Sports
West Mesquite's Rayson, Price claim MVP honors on 10-4A all-district teams
By DEVIN HASSON, dhasson@starlocalnews.com
There are not a lot of schools that can boast that both their boys and girls basketball teams made the playoffs this season.
Even fewer can say they had two teams enjoy some success in the postseason.
West Mesquite is one of those teams after the boys advanced to the Class 4A Region II tournament for the second consecutive season and the girls made it to the area finals before falling to state runner-up Lincoln.
Those achievements did not go unnoticed and several Wranglers were recognized on the 10-4A all-district basketball teams.
Senior Braylon Rayson, a Central Michigan signee, was named 10-4A most valuable player.
Rayson was one of the most feared outside shooters in the area, knocking down 82 3-pointers this season. He averaged 19.4 points and also led the team with 3.5 assists per game.
Senior Claudia Price, who signed with San Francsico, was named the district most valuable player on the girls team.
Price averaged 16.6 points and was one of the most dominant rebounders in the area, pulling down 14.2 boards per contest.
Price was the lone senior for the Wranglers, who will have plenty of talent coming back, including Alexis Jordan, who was tabbed 10-4A newcomer of the year after scoring 8.2 points and pulling down three rebounds per game as a freshman.
Junior Alexus Bertrand was named to the first team after averaging 16.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game. Among the second-team honorees were junior Regina Garrett (9.4 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 7.3 apg) and freshman Tamia Cunigan (9.2 ppg, 2.9 apg).
Poteet's Shyari Cheathem, who lead the team in scoring at 15 points per game, was named to the first team while Raeghan Shaw, one of the Pirates' top scorers and rebounders, was tabbed as a second-team selection.
The boys first team had only five members, but included a pair of MISD standouts. West Mesquite senior Nate Davis, who at 6-0 was still able to be one of the most effective all-around defenders and rebounders in the area, was named to the first team, as was Poteet's Raffaele Gaines.
The players on the second team included West Mesquite's Tyrone Davis (7.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg) and Jalen Etienne (11.2 ppg, 3.3 apg) and Poteet juniors Verkedric Vaughns and Nathaniel Gaines.
The Carrollton Newman Smith coaching staff was honored on both the boys and girls' teams after each captured the district championship.
Newman Smith's Stephen Spurlock was named offensive most valuable player while teammate Walter Rickett was honored as defensive MVP.
Highland Park senior Will Miller was tabbed newcomer of the year while Carrollton Creekview's Larry Hughes was selected as sophomore of the year.
Rounding out the superlative award winners on the girls side were Newman Smith's Dasia Johnson, who was the defensive player of the year, and Highland Park's Kaitlyn Read, who was the offensive player of the year.
Follow Devin Hasson on Twitter: @DevinHasson
Even fewer can say they had two teams enjoy some success in the postseason.
West Mesquite is one of those teams after the boys advanced to the Class 4A Region II tournament for the second consecutive season and the girls made it to the area finals before falling to state runner-up Lincoln.
Those achievements did not go unnoticed and several Wranglers were recognized on the 10-4A all-district basketball teams.
Senior Braylon Rayson, a Central Michigan signee, was named 10-4A most valuable player.
Rayson was one of the most feared outside shooters in the area, knocking down 82 3-pointers this season. He averaged 19.4 points and also led the team with 3.5 assists per game.
Senior Claudia Price, who signed with San Francsico, was named the district most valuable player on the girls team.
Price averaged 16.6 points and was one of the most dominant rebounders in the area, pulling down 14.2 boards per contest.
Price was the lone senior for the Wranglers, who will have plenty of talent coming back, including Alexis Jordan, who was tabbed 10-4A newcomer of the year after scoring 8.2 points and pulling down three rebounds per game as a freshman.
Junior Alexus Bertrand was named to the first team after averaging 16.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game. Among the second-team honorees were junior Regina Garrett (9.4 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 7.3 apg) and freshman Tamia Cunigan (9.2 ppg, 2.9 apg).
Poteet's Shyari Cheathem, who lead the team in scoring at 15 points per game, was named to the first team while Raeghan Shaw, one of the Pirates' top scorers and rebounders, was tabbed as a second-team selection.
The boys first team had only five members, but included a pair of MISD standouts. West Mesquite senior Nate Davis, who at 6-0 was still able to be one of the most effective all-around defenders and rebounders in the area, was named to the first team, as was Poteet's Raffaele Gaines.
The players on the second team included West Mesquite's Tyrone Davis (7.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg) and Jalen Etienne (11.2 ppg, 3.3 apg) and Poteet juniors Verkedric Vaughns and Nathaniel Gaines.
The Carrollton Newman Smith coaching staff was honored on both the boys and girls' teams after each captured the district championship.
Newman Smith's Stephen Spurlock was named offensive most valuable player while teammate Walter Rickett was honored as defensive MVP.
Highland Park senior Will Miller was tabbed newcomer of the year while Carrollton Creekview's Larry Hughes was selected as sophomore of the year.
Rounding out the superlative award winners on the girls side were Newman Smith's Dasia Johnson, who was the defensive player of the year, and Highland Park's Kaitlyn Read, who was the offensive player of the year.
Follow Devin Hasson on Twitter: @DevinHasson
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