Kitchens named 4A Player of the Year
KHS senior joined on all-region team by Ridenour, Torres, Mueggenborg
KHS SENIOR Caden Kitchens (above) was named the 4A player of the year by the OBCA. He also earned a spot on the all-region team as well as the Class 4A all-stars. On the left, Okarche’s Jett Mueggenborg (11), Hennessey’s Jael Torres (50) and Kingfi sher’s Xavier Ridenour (4) were also all-region selections. [Photos by Chris Simon and Russell Stitt]
Caden Kitchens has been named the Class 4A Player of the Year by the Oklahoma Basketball Coaches Association.
The honor was one of several handed down by the OBCA last week.
Kitchens, who helped guide the Yellowjackets to the Class 4A semifinals, led KHS with 15.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.6 steals a game.
Kitchens was also named to the OBCA All-Region team for Region 1.
He was joined on that team by teammate Xavier Ridenour, Hennessey junior Jael Torres and Okarche freshman Jett Mueggenborg.
Region 1 covers 17 counties in northwest Oklahoma: Kingfisher, Logan, Canadian, Blaine, Custer, Dewey, Ellis, Woodward, Beaver, Texas, Cimarron, Harper, Woods, Major, Alfalfa, Grant and Garfield.
Ridenour, like Kitchens, was also named to the Oklahoma Coaches Association All-State team.
He averaged 15.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists during his senior season.
Torres scored 14.6 points and pulled down 6.0 rebounds a contest for the Eagles, who qualified for the Class 2A state tournament.
Mueggenborg helped guide Okarche back to the Class A state tournament for the first time since 2019.
He averaged 16.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.2 steals a game.
Weatherford’s C. J. Nickson was named the region’s player of the year while the Eagles’ Derek Bull was the coach of the year.
The OBCA also announced its all-stars for each class, which is open only to seniors.
Kitchens and Ridenour were named Class 4A allstars.
The 4A, 5A and 6A all-star selections will be divided into two teams for a game to be played June 3 on the campus of the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond.