Mid-Season Three Rivers League Player of the Year Candidates

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's the middle of league play in the Three Rivers 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='1174265' first='Jaden' last='Steppe'] (2024 Tualatin) - Since day one of the season Steppe has felt that it's his turn to lead the Timberwolves to the state title. The do-it-all senior who's signed with Colorado State has done his best carrying the load, playing practically every position on the court and especially in recent games, becoming a triple-double threat in every contest. With [player_tooltip player_id='1370666' first='Nolan' last='Keeney'] back from injury and [player_tooltip player_id='1266106' first='AJ' last='Noland'] expected to return by the post-season, Steppe will get some help for sure but he does appear to be the odds-on favorite for POY honors.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1450157' first='Gylan' last='Payne'] (2025 Oregon City) - It's been a coming-of-age year for Payne whose physical growth and athletic maturation have made him a triple-double threat on the basketball floor. The 6-foot-4 guard/wing has been one of the most difficult guys to match up with for opponents and the Pioneers' go-to guy when they need a bucket or defensive stop on the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1565731' first='Nick' last='Ghetie'] (2024 Lakeridge) - It's super difficult to pick one guy from this year's Lakeridge squad as it has been so incredibly balanced but forced with the choice, we are going with Ghetie. The senior lead guard is the only player on the team to have started every game and has proven to be a scorer when needed, a passer on other occasions, and a guy focused on all the little things at other times.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2132800' first='Pat' last='Vialva Jr'] (2027 West Linn) - Yup, Vialva is only a freshman but he's certainly lived up to the pre-season hype and has established himself as not only the point guard of the future for the Lions but the star player of the present. His pull-up jumper has been near unstoppable and now at mid-season he's become pretty much the go-to guy on the offensive end. Vialva is far from selfish however as he is more than willing to get the ball to some of West Linn's stellar shooters such as [player_tooltip player_id='1611687' first='Jalen' last='Snook'] and Nick DiGiulio.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1587916' first='Colt' last='Ness'] (2025 Tigard) - It's been a tough season at Tigard to say the least but through it all, Ness has shone. The junior point guard has taken on all the pressure with the ball in his hands, creating shots for himself or others. A guy who will always give maximum effort on the basketball floor, Ness has played heavy minutes with heavy responsibilities and has taken it all on with stride and confidence.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1507262' first='Aengus' last='Sutherland'] (2024 Lake Oswego) - Going into the season everyone knew all the weight would be on the shoulders of Sutherland and for the first half of the season, the senior delivered. While the wins may have been lacking, the physical forward put up double-double efforts and the defensive attention focused on him helped open things up for his teammates. Unfortunately, an injury will force him to miss the rest of the season but he remains Lake Oswego's best all-league candidate.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->