By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Coming off one of the most successful seasons in school history, Topeka West dominates TopSports.news' inaugural All-Shawnee County boys basketball team, with seniors Trevion Alexander and Marque Wilkerson sharing the player of the year honor while junior Elijah Brooks joins his teammates on the first team.
Topeka West senior Trevion Alexander shares Top.Sports.new All-Shawnee County boys player of the year honors with teammate Marque Wilkerson. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Topeka West senior Marque Wilkerson was named the All-Shawnee County co-player of the year with teammate Trevion Alexander. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn Rural senior Joe Berry and Highland Park senior CJ Powell round out the first team, with Berry leading the Junior Blues to a 14-7 record and a berth in a Class 6A sub-state championship game while Powell led the Scots to a 12-8 record this past season after helping Hi Park advance to the 5A state tournament as a junior.
Wilkerson averaged 17.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.2 steals this past season for the 21-3 Chargers while Alexander averaged 16.6 points, 5.5 rebounds 4.3 assists and 2.3 steals and Brooks averaged 15.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.5 steals.
Elijah Brooks, a Topeka West junior, earned a first-team spot on TSN's All-Shawnee County boys team after helping the Chargers post a runner-up finish in 5A. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Berry, who is headed to Division I Army, averaged 16.3 points while Powell averaged 15.5 points.
Washburn Rural senior Joe Berry earned first-team All-Shawnee County honors after averaging 16.3 points this past season. [File photo/TSN]
Highland Park senior CJ Powell, a first-team All-Shawnee County pick, rejects a shot earlier this season. [File photo/TSN]
Topeka West junior Zander Putthoff was tapped as the county newcomer of the year while Charger coach Rick Bloomquist was named the TSN All-Shawnee County coach of the year after leading West to a 21-3 record, a Centennial League championship and a runner-up finish in the Class 5A state tournament.
Putthoff averaged 9.3 points and hit 63 3-pointers on the season while shooting 42 percent from 3-point range.
West advanced to the state final for only the third time ever, with the Chargers dropping a 55-43 decision to Maize in the state championship game. West also finished second in 2005 and '10.
Cair Paravel Latin junior Noah Hastert, Seaman junior Ty Henry, Washburn Rural senior Jack Hutchinson, Highland Park junior Juan'Tario Roberts and Topeka High senior Jalen Smith earned second-team all-county honors.
Putthoff is joined on the third team by Cair Paravel junior Zachary Clark, Seaman junior Mateo Hyman, Hayden sophomore Joe Otting and Shawnee Heights senior Isiah Johnson.
Cair Paravel's Hastert and Clark earned all-county recognition in the Lions' first season competing as a full Kansas State High School Activities Association member while Henry and Hyman helped 13-9 Seaman post an 11-win improvement over the 2019-20 season.
All 10 county high schools have players recognized on the all-county team.
ALL-SHAWNEE COUNTY BOYS BASKETBALL
First team
Name, school Ht. Year
Trevion Alexander, Topeka West 6-4 Sr.
Joe Berry, Washburn Rural 6-3 Sr.
Elijah Brooks, Topeka West 6-3 Jr.
CJ Powell, Highland Park 6-7 Sr.
Marque Wilkerson, Topeka West 6-2 Sr.
Second team
Name, school Ht. Year
Noah Hastert, Cair Paravel 6-6 Jr.
Ty Henry, Seaman 6-4 Jr.
Jack Hutchinson, Washburn Rjural 6-0 Sr.
Juan'Tario Roberts, Highland Park 6-2 Jr.
Jalen Smith, Topeka High 6-1 Sr.
Third team
Name, school Ht. Year
Zachary Clark, Cair Paravel 6-3 Jr.
Mateo Hyman, Seaman 6-0 Jr.
Joe Otting, Hayden 6-4 So.
Isiah Johnson, Shawnee Heights 5-10 Sr.
Zander Putthoff, Topeka West 6-4 Jr.
Honorable mention
Cair Paravel: Luke Fay, so. Hayden: Jake Muller, so.; Trey Pivarnik, sr. Highland Park: MuKhajhae Daniels, sr.; Jahi Peppers, sr.; Rossville: Kade Perine, so. Seaman: Kaeden Bonner, so. Shawnee Heights: Harvey Davis, sr.; Nathan Pewe, jr. Silver Lake: Kamryn Kaniper, so.; Andrew Osterhaus, sr., Dawson Wyre, sr. Topeka High: Isiah Esquibel, jr.; Jayden Leesman, sr. Topeka West: Xavier Alexander, so.; Sincere Austin, so. Washburn Rural: Jack Bachelor, so.
Co-players of the year — Trevion Alexander, Topeka West, and Maque Wilkerson, Topeka West.
Newcomer of the year — Zander Putthoff, Topeka West.
Coach of the year — Rick Bloomquist, Topeka West.
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Rick Bloomquist is the All-Shawnee County boys coach of the year after leading Topeka West to a runner-up finish in Class 5A. [File photo/TSN]
