing together over the course of a long season. Athleticism and a buy in on the defensive side of things are listed as strengths for this squad.

Head Coach: Mary Crane - 6th year (55 career wins)
Lost Contributors: Aiden Crane, Oliver Friederich, Corbin Williams, Gage Burrell
Returners: Louis Nath, 6-0, sr; Jaydon Tobias, 6-2, jr; Kase Hazeltine, 6-4, sr; Adley Crane, 5-7, soph; Sawyer Carr, 5-9, sr; Charley Wohlfert, 5-6, jr;
Newcomers/New Contributors: John Grenawalt
Breakout Candidate: Louis Nath

Outlook: Replacing two 20-point scorers is not going to be an easy task for head coach Mary Crane this season. There should be more balance in terms of scoring for this squad, but a go-to scorer will need to surface. Louis Nath is a candidate to take up that mantle for the Vikings. Kase Hazeltine is poised to step into a bigger role as are a few underclassmen from a season ago in Jaydon Tobias, Adley Crane, and Charley Wohlfert.

Head Coach: Adam Lechelt - 1st year
Lost Contributors: Quinn Peyer, Michael Pecht, Carmine Robbins, Antonio Perez, Emmett Henry
Returners: Brody Marshall, 6-2, soph; Ben Galvin, 5-11, sr; Logan Wierzbinski, 6-0, jr; Jacob Haynes, 6-3, sr; Sawyer Normington-Slay, 5-11, sr; Jayden Quiles, 5-9, sr; Daniel Gaylord, 6-2, sr
Newcomers/New Contributors: Elias Welsh, 5-6, soph; Ethan Wiegal, Brock Dobbertin, 6-3, jr
Breakout Candidate: Brody Marshall

Outlook: The Bulldogs will need to replace all five starters from last year’s five-win team. That falls on first year head coach Adam Lechelt. Sophomore Brody Marshall will be relied upon for more inside and out. Jacob Haynes, Sawyer Normington-Slay, and Logan Wierzbinski all started a few games last year and are candidates to step into those regular starting roles.

Head Coach: Crandon Thomas - 1st year
Lost Contributors: Rocco Jones, Karson Finck, Atharva Misra
Returners: Clarence Wieland, 6-5, sr; Danny Meiresonne, 5-8, sr; Jayden Chung, 5-10, soph; Henry Christenson, 6-0, jr
Newcomers/New Contributors: Will Buck, frosh; Micco Schroeder, frosh; Nigel Thompson, frosh; Joseph Mandel, frosh; James Meiresonne, soph
Breakout Candidate: Clarence Wieland

Outlook: The Prairie Hawks have two 20-point scorers to replace from a season ago and three starters overall. Depth is a concern as is experience as Crandon Thomas steps into year one with the program. Clarence Wieland and Danny Meiresonne both started nearly every game a season ago and will provide that experience on the floor. Coach Thomas will look to a deep group of sophomores and freshmen to flesh out his roster and step into those new roles on the varsity squad.

Deerfield has a lot of youth on its roster this season. How quickly that group can mature and grow into their new roles may determine if the Demons can challenge the two favorites in Abundant Life and Johnson Creek.

Mo Aeschliman, sr, Abundant Life
Aeschliman was a second team all-league performer a season ago after he averaged 9.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.6 point per game. He’s an efficient point guard that finds ways to effect games in a multitude of ways.

Brendan Bergeron, jr, Deerfield
As just a sophomore Bergeron averaged 8.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. His ability to create will be relied upon more as a junior with the graduation of the team’s top two scorers from a season ago.

Kace Freimund, sr, Johnson Creek
Freimund has a knack for getting to loose balls and out-hustling opponents on the glass. As a junior he averaged 11.4 points and 9.0 rebounds per game and was an honorable mention all-league honoree.

Louis Nath, sr, Parkview
Nath was the third highest scorer for the Vikings a season ago behind two 20-point scorers. He averaged 7.6 points but showed his all-around effectiveness by adding 6.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.

Dillen Patrick, jr, Palmyra-Eagle
The lone regular returning starter for Palmyra-Eagle, Patrick will step into a much larger role in terms of playmaking and shot creation for his teammates. As a sophomore he averaged 10.7 points 3.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game and buried 56 three-point shots.

Nick Thies, sr, Abundant Life
Thies is coming off a junior year where he averaged 17.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. He is the lone first team all-conference selection back this year and is a pre-season front runner for Player of the Year honors.

Hayden Wagner, sr, Johnson Creek
Wagner was a second team all-Trailways East selection a season ago after he averaged 13.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. He can really get it going from deep where he buried 63 triples a season ago.