First team

Steve Hengesteg, Lake Mills, senior

Steve Hengesteg earned the 2007-08 Albert Lea Tribune All-Area Player of the Year Award; he was also selected unanimous first team all-North Iowa Conference, KIMT athlete of the week in January, and KIOW (radio) athlete of the week in February. He was third in the area in scoring with a 14 point per game average, first in assists with 5.2, first in steals with 2.2, and also grabbed 3.4 rebounds per game for the 15-8 Bulldogs.

Paul Little, Alden-Conger, senior

Paul Little led all area players in scoring with an impressive 16.2 per game average. He was co-MVP for the 12-14 Knights and was selected to the Valley Conference All Conference team. Little led AC with 423 points on the year, was second in rebounding with 156, or six per game, and led the team in free throw percentage at 78 percent.

Sam Hallman, Alden-Conger, senior

Sam Hallman was the area&8217;s second leading scorer with a 15.9 per game average and was co-MVP for the Knights. Hallman was also selected Honorable Mention All Conference in the very talented Valley Conference this year. He was second on the team with 415 points and ends his basketball career with an incredible 941 points in just three years of varsity ball.

Brad Kruckeberg, NRHEG, senior

Brad Kruckeburg missed most of last season because of a football injury but proved this season that he was a force to be reckoned with. Kruckeburg led a vary talented and experienced Panther team in scoring with 383 points on the year or 13.7 per game and hit 43 3-pointers for 33.3 percent from behind the arc. He was second on the 19-9 Panthers in rebounding at 5.6 per game, first in steals with 70, and second in assists with 80.

Trevor Davidson, Northwood-Kensett, senior

Trevor Davidson was a two year starter for N-K and played on its 26-2 state championship team last year. Although the Vikings fell below the .500 mark at 10-11 this season Davidson continued to shine. He scored over 200 points for a 9.9 per game average, dominated the interior with 1.3 blocks per game and led all area players with 8.7 boards per game.

Second team

Jordan Cotter, Northwood-Kensett, senior

Jordan Cotter played the point for N-K&8217;s state championship team a year ago and was mostly responsible for dishing the rock to Cody Hanson and Dan Bestul. Cotter averaged just over eight points per game last year but without Hanson and Bestul this season he was asked to score more and led the team in scoring with a 12.2 average and 256 points. He led the Vikings in assists once again this year with 66 and was second on the team with 27 steals.

Spenser Brackey, Lake Mills, senior

Spenser Brackey scored 11.7 points per game for the 15-8 Bulldogs and was selected 2nd team all-North Iowa Conference for the 2007-08 season. Brackey had a balanced game all year with 2.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. But what might just be the most impressive stat in the area this year is his free throw shooting where he hit 30 of 31 attempts for a school record 96.7 percent from the charity stripe.

Colby Strilaeff, Albert Lea, sophomore

Colby Strilaeff, a sophomore, is the youngest player to be selected to the all-area team this season, a year dominated by seniors. Strilaeff set a school record for the 1-25 Tigers with nine 3-pointers in one game against Winona and drained 64 three&8217;s on the year. He didn&8217;t play varsity until late December but went off for 22 points on six 3-pointers in his first game against Murray County Central and averaged 11 points per game the rest of the season.

Blake Kerkhoff, NRHEG, senior

Blake Kerkhoff was a huge presence in the post once again this season for the 19-9 Panthers. He was second on the team in scoring with 9.0 points per game and led the senior dominated team in rebounding with 6.5 per game. Kerkhoff was one of only four Panthers to start all 28 games this season where they made it all the way to the sub-section finals before their season ended with a loss to Triton.

Tom Eilertson, United South Central, senior

Tom Eilertson was one of those guys that showed up every night and quietly went about his job, one that you might not notice until looking at the post game stats. Eilertson led the Rebels in scoring at 9.0 points per game and was second in rebounding with 5.8 per game. But it was on the defensive side that Eilertson made his mark with a team high 28 blocks, good for 1.03 per contest.

Third team

Michael Johnson, Lake Mills, senior

Michael Johnson is the third of the talented Bulldogs to make the all-area team this season. Johnson was also selected Honorable Mention all-North Iowa Conference. He led the team in rebounding with 97, good for 6.4 per game. He was also second on the Bulldogs in blocked shots with 11 on the year.

Jake Sonnek, United South Central, junior

Jake Sonnek came up big for the 11-16 Rebels in 2007-08, leading them in rebounding with 172, or 6.4 per game. Sonnek&8217;s 6.4 boards per game ranks him in the top five in the area this season. He was second on the team in scoring at 8.6 per game and also had 20 steals and 25 assists on the year.

Dakota Tracy, NRHEG, senior

Dakota Tracy wasn&8217;t just a three-year starter at quarterback for the Panther football team; he also quarterbacked the most successful basketball team in the area this year in 19-9 NRHEG. Tracy led the Panthers to the final game of the sub-section this season with his 8.4 points per game, good for third on the team. He was fourth on the team in rebounding at 4.1 per game and led the squad with 121 assists or 4.3 per game, second best in the area.

Bryan Hauge, United South Central, senior

Bryan Hauge rounds out the list of talented Rebels to make the all-area team this season. Hauge was second on the team with 98 field goals, good for 226 points and 8.4 per game. He was first in assists with 61 or 2.3 per game and led the team with 38 steals. Hauge also grabbed 111 boards on the year or 4.1 per game, good for third on the team.

Jake Kirsch, Glenville-Emmons, senior

Jake Kirsch was Mr. Everything for the young Wolverines this season. He was voted team MVP, best defensive player, and was selected all-conference in the Southeast Conference. Kirsch led the 4-23 Wolverines in almost every statistical category, including points per game with 7.5, 130 rebounds for 4.8 per game, assists with 61, steals with 43, and if that wasn&8217;t enough he also splashed 23 3-pointers.