Grand River Conference

by Jeremy Benson, GrandRiverConference Last season was one that many North Andrew fans would like to forget.  After finishing second in state the previous season, the Cardinals suffered through a lot of injuries and finished the season 6-5.  After losing to Platte Valley in Districts, Coach Dwayne Williams told the players that he know how to fix it, if they were willing to listen to him. The Cardinal players were on a mission this summer.  They spent extra time in the weight room to focus on strength and conditioning.  They knew that if they could stay healthy, that they had the talent to compete for a state championship. North Andrew came into the game 12-0 with 6 of those wins over Top 10 opponents.  #2 Archie, who was also 12-0, was the only team that stood in their way between another trip back to the state championship game.  The Cardinals received the ball first.  Hayden Ecker had 46 yards on a 51-yard drive, with 39 on the ground.  Andrew ...

GRC Girls Basketball 2021-22 Stat Leaders - Returning players by class GRC East Points Per Game Sophomore - Addy Henke, Princeton, 19.9 Junior - Hannah Carter, South Harrison, 16.8 Senior - Chloe Gilbert, Polo, 6.5 Field Goals Per Game Sophomore - Addy Henke, Princeton, 7.2 Junior - Hannah Carter, South Harrison, 6.4 Senior - Chloe Gilbert, Polo, 2.5 2-pt FG Per Game Sophomore - Addy Henke, Princeton, 5.5 Junior - Hannah Carter, South Harrison, 6.4 Senior - Chloe Gilbert, Polo, 2.5 3-pt FG Per Game Sophomore - Addy Henke, Princeton, 1.7 Junior - Ashley Feiden, Gallatin, 1.6 Senior - Elle Copple, Gallatin, 1.2 Free Throws Made Per Game Sophomore - Addy Henke, Princeton, 3.8 Junior - Hannah Carter, South Harrison, 3.8 Senior - Chloe Gilbert, Polo, 1.5 Free Throw Pct (Minimum 10 Attempts) Sophomore - Addy Henke, Princeton, 66.9% Junior - Megan Norris, South Harrison, 79.6% Senior - Klaire Buckler, Princeton, 68.8% GRC West Points Per Game Sophomore - Lexi McDaniel, St. Joseph Christi...

GRC Boys Basketball 2021-22 Stat Leaders - Returning players by class GRC East Points Per Game Sophomore - Kiefer Tolson, Trenton, 11.7 Junior - Talan Holt, Princeton, 17.3 Senior - Isaac Bird, Gallatin, 21.1 Field Goals Per Game Sophomore - Maverick Gentry, Polo, 5.0 Junior - Talan Holt, Princeton, 6.7 Senior - Isaac Bird, Gallatin, 8.0 2-pt FG Per Game Sophomore - Maverick Gentry, Polo, 4.8 Junior - Talan Holt, Princeton, 4.9 Senior - Payton Feiden, Gallatin, 6.2 3-pt FG Per Game Sophomore - Kiefer Tolson, Trenton, 0.9 Junior - Owen Ream, Putnam County, 2.1 Senior - Isaac Bird, Gallatin, 2.8 Free Throws Made Per Game Sophomore - Dillon Willis, Maysville, 2.3 Junior - Ahmet Niasse, Milan, 2.6 Senior - Isaac Bird, Gallatin, 2.2 Free Throw Pct (Minimum 10 Attempts) Sophomore - Kiefer Tolton, Trenton, 64.3% Junior - Ahmet Niasse, Milan, 78.7% Senior - Nathan Keck, Milan, 90.0% GRC West Points Per Game Sophomore - Braxon Linville, North Andrew, 10.8 Junior - Tyler New, Worth County, ...

by Jeremy Benson, GrandRiverConference.com Gallatin Bulldogs are the coaches’ pick to win the GRC East in Boys Basketball in 2022-23.   Maysville received one 1 st place vote to place 2 nd in the poll.   Defending Champion Putnam County is picked #3. Gallatin Gallatin Bulldogs were defending conference champions, and many expected them to repeat last season.   A late loss to Putnam County early in the season derailed their chance to repeat, but they did finish the season 22-7 and 6-1 in conference.   They won their own tournament for the 3 rd consecutive season and captured their first district championship since 2006.   The Bulldogs return 98.7% of the scoring from last year’s team including 1 st team all-conference honorees Isaac Bird and Payton Feiden.   Bird led the GRC East with 21.1 ppg last season and led the conference with 8.0 FG per game.   Feiden had 14.6 ppg, which was 5 th most in the East.   Other top returners include...

by Jeremy Benson, GrandRiverConference.com Princeton Tigers are the coaches’ pick to win the GRC East in Girls Basketball in 2022-23.   Polo and South Harrison received 3 first place votes each and finished 2 nd and 3 rd in the poll.   Defending Champion Milan is picked #4. Princeton Princeton Tigers lost 1 st -team all-conference Lauren Krohn from a team that 17-9 and 5-2 in conference last season.   But they return six of their top seven players.   The Tigers, who finished 2 nd in the South Harrison Tournament and 3 rd at Gilman City, welcome back Sophomore Addy Henke.   Henke also earned 1 st -team all-conference and is the leading returning scorer in the conference at 19.9 ppg.   2 nd -team all-conference Grace Kelly (7.6 ppg) will be the main inside presence and Makenzie Dunkin (3.2 ppg) will help at the guard spot.   Other key players returning include Klaire Buckler (3.5 ppg), Randa Shahan (2.9 ppg) and Gracie Allnutt (1.9 ppg). ...

by Jeremy Benson, GrandRiverConference.com North Andrew Cardinals are the coaches’ pick to win the GRC West in Boys Basketball in 2022-23.   Worth County received one first place vote and finished 2 nd in the poll.   Defending Champion Stanberry is picked #4.   St. Joseph Christian also received a 1 st place vote. North Andrew Since North Andrew joined the Grand River Conference in 2016-17, they had either won or tied for a share of the GRC West every season until last year.   For most teams, finishing 18-10 and 5-2 in conference would be considered a great year.   By North Andrew standards, it was a bit of a down year.   They were just coming off a Final Four finish in Class 2.   But they had to replace all-conference players in Tanner McDaniel, Brewer Wheeler and Clayton Linville.   It was an up-and-down year for the Cardinals.   Some highlights were winning the GRC Showcase game against a very good Gallatin team and winning the...

by Jeremy Benson, GrandRiverConference.com St. Joseph Christian Lions are the coaches’ pick to repeat as champions in the GRC West in Girls Basketball in 2022-23.  North Andrew was picked 2 nd with one 1 st place vote.  St. Joseph Christian St. Joseph Christian did not start the season with high expectations, at least from the media, who picked them to finish 8 th .   For many, the Lions playing in the GRC Championship might have been a surprise, but not to coach Erin Patrick.   Before the season started, he told me that newcomers Chloe Burnham and Lexi McDaniel would be worth at least 20 more points a game.   He felt that the defense was a strength the season before, but that they didn’t have consistent scoring.   With Burnham and McDaniel in the lineup, the Lions went from 35 points a game to 54 a season later. The Lions finished 21-7 and won the District Championship, their first since 2012.   They lost to eventual champion Platte Valley...

by Jeremy Benson, GrandRiverConference.com For much of the season, the Gallatin Bulldogs have been a quick strike offense.  They have been able to get out to big leads and play ball control offense in the second half to run out the clock.  Putnam County had different plans Friday night.  Gallatin did not even cross midfield until about the 7-minute mark of the second quarter.  Other than one long run by Draven Wright, most of Gallatin's offense came in small quantities. Putnam County started the game with the ball and drove down the field before the Bulldogs stopped them on the Gallatin 3-yard line.  Gallatin was able to get to their own 44 yard line, but a 15-yard penalty stalled the drive.  After a 3-and-out by Putnam, Draven Wright got loose for a 66-yard touchdown run to put Gallatin up 7-0 with 7:19 left in the first half.  Neither team was able to do much on offense until the end of the half when Gallatin got the ball at their own 24-yard line an...