By Dustin Armbruster
The Hays High Indians finished the basketball season with 17 wins and a share of the Western Athletic Conference Championship. Monday the Indians were rewarded for their season with three players receiving WAC post-season honors along with coach Rick Keltner earning co-coach of the year honors.
Named Player of the Year in the Western Athletic Conference, Isaiah Nunnery polished off his senior season and outstanding four year varsity career by averaging 16.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4 assists and 2.6 steals per game. In a career that spanned 91 games, the final six may have been his most impressive stretch scoring 20 or more in each contest. During that streak Nunnery established a career high of 32 including a school record nine three point field goals against Dodge City on senior night.
The future Fort Hays State Tiger hit 121 three pointers in his careers while scoring in double figures 38 times. His all-around game has him sitting 9th all-time in points (833), 2nd in steals (157), and 3rd in assists (306).
Nunnery was joined on the first team by Garden City senior Jared Koster, Liberal junior Deladris Green, Dodge City senior Dayton McGroarty, and Great Bend junior Kody Crosby.
The Indians landed two more on the 2nd team with Drew Young and Shane Berens each earning the post season nod. Senior Drew Young was second on the team scoring 12 per contest hitting double figures fifteen times this season and seventeen in his career. Young finished his career in 23rd all-time in assists at 143 despite playing in only 46 games while missing the first third of his junior season.
Junior Shane Berens backs up his two-time first team football recognition with a basketball honor. Berens scored 10.6 points per game while leading the team in rebounding at 6.5 per contest. Berens current ranks 22nd all time in rebounds at 283 with a year of school left. He scored in double figures twelve times this season, marking fifteen in his career. Berens also notched three double-doubles in points and rebounds.
Also named to the 2nd team was Liberal senior Tim Fitzgerald, Dodge City senior Noah Williams, and Liberal junior Cade Hinkle.
Coach Rick Keltner was named Co-Coach of the Year with Liberal’s Scott Hinkle. The two teams split their regular season meeting with Hays winning on their home floor 55-54 and Liberal winning on their home court in triple overtime 57-51.
Keltner also collected his 500th career win during the 2015-16 basketball season. Keltner has been head coach at Hays High for 31 years collecting 417 wins and has completed 38 years overall as a head basketball coach.