Standouts in Football and Basketball

This article highlights multi-sport athletes, particularly football and basketball players.   A multi-sport athlete is someone who participates and competes in more than one sport, often excelling in multiple disciplines. These athletes engage in different sports during various seasons. Multi-sport athletes are typically known for their versatility, physical endurance, adaptability, and they often benefit from cross-training, which can enhance their overall athletic performance in each sport. Being a multi-sport athlete offers several benefits, both physically and mentally. By playing multiple sports, athletes improve their overall athleticism, reduce their risk of injury because of balanced development, avoid burnout, increase versatility & skills, enhance their mental toughness, improve problem-solving, grow socially, and increase opportunities in various ways.   Standouts in Football & Basketball   Aidyn Janis (2025) |6'4 PF| Hot Springs   This fall on the football field, Janis has been dominant on both the offensive and defensive line. This kid is a beast! He had a great summer in the gym as well and I am very excited for him to get on the hardwood this winter. I really like his game, Aidyn is going to have a monster hoops season. Not only is Janis a great athlete for the Hot Springs Bison but he is a leader in the classroom as well as on the field and court.   Ashton Oberle (2027) |5'11 G| Beresford   The young soph plays QB & safety for the Watchdogs. Ashton has 106 rushing yards and 4 TD's. He has passed for 751 yards and 7 TD's. Oberle started at QB as a freshman. The expectations and trust have increased this season. The evidence is in the tape as the Watchdogs have shifted to a spread-style offense and are allowing Ashton to display his arm on a very routine basis.   Ben Erickson (2026) |6'0 G| Baltic   He is a starting wing on the Bulldog basketball team and is a starting WR/Corner on the football team. Ben is the leading receiver on the football team, is tied for the lead in total TD's, and has the most receiving touchdowns and yards on the team. Ben has also stepped up and filled in as the punter this season. The Baltic program loves multi-sport athletes because it teaches the kids to be physical on the basketball court. It gives them the opportunity to learn to play with contact and play roles on other teams that they don't normally play within the hoops system. The football players are learning a ton about leadership and that will carry over well in the basketball season.   [player_tooltip player_id='800375' first='Brock' last='Christopherson'] (2025) |5'11 G| Sioux Valley   3-0 record and crushing it! Playmaker on the gridiron, Christopherson is versatile on both offense and defense. Brock takes most of the snaps, runs the ball often, and is efficient at everything he does. Brock plays almost every snap on defense, this kid is a dawg! In 3 games this football season, Brock has rushed for 362 yards (11.3 YPC), 3 rushing TD's, and has thrown for 70 yards. The Cossacks are averaging 45 ppg! Christopherson is a great leader and just so happens to be a QB and PG.   [player_tooltip player_id='798252' first='Cooper' last='Nelson'] (2025) |6'2 PF/C| Beresford   He is a captain for the football team and is having a nice start to the season on the OL/DL. Nelson has 38 tackles and 2 TFL's. Cooper is another "football" guy. His IQ and knowledge of the game gives him the opportunity to make plays on the defensive side of the ball on any given snap. He is one of the strongest athletes that has ever walked the halls at Beresford. Cooper's physicality and gameplay are heavily relied on by the Watchdogs.   [player_tooltip player_id='1183709' first='Devin' last='Buehler'] (2025) |5'11 G| Hill City   Buehler is a superstar quarterback and the Rangers are off to an impressive 4-1 start. Much of that success is because of Devin. (stats through first 4 games) He has 24 rushes for 369 yards, and 12 rushing TD's. He is 57-61 passing the ball for 1,022 yards, and 10 passing TD's. Those are some wild numbers! He also plays defense. Devin has 31 solo tackles, 19 assists, and 3 INT's. Buehler is also a super-talented basketball player and a special athlete. He needs more recognition in my opinion. Buehler is an All-State type player and college coaches need to take a hard look.   Dylan Runestad (2026) |5'11 G| Baltic   He is the starting PG on the Bulldog basketball team and is a starting WR/Safety on the football team this fall. He is 2nd on the team in receiving yards, tied for the team lead in interceptions, and is a dynamic spark plug in special teams as a punt returner. The Baltic program loves multi-sport athletes because it teaches the kids to be physical on the basketball court. It gives them the opportunity to learn to play with contact and play roles on other teams that they don't normally play within the hoops system. The football players are learning a ton about leadership and that will carry over well in the basketball season.   Emmerson Larson (2026) |6'3 G| Clark-Willow Lake   Emmerson is leading his football team in rushing yards, passing yards, receiving yards, and touchdowns. He is also leading the team in interceptions.    Larson is the Cyclone's leader on the field. He plays QB and WR on offense and Safety on Defense. Larson is also a talented basketball player. As a junior, he will be the returning leading scorer. Clark-Willow Lake is going to have a fantastic basketball season.   Ethan Bovill (2025) |6'1 G| Alcester-Hudson   He leading tackler for the 2-3 Cubs this season. Ethan has over 300 receiving yards in 4 games so far this season! Bovill is a dynamic baller on the hardwood and gridiron! Ethan averaged 12 points and 7 rebounds last hoops season and we expect those numbers to jump up.   [player_tooltip player_id='800374' first='Gabe' last='Sather'] (2025) |6'3 G| Deuel   1-3 on the gridiron and they hit the road tomorrow night for a game at Groton. Sather excels on the field and plays consistent football. Gabe is a solid wide receiver and he controls the edge on defense.   [player_tooltip player_id='563996' first='Jhace' last='Woods'] (2026) |6'3 G/F| Sioux Falls Washington   Woods is having a fantastic individual season and has proven himself to be a DUDE and highly productive WR. Jhace was picked pre-season All-State and he is living up to that hype. The weight/muscle that Woods put on over the summer is really showing on the football field as he runs sharp routes and easily gets separated from DB's based on his speed and route-running ability. His vertical helps him elevate and high-point the ball. Jhace has sticky hands, his ability to catch difficult passes in small windows puts him above other receivers in the state. Woods leads the Warriors in receptions, yards receiving, and TD's. It looks like he is getting a large amount of attention from college coaches and that will only increase as time goes on.   Jose Topete-Lopez (2025) |5'10 G| Alcester-Hudson   He is the fullback and defensive end for the Alcester-Hudson Cubs football team. Jose has two touchdowns and 200 rushing yards so far this year. Many more impressive numbers are coming! Jose averaged 10 points and 6 rebounds last winter, the Cubs should be tough this year nad Jose will likely be a Double-Double baller.   Joseph Sharpe (2025) |6'8 C| Beresford   Team Captain in football and an imposing figure at the OL/DL positions. Sharpe has 9 tackles, 1 sack, and 5 TFL's. Joseph looks like a tough football player at 6'8" and 260 pounds! Joseph's presence is instantly felt when he enters the game. Sharpe demands double teams in the interior line, most teams game plan to run to the opposite side. In hoops, Joseph will likely start for the Beresford. He had a high-quality summer and things are starting to click for the BIG Watchdog.   [player_tooltip player_id='848985' first='Malachi' last='James'] (2026) |6'2 G| Beresford   James is a Team Captain and a standout WR/CB. He has 4 carries for 86 yards and 2 rushing TD's. Malachi has 26 receptions for 329 yards, and 4 receiving TD's. James is a force on both sides of the ball. He is double-teamed on every offensive snap and given the responsibility to shut down the opposing team's best wide receiver.   [player_tooltip player_id='1263161' first='Maverick' last='LeBrun'] (2025) |6'4 SF| Dell Rapids St. Mary   He is the starting DE/TE for the Cardinals who are ranked #2 in Class 9B with 4-0 record. Offensive Stats: 4 catches/75 yards receiving/1 receiving TD/3 receiving 2pt Conversion TD's. Defensive Stats: 21.5 tackles/0.5 sacks. LeBrun and the Cards will also have a great basketball season and be one of the top B teams in SD.   Tobin Squires (2026) |6'6 C| Sioux Valley   The Cossacks have started the year smoking hot and are sitting with a perfect 4-0 record. Squires is 6'6" 225 lbs., is growing, and is active in the trenches as a TE and DE. Tobin is a blocking machine as a TE, he will also get down the field and catch he ball as a sure-handed receiving threat. On defense, Squires contain the edge and puts heavy pressure on the offense. Tobin has caught the eye of college coaches and is gaining interest.   Tommy Walth (2026) |6'0 G| Alcester-Hudson   Tommy is the quarterback for the Alcester-Hudson Cubs. He threw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns against #5 Viborg-Hurley two weeks ago! Walth was hurt last year for basketball, so he is certainly is player to watch in class B hoops. The Cubs could surprise some people this winter.   Trevor Cuperus (2026) |6'5 F| Baltic   He is a starting Forward on the Bulldog basketball team. Trevor is a two-way starter on the offensive and defensive lines for the football team. Trevor starts at tackle on the offensive line and is also an anchor on the defensive line at D-end. The Baltic program loves multi-sport athletes because it teaches the kids to be physical on the basketball court. It gives them the opportunity to learn to play with contact and play roles on other teams that they don't normally play within the hoops system. The football players are learning a ton about leadership and that will carry over well in the basketball season.   Trimmier Hanson (2026) |5'10 G| Dell Rapids St. Mary   He is the starting QB/CB for the Cardinals who are ranked #2 in Class 9B with 5-0 record. Offensive Stats (first 4 games): 51 yards rushing/3 rushing TD's/6 rushing 2pt Conversion TD's. 367 yards passing/6 passing TD's/7 passing 2pt Conversion TD's. Defensive Stats (first four games): 6.5 tackles/1 INT. The Cardinals will be one of the top B teams in hoops in this winter and Hanson will be a star player.   The Chester Flyers are battling through injuries right now but they still have plenty of players who are noteworthy multi-sport athletes.   [player_tooltip player_id='210628' first='Layke' last='Wold'] —(Sr, QB/DB), basketball—Point Guard. In three games Layke is 17/30 for 190 yards and a TD. He also has 23 carries for 55 yards. Layke is the leader on offense and is an important member on multiple special teams. In addition, he has also moved over to playing quite a bit of defense due to injuries. He spends most of the game on the field.   Will Seeley —(SR, TE/LB), basketball—Forward. In two games will has 3 receptions for 60 yards. Defensively he has 11 tackles, 10 solo, and 3 tackles for losses. An ankle injury has kept him off the field for a few games but hopefully will return soon.     Garrett Hansen —(SR, RB/LB), basketball—Forward. Garrett is a 4-year football/basketball player and has contributed to his varsity squads since he was a freshman. However, ACL surgery over the summer will prevent him from participating in either sport during his senior year. However, he has been a vital member of the team through his leadership and has been acting much like a grad assistant in college for the coaching staff.    Zach Moyer —(JR, WR/DB), basketball--Forward. Like Garrett, Zach has been a member of both football and basketball his entire high school career and a vital member of said groups. Unfortunately, season-ending ACL surgery has ended Zach's junior season as a football and basketball player. Like Garrett, he has remained a vital member of the team through his voice/leadership.   [player_tooltip player_id='1422277' first='Jaxton' last='Opdahl'] —(JR, RB/LB), basketball--Guard. Through 2 games Opdahl has 5 receptions for 53 yards and a TD. Defensively he has recorded 6, tackles, 1 for loss, and an INT. An injury has kept him out of games but should get healthy as the season progresses.   Teegan Hodne —(So, WR/DB), basketball—Guard. Teegan has seen significant snaps on defense as a starting defensive back. He has recorded multiple tackles, deflections, and a fumble recovery in his two games thus far. Hodne has been a great asset with his athleticism on special teams as well.     Micah Oechsle —So, WR/DB/QB), basketball—Forward. With so many injuries, Micah has taken on an expanded role on both sides of the ball over the last few weeks in addition to special teams moving up to be the first-string kickoff specialist, placekicker, and punter with both 1st and 2nd going down.   The Hamlin Chargers have several notable multi-sport athletes. The guys below all play football as well as basketball. These ballers play on both sides of the ball. The football team is 5-0 and ranked #2 in 9AA. The basketball team won the State A Tournamnet last season and they have their sights set on bringing home the trophy again this spring.   Easton Neuendorf - WR/DB Kicker   Jackson Wadsworth - QB/LB   Evan Stormo - WR/LB   Zac VanMeeteren - WR/DE   Dawson Noem - OL/DL   Turner Stevenson - RB/DB   [player_tooltip player_id='1293089' first='Boden' last='Stevenson'] - TE/DE   <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-crop-625x411-1724874352-crop-618x406-1726582113.png?w=617" alt="" class="wp-image-1455113" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Prep redzone</figcaption></figure>

This article highlights multi-sport athletes, particularly football and basketball players.