The Lebanon News | Anthony Stevens
BOYS
Keyton Keene (Lebanon News All-Russell County Player of the Year)
Sr. Honaker
The 6-foot-8 Keene was a force, helping advance the talented Tiger team to the Final Four. He averaged 16.6 points with 9.3 rebounds a game. Keenee has 1.5 steals and blocks a shot a game, showing improved defense. He made an unbelievable 63 percent of two-point shots, 38 percent of 3s, and 71 percent from the line. He helped lead the Tigers to the Hogoheegee District regular season, tournament, and Region 1D championships.
“Keyton is just a difference maker,” Hart said. He’s as efficient an offensive player as I’ve ever been around, and I’ve had some good ones. You rarely find a kid of that size who is that skilled at handling the ball, passing, and shooting. Then, he got better defensively as the year went on. He caught on to what we were trying to do.
“Everyone knows he’s a great player, but what stands out to me more than anything about Keyton is his unselfishness. He could have easily averaged 25 points a game, but he’s so unselfish to a fault sometimes. We would have liked for him to shoot the ball more. Keyton is such a good kid; it’s rare to find someone as good as him who is unselfish.”
Keene was POY in Region 1D and Hogoheegee District and was also first-team.
Mike Reece
So. Lebanon
The 6-foot-3 Reece displayed tremendous athleticism for a post player, averaging a double-double. He was also a factor on the perimeter making 37 percent of 3-pointers. Reece scored over 16 points and grabbed 12.2 rebounds per game.
“Mike had a great year filling the stat sheet every night,” Boyd said. “In my opinion, he’s the best outlet passer that I saw play this year. He can get the ball out and really lead a break. He can throw it from end to end, we call them touchdowns, and he threw many of them. You’re obviously doing a lot of work when you average over 12 rebounds a game.
“Mike and Keyton are two of the better-shooting big guys around. If they were more selfish, they would probably shoot more 3s. Next year, maybe we can get Mike more looks from 3; percentage-wise, he’s one of our better shooters.”
Reece was first team All-Region 2D and Southwest District.
Parker Bandy
Sr. Honaker
As Coach Hart likes to say, Bandy is a Swiss knife for the Tigers, doing a little bit of everything. He scored almost 11 points and had six boards a game. He also dished out over four assists and had almost three steals a game. He made 50 percent of his 2s attempted.
“PB is a winner, that’s the best way to describe him,” commented Hart. “He will do whatever it takes to win. If you need him to score, pass, rebound, defend, or handle the ball, he’s a winner and a great kid. He’s been a huge part of our success the last couple of years; I will miss Parker and all the seniors. I’d love to have a bunch like him coming on.
“Parker was a little bit of a late bloomer; before his junior year, he came on, his body changed, and he became a good player.”
Bandy was first-team All-Region and All-BDD.
Andy Lambert
Sr. Lebanon
Lambert was the definition of a shooting guard. He scored 405 points his senior season, surpassing 1,000 career points. He scored 15.6 points and dished out 2.4 assists per game.
“Andy put in the work, worked his tail off, and had a great year,” Boyd said. “He was consistent, out of all the games we played, he only had a couple of nights when he was off. Shot the ball well and had a nice mid-range game, which you don’t see much of anymore. Andy gets to the rim and finishes. Just a ‘gym rat.’ I’m glad he had such a great senior year.”
Lambert was first-team All-Region 2D and Southwest District.
Cayden Dishman
Sr. Castlewood
Dishman was the area’s leading scorer, scoring 609 points in his senior season and surpassing 1,000 career points early in the season. He averaged 26.4 points, 6.6 boards, and 3.3 assists per game.
“Cayden was a prolific scorer as a three-year starter,” Wade said. “He had over 1,400 points and came a long way. Cayden played 31 minutes a game, rarely getting a break, and I can’t ask for anything more than that. He improved each year and is just an outstanding basketball player.”
Dishman was a first-team All-Region 1D and Cumberland District performer.
Aidan Lowe
Sr. Honaker
He averaged 12 points and over four boards a game. A significant asset on defense and has the ability to get to the rack on offense. It significantly hurt the Tiger’s chances when he went down with an injury against Grundy.
“It was a big loss for us, especially defensively,” Hart said. “When we had him and Jaylon (Hart) out there against the other team’s perimeter players, it made us a different team. The biggest thing about Aidan is his motor, he never stops. He can get wild at times, and you have to reel him in, but I would much rather have someone you have to reel in than someone you have to spur to get more out of them. I never had to worry about Aidan giving 100 percent, he has the best motor I’ve ever seen.”
Lowe was second-team All-Region and first-team All-Hogo.
Peyton Musick
Jr. Honaker
The all-state quarterback is also a tremendous player on the hardwood. He scored eight points with four rebounds a game. He was highly effective for a big man, making 51 percent of his 2s, and led Honaker, making 48 percent of 3s. Musick’s strength and physicality made him a tremendous defensive player, imposing his will on the opposition’s post.
“We did this thing as a team all year, but when Peyton Musick was fully engaged, he took us to a different level,” noted Hart. “His scoring, he guarded (Cole) Caywood, (Will) Goodwin, Mike Reece, Peyton was our best post defender.
Musick was huge with 28 points in the win over George Wythe to advance Honaker to the Final Four.
“Not many people know this, and I hate to talk about it because it sounds like I’m making excuses,” Hart said. “But after the George Wythe game, Peyton got that stomach bug, and I didn’t see him until 5 o’clock the day we played Auburn. He was in bed for two days and took fluids so he could play against Auburn. Peyton wasn’t healthy against Auburn, which was a factor.”
Musick was second-team All-Region and first-team All-Hogo.
Jaylon Hart
Sr. Honaker
Hart doesn’t get the recognition he deserves for creating havoc on the defensive end. He also stepped in and did a tremendous job of running the Tiger’s offense with almost three assists a game.
“It’s sort of hard for me to talk about Jaylon, but I have more this year,” Coach Hart said. “Jaylon has come a long way. He’s been a good defensive player, but I feel that he took it to another level this year. He was a crucial, crucial part of our ball handling and getting us into stuff as the season went along. He kept getting better and better at what we wanted him to do. I’m so proud of the season he had; it’s hard to put into words how I feel about what he’s done.”
Hart was second team All-Hogo.
Brody Wess
Sr. Lebanon
Wess was the defensive stopper and quarterback of the Lebanon basketball team. He didn’t shoot often, but he made 50 percent of his 2s and 65 percent of 3s, scoring 7.8 points and delivering 4.5 assists per game.
“Brody takes care of the ball; his assist-turnover ratio was great,” Boyd said. He led us in assists. In our district, he had the hard assignment of guarding Markelle Ray (Graham) and Deonta Mozelle (Virginia High). He competed well in those matchups. Brody was our ‘glue guy’ who held everything together. I couldn’t be more proud of Brody. He’s just a tremendous kid to coach. I’d love to have a team full of Brody Wess.”
Wess was second-team All-Southwest District.
Caden Boyd
Jr. Lebanon
A Honaker transfer, Boyd delivered 7.9 points with 3.7 assists per game. He stepped up his defensive play, drawing 22 charges this season. Boyd was hampered most of the year with a severe arm injury.
“Caden gutted it out for us,” Coach Boyd said. “He played good defense and took care of the ball, he was one of our top assist guys as well. He hurt his elbow in early December and damaged it badly, but we couldn’t keep him out of the lineup. He still wanted to play. I thought he had an excellent year defensively. I look for his scoring to bounce back next year when he’s healthy.”
Boyd was second-team All-SWD.
Girls
Tailor Nolley (Lebanon News All-Russell County Co-Player of the Year)
Sr. Honaker
The UVA-Wise commit put together a stellar senior season. Nolley scored 424 points, surpassing 1,000 points for her career, averaging 14.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 3.2 steals a game. Playing through contact, she put the ball on the floor and attacked the rim. Nolley made 46 percent of her shots and often drew the task of defending the opposition’s top scorer.
“Tailor is very athletic and plays hard,” Miller said. “She did another good job for us this year.”
Nolley added a presence on the perimeter to her offense this season.
“Nolley had always been someone who would take the ball to the basket and attack you,” Lebanon Coach Rex Parker said. What made her even tougher this year was that she would make 3s on the perimeter. If you stepped out and took away the 3, she was so quick with the ball that she would go right by you.”
Nolley was first-team All-Region and All-Hogo and the Hogoheegee POY.
Alayna McNulty (Lebanon News All-Russell County Co-Player of the Year)
Jr. Honaker
McNulty has excellent instincts on the court. She scored 442 points, surpassing 1,000 points for her career. McNulty averaged 15.2 points, 7.6 boards, 3.1 assists, and 2.7 thefts a game. She competes hard and gives herself plenty of opportunities with her athleticism inside. McNulty knocked down 47 percent of her shots. With her length, she was effective on the defensive end.
“Alayna had a great year, and she really stepped up in the postseason and had some good games for us,” Miller said. “She works hard, she has already started working for next season. Alayna is versatile. She has speed and athleticism, she can play on the perimeter and get to the basket. But she has worked with her back to the basket to be able to play the four. Alayna is athletic and gets herself to the rim.”
McNulty was first-team All-Region and All-Hogo.
Kate Jessee
Sr. Honaker
Jessee improved her game in the paint, although she was consistently outsized in the post. She scored 11.4 points and 8.1 rebounds a game, making 53 percent of her shots.
“Kate has always played the five-spot,” Miller said. “She plays with such heart and so big for us. Her size has never been a factor, she does an excellent job. I’ve been blessed with many selfless players, but she’s right up there at the top of selfless players. Kate always puts the team first and wants to win. She brings a positive attitude to the team.”
Jessee was second-team All-Region and first-team All-Hogo.
Kalli Miller
Jr. Honaker
Simply put, she makes the Honaker girls go. Miller scored over seven points, had over four assists, and steals a game. It was almost impossible to press the Tigers with Miller on the floor. She also created havoc on the defensive end, harassing the opposition’s point guard. Miller’s ability to distribute the ball created many opportunities for teammates.
“Kalli is athletic and quick,” Coach Miller said. “It makes it hard to press us. She brought her defense every game and plays with a lot of heart. Kalli led us in steals and assists, she worked hard to do her part for the team to be successful.”
Miller was second-team All-Region and first-team All-Hogo.
Carey Keene
So. Honaker
Keene was quite an addition to the Honaker lineup. The Lebanon transfer scored over six points with five boards a game. Her length made her a solid defender. Keene was an asset behind the arc, making 35 treys.
“We were excited to get Carey this year,” stated Miller. “She fit in great with the team, and she had good chemistry from the start. A good attitude and a great player. Hit some big 3s for us and had a great game at George Wythe. We’re expecting great things from her for the next two years.
“Her, Alayna, and Kalli have all been playing travel ball and are already working for next season.”
Keene was second-team All-Hogo.
Chloe Couch
So. Lebanon
A two-year starter, Couch was the point guard for the Pioneers. Couch scored over nine points with over three assists per game.
“We like for Chloe to have the ball in her hands,” Parker said. “She can make the 3 and is good at driving to the bucket. Chloe is a good on-the-ball defender.”
Couch was first-team All-Southwest.
Anna Summers
So. Castlewood
Summers had a solid sophomore year, averaging a double-double and scoring over 12 points a game.
“Anna was a key to every game we played,” Statzer said. “I feel she really found her place this year when it comes to working hard in the paint and fighting for rebounds, along with getting position to score several of our points. She was also a major contributor on the defensive end of the floor, with her ability to slow down and take points away from opposing post players. Summers has definitely matured since last season, and she truly showed her abilities this year.”
Summers was second-team All-Cumberland.
Lia Beck
So. Lebanon
Beck was a force in the paint for the Lebanon girls. She led the team in scoring and rebounds, scoring over 11 points with 9.5 boards a game. Her success came after losing her freshman season with a torn ACL.
“Beck came close to averaging a double-double,” Parker said. “Beck gave us some size inside, and she can step out and make some 3s.”
Beck was second-team All-Southwest.
Bailee Varney
Sr. Castlewood
Varney led the Blue Devils in scoring, averaging over 12 points per game. She also had 42 assists and 41 steals this season
“Bailee seemed to be the engine to our team, pushing everyone and truly wanting to win,” commented Statzer. “Her ability to create shots for herself really helped the team in every game. I feel like Varney’s shot developed a lot from last season and throughout this season. It made her a little harder to guard because not only could she drive well, but she became a shooter around the perimeter.”
Varney was honorable mention All-Cumberland.
Charleigh Hall
So. Castlewood
Hall scored over eight points a game and totaled 61 steals this season.
“Charleigh stepped into a role she hadn’t played at the varsity level this year, being our point guard,” Statzer said. “She really impressed me with her ability to remain calm under pressure and create things for her teammates. Charleigh’s shot also developed throughout the season, and she has the ability to be a lethal shooter after she starts feeling it. Hall’s hustle and grit impressed me, with her willingness to dive on the floor and go head-to-head after loose balls.”
Hall was honorable mention All-Cumberland