Northeast Kansas League Spring Wrap

<p>The Northeast Kansas League was generally strong across the board, but only one team made it to state, and no player earned all-state honors. There’s a strong crop of juniors who will be back in this league.</p> <p>Here’s a look back, and a look forward, for the Northeast Kansas League:</p> <p>Top Team: Valley Falls</p> <p>The Dragons returned a ton of talent from the previous season, and rolled a 17-5 record through sub-state. They lost to Wabaunsee at state. You could make an argument for Jefferson North, which went 14-4 and lost to the Wabaunsee juggernaut in sub-state by a much closer margin.</p> <p>League Player of the Year: Ryan Feldkamp, junior, Jefferson North</p> <p>You could make an argument for a few others, but Feldkamp’s numbers give him the edge. The 6-foot-4 junior averaged 16.3 points and 6.6 boards for the Chargers.</p> <p>Senior Star: [player_tooltip player_id="889500" first="Nate" last="Hawk"], Valley Falls (pictured)</p> <p>Hawk is a graceful and explosive athlete who didn’t always put up huge numbers, but was always key to what Valley Falls accomplished. He could explode occasionally for 20-point outings. He averaged 12.3 points and 7.0 boards for the Dragons.</p> <p>Other Top Grads (in alphabetical order):</p> <p><strong>Connor Gibson</strong>, Pleasant Ridge</p> <p><strong>Cooper Jepson</strong>, Valley Falls</p> <p><strong>Emmett Jobbins</strong>, Jefferson North</p> <p><strong>Korlan Korbelik</strong>, Maur Hill</p> <p><strong>James Kramer</strong>, Jefferson North</p> <p><strong>Dylan Thompson</strong>, Jackson Heights</p> <p>Top Returner: [player_tooltip player_id="1076413" first="Avery" last="Gatzemeyer"], junior, Valley Falls</p> <p>Other than Feldkamp, Gatzemeyer is the other top junior who returns. He’s an athletic 6-foot-2 guard who can do a lot of the things on the floor as the two-year leader of the Dragons. Last season he averaged 15.3 points per game, and is an effective passer and rebounder as well.</p> <p>Players to Watch this Summer (in alphabetical order):</p> <p><strong>Walker Adams</strong>, junior, Pleasant Ridge:</p> <p>Despite lots of experienced guards around, Adams took his game to a higher level as a junior, scoring 10.8 points per game. With the graduation of Connor Gibson, Adams will have even more opportunity next year to run the show. Adams can take a big step in preparation this summer.</p> <p><strong>Trenton Kraxner</strong>, junior, Valley Falls:</p> <p>Gatzemeyer will need a running mate as the Dragons lose Hawk and Cooper Jepson. Kraxner showed last year he can get after the boards, collecting 7.5 per contest. The 6-foot-3 forward can use the summer to get ready for a lot bigger role next year.</p>