04-14-14
BY JACK BULLOCK
In putting together this season’s ABV all-south squad and deciding on the ABV Coach’s and Player’s of the Year, it didn’t take much thought in choosing the winners.

When it came down to the 1A and 2A POY’s, two young men stood out to this writer.

Not only on their merits for this season but also career accomplishments.

In Class 1A, Waterloo Gibault’s Wes Degener is the ABV “Player of the Year” for 2013-14.

This 6-foot-3 senior forward averaged 16.3 points a game for a state-ranked squad that made it all the way to the Jacksonville Supersectional before losing to Mendon Unity.

His numbers were more than solid, leading the Hawks with 16.3 points a game along with 7.3 rebounds.

Degener was also a defensive catalyst for Gibault, leading the club with 62 steals, a part of a defensive effort for a team that played a brutal independent schedule which ended at 23-8.

His career numbers don’t look impressive at first glance (889-career points) but considering that he missed all of his freshman season and a third of his junior year due to injuries that scoring total is a bit lower than what it would have been had he been healthy.

Head coach Dennis Rueter, who has had some great athletes at this school over the years says, “Wes might be the best athlete who ever attended Gibault.”

That is a bold statement but not unwarranted.

Degener not only shined on the hardwood, but he was also a vital part of two other teams that won state championships.

As the starting shortstop on the Hawks 1A championship team back last spring, Degener batted .479 in leading Gibault tot the title.

As a soccer player he scored one of the two goals in Gibault’s 2-1 title game win last fall in the 1A game against Hersher.

Brandon Wolfe, a 6-foot-4 forward at Casey-Westfield, deserves the 2A “Player of the Year” award for 2013-14.

Wolfe has been a four-year starter for the Warriors and his 19.7 points per game this season topped Coach Jason Hanson’s squad.

Wolfe was one of the biggest match up headaches in the South.

Brandon could score from anywhere on the floor.

When a bigger player guarded him Wolfe could step out and nail 3-pointers.

If the opposition placed a smaller defender on Wolfe, he was deadly around the basket.

The career numbers were excellent as Wolfe netted 1,876-career points and this season the Warriors finished 20-7 against a schedule that featured a lot of top-notch 2A and 3A clubs.

Each season C-W plays in one of the top Indiana High School Basketball Holiday Tournaments in Terre Haute.

Wolfe, in his four seasons, is the all-time leading scorers in the Pizza Hut Classic, tossing in 312-points.

That is saying a lot with all of the great players who have suited up in this event.

When it comes to the “Coaches’ of the Year” two of the best get the nod.

In Class 1A, first year mentor Shane Garner got his team playing its best basketball when it counted.

The Sesser-Valier Red Devils made it all the way to Peoria where they finished fourth.

This club got going in the postseason and put away Christopher, Woodlawn, Goreville, Cairo and Dieterich to get to Carver Arena.

Coach Garner, in his first season as the head coach, got his team to be better at the end of the year than they were at the beginning.

Coach Andy Fehrenbacher of Teutopolis has done a lot of great things in his tenure leading the Wooden Shoes.

This program has thrived for many years and this coach has continued the winning tradition.

The Wooden Shoes have reached four-consecutive supersectional’s under this leadership and his teams have always played hard and played the right way.

They were there every step of the way with Nashville at the Carbondale 2A Super before losing late.
This team is in very good hands.

EDITOR'S NOTE:
As with the previous year's - the ABV lists will be scrutinized. But as always I stand by my selections. Most importantly these awards are about the kids and the two coaches listed.

If you - as a fan - have a comment that is disparaging to the ones chosen then send it to me. Don't post it on some message board and embarrass some young man. If you have a complaint send it ABV.

Like Harry Truman said - "The Buck Stops Here."

Someone could probably make a case for several others to be on the list.

Names are listed in alphabetical order. I'm sure there will be one or two of them with misspelled names or the wrong heights or class. I can fix those later.

I hope you enjoy.

Jack.

Player Of The Year
Wes Degener - Waterloo Gibault Catholic.
Coach Of The Year
Shane Garner - Sesser-Valier
ABV First Team
Jacob Brammeier – Okawville – 6-foot Sr.
Wes Degener - Waterloo Gibault – 6-foot-3 Sr.
Noah Frederking – Okawville - 6-foot-3 Fr.
Nick Marlo – Sesser-Valier – 5-foot-10 Jr.
Rayquan Nelson – Cairo – 5-foot-5 Sr.
Ross Owens – Woodlawn – 6-foot-2 So.
Caleb Perry – Crab Orchard – 5-foot-10 Sr.
Justin Prewitt – Meridian – 6-foot-3 Sr.
Zeke Snell – Goreville – 6-foot-4 Sr.
Garrett Ziegler – Altamont – 6-foot Sr.
ABV Second Team
Tyler Baxter – Sesser-Valier – 6-foot-1 Sr.
Jered Cain – Patoka – 6-foot-1 Fr.
Kyefer Cavins – Goreville – 6-foot-1 Sr.
Johnnie Clift – Patoka – 5-foot-11 Sr.
Alex Holscher – St. Anthony – 6-foot-5 Sr.
Tyler Meyer – New Athens – 6-foot-3 Sr.
Nick Row – Waterloo Gibault – 6-foot-1 Sr.
Michael Schoffner – Meridian – 6-foot-1 Sr.
Deontay Starnes – Madison – 6-foot-6 Sr.
Tanner Traub – Dieterich – 5-foot-9 Sr.
ABV Special Mention
B.J Austin – Hardin County – 6-foot-1 Jr.
Brady Barnes – Beecher City – 6-foot-2 Sr.
Jon Batts – Metro-East Lutheran 5-foot-11 Jr.
Jacob Behrends – St. Elmo-Brownstown – 6-foot Sr.
Darren Betz – Carrier Mills – 6-foot Jr.
Alex Bohnhoff – Dieterich – 5-foot-10 Jr.
Lawson Britton – North Clay – 5-foot-10 Sr.
Tyler Castleman - Joppa - 6-foot Jr.
Gunnar Galloway – Crab Orchard – 6-foot-1 Jr.
Terrence Glover – Madison – 6-foot-3 Jr.
Austin Grote – CORL – 6-foot-2 Sr.
Jordan Gunter – Sesser-Valier – 6-foot-2 Sr.
Quentin Henson – Thompsonville – 6-foot-6 Sr.
Caden Hight – Century – 5-foot-10 Jr.
Logan Hosick – Cisne – 5-foot-7 Jr.
Billy Irwin – Wayne City – 6-foot-1 Sr.
Derek Jahraus – Altamont – 6-foot-2 Sr.
AJ Jeffers – Steeleville – 6-foot-2 Sr.
Jordan Jones – Trico – 5-foot-11 Sr.
Tyler Lewey - Cobden - 6-foot-2 Sr.
Ike Margrum – Odin – 5-foot-8 Jr.
Jared Mayhew – Oblong – 6-foot-5 Jr.
Levi Maxey – St. Elmo-Brownstown – 6-foot Sr.
Nick McPhail – Zeigler-Royalton – 5-foot-9 Sr.
Koert Mehler – Oblong - 6-foot-5 Sr.
Cody Pittman – Clay City – 6-foot Jr.
Jake Robinson – Woodlawn – 6-foot-3 Sr.
Chase Rednour – Trico – 6-foot-7 Jr.
Bailey Schimpf – Zeigler-Royalton – 5-foot-10 Sr.
Taylor Schmitt – Lebanon – 6-foot Sr.
Chase Sutton – NCOE – 6-foot So.
Jacob Towers – Christopher – 6-foot-1 Sr.
Marcus Wargel – Gallatin County – 5-foot-10 Sr.
Neil Williams – St. Anthony – 6-foot-1 Sr.
Justin Winchester - Waltonville - 6-foot Sr.
Jarvis Woodson – Cairo – 5-foot-11 Sr.