March 06, 2025
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GIRLS HOOPS: Boswells, Kirkland honored after season

Emma Boswell a unanimous Bluegrass first-teamer

By Ryan Stonebraker
Orient-Macksburg junior Emma Boswell follows a shot attempt during a recent Class 1A regional girls basketball game against Madrid.

Orient-Macksburg junior Emma Boswell follows a shot attempt during a recent Class 1A regional girls basketball game against Madrid. (Dan Dickinson)

The Orient-Macksburg Bulldogs collected girls basketball postseason honors last week when the Bluegrass Conference released their yearly honors list for the top players in the conference.

Earning all-conference honors were junior Emma Boswell, freshman Ella Boswell and junior Kaydence Kirkland.

The Bulldogs were 14-9 this season and 5-5 in the Bluegrass Conference. Melcher-Dallas won the Bluegrass Conference with an 18-6 overall record and a 10-0 conference record.

The Bulldogs had a season-best three-game win streak twice this year, including when they won their first three games of the season.

“I thought we did well with three selections. Emma being unanimous was not a surprise, and Ella getting second team was good. She was one of the leading vote-getters for second team selections,” Orient-Macksburg coach Dave Hartman said.

Junior Emma Boswell was one of three unanimous picks on the first team. The others were Addison Wadle from Melcher-Dallas and Taylor Henson from Lamoni. She averaged a double-double with 18.7 points and 21.3 rebounds a game. Both totals led the Bluegrass Conference and her rebound total was the best in the state in any class.

“She has been our best player the past three years. The biggest difference this year was that we had shooters to go with her. It gave us more options offensively,” Hartman said. “There were some games this year where she had big totals but it didn’t seem that way. We just had more options and players stepping up and I think that people are starting to notice that she is a good passer and can run the floor.”

Ella Boswell averaged 10.9 points and 8.3 rebounds a game.

“Ella is a good shooter and really showed her toughness this season with getting rebounds and taking the ball to the basket,” Hartman said.

Kirkland averaged 3.9 points, 4.5 steals and 3.2 rebounds a game.

“Kaydence was really a good defender and did a lot of things well for us,” Hartman said.

This season was the last for the Bulldogs as next year the school will whole-grade share with Nodaway Valley. All told, players will scatter to several local schools next school year, such as Nodaway Valley, East Union, Creston and Diagonal.