Introducing the 2021 Wichita Eagle high school boys, girls basketball All-Metro teams
The Wichita metro area featured some of the best talent in Kansas this season and that star power is highlighted on The Wichita Eagle’s 17th annual All-Metro high school basketball teams.
Campus senior Sterling Chapman is the area’s Boys Player of the Year, while Cheney senior Kylee Scheer is the Girls Player of the Year.
The All-Metro teams consist of the five most valuable players and the top coach from Sedgwick, Butler and Harvey counties, based on statistics and area coaches’ feedback.
Here is a look at the full 2021 Wichita Eagle and Varsity Kansas All-Metro basketball teams:
BOYS
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Sterling Chapman, Campus senior
No player in Class 6A had more influence on the game at both ends of the floor than Chapman, a 6-foot-5, 200-pound senior who imposed his will and left his imprints on every game. One area coach said he was “the LeBron James of Wichita,” as Chapman averaged 19.1 points, 12.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.1 steals while leading Campus to its first state championship game appearance in more than three decades. Chapman, who has signed with Tulsa, ended his career as the program’s all-time leading scorer and shattered Campus’ single-season rebounds record this season. He was also recently chosen the Player of the Year for the state of Kansas by The Eagle.
What Campus coach Chris Davis said: “I don’t know if you can put into words what Sterling has meant to Campus high school and what he’s meant to Campus basketball the past four years. He’s been a great ambassador for all things Campus and what he does on the court speaks for itself. He was just a man among boys on the boards this year. You can’t understate how strong he is and how strong he plays. He was just an absolute beast. It’s been a privilege and an honor to coach him for four years and I think Campus is looked at in a totally different light because of him and his brother (Steele). It was a ride you hoped would never end, then four years later you’re in the state championship game.”
Jacob Hanna, Maize senior
Pinpointing the best player on Maize this season changed on a game-by-game basis. It could be Hanna one night, junior Kyle Grill the next, then sophomore Avery Johnson after that. But Hanna was the senior leader who helped tie everything together for a Maize team that played the beautiful game this season en route to the program’s first state championship. Hanna (12.9 points) actually took a step back in scoring this season, but improved his rebounding (5.7) and play-making (2.9 assists) to go along with his stellar defense (2.2 steals and 1.0 blocks) to help Maize reach its potential and win the 5A title. Hanna, who signed with Division II Illinois-Springfield, was mentioned widely by opposing coaches as the best defender they faced this season.
What Maize coach Chris Grill said: “Anybody we needed to get shut down on the other team, we put Jacob on them. He had the ability to make things really difficult on the best player for the other team. I think the other big thing he did for us was on offense he became more of a play-maker. He averaged less points for us, but had more assists and did a better job of getting to the offensive glass and he shot over 70 percent on 2-point field goals and made 40 percent of his threes. And then the thing that I thought made the biggest difference for our team being so successful was his leadership and his energy. He always came to practice with a great attitude and great energy and great effort and that’s what made him so valuable to us.”
Jack Johnson, Andover senior
It would be hard to find a smoother scorer in the area than Johnson, the 6-foot-2 guard who powered Andover to two of its most successful seasons in program history the past two years. After leading the Trojans to an undefeated season and Final Four appearance last year, Johnson averaged 19.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists to Andover to a 19-3 record this season. Whenever the game was on the line, Johnson, who has signed with Division II Dallas Baptist, made it a habit of coming through with the winning play for Andover.
What Andover coach Martin Shetlar said: “Jack is just a great teammate and he’s a leader. He does whatever our team needed from him to win the game. If that means he needs to be a defensive stopper or he needs to get rebounds or needs to go score, that’s what he did for us. He did whatever it took for us to be a good team for us to play our best and that’s probably his best quality.”
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Alex Littlejohn, Bishop Carroll senior
Scoring on Bishop Carroll this season was a challenge for almost every team this season, thanks to the 6-foot-5 Littlejohn patrolling the court. The Golden Eagles lost just one game with Littlejohn in the lineup this season, a 37-33 loss to eventual champion Maize in the Class 5A quarterfinals. City League opponents won’t miss Littlejohn, who has signed with Kansas Wesleyan, as he became a two-way force for Carroll the last three seasons. His senior season was his most impactful, as Littlejohn averaged 15.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.3 blocks.
What Bishop Carroll coach Mike Domnick said: “He’s been our best player for three years now. The guy is so long and lean and handles the ball like a point guard. He’s everything you would want. He’s always competing. He came in as this scrawny, little kid weighing probably 150 pounds, then next thing you know he’s starting for us as a freshman and then he’s averaging double-doubles almost every season. He led us in assists and steals too and he just fills up the stat sheet. He’s going to be a really nice player at the next level because he’s just relentless. He gets as much joy passing the ball as he does scoring it for us.”
Cason Richardson, Hesston junior
If you hadn’t heard of Richardson before March, then you should have by now after the 6-foot-3 guard torched the nets for 36 points in the state semifinals and led Hesston to the Class 3A championship. The Swathers (23-1) grinded their way to the title thanks to a switch-happy defense that negated almost everything offenses wanted to do and an offense led by the keen decision-making by Richardson. He averaged 17 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists and was also one of the team’s best defenders during the title run.
What Hesston coach Greg Raleigh said: “For us, he pretty much did a little bit of evertyhing. We’re lucky that we’ve got five guys who are about the same size and fairly interchangeable. So we can play him at the point or we can put him inside. For his size, he’s very good down on the block. He can shoot the three-ball well and also put it on the floor. At 6-foot-3, he’s pretty big for a point guard at our level. So if teams guard him with a big, he can easily get around them and if they put someone smaller on him, then he can take them down inside. He’s just a very smart player and he could do pretty much anything that we needed him to do.”
Chris Grill, Maize coach
It’s not often a team goes from medicore the season before to a state championship, but Grill was able to engineer an impressive turnaround this season to lead Maize to its first state title in program history. The Eagles were 4-7 at one point last season, but ended the season winning eight of the last 10 games and that momentum carried over to this season. Maize quickly became one of the top teams in the state, playing an aesthetically-pleasing style on offense while grinding opponents down with their size and length on the defensive end. Maize won its final 14 games of the season to finish with a 23-2 record and a Class 5A championship.
What Maize coach Chris Grill said: “The credit goes to the kids for buying into the system. They really bought into not having to put up a lot of shots individually, as long as we were scoring as a team. I think everybody was good with that and then we really improved our defensive focus as a team. That’s probably what separated us from the beginning of the season to the end of the year was our defense and our unselfishness on offense. It was a really fun group to coach. I think all coaches in general just want to get the most out of their players, the most out of their teams. Sometimes you win a lot of games doing that, sometimes you don’t. I felt like this year our guys got as far as we could possibly get and that was very satisfying.”
Second team All-Metro
Trey Abasolo, sr., 6-2, Mulvane
Kyle Grill, jr., 6-5, Maize
Nick Hogan, sr., 6-5, Eisenhower
Adriel Smith, jr., 5-10, Rose Hill
Stevie Strong, sr., 6-1, Campus
Coach: Greg Raleigh, Hesston
Third team All-Metro
Bronxon Frierson, sr., 6-2, Heights
Enrique Lankford, sr., 6-3, Bishop Carroll
Brendan Parker, sr., 6-0, Augusta
Harrison Voth, jr., 6-1, Cheney
Christian Williams, sr., 6-0, Trinity Academy
Coach: Chris Davis, Campus
GIRLS
Addy Brown, Derby sophomore
The younger sister of former five-star recruit Kennedy Brown, Addy made a name for herself during her sophomore season. Once fellow star Maryn Archer went down with a season-ending injury early in the year, Brown, a 6-foot-2 sophomore took her game to another level. She averaged 18.5 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists and practically willed the Panthers (18-5) back to an appearance in the Class 6A quarterfinals. By the end of the season, Brown was an unstoppable force at both ends of the floor for Derby.
What Derby coach Jodie Karsak said: “Addy took her game up about 10 levels from her freshman year. She just played with a sense of dominance every game. She was out there imposing her will and just impacting the game and making things happen however she could. She was such a physical player. She was a bulldog for us. A beast. The more physical the game, the more she’s going to excel because she just thrives off the physicality. She’s very strong and she can jump and she’s very athletic. We could play her at every position this year because we had to. And then what sets her apart even more is just her basketball IQ. She just understands the game as much as anybody I’ve ever coached. It was such a joy to be able to coach her this year.”
Karenna Gerber, Halstead senior
No team came closer to taking down Cheney, the undefeated and eventual champions of Class 3A, than Halstead, which lost 51-50 in double overtime in the state quarterfinals. Gerber, a 6-foot senior post, was the go-to player this season for the Dragons. She averaged 20 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 3.8 blocks per game this season for a 20-4 team. Gerber, who has signed with Pittsburg State, ended her career as the program’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder. She had a 40-point scoring game this season, as well as a triple-double (16 points, 11 rebounds, 10 blocks) against Eureka. Gerber also led Halstead to back-to-back trips to the state tournament, the first two appearances in program history.
What Halstead coach Derek Schutte said: “She’s got excellent footwork for a post player and she can handle the ball too. She can pass it and she’s a really good defender, blocking shots or switching out and guarding guards out on the perimeter. Karenna changed the game for us on both ends of the court. We really looked for her to score for us and to create opportunities for us on the offensive end. And then on the defensive end, she just anchored our defense. I think we’ve had one of the best defensive teams in 3A the last few years and she’s a big reason why.”
Brittany Harshaw, Andover Central junior
No one from this part of the state could slow down Andover Central, which won 45 straight games and reached the Class 5A championship game this season. Harshaw, a 6-foot junior who is committed to Creighton, was a big reason why, as her smooth offensive game and length on the defensive end made her the most impactful player this season for the Jaguars. After leading Andover Central to an undefeated season and Forever Four appearance last year, Harshaw was even better as a junior. She posted averages of 18.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.7 steals, as she led Andover Central to the 5A title game where it lost to St. Thomas Aquinas.
What Andover Central coach Stana Jefferson said: “She took her game to another level for us this season. She’s just a super athletic kid and she became a lot more physical this year. I think next year we’re going to see even more of that. She’s a great ball handler for her height and can shoot it from the outside and can take it in and score inside. She’s a very versatile player and very hard to guard. She had the ability to take over games for us and kind of shut the other team completely down.”
Kylee Scheer, Cheney senior
One of the state’s most accomplished scorers ended her career with perfection, leading Cheney to a 25-0 record and the Class 3A championship. Scheer, a 5-foot-8 senior guard, averaged 22.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 4.3 steals to lead the Cardinals to their second state title in program history. The Emporia State signee showcased a new offensive game this season, as defenses focused on running her off the three-point line. Scheer was still able to impact the game as much as any other player in 3A with her shooting ability, which set her up for more success driving to the basket and reaching the foul line in her senior season. Scheer, who broke the school record for three-pointers made and finished second all-time in scoring, was recently named the Player of the Year in the state by The Eagle.
What Cheney coach Rod Scheer said: “The thing that stands out to me the most about her is just her work ethic and her enthusiasm for the game. And then from a basketball standpoint, she just found ways to score to help us win games this year. She did whatever it took for us to win and I’m very proud of her and the way she went about this season in doing that. Up until this year, everybody knew about her three-point shooting. This year her scoring was a little down and her three-point shooting was well under what she did last year, but she was able to get to the free throw line, she was able to hit twos, she was able to get to the basket. She found other ways to score and she just always found a way to help us get the win.”
Bailey Wilborn, Andover Central senior
Andover Central was one of the most dominant teams in the state the past two seasons and Wilborn, a 5-foot-8 senior guard, played a big role in that. On one of the most talented teams in the state, Wilborn was a deadly three-point shooter and her leadership and impact on the game was awarded by other coaches when they voted her the MVP of AV-CTL Div. II. Wilborn, a Maine signee, averaged 14.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals, as she helped the Jaguars reel off 45 straight wins and a trip to the Class 5A championship game this season. Wilborn made 3.2 three-pointers per game on 43% accuracy.
What Andover Central coach Stana Jefferson said: “The biggest thing that stands out about Bailey when you watch her play is her shooting ability and her confidence from the three. She’s just an incredible shooter and she became a great leader for us this season. Her IQ of the game is very, very high and her work ethic was just incredible. She did a great job this season of making sure our team got into their offense and she did a great job every game of just controlling the tempo. It was a great career. Anyone who saw her play as a freshman saw her confidence level grow so much over the last four years. She has so much poise and I’m so excited about her future and watching her excel at the University of Maine.”
Coach: Rod Scheer, Cheney
A state championship seemed in doubt when senior point guard Lexi Cline went down with an early-season injury, but Scheer was able to navigate the Cardinals through the adversity unscathed to a Class 3A championship. Led by his youngest daughter, Kylee, an All-Metro pick and The Eagle’s Girls Player of the Year for the state, Cheney finished a 25-0 season with a 60-54 win over Sabetha in the 3A title game. Cline was able to return for the stretch run and teamed with Brynn McCormick, Brooklyn Wewe, Campbell Hague, Korri Lies, Leah Durr and Lacy Luehrs to win the program’s second state title, both coached by Scheer, who has now won a state title with both of his daughters.
What Cheney coach Rod Scheer said: “This group of kids just refused to lose. And it’s not just in basketball. They’ve done it the last few years in softball and then in volleyball too. It’s just a group of kids who just wanted to win and compete. Right after we won, on the court when we huddled up, I told them, ‘Don’t forget how we got here.’ And that was because of their work ethic and their teamwork. They worked together and they did it together. They pushed each other and when do all of those things, then good things happen.”
Second team All-Metro
Ella Anciaux, sr., 6-3, Kapaun Mt. Carmel
Austin Broadie, sr., 6-0, Wichita Trinity Academy
Kimalee Cook, sr., 5-5, Circle
Sydney Holmes, sr., 5-9, Maize
Laniah Randle, sr., 5-9, Wichita Heights
Coach: Stana Jefferson, Andover Central
Third team All-Metro
Katelyn Fairchild, sr., 5-9, Andale
Jaila Harding, sr., 5-8, Wichita Southeast
Maycee James, jr., 5-9, Goddard
Kennedy Nicholson, sr., 5-7, Eisenhower
Khloe Schuckman, sr., 5-8, Bishop Carroll
Coach: Jodie Karsak, Derby
This story was originally published March 29, 2021 at 1:00 AM.
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