It was another incredible season in the Ozarks, with four teams bringing home state championships and several players receiving all-state honors. We cap the 2015-16 with the announcement of the 2016 All-Ozarks Sports Zone Team, a collection of the area’s 15 best high school basketball players with individual impact on a game, team success and stats all being taken into consideration. Nominations by coaches for their own or opposing players were both accepted and required for a player to be evaluated for any postseasons honors from our staff.
Player of the Year: Lexie Vaught, Crane
Co-Offensive MVP: Alexa Willard, Stoutland
Co-Offensive MVP: Kallie Bildner, Waynesville
Defensive MVP: Jordan Sanders, Kickapoo
6th Man of the Year: Zoey Mullings, Strafford
Freshman of the Year: Hayley Frank, Strafford
Coach of the Year: Steve Frank, Strafford
First Team
Senior G Lexie Vaught, Crane – 15.8 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 6.7 SPG, 6.1 APG
College: Drury
Lexie Vaught will go down as one of the most decorated players in the Ozarks. She dabbled in a little bit of everything this year, leading Crane to its fourth consecutive Class 2 state title and posting five triple-doubles along the way. Vaught finishes her career third all-time in state history with 727 steals and helped lead the Lady Pirates to a 123-7 record since 2012.
Opposing Coach Comment: "By far the most complete girls’ basketball player in SWMO, possibly even the state. Due to the depth of her team, she rarely even needed to carry the team points wise. If she was a selfish player (which she isn't by far), she could have score 30+ points per game. Instead she made the team better by her intensity on defense and distribution on offense."
Freshman F Hayley Frank, Strafford – 20.1 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 6 APG, 2.3 SPG, 1.1 BPG
There might not be a more complete basketball player in the state. She led Strafford in every major stat category and she scored the fifth most points in state history for a freshman, leading Strafford its first state championship in school history. Frank also finished top 10 all-time in single-season free throw percentage for qualified players.
Opposing Coach Comment: "The scary part of her game is that she only started to realize how good she could be at the end of the year. She's got great size (height), but can shoot and dribble. Do you put a post on her? No she will drive them to the basket. Put a guard on her? Absolutely not because she nearly dunks it in their face. Scary that she still has three more years."
Senior G Alexa Willard, Stoutland – 31.2 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 4 BPG, 3.3 SPG, 3.2 APG
College: Missouri State
The McDonald’s All-American nominee put together one of the most efficient season’s in state history, scoring 810 points while shooting 58 percent from the field, 49 percent from 3 and 90 percent from the free throw line. She also owns the state record for consecutive free throws made (42) and career free throw percentage (89 percent).
Opposing Coach Comment: “Her length and height make her so tough. She could elevate on anyone and you couldn't contest. This year she would shoot one-dribble, pull-up 3s in the defense’s face. Most girls can’t do that. They also did a good job of using her in the post and on the perimeter. Most teams don’t have a girl that can guard a 6'1 girl that can take you off the dribble, post up, hit mid-range and shoot 3s and if you fouled her she never misses free throws.”
Senior F Kallie Bildner, Waynesville – 26 PPG, 14 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 1.1 BPG
College: Lindenwood
Bildner will go down as the most productive player to ever come through Waynesville. She owns the career scoring (2,050) and rebounding (1,172) records at Waynesville, as well as just about every single-game and single-season record. This year she also shot 65 percent from the field and 81 percent from the line despite regularly seeing double and triple teams, as well as every kind of junk defense. She was the Class 5 and Ozark Conference Player of the Year.
Opposing Coach Comment: “Kallie Bildner is the best post player in the area, I feel even in the state. She averaged a double-double and could go right, left, face the basket, back to the basket and score with two or more defenders on her. She is such a talented player with excellent footwork. She is the best player in the Ozark Conference.”
Junior F Jordan Sanders, Kickapoo – 16 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 3.9 SPG, 1.5 BPG
College: Illinois State
The only thing that stopped Sanders was Kickapoo’s willingness to share the basketball. The all-stater led the Class 5 champions in scoring and rebounding, but was also the team’s best defender. She finished the season with an exclamation point, going for 20 points and 15 rebounds against Kirkwood. She has a strong commitment to Illinois State, but that won’t stop Power 5s from chasing her this summer.
Opposing Coach Comment: “Jordan is a tremendous athlete. She is a game changer on both ends of the floor. She has an uncanny ability to get rebounds in a crowd and she is often the start of a scoring opportunity on the defensive end of the floor or a score on the offensive end of the floor.”
Second Team
Senior G Madison Strong, Gainesville – 19.4 PPG, 3.3 APG, 3 RPG, 2.9 SPG
Notable: Finishes career with 2,218 points and 100 double-figure games, fifth most in state history.
Opposing Coaches Comment: “Very head strong and doesn't show much emotion. Plays easy and makes it look effortless. Very controlled and fundamental. Great shooter and highly skilled with the ball.”
Junior G Kelsey Winfrey, Lebanon – 21.2 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 4.6 SPG, 3.4 APG 1 BPG
College: Missouri
Notable: Scored 20 or more 19 times this season; has 1,425 career points.
Opposing Coach Comment: “Kelsey is an exceptional basketball player because she is very smart and knows the game really, really well. She is a natural scorer that can put points on the board with ease. She is a pure shooter, but can attack the basket and get to the free throw line when needed. Her basketball IQ really makes her stand out.”
Senior F Brooke Stanfield, Republic – 16 PPG, 5 RPG, 2 BPG
College: Drury
Opposing Coach Comment: “She’s one of my all-time favorites. Broke does everything she can to make her team win. She's very stable mentally and emotionally. She's a game winner. When the fourth quarter comes around, she will make plays and wants the ball in her hands.”
Junior G Amanda Kearney, Branson – 22.9 PPG, 4 RPG, 3.2 APG, 2.9 SPG
College: Harding
Notable: Owns Branson’s single-game (40) and single-season (615) scoring records. Will enter her senior year with more than 1,500 career points.
Opposing Coach Comment: “She's deceptively quick and does things in the game that don't show up on scout film. She has the ability to shrink the court with her wingspan and shoot from anywhere on the court.”
Sophomore G Jordan Wersinger, Kickapoo – 13.9 PPG, 3.9 APG, 1.7 SPG
Notable: Scored 20 or more points in three of Kickapoo’s four playoff games.
Opposing Coach Comment: “Jordan is a cerebral player. She understands what she needs to do to help her team. She is "sneaky" athletic and is a tough matchup for most teams because she can score in many different ways out to 22 feet…that is tough to guard.”
Third Team
Junior G Payton Richards, West Plains – 15.3 PPG, 3.9 APG, 3.7 RPG, 2.7 SPG
College: Drury
Notable: Richards was an all-state and All-Ozark Conference selection. She is 95 points away from 1,000.
Opposing Coach Comment: “Payton is a natural scorer. Her range is only restricted by the out of bounds lines on the floor. She does not force shots and does a great job of making her teammates better players. She is extremely efficient in her productivity as a point guard on offense and defense.
Junior G/F Alex Vogt, Carl Junction – 14.4 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 2.8 SPG
Notable: Was a Class 4 all-state selection and also named the Big 8 Player of the Year.
Opposing Coach Comment: “Alex is an obvious competitor. It's obvious that she takes her craft very seriously and wants to be the best on the floor, no matter who she's playing. The thing I was most impressed with about Alex is how she stayed so balanced emotionally throughout games. She never got too high or too low; she just did whatever she needed to do to help put her team in the best position to win. To me, that's an obvious sign of a mature and talented basketball player. She's destined for great things in the future with her basketball career.”
Senior G Kaycee Gerald, Hillcrest – 20.5 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 4.1 APG, 3.7 SPG
College: William Woods
Notable: Top 10 in all-time points, rebounds, assists and steals at Hillcrest. Also owns the single-game scoring record (36).
Opposing Coach Comment: “Kaycee is lightening quick on both sides of the ball. She is impossible to guard with one player because she does such a great job of slicing through a defense. She can score in bunches, and she does a great job of setting up her teammates for great scoring opportunities. Her leadership skills are tremendous…her teammates feed off of her leading by example.”
Sophomore G Bayley Harman, Walnut Grove – 20.3 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 4.6 APG, 3.8 SPG, 1.2 BPG
Notable: The PCL MVP scored her 1,000th point this season, giving her 1,027 for her career.
Opposing Coach Comment: "She can knock down a shot from anywhere on the court, even if guarded. She also knows how to drive to the basket and force an "and one" situation. The most underrated part of her game is her basketball smarts and ability to adjust to the defensive pressure/scheme and then take what you are giving her."
Senior G Lindsay Medlen, Crocker- 18.9 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 4.6 APG, 3.4 SPG
College: Lindenwood
Notable: Is Crocker’s all-time leading scorer with 2,063 points. Was also named the Frisco League MVP.
Opposing Coach Comment: “She is a great competitor; she would do anything to get the win. She is extremely fast with the basketball. She is at her best in transition. Very high basketball IQ and the best passer in the conference. Great on-ball defender. If she guarded our point guard we had someone else bring the ball up and my point guard was all-state. Very aggressive rebounder especially on long rebounds. She would dive on balls and whatever she had to do to get to it first.
