For The Tribune
MEDORA
Kam Flynn received the best statistical player award for the boys, while Jadelyn Dean and Avery Carney shared that honor for the girls for the 2014-15 basketball season.
Those awards and several others were handed out by coaches Thursday night during an awards program at Medora High School. Cheerleaders and middle school and elementary basketball teams also were recognized.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]
Girls coach Brad McCammon said Dean and Carney ranked among the team leaders in several categories.
Dean received the free throw and steals awards, while Carney received the field goal shooting and blocks awards.
Dean ranked second on the team in scoring at 9.4 points per game with a high game of 32 points against Irvington Prep Academy, and she was named to the Henryville Tipoff all-tournament team.
Carney scored 7.1 points per game and had a high game of 17 against Cannelton.
Kiana Thompson, the only senior on the team, received the mental attitude award, while Lillie Hatfield received the most improved award.
Megan Weddell received the rebounding award, Carley McCammon took home the 3-point shooting plaque, Breanna Pfeiffer received the assists-to-turnover ratio award and Victoria Pfeiffer was named winner of the defensive award.
Dean and McCammon also received plaques for being named to The Tribune’s all-county team.
“It was a season like no other,” coach McCammon said. He mentioned that one player suffered an injury during the first practice, another player was injured in the first game and the injuries continued to pile up throughout the season.
Carney missed five games in December and the final four games of the season, and McCammon said that was a big loss because of her inside presence in scoring, rebounding and defending.
“It was a rough season,” McCammon said. “We started out we playing five games in eight days.”
The Hornets began the season with a 1-3 showing in the Henryville tournament. They weren’t able to win back-to-back games and finished 6-19.
“I thought we should have won 10 games,” McCammon said, noting the team lost three games by five points or less.
Boys coach Michael Leitzman said Flynn ranked among the team leaders in all of the offensive categories.
Flynn received the 3-point shooting award, and he was Medora’s leading scorer with an average of 11.6 points per game. He had high games of 22 points against Crothersville and 21 against Southwestern (Hanover).
Jalen Beesley received the mental-attitude and free-throw awards, and Kirk Stewart took home the defensive and assists-to-turnover ratio awards.
Brandon Moore was named the most improved player, Chase Booker received the field goal shooting plaque and Austin Fish received the rebounding award.
The Hornets were 8-16, and Leitzman said the team reduced the point difference by several points against several teams from a year ago.
“We were very competitive in the games we lost,” he said. “We made big strides this year, and I’m proud of them. I enjoyed being around the team.”
Boys junior varsity coach Dave Able presented the rebounding award to Calib Willis, the defensive award to Matt Jones, the free-throw plaque to Nash Bottorff and named Tony Norklun as the most improved player.
Cheerleading coach Dennis Temple introduced the cheerleaders, and McCammon presented 16 students with scholar athlete certificates. He said they had to carry a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher to qualify for that award.
The scholar athletes are Hatfield, Dean, Thompson, Carney, McCammon, Moore, Jones, Victoria Pfeiffer, Breanna Pfeiffer, Kaitlyn Wilson, Dalea Johnson, Destiny Barr, Katie Stewart, Kirk Stewart, Tristan Newcomb and Kage Spence.
McCammon also announced that several athletes are taking part in weight training, and he encouraged all returning players to work on their fundamentals during open gym this spring and summer.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”At a glance” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Elementary/middle school girls basketball awards
Mental attitude: Addison Reed and Hannah Morris
Most improved: Kaitlyn Cobb, Brooklyn Baughman, Bailey Morris and Tiara Edwards
Leadership: Kailen Flynn
Defense: Maria Cobb and Jolee Dean
Free throw percentage: Mariah Cobb
Free throws made: Grace Cobb
Sixth man award: Kelsey Turner
Coaches award: Gwyneth Morris
Elementary/middle school boys basketball awards
Mental attitude: Skylar Jones and Jared Starr
Most improved: Jayvin Spurgeon and Jackson Combs
Leading scorer: Chancler Ault
Defense: Jordan Burrell and Skylar Jones
Free throw percentage: J.D. Fish and Jonathan Cobb
Leading 3-point scorer: Jeffrey Phillips
[sc:pullout-text-end]