Top 3A Matchups in the East

<p>3A games are going to be fun to follow this Thursday. Here are some of the top matchups and top players to watch from games in the eastern half of Kansas:</p> <p>Frontenac vs Burlington:</p> <p>Top seed Frontenac is loaded with seniors and ready to achieve its potential. With a big man like [player_tooltip player_id="1195604" first="Jordan" last="Fudge"], they can be really tough to match up with. Fudge is a 6-foot-8 monster athlete who can dominate in the paint. He is joined by some excellent athletes including [player_tooltip player_id="1212170" first="Mario" last="Menghini"] and [player_tooltip player_id="1300826" first="Aaron" last="Doria"] and [player_tooltip player_id="1300827" first="Michael" last="Doria"]. Burlington will try to counter, led by 6-foot-1 guard [player_tooltip player_id="1268826" first="Sam" last="Smith"], who averages 16.6 points as a senior.</p> <p>Southeast of Saline vs Smoky Valley:</p> <p>The Trojans, ranked sixth in the state, feature one of the most versatile tandems of big men in [player_tooltip player_id="1080163" first="Eli" last="Sawyers"] (pictured) and [player_tooltip player_id="1378391" first="Nakari" last="Morrical-Palmer"]. Both standing taller than 6-foot-3, the pair combines for about 30 points, 14 rebounds and 7 assists per game. Smoky Valley has a powerful big man of its own in 6-foot-4 senior [player_tooltip player_id="1268825" first="Haven" last="Lysell"], who really knows how to post, catch and finish around the rim. He averaged 11 points and 5.5 boards. Guard <strong>Karson Pihl</strong> had a solid junior campaign for the Vikings with 10 points, 4 rebounds and 3.5 assists.</p> <p>Beloit vs Council Grove</p> <p>In the same sub-state with Southeast of Saline and Smoky Valley, second seed Beloit has a tough path ahead. First they must get by #3 seed Council Grove. Beloit has one of the best young bigs in 3A in sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="1270292" first="Bryce" last="Beisner"], but the Trojans actually send out four players who average more than 10 points a game. Council Grove has one of the best trios of seniors in 3A. Guard [player_tooltip player_id="1372657" first="Kellen" last="Marshall"] has taken his game to another level with 18 points and 4.5 assists per game, but he’s joined by experienced veterans <strong>Hunter Brintle</strong> and [player_tooltip player_id="1076401" first="Koen" last="Hula"].</p> <p>Osage City vs Heritage Christian:</p> <p>It’s a little surprising that 18-3 Osage City wasn’t in the final rankings of 3A clubs. But no matter, they’re the top seed at West Franklin and have a chance to show they’re one of the best teams in the state. But they must get by Heritage Christian from Olathe. In addition to being the Indians’ star quarterback, junior [player_tooltip player_id="1146292" first="Landon" last="Boss"] has been a boss ever since his freshman season. This year he’s averaging 24 points and 8.2 boards as an undersized forward. Heritage Christian is a team to be wary of. They already knocked off Wellsville 64-63 on Monday. The Chargers are led by junior <strong>Blake Heckman</strong>, a 6-foot-2 shooter who averages 16.5 points and 4 assists. Fellow guard [player_tooltip player_id="1231202" first="Owen" last="Evans"] dishes out a ridiculous 7 assists per game, and can get his own points as well.</p>