Everyone is getting into the act for the Holcomb boys basketball team, which took a 7-0 record into the holiday break. 

The Longhorns are averaging over 73 points per game while holding opponents to 48 points per contest. They are averaging around 20 assists and 20 offensive board per game.

“Each night we have had multiple guys in double figures,” Holcomb coach Chad Novack said. 

The Longhorns have been led by seniors Brody Deniston and Ayden Brown. Deniston was named the most valuable player of the Larned Gene Keady Classic. Deniston scored 21 in the Longhorns’ 65-59 win over Hoisington in the Keady Classic final on Dec. 13. 

Deniston was joined on the all-tournament team by Holcomb’s Ayden Brown and Johnson. Deniston won the 3-point contest and Johnson tied for first in the free-throw shooting contest. 

Other big games for Deniston include 18 points against St. John, 17 against Syracuse and 16 against Wichita County. 

Brown scored 25 against Colby and 20 against both Syracuse and Scott City. 

Blake Mader also had a 20-point outing against Plainville. Johnson and Austin Sullivan who have also been consistently in double figures for the Longhorns. 

Holcomb plays host to Garden City on Jan. 3. The Holcomb girls are also undefeated and joined the Longhorns as Keady Classic champions. 

MEADE OFF TO STRONG START 

Meade is off to a 5-1 start with its only loss coming to reigning Class 2A champion Sterling. 

Samuel Lynn, Jeremaine Conley and Tyson Knott have produced big performances for the Buffaloes. 

Lynn, a senior, recorded 20 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals in a 65-54 over Haven on Dec. 13. 

“Samuel did a really good job of impacting the game in a lot of different ways,” Meade coach Cole Kinnamon said. “He scored 20 points, but what stood out was his rebounding, his passing, and the way he defended. He made the people around him better and played with a lot of poise against a tough Haven team.”

Conley, a sophomore, notched a double-double in a 73-28 win over Satanta to start the season. He scored 19 points and grabbed 15 rebounds including 11 offensive boards. 

“Jeremaine earned every bit of that performance,” Kinnamon said. “He didn’t have a big role last year, but he stayed locked in, trusted the process and kept improving. His effort on the boards, especially the eleven offensive rebounds was huge for us and gave us second-chance opportunities all night.”  

Junior Tyson Knott scored 21 points and added 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals in a  57-30 win against Kingman on Dec. 9. 

“Tyson had a really good night for us,” Kinnamon said. “He played under control, made good decisions and impacted the game on both ends of the floor. That’s the kind of complete effort we want from him.”

OTHER WESTERN KANSAS BASKETBALL BOYS STANDOUTS 

– Greeley County is 6-1 on the season and wrapped up the first semester with a 65-61 win at Quinter, who is ranked No. 5 in 1A Division I. Another highlight was a 69-63 win over Stanton County on Dec. 5, led by 29 points from Braxon Mangan. The Jackrabbits don’t have a senior on their roster. Mangan puts up over 20 points per game while Gael Yanez and Jamir Yanez are also averaging double figures. Greeley County’s only loss came against Stratton, Colo. 

– Liberal’s James Fieser put up 32 points in a 76-44 over Wichita North on Dec. 12. “James was a three level scorer all game and really had an awesome individual performance,” Liberal coach Joel Plummer said. “But his team played well too and allowed him to get open looks because of their play."

– Hays’ Dawson Ruder is averaging 18 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists for the Indians (6-2). Isaac Fox is adding 16 points and 9 rebounds per game. Hays finished runner-up in the Hays City Shootout and Rock Creek tournament. Fox made the all-tournament team in both tournaments and Ruder earned a spot on the Hays Shootout all-tournament team. 

– Victoria captured the WaKeeney-Trego Purple and Gold tournament title, beating the hosting Golden Eagles 53-43 in the title game. They also beat Osborne (63-36) and Northern Valley (70-43) in the tournament. Sophomore guard Nick Sander averaged 24 points across the three wins. Victoria took a 5-1 record into the break. 

– Freshman Vladon Crawford has made an immediate impact for WaKeeney-Trego, averaging 16 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists. “Vladon as a freshman has such a high basketball IQ and is such a good teammate,” Trego coach Nolan Smith said. “He is very coachable and is always striving to be better every single day. He is a leader on our team and all the work he has put into his game is paying off.”

– Lakeside junior Eli Schmitt is averaging 26.2 points through five games. He put up 35 points in a 70-59 win over Stockton on Dec. 19. Sophomore Liam Christians is averaging a double-double for the Knights with 12.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per contest. Lakeside is. 2-3 on the season with two losses by single digits. 

– Trey Carlson is averaging 21 points, 11.8 red,  6 steals, 3.3 assists and 2.8 blocks for Rawlins County. He put up 27 points against Hitchcock County (Neb.) on Dec. 19. The Buffaloes are 3-2 on the season. 

– Plainville junior Joey Dintino is putting up 20 points, 5 assists, 4.5 rebounds for the Cardinals (3-3). 

– Beloit-St. John’s senior Edward Horinek is averaging 21.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.8 steals for the 5-1 Blujays. 

– Hill City coach Keith Riley captured career win No. 800 with a 56-33 win over Hoxie on Dec. 19. Riley is in his 57th season as coach of the Ringnecks. 

– South Central’s Jack Herd put up 27 points against Pratt-Skyline on Dec. 19. The Timberwolves are 4-1. 

– Wallace County captured the Sagebrush Shootout tournament tile with a 64-41 win over Weskan. The Wildcats are 5-1 on the season. 

– St. John 6-foot-7 sophomore Emmett Delp has starred for the Tigers. He was averaging 22 points through his first five games. Against Larned, he put up 32 points. St. John is 4-2 on the season. 

– Hugoton won the Garden City Roundball championship, defeating Lawrence Free State 60-31 in the final. The Eagles are 5-2 on the season. 

– Golden Plains Dylan Wark hit the 1,000-point milestone early in the season. 

– Central Plains is 6-0 on the season, entering the break with a 47-41 win over TMP-Marian.