Ryan Adamczak, a senior guard for the Moose Lake-Willow River Rebels was a defensive whiz who was assigned to guard the opponents top scorer; game in and game out he answered the call and shut down the opponent’s best player. Ryan, an all around player was also a great floor leader who could score when needed. He had a triple double in the playoffs against Mora with 20 points, 12 boards and 12 assists.

 Brett Johnson, a senior guard for the Wrenshall Wrens was the lone senior on this year’s Wrenshall boys basketball team. Johnson used his role as the experienced team mate to play hard and work with the younger players even though success was limited as a team. Johnson averaged 19.8 points per game to go along with 3.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. Johnson also shot 71% from the free throw line.

 Justin Newman, a senior guard for the Bombers played a key role on this season’s team. Whether it was a key three-pointer or a drive to basket when the Bombers needed a score, it was Newman who took over the game. Justin finished with a point per game average of 12; he also averaged 5 rebounds and 3 steals per game for Barnum. Newman was named first team all polar league conference this year.

 Eric Adams, a sophomore guard for the Carlton Bulldogs was the team leader in several offensive categories this season. Adams averaged 13.2 points per game for Carlton, he also averaged almost 5 rebounds per game and 1.5 assists per contest. Adams shared the team lead in three-pointers with 25 and was one of the best free throw shooters on the team, connecting on 65% of his free throws.

 Bryce Karppinen, a senior guard for the AlBrook-Cotton Falcons helped lead his team to the section championship game as a junior and was a pivotal player for this year’s Falcon team. Karppinen scored his 1000th point of his career in a game last December against the Wrenshall Wrens. Karppinen was an offensive threat, averaging 17 points per game; but also averaged over 7 assists per game for AlBrook-Cotton.

 Trevor Nummela, a senior guard – forward for the Moose Lake-Willow River Rebels helped led the Rebels back to the section championship game for the first time since 2005. Nummela, the Polar League MVP averaged 15 points per game to go alongside 3 rebounds, 2 assists and over one steal per game. Nummela also finished shooting over 45% from the floor and from the free throw line; he nailed 65% of his shots.

 Adam Eskuri, a senior guard for the Eskomos helped lead the Eskomos to a 21-17 record this season and a 9-1 conference record. Eskuri was named to the Polar League all-conference team for the second straight season. Eskuri led the Eskomos with 5 assists per game to go along with his 11.4 points per game average this season. Adam also shot an amazing 45% from the field, which is very good for a point guard.

 Jackson Lindquist, a junior guard for the Eskomos was a lethal combination alongside Adam Eskuri and Jake Stainbrook. Lindquist could light up the scoreboard with three-pointers in a hurry. Jackson average 17.1 points per game for Esko and hit 99 three-pointers on the season with a field goal percentage of 42% from beyond the arc. He also averaged over 2 steals and 4.7 rebounds for the Eskomos.

 Jake Stainbrook, a senior forward for the Eskomos helped lead Esko into the playoffs where a loss to Braham ended their season. Stainbrook, a three year starter for the Eskomos finished his career with over 1000 points, scoring his 1000th point at Target Center in a game against conference rival Cromwell. Jake finished the season averaging 17 points per game, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals per contest.

 Josh Hogan, a senior guard for the Barnum Bombers helped lead the Bombers into the Section 5A semi-finals for the last two seasons. Hogan, a starter for Head Coach Richard Newman for almost three full seasons played many roles for the Bombers. He finished the season with a 12.9 points per game average for the Bombers. Hogan also averaged almost 5 rebounds per game and 3 steals per game.

 Taylor Mattison, a junior forward for the Moose Lake-Willow River Rebels averaged 10.9 points per game, he averaged 8 rebounds, and over one steal and assists per game while hitting 50% from the field. Mattison and forward Caleb Koecher became a dominant duo inside for the Rebels. Mattison and his teammates helped the Rebels make the sectional finals and also set a record for wins in a season.

 Andy Wappes, a senior forward for the Cloquet Lumberjacks finished his career averaging 14 points per game while adding almost 6.5 rebounds per game. Wappes, a starter on and off as a sophomore and junior, was the only player on this season’s team with game experience at the varsity level. Wappes, who shot 48% from the field also led Cloquet in blocked shots and was Cloquet’s best free throw shooter.