4B
Sunday, April 12, 2015
Denton Record-Chronicle
Denton Record-Chronicle
Sunday, April 12, 2015
5B
Denton Record-Chronicle
All-Area Basketball Team 2014-15 BOYS FIRST TEAM Joseph Clark, Sanger
Drew Davis, Aubrey
Jr., Guard As the offensive MVP in District 9-4A, Clark led the Indians with 16.3 points per game while also showing a strong board presence, pulling down 7.3 rebounds a game. He also averaged two steals a game while dolling out 2.3 assists per game.
Jr., Forward Leading the Chaparrals to their first playoff berth in 18 seasons, Davis led his squad with 14.3 points per game. At 6-6, the forward was also the team’s top rebounder with seven rebounds a game. He also averaged two assists per game as a great passing big man.
Emerson Espinoza, Denton
Zach Garza, Guyer
Jr., Guard Espinoza led the Broncos to their third straight playoff berth in the new District 5-5A, where he was co-offensive player of the year. Often the go-to player in crunch time, he was second on the team with 13.1 points per game with just under three assists.
Jr., Guard Look no further than his fourth-quarter performance in the Wildcats’ playoff win over Flower Mound Marcus to see Garza’s value. He scored 13 of his team’s 15 points in the fourth to help Guyer advance. He averaged 12.6 points, 3.0 assists and 4.5 rebounds.
GIRLS MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Sean Choate, Guyer
Vivian Gray, Argyle
Sr., Guard
So., Forward Not much Vivian Gray does on the basketball court is surprising anymore, but the Argyle sophomore’s stellar performance at the UIL state tournament last month was enough to raise eyebrows. Gray, who was a freshman starter a year ago when Argyle lost in the Class 3A state championship game, wasn’t about to come out on the losing end again. Her performance in the Class 4A state championship game against Abilene Wylie was special — 21 points and 12 rebounds — and earned her Championship Game MVP honors after a rout of Wylie. But that was nothing compared to what she did the day before in the semifinal against the state’s top-ranked team — the one that ended Argyle’s season a year ago. Gray poured in 36 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in Argyle’s semifinal win. Her 36 points was the seventh-most points ever scored by a player at the state tournament in Argyle’s classification. On the season, Gray averaged 20 points per game to go with 8.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.5 steals.
Looking at Sean Choate’s statistics during his senior season, one would think he was a natural-born three-point shooter. The truth is, Choate just worked really hard to perfect a craft he struggled with early in his career. A four-year varsity player who made several starts as a freshman point guard, Choate was moved to shooting guard as a sophomore and told to improve his outside shooting. He always excelled as a mid-range shooter, but became one of the most lethal threepoint shooters in the area and had his best all-around season in leading Guyer to a second-round playoff appearance — its first postseason trip at the state’s largest classification. Along the way, Choate signed to play collegiately at Navy while averaging 21.5 points per game and shooting 41 percent from beyond the arc to lead all of Dallas-Fort Worth Class 6A players in made 3-pointers. He was voted co-MVP in District 5-6A.
Ibrahim Logan, Ryan Sr., Guard Logan made a name for himself late in the season as Ryan’s best clutch player. He averaged 12.6 points per game and just more than four rebounds. He also helped win backto-back District 5-6A games with his buzzer-beating heroics.
SECOND TEAM Kade Barnett, Argyle
Cole Cannon, Aubrey
Sr., Post Barnett averaged just shy of nine points per game and 6.6 rebounds while helping Argyle win the District 9-4A title and advance to the regional quarterfinals for the first time since 2012. Barnett played in 35 games. The Eagles went unbeaten through district play.
Bryson Erby, Guyer
Sr., Guard Cannon showed plenty of versatility for the Chaparrals this season. He was third on the team at 9.5 points per game while also co-leading the team with 3.5 assists per game. He also paid attention to the boards with just over three rebounds per game.
Sr., Guard Hearvey was an effective player in the Broncos’ fast-paced offense. Along with his 10.2 points per game, 2.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals, he also had a knack for several game-winning shots for his squad with teams often taking away other scoring options.
Edson Vasquez, Denton Jr., Guard As one of four Broncos to score in double digits at just over 10 points per game, Vasquez’s value to his team was more than just on the offensive end. He was second on the team in assists at 2.7 per game, while also aiding to the Broncos’ swift and strong defense.
THIRD TEAM Name, school J.C. Chalk, Argyle Reed Hadley, Aubrey Gordon Hill, Guyer Cameron Sallee, Ponder Hunter Shoemake, Argyle
Position Forward Guard Post Guard Guard
Year Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr.
Notable Inside presence averaged 8.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game Averaged 10.1 points and 4.2 boards to go with 2.4 assists Post presence averaged 8.5 points, 6.5 boards and 1.4 blocks Point guard averaged 6.8 points and 4.8 assists per game Argyle’s second-leading scorer averaged 9.8 points per game
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Brady Anderson, Ponder
Rebekah Hand, Liberty Christian
Jr., Guard Anderson came into this season knowing he needed to shoulder a heavier load for the Lions, who won the Class 2A state title a year ago. The Lions expected to contend in the new Class 3A, but had the task of replacing graduated standouts Clay Morgan and Josh Peterson. Anderson, a returning starter who is also the starting quarterback for the Lions’ football team, delivered and led the team to this year’s region tournament. Though the Lions fell two wins shy of a return trip to state, it’s hard to imagine where they would have ended up without Anderson. He finished the year averaging 21.7 points per game and pulled down just shy of nine rebounds and five assists per game. And he did it all while making a seamless transition from guard to wing. Anderson was perhaps more deadly from behind the three-point line, where he made 114 treys in 38 games.
Jr., Guard There were likely times this season when people wondered if Liberty Christian junior Rebekah Hand ever missed a shot. Contrary to popular belief, she missed plenty of shots, but they were hardly noticeable in a season where Hand averaged 17.9 points and made 89 3-pointers, proving to be a consistent force. Each stat was a team-high, and the Lady Warriors ended up parlaying that into their first TAPPS 5A state title since 2011. Hand wasn’t the only dominant player on the court for Liberty Christian, but she had a way of standing out. She averaged 6.9 rebounds and just more than two steals per game. In the state tournament, she scored a combined 41 points in two games and was a huge factor in helping Liberty force 10 fourth-quarter turnovers en route to a come-from-behind win over Plano Prestonwood in the final.
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Chase Harris, Ponder
Jesse Sheridan, Argyle
So., Guard Harris was nearly impossible to stop in 2015. As a result, the impact Harris had on Ponder’s season cannot go understated, which is why he shares offensive player of the year honors with Anderson. After bursting onto the scene last year as a freshman, Harris finished this year averaging an identical 21.7 points to Anderson. He also pulled down just more than four rebounds, two assists, and one steal per game. Harris led the team with 124 3-pointers. That gave Ponder coach Jude Stanley two dependable workhorses to choose from with the game on the line, a luxury few teams — if any — could boast. An example was the Lions’ District 10-3A playoff seeding game against Whitesboro, where Anderson took the ball and tried to get open for the game-winner. He ended up kicking it out to Harris, who nailed a clutch jumper for the win.
Sr., Guard When Argyle coach Skip Townsend first arrived four years ago, one of the first things he did was tab Sheridan as his point guard of the future. Though there were some bumps in the road along the way, Sheridan — a four-year varsity starter — turned into everything a state-title winning coach like Townsend expected. In March, Sheridan made sure everything came full circle as she helped lead the Lady Eagles to the Class 4A state title. It was the second year in a row that Argyle competed in a state final. Not only did Sheridan direct each offensive play for Argyle, but she proved she was a well-balanced player who could come up with big plays in the clutch. She finished her final high school season averaging 13.6 points, 4.4 assists and 2.4 steals per game. She was also an 83 percent free throw shooter and shot 38 percent from three-point range.
Key’andre Hearvey, Denton
Sr., Guard Erby dished out 6.4 assists per game, which led all Dallas-Fort Worth Class 6A players. As one of many capable Guyer guards, he could also fill the bucket on occasion and averaged just shy of 10.0 points per game. He averaged 1.3 steals per game.
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jonathan Davis, Argyle
Lauren Heard, Guyer
Sr., Forward Davis was a force inside for the Eagles, who surprised some with a postseason run that ended with a close loss to state powerhouse Triple A Academy. Before that, Davis caused problems for all of Argyle’s opponents with his dominant all-around game. Davis led the Eagles in scoring with 14.3 points per game and assists (3.6) and was also a threat from outside as a 41 percent three-point shooter. But Davis also was a problem for opponents on the defensive end. The senior averaged 6.3 rebounds, was second on the team in blocks and averaged just shy of a steal per game while helping form a solid inside defensive presence with teammate Kade Barnett. Davis, a 6-6 athletic big man, made a concerted effort this season to expand his game beyond the post, where he’d played exclusively prior to this season.
So., Guard Heard’s athleticism is quickly evident when watching Guyer play, and the Lady Wildcats’ opponents take notice given Heard’s tendency to force turnovers, and lots of them. The younger sister of Texas quarterback, and former Guyer star, Jerrod Heard possesses his same ability to take over a game, and she can do it with her team-leading 17.1 points per game or her pestering defensive intensity. Heard averaged an eye-popping 4.2 steals per game to go with 3.5 deflections per game, basically meaning she was personally, at least partially, responsible for nearly eight turnovers per game by the opponent. If that was not enough, she also averaged nearly six rebounds per game as Guyer’s point guard. Heard is part of a solid core returning next season for Guyer in what will be the second season under head coach Andrea Robinson.
Kyle Smith, Aubrey
Skip Townsend, Argyle
To say Aubrey has had some misfortune making the playoffs would be an understatement. That all changed this year. In just his fourth season at the helm, Kyle Smith led Aubrey to a 23-11 finish and its first playoff berth in 18 years. The last time the Chaparrals made the postseason, previous to this year, was 1997. They finished second in a loaded District 9-4A this year with a record of 8-2, and both of those losses were to district champion Argyle. That’s a tribute to not only the players, but Smith as well. The district slate also included the likes of Sanger, Gainesville and Celina, all tradition-rich programs that Aubrey was able to sweep during the regular season. Once in the playoffs, Smith’s crew knocked off Dallas Uplift Hampton Prep, 67-47, in the first round. Ultimately, the Chaparrals lost 76-34 to state powerhouse Dallas Lincoln. It was a big year for Smith and his program, which has plenty of room to grow and gives Smith reason to be optimistic about the team’s future.
A novel could be written about Townsend’s accomplishments and contributions to Texas high school girls basketball. The fourth-year Argyle head coach had already established himself as one of the best in the business when he won six state championships at Brock, but this year with Argyle he added to that number. Townsend notched his seventh state championship in a season that also saw him pick up his 1,000th career victory, putting him in rare company. His team was able to exorcise the demon of top-ranked Waco La Vega in the state semifinal game a year after the Lady Pirates ended Argyle’s season in the state championship game. In that game, Townsend’s defensive scheme helped corral star guard Calveion Landrum and held Louisville-bound post Erin DeGrate to just 1-for11 from the field. After that win, the Lady Eagles thoroughly dominated an overmatched Abilene Wylie squad to claim the school’s second state championship in girls basketball.
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Tyrus Johnson, Ryan
Maci Turkoly, Sanger
Fr., Guard Johnson represents a changing of the guard at Ryan, where he was one of two freshman starters this season. That doesn’t happen often for the Raiders, who typically rely on older talent. Johnson, however, led the Raiders with 15.3 points per game and was, at times, a one-man show as the Raiders finished 17-13 and narrowly missed the playoffs. It was the team’s first winning season since 2012. Johnson averaged just more than three rebounds and two steals per game.
Ashley Hayes, Lake Dallas
Jr., Guard Hand was tied for second in scoring with 12.6 points per game. She also averaged 5.5 rebounds and just shy of three assists per game. She was deadly on both ends of the floor, and is one of four juniors to have already played in two state tournaments.
Jr., Guard As the Lady Falcons’ leading scorer with 15 points a game, Hayes propelled her team to an 18-13 record and its first playoff appearance since the 2008-09 season. Able to shoot from anywhere on the court, she was also a pest on defense with two steals a game.
Delaney Sain, Argyle
Carissa Spiker, Sanger
Sr., Post Sain’s role changed a bit this season, as she was called upon more as a defensive stopper. Sain averaged 10.1 points and 4.3 rebounds and often shut down opponents’ post players as evidenced by her performance in both games at the state tournament.
Jr., Guard Helping the Lady Indians secure the third seed in the tough District 9-4A, Spiker was the team’s offensive catalyst, pacing it with 14.7 points per game while also leading the way as the floor general with 4.8 assists. She had just shy of three steals a game.
Bre Wickware, Guyer Jr., Forward Under a new head coach, Wickware expanded her game to new horizons. The forward still spent a lot of time inside, averaging a doubledouble with 14.2 points and 10.1 rebounds but also was called upon to control the ball in the open court and expand her game.
Sydney Goodson, Liberty Christian
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
COACH OF THE YEAR
Hannah Hand, Liberty Christian
SECOND TEAM
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
COACH OF THE YEAR
FIRST TEAM
Fr., Guard Maci Turkoly may be a freshman on paper, but she didn’t play that way in 2015. Turkoly, who also plays volleyball for the Lady Indians, averaged 8.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game and was an easy choice for this year’s newcomer honor. Her performance not only helped Sanger compete against the likes of Argyle and Celina in District 9-4A, but helped the team ride that momentum to the third round of playoffs.
Photos by David Minton, Al Key and Kristen Watson/Denton Record-Chronicle, courtesy photos and file photos
The All-Area Basketball team was selected by the Denton Record-Chronicle’s sports staff in consultation with area high school coaches
Olivia Gray, Argyle
Jr., Guard Goodson, an Arizona State pledge, averaged 12.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists — this after rebounding from a torn ACL her sophomore season. Goodson scored 16 points in a come-from-behind win over Plano Prestonwood in the state final.
Brooke Lewis, Sanger
Jr., Guard The older sister of Vivian Gray watched her grab all the headlines but went about her business all year long of being Argyle’s defensive enforcer. Gray was always glued to the opposing team’s best player and averaged 2.2 steals and nearly five boards.
Alex McIntosh, Denton
Jr., Post Lewis was an integral part of the Lady Indians’ offense. She was second on the team with just under 10 points per game, while also leading the team with 8.2 rebounds a game. She patrolled the glass and protected the paint with 1.6 blocks a game.
Sr., Forward Although the Lady Broncos couldn’t sneak into the playoffs, McIntosh was their leading playmaker. She carried their offense with just over 11 points per game and was also the team’s leading rebounder at just less than eight boards per game.
Kendyl Wright, Aubrey Sr., Forward Aubrey may have had a difficult season, but that didn’t stop Kendyl Wright from once again dominating anyone trying to guard her. The senior forward was the Lady Chaparrals’ offense, averaging a staggering 18 points and 11 rebounds per game.
THIRD TEAM Name, school Ola Akinniyi, Guyer Jacy Beam, Sanger Morgan Davis, Ryan Kendall Ellig, Liberty Christian Kylee Myers, Krum
Position Forward Guard Forward Forward Post
Year Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Jr.
Notable Averaged 6.5 points, 7.8 boards and 3.1 steals per game Averaged 9.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game Poured in 9.7 points per game to go with 4.8 rebounds Part of junior core averaged 10.3 points and 6.5 rebounds Force inside averaged 10.9 points and 7.6 rebounds per game