Each week, the sports crew at King FM and KSTC shuffles through the stack of stats we get form all our area schools high schools and NJC sports programs and find the best performances of the week. Then, you get to vote for the performance you think should be dubbed “King of the Week” presented by Ertle Brothers Discount Auto. Then, each Saturday morning we announce the player you voted as simply the best!

Here’s the 411 on the rules…

1. A player can be nominated as many times during a sports season as he/she can. Once players have been nominated for the “King of the Week” honor, your votes and your votes alone in the poll on the right-hand sidebar will choose which one was the best. In the event of a tie, the sports crew reserves the right to break the tie as they see fit.
2. Please limit yourself to one vote per week. The sports crew should not need to consume their time in eliminating votes due to abuse. If the player you have the intense desire to vote for over and over truly had the best performance of the week, others will vote for that performance. (Note: Nowhere in the rules does it state you cannot encourage others to vote for a given performance). Please have respect for those who follow the rules and those who put on this process. Please do not require drastic changes to be made to this process.
3. Once a player has been named “King of the Week” they do not become eligible to be nominated for “King of the Week” again until the postseason of their current sports season or the next sports season (whichever occurs first).
4. And finally, I didn't think I needed to put this out there but apparently I do. King of the Week voting is for entertainment purposes only! This is not a prize-winning contest with trophies, plaques, scholarships, or anything else. This is merely internet public opinion of which performance was better. It bears no weight in any other venue.

Get it? Good. Now take a look at this week’s crop of nominees and vote in the poll on the sidebar for the one you would like chosen as “King of the Week” presented by Ertle Brothers Discount Auto:

Brody Bueltell (Fleming) - The freshman was big for the Wildcats, who went 1-1 over the weekend.  Brody dropped 15 points in a 9-point loss to 2A Sedgwick County but scored 11 in the league win over Pawnee on Friday.  His performance puts Fleming in the thick of the league race in spite of sporting a lineup of virtually all underclassmen.

Danielle Rinaldo (Merino) - The Ram sophomore continues to be stellar this season making her second appearance in the King of the Week nominee category.  Danielle scored 25 points Saturday against Peetz, playing just 12 minutes!  She also scored 12 in a 16-point win over league rival Holyoke Friday night.

Doug Carper (Haxtun) - While Doug's team lost to league rival Wiggins on Friday night, they got very important 1-point win over 1A foe Idalia on Saturday.  Doug's 22 points and 12 rebounds over the weekend gave his team the muster they needed to be on top of a team they conceivably could face come postseason time.

Jessica Noble (Otis) - Not often do you see a high school basketball player top 30.  Normally, scoring more than 20 is a great night.  For Jessica, she topped 20 twice over the weekend, with 22 points against Flagler and 35 against YWKC foe Hi-Plains on Saturday.  Unfortunately, her team lost both games.  But for Noble is was a superb week.

Justin Cleavenger (Peetz) - The Bulldogs went 2-0 over the weekend but didn't get their best ball.  That cannot be said for Justin, however, who was key to success in both games.  He scored 17 Friday against Briggsdale and 12 Saturday against Merino.  Most impressively, the guard pulled down 8 rebounds in the Saturday game, many on the offensive glass.

Kelly DeForrest (Sterling) - The Lady Tigers are the surprise of the area, and one of the surprises across the state.  DeForrest has been a huge part of that success for the now 8-3 Tigers.  She dropped 25 points last Tuesday in a big win over Greeley Central and put the team on her back sparking a 12-0 run to end the game against Niwot, a 52-46 victory.  She scored 17 on Friday.

Marissa Smith (Holyoke) - As the LPAA begins to shake out, the talent-rich conference is going to beat each other up.  But Smith proved that in spite of top-notch opponents, she can still ball.  Marissa scored 17 points in a loss to Merino on Friday, then topped that with 18 for a win against Wiggins on Saturday.

Maty Diallo (NJC) - The freshman from Senegal, Africa was crucial in NJC's success over the weekend.  Case and point:  Maty scored 10 points and pulled down just 2 rebounds on Saturday and the team lost to Casper.  She scored 20 points and pulled down 8 rebounds on Sunday and the team won against Central Wyoming.

Mike Lock (Sterling) - The Tigers are undefeated, top-ranked, and most-importantly a team.  Different players step up each week and this week it's was Mike's turn.  He scored 13 points and pulled down 9 rebounds against Greeley Central on Tuesday.  Then, he outdid himself on Friday scoring 19 against Niwot.  Most impressively, he shot 13-for-19 from the floor on the week.

Sydney Clarkson (Akron) - The Lady Rams are one of 4 teams who are in the thick of the LPAA, the state's toughest conference.  Akron has a leg up, however, beating Sedgwick County over the weekend.  Sydney scored 19 points in that game, and followed it up with 14 against Woodlin in roughly a half of play on Saturday.

Your votes named Peetz's Justin Cleavenger as the first King of the Week of 2010!