Home Stretch: The 4A Race

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As the 2022-23 season enters the home stretch, we can begin to predict who the top contenders for the 4A crown will be. Here are a few 4A teams to watch for the next month:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The Favorites:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Bishop Miege</strong> - You really can't have another favorite ahead of Miege. They have been too dominant over the years not to expect them to be there in the end. And they play such a challenging schedule all season, they are battle tested when the playoffs roll around. They have a trio of guards in [player_tooltip player_id='1300808' first='Patrick' last='Mccallop Jr'], [player_tooltip player_id='1080167' first='Jason' last='Rodriguez'] (pictured) and <strong>Mac Armstrong </strong>who can handle the ball and get it to scorers on time and on target. [player_tooltip player_id='1080169' first='Aiden' last='Wing'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1080201' first='Daegan' last='Jensen'] are talented front court players who can shoot, rebound and run the floor. Until they are knocked out, they have to be considered the frontrunner.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Atchison</strong> -You may not know much about them, but they're ranked number one for a reason. The Phoenix have been challenged by a few tough opponents, particularly Eudora and Marysville, and proved themselves. And they learned some lessons from their lone loss against 5A beast Highland Park. They have a top-notch point man leading the action in [player_tooltip player_id='1756359' first='Trey' last='Carter']. They have a long rim protector in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2314773' first='Jeter' last='Purdy']</strong>. And they have talented, versatile scorers in <strong>Jesse Greenly</strong> and <strong>Xiomar Hernandez</strong>. It will be interesting to see how far a team that went just 12-9 last year can go.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The Challenger:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Hugoton</strong> - The Eagles finished last season looking like the most talented group returning in 3A. But their enrollment bumped them up to 4A. Can Hugoton succeed at the next level? They certainly have the talent, depth and experience to be in the mix. They have two senior guards in [player_tooltip player_id='1080203' first='Ryle' last='Riddlesperger'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1378394' first='Carson' last='Bennett'] who can take this team a long ways. The Eagles' only losses are to 6A Olathe West and 5A Hays, both of which were close games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Hopeful:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Hayden</strong> - Forget about their record, which is right around .500. The Wildcats are always prepped for the post-season by their schedule. The Wildcats have one thing in senior [player_tooltip player_id='1080188' first='Joe' last='Otting'] few teams can match – a bruising post who can overwhelm smaller opponents. They have several ball handlers, led by senior [player_tooltip player_id='1080202' first='Jake' last='Mueller'] and juniors <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1300863' first='Jacob' last='Padilla']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1624997' first='Mister' last='Cameron']</strong>, who can handle pressure and provide scoring. Forwards <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1530221' first='Ayden' last='McGibboney']</strong> and <strong>Daxton Ham</strong> provide blue-collar toughness.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->