King of the hardwood

His dominance can't be measured. His soft-spoken delivery is as patient and timely as his play on the court. He gives away little in conversation and instruction, so when Zach Nelson speaks, you better listen.

Becoming a vocal leader was something that Nelson wasn't accustomed to doing. But after some prodding by his coach, he took on more of a leadership role.

"Usually I lead by example so that was definitely all coach Grahl because it was a way out of my comfort zone," Nelson said. "It took some encouragement, but by the end of the season I was more comfortable being more vocal."

While Nelson may shy away from conversation off the court, his play on the hardwood spoke volumes.

The Honkers' 6-foot-7 center was nearly unstoppable during a senior year in which he averaged 23.6 points, 14.5 rebounds, 3.9 blocks and 3.1 assists per game. His 660 points shattered the school record for scoring and his 87 assist mark was tied for most on a team that went 24-4 and set a record for most wins in a season.

And for his accomplishments on the court, Nelson was named the Appeal-Democrat All-Area Most Valuable Player.

"We wanted to go undefeated in league and win the Mel Good Tournament, so we achieved both of our goals this year," said Nelson, who true to his nature, spoke of his teammates first.

"When we started to come together as a team during the summer, you could kind of get the feeling that we had something special," said Nelson, who erupted for a record 56 points against Natomas on Feb. 3. "It was just an honor to be a part of that team."

While he hasn't decided where he'll play next year, Nelson has narrowed his choices down to BYU, Utah State and Sacramento State among others.