Filling the Void (3A)

<p>As summer action winds down, it’s not too early to look ahead to the roles guys are slated to play next high school season.</p> <p>Here are some voids left from graduation at 3A schools, and guys who may get called upon to fill them:</p> <p>Lakin:</p> <p>The Broncs will have to do without 3A second teamer [player_tooltip player_id="1070214" first="Hunter" last="Davis"], a 5-foot-10 guard, and 3A honorable mention pick <strong>Dominick Daniels</strong>, a 6-foot-3 forward. But Lakin was so loaded last year, it has two other all-High Plains League performers coming back. Rugged athletes [player_tooltip player_id="1139933" first="Allen" last="Martinez"] and [player_tooltip player_id="1139927" first="Servando" last="Gonzalez"] averaged 13.5 and 11.4 points respectively.</p> <p>Holcomb:</p> <p>6-foot guard [player_tooltip player_id="1134438" first="Zephyn" last="Mason"] was an all-state caliber performer who moved on. His 19 points per game will be tough to replace. 6-foot-5 guard/wing [player_tooltip player_id="1139910" first="Cooper" last="Autry"] is a very different player from Mason. But he’s battle-tested with SSA Hoops Elite. He shoots it really well from deep and is a leading rebounder. His athleticism allows him to guard nearly every spot on the floor.</p> <p>Osage City:</p> <p>Honorable-mention all-stater <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1134426" first="Gunnar" last="Fort"]</strong> returned from injury to become the Indians’ floor leader. But he shared a lot of the spotlight last season with sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="1146292" first="Landon" last="Boss"]. Boss, a 6-foot-1 powerhouse at forward, had some huge scoring outings and almost never finished with fewer than 10 points.</p> <p>Perry-Lecompton:</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="889505" first="Parker" last="Stone"]</strong> was a great leader for the Kaws the past couple of years. He was a gamer who averaged 17.3 points as a senior, which ended as a 3A honorable mention pick. A 2023 player who may pick up a lot of the slack is <strong>Gunnar Ball</strong>. By the end of the year, it was the 6-foot-1 forward Ball leading the way in scoring.</p> <p>Riley County:</p> <p>All-Mid-East League twins <strong>Avery</strong> and <strong>Connor Holle</strong> have moved on. They were athletic gamers and will be missed. 3A honorable mention pick <strong>Trey Harmison</strong> returns for his senior year and will have a chance for a bigger role. He scored in double figures frequently last season for a tough Falcons team.</p> <p>Silver Lake:</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1080917" first="Kamryn" last="Kaniper"] (pictured) will have his hands full with seniors <strong>Dawson Wyre</strong> and <strong>Andrew Osterhaus</strong> – two Mid-East League honorees - gone. The 6-foot-4 presence of Wyre will be particularly tough to replace. But Kaniper has loads of potential. The 6-foot-4 2022 forward does some of everything at both ends. He has jumping ability, quickness and ability to run the floor. Watch for big things in his senior campaign.</p> <p>TMP:</p> <p>First-team 3A star [player_tooltip player_id="1188957" first="Jackson" last="Schulte"] and his 18.5 scoring average will be missed. But by the end of last season, 6-foot-7 forward [player_tooltip player_id="1212164" first="Dylan" last="Werth"] was leading the team. Werth averaged 20 points a game in the playoffs and grabbed honorable mention 3A recognition.</p>