Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Fort Dodge junior Cade Westerhoff was recently named a first team all-IAC North boys basketball player for the 2023-24 season.

Fort Dodge junior Cade Westerhoff earned the Dodger boys basketball program’s first top conference honor in five years recently when he was named to the all-Iowa Alliance Conference Northern Division squad for 2023-24.

Westerhoff landed on the first team with ex-Fort Dodger Jamison Poe and Jalen Wynter of Ames, Waterloo East’s Jeremiah Clark and Dashaundis Moore, and Tre Brooks and Kyle Smith of Marshalltown. Only Wynter and Brooks are seniors.

“Cade had a really strong season offensively,” FDSH head coach Willie Williams said. “This is a positive step for him, and it’s great that he was recognized by the league’s coaches.

“Cade’s next goals are to become a better all-around player. He needs to improve his floor game and his defense even more, and be aggressive rebounding the ball. And of course, be a strong senior leader. I know he has it in him.”

Westerhoff averaged 14.2 points and 6.4 rebounds for the Dodgers, who won five games for the first time since 2018-19. The wing shot 48 percent from the field.

Lone senior Ty Adams, juniors Drake Warland and Carter Woodruff, and sophomore Tytrell Mosley gained honorable mention all-IAC North status for Fort Dodge.

“I can’t thank Ty enough,” Williams said. “We asked him to do so much and play out of position (in the post). He’s a great example of a team-first player who wanted to set a good example and cared a lot about Dodger basketball. We’ll miss him in a lot of (intangible ways).

“This is a start for Drake, Carter and Tytrell. I thought all three of them showed positive stretches and started to turn a corner during the second half of the season. Now they need to do it on an every-day (basis). Along with Cade, this is their team now. The type of year they want to have (in 2024-25) starts now.”

Adams scored at a 6.7-point clip while grabbing 5.2 rebounds. Warland was second on the squad at 12.3 points per night and led the Dodgers in steals.

Woodruff (8.1 points, 75 percent free throws, 3.0 assists) and Mosley (4.5 points, 3.1 rebounds) were regular guards who are projected to join Westerhoff and Warland in the starting lineup next season. It will be the third year of doing so for Westerhoff, Woodruff and Warland.

Fort Dodge opened this past season with an 0-8 record, but won five of 12 to start the new year. Ames went unbeaten to take another IAC North crown, followed by Waterloo East, the Bobcats, Dodgers and Riverhawks in the final league standings.

“We still have to get better and more consistent defensively,” Williams said. “It all starts with getting stops. Shooting and scoring comes and goes, depending on who you’re playing and where you’re playing. Defense needs to be the identity of this program.”

Jordan Jackson was Fort Dodge’s last player to make a first team when he was picked to the all-CIML Iowa Conference squad in 2018-19.