A national record holder and a coach with a record of 77-6 highlight the Small Town All-America high school basketball teams for the 2024-25 season.
Zac Sells led
Kountze (Texas) to a 37-2 record and the Class 3A Division 2 state championship. The Lions finished No. 4 in the Small Town Top 25 and Sells was the team's leading scorer at 23.5 points per game.
Additionally, Sells crushed the national career record for steals with 925, eclipsing the old mark of 810 by Julian Newman. Named the state tournament MVP, Sells is also the Small Town National Player of the Year.
Three years ago, Spencer Cordonnier wasn't the head coach at
Russia (Ohio) and had no plans to be. However, when head coach David Borchers died in a car accident prior to the start of the 2022-23 season, Cordonnier, who had a son on the team and was already an assistant coach, stepped in to take over.
The result was unprecedented success. Cordonnier led Russia to the final four three straight years and posted a record of 77-6, including 29-0 this year with a Division VII state championship and a No. 2 finish in the Small Town Top 25.
Cordonnier has resigned as head coach, according to Sonny Fulks of Press Pros Magazine, to devote more time to his younger children and to follow his son Braylon, who will play at Marshall University next year.
Small Town All-Americans play at schools with an enrollment of under 1,000 students in towns with a population under 10,000. Player selections are based on a variety of factors, including team success, individual honors and statistics.
Zac Sells was named tournament MVP after leading Kountze to the Class 3A Division 2 state championship. The 5-foot-9 senior guard broke the national career record for steals with 925. (PHOTO: Alex Garza)
First Team
Nolan Groves, Orono (Long Lake, Minn.)
6-5 | Guard | Senior
Minnesota's MaxPreps Player of the Year, Groves averaged 34.2 points,
8.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 2.7 steals per game for the 24-8 Spartans. Groves
finished his career with 2,345 points.
Grayson Rigdon, Columbus (Texas)
5-10 | Guard | Senior
A
two-sport standout, Rigdon made the Small Town All-America football
team as a running back while leading Columbus to a state championship.
In basketball, Rigdon led the nation in scoring at Benjamin as a junior
at 45.1 points per game. Playing at a larger school as a senior, he still averaged 35.1 points per game in leading Columbus to the
Class 3A Division 1 title game. Rigdon scored 3,279 points in his
career.
SMALL TOWN NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
5-9 | Guard | Senior
In leading Kountze to the Class 3A Division 2 state championship and a 37-2 record, Sells earned state tournament MVP honors. In his four-year career, he piled up 3,202 points, 925 steals (national record) and 849 assists. Named to the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches All-State team, he averaged 23.5 points per game.
Kedrick Simmons, Booneville (Miss.)
6-6 | Forward | Senior
The Class 3A Player of the Year for the second season in a row, Simmons averaged around 24 points, seven rebounds and four assists per game. He was a Dandy Dozen selection by the Clarion Ledger and is headed to Jackson State.
Second Team
Gavin Betten, Manchester (North Manchester, Ind.)
6-7 | Forward | Senior
In
leading the Squires to the Class 2A state championship and a 26-2
record, Betten averaged 25.4 points, 12.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 3.3 steals
and 2.9 blocks per game. He scored 2,136
points and grabbed 1,093 rebounds in his career.
Gavin Gores, Cumberland (Wis.)
6-10 | Center | Senior
One
of the most improved players in the state of Wisconsin, Gores earned all-state honors and was named the top post player in the
state. Gores averaged 35 points and 14 rebounds per game and will play
at Wyoming.
Jeffrey Mulhern, Duanesburg (Delanson, N.Y.)
6-2 | Guard | Senior
Rebounding from off-season knee surgery, Mulhern led the state of New York in scoring at 38.1 points per game. He earned Class C POY honors and finished his career with 2,040 points.
Asher Williams, Bonners Ferry (Bonners Ferry, Idaho)
6-6 | Guard | Senior
Bonners Ferry has won only two state championships in basketball and both occurred with Williams in the starting lineup. He is a two-time state tournament MVP and a three-time classification state MVP by the Idaho Statesman. He averaged 28.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.3 steals as a senior and finished with 2,210 career points.
Third Team
Kane Broussard, Lacassine (La.)
6-5 | Forward | Senior
Three-time all-state selection and the Class B Player of the Year this season after putting up 21 points per game and leading Lacassine to a state championship.
Reed Friesen, Hesston (Kan.)
6-5 | Forward | Senior
A
two-time all-state selection and a leader on a team that won a state
championship in 2023 and 2025, Friesen averaged around 18 points and eight
rebounds per game.
Preston Sanders, Zwolle (La.)
6-2 | Guard | Senior
A
two-time all-state selection, Sanders averaged 26.8 points per game for
the 29-10 Hawks.
6-2 | Guard | Senior
The Class 1A Player of the Year by the Tennessee Basketball Coaches Association, Slaughter averaged 31.5 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. With 3,587 career points, he ranks third all-time in state history and his total is the most by any Tennessee player in the past 60 years.
Docker Tedeschi, Benton (Ill.)
6-9 | Center | Senior
The
Class 2A Player of the Year in Illinois led Benton to a
28-5 record. Headed to Colorado State, Tedeschi averaged 24.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.5
blocks and 3.0 assists per game.
Fourth Team
Denton Forsythe, Dale (Okla.)
6-1 | Guard | Senior
The
Forsythe name is ubiquitous with regard to Dale basketball. Oldest
brother Dallen played on the school's first state championship team four years
ago. Middle brother Dayton was Mr. Oklahoma last year and
is now at the University of Oklahoma. He was also a Small Town
All-American and now his brother Denton joins him in that regard. Denton
led Dale to its fourth straight state championship and earned all-state
honors, posting 19.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. Dale finished as the No. 1 team in the Small Town Top 25.
Clayton Garrison, Chadwick (Mo.)
6-1 | Guard | Senior
Garrison combined for 48 points in the semifinals and state championship game while missing only three shots, grabbing 29 rebounds and blocking 11 shots. Averaged 23.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.6 steals and 3.7 blocks per game on the season, went over 2,200 career points for his career.
Jack McCormick, Perrin-Whitt (Perrin, Texas)
6-0 | Guard | Senior
McCormick
earned state tournament MVP honors after leading Perrin-Whitt to the
Class 1A Division 1 state championship. Averaged 29.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.2
assists and 3.9 steals per game while racking up 3,765 career points.
Ty Price, Butler County (Morgantown, Ky.)
6-0 | Guard | Senior
Price
was the fifth-leading scorer in the state of Kentucky this year,
averaging 28.3 points per game. He made the Courier-Journal's All-State
team for the second season and completed his career with 3,318 points.
Ross Robertson, South Beloit (Ill.)
6-8 | Center | Senior
Put up 26.1 points, 15 .0
rebounds and 2.4 blocked shots per game. Joined the list of
3,000-point scorers in Illinois after finishing with 3,048.
Fifth Team
Drew Daoust, Southern Door (Brussels, Wis.)
6-1 | Guard | Senior
Only the second player in state history to score over 3,000 points in a career, Daoust completed his senior year with 3,096 points. He averaged 32 points per game in each of the past three seasons.
Jamier Rose, Noble (North Berwick, Maine)
5-11 | Guard | Senior
The
only athlete in Maine to ever be named state player of the year in
basketball and win the James J. Fitzpatrick Trophy recognizing the
state's top football player. Rose averaged 19.3 points, 8.9 rebounds,
8.3 assists and 5.1 steals for the Knights.
Stanford Spearman, Coffeeville (Miss.)
6-2 | Guard | Senior
Led Coffeeville to the school's first basketball
state championship in 68 years. He averaged 31 points per game and had over 3,000
points in his career.
Sixth Team
Preston Brewer, Canton (Mo.)
6-8 | Forward | Senior
Put up 25.4 points and 11.6 rebounds per game in leading Canton to the state final.
6-4 | Guard | Junior
The Florida Dairy Farmers Rural Player of the Year averaged 22.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game in leading Williston to a 16-12 record. Harvey will reportedly play at The Rock (Gainesville) next season.
Jak Kinder, Martins Mill (Ben Wheeler, Texas)
6-0 | Guard | Senior
The Mustangs won the Class 2A Division 2 state championship with Kinder earning MVP honors. He averaged 18.3 points, 3.8 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game. He also set a state career 3-point field goals record with 631 made. The total is the fourth-highest in high school basketball history.
Carson Swanson, Westfield (N.Y.)
6-2 | Forward | Senior
Averaged 24.4 points, 5.7 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 4.6 steals per game en route to multiple player of the year honors.
Devonta Thompson, Bogue Chitto (Miss.)
5-8 | Guard | Senior
Produced 19.6 points, 4.3 assist and
3.0 steals per game en route to multiple POY selections and all-state honors.
