By Ken Hansard

How do you follow up on a season where you record a 31-point game, are named to multiple all-tournament teams, and receive both All-Southeast Kansas League and All-State honors?  While it may seem like an insurmountable task, senior Kegan Bates, senior point guard for the Labette County Grizzlies, has a few ideas in mind.  For starters, Bates has been named our VYPE basketball pre-season poll winner in the Southeast Kansas region. Kegan additionally has his sights set on some lofty team and individual honors.  “We want to win the SEK.  We would also like to host some playoff games! I would be honored to be considered for All-League and All-State mentions again.”

Kegan, despite being so highly recognized, did not rest on past accomplishments.  Rather, he invested a lot of time and effort in his game during the off-season, “I think a weakness I struggled with was finding myself sped up a lot. I’ve worked hard on letting things come to me and learning how to slow the game down to the speed I want it to be.”

As a senior, Bates understands that his contributions to the team run beyond his efforts and contributions on game day. “I think my role on this team is being a leader and someone that everyone can count on when things get tough. I’m looking forward to getting after it with my guys with extreme effort.  I want to finish my career having no regrets.”
 

When he is not leading the Grizzlies on the hard court, Bates also stars in both baseball and football.  Incredibly enough, he has been decorated with All-League and All-State honors in those sports, as well.

Bates’ excellence does not stop with his sporting endeavors.  He sports a perfect 4.0 GPA in the classroom and currently has plans to earn his degree in education while playing baseball at the collegiate level.