Full list of honors by Sports in Kansas - click here

It was another great basketball season in Northeast Kansas and the Kanzaland listening area with multiple area teams making deep runs at State and three capturing State titles. Every year multiple organizations had out postseason honors and this year a trio of area coaches and three area players picked up Coach of the Year and Player of the Year in their respective classifications from Sports in Kansas. 

It's been another strong athletic year for the Centralia Panthers and both the girls and boys basketball teams stamped their seasons with Class 1A-Division I State titles this year as they repeated 2002 when both teams also won State titles. Those great seasons earned head coaches Roger Holthaus and Cole Alderfer the Coach of the Year honors from Sports in Kansas. Holthaus led the lady Panthers back to the State title game and after taking State runner-up last year this year the Panthers pounced on the State title finishing the year 1A-DI State champs with a 25-1 record and won the Twin Valley League regular season and tournament titles, too. The State title is the fifth in school history for girls basketball and first since 2004 and first for Coach Holthaus. The boys finished the year 19-7 and brought home their second State title in school history as first year coach Cole Alderfer helped guide the Panthers to the State title after being a player back on the 2002 Championship team. 

One other area team won a State title and that is the Jackson Heights Cobra boys as they finished the year 24-2 and claimed the Class 2A State title, winning their third State in school history and first since 2003. The great year earned head coach, Chris Brown Coach of the Year honors from Sports in Kansas. The Cobras also won the Northeast Kansas League title going 16-0 in League play. One of the Cobras top players senior, Zane Richter got the nod as Player of the Year in Class 2A by Sports in Kansas after helping the Cobras with the State title. Richter in his senior year averaged 23.2 points per game, nine rebounds per game, 2.5 assists per game and four steals per game, while also suprassing 1,000 career points this year. 

Two other area players earned Player of the Year honors from Sports in Kansas this year and both hail from 1A. 

On the girls side Axtell Eagle senior, Courtney Heinen helped guide Axtell to their best finish in school history for girls basketball finishing as 1A-Division II State runner-up with a 22-4 record. Heinen posted 18.2 points per game, 5.9 rebounds per game and 3.5 steals per game, while eclipsing 1,000 career points this year earning her Player of the Year honors from Sports in Kansas. 

In Class 1A-DI Doniphan West Mustang senior, Cooper Leach was named Player of the Year by Sports in Kansas. The Mustang finished 18-5 and Sub-State runner-up this year falling to eventual State Champs, Centralia in the Sub-State Championship, one year after finishing as State runner-up in 1A-DI. Leach in his senior season posted 16 points per game and 10 rebounds per game.