As you can see above, McPherson rolled on its way to a league title in its first season playing in Division 3 of the AV-CTL. A new division was no problem for the Bullpups, as they won all 10 of their league games by an average margin of an incredible 25.4 points. Let that sink in. I know the season didn't end the way McPherson wanted it to, but that stat right there is simply outstanding. But the Bullpups weren't the only ones with great seasons, as Mulvane posted its first winning season since the 80's, Winfield won 14 games and caught fire late to qualify for the state tournament and El Dorado saw a resurgence and won 14 games as well. Let's take a look at how the season played out and announce my all-league and specialty awards for Division 3 of the Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail League.
Let's start with my all-league team, which I have ranked in order of my voting.
So there you have it, those are the 15 players that I believe had the best seasons in the league. As you can see below the 3rd team selections, I also have a list of 10 others that I felt deserving to recognize as honorable mention. Now that we got that out of the way, let's get to the specialty awards.
No question here who the best player in the league was. There is a reason why McPherson was able to lost all five of its starters and rebound with the incredible season it did, and that's Kinnamon. He was the point guard that made the high-octane offense go for the Bullpups. He showed the right balance of scoring (14.3 points) and creating (6.8 assists), not to mention adding nearly 4 rebounds and 4 steals a game. And the scary thing is Kinnamon is only a sophomore. He's going to wreak havoc for the next two seasons, as he's only going to get bigger, stronger, faster and better - and he's already a top 10 player in Class 4A.
Yeah, Kyler Kinnamon is the son of Kurt Kinnamon. Any surprise there? It shouldn't be, as Kinnamon runs arguably the most prestigious program in the state. McPherson proved why this year, coming off a state tournament season losing five starters, and all it did was win 19 games and become one of the best teams in Class 4A. It didn't end at the state tournament like it should, but still a tremendous season for the Bullpups. And I know the coaches voted Gary Melcher to share this award and by all means El Dorado had a great season, but when you go 10-0 and beat teams in your league by an average - an AVERAGE - of 25 points, then I don't think there's a question.
Last season Sorenson was a bit player on a state tournament team at McPherson. He saw some minutes off the bench, but only averaged 4 points a game. Once those seniors exited and Sorenson was thrust into the leading man role for the Bullpups' offense, Sorenson thrived under the new circumstances. Given his new offensive freedom, Sorenson showed a deft touch around the basket and had a crafty left hand that few opponents could ever stop. He went from a role player to becoming the leading scorer on McPherson, averaging 15.1 points and 8.1 rebounds (as well as a steal and a block a game).
McPherson held league opponents to only 40.6 points per contest and that's not a result of halfcourt games, which most of the teams in the league prefer. McPherson liked to get up and down the court, so that means more possessions. So to hold teams to 40 points is incredibly impressive. Houghton was the defensive stopper on the team, guarding the other team's best player and oftentimes limiting them or shutting them down completely. What Houghton did defensively in the McPherson Tournament alone probably earned him this award. He averaged nearly 2 steals a game, but it was his on-ball pressure that led to many of the steal opportunities for his teammates.
The energy man off the bench is always a valuable role on a team and Bertholf fulfilled that to a T this season for the Vikings. Winfield had a solid starting 5, but Bertholf was able to come in and provide the effort on both ends so the level never fell off for the Vikings. He averaged 4.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game, but those numbers don't do him justice. Bertholf played a large role in the Vikings' late-season push to the state tournament.
Although Winfield made me think of this choice, El Dorado surprised more people by how well it played this season. Travis House, Jared Haury and Trevor Crain had breakthrough seasons and Melcher had a lot to do with their development. El Dorado won 14 games and probably deserved a better shot at a state berth, but got stuck in one of the better sub-states in Class 4A. The Wildcats still had a great season and Melcher should be commended for the job he did with the team this season.
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