First team
Maximus Gizzi
Junior, New Palestine
Gizzi, the Hancock County Player of the Year, is no stranger to the all-county team, having made the first team in all three of his seasons so far as the starting point guard for the Dragons. He helped guide the Dragons to the regional final, finishing second in the county in scoring (15.8 points per game) and assists (4.3). The junior finished in the top 10 in the county in every major shooting category, along with rebounds (3.9 per game) and steals (1.0). He was selected to the Indiana Jr. All-Star Team, was voted all-Hoosier Heritage Conference and was an honorable mention all-state selection.
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Peyton Meadors
Senior, Mt. Vernon
A finalist for Player of the Year, Meadors led Hancock County in scoring and was one of the county’s most efficient shooters. He scored 16.5 points per game in his senior year and had a remarkable shooting line of 51 percent from the floor, 40 percent from 3-point range and 90 percent from the free throw line. The senior finished in the top 10 in rebounds (4.8), assists (1.6) and steals (0.7) and capped his career as an honorable mention all-state and all-HHC selection.
Matthew True
Senior, New Palestine
The other half of the New Palestine back court, True proved to be a dangerous long-range threat all season long for the Dragons. The senior finished third in the county in scoring (14.7 points per game) on the strength of his 3-point shooting (44 percent), which was second-best in Hancock County. True was fifth in the county in free throw shooting (78 percent) and in the top 10 in assists (1.7 per game), and led all county scorers with 71 made 3-pointers. He was named all-HHC for his strong senior season.
Peyton Gray
Senior, Eastern Hancock
Gray was a dominant force inside for the Royals, leading the county in rebounding (7.0 per game) while also finishing fifth in scoring (12.2 points per game). The senior also boasted the county’s fourth highest shooting percentage (48 percent) and had six double-doubles on the year, with a county-leading 22 blocked shots. Gray was named to the all-MEC team for his big senior year.
Dawson Eastes
Junior, New Palestine
Eastes had a huge season on the interior for New Palestine, earning himself all-HHC and all-state honorable mention honors in the process. The junior ranked in the top 10 in the county in nearly every major statistical category, and came in third in rebounding at 6.4 per game. He was eighth in points per game (11.3), sixth in field goal percent (46), and seventh in both 3-point shooting (35 percent) and free throw shooting (77 percent).
Second team
Jacob Cochran, Jr., Greenfield-Central
Dylan Romine, Sr., New Palestine
Cade Gentry, Sr., Mt. Vernon
Caleb Mundell, Jr., Greenfield-Central
Landon O’Neal, Fr., Eastern Hancock
Honorable Mention
Keith Rupert, Sr., Mt. Vernon
Sam Hunt, Sr., Greenfield-Central
Skyler Schrope, Sr., Eastern Hancock
Coach of the Year
Trent Whitaker, New Palestine
In his fourth year as head coach of the Dragons, Whitaker led the team to a second-place finish in the HHC, a sectional championship and all the way to the regional final. New Palestine finished the year with an 18-9 record, three wins better than a year ago and the most by the program since 1996.
