Wheat State League athletes feted

Marion County schools place 12 athletes on all-league basketball teams

Wheat State League coaches have released all-league honors for the 2014-15 basketball season.

Marion County athletes were well-represented with 12 players from Centre, Goessel and Peabody-Burns receiving recognition.

For the Centre girls, three members of the Cougars? state-qualifying team received recognition. Senior Shelby Makovec and sophomore Shelby Pankratz were named to the first team.

Makovec averaged 19.5 points per game and set season records for three-point baskets (72), free-throw percentage (79.3) and points scored (488). She led the Cougars with 98 assists and 105 steals this season. Over her career, Makovec tallied 1,419 points, making her the Cougars? second all-time leading scorer.

?(Makovec) makes our offense go with her attacking style and has done so for all four years,? coach Alan Stahlecker said. ?(She) helped lead us to the state tournament all four seasons of her high school career.?

Pankratz averaged 7.2 points per game last season.

?She is a good, young?all-around player who contributed to our success, especially on the offensive end,??Stahlecker said. ?I look forward to having her back for two more seasons.?

Junior Carlotta Benning received honorable mention, leading the team in rebounds with 10.6 per game.

?(Lotti?s) defensive presence, combined with her rebounding ability, allowed us to play better defense on the perimeter,? Stahlecker said. ?She made us much tougher around the basket and was the key to our defensive success.?

The Cougars concluded their 22-4 season with a third-place finish at the Class 1A, Division I state tournament.

For the 19-4 Goessel girls, four athletes received honors, while coach Ryan Hoopes was named coach of the year. Three Bluebirds were named to the first team: juniors Page Hiebert and Aleena Cook and freshman Eden Hiebert.

Page Hiebert shot 51 percent from the field last season, while averaging 16 points and nine rebounds per game. She led the team in scoring.

?(Page) is versatile and can play inside and out on both offense and defense,? Hoopes said. ?Page is an outstanding defender, our vocal leader, and go-to player.

?Not only is she an outstanding basketball player but also an outstanding role model who holds herself at a high standard.?

Cook averaged 8.1 points per game last season, and Hoopes described her as ?the most steady player on our team this year.?

?(Aleena) was a huge factor for us this year,? Hoopes said. ?She understands the game well and makes incredible passes at times. She plays great defense. (Aleena) has a very quick first step and is able to slash and get to the rim often. (She) always goes hard and never quits.?

Hoopes described Eden Hiebert as ?the X factor for us this year.?

?She ran the point for us the entire year,??he said. ?She has great handles and sees the floor better than any guard I’ve ever had.?

Junior Alicen Meysing earned honorable mention.

?(Alicen) is a huge presence on defense inside for us,? Hoopes said. ?What she brings us on the defensive end is priceless.?

Senior Rylie McDowell represents the 3-18 Peabody-Burns girls as an honorable mention selection.

?Rylie was one of our team leaders this year, not just because of her skills and ability on the court, but also because she was a great example for the other girls,??coach Travis Schafer said. ?She was always somebody I could count on to make the smart decisions and keep the team going all game long.?

For the boys, meanwhile, senior Lawton Makovec and junior Zach Wiens represent the 6-15 Goessel boys as first-team selections.

Makovec turned in per-game averages of 12.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists. Wiens averaged 13.3 points, 8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game.

?Lawton?s leadership on the floor was great,? coach Curtis Guhr said. ?He knows the game and understands situations.?He can create shots for himself and for his teammates.

?Zach would make everyone around him better because of his energy and work ethic.?He was always a spark on the floor.?

The 9-12 Peabody-Burns boys are represented by two selections. Senior foreign exchange student Kornelius Skotaam was named to the first team. He turned in per-game averages of 14 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists. He shot 52 percent from the field.

?Kornelius grew very well into his role for us,? coach Caleb Good said. ?We counted on him to produce every night. He had to make the adjustments to American basketball, for sure, and he did a tremendous job of it.?

Senior Braxton Kyle received honorable mention. He averaged 12.6 points, five rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 48 percent from the field.

?Braxton was the backbone of our team,? Good said. ?He worked his way into that position over the last few years with his determination and work ethic. Braxton set the tone for the team and everyone fed off of him. We counted on Braxton for everything from ball handling duties, to scoring, defense, rebounding, pushing the ball, and getting the team all on the same page.?

2015 All-WSL Basketball

Girls

First team: Shelby Makovec, sr., Centre; Page Hiebert, jr., Goessel; Anna Adamyk, sr., Elyria Christian; Alexis Campuzano, sr., Rural Vista; Autumn Adams, jr., Wakefield; Aleena Cook, jr., Goessel; Rachel Adamyk, jr., Elyria Christian; Shelby Pankratz, so., Centre; Haylee Weeks, so., Rural Vista; Eden Hiebert, fr., Goessel.

Honorable mention: Rylie McDowell, sr., Peabody-Burns; Alexa Ritter, sr., Solomon; Carlotta Benning, jr., Centre; Alicen Meysing, jr., Goessel; Addison Fields, sr., Elyria Christian.

2015 All-WSL Basketball

Boys

First team: Blake Homman, sr., Solomon; Keenan Westerman, sr., Wakefield; Andrew Meagher, jr., Solomon; Chord Zeller, sr., Little River; Lawton Makovec, sr., Goessel; Zach Gaylon, sr., Little River; Kornelius Skotaam, sr., Peabody-Burns; John Yenni, sr., Wakefield; Zach Wiens, jr., Goessel; Trace Hostetter, so., Rural Vista.

Honorable mention: Braxton Kyle, sr., Peabody-Burns; Tyler Thiessen, fr., Elyria Christian; Trey Adams, sr., Wakefield; Grant Harvey, sr., Little River; Kord Hilbert, jr., Solomon.

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