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Boys Basketball

Unselfish Eagles looking to build on last year’s finish

Aberdeen Central’s Noah Behrends, right, looks to put up a shot after driving between Sioux Falls Washington’s Tahj Two Bulls, left and Joe Uttecht, center, during a game last season at the Golden Eagles Arena. Behrends is one of four returning starters for the Golden Eagles, who open their season in Rapid City this weekend. Photo by John Davis taken 2/27/2021

They’re experienced, they’re tall, they’re athletic and now the Golden Eagles of Aberdeen Central will be looking to turn last year’s lessons into this year’s success.

The boys’ basketball team closed the season on a high note taking fifth place at the Class AA State Tournament and the bulk of the starters are back for the upcoming campaign.

Team chemistry will be a huge asset, according to Central coach Brent Norberg.

“These guys are so unselfish. All they care about it is trying to win,” he said. “When you have that, there’s nobody worried about, ‘Hey I want a different role, I want a better different role.’ They all know what their role is kind of already and they’ve all worked to improve and do that role better.”

Look for the Eagles to get out in transition and use their athleticism, something Norberg felt was a key to last year’s closing flurry.

“It’s fun when you try to play fast. That’s how everybody likes to play. I like to coach it. Sometimes you don’t have the kids to do it and we definitely have the kids to do it,” Norberg said. “They play good that way. What I love about them is when they’re running they’re not looking for theirs, they’re looking for the best shot and that’s the key. I thought that was key to our run last year. I thought we figured out how to win. We lost a lot of tight games in the middle of the year, and by the end we figured out how to win.”

Not only are the Eagles athletic, they also possess solid size.

The team will be led by seniors Sam Rohlfs (6-foot-4), Alec Voegele (6-5), Noah Behrends (6-7), AJ Hase (6-3), Brady Rohrbach (6-5), Jackson Dorsett and Jameson Palmer.

Junior Spencer Barr is expected to make a major contribution.

“He’s incredibly skilled and he works really, really hard,” Norberg said of Barr, the lone sophomore on last year’s varsity squad.

Naturally, with nearly everyone returning from a solid team a year ago, expectations are pretty lofty surrounding the team this year. However, Norberg told his players that doesn’t win any games.

“Expectations are great, but you don’t get anything for that,” he said. “You have to earn it. You have to go out and get it and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

The Golden Eagles start their season the same place they finished it last year, on the road in the Black Hills. They play at Rapid City Central on Friday night and at Rapid City Stevens on Saturday afternoon.

While Central has a variety of objectives during the regular season, they all point to one main goal and that’s to peak at the right time of the year.

“Every year you go into the season you want to A) play your best basketball at the end of the year, B) if that gets you to the tournament, great, and then if you get to the tournament you want to try to win it. That’s our goal every year in Class AA and I think that’s everybody’s goal,” Norberg said. “Winning conference and things like that, that’s fine, that’s great, the ESD (Eastern South Dakota Conference) is a big deal to us, we always try to win that, but those things will take care of themselves if you just simply get better every day and try to play your best at the end, and all those things will take care of themselves.”

Time will tell if the Eagles can ascend to their desired location, but Norberg and the players will give their maximum effort and enjoy the journey along the way.

“They’re talented, but they’re such great kids. That’s what I think gets lost. That’s what’s fun for me,” Norberg said. “It’s like going to practice every day with guys, that if I was in high school, that’s who I would want to hang out with, so it’s been a lot of fun. We’ll continue to have fun and we’ll do the best we can every time we go out on the floor, I can guarantee you that.”

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