Three Rivers League standouts lauded

Six players in all from Crest, Marmaton Valley and Yates Center received postseason recognition from the Three Rivers League coaches. Two, Crest's Ryan Golden and Marmaton Valley's Brayden Lawson, earned first-team honors.

March 13, 2024 - 2:34 PM

At left, Crest High's Ryan Golden (3) and at right, Marmaton Valley's Brayden Lawson (35) earned first-team honors for the All-Three Rivers League Basketball Team for 2023-24. Photo by Richard Luken / Iola Register

Several stalwarts of the Three Rivers League took home postseason honors for their work on the basketball court in 2023-24.

Leading the way are Crest High’s Ryan Golden and Marmaton Valley’s Brayden Lawson, both of whom brought home first-team All-TRL honors.

Deveraux Sarchet of Yates Center earned second-team all-league recognition, while Marmaton Valley’s Tyler Lord and Chase Smith and Crest’s Rogan Weir earned honorable mention.

Golden, a senior, averaged a double-double for the Lancers, who finished 10-10 on the season. He led the team with 16.5 points and 10.1 rebounds per contest. Golden also averaged 1.4 blocks, 1.6 steals and one assist per contest.

Lawson, a junior, averaged 13 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals per game in leading the Wildcats (11-12) to the Class 1A-II State Tournament. It marked the furthest the Wildcats had advanced into the postseason since 2001.

WHILE YATES Center’s young, undermanned squad had its struggles in 2023-24, finishing 2-19, the same cannot be said of Sarchet. The Wildcat senior poured in 15.2 points a game, while averaging 2.3 assists, 4 rebounds and 1.1 steals per contest.

Marmaton Valley’s Smith saw his season derailed by a knee injury the same night he poured in 23 points in a dramatic come-from-behind victory over Northeast Feb. 6, forcing the senior forward to miss the Wildcats’ dramatic postseason run. Nevertheless, Smith was a leading force up until then, averaging 12.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.7 steals and two assists per game.

Lord’s ascension down the stretch epitomized Marmaton Valley’s drastic improvement in the second half of the season. The sophomore point guard averaged 8.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.7 steals per game. As an aside, Lord saved his best for last, averaging nearly 19 points a game in the postseason.

Crest’s Weir, a senior point guard, also flashed his skills at both ends of the court. He averaged. 7.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.1 steals per game in 2023-24.