LEXINGTON, Ohio — It’s not his height or freakish athleticism that distinguish Lexington’s Cade Stover from his classmates.
It’s what’s inside him that’s making a difference..
“That kid is a competitor,” Lex point guard Joey Zahn said. “Everybody talks about how he is a phenomenal athlete, which he is, but that doesn’t mean anything unless you compete and that kid competes on every possession.”
Stover, the Richland Bank Athlete of the Week, averaged a double-double in two district tournament games last week. The 6-foot-5 forward had 10 points and nine rebounds in Lexington’s 58-46 win over Madison in the district semifinals and exploded for 17 points and 14 rebounds in Saturday’s 74-52 win over Sandusky in the district championship game.
“That’s his regular game,” Zahn said. “He’s been doing a great job all year.”
The 15-year-old Stover never expected to be starring on a team that includes Zahn, a Northwest District first-team selection and the Ohio Cardinal Conference Player of the Year, and high-scoring 6-5 senior forward Jonah Yaussy. The Minutemen cruised to the OCC title and, with Saturday’s win, advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2008.
“The last thing I expected was to be playing varsity basketball,” Stover said. “This is a blessing.”
Nobody has had a better view of Stover’s remarkable development than Lex coach Scott Hamilton. Nothing Stover does comes as a surprise to Hamilton.
“We knew that he was a special athlete as an eighth-grader,” Hamilton said. “He’s developed so much over the last 25 games, it’s just impressive.
“He’s not a freshman anymore, that’s for sure.”
The transition from wide-eyed freshman to unflinching veteran hasn’t always been a smooth one. Stover admitted as much.
“The first couple of games, the big stage was kind of intimidating. It bothered me a little bit,” Stover said. “I feel like I’ve got a grasp on things now and I’m ready to roll.”
Stover averaged 13.9 points and a team-best 9.5 rebounds a game during the regular season. He was an OCC second-team pick and an honorable-mention selection in the Northwest District.
As impressive as Stover’s physical attributes are, what has blown Hamilton away is his rapidly developing basketball IQ. Of course, it helps to have veterans like Zahn and Yaussy to there to provide leadership.
“Our seniors have taken him in and helped him out,” Hamilton said. “Everything is new to him. He’s a sponge for knowledge right now. He’s constantly asking questions in practice and talking to guys.
“Now instead of asking the questions, he’s telling other guys where they should be. We’re tickled to death that he is in Purple and Gold.”
