Defending DC champs return top scorers

While there are holes to fill, the defending Dairyland Conference Large Division Champion Whitehall boys basketball team is returning its top two scorers from last year with hopes to again finish at the top of the DC standings.

“Expectations are high and they should be every year. We expect to be a contender in the conference year after year,” coach Tyler Petersen said. “As a program we have competed with the best programs in the area and state all summer long and feel we belong in the top conversations.”

The Norse went 19-5 overall and 14-1 DC action last year. Leading the way was three-year varsity standout Devon McCune, who averaged 16.7 points per game.

McCune earned honorable mention all-state honors in Division Four last year and is a three-time All-DC selection. He has 965 points in his career and also lead the team in rebounds (6.8 per game) and assists (2.9) last year.

Another returning senior is Luke Beighley who was second on the team, averaging 9.5 points per game as he shot better than 40 percent on three-point attempts. Listed at six-foot-seven, Beighley also averaged 6.2 rebounds, the second-best on the team. A two-year varsity starter, Beighley has 448 points in his career. 

The team will look for some younger players to step up in the paint and in the backcourt. The team graduated post players Isaac Skoyen and Ian Pank. It also graduated guards Aidan Sonsalla and Jonathan Thorn. 

Juniors Brayden Lisowski, Seth Lambeck and Preston Schroeder all saw time last year. Lisowski was one of the team’s top outside shooters, averaging 5.5 points per game, while Schroeder averaged 3.8 and Lambeck put in three per game. All three are expected to see more time on the court this year.

Petersen said Ian Pank’s “little brother is not very little anymore.” Colton Pank, a senior listed at six-foot-five, is a player Petersen said could prove to be a surprise in the Dairyland Conference this year. 

Whitehall’s coach said the team will also look for improvement from within. He said Beighley and McCune could be better and that the team should benefit from playing together. 

“Our basketball IQ is very high this year and our vision for the court will be fun to watch develop over the year,” Petersen said. “This is a group that has played a lot together over the years and has a solid feel for each other.”

While they have players to replace, the Norse were noted as favorites to win the DC by the Blair-Taylor and Independence coaches. Petersen noted that the Dairyland Conference is tough to predict as it usually produces a few contenders in the tournament. 

“We will never count ourselves out of the conversations as a contender for the conference championship. It is a yearly goal,” Petersen said. “The top three contenders in my unprofessional opinion are Cochrane-Fountain City, B-T and Melrose-Mindoro.”