Big Shoes to Fill in 1A D1

<p>Graduation claims some of the best players every year. When a great player moves on, it opens the door for another to step up and show their talents. But there can be some pressure when it comes to trying to replace a lot of production.</p> <p>Here are some returning players in 1A Div. 1 who will have big shoes to fill next year:</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1080199" first="Braxton" last="Lafferty"]</strong>, sophomore, Little River:</p> <p>On a team with a couple of superstars in [player_tooltip player_id="962478" first="Jayden" last="Garrison"], first team 1A, and Trey Rolfs, an honorable mention recipient, Lafferty has played a key role. The 5-foot-11 guard helped the seniors maximize their abilities by posing a threat to defenses and doing a little bit of everything. He averaged 10.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.5 steals. Watch for this guy to become a star in his own right this year.</p> <p><strong>Derek Hoelting</strong>, junior, Olpe:</p> <p>Olpe was loaded with athletes and winners this year. Hoelting and <strong>Damon Redeker</strong> will be back to lead the club, but it loses a lot, starting with [player_tooltip player_id="1134441" first="Jordan" last="Barnard"], a first team 1A guard. It seemed like any guy was capable of stepping up and leading the Eagles in any given game, and Hoelting was a leader many nights. He put up 23 in a game against Sunrise, and was in double figures more often than not. He averaged 10.5 on the season, earning honorable mention honors.</p> <p><strong>Landon Grimmett</strong>, sophomore, Lebo:</p> <p>There will be no replacing [player_tooltip player_id="1072883" first="Devan" last="McEwen"], a first team performer and one of the top guards of the small school ranks for the past few years. But the 5-foot-11 Grimmett was really good at times, and gained a ton of experience on the highly competitive Wolves. He had several games with double digits, including 20 against West Franklin en route to honorable mention recognition.</p> <p><strong>Brady Deges</strong>, junior, South Gray:</p> <p>How do you possibly replace first team all stater <strong>Aaron Skidmore</strong> and honorable mention performer <strong>Carter Riley</strong>? Well, you don’t. But junior Deges was really good last year, helping lead South Gray to a runner-up finish. He scored 18 in the semi-final against Ness City.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1076406" first="Drew" last="Stutesman"], junior, Madison:</p> <p>The 6-foot-2 guard has been really good for two years, and will be one of the top returning guards in the small school ranks. But he’s been blessed with some high quality running mates the last couple of years in <strong>Chase Harrison</strong>, a 1A second-teamer, and <strong>Ryan Wolgram</strong>, an honorable mention pick.</p>