Nixa’s Kael Combs has become just the seventh Eagle to be awarded multiple Missouri Basketball Coaches Association’s All-State selections.
Combs is a member of the Class 6 All-State Team.
The MBCA names 20 players to each of its all-state teams and does not distinguish by first team, second team etc.
Combs is the first multiple All-State recipient for Nixa since Chase Allen was a Class 5 All-State First Team selection for the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons. Other multiple All-State selections in Eagles history include Kent Russell, Kevin Cheffey, Jalen Norman, Austin Ruder and Jake Ruder.
Combs’ senior season saw him average 23.4 points and 6.9 rebounds. He had 177 assist and 75 steals. His 679 points represented 33 percent of Nixa’s scoring. He led the Eagles to a third straight undefeated run through COC play.
Combs’ 679 points rank second for single-season scoring in Nixa history. He is one of five Eagles to ever score 600-plus points in a season. Kent Russell’s 885 points in the 1977-78 is the record.
On the girls side, Nixa’s Norah Clark is a Class 6 All-State choice. She was also All-State in volleyball.
Clark averaged 16.9 points a game as a senior.
Around the COC, Joplin’s All Wright, Republic’s Ahlante Askew and Kaemyn Bekemeier are Class 6 All-State picks, as is Kickapoo’s Brayden Shorter.
Askew beat out Kickapoo Trae Oetting for All-State, despite Oetting leading the Chiefs past the Tigers at Districts and Oetting outscoring Askew 20-14.
Staley’s Kyan Evans is the Class 6 Player Of the Year.
Bolivar’s Kyle Pock is the Class 5 Player Of the Year.
The COC is represented on the Class 5 All-State Girls Team by Carl Junction’s Destiny Buerge and Kylie Scott and Webb City’s Sami Mancini.
Jefferson City’s Hannah Linthacum, who played against both Ozark and Nixa, is the Class 5 Girls Player Of the Year.
Sparta’s Jacob Lafferty made himself elite as a junior and has been rewarded with a Class 3 All-State selection. He put up nightly averages that included 22.7 points and 11.7 rebounds, while powering the Trojans to SWCL and Class 3 District 11 titles.
The Lady Trojans’ Megan Brown is on the Class 3 All-State Girls Team. She averaged 13.7 points and 5.7 rebounds a game, while leading the Lady Trojans to a SWCL championship.
Chadwick’s Kerrigan Little and Raeleigh Little are Class 1 All-State choices, after leading the Lady Cardinals to a Final Four berth and State runner-up finish.
Little averaged 14.1 points and Guerin 12.8 points a game.
