Big Seven League Spring Wrap

<p>Some of the best teams in the Big Seven League – Perry-Lecompton and Jefferson West – rode strong senior classes heavily. A couple of others – Royal Valley and Nemeha Central – were led by juniors. And a few others were forced to rebuild after being hit hard by graduation.</p> <p>Here’s a look back, and a look forward, for the Big Seven League:</p> <p>Top Team: Royal Valley</p> <p>Their season ended bitterly in a sub-state loss to Rock Creek. But the Panthers finished 20-4 and were ranked throughout the season as one of the top 3A teams.</p> <p>League Player of the Year: [player_tooltip player_id="891912" first="Nahcs" last="Wahwassuck"] (pictured)</p> <p>One of the top returning guards in the state, Wahwassuck has been a workhorse for the Panthers for three years. He can do it all, from scoring in the lane to raining down threes, grabbing rebounds and leading the break. He carried a ton of weight as a junior and responded, averaging 20.4 points. Expect even more next year from the 6-foot-5 guard. He puts on a show during the summer too.</p> <p>Senior Star: [player_tooltip player_id="889505" first="Parker" last="Stone"], Perry-Lecompton</p> <p>Stone helped the Kaws to a couple of great years on both the court and the football field. He will be greatly missed, as will an entire class of top-quality athletes who graduate this year. Stone was a versatile guard who averaged 17.3 points as a senior.</p> <p>Senior Star: [player_tooltip player_id="1070207" first="Kale" last="Purcell"], Holton</p> <p>The 6-foot-3 senior was one of the most versatile and effective bigs in the league. He averaged 18.9 and had some highlight games. Perhaps his best was the 25 he put up against a big and talented front line from Jefferson West.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1072893" first="Garrett" last="Athon"], Jefferson West</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1072895" first="Josh" last="Broxterman"], Jefferson West</p> <p><strong>Bray Davis</strong>, Riverside</p> <p>Top Returners: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1151843" first="Carson" last="Gilbert"]</strong>, junior, Hiawatha</p> <p>The Red Hawks had quite a rebuilding job last season, and Gilbert stepped up to lead the team. He had a slew of 20-point outings to prove he can fill it up. He finished with a 17.2 per game average and will be one of the top guards in the league next year.</p> <p>Top Returners: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1076412" first="Brady" last="Klotz"]</strong>, junior, Royal Valley</p> <p>Klotz is a solid and powerful post presence who looks to be one of the best small-school big men returning next season. The 6-foot-4 post racked up 12.9 points and 8.3 boards as a junior.</p> <p>Other Top Returners (in alphabetical order):</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1076409" first="Kurtis" last="Beck"]</strong>, Nemaha Central</p> <p><strong>Marcus Beck</strong>, Nemaha Central</p> <p><strong>Nehemiah Byrd</strong>, Riverside</p> <p><strong>Zak Kramer</strong>, Nemaha Central</p> <p>Players to Watch this Summer (in alphabetical order):</p> <p><strong>Gunnar Ball</strong>, sophomore, Perry-Lecompton:</p> <p>Even with all the talent back a Perry-Lecompton last season, Ball stepped up as a leader as a sophomore. Though just 6-foot-1, he had a talent for working the boards, averaging 8.4 rebounds to go with his 10.1 points per game. With a ton of talent graduating, Ball has the chance to grow his game and be the leader of the Kaws next season.</p> <p><strong>Matthew Garber</strong>, sophomore, Sabetha:</p> <p>Despite a lot of adversity last year, Garber came to the fore as a leader. The sophomore grew up on the job, learning to perform at the varsity level. He tossed in 15 in his last game, a loss to Marysville. Look for the versatile athlete to further develop on the court this summer.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="891923" first="Mason" last="Thomas"], junior, Royal Valley:</p> <p>Thomas was really good as a sophomore, and had a nice summer, showing a lot of versatility and toughness. But he struggled to take the next step last season. In the final game, he showed some glimpses of what he can do with 14 in the loss to Rock Creek. Look for Thomas to get back to the form he had last summer and build toward a big senior year.</p>