Mid-Season Metro League Player of the Year Candidates

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's the middle of league play in the Metro League and a number of guys have already put together outstanding seasons and have established themselves as all-league - and player of the year honors. Making the hard decision and only choosing one representative from each of the nine schools in the conference, here's a look at the top POY candidates (listed in order of current team record):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1197476' first='Kaden' last='Groenig'] (2024 Southridge) - Southridge has incredible depth and balance but when you need a bucket, Groenig is the guy who will get the job done for the Skyhawks. The baby-faced killer has put together a fantastic senior season and time and time again, makes big plays at exactly the right time with his ability to not only knock down shots but create off of the dribble.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1643228' first='Patrick' last='Kilfoil'] (2025 Jesuit) - Part of Jesuit's big three along with senior [player_tooltip player_id='1565732' first='Nico' last='Rafalovich'] and freshman sensation [player_tooltip player_id='2026054' first='Isaac' last='Bongen'], Kilfoil has been the Crusaders leading scorer so far and arguably the most consistent performer. A gritty guard with an edge that you can't quite teach, the junior can really get going both with his jump shot or hard drives to the hoop, creating for himself and for others.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1276628' first='Brayden' last='Boe'] (2025 Mountainside) - Boe missed some action due to a sprained ankle but it's still clear the defending Metro League Player of the Year is still the best candidate once again this year. The 6-foot-3 guard does it all on the court and while his scoring prowess has definitely increased his junior season, he's still playing unselfishly and doing whatever it takes - including more rebounding and defense - to lead the generally undersized Mavs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Alex Choi (2024 Westview) - While injury will sideline him for the rest of the season, the body of work Choi has put together so far makes him the best candidate for Westview at this point. The combo guard has been the Wildcats' most constant scoring threat on a nightly basis and was a big reason behind Westview's contention for first place at the halfway point of the year. There's no question his presence will be missed.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1197477' first='Max' last='Elmgren'] (2024 Beaverton) - Very tough call to choose between Elmgren and Rice as Beaverton's best candidate - after all both are certainly worthy - but the pick goes to the 6-foot-1 senior due to his clutch gene. The senior guard is the go-to guy when it comes to big-time shots and the lefty's pull-up jumper is arguably the best in the business in the entire league.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1110590' first='Kayin' last='Turner'] (2024 Sunset) - Arguably the league's best inside-outside threat, Turner is one of those special players who can hit multiple threes and throw down multiple dunks in a single game. The 6-foot-5 swingman has gotten even more consistent with his outside shooting this year and when he's gotten hot, can really get things going.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1625268' first='Cayden' last='Williams'] (2026 Aloha) - It continues to be a rebuilding process at Aloha but there's young talent developing and Williams is one of those with ability. At 6-foot-4 he has the ability to score both down in the block and out on the perimeter and has been able to put up some double-figure scoring efforts for the Warriors, who've already won more games at this point than all of last season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->