Lyon County League Spring Wrap

<p>Olpe had a special season and fought through a really tough league to reach the pinnacle last year. Lebo, Madison, Burlingame and Waverly were all very good in their own right.</p> <p>Here’s a look back, and a look forward, for the Lyon County League:</p> <p>Top Team: Olpe</p> <p>What a year for Olpe High School. Following up their state titles in football, the Eagles won championships in both boys and girls basketball. They went 18-3, with only one loss against a school of comparable size – a mid-season loss to Lebo. At state, they beat high quality opponents in Little River and South Gray.</p> <p>League Player of the Year: [player_tooltip player_id="1134441" first="Jordan" last="Barnard"], Olpe</p> <p>Winner. That’s the best way to describe Olpe’s players, particularly Barnard. He was the ringleader of a group of really good athletes. He averaged 14.1 points, and tallied 17 in the state final. He is a 6-foot-1 all-around athlete who left his mark on 1A sports.</p> <p>Senior Star: [player_tooltip player_id="1072883" first="Devan" last="McEwen"], Lebo (pictured)</p> <p>Another guy who left a mark on the small school level was McEwen, an all-state football and basketballer. He topped the 20-point mark repeatedly last year, despite facing defenses geared to stop him.</p> <p>Other Top Grads:</p> <p><strong>Andrew Bailey</strong>, Lebo</p> <p><strong>Nathan Borntreger</strong>, Southern Coffey County</p> <p><strong>Kelton Buettner</strong>, Madison</p> <p><strong>Chase Harrison</strong>, Madison</p> <p><strong>Ryan Wolgram</strong>, Madison</p> <p>Top Returner: [player_tooltip player_id="1139930" first="Trever" last="Quaney"], junior, Burlingame</p> <p>Quaney rose to a new level as a junior and must be considered one of the best small-school big men going into next season. The 6-foot-7 post player averaged 17.1 points and 11.9 rebounds last year.</p> <p>Other Top Returners (in alphabetical order):</p> <p><strong>Damian Foster</strong>, junior, Waverly</p> <p><strong>Lance Noonan</strong>, junior, Burlingame</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1076406" first="Drew" last="Stutesman"]</strong>, junior, Madison</p> <p>Players to Watch this Summer (in alphabetical order):</p> <p><strong>Landon Grimmett</strong>, sophomore, Lebo:</p> <p>The 5-foot-11 guard will have enormous shoes to fill with the departure of McEwen. Summer will be a great opportunity for the sophomore to grow into the role. He had several double-digit games, including 20 against West Franklin. He is dangerous from deep and is a multi-spot type of athlete.</p> <p><strong>Damon Redeker</strong>, junior, Olpe:</p> <p>Redeker scored 11 points in the state semifinal game against Little River, then produced 10 in the final against South Gray. When Olpe was actually challenged last year, Redeker always rose to make a key contribution. He can take a big step forward this summer by playing with non-schoolmates on a more level field of talent.</p> <p><strong>Ali Smith</strong>, sophomore, Hartford</p> <p>Smith has shown a lot of scoring ability already in his short career. But with the graduation of some of the league’s best guards, he can step into the spotlight this year. The next big hurdle is to help Hartford become a winning team in the league.</p>