Mid-Season Mt Hood Player of the Year Candidates

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's the middle of league play in the Mt Hood Conference 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='1276626' first='Isaac' last='Carr'] (2025 Central Catholic) - The Oregon commit has predictably put together a great junior year for a Rams team that seemed poised to win it all. The junior continues to be one of the state's top marksmen from the perimeter but his improved athleticism and strength now has him an equal threat to get to the hoop and finish. He's currently out due to injury but Central Catholic continues to win games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1517891' first='Sam' last='Lewis'] (2024 Nelson) - If there's anyone who's benefitted from the coaching change at Nelson to Daniel Blanks, it's been Lewis. The senior has been given the green light and he's lit up the scoreboard both with bombs from three-point range but also getting out and finishing in transition and he's meshed with the Hawks freshman backcourt of [player_tooltip player_id='2026057' first='Braylon' last='Gaines'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2026060' first='Jaydon' last='Schregardus'] very well. The lefty could be a real sleeper recruit in the 2024 class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1276625' first='Jalen' last='Atkins'] (2025 Barlow) - On the surface one could see that the junior's scoring numbers are down but that's due to a couple of factors - Barlow also has two other scoring threats in [player_tooltip player_id='1368245' first='Mason' last='Bierbrauer'] and Braydon Barron, and Atkins has adjusted to being more of a point guard and has been racking up assists getting them the ball. The guard remains a dangerous offensive threat at all three levels capable of going off for 30+ points on any given night.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1744015' first='Marcos' last='Ramirez'] (2024 Sandy) - Sandy has been one of the sleeper teams this season with multiple guys able to lead the team in scoring every night, but one guy who has consistently always contributed has been Ramirez. The senior point guard is rock solid with not only his point production but with his ball-handling game after game, despite playing heavy minutes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1110591' first='RJ' last='Alexander'] (2024 Gresham) - Finishing up a good four-year career is Alexander, who has been Gresham's go-to guy on the offensive end. The lefty is one of the top three-point shooters in all of 6A but has also further diversified his game to be a threat off the dribble, passing the ball, and making plays on the defensive end. He's on track to surpass 1000 career points later this year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2324444' first='Lincoln' last='Satterthwaite'] (2024 David Douglas) - Breaking out his senior season has been Satterthwaite, who has been the Scots' primary offensive threat and leading scorer so far this year. He's long, lanky, and has sneaky athleticism and with additional strength on his frame, his best basketball is certainly ahead of him at the college level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2348777' first='Seyi' last='Babatunde'] (2025 Clackamas) - The truth is the Cavs don't have a true standout as different guys have done well in different games, but our pick is Babatunde. The junior is an impressive athlete with a matching motor who can also get hot from the outside on occasion. He's certainly made plenty of plays in the games we've seen of Clackamas this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1671255' first='Eddie' last='Szabatin'] (2026 Reynolds) - The only sophomore on the list, Szabatin may be the most improved player in the entire league. The 6-foot-6 big man has been the key guy for the Raiders and despite the team's win-loss record, he's consistently put up double-doubles all season long and ranks as one of 6A's top rebounders.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->