Class 4 State Semifinals Standouts

Columbia, Mo. - Vashon and Bolivar advanced to Saturday afternoon's Class 4 state championship game with impressive victories on Thursday afternoon. Vashon defeated Kearney 58-42 while Bolivar defeated Parkway Central 63-41. Vashon will be looking to repeat as state champions while Bolivar is playing for its first state title since 1960. Here is a look at some of the top standouts from Thursday's state semifinals: Brandon Emmert 6'6" (Bolivar): The 2017 Central Missouri signee was a beast inside in leading the Liberators to the victory over Parkway Central. Emmert finished the game with 24 points and nine rebounds. He is a walking clinic on low-post fundamentals. He establishes good position, has good footwork and a nice shooting touch with both hands. He also passed well out of a double team. Emmert is also Bolivar's secondary ball handler, which isn't always pretty, but he's effective. Daniel "Peanut" Farris 5'11" (Vashon): Even on a loaded team like Vashon, Peanut's value was clearly evident in the Wolverines victory over Kearney. In the third quarter, Vashon had a big lead, but he had to leave the game when he was struck in the face. With Farris on the bench, Kearney made a mini-run to cut the lead to eight and Vashon looked very out of synch. When Farris returned for the fourth quarter, all order was restored and Vashon rolled. His scoring and facilitating are well-documented, but above all Farris is a leader and a winner. The 2017 guard scored a team-high 14 points. Conley Garrison 6'1" (Bolivar): The 2017 point guard was fabulous in leading the Liberators to the unexpected rout of Parkway Central. He scored, rebounded and dropped dimes to the tune of 22 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. He played the game with such moxie and confidence. Garrison got to the basket with ease and he also knocked down a couple of 3-pointers, including one at the end of the first quarter when he sized up the defender and calmly dropped a 22-footer at the buzzer. In my opinion, he was the most impressive player of the day. Levi Stockard 6'8" (Vashon): The 6'8" Kansas State signee scored a team-high 14 points on six of eight shooting from the field. Stockard is a chiseled mass of muscle who looked like a grown man amongst a bunch of little boys out there. He was able to get the ball in great spots around the basket and he finished with ease. Most important, he was able to keep himself out of foul trouble, which is hard for a kid as big as he is and high school officiating. Koray Gilbert 6'4" (Vashon): The 2017 wing player continued his fine postseason play with 11 points, four rebounds and a couple of 3-pointers. Gilbert shot the ball with confidence and played hard on the defensive end. He's kind of a hidden gem on a team full of talented players. Gilbert has the ability to score at all three levels. He recently picked up a couple of offers from Missouri Southern and Missouri Western. Dylan Ritz 6'0" (Kearney): The 2017 point guard was the one bright spot for Kearney in their loss to Vashon with a game-high 16 points. He had the tough task of being the Bulldogs' primary ball handler against Vashon's withering pressure defense, but he handled things with poise and a lot of swag. He made some nice escape moves off the dribble and got to the basket to scored or got fouled. He just played the game and was impressive. Devion Harris 6'6" (Parkway Central): Not a lot went right for the Colts in their loss to Kearney, but I was very impressed with the play of this 2020 forward on the big stage. He had four points, six rebounds and a steal, but I was really impressed with the zeal and energy he played with on both ends. He battled Bolivar's Emmert despite giving away about 30 pounds and three years of experience. He even knocked down a nice jumper from the high post. This young man has a high upside.