Stars of the 1A Div 1 Championship

<p>Two schools with great football programs met on the basketball court in the Div.1 final of 1A. Some great players showed they are just as good on the hardwood.</p> <p>Here are some of the best performances from Olpe’s win over South Gray:</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1134441" first="Jordan" last="Barnard"]</strong>, senior, Olpe:</p> <p>The 6-foot-1 senior was good all season. But he took it to another level when the chips were down. He connected on 10-16 from the field in the semifinal against a really good Little River Team. Then he topped all scorers in the final with 17 points. He hit 6-11 from the field and played with the kind of leadership and determination that makes Olpe such a great program.</p> <p><strong>Derek Hoelting</strong>, junior, Olpe:</p> <p>Though just 5-foot-11, Hoelting battled for a game-high 9 rebounds against Little River. He also knocked down 11 points. In the finale, he was big again with 10 points. Hoelting is an important cog, rebounding, guarding on the perimeter and battling inside. As one of the top returners, he helped set the tone for the program.</p> <p><strong>Damon Redeker</strong>, junior, Olpe:</p> <p>Another returner who knew what it would take to win it all, Redeker was one of the team’s leaders a year ago in scoring, rebounds, assists and steals. So it’s no surprise he was big at the end. He tallied 11 points against Little River and 10 against South Gray.</p> <p><strong>Brent Penner</strong>, junior, South Gray:</p> <p>Penner tended to be overshadowed by <strong>Aaron Skidmore</strong>, but in the final couple of games, he was a leader. He followed up his 18 in the semi-final win over Ness City with a team-high 14 against Olpe. He hit two 3-pointers in the finale, trying to keep pace with the Eagles. The 6-foot-2 junior forward worked the boards as well, pulling down 12 rebounds against Ness City.</p> <p><strong>Brady Deges</strong>, junior, South Gray:</p> <p>The 5-foot-8 guard was gritty and dangerous from the perimeter. He hit three 3-pointers in the championship game, and tallied 11 points. He hit two triples and scored 18 in the semi-final. His outside shooting and quickness in the open floor opens things up for Penner and Skidmore.</p> <p><strong>Aaron Skidmore</strong>, senior, South Gray:</p> <p>One of the most decorated players in 1A, Skidmore was first team 1A in hoops a year ago, and earned first team in football last fall. The 6-foot-3 powerhouse was held below his average in the final game, but he attracted a ton of the Olpe defense’s focus. He still battled his way to 11 points. He hit 8-21 against Ness City to lead all scorers with 20.</p>