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Three players have had intregal roles in that surge by the Blazers. But perhaps the biggest contributions have come from Katie Krause, who this year became the school's fourth 1,000-point career scorer and all-time leading rebounder.

Last week, she was named Class C All-State Special Mention by the Associated Press and will undoubtedly be a First Team All-Lake Michigan Conference selection as well.

"You can't put a price on what having Krause on your team is worth," Kalkaska head coach Dave Dalton said. "She's not selfish, either. She doesn't look for personal accolades. All she wants is to help the team win, and she's done a tremendous job. She's not just a scorer, but a strong rebounder, and is one of the leaders in assists."

In effect, Krause can do it all.

Her team concept and unassuming nature despite her vast physical talent and God-given tools cut short any potential problems with her teammates.

Krause's willingness to put in the work necessary to be the best she could be also left a deep impression on her teammates and earned her their respect.

The Blazers fell short of their goals to win the conference title and a district championship this season, thus ending Krause's high school career on a less than satisfactory note.

But that can't dull her achievements.

"It's easy to cheer for a player like Katie," Dalton said. "She is just such a good person. All of the girls worked well together and were all friends." Sometimes, that's not always true, and you have problems with jealousies cropping up during the season. But, that wasn't the case with this team.

Everyone was focused on the team's goals and wanted the team to win. Katie played a big role in that. She put the tea Krause never craved the spotlight, although her athletic abilities frequently drew it to her. She averaged nearly 18 points, 12 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 assists per game this season.

When she became the school's all-time leading rebounder, the first words Krause spoke were of the help she got from her teammates. Dalton had to remind her that her teammates aren't able to assist her in getting rebounds.

Krause paused for a second as Dalton's words sank in, and then resumed praising her teammates.

It was that kind of selfless attitude that commanded her teammates' respect and appreciation.

"My teammates really made everything possible for me," Krause said. "They got me the ball on offense, and without that I don't get to shoot at the basket. And they helped in my getting the rebound record, too. Without them helping out on the boards, I don't the rebounds. I owe them a lot."

But there was no doubt that Krause was a special player among a group of good athletes who's single focus was on helping the team win. Kalkaska finished the season 15-6 with its 61-22 loss to Kingsley in the Class C district semifinals. Krause had 9 points and 7 rebounds for the Blazers.