NHS players recognized — Troftgruben, Pederson earn post-season honors
Sydney Pederson, below, was named to the 3A East All-Conference team for the second consecutive year. The junior will be returning to the court next season along with Honorable Mention winner Adalyn Olson and the rest of the starters from this season.
The winter sports seasons came to a close a couple of weeks ago, and post-season honors were awarded to athletes across the state, including Newcastle High School’s Sydney Pederson and Teddy Troftgruben.
The Dogie and Lady Dogie hoopsters had a few players that caught the eye, and the appreciation, of the 3A East Conference coaches for their performance on the court throughout the season, thereby earning their votes for All-Conference honors.
Pederson and Troftgruben made the elite All-Conference teams, while Adalyn Olson, Thatcher Troftgruben, Kyan Allen and Mason Rawhouser each picked up votes to earn them Honorable Mention to the All-Conference squad.
It was Pederson’s second time nabbing the post-season honor of All-Conference for the 3A East region. As a junior, Pederson was a leader on the court for the Lady Dogies, averaging 11 points per game as well as six rebounds. She finished seventh in the conference in rebounding, the top 10 in three-point shooting percentage and went 68% from the charity stripe throughout the season.
“Sydney’s leadership and dedication were instrumental for the team this season. This well-deserved recognition reflects her hard work and commitment to the game,” said NHS girls’ basketball head coach Mike Pederson. “We are excited to see her growth over the off season and ready for an incredible senior season.”
Olson really came on as a varsity player this season, drawing the attention of several 3A coaches and earning her Honorable Mention to the 3A East All-Conference team. She finished seventh in the conference in scoring, averaging 12.4 ppg, fifth in the conference and ninth in the state for field goal percentage shooting 49%, and ninth in the conference in assists averaging two per game.
“Adalyn had a great season for a sophomore. Her contributions to the team were invaluable and this honor is well deserved,” Pederson said. “Adalyn’s growth this season had a great impact on our team this season. She established herself as a scorer as well as a good defender all season, and we are incredibly proud of this achievement and excited to see her future growth.”
Troftgruben was named to both the 3A East All-Conference team and the 3A East All-Defensive team, and his stats back up the accolades. He averaged 17.1 ppg, which was enough to place him second in the 3A East and third in the state for 3A in scoring. He shot 43% from the perimeter, which also placed him second in the 3A East and third in the state for 3A. He finished fifth in the 3A East in field goal percentage and free-throw percentage shooting 52% and 72%, respectively, and that impressive FT percentage also placed him ninth in the state overall.
“The 3A East coaches thought very highly of what Teddy accomplished this season, and he was very deserving of this honor. He definitely asserted himself as one of the best players in the conference and has set himself up for an amazing senior season,” said Allen Von Eye, NHS boys basketball head coach. “He was also viewed, collectively, as the best defender in the conference.”
Thatcher Troftgruben was also given Honorable Mention and finished his career with some impressive stats. He averaged 9.3 ppg and 5.2 rebounds on the season and was sixth in the 3A East in assists, averaging 2.7 per game. He was eighth in the East and ninth in the state in 3A for three-point percentage shooting an impressive 39%.
He also made his mark on Dogie history by finishing strong among all-time Dogie players in four different categories. He was third in charges taken with 24, seventh in steals with 101, 10th in assists with 125 and 14th in scoring with 417 points.
“Thatcher’s play prompted several 3A East coaches to cast a vote for him and he earned high praise in our discussions for his growth and contributions to our team this season,” Von Eye said. “He definitely had a great senior season and was such an important factor to our team. He was able to create some awesome memories for Dogie Nation this season with his three-pointer to send us to (overtime) versus Belle (Fourche), and his three-pointer for the OT win versus Rawlins.”
Allen was also an Honorable Mention vote-getter. He really blossomed as a varsity player this season and averaged 10.8 ppg, 6.3 rebounds, shot 71% from the charity stripe and 66% from the field. He finished first in the East and fifth in the state in free-throw percentage, and seventh in the east and 10th in the state in field goal percentage.
“Kyan had a wonderful season for a sophomore and has only scratched the surface of what he can do on the basketball floor,” Von Eye said. “There were times he was absolutely dominant, regardless of opponent. The sky’s the limit for him, moving forward.”
Finally, Rawhouser also earned Honorable Mention to the 3A East Conference team. He averaged 7.9 ppg, 3.9 rebounds, shot 38% from three, 75% from the free-throw line and 57% from the field. He was sixth in three-point makes per game and ninth in three-point percentage in the 3A East, and he was sixth in all-time Dogie history for three-point makes in a sophomore season, draining 16.
“Mason also had a very good sophomore season and just got more comfortable as the year went along,” Von Eye said. “He was one of the most important perimeter weapons for us, with his perimeter shooting ability and we see him as a very important foundation to both our present and the future success of our program!”