Basketball: Four Kalispell players make Class AA all-state team
Glacier’s Ryan Edwards, Evan Epperly and Cassi Hashley and Flathead’s Emma Andrews all were named to the Class AA basketball All-State team on Tuesday.
Each of the four was also named first team all-Western conference. The poll was conducted by coaches last weekend. Coaches nominated players from their teams, then voted for their top 10 of players from other conference teams.
Edwards, a 7-foot senior center headed to Gonzaga for basketball, averaged a team-high 12.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game in the regular season. His defensive presence changed games and forced teams to account for him in their scheme. In the state tournament, he led all players with 13 blocks in four games.
Epperly, a junior for the Wolfpack, was among the best point men in the state this season. His 3.9 assists per game were in the top three in the state and his 47 steals were second. His speed and pressure led the Wolfpack’s perimeter defense, which led to easy fast break points for both Epperly and his teammates. He is one of just four underclassmen and two point guards named to the all-state team.
Flathead seniors Shea Schroeder and Garth West were named second team all-conference, along with Glacier’s Kyle Griffith. Wolfpack senior Logan Iverson was named honorable mention.
On the girls side, Hashley was second in voting only to Sentinel star Olivia Roberts, who led her team to a state title. The 6-1 Wolfpack junior led the state in both scoring (14.5 points per game) and rebounding (12.3 rpg) in the regular season. She also averaged 20 points and 15 rebounds in two games at the state tournament.
Andrews, a junior guard for the Bravettes, was among the leading scorers in the state and helped guide her team to the state tournament for the first time since 2008. She was a top five in both scoring and steals, averaging 12.7 points per game and 3 thefts. An aggressive player, she was also among the best in the state at getting to the free-throw line, finishing in the top five of free throws made.
Glacier’s Hailee Bennett and Rachel Chery and Flathead’s Emily Russell were each named to the honorable mention all-West squad.