SEMO commitment, SEMO Conference awards highlight big day for Noe

~ The Dexter senior verbally committed to join the Southeast women's basketball team on Wednesday

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Hannah Noe had a memorable day.

When the Dexter senior woke up Wednesday morning, she didn't realize she would commit to a Division I college and win the award for top girls basketball player in the SEMO Conference.

A few short hours after committing to Southeast Missouri State, Noe brought home a bulk of the honors given at the 56th annual Poplar Bluff Letter Club Basketball Banquet at the Black River Coliseum. She was awarded the Bob Gray Award for the conference's top girls player along with the scoring champion award and the best free-throw percentage.

Charleston junior Delfincko Bogan was awarded the top boys honor with the John Gibbs Award.

"It means a lot, especially knowing all the hard work I put into it in the gym," Noe said. "It's good to know that not only was it my success, but it was my teammates because I couldn't have done it without my teammates."

Noe becomes the third Lady Bearcat in the last seven years to bring the award back to Dexter. Katelyn Heil won the award in 2008 and 2009, and Brittany Harris won the award in 2012 and 2013.

Not even a week after playing in the Class 4 state title game, Noe made a visit Wednesday morning to Southeast. Little did she know she was going to be made an offer.

"I didn't," Noe said. "They had talked to me about doing my official visit and I said I'll do it. It was like the first 10 minutes in the office they asked if I wanted to commit to be a Redhawk. I was like 'Yeah, I'm committing.'

"It's definitely been a big day today."

Bogan averaged 24 points a game on the season and 20 points a game in conference play. The 5-foot-10 guard became the first Bluejay to win the Gibbs Award since Justin Clark shared the award with two others in 2007.

"It means a lot," Bogan said. "I worked hard for it, and I deserve it. I took my team far, and it's a great award to have."

Charleston coach Danny Farmer said Bogan was a difference-maker for this year's team.

"I thinks he's very deserving of it," Farmer said. "We finished our season 22-8, and he was the catalyst of our team. You take Del off the team, and we could have been 8-22. That's how important he is to our team."

Bogan, a junior, returns next season.

"We try to build around him for next year," Farmer said. "Hopefully, if he improves, he'll be even better."

Bogan was thankful for Farmer in helping his play.

"Coach Farmer, he taught me a lot that I didn't even know coming up," Bogan said.

Dexter girls coach Chad Allen was named the Coach of the Year for the second straight season.

Noe, a 5-foot-9 point guard, was a integral part to Dexter's success over the past four years, as the team won four district titles and 90 games.

"She's always been a great leader," Allen said. "She's a very hard competitor. That's one thing as a coach to have somebody like that. She's definitely had a great career for us. She set her own personal records and also some team achievements, especially getting to the final four two years in a row and getting us to the district title all four years she was here."

Noe averaged 20.4 points a game this year, 3.9 assists and 1.6 rebounds. She shot 53.2 percent from the field and 34.4 from behind the 3-point line. She was an 84 percent free-throw shooter.

The Bearcats reached the state championship game, where they finished runner-up to Incarnate Word Academy. Noe played all 32 minutes against the Red Knights and scored 16 points.

In the postseason, she averaged 20.8 points a game, which included a game-high 27 against Notre Dame in the district title game.

Noe said Allen has meant a lot to her development as a player.

"Going to state again has been awesome and best in school history that we finished getting second is even better," Noe said. "It's been a great week for sure."

Also making the all-conference team from Dexter with Noe were seniors Erika Cobb, Paige Patterson and Alison Jarrell.

Notre Dame's Annie Siebert, Karsen Powers and Shelby Beussink were named to the team. Cassidi Tomsu (Jackson), Erica Peet (Sikeston), Heidi Shetley (Kennett) and Cassidy Harris (Poplar Bluff) were the representatives from their schools.

Jackson's Darrin Scott was named boys coach of the year after guiding the Indians to the Class 5 quarterfinals for a second consecutive season before falling to eventual state champion CBC. The Indians also claimed the regular-season and conference-tournament titles.

Jackson senior Karson King and junior Blake Reynolds were named to the all-conference team.

Kennett senior Kevonte Mitchell won the conference scoring title at 24.3 points a game. Zach Harrison of Sikeston won the free-throw award at 85 percent on the season.

Central junior Andre Statam and senior Jamal Cox were named all-conference with Willie Jimerson (New Madrid Central), Quinn Poythress (Notre Dame), Stacy Gipson (Poplar Bluff) and JT Jones (Sikeston).

Jackson girls coach Tyler Abernathy gave the second annual Tom Hoover Lifetime Achievement Award to long-time Indians' coach Ron Cook.

Cook guided the Jackson girls team from 1982 to 2003 and compiled a record of 446-143. Jackson won 11 conference titles, 10 district titles and reached the final four seven times, where it took second place three times. He was elected to the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2012.