Small School Top 2022s of Northeast KS

<p>Sophomores who stand out on the state level are rare. But while there weren’t a ton of 2022s making headlines this past season, there are some brilliant performances by young players. Their future is bright!</p> <p>Here are the top 2022s of the area:</p> <p><strong>Avery Gatzmeyer, sophomore, Valley Falls:</strong></p> <p>The 6-foot-1 Gatzmeyer averaged 14.3 points in the regular season. The Dragons finished the season 15-6, but were upset in the sub-state finals by Centralia. Gatzmeyer was hot to start the season, with several 20-point efforts.</p> <p><strong>Braden Heins, sophomore, Northern Heights:</strong></p> <p>The 6-foot-1 Heins averaged 10 points as a third option to balance seniors <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="885591" first="Cameron" last="Heiman"]</strong> and <strong>Tee Preisner</strong>. Northern Heights finished the regular season 17-3 and beat Wabaunsee at sub-state before losing a heartbreaker to Lyndon 63-60.</p> <p><strong>Brady Klotz, sophomore, Royal Valley:</strong></p> <p>Royal Valley is loaded with sophomores, and Klotz posted an impressive 10.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-3 Klotz was tough come playoff time. He tallied 16 points in a win over Silver Lake and 12 in a bitter 44-43 loss to St. Marys in the sub-state final.</p> <p><strong>Drew Stutesman, sophomore, Madison:</strong></p> <p>Madison entered the playoffs with a 20-3 record, ranked #3 in 1A. He averaged 13.8 points and 7.3 boards in the regular season, and went down fighting with 15 in the sub-state loss to Lebo.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="891912" first="Nahcs" last="Wahwassuck"], sophomore, Royal Valley:</strong></p> <p>One of only a few sophomores to receive all-state honors, the 6-foot-4 Wahwassuck was first team 3A all-state. He averaged 16.6 points per game for the Panthers, who were 19-1 and ranked #3 in the state prior to playoff action. He was huge in the sub-state playoffs, racking up 24 points against Silver Lake and 23 against Perry-Lecompton.</p> <p>Others:</p> <p><strong>Kurtis Beck, sophomore, Nemaha Central</strong></p> <p><strong>Marcus Beck, sophomore, Nemaha Central</strong></p> <p><strong>Jason Bosley, sophomore, Jackson Heights</strong></p> <p><strong>Jaxon Hurla, sophomore, St. Marys</strong></p> <p><strong>Cade Oliver, sophomore, Wabaunsee</strong></p> <p><strong>Joao Carlos Ramirez, sophomore, Seabury</strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="891923" first="Mason" last="Thomas"], sophomore, Royal Valley</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>