14 Noteworthy Fall Athletes

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The fall sports season is upon us! Football games kickoff tonight!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In this article, we look at athletes who shine in the fall but also perform at a high level on the basketball court in the winter/spring.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We are looking at athletes who participate in football, tennis, and soccer!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"30px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:30px"><strong>Noteworthy Fall Athletes</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Bonfas Loria (2025) |6'5 SF| West Fargo</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Loria has to be one of the top goalkeepers in all of ND. With his size and athleticism, I can imagine that Bonfas is tough to score on. As a sophomore, Loria was the goalie for the West Fargo Soccer State Championship team. In hoops, Bonfas played club ball with SSA Black and he performed well. Loria is a spectacular athlete with a ton of versatility. He has the potential to be a breakout baller in Class AA for the Packers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1027992' first='Brooks' last='Bakko'] (2027) |6'5 G| Kindred</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bakko was All-State as a 9th grader at Kindred for football and basketball. Brooks is a freak athlete with all-around skill. The Vikings will be one of the best football teams in North Dakota and an elite squad in hoops. Kindred is the favorite to win the State Championship in football and basketball. A big reason for that is [player_tooltip player_id='1484338' first='Brooks' last='Bakko']. This youngster is a Power 5 athlete with potential through the roof. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='356843' first='Bryson' last='Heck'] (2025) |6'3 G| Valley City</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He will be the starting QB for the Hi-Liners and Heck should be one of the best signal-callers in his respective class. He is also a serious hoopster. Heck has size, athleticism, and skill. PHD sees Bryson as one of the top returning ballers in Class A. Heck moves extremely well, shoots it accurately, and is a tough matchup with his length. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cole Wilber (2025) |5'10 G| Grand Forks Central</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wilber is one of the ELITE tennis players in North Dakota. We are not just talking about stud football players in this article. Cole won an individual State Championship last year in Tennis! I imagine he is a favorite to win it all once again. Wilber is an undersized PG but a clutch shot-maker and an innovative creator. Cole will be one of the best PG's in all of ND this coming season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Grayson Schaeffer (2025) |6'5 SF| Minot</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Schaeffer is another star athlete who shines in multiple sports. Grayson finished last fall as the Runner-Up in doubles tennis at the State level. Schaeffer is also a standout hoopster and an elite competitor in Track &amp; Field. Grayson had a solid off-season in club basketball, the Magi will be a top team in AA, and Schaeffer has the potential to be a breakout baller in the WDA.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1226996' first='Gunner' last='Thielges'] (2026) |6'1 G| LLM</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thielges is a top running back/rusher in all of North Dakota. He was a dude last season and will be a complete STAR this fall for the Loboes. LLM is my pick to win 9Man and Gunner is the big reason. Thielges is a workhorse and his numbers will pop! When it comes to hoops, Thielges improved his game this off-season and will be a formidable foe on the hardwood in the winter/spring.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1370689' first='Hudsen' last='Sheldon'] (2025) |6'3 G| Mandan</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Is he the most athletic QB in NoDak? Highly likely! Sheldon will put on a show on the gridiron. However, he is not just a sp[program_tooltip program_id='2078372' first='ECI' last='']al player in football, Hudsen does it all and shines in football, basketball, basketball, and Track &amp; Field. In basketball, Sheldon easily has the talent to be a 1st Team All-State in AA and is sure to fill up the highlight reel. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='669323' first='JB' last='Walters'] (2025) |6'4 PF| Grand Forks Red River</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>BIG Mr. Walters is committed to SDSU for football. JB is easily one of the top linemen in North Dakota and will be wreaking havoc all over the gridiron this fall. Walters is also a top-notch thrower in Track &amp; Field. In basketball, Walters brings toughness, stout defense, productive rebounding, and physical scoring to the hardwood.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='356872' first='Karter' last='Peterson'] (2025) |6'6 PF| Thompson</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The gifted multi-sport athlete has committed to UND for football. Peterson plays the game with high energy, brute strength, and impressive athleticism. In the spring, Karter is also a standout in Track &amp; Field. In hoops, Peterson is a throwback type player who will out-work you, out-hustle you, and produce inside the arc. Karter has a nose for the ball, is always competing, and is an athletic finisher. Peterson will likely average a Double-Double this winter and will be in the conversation for an All-State naming.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Nathan Stevenson (2027) |6'0 SF| Dickinson</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Stevenson is STRONG! I watched him with [program_tooltip program_id='2078372' first='ECI' last=''] this summer and it takes a millisecond to see that he is a beast. In football, it sounds like Nathan will be the starting QB for the Midgets and is a player to watch. It will be fun to see what he can do as the starting QB as a sophomore. In hoops for DHS, I believe that Stevenson will play a major role this coming season. The Midgets do not have much height and they will rely on Nate's strength and toughness to defend BIGs. Stevenson is set up to have a memorable 10th-grade season in both football and basketball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='720291' first='Pearce' last='Parks'] (2025) |6'2 G| Grand Forks Red River</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There will be a ton of eyes on Parks this fall as a highly recruited QB and/or on the D side. Many schools/coaches would like to get him committed to their program. Parks is an exceptional athlete with size, strength, and versatility. He will have no problem fitting in at the next level as a football player. In hoops, RR should be improved this coming year, Parks will fill up the stat sheet, and have a very good chance to be an All-State baller in AA.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1559968' first='Raeshaun' last='Earl'] (2026) |5'11 G| Hankinson</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Pirates have the chance to be a sneaky good 9-Man team this fill and a big reason for that is Earl The Pearl! Raeshaun is a playmaker as a QB and I imagine that he is a ballhawk on defense. Like most 9-man teams, Hankinson does not have much depth, so they will need to stay healthy if they want to compete in the playoffs. If they make a run, Earl will be the engine that gets them there. In hoops, Raeshaun was All-State last season and will easily be a top talent in Class B. He had a fantastic club season and is expected to be a dude once again for the Pirates.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='951872' first='Walker' last='Braaten'] (2025) |6'4 G| Westhope/Newburg</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Texas Ranger is a superstar multi-sport athlete who excels at everything he does. This summer, Walker committed to NDSU for football. He had plenty of options to play at the next level in both football and basketball. Braaten is an All-State talent in football as a QB and DB. He is also a State Champion in basketball and one of the best hoopers in the State regardless of class. I will not be surprised if the Texas Ranger is up for Mr. Baskeball in the spring. His stats will be outrageous and the Sioux will win a ton of games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='725868' first='Wyatt' last='Kuhn'] (2025) |6'5 F| New Salem/Almont</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The talented Mr. Kuhn is committed to UND for football! The Holeteins should make some noise this fall in 9-man football and Kuhn will be a daunting force on the gridiron. We expect him to be a force and an All-State talent on the field. This winter on the court, Wyatt will be a powerful force and a sure-fire Double-Double player. Few players in class B can match up with the athletic &amp; explosive Kuhn. This Holstein from NSA in a player to watch in his senior season.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1397362,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-25-at-17-15-13-2025-and-2026-Tight-Ends-to-Watch-in-the-Fall-Prep-Redzone-crop-649x426-1722361948-crop-641x421-1724162185.png?w=640" alt="" class="wp-image-1397362" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Prep redzone</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image -->