Valley players tabbed all-state

MAT-SU — Alexis Imoe is still young, but the sophomore is already considered one of the top players in the state.

Imoe, Wasilla’s sophomore point guard, was one of three Mat-Su Valley players named to the Alaska Newspapers Inc./Alaska Association of Basketball Coaches first-team all-state team Thursday.

“She’s got a long way to go, but she’s come a long way,” Wasilla High School head coach Jeannie Hebert-Truax said of Imoe. “Not too many sophomores are leading a team into the state tournament.”

Imoe is joined by Colony senior Kaitlyn Klapperich on the girls 4A first team. Wasilla junior Connor Devine was named first team on the 4A boys’ said.

Even though Imoe is just a sophomore, she has nearly two years experience running the show on the floor as Wasilla’s starting point guard. Imoe is one of two sophomore point guards on the girls’ first team, alongside West Valley’s Hannah Mattson.

“It’s not too often that happens,” Hebert-Truax said of the sophomore all-staters. ‘They’re kind of in an elite class by themselves.”

Dimond senior Keiahnna Engel and Juneau-Douglas’ Sarah Tarver were also on the first-team. Engel was tabbed the 4A girls player of the year. Juneau-Douglas’ Lesslie Knights was named the coach of the year.

Hebert-Truax said she has seen Imoe establish herself as the leader on the floor.

“She’s much more assertive,” Hebert-Truax said. “She’s a good kid. She’s trying to do things the right way, and comes to work to maximize her potential.”

Imoe helped lead the Warriors to a perfect 10-0 mark in Northern Lights Conference play during the regular season and a runner-up finish in the conference tournament. Imoe and the Warriors only suffered three losses this year.

Klapperich is another player who has asserted herself and stepped into a leadership role.

“She’s come in and totally picked up her game,” Colony head coach Tom Lincoln said.

Klapperich is a third-year varsity player, but has stepped into the role as the senior captain this season.

“She’s done a good job, doing whatever we’ve asked her to do,” Lincoln said of Klapperich, who will play college basketball at Division II Regis University in Colorado next fall.

Lincoln said Klapperich brings a number of skills to the floor for the Knights, with the ability to penetrate, pass and shoot.

Six players from Wasilla and Colony were named to the girls list. Wasilla junior Alyssa Hutchins and Colony sophomore Mary Klapperich were named second-team, Wasilla senior Kelsey Cottle was named third-team and Wasilla senior Celeste Colegrove was an honorable mention.

Devine represented the Warriors as a first-team selection on the boys side. The 6-foot-9 post is averaging 15.9 points, 11.5 rebounds and 5.9 blocks per game this reason. While those stats are stunning, Wasilla head coach Ryan Engebretsen said there’s another large piece to Devine’s game.

“He alters more than 12 possessions a game,” Engebretsen said after Devine was named the NLC Player of the Year. “Taking charges, blocking shots, getting steals. That’s not counting how many shots he changes.”

Engebretsen said he sees Devine as one of the top-3 players in Alaska. All-state voters saw him the same way, listing him with West Anchorage’s Devon Bookert, Bartlett’s Damon Sherman-Newsome, North Pole’s Jesse Ward and Dimond’s Ryden Hines on the first-team. Bookert was named the player of the year and Service’s Tyler Moor was named coach of the year.

Devine was one two Warriors and four Valley players listed by the AABC. Wasilla junior Braydon Kuiper earned second-team honors, and Palmer seniors Christian Odom and Sean Niekamp were each named to the third team.

Alaska Newspapers Inc./Alaska Association of Basketball Coaches All-State Team

4A Girls

Player of the Year: Keiahnna Engel, Dimond.

Coach of the Year: Lesslie Knight, Juneau-Douglas.

First team:

Keiahnna Engel, Dimond; Sarah Tarver, Juneau; Hannah Mattson, West Valley; Kaitlyn Klapperich, Colony; Alexis Imoe, Wasilla.

Second team:

Karli Brakes, Juneau; Sierra Afoa, Dimond; Taylor Larson, Juneau; Alyssa Hutchins, Wasilla; Mary Klapperich, Colony.

Third team:

Joanna Garcia, Kodiak; Bobbi Britt, Bartlett; Jasmine Yarde, West Valley; Heidi Pilcher, South; Kelsey Cottle, Wasilla.

Honorable mention:

Kate Anderson, Dimond; Josie Broderick, North Pole; Celeste Colegrove, Wasilla; Erin Doherty, Ketchikan; Tia Mason, South; Allison Schoenborn, East; Raquel Young, Kenai.

4A Boys

Player of the Year: Devon Bookert, West Anchorage.

Coach of the Year: Tyler Moor, Service.

First team:

Devon Bookert, West; Damon Sherman-Newsome, Bartlett; Jesse Ward, North Pole; Connor Devine, Wasilla; Ryden Hines, Dimond.

Second team:

Eli Sponseller, North Pole; Amu Aukusitino, Service; Chas Allen, Ketchikan; Jalil Abdul-Bassit, East; Braydon Kuiper, Wasilla.

Third team:

Christian Odom, Palmer; Adam Kile, Service; Sean Niekamp, Palmer; Lance Ibesate, Juneau; Colby Mitchell, Chugiak.

Honorable mention:

Trenton Anthony, Bartlett; Kody Broderick, North Pole; Treshawn King-Sunbar, Bartlett; Tommy Hobbs, South; Dylan Lauwers, Dimond; TJ McKinney, South; Ray Street, Lathrop; Tony Yadao, Juneau; Dominque Queen, West.