Local athletes compete in All-Star game

Matthew Potucek, coach Darrell Knoll and Grayson Ratzlaff participated in the KBCA Boys All-Star game on June 18 in Salina. The Blue team won 95-89.

For most of their lives, Matthew Potucek and Grayson Ratzlaff have been playing basketball together either on recreation teams or as Hillsboro High School Trojans. But on Saturday, June 18, the two played against each other in the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association (KBCA) All-Star Game.

Potucek was on the gold team and Ratzlaff played on the blue team. Ratzlaff had 8 points while Potucek scored 2 for his team.

“What a great honor to have two players in the KBCA All Star Game, which represents the best players in each class. Both Matt and Grayson were deserving and played well. I am proud of them and the way they represented Hillsboro,” said Coach Darrell Knoll.

Knoll has coached both boys through their high school careers and he also got to coach at the All-Star game on Saturday.

“It’s a truly enjoyable honor and experience to work with great coaches and excellent players. The KBCA, led by Randy Walling, does such a great job of organizing the game and promoting Kansas players and the game of basketball,” Knoll said.

The boys both graduated in May and will be going their separate ways in the fall. They enjoyed getting to play together one more time and getting to play with other top players.

Potucek said, “It was really cool getting the opportunity to play in the all star game because not many others from Hillsboro have had the chance to. It was really cool getting to meet and play with some of the best players in Kansas.”

“It was a super cool experience. Not only was it a great privilege to get to play on a court full of incredible basketball players, but it also gave me an opportunity to meet some really cool guys,” said Ratzlaff.

For more information on the game, go to www.KSHSAAcovered.com.

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