MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: These 10 athletes from Kent-Meridian, Kentlake, Kentwood and Kentridge deserve a final nod — SLIDE SHOW

As much as I enjoy selecting an Athlete of the Year, it’s never an easy task and there’s seldom a cut-and-dry selection.

Kentwood High’s Max Manthou earned top honors this year for a multitude of reasons, most notably, however, is the fact that he came away with six state titles. In all of my years of covering prep sports, I had never seen a kid bring home so many crowns. But Manthou wasn’t just good, he was perfect, finishing with an unbeaten high school mark. That said, academics also played into the final decision and Manthou was just as dominant in the classroom, posting a nearly perfect 3.93 cumulative grade-point average.

Still, the final call wasn’t an easy one to make. I always take into heavy consideration athletes who compete in multiple sports. In an era of specialization when there are fewer and fewer three-sport athletes, Kent-Meridian proved to have the market cornered on versatile standouts (Nick Lemmon, Jesus Valdez and Andrew Smith).

When it was all said and done, however, Manthou seemed to be the obvious choice. That said, the Top 10 (in alphabetical order) after Manthou deserve one final nod. I suspect we’ll hear from all of them in one form or another in the years to come.

THE TOP 10

Gary Bell, Kentridge

Kentridge’s junior guard can flat-out play the game on both ends of the court. Bell is best known for his prolific scoring, but also is a lock-down defender who could play at the college level right now. A Gonzaga University verbal commit, Bell was a first-team All-SPSL North selection for the second year in a row after averaging 22.6 points per game.

Bell’s most memorable moment of the season, however, came on Dec. 15 when he torched Auburn Riverside for an SPSL-record 55 points (in a single game).

This kid’s got one more year in high school before he heads to Gonzaga. My advice? Watch him while the commute is short, he’s more than worth the price of admission.

Zach Corpuz, Kentwood

He’s a hitting machine. In two years of covering Corpuz on the baseball diamond, I’m not certain I’ve seen him fall into a slump. A first-team All-SPSL North selection, the outfielder posted 10 multi-hit games, including a five-hit, four-run performance against Kentlake. Corpuz has pop, too, blasting three home runs for a Kentwood team that won the Class 4A title. Corpuz also excelled on the football field, where he was part of Kentwood’s committee approach in the back field and earned All-SPSL North honorable mention accolades.

Nick Lemmon, Kent-Meridian

Lemmon is as versatile as athletes come. Simply put, the kid can do anything athletically. And few are as competitive. In the fall, Lemmon helped Kent-Meridian’s cross country team place 16th at state. The K-M senior picked up the pace in winter, going 40-7 on the mat and taking sixth at state at 160 pounds. But Lemmon wasn’t done, instead he advanced to this third state event of the year, doing so in track and taking sixth in the pole vault with a mark of 13-5.

David Jones, Kent-Meridian

Jones is the Human Blur. Seriously, the guy motors as the Tahoma High football team will attest to after Jones torched the entire Bear defense for an 84-yard touchdown in the fall. Despite missing the final four weeks of the football season, Jones was an honorable mention selection after passing for 690 yards and rushing for nearly 600 more. A dual threat, Jones is a D-I football player waiting to happen. However, he also excelled – literally – on the track, where he helped both of K-M’s relay teams (4 x 100 and 4 x 400) place eighth at state.

Austin Pernell, Kentlake

Here’s a kid you can expect to hear more from in the coming years. A sophomore, it’s tough telling which sport is Pernell’s best – football, basketball or baseball. A first-team All-SPSL North outfielder, few can track down a long drive with as much ease or have as much speed. But Pernell was nearly as good during football season, where he earned second-team all-league honors at wide receiver. He followed up with a solid basketball campaign, where he averaged 4.9 points per game.

Andrew Smith, Kent-Meridian

Athleticism is in Smith’s blood as his older brothers also starred at K-M and he has more siblings to follow. Similar to Lemmon, Smith was a leader for every team he competed on and advanced to state in cross country, wrestling and track. A burner on the oval, he was part of K-M’s 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 relay teams.

Josh Smith, Kentwood

No prep athlete in the state altered the outcome of a basketball game more than Smith, Kentwood’s 6-foot-9, 285-pound center who averaged 18 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocked shots per game in leading the Conquerors to the Class 4A state title. The big guy started off slow, suffering a knee injury early in the season that cost him 10 games, and really didn’t hit full throttle until state. Once there, however, Smith owned the tournament, averaging 23.3 points, 15 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game in being named the MVP.

Jackson High guard Brett Kingma summed up Smith’s impact to perfection: “They have Josh Smith. There’s nothing more you can really say. Obviously, he changes the game so much.”

Jesus Valdez, Kent-Meridian When it comes to having your act together, few compare to Valdez, who will be attending Washington State University in the fall and begin studies in education. As an athlete, Valdez became Kent-Meridian’s first three-time placer at the Class 4A state wrestling tournament, taking third at 103 pounds and finishing the season with a 40-4 overall record. It also was Valdez’s fourth trip to the big show. While wrestling was the high point for this class act, Valdez also was part of K-M’s state cross country team and a forward on the soccer team.

Taylor White, Kentwood There may not be a more unsung star on the Kentwood High baseball team’s roster. White, a first-team all-league catcher, didn’t just slow down the running game of opposing teams, he stopped it completely. That was never more evident than the Class 4A state semifinals against Federal Way, when White gunned down a pair of baserunners trying to steal. White also can swing the stick as his three home runs attest. A second-team linebacker in football, White will be playing baseball at the next level. He was being scouted by a handful of major league teams during the season.

Tyler Wright, Kentlake

Wright did it all for the Kentlake High football team – kick, run, catch … he even connected on 3 of 4 passes for 61 yards. The SPSL North’s All-Purpose Player of the Year, Wright was a first-team defensive back and second-team wide receiver as well. On offense, he scored caught four touchdowns and ran for four more, but he also was the team’s kicker and best defensive player. During a game against Auburn Riverside, Wright returned a pair of interceptions for touchdowns. He also was a key part to KL’s basketball team for which he averaged 6.1 points per game.

Dylan Zylstra, Kentridge

Kentridge football coach Marty Osborn describes Zylstra as a “wrecking ball.” I liken him more to the Tasmanian Devil as his motor was always running on defense. Zylstra racked up 67 tackles for the season, blocked four punts and was the SPSL North’s Defensive Back of the Year. There wasn’t a scheme that could stop the 6-foot-5, 223-pound linebacker, who will play next year at Eastern Washington University. Zylstra also was an honorable mention selection on the basketball court.