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Washington Evening Journal
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Hagans captains big school boys team
Mt. Pleasant senior leads 2024 All-Union squad, Rawson on as coach
The 2023-24 Southeast Conference season may not have had the parity of previous years, but the area’s big schools certainly gave fans plenty to cheer about.
Mt. Pleasant had the best record of the Union area’s big schools, going 13-8 overall and 8-2 in the SEC to win the conference. Washington took fourth in the league, going 6-15 overall and 4-6 in league play, and Fairfield took sixth, winning just one game on the year, a non-conference clash.
The 2024 All-Union basketball squad includes four Panthers, including Coach Eric Rawson. Two Demons made the list, as did two Trojans.
Coach: Eric Rawson, Mt. Pleasant
The Panther boys basketball team had to battle to pull out another SEC championship this year, but Coach Rawson’s bunch still made it happen.
The Panthers won 13 games on the year, including eight games in conference play. Mt. Pleasant swept rivals Fairfield and Washington, beating each twice.
Mt. Pleasant was knocked off by Substate finalist Keokuk in the first round of the postseason tournament. The Panthers are due to return five of their seven leading scorers next season, in search of a third-straight title.
Captain: Payton Hagans, senior, Mt. Pleasant
Hagans had another fantastic year in his senior campaign. The second-team All-State honoree scored 22.8 points per game to pace the Panthers.
Hagans also got it done in other aspects. He coled the Panthers with 2.9 assists per game, led the squad with 2.3 assists per game, and collected 5.9 rebounds per game, second best on the team.
Hagans’ final year at Mt. Pleasant saw him eclipse the 1,000 point mark. He was the Southeast Conference player of the year, and now a two-time All-Union captain.
Christian Stacy, sophomore, Mt. Pleasant
The future of the Mt. Pleasant boys basketball team looks bright. Sophomore Christian Stacy took a huge step this season, rising to become one of the best players in the SEC.
Stacy scored 14.6 points per game for the Panthers this year. He coled the team with 2.9 assists per game and added 3.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals per contest.
Stacy looks to lead the Panthers into the 2024-25 season, and he should be one of the favorites to fight for a captain spot on next year’s All-Union team.
Riley Perkins, junior, Fairfield
Fairfield needed a scorer to step up this season, and Perkins was the perfect man for the job.
The Trojan junior exploded onto the scoring scene for Fairfield, under the leadership of his dad, Coach Nate Weaton. Perkins led the Trojans with 12.1 points per game, knocking down 50 3-pointers en route to his total.
Perkins led the Trojans with 3.3 assists per game. He was second on the team with 1.4 steals per game, and third in rebounds, at 4.5 boards per contest.
Logan McDole, junior, Washington
Washington’s junior leader was one of the few Demons to return from last year’s every-game rotation, and he showed out when he most needed to this winter.
McDole led the Demons with 12.3 points per game, coled the squad with 4.2 rebounds per game and dished out a team-leading 2.8 points per game for the Demons.
He did it all on offense and defense. McDole finished second on the team with 1.4 steals per game and 0.4 blocked shots per game, setting himself up well for his senior year next winter.
Nate Stroud, senior, Mt. Pleasant
Mt. Pleasant’s senior big man stepped back into the limelight this winter, and he was one of the best post players in the SEC all year.
Stroud finished the year with 10.1 points per game and a team-leading 7.0 rebounds per game. He blocked just under one shot per game as well.
Mt. Pleasant will have to find a way to replace the athletic post before next season if the Panthers want to compete for another SEC crown.
Drew Conrad, sophomore, Washington
Before the season started, the Demons knew they needed some new blood to step up the scoring this year, after losing almost the entire lineup from last year’s campaign.
Conrad, a speedy sophomore guard was electric all year for the Demons. He ended the year scoring 11.8 points per game, second best on the team.
Conrad did a little bit of everything for Washington. He dished out 2.6 assists per game, pulled down 2.6 rebounds per game and collected 1.2 steals per contest.
Sam Weaton, senior, Fairfield
One of the few returning pieces from Fairfield’s 2022-23 squad, Weaton had to do even more in 2023-24.
Fairfield’s leading senior stepped up in every facet of the game this winter. He was second on the team with 9.7 points per game, second with 5.3 rebounds per game, and second with 2.3 steals per contest.
The Trojans may need multiple players to replace what Weaton did for the team in every category throughout this season as Fairfield gets set to return to action next year without the help of Weaton, one of three seniors graduating from the team.
