Dec. 9—LITCHFIELD — An experienced Litchfield boys basketball team looks to keep trending upward.
All five starters return after a 2024-25 season when the Dragons finished 10-17 overall and 7-9 in the Wright County Conference."We have a veteran group that has a combination of size, shooting and athleticism," said Matt Draeger, who enters his ninth season as Litchfield's head coach. "We should be solid in all areas and have the ability to play multiple ways."
A standout veteran who is back is Noah Dietel, who is coming off an All-Area Honorable Mention junior year. The 6-foot-7 center averaged 11.0 points and 10.4 rebounds per contest.
Another returnee in the backcourt is Matthias Bruning, who was an All-Wright County Conference pick as a junior. The 5-11 guard posted 14.3 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.
Josh Blomberg and Anthony Taylor are retaining their roles as forwards for the Dragons.
Blomberg is a 6-5 senior who tallied 4.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per contest. Taylor is a 6-1 junior who collected 6.8 points and 2.6 rebounds per game.
Alex Medina rounds out Litchfield's five returning starters. He is a 5-10 guard who quarterbacked its offense with 7.6 points and a team-best 3.5 assists per contest.
Others to watch are seniors Gideon Boerema and Grant Dengerud and junior Brooke Dengerud.
Boerema will be able to provide length and the ability to score at all three levels, Draeger said.
"Grant provides toughness inside and is an exceptionally hard worker who can give our posts a break," Draeger said. "Brooks is an athletic kid who can guard multiple positions and will be an important player for us off the bench."
Justin Wittrock, Dylan Koll, Jon Johnson and Jacob Wandersee are the assistant coaches.