When freshman Chris Martinez earned a spot on Highland Park’s varsity basketball roster, head coach David Piehler knew he could be an impact player for the Scots.
But even Piehler didn’t envision the type of season Martinez would produce.
The 5-foot-10 guard was recently rewarded for his outstanding debut campaign. He was unanimously selected as District 12-5A Newcomer of the Year.
“Of all the freshmen I have coached, which there haven’t been a lot on varsity, he made the most impact by far,” Piehler said. “I knew he was going to be good, but I was not expecting the year he had.”
In district, Martinez finished second for HP in scoring at 14.2 points per game and second in rebounding (3.1) while also pacing the squad in assists (6.1).
“The thing about Chris was not only his stats, but the composure that he was able to play with,” Piehler said. “He just played with a maturity you don’t typically see from someone his age. Even in our playoff loss to Heritage, you could see the way he was able to stay calm and poised and played like a seasoned veteran.”
Joining Martinez as a first-team selection was senior guard Canon Wyatt.
HP’s leading scorer at 17.6 points per game, Wyatt also distributed 3.5 assists and was praised by Piehler for his work ethic, which led to improved all-around offensive play.
“He’s a self-made scorer,” Piehler said. “Early in his career, he was really just a 3-point shooter. But he put the work in and the effort in and this year he was scoring in the mid-range and with a floater and by attacking. He could score at all three levels, and of course he was still a great shooter from three.”
Following on the second team was senior forward Will Saunders.
Despite battling an injury for much of the year, Saunders led the team in rebounding, including three double-doubles.
“He did it all while he was never really healthy,” Piehler said. “Most of the time he wasn’t even practicing, but he always stepped up and was ready for the games.”
In addition to his rebounding prowess, Piehler credited Saunders for his unselfishness and for doing things that don’t show up in the stat sheet.
“He was one of our captains, too,” Piehler added. “I think if the other coaches knew what he was dealing with every week and toughing it out … well let’s just say he’s a first-teamer to me.”
Honorable mention selections for HP went the way of senior guard Cade Kaplan, senior forward Spencer Omundson and senior forward Conrad Noble.
“Those were the glue guys for us,” Piehler said. “When you lose three starters before the season starts basically, you need guys to step up and they absolutely did. They’re the reason we were able to go from .500 to 11-3 in a very strong district.”
Author
