Fremont County completes the 3A/4A All-Conference & All-State Awards list
FREMONT COUNTY – Now that the final shot has been fired and the last of the Wyoming High School State Basketball Tournament is over, awards and accolades will arrive in Fremont County with a handful of Riverton and Lander basketball players selected for All-State and All-Conference Awards. First, it was pretty obvious that both Parker Paxton and Darrick DeVries, Riverton’s top two scorers, were going to get their trophies one way or another with consistent offense and defense. Both received 4A All-Conference honors along with some of the names they beat in the state tournament last week such as Croix Jenkins and Kayden LaFramboise.
DeVries led the team in rebounds per game (6.3), but those rebounds and his team-leading steals (2.5 per game) helped him immensely on the season, especially in the assists category, where he also led the team (2.2 per game ). It was all a great addition to the main course, his 13.8 points per game, which was seventh in the 4A West.
Riverton’s Paxton and DeVries weren’t the only Wolverines on the roster, though Kade Gabrielsen, Nathan Hutchison and Jason Vincent received second-team selections after all three proved they belong on another level with their combined defense.
In addition to leading the 4A in scoring (18.2 points per game) and having one of the top three-point percentages (41%) in the state of Wyoming, Paxton can also add a new accolade to the golf and basketball trophy shelves: Player of the Year.
On the 3A side of the ball, Lander grabbed some eyes as seniors Brenon Stauffenberg and Abe Lopez were named to the All-Conference team, but only Stauffenberg was named to the All-State list. Lopez’s omission from the All-State list is somewhat notable considering he led the team in scoring for most of the season and was one of the most physical and fun players to watch play all year.
The dynamic duo of seniors led the team in points, Stauffenberg (313) ahead of Lopez (267), but one wouldn’t be able to do what he did without the other distracting and defending. Stauffenberg (14.9 ppg) and Lopez (13.4) were indeed two of the more dangerous players in all of 3A, let alone the county, but when you add in the fact that Stauffenberg also led the team in rebounds per game (6.2 ) and it’s obvious why teams had to count for both.
Also on the All-Conference list was Lander senior Brae’don Lincoln, who made the All-Defensive team, which isn’t surprising at all given how seriously he took that side of the ball during his time at Lander.
Not only did several Lander boys make the all-conference list, but the Lander Lady Tigers’ new star under the basket, Adelyn Anderson, also earned honors after a strong start to her Lander Valley career.
Anderson finished the season fourth in rebounds per game (6.7) in the 3A West and ninth in the entire division. Not only that, but Lander led the Lady Tigers in blocks (24) by a mile and finished with the most field goals on the team (54).
The Riverton girls also had a name on the list that wouldn’t surprise anyone who’s been paying attention to their games this year. Junior Paizley Jackson finished third in the 4A West in scoring (13.4 points per game) and was one of the most consistent shooters in the state with a 69% free throw percentage and 294 total points.
All of these players worked extremely hard to earn these awards, and many will cherish them for the rest of their lives, but all Fremont County teams will have a higher goal on their lists next season: a state championship. The road to that goal begins now for every coach and player who returns to Wolverine Gymnasium or Bob Carey Memorial Fieldhouse next season.
4A All-state picks not done yet (should be tomorrow morning)
For more of this story, including pictures, quotes and more, be sure to check out this week’s edition of Fremont County Sports in the Ranger and Lander Journal newspapers. Start or continue your subscription today at 421 E. Main Street in Riverton.
