All-Conference basketball player returns to lead Wolverine boys
South O’Brien boys basketball returns only one starter from last year’s team but he’s a good one.
Among senior Derek Paulsen’s accolades from a year ago were 1st Team All-War Eagle Conference, All-Substate and 2nd Team All-State. Paulsen averaged 15.5 points, five rebounds and two assists per game last season while shooting 56 percent from the field, including 32 percent from three-point range.
The Wolverines do return four other letterwinners in seniors Caden Wittrock (two points per game last year) and Reese Lundquist (one point per game) and juniors Jaden Kreber (five points per game) and Gabe Moermond. Other players on the squad are senior Brett Evans and juniors Brady Riedemann and Brody Van Beek.
Head coach Kiley Yates returns for his 26th season as head coach after piloting the team to a 21-4 record and a District Championship a year ago. The Wolverines lost in overtime to North Union in the Substate game.
South O’Brien finished second in the War Eagle Conference last season with a record of 8-2. Yates sees this year’s edition of the Wolverines as one of the conference favorites along with Remsen St. Mary’s, MMCRU and Hinton.
South O’Brien opens the season on Tuesday, December 3 by hosting George-Little Rock in a non-conference game at Paullina.