Class 1A Championship Game Standout Players

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">The class 1A championship game was played at a high level, but in the end, Covenant Christian captured the Blue Map. Several players made their impact, and here are a few…</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Class 1A State Champions: Covenant Christian</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2389192' first='Jalen' last='Chandler']</strong>&nbsp;(6'6/F/'24/Covenant Christian)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Instagram: xxjalenn</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Jalen is a lengthy post player that was an excellent finisher in the paint and at the rim. He showed off some nice post moves, along with solid footwork. I was very impressed with how hard he runs the floor, and he showed excellent hands as he had to catch several passes that looked uncatchable. At points throughout the game, he just outworked Oakwood post players and demonstrated a greater will to win. He is active on the boards and has a quick 2nd jump. He will be coming back for another year and will have Covenant Christian competing again for a State Championship. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"textColor":"primary","fontSize":"medium"} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote has-primary-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size"><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He finished the championship game with the following stat line: 16pts (6-12); 7-rebs</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite>Terry J. Drake</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2262460' first='Trey' last='Kellogg']</strong>&nbsp;(6'4/G/'24/Covenant Christian)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Instagram: treykellogg2</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Trey is a guard with good positional size and was impactful in creating off-the-bounce. He was versatile on both ends of the floor, as he had to play inside and out. His aggressiveness off the bounce and on the glass resulted in a lot of fouls being drawn on Oakwood, and TK found himself at the charity strike 9 times over the course of the game. Down the stretch, he took over the ball-handling responsibilities and led his squad to the blue map after Jalen had fouled out. On the defensive end of the floor, he defended in space, on the low block, and challenged shots at the rim. He was a player who did whatever it took for his team to win, and he is the epitome of a guy who plays for the name on the front of the jersey rather than the name on the back of it. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"textColor":"primary","fontSize":"medium"} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote has-primary-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size"><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He finished with 13pts on 3-9 shooting. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite>Terry J. Drake</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Henry Glover</strong>&nbsp;(6'2/F/'23/Covenant Christian)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Henry is a wing player that did all the dirty work for his squad. His impact is not seen in the stat sheet, but he was a key piece in the championship game with his energy and effort. He defended well, made a lot of hustle plays, and kept plays alive with tip-outs off the glass. He impacted the game without having to score, and his role was just what his team needed to accomplish their goals.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"textColor":"primary","fontSize":"medium"} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote has-primary-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size"><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Henry is a wing player that did all the dirty work for his squad.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite>Terry J. Drake</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Cayden Smith</strong>&nbsp;(5'11/G/'23/Covenant Christian)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Cayden made two huge shots during critical moments of the game. His presence on the floor kept the defense honest, which created gaps and driving lanes for his teammates. He is a spot-up shoot that went 2-3 from behind the arc and finished with 6pts. He finishes his high school career with solid production in the final game of his career, which just so happened to be the game his team won the championship.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"textColor":"primary","fontSize":"medium"} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote has-primary-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size"><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cayden made two huge shots during critical moments of the game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite>Terry J. Drake</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Oakwood Academy:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Jayden Nesbitt</strong>&nbsp;(6'6/C/'23/Oakwood Academy)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Jayden is a listed center that has good positional size for 1A basketball. His immediate impact was noticeable on the defensive end of the floor. He challenged shots at the rim and kept a wall built that forced Covenant players to attack and try to score over. He finished with four blocks, but he altered countless shot attempts. He is a gritty player that was tough to deal with on the glass and on the defensive end of the floor. His presence forced doubles in which he showed great patience and made good passes out of the double. He did not shy away from making tough plays and made some huge baskets through contact late in the game. Could definitely find a role somewhere at the next level. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"textColor":"primary","fontSize":"medium"} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote has-primary-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size"><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He finished the championship game with 17pts (7-11), 13-rebs, 4-blocks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite>Terry J. Drake</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote -->