Four members of the basketball squads at Altoona-Midway High School were selected for honors when the 2024-25 All-Three Rivers League Lower Division teams were announced earlier this week.
Seniors Williams Stackhouse and Kieran Foster were chosen for the elite all-league squad from the AMHS boys’ team, while senior Emmalynn Pupanek and freshman Sandra Morales represented the Lady Jets on this year’s All-TRL list.
Stackhouse and Pupanek were both named first-team All-TRL for the Lower Division, while Foster and Morales were honorable mention designees following a joint meeting of league coaches.
Since the Three Rivers League was split into two divisions this season, everyone not chosen to the first team was labeled as honorable mention. No second-team list was chosen.
Stackhouse and Pupanek were selected for all-league honors for the third time each in their outstanding careers. Foster was a repeat all-league choice from a year ago, while Morales was honored in her first year of eligibility.
“I am very happy for both of the young men who were honored,” said Altoona-Midway head coach Dave Vance. “It’s a team game, but they are definitely worthy of this distinction.”
“I am very proud of both of these girls for earning all-league honors,” echoed Lady Jets head coach Jessica Porter. “It is very much deserved.”
Stackhouse was a unanimous choice for first-team all-TRL honors. He was also a first-team selection last year after earning honorable mention all-league as a sophomore.
Stackhouse poured in 18.6 points and grabbed 11.1 rebounds per game in leading the Jets to a 12-10 record. He also paced the team in steals (6.0 per game), assists (4.2) and blocks (44).
Stackhouse finished his career with 1,084 points, placing him fourth on the AMHS career scoring charts. His 409 points this year was the sixth most all-time in a season. His career-high 38-point performance as a junior is the second highest single-game total recorded by a Jet.
“William’s stats improved each season he played,” Vance noted. “The first season I coached him, I had to convince him to shoot the ball. He would get set up for a shot and then wouldn’t take it – he would try to set somebody else up instead. A very unselfish player.
“As he progressed, he got to where he was willing to take the shot as we needed him to, Vance added. “He has always been a very hard worker and a conscientious young man. A great human being.”
Foster was an honorable mention choice by the league for the second consecutive year.
Foster averaged 11.2 points per game, while dishing out 74 assists and grabbing 23 steals. He led the Jets with 30 three-point baskets on the season. But his biggest attribute was serving as the floor general for the AMHS offense.
“As Kieran matured over the years, he grew to be a great assist man, always looking for the open man,” Vance said. “There are many times we could just not handle the passes, but he was always trying to hit the open man.
“I would credit Kieran with having the highest basketball IQ on the team,” Vance added. “He would make a great coach someday.”
Pupanek was a first-team all-TRL choice this season after earning honorable mention during both her sophomore and junior campaigns.
This year Pupanek averaged 10 points and 9 rebounds per game, identical statistics to a year ago when she also fell just a few rebounds short of averaging a double-double. Pupanek also averaged three steals and one assist per outing.
“I’m very proud of Emmy, and happy that she could achieve first team all-league her senior year,” Porter said. “She’s always been the workhorse on the team. She is an outstanding athlete and is my best rebounder.”
Morales burst on the season as a freshman and led the Lady Jets in scoring, averaging 11 points per game. She also grabbed five rebounds and two steals per game while averaging 1.8 assists.
Morales poured in 33 points in a game against Southern Coffey County, which tied her with Brooke Sloan (2006) for the all-time single-game scoring record for the Lady Jets.
“Sandra has a very promising future and I can’t wait to see all that she can achieve in her high school career,” Porter said. “She’s a hard worker, and a great athlete. I’m very happy that she was able to get honorable mention this year.”
Boys All-TRL Lower Division
First Team
William Stackhouse, Altoona-Midway, Sr.
Josh Hutchinson, Oswego, Sr.
Owen Jackson, Oswego, Jr.
Brayden Lawson, Marmaton Valley, Sr.
Lawrence Holt, Chetopa, Sr.
Honorable Mention
Kieran Foster, Altoona-Midway, Sr.
Ben Cook, Yates Center, Fr.
Jarrett Birk, Yates Center, Sr.
Tyler Lord, Marmaton Valley, Jr.
Jaedon Granere, Marmaton Valley, Sr.
Demitri Williamson, Oswego, Fr.
Girls All-TRL Lower Division
First Team
Emmalynn Pupanek, Altoona-Midway, Sr.
Madison Foster, Oswego, Fr.
Kodi Trimble, Oswego, Fr.
Karley Ohl, Southern Coffey County, Sr.
Cayten Cummings, Yates Center, So.
Honorable Mention
Sandra Morales, Altoona-Midway, Fr.
Jaycee Schulz, Oswego, Fr.
Photo L-R Sandra Morlales, Emmalynn Pupanek, Kieran Foster, William Stackhouse