All-Area boys basketball team announced

By Brian Sanders

Fourteen Jackson County-area boys basketball players have been named to The Holton Recorder’s annual All-Area team for the 2024-25 season.

Holton finished ninth in the Big East League with a 3-7 league record and a 7-14 overall record.

Jackson Heights finished in a tie with Pleasant Ridge for sixth in the Northeast Kansas League with a 6-8 league record and a 7-14 overall record.

Royal Valley finished 11th in the Big East League with an 0-9 league record and a 4-15 overall record.

Atchison County finished 11th in the Northeast Kansas League with an 0-13 league record and an 0-21 overall record.

This year’s All-Area team selections include:

Senior Brayden Peek, Holton — This is the second All-Area selection for Peek, a member of this year’s Big East League All-League first team and a member of the Big Seven League All-League first team last year. Peek’s season totals include 232 points and 37 total assists, with per-game averages of 11 points, seven rebounds and 1.8 assists.

Junior Drake Mellies, Jackson Heights — This is the third All-Area selection for Mellies, a three-time Northeast Kansas League All-League team member who made the All-League first time for the second year in a row this year. Mellies had 288 total points, 63 steals, 56 assists and five blocks this year.

Senior Bodie Dillon, Holton — Dillon has earned his second All-Area selection this year with 210 total points, 90 total assists and 28 steals this season. He was named to the Big Seven League’s All-League honorable mention team last year.

Senior Matt Buskirk, Royal Valley — This is the second All-Area honor for Buskirk, who was named to the Big East League’s All-League honorable mention team this year. Buskirk’s per-game averages for this season included 11.2 points, 2.4 assists, three caused turnovers and 4.3 rebounds.

Sophomore Sir Peek, Jackson Heights — This is the first All-Area selection for Peek, who scored 136 total points this past season, averaging 6.8 points per game. Peek also had 116 rebounds and 24 steals this season.

Sophomore Landon Gilbert, Royal Valley — Gilbert’s second All-Area recognition comes on the heels of his Big East League All-League honorable mention team honor this year. He averaged 10.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.5 caused turnovers and 0.9 deflections per game this past season.

Junior Korben Fox, Holton — An All-Area selection last year, Fox had a total of 188 points this season for an average of nine points per game, along with 47 total assists and 28 total steals.

Senior Jace Robinson, Jackson Heights — This is the first All-Area recognition for Robinson, who averaged 6.1 points per game with a season total of 92 points, as well as 20 total steals and 16 total assists.

Senior Caden Behrnes, Atchison County — This is the first All-Area recognition for Behrnes, who was named to the Northeast Kansas League’s All-League second team this year. Behrnes averaged 7.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.4 blocks per game this season.

Senior Luke Lassey, Holton — This is the first All-Area recognition for Lassey, who averaged four rebounds per game for a season total of 84, along with 11 total blocks.

All-Area honorable mention picks this season included:

Senior Jaxson Stevens, Royal Valley — Stevens, an All-Area selection last year, averaged 6.7 points, 2.9 assists, 2.6 caused turnovers and 2.4 rebounds per game this season.

Junior Kerrick DeDonder, Holton — DeDonder, an All-Area honorable mention last year, had a season total of 101 points, 45 rebounds and 22 steals.

Sophomore Eli Kirk, Jackson Heights — This is the first All-Area recognition for Kirk, who had a season total of 42 points, 30 rebounds and six steals.

Sophomore Ben Handke, Atchison County — This is the first All-Area recognition for Handke, who averaged 6.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game this season.