Kooper Darby was already going to have a sizeable role in his final season at Merkel.  

But when the Badgers lost Maddox O’Malley to a broken fibula in the last football game, it put even more pressure on Darby’s shoulders.  

The 6-foot-3 senior has certainly rose to the occasion, averaging 27.7 points, 6.8 rebounds and four assists as Merkel fights for a playoff berth in District 6-3A.  

“He’s had to put the ball in the hoop for us a lot more,” Merkel coach B.C. Lee said. “Every time he puts the ball on the ground, he’ll have multiple guys trying to shut him down. Every night he gets the other team’s best defender, which makes what he’s doing even more impressive.”