Junior Varsity Spotlight- Lapel Bulldogs

Lapel has a young tough minded team that does all the intangibles needed to win games. These players showcased why the future is bright at Lapel High School.    Layton continues to be the player who does everything for the team. Whether it was scoring, rebounding, defending or assisting, he always found himself in the right place at the right time. Layton had a quiet game offensively Saturday evening. This did not deter him from being effective in other facets of the game. He grabbed rebounds on both ends of the floor. Some of those defensive boards turned into passing outlets which became fast-break starters. Layton showed a knack for making plays with great passing. He often found teammates for high percentage shots near the basket or along the perimeter. Defensively, he forced multiple turnovers and took a couple of key charges in the game. Layton continues to be an excellent all around player who does all the intangibles at a high level. He's capable of becoming a top player in Lapel's basketball program for years to come.     Gavan has always been a scorer. Every time I watch him play, he puts up great offensive numbers. In Saturday's game, he wasn't as aggressive as he normally could be. Gavan is a crafty scorer who gets to the basket and scores floaters in the paint. He continues to show the ability to knock down a high percentage of his jump-shots. Gavan is an exceptional mid-range shooter who has the capability of extending his range beyond the three-point line. He's the type of player who gives maximum effort on both sides of the ball. Gavan is a shooting guard who can catch fire at any given moment. Once he sees a shot drop, he's capable of reeling off four or five baskets in a row. I expect Gavan to be a focal point of the Lapel offense in the coming years.     Carter is a gritty point guard who attacks the basket, knocks down jumpers and involves his teammates offensively. I was pleased to see Carter remained as aggressive as he had the first time I saw him play. He applied pressure to the Yorktown defense by staying in “attack mode” throughout the game. Carter easily beat defenders to the basket and knocked down mid-range shots when he had the opportunity. He was great at drawing contact when he attacked the paint. Carter calmly stepped to the foul-line and converted all his attempts. Whenever Lapel had the opportunity to make plays in transition, Carter was the catalyst. He either scored or assisted teammates on strong finishes at the rim. On defense, he forced a couple of steals and excelled at playing the pass  lanes. Carter is a great leader for the Bulldogs. The basketball program will be in good hands as he moves to Varsity next season.     Davis continues to be a great shooter from the three-point line. Whenever he plays, it's clear who the team relies on to make shots. Especially from beyond the arc. The first time I watched him play, Davis knocked down five three-pointers. On Saturday evening, his shot wasn't falling as much. With his three point shot being off, he did most of his damage from mid-range or inside the paint. Davis has always been a great rebounder. He battled the Yorktown players for the boards on both ends of the court. Some of his rebounds led to second chance opportunities for his teammates to score. Davis was great at finding ways to get open within the Lapel offense. He is the type of player who can make five to eight threes once he gets on a roll. Davis has a superpower that will take him far in the game of basketball. The ability to shoot from anywhere on the court.     Kase is an athletic player who can beat defenders to the basket, rebound, make threes and defend. There was a sequence in Saturday's game where Kase reeled off three consecutive shots on offense. He started off by knocking down a contested three-pointer. The next two possessions saw him getting to the basket and nailing another three. Kase is a dynamic wing player who showed the ability to score from all areas of the court. He also scored in transition when Lapel had fast-break opportunities. Kase is a great rebounder who dominated the glass on both ends of the court. On defense, he blocked shots and protected the paint by altering the shot attempts of Yorktown players. Kase is a skilled player who could be a viable threat on both sides of the ball.     A good all around scorer who can make shots from everywhere on the court. Whether it was scoring in the paint, knocking down mid-range shots or extending his shooting range beyond the arc, Evan proved to be a tough cover for the Yorktown defense. He's a great rebounder who battled opposing players for every board he got his hands on. Some of his scores came by grabbing offensive rebounds and converting around the rim. Evan is a great passer and play-maker. There were numerous occasions where he managed to find teammates with precise passing. He gave maximum effort on both ends of the court. Evan is an important player who could be vital to Lapel's success as the season continues.

Lapel has a young tough minded team that does all the intangibles needed to win games. These players showcased why the future is bright at Lapel High School.