Before we get to the 2026 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.
Today, we tackle the NE8.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Vanessa Rosswurm, Norwell
Vanessa Rosswurm firmly established herself as the best player in the Northeast 8 Conference this season, though many rightfully believe she had already done that. She led Norwell to yet another conference championship while guiding the program to the state finals in its very first season competing in Class 4A.
Rosswurm was the driving force behind the Knights’ success, averaging 23.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 3.1 steals per game while shooting 40 percent from the field and an impressive 81 percent from the free throw line. A constant scoring threat from the perimeter, she knocked down 85 three-pointers on the year and capped off her remarkable career by becoming Norwell’s all-time leading scorer in girls basketball.
HONORABLE MENTION: Leah Shappell (Leo), Ashley Bleke (Bellmont), Averi Amstutz (East Noble), A’lanah Webb (New Haven)
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Leah Shappell, Leo
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.
Leah Shappell proved to be the undeniable engine behind her team’s success this season, delivering a dominant all-around performance that touched nearly every part of the game. She averaged 17.3 points and 11.1 rebounds per contest, controlling the paint while also facilitating offense with 3.6 assists per game. Defensively, Shappell was just as impactful, piling up 3.5 steals and 3.5 blocks per night to disrupt opponents at every level.
Her value becomes even clearer when looking at how much of the team’s production ran through her—she accounted for 34 percent of the team’s scoring and 32 percent of its rebounds while also contributing 23 percent of its steals. Perhaps most remarkable, Shappell recorded an incredible 61 percent of the team’s total blocks. With her ability to score, rebound, create, and protect the rim, Shappell wasn’t just a contributor—she was the centerpiece of everything for Leo.
HONORABLE MENTION: Macie Saalfrank (Norwell), Vanessa Rosswurm (Norwell), Ashley Bleke (Bellmont), Torah Holler (Columbia City), Averi Amstutz (East Noble), Addison Deming (East Noble), Luci Reich (Huntington North), A’lanah Webb (New Haven)
BREAKOUT/MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: Mary Bleke, Bellmont
Sophomore forward Mary Bleke delivered a true breakout season for Bellmont, emerging as one of the key pieces in the Braves’ run to a state championship. Bleke averaged 13.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game while also contributing 1.6 assists and 1.6 steals.
Her consistent interior presence and growing confidence made her a difficult matchup throughout the season, providing Bellmont with reliable scoring and rebounding night after night. Bleke saved one of her best performances for the biggest stage, recording a dominant 12-point, 12-rebound double-double in the state title game to help secure the championship. For a sophomore to play such a pivotal role on a title team underscored just how impactful her emergence was for the Braves.
HONORABLE MENTION: Mackenzie Collins (Leo), Ashley Waldman (Norwell), Ruby Grogg (DeKalb), Kyla Kjendalen (DeKalb)
COACHES OF THE YEAR: Eric Thornton, Norwell and Andy Heim, Bellmont
Norwell’s Eric Thornton continued to cement his legacy during the 2025–2026 season, guiding the Knights through another highly successful year built on disciplined defense and balanced offense. Thornton, a longtime fixture of the program, led Norwell to their first ever Class 4A postseason win and then some as they made it to the state finals for a third straight season, maintaining its reputation for toughness and postseason success.
Meanwhile at Bellmont, Andy Heim took the Braves to the peak of their program’s history, not just making the Class 3A state finals, but winning the crown. Heim, who has served as Bellmont’s girls basketball head coach since 2011, guided a team that surged through the season with impressive stretches and earned several decisive victories.
Together, Thornton and Heim helped elevate the level of play in the area again this season and not just in their own conference.
HONORABLE MENTION: Mark Pixley (DeKalb), Brittain Isaacs (East Noble)
EARLY 2026-27 CONFERENCE CHAMP PICK: Bellmont Braves
The Class 3A state champions graduate just one player. And while Bri Converset – the 3A Mental Attitude Award winner – played in 23 games, you can never be mad when you win a state title and return all but one player. So despite Norwell’s apparent hold on the NE8 and the fact that their JV team was really, really good…Bounce feels good about the Braves in 2026-2027.
Just about 98.5 percent of Bellmont’s scoring returns next season, a number so very rare for a program no matter how you finished the season before. The top seven scorers, led by Ashley and Mary Bleke, all return and they bring with them as a team a 41 percent shooting rate from the field and 32.5 percent shooting from three point range. This team proved in the Class 3A state finals just how dangerous they are and while, of course, a conference game with Norwell looms, why wouldn’t the Braves be the top pick to conquer the NE8?
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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