Five Bulldogs receive postseason honors

A 26-2 record and a state championship produced five players with postseason honors, head coach Shane Durtsche announced this week.

All five starting players received recognition. Senior Jace Nicholls and juniors Matthew Newman and Owen Walker were selected for the Class 3A All-State Team, and they were joined on the 3A West All-Conference team by sophomore Kaeson Anderson.

Senior Davin Crosby was named the 3A West Defensive Player of the Year and was joined on the all-defensive team by Nicholls and Walker. Crosby was also honorable mention all-conference.

Durtsche was named the 3A West Coach of the Year.

Nicholls

Nicholls joined the team for his senior season after playing for the Kelly Walsh Trojans in Casper and solidified an already strong lineup with his steady leadership, ball-handling and defense, Durtsche said.

“I felt Jace was the missing piece of the puzzle,” Durtsche said. “When I first saw him play last summer (at a team camp) after I found out he was transferring, I realized after the first couple of series that he would be an excellent addition.

“First was his defense. He’s a really good defender. Next was his passing ability, his ability to see the floor and his unselfish style of play. I knew he’d be a major component. And when we needed him to score, he did.”

Nicholls, whose father Jared and mother Cherelle grew up in the Lovell area and recently moved home, was a perfect fit at point guard for the Bulldogs, Durtsche said.

“He fit right in with our team. The kids took him in and really looked up to him,” Durtsche said. “He added a needed toughness and made us more confident. He was a silent leader, picking his teammates up and encouraging them. There was a quietness to him, a toughness.”

An efficient scorer, Nicholls shot 62 percent from two-point range and averaged 8.1 points per game, 6.1 rebounds per game and a team leading 4.8 assists and 3.2 steals per game.

Newman

Junior Matthew Newman brought great energy to the Lovell lineup, Durtsche said, and was a huge part of the team’s success.

“To an extent, the way Matthew went, we went,” he said. “With his athletic ability he would make plays on the court like nobody can. When he’s up and playing defense and getting out on the break and finishing, it just lifts our team up. He makes plays that wow me, even as a coach. When he’s hawking the ball and we have him take another on, it’s difficult if not impossible to shake him. He’s small but athletic and can guard bigger guys.

“His offensive game has developed. He can beat kids off the dribble and does a good job finishing at the rim, he’s so athletic and has body control. The last stage of his development is shooting the three-pointer. He did shoot better this year.”

Newman shot 29 percent from three-point range and 57 percent from two-point range while averaging 12.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.3 steals per game.

Walker

Also a junior, Owen Walker was an athletic and agile post at 6-7 and made a huge difference with his ability and presence, Durtsche said.

“The kid just being on the court changes the game at both ends of the court,” Durtsche said. “He gives us so much defensively that kids can get out and guard with him protecting the rim. We’re a different team with him in there.

“He came along this year. He’s stronger and has a better post game. His rebounding is even better. And his ability to guard on the perimeter is better. He has improved in every aspect of the game and was more aggressive this year.”

Durtsche said Walker is a leader, as well.

“Owen is just a great teammate,” he said. “He never gets down, which is a luxury to have. He got more aggressive getting to the rim. He’s continuing to work on his post game and continues to develop his outside shot and ability to get by people to the rim. It seems like he goes up and gets every rebound, and he has guys hanging on him all the time.”

Walker shot 61 percent from two-point range and averaged a double-double, leading the team with 14.6 points and 11.1 rebounds per game. He also blocked 2.5 shots per contest.

Anderson

Just a sophomore, Kaeson Anderson was already a huge factor on the team and has a bright future, Durtsche said.

“To me he’s Mr. Steady,” the coach said. “As a coach I always know he’ll show up and have a good game. He’s not flashy, and I call him the silent assassin. He’s as unassuming as it gets, but in every big moment it seems like he’ll step up and make a big play, like his (back-to-back) threes in the state championship game. He can play good defense, too.

“Against Douglas he had 10 points and 10 rebounds, and he had 11 assists in a game this year. He does whatever it takes for the team to win. He’s an excellent passer. He’s a complete player and is only going to get better. He makes things look easy. I just never worry about that kid, what kind of game he’ll have. I just know he’ll show up and be a player.”

Looking ahead to next season, Durtsche said coaches will work with Anderson on developing a mid-range jump shot and being more of a “two-foot player” inside and finishing strong at the rim.

Anderson led the team by shooting 32 percent from beyond the arc, and he also hit 50 percent of his two-point shots and 72 percent of his free throws. He averaged 11.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game.

Crosby

Defensive player of the year Davin Crosby, a senior, was a glue player for the Bulldogs who opposing coaches said was a thorn in their side for three years.

“He has the utmost respect from all of the coaches in our quadrant,” Durtsche said. “He has been the heart and soul of this program for three years, and I don’t know where we’d be without him. He’s a most coachable kid who did everything I asked. You can’t replace that kid, what he’s meant to the team.”

Crosby shot 50 percent from two-point range and 72 percent from the foul line while averaging 6.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.

Coach Durtsche

Shane Durtsche has developed a winning culture in his three years at the helm of the Bulldogs, LHS Activities Director Chris Edwards said, commenting on Durtsche’s Conference Coach of the Year award.

“In order to get selected as coach of the year, Coach Durtsche demonstrated a combination of leadership, strategies and dedication on and off the court over the last year,” Edwards said. “Shane showcased the ability to make key in-game adjustments that allowed his team to be successful against each opponent. He was able to foster a team culture that inspired players to perform at their best and to compete as a unit when games were tough.

“Each sports season brings a unique set of challenges for coaches to overcome, and Coach Durtsche, along with his coaching staff, were able to navigate those challenges successfully. Shane was able to maximize the team’s potential and make the necessary changes to create the best possible team for winning a state title.”

The Class 3A Coach of the Year award had not been announced by press time.