The first day of practice for class B boys, Northern Cass will seek to compete in the ultra-competitive Region 1 with a senior-laden roster.
Here's what coach Laxdal had to say about the team
As you reflected upon it, is there a highlight or two that stands out from last season?
Our walk off buzzer beater against Sargent County was probably the highlight of the season. Beating Linton in Jamestown was also a great win for us.
Did you take your team to any camps this past Summer?
How did your team benefit from that?
We attended Mayville State, Jamestown and Dakota Wesleyan in South Dakota. I think all of these camps help us grow as a team. We had a very close group of boys this year, I think the camps just help us come together as a team. The more time we can spend together the better.
Who are some of the players you suspect will fill in for the players who moved on?
I don't think one person will fill what we lost offensively with Jase Crockett and defensively with Kolby Vander Wal, they were two of the best in the state to do it the past few seasons. I do think we will have more balance this season. I think we have a lot of guys who can score and will lead us in scoring each night. Leighton Strommen, Landon Moser, Jon Rietchal, Cam Vanwechel, Carter Osland, Brock Carpenter and Jacob Larson. All of these guys could lead us in scoring any night.
Is there a certain aspect of the game that you think will be the strength of your team?
I think pace of place and depth will be an advantage that we have this year. We have plenty of guys who can shoot and have a core nucleus of 8-9 boys who can play big minutes any night.
To boil it all down, what would make the upcoming season a successful one?
We set goals at the beginning of every season. Working to achieve as many of these as possible and learning how to handle failure when we don't.