<p>Things are getting hot and heavy in the run up to playoff time. While Kansas City and Wichita schools dominate the rankings of the upper divisions, there are a lot of exciting things happening at small schools in the eastern half of Kansas.</p>
<p>Check out these highlights from the small schools in the east:</p>
<p>In what might be the upset of the year on the small school scene, Holton knocked off 3A #1 Royal Valley when Holton’s <strong>Matt Lierz</strong> hit a 3-pointer in the final seconds. Lierz is the decorated quarterback of the football team, a 6-foot athlete who earned honorable mention in the Big 7 League last year. Lierz had the Panther’s number in the upset. He hit a shot from over half-court earlier in the game.</p>
<p>Another football star is making noise on the court recently. [player_tooltip player_id="1076408" first="Noah" last="Hastert"] from Cair Paravel recently committed to play football at Pitt State, but he has been a hoops standout for even longer than he has been a football prospect. He’s big and powerful, but also fundamental on the court. Check out these recent stats: 26 points/24 boards against Maranatha, 33 points against McLouth. Hastert has the Lions back in the 1A Div. I rankings at number 8 currently.</p>
<p>The Hurlas of St. Mary’s tore it up last week. Senior [player_tooltip player_id="1372662" first="Jaxon" last="Hurla"] dished out 15 assists in a game against Rock Creek. He’s a slithering point guard who can score but is best at breaking down defenses and getting the ball to scorers. Cousin [player_tooltip player_id="1146270" first="Keller" last="Hurla"] went on a tear with games of 51, 32 and 25 recently. St. Marys currently sits at #2 in 2A. Keller is a dynamite shooter who stretches defenses and can get inside to score too.</p>
<p><strong>Gunner Ball</strong>, the 6-foot-2 multi-sport star for Perry-Lecompton has gone unappreciated long enough. He averages about 17 points a game, but he blew up for 33 and 14 rebounds in a battle with Riverside recently. The junior is a big, physical guard who gets in the lane and can also hit from the perimeter. Watch for Ball to be added to the Prep Hoops rankings soon.</p>
<p>A team we haven’t spent enough time talking about is Valley Falls. The Dragons are 18-0 and look ready to challenge Hillsboro, or whoever else is at the top of 2A. [player_tooltip player_id="1076413" first="Avery" last="Gatzemeyer"] has been a top-flight guard for a couple of years already, and he is leading the way with 15 points per game. His running mate, <strong>Dylan Cervantez</strong>, had an impressive season on the gridiron. His physicality and diverse skills are manifesting in 14.5 points, 6.2 boards and 2.8 assists per game.</p>
<p>Though Burlingame has dropped out of the rankngs, [player_tooltip player_id="1139930" first="Trever" last="Quaney"] has been a beast this season. He’s a powerful 6-foot-8 center who is getting offers to play football next year. He recently racked up 40 points and 18 boards in a game, and went over 1,000 for his career. He’s averaging a really impressive 27 points and 13 boards.</p>
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