Three Rivers League officials got a jumpstart on their postseason basketball awards announcing their All-TRL selections Monday.
Eight area players made the list with five of them being from Crest High School.
For the boys, TRL officials selected sophomore guard Kole Walter and junior guard Lane Yocham for the All-TRL first team.
Walter was a regular top-scorer for the Lancers but also served as the primary point of attack as the team’s point guard. Yocham was Crest’s top gun as far as shooting. During a one-week span, including the War on 54 Basketball Tournament, Yocham hit more than 14 3-pointers, earning him Allen County Area Athlete of the Month for January.
Sophomore Ben Cook was Yates Center’s only male selection, but his recognition
in only his sophomore year may be a great indication of his future potential. Cook was the Wildcats’ leading scorer, utilizing his soft touch beyond the arc and his natural athleticism for dunks underneath.
Yates Center’s other All-TRL selection was junior guard Cayten Cummings. Leading in a variety of statistical categories, Cummings was one of the Wildcats’ more reliable scorers and her height and tenacity in the paint resulted in more than a few put-back scoring opportunities for Yates Center.
Senior guard Garrett Morrison represented Marmaton Valley.
Morrison developed a reputation as a strong shooter and being aggressive in the paint. However, as injuries began to limit upperclassmen on the court, Morrison’s true talent as a leader emerged while the Wildcats took on some of the area’s best programs. 
The area’s remaining All-TRL selections came from the same school — Crest. Senior guard Aylee Beckmon was the Lady Lancers’ only first-team selection but far from their only weapon as senior guard Kaelin Nilges and senior forward Kinley Edgerton also made the cut.
Beckmon showed a knack for scoring in the perimeter and the paint, putting up multiple 20-point games throughout the season. Once teams keyed on Beckmon, it opened All-TRL second team selection Nilges for an open 3-pointer or a second option to drive to the basket. If neither Beckmon nor Nilges saw an opening, then All-TRL honorable mention Kinley Edgerton cleaned up with timely putback rebounds and short drives underneath.
Considering the Crest Lady Lancers finished the year with an 18-6 record, few teams found a way to defeat the three-headed hydra that was Crest’s offense.
