Risers in the 2025 Class Rankings

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With just a handful of games played in the 2023-2024 season, and with weather complicating the early part of January, we didn't have a lot of risers. But we did see it necessary to give a handful of guys some pretty big jumps.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are four juniors who earned big bumps in the rankings so far in the season. (Note the jump listed indicates how far they rose prior to adding new players to the list):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1772994' first='Ty' last='Romero'], 6-foot-4 forward, 2025, Elyria Christian – #29 from #37 (8 spots):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Romero's great play has been somewhat underappreciated because a) he plays at a school that doesn't get a lot of media attention, and b) blowouts make stats hard to put into perspective. But the bottom line is, this is a long-limbed, springy athlete with guard-like skills. He has a tight handle and can shoot from anywhere. The Eagles are ranked third in the 1A Div II class, with their only loss coming to 2A monster Moundridge.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1962890' first='Brady' last='Hurla'], 5-foot-10 guard, 2025, St. Marys – #30 from #45 (15 spots):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Part of Hurla's rise up the rankings is a correction to get him into the part of the list he belongs. He played in the shadow of older players for a couple of years, but now that he's running the team in St. Marys, he's showing just how good he is. He handles the ball and orchestrates everything, yet has stepped up his scoring production even though opponents know what's coming. He's had a few 30-plus games already this year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1799266' first='Chase' last='Honarvar'], 6-foot-8 center, 2025, Bishop Seabury – #48 from #62 (14 spots)(pictured):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We're giving Honarvar a bump here to show appreciation for a true center. He's one of only a few who play the traditional role and dominate the paint. You can't dominate much more than 15 rebounds and 6 blocks per game. Look at his line against Bishop Ward: 15 rebounds, 5 assists and 7 blocks. There just aren't many players like him, particularly in the 1A Div. I class where Seabury should be a force come playoff time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2169878' first='Diego' last='Esparza'], 5-foot-8 guard, 2025, Macksville – #61 from #71 (10 spots):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There was no question Esparza would get a bump in the rankings following the way he started this season. 40-plus points in back to back games! He's averaging nearly 30 points per game, while also rebounding, defending and creating chaos every second. Due to new additions to the list, Esparza wound up right back in the #71 spot. But don't miss that he was bumped 10 spots prior to the new additions. We respect what he's doing. This guy is a high-speed, play-making dynamo.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->