That’s not an opinion, just a fact.

He added one more bullet point to his laundry list of achievements today.

Peters, a guard on the Hawks’ Class 2A third-place basketball team, has been named to the all-state third team by the Iowa Print Sports Writers Association. He joins teammate Conner Hill, a first-team member, on the prestigious list of the state’s premier players.

“It’s pretty cool,” Peters said of achieving all-state status. “It’s a lot of hard work put into what I’ve tried to do over the past four years. To see it all come to an end with basketball, it’s special.”

DFJ photo/Troy Banning

It’s his third all-state accolade in a third different sport. He was an all-state cross country runner in 2017 and reached the top of 2A track and field in 2018 when he won the 1,600-meter state title. He’ll be among the favorites to win gold in multiple events later this spring.

So far in his prep career, Peters has competed for 11 varsity teams and has reached the state-meet or state-tournament level 10 times. Only his freshman basketball season ended short of state when South Hamilton was knocked off by Dike-New Hartford in the substate round.

In other words, careers like his don’t come around often.

“He’s as decorated an athlete as you’ll see in the state, especially at South Hamilton,” Hawks’ head basketball coach Nathan Hill said of Peters. “I hope he’s able to take it in and enjoy it.”

Peters’ first love has always been on the court. Nathan Hill says Peters travels everywhere with a basketball and was only half-joking when he said the senior probably sleeps with the round ball in his clutches as well.

DFJ photo/Troy Banning

And it shows.

Peters averaged 14.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game for South Hamilton this season on a team that was one of the most balanced in the class. His versatile game and athleticism made him a match-up nightmare for opposing teams, something the Hawks were able to exploit on a nightly basis.

“I’ve been really blessed as a coach to have a player like him because he does a lot of things that other kids just can’t do,” Nathan Hill said. “He’s been able to fill a lot of roles for us.”

A three-year starter, Peters concluded his career with 848 points — he scored 654 as a junior and senior — to go along with 423 rebounds, 212 assists and 118 steals. He ranks in the top 10 all-time at South Hamilton in assists and steals.

But it’s his overall body of athletic work that puts him in a class of his own. The reigning Daily Freeman-Journal male athlete of the year, Peters says he hasn’t taken a moment to think about everything he’s accomplished, not yet anyway. Maybe that will come after what he hopes will be another successful track and field season.

“Track season, hopefully I can get another state title or two, and after that I’ll probably take it in a little bit better,” he said. “Everyone that’s been there, all the coaches and teammates, the teachers and my parents … I can’t thank them enough. I wouldn’t be here today without them.”

“I couldn’t be happier for anyone else,” Conner Hill said of Peters’ honor. “He has so much talent and he has the ability to do whatever he wants.”