NORTHWEST’S FINEST

Trenton Lands Three Girls, One Boy On Media’s Postseason Team

It was a harrowing scene. A group of 13 despondent high school basketball players marched across the gym floor to the exit – their heads hanging, their hearts broken. Behind them, a sea of blue and gold engaged in a raucous celebration.
The Trenton High School girls basketball season ended with a thud in the district championship game. A maddening rally was enough to erase a 17-point deficit with five minutes left and force overtime, but not enough to propel the Bulldogs into the state playoffs for a second consecutive season.
The fire kindled by the defeat burned, but will no doubt provide motivation as the Bulldogs enter an all-or-nothing season next winter. But between remorse and incentive, Trenton can take a step back and acknowledge the successes that the 2017-2018 season brought to its program, their school and their community.
“Our season ended disappointingly early, but the season wasn’t a disappointment,” Trenton Head girls’ basketball Coach Brian Upton said. “This team has a lot to be proud of, but I know they will use the last game as motivation to fuel them to improve and I’m sure their sights are set on a run to get back to the final four.”
The Missouri Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association did just that, confirming Trenton’s impressive season with three selections to its All-Northwest District basketball team. Juniors Ainsley Tolson, Mykah Hurley and Maci Moore made up nearly half of an eight-player team representing the best Class 3 girls basketball players in the northwest quarter of the state.
The honor for Tolson was her third straight after being recognized by the organization as a freshman and sophomore as well. Tolson had another strong season, leading the Bulldogs with 17.5 points per game. She also added 3.9 assists and 2.6 steals per game over the course of a season in which she scored her 1,000th career point – doing so faster than any player in the program’s history.
“Ainsley, Mykah and Maci are very deserving of their All-Northwest District recognition,” Upton said. “Each one played a big part in our team’s success. Ainsley led us in about every statistical category except steals and rebounds and her off-season work and improvement were really evident in the great season she had. Her skills are obvious, but her drive, competitiveness and leadership really help fuel our team.”
Hurley was named to the team for the second year in a row. She averaged 10.7 points per game, second on the team behind Tolson and averaged a team-high 4.1 steals per contest. Hurley handed out 2.6 assists per game this season as well.
“Mykah made big improvements from last season. Her ballhandling, scoring, and aggressiveness really picked up and add that to her defensive prowess – single season school record in steals with 115 – and I think we have one of, if not, the best backcourt combination in the area,” Upton said.
Maci Moore made the team as a freshman, becoming the first Trenton player since Tolson to be named to the squad in her first season of high school basketball. She averaged 9.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game this season.
“Maci really improved as the season progressed,” Upton said. “Her ability to score the ball was evident all year, but I think her defense and rebounding ability really took off about mid-season at the Lawson Tournament and she really became a more complete player. I anticipate that with another summer for her to get used to our system and be in the weight room that she could be a key cog in our success.”
The three, along with their teammates, took Trenton on a remarkable run that saw the Bulldogs capture the Grand River Conference championship for the second year in a row with a victory over Stanberry in the title game. Trenton won the Gallatin Tournament, Lawson Tournament and Hamilton Tournament, reeling off a school-record 24 regular-season victories. They would finish 26-2 overall, one win shy of the overall school record for wins in a single season – which they set last year with 27.
CROY EARNS HONOR
On the boys side, Trenton’s Lathan Croy was named as one of 10 players that represented the Class 3 boys All-Northwest District basketball team.
Croy’s selection landed him in some elite company, joining a list of players who make up arguably one of the more loaded Class 3 boys teams the association has put together in recent memory.
Croy’s inclusion was definitely warranted after a senior season that saw him score 16.4 points per game. He also pulled down 5.3 rebounds per game. Croy was a three-point threat, going 77-of-180 from distance on the season – a 43 percent clip.
“Lathan is a great success story of a kid who worked on his game over many years and built himself up to be an elite player,” Trenton Head boys basketball Coach Jeremy Austin said. “He is a great kid and very deserving of this honor along with the many others he has received.”
The All-Northwest District team is selected from schools located in an 18-county region in the northwest portion of the state. Those counties include Atchison, Nodaway, Harrison, Worth, Mercer, Holt, Andrew, Gentry, DeKalb, Daviess, Grundy, Livingston, Buchanan, Clinton, Platte, Caldwell, Ray and Carroll.

CLASS 3 Girls
Ainsley Tolson, Jr. 5-6 Trenton
Mykah Hurley, Jr. 5-5 Trenton
Norah Ford, So. 5-6 Hamilton
Serena Sundell, Fr. 6-0 Maryville
Taylor Dolt, Jr. 5-5 Lawson
Madison McCreary, Sr. 5-10 East Buchanan
McKauley Prothero, Sr. 5-5 Hamilton
Maci Moore, Fr. 5-9 Trenton
Coach of the Year – Jordan Richman, Hamilton

CLASS 3 Boys
Treyton Campbell, Sr. 6-3 South Harrison
LaTroy Harper, Sr. 6-2 Hamilton
Eli Dowis, Jr. 6-3 Maryville
Ethan Kilgore, So. 6-6 East Buchanan
Tate Oglesby, So. 6-2 Maryville
Zach Miller, Sr. 6-7 Lawson
Brock Lewis, Sr. 6-4 Lathrop
Jack Harvey, Sr. 6-0 LeBlond
Lathan Croy, Sr. 6-1 Trenton
Brett Pierson, Sr. 6-0 Carrollton
Coach of the Year – Matt Stoecklein, Maryville

CLASS 1 Girls
Kaylie Campbell, Sr.. 5-10 Southwest
Kortlyn Rounkles, Sr. 5-7 Southwest
Kameron Freemyer, Sr. 5-10 Mound City
Payton Craig, Sr. 5-8 North Harrison
Madison Brown, Sr. 5-7 Norborne
Jasmine Taylor, So. 5-9 Braymer
Brooke McDaniel, Sr. 5-10 North Andrew
Sadee Prussman, Sr. 5-10 South Holt
Victoria Nauman, Jr. 5-6 Mound City
Josie Deen, Sr. 5-9 Jefferson
Kelcie Ganes, Jr. 5-7 Rock Port
Kennadie Crowe, So. 5-10 Norborne
Grace Schottel, Sr. 5-9 King City
Jentry Copple, Jr. 5-4 North Andrew
Regan Allee, So. 5-8 Worth County
Anna Gladstone, So. 5-9 Worth County
Brooklyn Miller, Fr. 6-0 St. Joe Christian
Jandie Peterson, So. 5-8 Grundy R-5
Brandy Rivet, Sr. 5-4 North Harrison
Sophie Pliley, Jr. 5-2 Winston
Gabrielle Nielson, So. 6-0 Newtown-Harris
Makayla Adwell, Jr. 5-6 NE Nodaway
Morgan Parsons, Sr. 5-6 DeKalb
Julia Finley, Jr. 5-10 Hardin-Central
Hannah Wedlock, Jr. 5-5 Mound City
Coach of the Year – Derek Petty, Mound City

CLASS 1 Boys
Cade Allee, Sr. 6-4 Worth County
Ryan Hughes, Sr. 5-5 North Andrew
Caleb Patterson, Sr. 6-4 North Andrew
Drake Kinsella, Sr. 6-4 Worth County
Jacob Lewis, Jr. 5-11 Winston
Mack Anderson, So. 6-5 Southwest
Cornelius Peery, Sr. 6-0 Gilman City
Reagan Morris, Jr. 6-3 South Holt
Aiden DeLong, Sr. 6-5 North Andrew
Malik Tucker, Jr. 6-2 St. Joe Christian
Peyton Jones, Sr. 6-0 Pattonsburg
Collin Breckenridge, Jr. 6-0 King City
Cy Uthe, Jr. 6-1 Winston
Hunter Shipley, Jr. 6-2 Mercer
Ethan Claycomb, Sr. 6-0 East Harrison
Chase Farnan, So. 6-5 Jefferson
Caden Linthicum, Sr. 5-9 Rock Port
Dylan Marrs, Jr. 5-11 Mound City
Landon Poppa, Fr. 6-1 Mound City
Gabe Rogers, Sr. 6-1 Braymer
Wade Adams, Jr. 5-8 Northwestern
Jaden Humphrey, Jr. 5-11 Northwestern
Wyatt Maddux, Jr. 5-11 Southwest
Jacob Powelson, Sr. 6-3 North Andrew
Dylan Mildfeldt, Sr. 5-8 NE Nodaway
Coach of the Year – Bryce Schafer, Worth County

CLASS 2 Girls
Jill Rumpf, Sr. 5-6 Mid Buchanan
Jaele Barber, Jr. 5-10 Mid Buchanan
Madi Sager, So. 5-9 Stanberry
Lily Osborn, Jr. 5-6 Stanberry
Jaycee Graves, So. 5-7 East Atchison
Payton Goodin, Jr. 5-9 Princeton
Kelsey Maxwell, Jr. 5-11 Gallatin
Karley Salmon, Jr. 5-10 Gallatin
Hailey Kerby, Sr. 5-9 Plattsburg
Brylee Kemper, Jr. 5-5 Mid Buchanan
Coach of the Year – Rod Elms, Mid Buchanan

CLASS 2 Boys
Gage McAdams, Jr. 6-0 East Atchison
Hunter Scaggs, Sr. 6-4 Mid Buchanan
Collin Wyatt, Sr. 5-10 Mid Buchanan
Brad Hailey, Sr. 6-6 Stanberry
Jett Simmons, Sr. 5-10 Gallatin
James Fleener, Sr. 6-2 Polo
Calvin Berwanger, Sr. 6-1 Princeton
Austin Shirk, Sr. 6-1 Maysville
Darius Rawlings, Sr. 6-1 Plattsburg
Jayden Brown, Sr. 6-1 Mid Buchanan
Coach of the Year – Simon Morefield, Plattsburg

CLASSES 4-5 Girls
Jayde Williams, 5’7”, jr., St. Joseph: Benton
Lexi Moes, 5’10”, jr., Smithville
Tray Byrd, 5’5”, sr., St. Joseph: Lafayette
Mia Henderson, 5’11”, jr., St. Joseph:
Benton
Lauren Eiman, 6’2”, fr., St. Joseph: Central
Hunter Keithley, 5’10”, jr., Chillicothe
Grace Stites, 5’10”, jr., Savannah
Emma Andrews, 5’7”, sr., Smithville
Gabby Fuller, 5’8”, jr., St. Joseph: Benton
COY — Brett Goodwin, St. Joseph: Benton

BOYS CLASSES 4-5 Boys
Diego Bernard, 6’, sr., St. Joseph: Lafayette
Trey Washington, 6’2”, sr., St. Joseph:
Lafayette
Ike Book, 6’3”, jr., St. Joseph: Lafayette
Westley Brandsgaard, 6’3”, soph.,
Chillicothe
Walker Graves, 6’2”, sr., Chillicothe
Samson Holcomb, 6’2”, jr., St. Joseph:
Central
Chol Ater, 6’, soph., St. Joseph: Benton
Griffin Mefford, 6’2”, sr., Cameron
Jake Fisher, 6’5”, jr., Smithville
COY – Tim Cool, Chillicothe