All-State teams named

JEFFERSON CITY - The Missouri Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association released the All-State basketball teams for Classes 1-3 today.

In Class 3, Charleston's Jamarcus Williams was named a first team member after being selected second team last year.

Williams, a 6-foot-5 junior, averaged 19 points and 11 rebounds per game for Charleston's second place Class 3 team.

"I kind of figured he'd be first team," said Charleston coach Danny Farmer. "There's not enough you can say about Jamarcus. He was our leader. He was our rebounding leader, leading scorer, he had the best free throw percentage. He's the most consistent player we've had all year. Anything we needed, he could do. He's an all-around ball player. He's a super player and a super kid."

Williams was joined by junior teammate Shawn Sherrell, who was selected as a second team performer. The point guard averaged 12 ppg, 5 assists and 5 steals per game.

"Sherrell does whatever it takes for us to win the game," said Farmer. "He sacrifices his game for us to win the game. He could have had a lot bigger numbers, but he gets the ball to where we want the ball in order to help us win. He accepted that role and he deserves this honor."

In Class 1, Bell City was represented well after a second place finish. The Cubs' William Bogan, a 6-9, 300-pound junior, was named first team after averaging 19 ppg, 12 rpg and 4 blocks per game.

"Will's such a dominant player," said Bell City coach Brian Brandtner. "When you play us, you have to gameplan against him first and foremost. What people don't realize is when you're that big and strong, those smaller guys are just hammering him and hammering him and he had to play through a lot of that. When you're that big, they're not going to call those fouls. I thought he did a great job of playing through that stuff and his numbers show it. He's very unselfish and people don't realize that."

Bogan's selection is even more impressive considering this was his first year of playing organized basketball. He spent most of his life honing his skills on the playgrounds in Charleston, before moving to Bell City a year ago.

"He made huge strides this year," said Brandtner. "His footwork came a long way. His sense of a team game came a long way. You can play in the park all day long and not think about defensive positioning or offensive spacing. All that stuff was introduced to Will for the first time this year and I thought he did a phenomenal job of grasping those concepts. He's quick learner and that really speaks volumes for him."

Bogan was joined by senior Jeff Liggins, who was named as a second team player after averaging 10 ppg this season. He was picked as a first team player last year.

"Jeff moved to a guard spot and was willing to let his numbers take a hit for a while until he figured everything out and the team figured everything out," said Brandtner. "That's Jeff Liggins in a nutshell right there. If a coach could have five Jeff Liggins, then you'd never lose a game. He's a great kid and a great role model. He's really going to be missed."

Also in Class 1, Risco senior Andrew Halford was picked as a second team all-

stater after a season in which he averaged 23.2 ppg, 10.2 rpg and 2.6 apg. It's believed to be Risco's first all-state player since 1975 when Andy Smelser made it.

Halford, a 6-2 swingman, led Risco to one of its best seasons in recent memory with a 14-11 record and a 6-2 mark in the Tri-County Conference.

"That's a big accomplishment," said Risco coach Brandon Blankenship. "It's kind of a surprise to me because we didn't advance that far in the playoffs. It's especially a big accomplishment in that regard. I'm sure the big game Andrew had against Bell City helped out. He carried our team, that's for sure. And he produced in the big games, Bell City, Clarkton and Campbell. He really had big numbers in those games. I know he's very happy and pleased with this honor."

Also in the area, Delta's Shea Smith was picked as a first team all-state player after leading the Bobcats to a third place finish in the state.

Her teammate, Kaci Menz, was picked as a second team all-stater.

In an interesting move, Saxony Lutheran's Lauren Lueders, who played with the boys team and averaged 10 ppg, was picked as a first team all-stater. She is headed to Vanderbilt University.

In Class 2, Naylor sophomore phenom Hailee Deckard was picked as a first team all-state player. Van Buren's Sara Hoskins was picked as a second team all-stater.

Also in Class 2, South Pemiscot's Anthony Jones was picked for first team. He was a second team player last year.

And Advance's Alex Steil was named a second team all-stater after leading the Hornets to a third place finish at state.

In Class 3, Twin Rivers scoring machine Michael Lance was named first team all-state.

Doniphan's 6-10 shot-blocking force Matt Rogers was named to the second team all-state squad.

In Class 3 girls, Morgan Davis was named first team after leading Doniphan to a fourth place finish at state. And Greenville's super sophomore Sarah Woodgeard was named to a second team all-state selection.

Also interesting to note, former Sikeston resident Joe Lincoln was picked as a second team all-state performer at Tipton High School in Class 2.

Now a 6-4 junior, Lincoln started for the Sikeston Bulldogs as a freshman where he averaged 10 ppg and was a top-notch 3-point shooter.