ALL-AREA CAPTAIN — Fairmont senior guard Levi Pooley (22) elevates before hitting a breakaway basket during regular-season action at Cardinal Gym in Fairmont. Cardinal teammate Hadan Toomer backs up the play. Pooley has been selected as the 2024 Sentinel All-Area Boys Basketball Player of the Year. (Photo by Greg Abel)

FAIRMONT — The parallels between his high school football and basketball careers are uncanny when it comes to Fairmont senior standout Levi Pooley.

The power-packed Pooley captured Sentinel All-Area honors in back-to-back prep sports seasons for two consecutive school years.

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire football commit earned the 2022 All-Area Football Player of the Year before meriting a spot on the 2022-23 All-Area basketball lineup as a high school junior.

Pooley then flip-flopped the annual athletic accolades during his senior campaign, first claiming a position on last fall’s All-Area gridiron team before being selected as the daily newspaper’s All-Area Boys Basketball Player of the Year in 2023-24.

“Levi’s one of the hardest-working players I’ve ever coached during my tenure in Fairmont,” said Cardinal boys basketball mentor Jared Thompson. “What he lacks in physical size (5 feet, 11 inches), he makes up for with athleticism, tenacity, strength and quickness on the court night in and night out.”

The two-time All-Big South Conference hoops selection topped the Cardinals’ statistical charts for a second consecutive season in scoring by averaging 15.9 points per outing this winter.

Pooley also became only the sixth player in Fairmont boys basketball history to eclipse the 1,000-point career scoring mark this season. He closed out his brilliant prep basketball playing days with 1,061 total points.

The Cardinals’ senior guard also topped the team by pocketing 3.0 steals per game, tied for the No. 1 team spot by distributing 2.7 assists per outing and connected on free throws for a team-leading 77.2 percent clip.

Pooley also grabbed 4.3 rebounds per game, made 27.3 percent of his 3-pointers and 49.1 percent of his shots from 2-point distance to help power Fairmont to a late-season seven-game winning streak between Jan. 22 and Feb. 13.

The Cardinals’ prolific senior scorer also finished No. 3 in the program’s all-time steals category with 158, third in career games played (94) and fifth in career 3-pointers made at 139.

For all of his contributions to Fairmont’s seasonal efforts, Pooley has been selected as the 2024 Sentinel All-Area Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

Here’s an inside glance at the rest of this season’s All-Area choices.

Will Bromeland (Blue Earth Area) — The super sophomore suffered an unfortunate season-ending injury to limit his break-out varsity campaign to only 16 games this winter.

The 6-foot-3 triple-threat forward proved he could score at will from behind the 3-point arc, in the low blocks, at the free throw line and from mid-range en route to 411 points and a 25.7 clip.

The All-Big South Conference pick connected on a team-best 66 trifectas on 40.5 percent shooting, 95 2-pointers on 57.2 percent efficiency and 23 free throws via a 71.9 percent pace.

Bromeland also pulled down a team second-best 105 rebounds, pocketed 28 steals and doled out 13 assists during his abbreviated hardwood campaign.

Carter Fox (Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Truman/Martin Luther) — The two-time All-Area choice nearly averaged a double-double every time he stepped onto the hardwood this winter.

The repeat All-Valley Conference selection poured in a team-leading 16.9 points and grabbed a team-best 9.7 rebounds per outing for the Jaguars in 2023-24.

The 6-6 senior forward also notched a team-high 77 blocked shots, pocketed 38 steals and distributed 3.3 assists per game.

Fox made 59.6 percent of his free throws, 57.4 percent of his 2-point attempts and 31.5 percent of his 3-pointers this season.

Fox closed out his prolific prep basketball career with 970 points, 466 rebounds, 178 assists, 108 blocks and 97 steals.

Kody Irmiter (North Union) — The Top of Iowa Conference West Division honorable mention pick played an integral role in powering the Warriors to the program’s first-ever Iowa Class 1A state tournament appearance and a 22-4 overall record.

The 6-5 senior post player topped North Union’s potent attack by averaging 11.8 points and 8.3 rebounds every night out this winter.

The hard-working center connected on 53.2 percent of his shots from 2-point range, 10 of 35 behind the 3-point arc and 31 of 57 at the free throw line.

Irmiter, who also pocketed 26 steals, helped guide North Union to a runner-up finish in the West Division of the conference.

Aiden Lofstrom (North Union) — The Top of Iowa Conference West Division second-team selection proved a steady force in the paint by finding small slivers of space to score and rebound from near the end line.

The 6-3 senior forward tossed in 11.3 points per game to complement pulling down 7.0 boards per outing during his final prep campaign.

Lofstrom distributed 45 assists, pocketed 26 steals, made 119 of 192 shots from 2-point range for 62 percent and sank 54 of 95 free throws for 56.8 percent to cap his season.

Lofstrom delivered clutch performances to help steer North Union to a 22-4 overall record and the program’s first-ever Iowa Class 1A state tournament.

Oliver Tordsen (Fairmont) — The All-Big South Conference choice evolved into a force in the low post during his varsity debut as a regular starter.

The 6-7 junior center topped the Cardinals by pulling down 7.9 rebounds per game and blocking 27 opposing shots.

The improved Tordsen also scored a team-second-best 11.7 points, pocketed 1.3 steals, doled out one assist and made 60.2 percent of his field goals to round out a solid basketball campaign.

Jacob Wilmes (Martin County West) — The All-Valley Conference post player utilized his quickness, strength and vertical leap to prove a double-double threat every game during the 2023-24 basketball season.

The 6-3 junior center poured in 17.4 points per outing to complement pulling down 8.3 rebounds this winter.

Wilmes displayed his athleticism by distributing 52 assists, pocketing 38 steals and recording 11 blocks to cap an outstanding campaign.