Montezuma Trey Shearer named State Tournament’s MVP

by J.O. Parker
 
   Montezuma senior Trey Shearer, who helped led the Braves to the Class 1A Boys’ State Championship, was honored with the Jim Eekhoff Most Valuable Player of the Tournament Award following the 2021 Iowa Boys’ State Tournament, March 8-12.
   “Receiving the Jim Eekhoff Award is super cool,” said Shearer. “There are so many good players at the tournament, so winning the award is insane and a really cool for me as well as the team and community. I’m thankful for it and glad to have the supporting cast I do.”
   “I’m very pleased Trey received this honor,” added Braves’ Head Coach Derrick Dengler. “He has been a tremendous worker his entire career and it's great to see it pay off. It has been a real joy to coach him and be a part of his career.”
   The Iowa High School Sports Network awards one player from the state tournament with this honor, which is named after one of Iowa’s all-time winningest basketball coaches.
    Eekhoff’s career spanned 44 years as a teacher, coach and athletic director, 38 of those at Western Christian High School, where he compiled a 681-143 record for an incredible 82 percent plus winning percentage, the highest in the Iowa High School Athletic Association annals for coaches with 600 or more wins. 
  His 18 state tournament teams recorded 36 triumphs and harvested 8 state championships, the most in the history of Iowa High School Basketball. An overall 8-1 record in state title games and those 36 state tournament victories ranked first in the state when he retired in 2017.
 A multiple-time Iowa High School State Coach-of-the-Year, Eekhoff was named the National Federation of High School Associations Basketball Coach of the Year in 2011. He was inducted into the Iowa High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 2017.
   Shearer finished his career at Montezuma with 2,299 points, and is one of only 42 Iowa High School basketball players to reach the 2,000-point scoring milestone.
  In addition to the Jim EeKhoff honor, Shearer was named Capitan of the Class 1A All-Tournament team, joining teammates Cole Watts and Eddie Burgess.
   Shearer was selected as the MVP of the Tournament by the announcing crew and producers. A $250 stipend in his name will be provided to Montezuma for use as a scholarship. The school will be allowed to choose the scholarship.
   Shearer will also receive a Jim Eekhoff MVP plaque following high school graduation and one will go to Montezuma for placement in the school trophy case.
   Shearer will attend Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo., in the fall where he will play basketball for Coach Jeff Horner and the Bulldogs.