Note: Please bold athlete's bname on first reference in his category and in the congratulatory graph at the end.
The Mount Vernon News sports department’s 25th ATHLETE OF THE WEEK nominations continues the established procedure of spotlighting student-athletes’ skills and performances on the fields and courts of action.
Based on performances, we ask ADs, coaches and the community to nominate one boy and one girl from their athletic programs to compete against other schools’ nominations. We ask for a recap of their worthy performances and a picture. Please send your nominations to me, Mike Blake, MVN Sports Editor, at mike.blake@mountvernonnews.com. Make sure YOUR school is represented.
A student-athlete who frequents this award put together back-to-back performances in the OHSAA basketball playoffs, and either one would have qualified him for this honor, but he did it twice in a row.
MALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Shane Knepp is no stranger to these pages. He is our first four-time honoree, having been nominated for a clutch two-TD football game in October; a nine-reception, 183-yard, 4-TD football game in November; and a 25-point, five-rebound, three-assist, four-steal basketball night in December. The East Knox senior student-athlete was a KMAC all-league first team selection and was the KMAC’s 2021-22 leading scorer (17.4 ppg), was second in assists (3.4 apg) and was the leader in steals (2.8 spg).
On East Knox’s playoff run that saw the Bulldogs earn their first-ever district championship, Knepp put together back-to-back, nearly identical clutch gems. Knepp scored 26 points, with 21 points in the Bulldogs' second half against Berne Union on March 2, and did the same thing – 26 points and 21 in the second half – against Grove City Christian in the Division 4 district final March 5.
In the Division IV Central District semis against Berne Union, Knepp scored seven of his team’s 13 points in the third as EK pulled ahead by three after three. The Shane Knepp Show took over in the deciding fourth, as the senior scored 14 of EK’s 17 fourth-quarter points, including 8-for-9 at the line, to ensure a 10-point Bulldog victory.
Three nights later, against Grove City, Knepp started the third with seven straight points and scored all 13 Bulldog tallies in the quarter and added eight more in the fourth to cement EK’s 51-36 win and the district championship.
East Knox basketball coach Ryan Powell said, “Big-time players play biggest in big games. Shane did that this week. He had two unbelievable second halves leading us to our school’s first-ever boys district championship.” Powell has called Knepp “the most skilled player I have ever coached, and he is a better leader than he is a player.”
Congratulations on a great week by our ATHLETE of the WEEK, Shane Knepp, and congratulations to all local athletes for solid efforts.
To all local schools: Send us your athlete nominations for next week and show them and the community how much they mean to their schools.
