Stewart Erhart
The West Valley boys basketball program finally bagged the biggest individual prize in the state.
Stewart Erhart of Tanana made school history after giving West Valley its first Gatorade Alaska Boys Player of the Year after seeing the girls program win it five times dating back to 1995.
The 6-foot-2 guard is the centerpiece of a 24-0 West Valley team. He isn’t just his team’s best player – he’s also the hardest worker and most passionate.
“Stew’s heart is incomparable. He is going to leave everything he has on the floor for every practice and every game,” said West Valley coach Colten Growden. “He will battle for rebounds, dive for loose balls, step in the lane and take charges. He will always compete harder than anyone else on the floor.”
West Valley head coach Colten Growden and Stewart Erhart chop it up during a break in the action. Photo by Koncrete Lens
Erhart is averaging 16.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.5 steals in 24 games.
He was MVP of the Palmer Elks Shootout and MVP of the Barrow Whaler Invitational. He was also named to the all-tournament team at the West Valley Ice Jam.
Erhart is a bona fide scorer, capable of filling up at all three levels.
“He scores around the basket with unbelievable touch. He can easily get to his spots for mid-range pull ups. And he’s deadly from the 3-point line,” Growden said. “And to top it off, he has a very high-level handle on the basketball.”
Erhart is the first Gatorade winner from the Interior since Monroe Catholic’s Scooter Bynum in 2014. Another was Northway’s Mike Cronk in 1987.
Gatorade Alaska Boys Player of the Year
PAST WINNERS
2022–Stewart Erhart (West Valley)
2021–Patrick McMahon (Colony)
2020–Isaiah Moses (Dimond)
2019–Sullivan Menard (Colony)
2018–Tobin Karlberg (Grace Christian)
2017–Austin White (Ninilchik)
2016–Kamaka Hepa (Barrow)
2015–Kamaka Hepa (Barrow)
2014–Scooter Bynum (Monroe Catholic)
2013–Adam Klie (Service)
2012–Connor Devine (Wasilla)
2011–Devon Bookert (West)
2010–Kyle Fossman (Haines)
2009–Ryan Hanley (Dimond)
2008–Kevin Winford (Bartlett)
2007–Jesse Bean (Wasilla
2006–Ramon Harris (West)
2005–Mario Chalmers (Bartlett
2004–Mario Chalmers (Bartlett
2003–Ray Schafer (Wasilla)
2002–Andrew Smith (Bartlett)
2001–Ricky Brown (East)
2000–Jason Erickson (Chugiak)
1999–Carlos Boozer (Juneau-Douglas)
1998–Carlos Boozer (Juneau-Douglas)
1997–Eli Wilson (Colony)
1996–Cameron Rigby (Bartlett)
1995–Mao Tosi (East)
1994–Trajan Langdon (East)
1993–Trajan Langdon (East)
1992–Jumoke Horton (East)
1991–Jeff Lentfer (Service)
1990–Chris Toomer (West)
1989–Ray Macon (East)
1988–Pierre Newsome (West)
1987–Mike Cronk (Northway)
1986–Brian Petro (Bartlett)
“The interior is always overlooked because we are not a part of the CIC and have such a small conference compared to others,” Growden said.
“It means a lot for a kid from West Valley to win Gatorade Player of the Year. It shows Interior athletes will not go unnoticed if you’re willing to put the work in.”
Can’t tell me anything today. My boy is Gatorade Player of the Year. pic.twitter.com/EADMxdgAxf
— Curt Joe (@FlirtJoe22) March 16, 2022
In the 37 years the Gatorade award has been handed out in Alaska, players from Anchorage have won 22 times.
Many people on Alaska Twitter thought East’s Damarion Delaney – the CIC Player of the Year – should have won. It’s a fair point: Delaney is best player on the No. 1-ranked T-birds.
But people probably didn’t know West Valley was 24-0 and ranked No. 2 in the state.
And how many actually watched Erhart play this season?
It’s easy to make assumptions and Growden wasn’t surprised by the sentiment on social media. He’s used to Fairbanks players getting overlooked.
“I’d say if you’re surprised that he won it’s clearly because you have no idea how hard he has worked for this,” Growden said. “Those 6 a.m. mornings paid off. He is willing to put in the work when others talk about the work.”
West Valley’s Stewart Erhart is averaging 16.1 points for the 24-0 Wolfpack. Photo by Koncrete Lens
“Stewart plays the game with high expectations for himself and his teammates,” Growden said.
Led by Erhart and veteran guard Tyriq Luke, the Wolfpack have rattled off 24 consecutive wins by an average score of 61-35.
“Our kids show up every day willing to go to work. Knowing they will leave everything they got in the gas tank left on the floor each and every practice,” Growden said. “We have built a culture over the last four years at West Valley and plan to keep the culture alive for years to come.”