Must See TV: A PGH Kansas Free Report
In this article:
It's been a tough few days, as two of my childhood icons recently passed away.
During the 1980s, Terry Bollea (Hulk Hogan) and Ryne Sandberg (Rhyno) were both must-watch TV.
Both were Hall of Fame athletes, and both recently passed away. Neither of them was perfect, but they will both hold special places in my heart.
When you heard the song "Real American," you knew who was coming to the ring,
Hogan was one of the most charismatic men walking the earth in the 80s, and millions of kids were saying their prayers and eating their vitamins because of him.
Sandberg knocked baseballs over the wall like no second baseman before him, and made slick fielding plays on the infield dirt at Wrigley Field.
"Duston to Sandberg to Grace," is a phrase that will live in my head rent-free for the rest of my time.
I am getting prepared for the busiest part of the year for me, as the prep football and volleyball seasons are inching closer day by day.
I won't be writing as much for Prep Girls Hoops, but as I wrote in an earlier report this month, during the basketball offseason, I will focus on Northeast Kansas prospects and post players from across the state. I love athletes who can grab rebounds and score in the paint.
Here is a free report to close out my scouting for the month. It features athletes whom I consider to be "Must-Watch" Athletes.
Coaches in the MIAA have been stalking Schaffer like Chicago Northside kids stalked Sandberg and Andre Dawson for autographs. She has received offers in the past month from MIAA programs, Pittsburg State, Washburn, Central Missouri, and Nebraska-Kearney. She is an excellent talent who brings high-energy, top-level scoring, and solid leadership skills to the court. The Gardner-Edgerton prospect is "Must-See TV."
Highlights
Every icon has a sidekick, and every team needs a role player. Topeka High's Marshall fills both roles to a tee. She is Hogan's Mr. T, and she is every third baseman who played with Sandberg (and there were many). She will do the gritty things in a game that often get overlooked. She can make a key steal or find a wide-open player that others would miss. She is an unselfish player and is worth the price of admission to a Trojans game.
Highlights
A ton has been written about Vickery on Prep Girls Hoops, by several scouts, and believe me, she deserves it. The Kansas State University commit is one of the top ballers in the state and will be making headlines for years to come. She can shoot, she can drive, she can rebound, she has all the skills to be an elite athlete, and she is constantly working to improve her game. Not to be crude, but like the biggest names in WWE, MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA, etc, etc, this young lady will put butts in seats and sell a ton of tickets in Manhattan after her high school days are done.
Highlights
Schmidtlein could become the most talked-about multi-spot athlete in Kansas. Sandberg was a multi-sport athlete in high school. Dave Winifield was drafted by three professional leagues, and though most of our readership is pretty young, you should be familiar with multiple-sport stars like Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders. Hayden's Schmidtlein is the No. 1-ranked athlete in the Kansas Class of 2028 by Prep Dig, and she has already received an offer to play Division I college basketball from Murray State. Plenty of college basketball coaches will be attending her high school games in the future, but she will have to wait a little longer before she can actively be recruited by college volleyball coaches. However, I can already predict long lines at her house to meet with her, like the ones to buy a bleacher seat at Wrigley Field in 1989 or to buy a ticket to a Hulk Hogan/Andre the Giant main event. This young talent is a headliner!
