30/32/197

Class 3A all-Big Country basketball team

By MARK WILSON

Staff Writer

Amber Ward and Bryan Herring stepped up to new heights during the 1996-97 basketball season, and now have earned recognition as the Abilene Reporter-News' all-Big Country Class 3A Players of the Year.

Ward, a 5-8 junior, helped guide District 8-3A champion Comanche (28-6) to the state tournament for the ninth time in school history. She averaged a team-high 16.3 points a game, and also had 6.1 rebounds and 4.2 steals per contest.

In the playoffs, Ward picked up her game even more, averaging 21.6 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.2 steals. She shot 45.3 percent from the field and 75 percent from the foul line.

"Amber was a great team player," Maidens' coach Becky Raesz said. "She was our leading scorer, but she also knew she couldn't do it all herself. She played great team defense, and I think that's what got us to Austin."

Herring became the Class 3A boys Player of the Year after helping lead Breckenridge to the District 6-3A championship. He averaged 19.5 points per game on 53 percent shooting, and was named District 6-3A MVP, as well as TABC second-team all-region. Herring also notched 7.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 3.3 steals for the Buckaroos.

"He was the backbone of the team; no doubt, he was our leader," Breckenridge coach Kyle Short said. "He improved so much over the summer. He's probably the smartest kid I've ever coached. He played inside and outside."

The girls on the first team are Amy Hays of Ballinger, Morgan Moylan of Eastland, Ricka McKee of Coleman, Nicole Harlmon of Comanche and Stephanie Anders of Wylie.

The boys on the first team are Brent Fisher and Ray Stafford of Merkel, Cliff Watkins of Breckenridge, Jason Battle of Ballinger and Grant Gregg of Wylie.

The District 6-3A MVP, Hays averaged 18 points a game on 59 percent shooting from the field as she made the all-Big Country Class 3A first team for the second straight year. She also averaged 10 rebounds, three blocked shots and two steals a game, and made 70 percent of her free throws to help Ballinger (25-5) beat Merkel in a playoff for the Lady Bearcats' first-ever district title.

Hays has also been named first-team all-state by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches and Texas Girls Coaches Association, and has been selected to play in the TGCA all-star game and the TABC all-star game.

"With her size, she moves extremely well," Ballinger coach Randy Bell said. "She gets up and down the court, and she's very agile. She knows how to get in position.

"She's just an all-around great post player. She has as good offensive skills as defensive skills. She's very good fundamentally. She wasn't flashy. She took over a lot bigger leadership role this year also."

Moylan, a 6-0 junior, was the Reporter-News Class 3A girls Player of the Year last year. This season she averaged 17.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, three blocked shots, two steals and four assists. She shot 47 percent from the field and 72 percent from the free throw line.

McKee averaged 20 points, seven steals, 7.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists for the Lady Bluecats. She shot 40 percent from the field overall and 35 percent on 3-point shots.

Harlmon averaged 9.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 4.2 steals a game. She shot 48 percent from the field overall, and her rebounding improved to 10.2 per game in postseason play.

Anders averaged 12.9 points and 4.6 rebounds per game for Wylie. She shot 46 percent from the field overall, 34.3 percent on 3-pointers, and 65 percent at the free throw line.

Fisher posted averages of 20.7 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots a game. He shot 52 percent from the field and 74 percent at the free throw line, and was a TABC first-team all-region pick.

Stafford scored 18.4 points per game, and also averaged five rebounds, five assists and two steals.

Watkins, a 6-3 sophomore, averaged 11.1 points and 7.8 rebounds. He shot 53 percent from the field and 57 percent at the free throw line.

Battle, named second-team all-region by the TABC, averaged 10.5 rebounds and scored 17.6 points a game on 55 percent shooting from the field and 58 percent at the free throw line.

Gregg averaged 15.2 points a game on 65 percent shooting from the field and 71 percent at the free throw line. He also shot 36 percent from 3-point range, and averaged 7.6 rebounds.

GIRLS

Player of the Year - Amber Ward, Comanche, 5-8, Jr.

First Team - Amy Hays, Ballinger, 6-1, Sr.; Morgan Moylan, Eastland, 6-0, Jr.; Ricka McKee, Coleman, 5-10, Sr.; Nicole Harlmon, Comanche, 5-9, Jr.; Stephanie Anders, Wylie, 5-6, Sr.

Second Team - Sheri Quast, Comanche, 5-10, Sr.; Bettina Bridgford, Colorado City, 5-8, Jr.; Kendra Anderson, Colorado City, 5-10, Soph.; Nicole Albarado, Ballinger, 5-7, Sr.; Meredith Ripley, Wylie, 5-8, Jr.; Leslie Jacobs, Merkel, 6-0, Sr.

BOYS

Player of the Year - Bryan Herring, Breckenridge, 6-3, Sr.

First Team - Brent Fisher, Merkel, 6-5, Sr.; Ray Stafford, Merkel, 6-1, Sr.; Cliff Watkins, Breckenridge, 6-3, Soph.; Jason Battle, Ballinger, 6-4, Sr.; Grant Gregg, Wylie, 6-2, Jr.

Second Team - Doug Ruppert, Ballinger, 6-0, Jr.; Jason Fowler, Breckenridge, 5-11, Jr.; Cameron Dudley, Comanche, 6-3, Jr.; Clint Watts, Clyde, 6-9, Soph.; Heath Watts, Clyde, 6-3, Jr.