-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla Carson Bargfrede of St. Edmond shoots over Woodbine during 1A quarterfinals

Four St. Edmond players earned all-North Central Conference honors, led by unanimous first team selection Hunter Horn.

Carson Bargfrede and Jakob Koopman were both named to the second team for the Gaels, who shared the NCC title with Clear Lake. Jack McElroy was placed on the third, as St. Edmond also captured the Class 1A state basketball championship.

Clear Lake’s Jaxson McIntire was the other unanimous selection, as Chaz Lane from Clarion-Goldfield/Dows, Nathan Manske of Clear Lake, Brady Harr from Hampton-Dumont/CAL and McIntire’s teammate, Trevor Theobald, completed the first-team.

Horn, who led all boys basketball players in points scored, averaged 26.6 points and 9.9 rebounds in league games, numbers that placed him first and second overall. He became the St. Edmond career scoring leader and was named captain of the all-tournament team at state.

“Hunter is an incredibly hard working kid who is always willing to do whatever you ask of him as a coach,” SEHS head coach Adolph Kochendorfer said. “Honestly, that was everybody on the team. They are all great kids who listened and wanted to learn and get better. That made it a lot of fun to have the success we had because of the work they were willing to put in.”

Bargfrede and Koopman were accompanied by Chase Flaherty of Humboldt, Jacob Burns from Algona and the Clear Lake duo of Luke Fuhrman and Carson Riser on the second-team.

“Carson was a kid who continually improved each and every day,” Kochendorfer said. “Jakob was the glue of our team. If we needed a basket, a rebound or a steal, we could count on him to come through.”

Bargfrede ranked fourth among all league players in made 3-pointers per game while Koopman was first in the NCC in steals per game at nearly three while also ranking third in rebounds with nine a night.

Joining McElroy on the third team were Humboldt’s Cade Birdsell, Algona’s Landon Campe, Huxley Lingenfelter from Clarion-Goldfield/Dows, Clear Lake’s Max Larson and Caden Woods of Hampton-Dumont/CAL.

McElroy led the NCC in assists per game at with 6.3.

“Jack was the steady hand directing the offense,” Kochendorfer said. “Along with Jakob, they were consistently on the top guard for the opposing team when it came to our defensive plan, and they stepped up big each night.”

Lane, a junior, was second behind Horn in scoring per game, averaging almost 19 with eight rebounds and two blocks. Manske, also a junior, was fourth in the NCC in scoring at 18.7 per night with over eight rebounds and three assists.

BOYS ALL-NORTH CENTRAL CONFERENCE

First Team

*Hunter Horn, St. Edmond, sr.; *Jaxson McIntire, Clear Lake, jr,; Brady Harr, Hampton-Dumont/CAL, sr.; Trevor Theobald, Clear Lake, sr.; Chaz Lane, Clarion-Goldfield/Dows, jr.; Nathan Manske, Algona, jr.

*Denotes unanimous selection

Second Team

Carson Bargfrede, St. Edmond, sr.; Chase Flaherty, Humboldt, sr.; Luke Fuhrman, Clear Lake, sr.; Jakob Koopman, St. Edmond, sr.; Carson Riser, Clear Lake, jr.; Jacob Burns, Algona, soph.

Third Team

Max Larson, Clear Lake, sr.; Jack McElroy, St. Edmond, sr.; Caden Woods, Hampton-Dumont/CAL, sr.; Cade Birdsell, Humboldt, jr.; Landon Campe, Algona, jr.; Huxley Lingenfelter, Clarion-Goldfield/Dows, jr.