All-State Performers in the 1A Classification pt. 1

The Arkansas Activities Association recently announced its all-state performers in each classification. Though the 1A classification is the smallest in the state, it still features incredible talent. These great players were honored as all-state nominees from 1A schools across Arkansas.   Spencer Traywick (Jasper 2025 6'4" C)- Traywick inserted himself on the map after posting 38 points and 18 rebounds versus Founders Classical in January. He also had an impressive showing against Mulberry in late February, logging 26 points. The dominant post player surpassed 1,000 career points this season as well.   Sawyer Willis (Jasper 2025 6'3" SF)- Willis is also well over 1,000 career points. He paired well with Traywick and together they led the Pirates to a 26-7 overall record. One of Willis' best games of the season was against Norfork in the North Arkansas College Tournament which took place over Christmas Break. In that game, he had 34 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists, and knocked down 8 3-pointers.   Noah Royce (Lead Hill 2026 6'2" F/G)- Royce averaged 16.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 2.2 steals during the regular season. He also knocked down 2-pointers at a 54% clip and 3-pointers at a 32% clip. The junior was a solid offensive rebounder, averaging 2.1 offensive boards a night. His 3-point shooting percentage might not be the most glamorous, but he shot a lot of jumpers from distance, nailing 132 of them.   Ethan Clark (Kingston 2025 6'1" PG)- Clark is an excellent 3-point shooter who can get hot in a second. He proved that to Founders Classical in mid-January, scoring 33 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists. He also had 30 points and was 7/10 from beyond the arch in just the 1st half of a game this season. Not long after the game against Founders Classical, he put up 29 points on Omaha.   Mason Guinnip (Deer 2025 6'2" PF)- The senior forward averaged 14.3 points and 9.9 rebounds per game in his last high school season. Against Omaha in January, he surpassed 1,000 career points after recording 24 points and 18 rebounds. A few games later, he scored 21 points and pulled down 11 rebounds versus Jasper.   Noah Morrison (Omaha 2025 F)- In Omaha's appearance in the district tournament, Morrison surpassed 1,000 career points, which was going to happen sooner or later. Everyone knew it was possible for him to reach that number after scoring 47 points against 2A Eureka Springs in October.   Ayden Barrow (Founders Classical 2025 6'2" C)- It was not a surprise that Barrow was named all-state for Founders Classical. He was a Bentonville West transfer who also has the habit of scoring 20+ whenever his team needs it.   Kasen Stevens (Rural Special 2025 6'3" F/C)- Stevens helped lead Rural Special to a 25-12 overall record this season. On the court, he showed that he was a valuable asset to have on the defensive end, blocking shots with ferocity. He is also capable of grabbing double-digit rebounds, as he pulled down 15 against Calico Rock in early February.   Brayden Watts (Rural Special 2026 5'5" SF)- The junior was also instrumental in Rural Special's great season. He began the season as the MVP of the Arvest Tournament in November, but he is a well-known sharpshooter. He entered state record books after knocking down 11 3-pointers back in February of 2024.   Landon Russell (Calico Rock 2025 6'2" G/F)- In addition to being named to the all-state team, Russell was also honored as an all-conference performer and an all-star nominee. He averaged 18 points and 6 rebounds during the season, while also shooting 45% from the field and 70% from the charity stripe. He had some great outings throughout the season, with his 27-point, 5-block performance against Maynard being a notable one. Russell also performed well in the postseason, posting 22 points and 5 rebounds against Timbo in the district semis.   Heath Brothers (Calico Rock 2026 6'2" C)- Alongside Russell, Brothers was important in Calico Rock's 21-8 season. One of his more noteworthy performances this season was against Norfork in late January, where he scorched the opposition with 24 points.   Braden Avery (Timbo 6'4" G)- Avery made a name for himself in the regional tournament. He had 10 of his 17 points in the second quarter in a game during that tournament. He also lit up Norfork in December with 28 points.   Max Gipson (Greers Ferry Westside 2025 5'11" G)- Gipson entered Arkansas high school basketball record books after his performance against Norfork this season. His 11 made threes are tied with 6 other players for the 2nd-most 3-pointers in a game in Arkansas high school boys basketball history.   Reece Bracey (Concord 2025 6'2" G)- Like several other players mentioned in this article, Bracey surpassed 1,000 career points, which he did versus Norfork. One of his better performances this season was in the district title game, where he scored 21 points against Calico Rock.   Darrell Reed (Concord 2025 6'1" G/F)- Reed was a putback artist throughout the season, causing damage on the backboard. One of his better showings was against Greers Ferry Westside where he stuffed the stat sheet with 16 points, 18 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block.   <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/taron-hurst/">[player_tooltip player_id='2102733' first='Ta'Ron' last='Hurst']</a>- This junior star was very much deserving of an all-state selection, as he was instrumental in taking Earle to the 1A championship game. Hurst was named the MVP of that game after putting up 20 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists. He also shot 7/15 from the field and 4/5 from the free throw line. During the regular season, the guard was voted as the SBLive Boys Basketball Player of the Week for the week of February 10th, as he recorded back-to-back 30-point games against Armorel and Hillcrest. He had 30 and 31 in those respective games. He also had 23 points in the postseason against Marvell-Elaine.   Jalin Robinson- Robinson was also a factor in helping Earle win the championship. He did not have his best scoring outing, scoring only 4 points. He still made an impact, though, pulling down 6 rebounds and blocking 3 shots. 3 of his boards were on the offensive end.   Jonah Walker (Marked Tree 2025 6'6" F)- Walker is an incredible athlete who is better known for his abilities on the gridiron. He committed to Columbia University in December to play football after having an incredible high school career playing tight end and middle linebacker. On the hardwood, Walker's size translated well, as he helped lead Marked Tree to the championship game. He had 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 blocks in that game, along with shooting 4/9 from the field and 3/4 from the line. He also pulled down 5 offensive rebounds.   Isaiah Malone (Marked Tree 2025 5'6" G)- Malone was crucial to Marked Tree's success during the regular season, achieving a 25-5 overall record, the best record in all of 1A. The senior point guard also led this team to the championship game, playing some key minutes in that contest versus Earle.   Doss Clayton (Crowley's Ridge Academy 2026)- Clayton can make a large impact on both sides of the ball. He can score the ball at a high level as he put up 30 points on Earle back in December. He can also force turnovers at a high rate, recording 7 steals against Tuckerman in January.   Talon McMillon (Crowley's Ridge Academy 2025)- McMillon is a fantastic baseball player, but he showed off his skills on the court this season. His premiere performance was against Lafayette County in the postseason, where he scored 26 points.   Evan Ellenburg (Ridgefield Christian 2025 6'3" G/F)- Ellenburg was all-conference last season after averaging 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists per game. It was not surprising that he was named to the all-state team, especially after the 24-point performance against a talented Hillcrest team.   Eli Brewer (Hillcrest 2025 6'2" G)- Brewer showed a lot of potential as a freshman on this Hillcrest team after being named 1st team all-conference. Now in his senior season, he was honored as an all-state performer. One of his better showings this season was against Midland at the Rumble at the Rock held at Calico Rock High School. He had 33 points in that game.   Adrian Bean (County Line 2026 6'2" G)- Bean only averaged 8 points per game as a sophomore last season, but he received more playing time and more opportunities, making the most of them. He proved to be a major threat from long distance, knocking down 8 3-pointers against Jasper in the postseason.   Parker Winiecki (County Line 2026 6'3" G/F)- The junior made himself known in County Line's appearance at the Ozark Tournament in January, scoring 31 points in one of the games. He also had a respectable 17 points against Lead Hill in the postseason.   Shane Baker (Scranton 2025 6'0" G)- Baker became one of Scranton's all-time greats after reaching 1,000 career points in a game versus Nemo Vista. He had some solid performances throughout the season, posting 15 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 assists against Mulberry before scoring 23 points in a game against St. Paul.   Peyton Jones (Scranton 2025 5'10" G)- Baker had a great game against St. Paul in January, but so did Jones. The senior guard tore up the defense with 30 points.   Nathaniel Smith (Magazine 2025 6'5" G)- Smith is a phenomenal multi-sport athlete. He can play both quarterback and safety on the football team and he is a matchup nightmare on the court. He helped Magazine to a 16-12 record this season.   <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jaxson-keeling/">[player_tooltip player_id='2021907' first='Jaxson' last='Keeling']</a>- There are plenty of reasons why Keeling is an all-state selection. He averaged 18.4 points and 4 assists per game while making opposing defenses look silly. In the regular season, he had 30 points against Cedarville, which included him knocking down 5 triples in the 3rd quarter. About a month later, he had 27 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals against County Line. In the first round of the regional tournament, Keeling had a near triple-double of 16 points, 9 rebounds, and 11 assists. In the first round of the 1A state playoffs, he had 25 points, 3 assists, and 2 steals against Nevada. He hit 5 threes in the first half of that playoff matchup.   Blake Roe (Mulberry 2025 5'8" G)- This senior guard was important in helping Mulberry make it to the postseason. In addition to Keeling's great performance against Cedarville, Roe added 11 points in the victory.   There are still more all-state performers to highlight, which is what I will do in my next article, so be on the lookout.

The Arkansas Activities Association recently announced its all-state performers in each classification. Though the 1A classification is the smallest in the state, it still features incredible talent. These great players were honored as all-state nominees from 1A schools across Arkansas.