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Meet the Tribune's all-county high school basketball teams

chris kwiecinski, columbia daily tribune
·3 min read

During the 2022-2023 high school basketball season, we saw outstanding senior talents mix with rising young stars. It's time to give credit where credit is due.

Here are the Tribune's boys and girls All-Boone County basketball teams, including the players, newcomers and coaches of the year.

Boone County boys basketball

Evens Appolon (center) celebrates with the Father Tolton basketball team after winning the Class 4 District 9 championship game on March 3, 2023, in Westphalia, Mo.
Evens Appolon (center) celebrates with the Father Tolton basketball team after winning the Class 4 District 9 championship game on March 3, 2023, in Westphalia, Mo.

Superlatives

Player of the Year: Evens Appolon, Father Tolton

Newcomer of the Year: Exavier Wilson, Father Tolton

Coach of the Year: Ben Pallardy, Battle

Dominance is a hard word to define in basketball. However, Appolon exemplified the term. When Tolton's defensive acumen was at the forefront of the Trailblazers' postseason run, the center of it all literally was Appolon. The senior center rebounded, blocked and defended the ball at one of the best rates in the state. Appolon being the backbone of the defense allowed guards like James Lee, Izaak Porter and Blake Pingeton to thrive into their own as first-rate defenders.

That defense allowed our top newcomer Exavier Wilson to showcase his game, which was so good in Springfield that Missouri State couldn't let him leave without offering him a scholarship. Wilson's pure offensive abilities are already college-level as a sophomore. He'll have two more years to improve them.

Pallardy showed magnificent growth from year one to year two at Battle. He learned his own lessons and imparted lessons of his own on a veteran Spartans team. That led to an 11-game win streak, wins over Hickman, Tolton and Rock Bridge (twice) and a district title won with stout defense.

Rock Bridge's Brady Bowers (23) drives along the baseline past Hickman's Josiah Griffith (21) during the Bruins' 60-42 win over the Kewpies on Feb. 14, 2023, at Hickman High School.
Rock Bridge's Brady Bowers (23) drives along the baseline past Hickman's Josiah Griffith (21) during the Bruins' 60-42 win over the Kewpies on Feb. 14, 2023, at Hickman High School.

All-County boys basketball first team

  • Evens Appolon, Father Tolton

  • Tate McCubbin, Battle

  • Brady Bowers, Rock Bridge

  • Exavier Wilson, Father Tolton

  • Vernell Holt, Battle

Battle's Tay Patrick shows off the the Class 6 District 7 trophy after winning the Class 6 District 7 championship game on March 6, 2023, at Hickman High School.
Battle's Tay Patrick shows off the the Class 6 District 7 trophy after winning the Class 6 District 7 championship game on March 6, 2023, at Hickman High School.

All-County boys basketball second team

  • Izaak Porter, Father Tolton

  • Kanyon Hummel, Rock Bridge

  • Brock Camp, Hickman

  • Tay Patrick, Battle

  • James Lee, Father Tolton

  • Kolton Garner, Hallsville

All-County boys basketball honorable mention

Blake Pingeton, Father Tolton; Langston Stroupe, Hickman; Isaiah Bonaparte, Hickman; Jordan Richardson, Hickman; Josiah Griffith, Hickman; Justin Goolsby, Battle; Ethan Wiley, Battle; Isaac Stinson, Hallsville; Brayden Ott, Harrisburg; Hayven Samuels, Harrisburg; Brady Dapkus, Southern Boone; Aidan Bukowsky, Southern Boone; Brady Davidson, Rock Bridge.

Boone County girls basketball

Rock Bridge's Jayda Porter backs into Eureka's Bailey Boulay during a Class 6 girls semifinal basketball game on Friday, March 17, 2023, at Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo. Rock Bridge defeated Eureka 50-33.
Rock Bridge's Jayda Porter backs into Eureka's Bailey Boulay during a Class 6 girls semifinal basketball game on Friday, March 17, 2023, at Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo. Rock Bridge defeated Eureka 50-33.

Superlatives

Co-Players of the Year: Mari Miller and Jayda Porter, Rock Bridge

Newcomer of the Year: Braylin Brunkhorst, Centralia

Coach of the Year: Jill Nagel, Rock Bridge

The Bruins lead the way after an incredible run to the state championship game, where Miller and Porter were the two of the best players in the state, regardless of their underclassmen status. The two fed off each other while improving immensely and often after a rocky start to the season.

You have to credit Nagel for that, too. The Hall of Fame coach turned a young and talented squad into a great team. The scary part is this core will have two more full seasons together as Miller is only a sophomore, and Porter is just a freshman.

However, don't sleep on Brunkhorst. The Centralia freshman helped the Panthers to their best overall record since 1978 and a runner-up finish in districts. Brunkhorst showed a scoring hand as a freshman, alluding to her potential for the years to come.

Rock Bridge's Mari Miller goes for a layup during the Class 6 District 7 championship game on March 7, 2023, at Hickman High School.
Rock Bridge's Mari Miller goes for a layup during the Class 6 District 7 championship game on March 7, 2023, at Hickman High School.

All-County girls basketball first team

  • Jayda Porter, Rock Bridge

  • Mari Miller, Rock Bridge

  • KJ Johnson, Battle

  • Chloe Bukowsky, Southern Boone

  • Ashtyn Klusmeyer, Hickman

Southern Boone's Emilee DeHaas looks to pass while being pressured by Vashon's Rayvin Jones during a Class 4 girls semifinal basketball game on Thursday, March 16, 2023, at Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo.
Southern Boone's Emilee DeHaas looks to pass while being pressured by Vashon's Rayvin Jones during a Class 4 girls semifinal basketball game on Thursday, March 16, 2023, at Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo.

All-County girls basketball second team

  • Tayla Robinson, Battle

  • Ella Rogers, Hickman

  • Emilee DeHaas, Southern Boone

  • Braylin Brunkhorst, Centralia

  • Jozelynn Bostick, Centralia

All-County girls basketball honorable mention

Maliyah Miller, Battle; Nautica Washington, Battle; Annie Robinson, Centralia; Kristen Jones, Hallsville; Haley Hagen, Hallsville; Carli Ellis, Harrisburg; Brecca Thornhill, Harrisburg; Sy'Rae Stemmons, Hickman; Jayla Griffith, Hickman; MaJayla Dudley, Southern Boone; Paige Morse, Southern Boone; Bella Corrado, Rock Bridge; Malia Cheivous, Rock Bridge; Addison Hopkins, Rock Bridge; Katherine Seivers, Rock Bridge; Sadie Sexauer, Father Tolton.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Meet the Tribune's all-county high school basketball teams