John Hardaway, Bijan Cortes nab top All-Northwest OK distinctions
Cashion’s John Hardaway was tabbed the NW Oklahoma boys coach of the year by area coaches. Hardaway coached the Wildcats to the state tournament for the first time since 1996. [Photo by Brad Stone/www.bestone.shootproof.com]
Bijan Cortes [Photo by Russell Stitt]
The Kingfisher and Cashion boys basketball teams were among the best in Northwest Oklahoma during the 2019-20 basketball season.
Several players - and a coach - reaped more benefits from it over the weekend.
Kingfisher’s Bijan Cortes and Cashion’s John Hardaway were named the Northwest Oklahoma player of the year and coach of the year, respectively.
The awards are announced annually by the Enid News & Eagle after a vote of the region’s coaches.
Hardaway helped Cashion break a couple of barriers this season.
The Wildcats hadn’t made it past the regional tournament since 1997.
However, not only did they get to area, but they claimed a state tournament berth for the first time in 24 years and just the third time in the program’s history.
In Hardaway’s seventh season, Cashion was 25-3 while qualifying for the 2A state tournament.
The Wildcats beat Dale (also a 2A state qualifier) twice, Hennessey twice and also toppled eventual Class A state champion Garber.
They won the Three Rivers Conference tournament for the second straight season and the regular season conference crown for the first time ever.
Cortes’ honor is another in what’s becoming a lengthy list.
He’d already been named the Western Athletic Conference and the Oklahoma Basketball Coaches Association Region 1 player of the year.
As a junior, Cortes led KHS to a 26-1 record and a spot in the Class 4A state tournament.
He led the Jackets with 21.9 points, 5.8 assists and 2.6 steals a game. He was second on the team with 5.6 rebounds.
A University of Oklahoma commitment, Cortes shot 49.6 percent from 3-point range, 57.5 percent overall and 82 percent from the free throw line.
Joining Cortes on the All-Northwest Oklahoma first team is his KHS teammate Matthew Stone, Hennessey’s Angel Rodriguez and Cashion’s Jacob Woody.
Lomega’s Noah Snowden was a second-team selection.
Honorable mention went to Jonah Jenkins and Alex Nabavi of Cashion and Jarret Bridwell of Kingfisher.
Coaches also voted Lomega’s Adysen Wilson and Cashion’s Kaitin Taylor to the girls’ first-team.
Taylor was recently selected to the OGBCA All-State team (see related story).
Wilson was a guiding force in Lomega’s run to the Class B state championship.
She was earlier named the Cherokee Strip Conference MVP.
Lomega teammate Emma Duffy was a second-team selection as was Kingfisher’s Jennifer Beebe.
Cashion’s Lauren Lamb, Neeley Tilley-Bedick and Cedar Stewart as well as Lomega’s Hensley Eaton received honorable mention.
The Oklahoman also released its own “Super 5” - which encompasses the entire state - and all-state teams for each class.
Wilson was listed allstate in Class B by the newspaper.