Three talented young men from Lenawee County have recently been awarded the prestigious first team all-state recognition for their exceptional performance in basketball. Specifically, Jaxon Salenbien of Lenawee Christian, Stevie Elam from Adrian, and Ayden Davis of Onsted have all been named to the first team all-state squad by the Michigan sports writers’ panel.
In addition to these impressive individuals, Brandon Summer of Lenawee Christian was named to the second team. Furthermore, Britton Deerfield’s coach, Darren Shiels, was a second team choice in Division 4, and two players, Gabe Schnoor of Blissfield and Logan Shiels of BD in Division 4, received honorable mention.
Within Division 4, the 6-4 sophomore, Jaxon Salenbien, led Lenawee Christian with an average of 19.3 points per game. His teammate, Brandon Summer, a 6-2 senior, concluded his career with remarkable achievements, including a total of 191 3-pointers and 1,169 career points. Meanwhile, Logan Shiels, the leading scorer for BD, also made a significant impact, averaging 15.7 points per game and finishing as BD’s all-time leading scorer.
Darren Shiels, the coach for Britton Deerfield, was recognized as the runner-up in coach of the year voting in Division 4. He guided BD to its best season in school history, with a record of 18-7, and secured the first district title since Britton and Deerfield combined.
In Division 3, Gabe Schnoor played a pivotal role in leading Blissfield to a remarkable rebound season, with an average of 18.8 points per game. Moving on to Division 2, Stevie Elam emerged as a standout player, leading the county in scoring with 28.8 points and boasting an impressive free-throw shooting percentage of 84.5 percent. Ayden Davis of Onsted also shone brightly, with an average of 24.2 points and 14.8 rebounds per game. His exceptional skills and leadership led Onsted to 20 wins, league and district titles.
The all-state panel consists of 15 esteemed sportswriters from across Michigan. It is indeed a great achievement to receive recognition from such a distinguished group of individuals. We eagerly anticipate the release of the AP’s 2023-24 girls all-state teams, which is set to begin on Monday.