Very few athletes in the history of Lebanon County sports have possessed the ability to impact scholastic basketball games in the ways Evan Horn does. And sometimes those ways are so subtle that they go unnoticed or don’t show up on stat sheets.

When watching Horn play, we are constantly reminding ourselves that he is ‘only a sophomore.’

Last week, Horn was at his finest, when the stakes were high and his team needed him most. It was a week during which Horn’s Cedar Crest boys’ basketball team went 3-0, and all three were contests played in the confines of the Lancaster-Lebanon League playoffs.

Against rival Lebanon High in Saturday’s final at Manheim Township, the sophomore guard netted 14 points, but more importantly imposed his will upon the Cedars. Horn controlled the flow of the game with his athleticism, his strength and physicality driving to the basket, his ability to get to the foul line, his ballhandling, his court vision, his decision making and of course, his defense.

If the Lancaster-Lebanon League would name an MVP for its championship tournament, the award would’ve gone to Horn.

Cedar Crest has now won 33 of its last 40 outings, dating back to the end of last season. It was at about that time that Horn was breaking into the starting lineup.

Horn is also an accomplished track and field athlete and football player. He has said in the past that his passion for football trumps all of his other athletic endeavors.

 – Jeff Falk