Since the 2023-24 school year and athletic season is officially over, it’s time to look back at what made this year of Delaware County high school sports special. Before that, the Daily News sports staff as a whole would like to thank athletes, school staff and the community for allowing our reporters to cover great teams and to tell the amazing stories this county has to offer.
With that, here are the end of the year awards.
For the first two, Delaware County athletic directors sent in their candidates and were asked to give information about each nominee.
Team Leader Award
Winner: Delta senior Jonny Manor
Honorable Mention: Muncie Central senior Erza Fuller
Honorable Mention:Yorktown senior Mason Moulton
Delta boys’ basketball finished the 2023-24 season 23-7 and one contest away from attending the 3A State Championship game. One of the key contributors to the Eagles was Manor, but it wasn’t just his play that helped the blue and gold. On the bench or on the court, he was always the first Eagle to calm a teammate down or celebrate a big moment.
To Delta head coach Mark Detweiler, Manor’s leadership was one of the biggest reasons the Eagles found success throughout the campaign.
“If you watched Jonny play, you know he always played with emotion,” Detweiler said via text. “We had a very talented team but also had guys that were too emotional at times. We talked about that a lot when they were underclassmen. Can you play with emotion but not be emotional? Jonny really helped our team understand what that looked like.”
Best Attitude Award
Winner: Muncie Central senior Finn Gruver
Honorable Mention: Cowan senior Cheyenne Carter
Honorable Mention: Delta senior Layna Bowman
On the field, Gruver was a big part of Muncie Central soccer. However, the 4.85 GPA student also put a ton of effort into his schoolwork and was someone who contributed to his team and school off the field. According to Bearcats boys’ soccer head coach Shea Hill, Gruver will be remembered for years to come.
“Finn Gruver is a shining example of what a positive attitude and work ethic can produce,” Shea said via email. “His positivity and smile are a staple of everywhere he goes, and he has left a remarkable impact on our program.”
Performance of the Year
Winner: Isaac Andrews’ 29 points in the semi-state championship
Honorable Mention: Delta senior girls’ golfer Belle Brown’s sectional round
Honorable Mention: Yorktown’s Caitlin LaFerney strikes out 15 against Centerville
When the Raiders boys’ basketball team needed a spark throughout the season, Andrews was that guy. However, his performance in Wapahani’s semi-state championship victory was unlike anything the Raiders’ fans had seen.
He never let his team get behind, and when the game had to be decided in overtime, the senior did it again. The guard drained back-to-back-to-back 3-pointers to start the extra period, giving the Raiders the momentum the red and black needed to capture the program’s first-ever semi-state championship.
Moment of the Year
Winner: Wapahani senior Isaac Andrews breaks Delaware County scoring record
Honorable Mention: Burris volleyball’s wins 2A state championship
Honorable Mention: Delta baseball’s first Delaware County title since 2017
Since 1960, Muncie Central’s Ron Bonham sat atop the Delaware County scoring charts with 2,028 career points. But on March 1 during the sectional semi-final contest against Wes-Del, Andrew’s record-breaking jump shot found the bottom of the net, making him the county’s all-time leading scorer – Andrews finished his career with 2,151 points – and carving his name into Indiana high school basketball history.
Yet after the game and the accomplishment, the senior was his normal self as he praised his teammates instead of bragging about the feat.
Team of the Year
Winner: Burris volleyball
Honorable Mention: Wapahani boys’ basketball
Honorable Mention: Delta baseball
Burris volleyball is no stranger to success. With 25 state championship appearances and 23 state titles, the Owls had seen the big stage before. But throughout the 2023 regular season, the blue and white looked fierce as they went into the state tournament with a 24-4 record.
Seven matches later, the Owls found themselves back in the 2A State Championship game at Worthen Arena. With a sea of blue and white in the stands, Burris defeated Brownstown Central 4-0 for the title, not dropping a set in the entire postseason.
Breakthrough Athlete of the Year
Winner: Wapahani sophomore Camden Bell
Honorable Mention: Wes-Del freshman Jane Armington
Honorable Mention: Burris freshman Beau Edmonds
With the success Isaac Andrews had for Wapahani boys’ basketball, teams attempted to cover the guard the best they could. Apparently, those same opponents did not pay attention to Bell, who became a weapon for the Raiders.
Bell finished the season averaging 12.6 points per game, 3.7 rebounds per game and 1.3 steals per game. His efforts helped the black and red cruise through the state tournament, ending their season as the 2A runner up at the state finals.
Coach of the Year
Winner: Burris volleyball Jim Craig
Honorable Mention: Wapahani boys’ basketball Matt Luce
Honorable Mention: Delta baseball Devin Wilburn
Craig has been around Delaware County volleyball for a long time. During his head coaching stint with Wapahani ( 1977-1994), the Delaware County Athletics Hall of Famer won 13 sectional titles, six regional titles and 11 Delaware County titles.When he arrived at Burris in 2020, the success followed him once again.
In 2024, however, the Owls’ leader built a team that looked unstoppable, losing only four matches all year. After never dropping a set in the state tournament, the Owls found themselves hoisting the 2A State Championship trophy to cap their phenomenal year.
Girls’ Athlete of the Year
Winner: Delta senior Nicki Southerland
Honorable Mention: Yorktown junior Charlotte Vinson
Honorable Mention: Daleville freshman Kynlie Keffer
When you look at the history of athletics in Delaware County, Southerland is a name that should hold a lot of weight. The senior ended her senior cross country and track and field seasons with win after win.
For the Eagle’s cross country team, she ended her last high school cross-country race with a second-place finish at the state finals. On the track this spring, Southerland finished her high school running career as a state champion in the 800-meter and 1600-meter events. She is the first IHSAA runner to complete the trifecta – 3200 (2022), 1600 (2023 and 2024) and 800 (2024) – in the program’s history.
Southerland will continue her running career at Notre Dame.
Boys’ Athlete of the Year
Winner: Wapahani senior Isaac Andrews
Honorable Mention: Delta junior Ayden Bollinger
Honorable Mention: Muncie Central senior Leo Boyd
Just like Southerland, another name that will be remembered in Delaware County is Andrews. When the Raiders opened the 2023-24 season, the question the community pondered was if the senior could break the Delaware County scoring record. Even though he did complete the goal, he did much more.
Averaging 24.3 points per game, 6.6 rebounds per game and 3.3 assists per game, Andrews led the Raiders to the program’s first semi-state title and Wapahani’s first appearance at the 2A State Finals. After the Raiders fell to Brownstown Central, Andrews was named the mental attitude award winner, in which he was met with a standing ovation from the Wapahani faithful.
Delaware County’s all-time leading scorer will continue his basketball career at Indiana Wesleyan.
Contact Zach Carter with comments at zachary.carter@bsu.edu or on X @ZachCarter85.
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