And he delivered.

Following a season in which he led the Lynx in points and rebounds, the 6-foot-6 Hoversten was a unanimous first-team all-North Central Conference selection, it was announced recently. He was joined on the top unit by teammate and classmate Dylan Steen.

WCHS sophomore Tyler Olson was named to the third team.

Other unanimous first-team selections included Drew Enke of Clear Lake, Andrew Gibb of St. Edmond and Collin Bleich of Algona. Tate Storbeck of Clear Lake rounded out the group.

Webster City senior Dylan Steen pulls up for a jumper against Iowa Falls-Alden last month. He was recently named to the all-North Central Conference first team. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

Expected to be a middle of the pack team, WCHS vaulted all the way into the runner-up position in the conference behind Clear Lake. The Lions spent the majority of the season ranked No. 1 in Class 3A and went on to place fourth at the state tournament.

Hoversten was a force on the interior. He shot 63.2 percent from the floor and averaged 14.4 points to go along with 8.7 rebounds per game. He was at his best in a 29-point, 10-rebound performance in a 52-51 loss to Clear Lake on Jan. 21, a contest the Lions survived with a buzzer-beating shot by second-team all-conference player Carson Toebe.

“Henry had a lot of expectations going in with being the lone guy that had played quite a bit and he lived up to those expectations,” WCHS head coach Marty McKinney said. “He had a great season.”

Steen, who served as the Lynx sixth man as a junior, stepped into the starting lineup and proved to be a capable second option behind Hoversten. He averaged 12.1 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, led the team in assists (55) and was second in steals (31).

“At the beginning of the year Dylan was just an athlete, but by the end of the year he was a basketball player,” McKinney said. “The improvements he made were really noticeable.”

Tyler Olson soars towards the bucket against Charles City during a Class 3A substate semifinal. The Webster City sophomore has been named to the all-NCC third team. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

Olson gradually came on and became a dangerous offensive weapon for the Lynx over the final month of the season. He wrapped up his first year in the starting lineup averaging 9.6 points and 4.5 rebounds a night, and he also led the squad in steals (35).

“He started to figure the game out,” McKinney said of Olson. “We’ll look for him to take that next step next year.”

All-Conference Teams

North Central Conference

First Team

*Henry Hoversten, sr, Webster City; *Drew Enke, sr, Clear Lake; *Andrew Gibb, sr, St. Edmond; *Collin Bleich, jr, Algona; Dylan Steen, sr, Webster City; Tate Storbeck, sr, Clear Lake.

*Denotes unanimous selection

Second Team

Jackson Kochendorfer, sr, St. Edmond; Logan Aldinger, jr, Iowa Falls-Alden; Jamison Heinz, jr, Humboldt; Wyatt Wegener, jr, Algona; Karson Sharar, soph, Iowa Falls-Alden; Carson Toebe, fr, Clear Lake.

Third Team

Tyler Olson, soph, Webster City; Calvin Carlson, sr, Humboldt; Luke Haverkamp, sr, Iowa Falls-Alden; Dustin Miller, sr, Hampton-Dumont; Spencer Nelson, sr, Algona; Jaylen DeVries, jr, Clear Lake.