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Scots' Aldridge, banner senior class heads TSN all-county boys basketball

Rick Peterson

 By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Highland Park senior Bo Aldridge headlines the 2023 TopSports.news' All-Shawnee County boys basketball team after helping lead the Scots to a 24-1 record and a third-place finish in the Class 5A state tournament.

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BO ALDRIDGE

Aldridge was tapped as the Shawnee County player of the year after leading Highland Park to a second straight state tournament berth while averaging 22 points, seven rebounds and six assists. 

The Scots, whose only loss was a heartbreaking one-point semifinal decision to eventual state champion Andover, also put seniors Tre Richardson and Jahmir Kingcannon on the TSN Shawnee County Top 10.

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TRE RICHARDSON

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JAHMIR KINGCANNON

Richardson averaged 16 points, four rebounds, four assists and four steals for the Scots while Kingcannon averaged 14 points, six rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots per game.

Highland Park's Mike Williams was named the county coach of the year after the Scots posted a county-high victory total by nine wins.

The Highland Park trio of Aldridge, Richardson and Kingcannon are part of an outstanding group of county seniors that earned nine of 10 spots on the TSN All-Shawnee County Top 10, with Aldridge, Washburn Rural's Jack Bachelor, Seaman's Kaeden Bonner and Hayden's Joe Otting all first-team repeaters.

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JACK BACHELOR

Bachelor was named the Centennial League player of the year after averaging 17.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists while hitting 32 3-pointers and shooting 82 percent from the free throw line for the 15-6 Junior Blues, who shared the league title.

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KAEDEN BONNER

Bonner, who helped Seaman win its first-ever boys 5A state title as a junior, fought through an injury plagued senior season but still averaged 15.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists while hitting 24 3-pointers and shooting 81 percent from the free throw line for the 13-8 Vikings.

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JOE OTTING

Otting, a Notre Dame football signee, earned first-team all-county honors in both football and basketball for the second straight season while putting together a string of double-double performances for the 11-11 Wildcats.

 Shawnee Heights junior Brennon Dodge, the lone underclassmen on the all-county Top 10, and Seaman senior Aron Davis both moved up to the Top 10 after being Second 10 picks a year ago.

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BRENNON DODGE

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ARON DAVIS

Dodge was the floor leader and a top 3-point threat for a Shawnee Heights team that posted a 15-7 record this past season while Davis averaged 16.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists for Seaman.

Topeka West seniors Xavier Alexander and Malachi Berg also garnered Top 10 spots after helping the Chargers post a 14-8 record this past season. 

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XAVIER ALEXANDER

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MALACHI BERG

Alexander, a first-team All-United Kansas Confererence pick, averaged 15.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists with 53 3-pointers while Berg averaged 14.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.3 steals..

Rossville freshman Jack Donovan and Seaman freshman KaeVon Bonner were named Shawnee County co-newcomers of the year.

Donovan averaged 10.4 points and connected on 49 3-pointers for the Bulldawgs while Bonner averaged 8.4 points and 2.3 rebounds while hitting 32 3-pointers.

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Rural's DeLeye, repeat picks headline TSN Shawnee County girls basketball

Rick Peterson

 By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Washburn Rural senior standout Brooklyn DeLeye was tapped as the TopSports.news 2023 All-Shawnee County girls basketball player of the year after helping lead the Junior Blues to a second straight appearance in the Class 6A state title game.

A three-time All-Shawnee County first-team pick, the 6-foot-2 DeLeye helped the Centennial League champions post an 18-6 record and come within an eyelash of winning a second straight 6A state championship, with the Junior Blues dropping a 35-34 heartbreaker to Blue Valley North in the title game.

DeLeye is joined on the all-county Top 10 by 6-foot senior teammate Chloe Carlgren while Washburn Rural coach Kevin Bordewick, who has led the Junior Blues to a pair of state titles and a runner-up finish since 2019, was named the county coach of the year.

BrooklynDeleyeSMS3Washburn Rural senior Brooklyn DeLeye has been named the TSN Shawnee County girls player of the year after helping lead the Junior Blues to a second straight appearance in the Class 6A title game. [File photo/TSN]

ChloeCarlgrenHayFriWashburn Rural senior Chloe Carlgren has been named to the All-Shawnee County first team after helping the Junior Blues win the Centennial League championship and finish second in Class 6A. [File photo/TSN]

KevinBordewickAll CountyVeteran Washburn Rural coach Kevin Bordewick, who has led Rural to two Class 6A state basketball titles and 10 state crowns overall, has been named the TSN Shawnee County girls basketball coach of the year. [File photo/TSN]

DeLeye averaged 16 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.1 steals, shot 59.7 percent from 2-point range and 38.5 percent on 3-point attempts as a senior while Carlgren averaged  9.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, shot 35 percent from 3-point range and was the Junior Blues' defensive stopper.

Like DeLeye. Topeka High senior star Kiki Smith earned TSN All-Shawnee County Top 10 honors for the third straight season after leading the Trojans to a 16-6  record this past season.

KikiSmithnewactionWRTopeka High senior star Kiki Smith (23) earned All-Shawnee County first-team recognition for the third straight season. [File photo/TSN]

Smith, a 5-8 senior, helped the Trojans reach the Class 6A state tournament her first three high schools seasons, including a state runnerup finish in 2021.

As a senior Smith averaged a city-high 20.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 3.1 steals while connecting on 50 3-pointers.

Seaman, which posted a 21-2 record and won the United Kansas Conference title, is represented on the first team by 5-10 sophomore Anna Becker and 5-9 freshman Maddie Gragg, who was also named the Shawnee County newcomer of the year. Becker is a Top 10 repeat pick and was named the United Kansas Conference player of the year.

AnnaBeckerSH2Seaman sophomore Anna Becker has been named to the All-Shawnee County Top 10 after helping lead the Vikings to a 21-2 record. [File photo/TSN]

MaddieGraggTW2Seaman's Maddie Gragg earned All-Shawnee County Top 10 honors as a freshman while also being named the county newcomer of the year. [File photo/TSN]

Becker averaged 12 points, 3.7 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 3.3 steals this past season while Gragg averaged 13.4 points and 5.9 rebounds while shooting 60.2 percent from the field on 2-point attempts and 75 percent from the free throw line.

MakenzieMcDanielRossSilver Lake junior Makenzie McDaniel earned a spot on the TSN All-Shawnee County Top 10 after helping lead the Eagles to a 23-3 record and a third straight trip to the Class 3A state tournament. [File photo/TSN]

McKinleyKrugerPistol2Silver Lake junior McKinley Kruger (12) is a repeat pick on the All-Shawnee County Top 10 after helping lead the Eagles to a fourth-place finish in the Class 3A state tournament this past season. [File photo]

Silver Lake, which went 23-3 on the season en route to a fourth-place finish in the 3A state tournament, put sophomores McKinley Kruger (5-7) and Makenzie McDaniel (6-1) on the All-Shawnee County first team for the second straight season.

EmariDobyTW2Shawnee Heights senior Emari Doby moved up to the All-Shawnee County Top 10 this season after earning Second 10 recognition as a junior. [File photo/TSN]

KinseyPerineSL2Rossville junior Kinsey Perine was tapped for the 2023 TSN All-Shawnee County Top 10, moving up from the Second 10 as a sophomore. [File photo/TSN]

IMG 7286Highland Park sophomore Amelia Ramsey earned a berth on the All-Shawnee County Top 10 after leading the Scots to a 19-4 record and their first berth in the Class 5A state tournamet in 11 seasons. [File photo/TSN]

Shawnee Heights senior Emari Doby (5-9) and Rossville junior Kinsey Perine (5-8) move up to the Top 10 this season after earning Second 10 honors last season while Highland Park sophomore Amelia Ramsey (6-0) earned first-team recognition this season after receiving honorable mention a year ago.

Doby averaged 12.5 points and 8.3 rebounds as a senior while Perine averaged 9.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 5.8 steals and Ramsey averaged 19.8 points and 15.8 rebounds while shooting 65.2 percent from two-point range.

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