Before we get to the Outside the Huddle All-Area Team and our end-of-year awards, Bounce wanted to take some time and take a last glance at area conferences and hand out some league-specific metaphorical hardware.
We continue today with the NECC.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Lily Kreischer (Eastside)
There were a lot of Eastside options for this spot but Kreischer obviously took the top spot because of he consistency and ability to create matchup problems for all of the NECC along the way. Kreischer played a very intelligent game to lead Eastside to within a hair of a state finals appearance as they dominated the NECC from top to bottom.
The senior averaged a team high 14 points, which was a huge number when you considered how much Eastside was able to spread out their offense with so many weapons. Kreischer added 6.7 rebounds and 3.5 steals per game, as a top 5 leader in steals per game in the area this season.
HONORABLE MENTION: Paige Traxler (Eastside), Madison Jones (Fairfield), Eva Herbert (Fairfield), Grace Scharlach (Fremont), Sydnee Kessler (Eastside),
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Addy Parr, Fremont
If you know Bounce’s awards and OTH history, you know MVP means something different than Player of the Year. MVP to us is someone who is legit the most valuable to their team and overall success of that program.
Fremont won their second straight Sectional title this season, doing so for the first time since they won 5 in a row between 1999-2003. Parr was the visionary that helped lead the Eagles to that title again, a senior leader on a pretty young team who relies heavily on sophomores. But Parr has seen the good and the bad and the records that come with it. Her first two seasons at Fremont, the varsity won 16 total games, surpassed by 36 the past two seasons including 2024-25’s 20 win season, Fremont’s first of which since 2001-02.
Parr averaged 11.2 points and 2.3 steals per contest and was a tremendous leader for Fremont to accomplish major team goals.
HONORABLE MENTION: Taylor Mack (Eastside), Madison Jones (Fairfield), Grace Swank (Central Noble), Dulce Canedo (Lakeland), Emily McCrea (Prairie Heights), Abby Pliett (Central Noble)
BREAKOUT/MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: Cara Schackow, Lakeland
Not a player who was a household name coming into the season, Schackow put her stamp on every game, win or lose, for the Lakers with her high level interior play. There may not have been a better so-called rim protector in the are that Schackow as she blocked 3.7 shots per game, out of the team’s 4.7 block per game average.
Every time you looked, Schackow was climbing the Laker block record list, opening the season with four blocks at DeKalb with a season high seven blocked shots against Churubusco. Schackow also contributed in other ways with 6.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, but her defensive stopper ability and mentality was impressive all season.
Schackow broke the Lakeland single season block record that was set by Brooke Crawford in 1998 and, in the regular season finale at Garrett, she moveds to 2nd on the Lakeland all-time blocks list with 125 total.
HONORABLE MENTION: Emma Coffman (Garrett), Avery Certain (Prairie Heights), Madison Jones (Fairfield)
COACH OF THE YEAR: Mike Lortie, Eastside
Lortie may also been considered the best dressed coach in the NECC as well, always looking sharp in his suits – especially when they are bright green.
But on the court, the Blazers were fr more often than not close to flawless. As a coach, Lortie may have a different opinion and that is fine, it is what helps him in being such a good coach. Eastside never looked very bothered, especially when teams pushed on them – something that also didn’t happen too much. The Blazers won by an average of 25.3 points per game and their nine-point win over Fairfield in the regular season was the only win for Eastside that was within single digits.
Lortie was able to put a really good lineup on the floor all of the time and the depth of Eastside was a big hallmark for their run to the semi state night game. That said, you don’t just have depth unless you develop and when you look at this team from top to bottom, you can see how much Lortie is helping with that.
HONORABLE MENTION: Kyle Hartman (Fairfield)
GAME OF THE YEAR: Fairfield vs. Fremont, NECC Tournament
The two teams had already met by the time the NECC Tournament came around. In the first meeting, on December 17, things were played close but Fairfield had picked up a 37-31 win. Because of the holidays, this second game may have been a month later, but it was only Fairfield’s fourth game since they had last met and Fremont’s sixth.
This time, Fairfield again came out with the win, 41-38, but it pushed them on to an eventual NECC Tournament final berth. Madison Jones exploded for a 20 point game, while Mykayla Mast was crucial for Fairfield with her 13 points while Fremont was able to hold Fairfield’s Eva Herbert to just six total points.
The game was close early, but Fairfield dominated the second quarter, outscoring the Eagles 17-6 to take a ten point lead into the half. Fremont rallied back, but also to the strength of Fairfield, Fremont wasn’t able to quickly remove the deficit, having to scratch and claw their way back into the game.
EARLY 2025-26 CONFERENCE CHAMP PICK: Eastside
Why wouldn’t they be? Eastside is 48-6 in the last two seasons combined and in that time have lost to a NECC opponent just twice and only one of those – Fairfield in 2023-24 – was a regular season game. Eastside has been dominant lately and despite the fact they lose some players who were substantial to this program for the past couple of big win seasons, they is a lot back and a decent amount ready to move up and assist.
The returns of really multi-dimensional wings Taylor Mack and Lucy Kitchen will be critical. Mack was exciting to watch all year, playing into both her guard skills and her ability battle around the rim.
Eastside has been good but they aren’t going anywhere. May be the easy way out here in this projection, but when a team is 27-3 in conference over a three year stretch, the fair assumption is that they aren’t going to disappear.
These opinions represent those of Bounce and Outside the Huddle. No opinions expressed on Outside the Huddle represent those of any of our advertisers. Follow Bounce on Twitter at Bounce_OTH
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