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 start today with teams in the area we cover outside of the four main area conferences.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Gavin Betten, Manchester
Betten had a stellar season, moving into the top 50 all-time in scoring for the state of Indiana. During the course of that, he became Wabash County’s all-time leading scorer and the first player in the history of the county to score over 2,000 points for his career.
Betten helped lead Manchester to their first ever state finals appearance, where they beat University to become the Class 2A state title. He finished the season as the top scorer in the OTH Northeast Indiana area, as well as one of just five guys in the area to average a double double, leading the area as well in rebounds per game as well as blocked shots per contest. Oh yeah, and there was that Class 2A state title to just be the cherry on top.
HONORABLE MENTION: Avery MacFarlane (Lakewood Park), Luke Bricker (Warsaw), Brandt Martin (Warsaw), Kellen Pickett (Blackhawk Christian)
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Avery MacFarlane, Lakewood Park
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.
MacFarlane became a star this season and he did so for a seven win team that won a Sectional. If that doesn’t scream how important his value was to Lakewood Park, what will? The Panthers played below .500 during the regular season, but still earned a Class 1A postseason title. Along the way, MacFarlane was great against almost any other team that stood across the court from the Panthers.
MacFarlane averaged 18.8 points per game over his junior season, never once scoring in single digits. MacFarlane scored a season high 26 point, but hit double digit shots on seven different occasions, while shooting 48 percent from the field during the season. In Lakewood Park’s two Sectional round games, MacFarlane averaged 18.5 points and 14.5 rebounds per game.
HONORABLE MENTION: Kellen Pickett (Blackhawk Christian), Luke Bricker (Warsaw), Brandt Martin (Warsaw), Reed Hayes (Canterbury), Ethan Hendrix (Manchester)
BREAKOUT/MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: Bryce Lacross, Blackhawk Christian
There were quite a few quality varsity newcomers throughout the area, but Blackhawk Christian happened to have two of the best freshmen in Northeast Indiana. While picking between those two was difficult, Lacross stood out just a little bit more for the Braves on their Sectional title run.
Lacross had the tendency to be a really high level shooter at times during his freshman season for Blackhawk Christian. When scoring double digits, Lacross never shot below 57 percent and shot below 60 percent just once when scoring 10 or more points. He hit three or more three pointers nine times, including doing so five times in a seven game stretch between December and January. He finished his first season averaging 7.1 points and three rebounds per contest.
HONORABLE MENTION: Drake Sefton (Blackhawk Christian), Parker Justice (Warsaw)
COACH OF THE YEAR: Eli Henson, Manchester
Eli Henson is a state championship coach. He has worked hard, built all three programs that he has led and won every where has been. But a state title? That is the ultimate icing on the cake that shows how well Henson has been able to lead the Manchester as well as grow the Squires into a highly successful program with just a couple of blemishes on their schedule this season.
Each time that Manchester lost, just twice, the ways they responded were amazing. A loss to Homestead in just game two of the season was met with an immediate 17 game win streak. Then, they fell to Maconaquah in overtime in a dissapointing February 21 loss. Manchester never lost again. The Squires finished 26-2, the second most wins for any of the state champions this season.
HONORABLE MENTION: Matt Roth (Blackhawk Christian), Matt Moore (Warsaw)
GAME OF THE YEAR: Warsaw vs. Northridge, Sectional finals
Warsaw played a lot of really good games down the stretch of their season, considering Luke Bricker was out injured. In Saturday’s title game of Sectional week, they went to overtime against a high level Northridge team in what was arguably Warsaw’s best game of the season.
It was Warsaw second overtime game of the season, the Tigers again came out victorious, 78-74, in the extra frame. It wasn’t easy to get to that point though, as Warsaw needed a late in regulation three pointer from Parker Justice to even get into overtime. The game was a back and forth battle that, at times, you could make a really convincing argument that either team was going to be able to inflict their own pace and run away with the game.
Although Warsaw lost a week later in yet another overtime battle, this was was great icing on the cake for their tremendous season and it earned them a Sectional title trophy.
Warsaw was led by Robbie Finlinson‘s 20, followed by 17 from Justice, 16 out of Mydin Burgher and 15 points from Brandt Martin.
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Gavin Betten also was the leading Rebounder, scored the most points in a season in Wabash County history. He also averaged a double double for four years straight.