Philadelphia dominates state players, coaches of year votes
HARRISBURG >> After sweeping on-court victories in all four of last month's PIAA boys' basketball championships, Philadelphia is dominating again on Pennsylvania's all-state teams.
Each of four players of the year selected by a group of Pennsylvania sports writers calls the greater Philadelphia area home. Three of the four men chosen as coaches of the year also front Philadelphia-based programs.
And while players from PIAA programs were eligible to be chosen and honored by the panel, players from non-PIAA schools also were eligible for selection.
Just 12 months after claiming Class AA player of the year honors, Constitution's Ahmad Gilbert was tagged Class A's top performer after averaging 17.6 points per game for Robert Moore's Generals (24-8). Gilbert scored 28 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as Constitution defeated Farrell 85-53 for its second straight state title.
Constitution won state gold for the third time in four years.
Joining Gilbert on the Class A first team are his Constitution teammate Kimar Williams, Samir Doughty of Math, Civics & Sciences, Brandon Martinazzi of Bishop Carroll, Malik Miller of Farrell and Nate Sestina of Cameron County.
Doughty is a repeat first-team selection, while Williams and Gilbert landed first-team recognition at the Class AA level.
Moore, the Class AA coach of the year following the 2013-14 season, was tagged the Class A coach of the year this time around.
Although Neumann-Goretti captured its second consecutive Class AAA championship with a 69-67 victory over Philadelphia Catholic League rival Archbishop Carroll — the Saints have won five of the last six — Carroll's Derrick Jones was named Class AAA player of the year.
The 6-7 Jones, who signed in November with UNLV, capped his run of five straight double-doubles in state tournament play by popping Neumann-Goretti with a 30 point, 18 rebound performance. It still wasn't enough.
Jones averaged 19.3 ppg for Paul Romanczuk's Patriots, finishing his career as the Radnor school's all-time leading scorer.
Joining Jones on Class AAA's first team are Milik Gantz of Harrisburg Bishop McDevitt, the Neumann-Goretti duo of Quade Green and Lamarr Kimble, Nehemiah Mack of Susquehanna Twp. and Daron Russell of Imhotep Charter.
Jones and Mack were the lone first-team repeat selections.
Indiana's Greg Lezanic, who piloted the Little Indians to a 25-3 record and their first WPIAL championship, was named Class AAA coach of the year.
Roman Catholic junior lead guard Tony Carr, whose stat line (14 points/5 rebounds/6 assists) was a major reason why the Cahillites turned back Martin Luther King 62-45 in the title game, was tagged Class AAAA's player of the year.
The 6-4 Carr is uncommitted, but holds scholarship offers from George Washington, La Salle, Maryland, Penn State, Rhode Island and Temple. He averaged 12.8 ppg for Chris McNesby's club.
Joining Carr on Class AAAA's first team are Levan Alston of Haverford School, Chris Clover of St. Joseph's Prep, Sammy Foreman of Martin Luther King, Matty McConnell of Chartiers Valley and Jahaad Proctor of Harrisburg.
McNesby, who guided the Cahillites to a 29-2 record and the Philadelphia Catholic League championship, was named Class AAAA's coach of the year.
Conwell-Egan's Stevie Jordan, who pocketed 21 points in the Eagles' 62-51 conquest of Aliquippa in the Class AA title game, was named the Class AA player of the year. The 5-10 Jordan, just a junior, averaged 16.8 ppg.
Joining Jordan on the Class AA first team are Jair Bolden of Westtown, Nelly Cummings of Lincoln Park Charter, De'Andre Hunter of Friends Central, Stephon McGinnis of Aliquippa and Trey Staunch of West Middlesex.
Frank Sciolla was tagged Class AA's coach of the year after leading Conwell-Egan (21-8) to its first state championship. Conwell-Egan had never won a postseason basketball game in 51 seasons, b
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CLASS AAAA
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Tony Carr, Philadelphia Roman Catholic
COACH OF THE YEAR: Chris McNesby, Philadelphia Roman Catholic
FIRST TEAM
Levan "Shawn" Alston, Haverford School, 6-4, sr, 19.4 ppg
Tony Carr, Philadelphia Roman Catholic, 6-4, jr, 12.8 ppg
Chris Clover, St. Joseph's Prep, 6-3, sr, 20.7 ppg
Sammy Foreman, Martin Luther King, 6-1, sr, 14.2 ppg
Matty McConnell, Chartiers Valley, 6-2, sr, 29.5 ppg
Jahaad Proctor, Harrisburg, 6-3, sr, 24.4 ppg
SECOND TEAM
Cole Constantino, North Allegheny, 6-2, sr, 23.4 ppg
Kobe Gantz, J.P. McCaskey, 6-4, jr, 17.8 ppg
Kason Harrell, Hempfield (D-7), 6-2, sr, 25.2 ppg
Amir Hinton, Abington, 6-4, sr, 19.8 ppg
Lamar Stevens, Haverford School, 6-7, jr, 18.3 ppg
Lonnie Walker IV, Reading, 6-4, so, 17.0 ppg
Derrick Woods, Pennsbury, 6-8, sr, 16.3 ppg
THIRD TEAM
Nazeer Bostick, Philadelphia Roman Catholic, 6-3, jr, 12.5 ppg
Luke Connaghan, Archbishop Wood, 6-5, sr, 19.0 ppg
Ramon Creighton, Taylor Allderdice, 6-1, jr, 12.0 ppg
Jonny David, Mount Lebanon, 6-2, sr, 18.5 ppg
Gemil Holbrook, Philadelphia Roman Catholic, 6-4, sr, 13.9 ppg
David Krmpotich, La Salle College, 6-7, sr, 13.7 ppg
Jahaire Wilson, York William Penn, 6-4, sr, 18.1 ppg
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PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Derrick Jones, Archbishop Carroll
COACH OF THE YEAR: Greg Lezanic, Indiana
CLASS AAA
FIRST TEAM
Milik Gantz, Harrisburg Bishop McDevitt, 6-4, sr, 18.3 ppg
Quade Green, Neumann-Goretti, 5-11, so, 17.8 ppg
Derrick Jones, Archbishop Carroll, 6-7, sr, 19.3 ppg
Lamarr "Fresh" Kimble, Neumann-Goretti, 6-0, sr, 14.5 ppg
Nehemiah "Bud" Mack, Susquehanna Twp., 6-0, jr, 14.1 ppg
Daron Russell, Imhotep Charter, 5-10, so, 16.5 ppg
SECOND TEAM
Sam Allen, Lewisburg, 6-8, jr, 21.9 ppg
Tarojae Brake, Octorara, 6-2, sr, 22.5 ppg
Daylon Carter, Ambridge, 6-4, sr, 24.0 ppg
John Castello, Mars, 6-5 jr, 17.8 ppg
Zane Martin, Neumann-Goretti, 6-2, jr, 16.5 ppg
Riley Stapleton, Indiana, 6-4, sr, 13.1 ppg
THIRD TEAM
Travis Blankenhorn, Pottsville, 6-2, sr, 16.6 ppg
Josh Creach, Beaver Falls, 6-6, so, 17.7 ppg
DaShon Giddings, Delaware Valley Charter, 6-4, sr, 16.5 ppg
Donovan Jeter, Beaver Falls, 6-5, so, 17.5 ppg
Dom Keyes, Steel Valley, 6-7, sr, 19.4 ppg
David Morris, Erie Strong Vincent, 6-1, so, 20.1 ppg
Tim Rose, Scranton Prep, 6-0, sr, 15.2 ppg
Josh Sharkey, Archbishop Carroll, 5-10 jr, 12.4 ppg
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CLASS AA
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Stevie Jordan, Conwell-Egan
COACH OF THE YEAR: Frank Sciolla, Conwell-Egan
FIRST TEAM
Jair Bolden, Westtown, 6-4, jr, 17.0 ppg
Nelly Cummings, Lincoln Park Charter, 6-0, so, 24.5 ppg
De'Andre Hunter, Friends Central, 6-7, jr, 20.8 ppg
Stevie Jordan, Conwell-Egan, 5-10, jr, 16.8 ppg
Stephon McGinnis, Aliquippa, 5-9, sr, 17.0 ppg
Trey Staunch, West Middlesex, 6-5, sr, 23.6 ppg
SECOND TEAM
Kyle Datres, Loyalsock Twp., 5-10, sr, 10.2 ppg
Noah Davis, Bellwood-Antis, 6-3, jr, 24.7 ppg
Tim Guers, Germantown Academy, 6-3, sr, 16.4 ppg
Jason Kenny, Mid Valley, 6-2, sr, 21.4 ppg
LaPri McCray-Pace, Conwell-Egan, 6-2, jr, 11.4 ppg
Ryan Norkus, Seton-La Salle, 6-3, sr, 18.1 ppg
Kody Trude, West Branch, 6-4, jr, 21.4 ppg
THIRD TEAM
Julian Collazo, Lancaster Mennonite, 6-0, sr, 23.2 ppg
Vinny Dalessandro, Conwell-Egan, 6-7, jr, 10.5 ppg
Austin Gilbertson, Camp Hill Trinity, 6-2, so, 17.8 ppg
Sam Lindgren, Germantown Academy, 6-6, sr, 12.6 ppg
Matthew "Mookie" Miller, Upper Dauphin, 6-1, jr, 24.1 ppg
Romano Sebastiani, Greensburg Central Catholic, 6-4, sr, 22.7 ppg
Ben Sosa, Loyalsock Twp., 6-2, sr, 15.9 ppg
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CLASS A
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Ahmad Gilbert, Constitution
COACH OF THE YEAR: Robert Moore, Constitution
FIRST TEAM
Samir Doughty, Math, Civics & Sciences, 6-4, sr, 24.5 ppg
Ahmad Gilbert, Constitution, 6-7, sr, 17.6 ppg
Brandon Martinazzi, Bishop Carroll, 5-9, sr, 22.4 ppg
Malik Miller, Farrell, 6-3, jr, 20.0 ppg
Nate Sestina, Cameron County, 6-8, sr, 21.5 ppg
Kimar Williams, Constitution, 6-1, sr, 16.2 ppg
SECOND TEAM
Chad Andrews-Fulton, Constitution, 6-7, sr, 11.0 ppg
Julian Batts, Jeannette, 5-11, sr, 22.4 ppg
Caesar DeJesus, Goodling Impact Academy, 6-3, sr, 23.4 ppg
Dane Jackson, Cornell, 6-1, sr, 28.0 ppg
Sagaba Konate, Kennedy Catholic, 6-8, jr, 16.1 ppg
Tyerell Mann, Notre Dame-East Stroudsburg, 6-4, sr, 23.0 ppg
Lavelle Rush, Monessen, 6-1, jr, 18.1 ppg
THIRD TEAM
Kevin Anderson, St. John Neumann, 6-1, so, 19.1 ppg
Michael Bryja, Portage, 6-4, sr, 20.5 ppg
Bo Burleigh, North Penn-Mansfield, 6-2, sr, 18.3 ppg
Juwan Gooding, Goodling Impact Academy, 6-0, sr, 23.8 ppg
R.J. Laugand, Clarion-Limestone, 5-11, sr, 17.6 ppg
Nasza Short, St. John Neumann, 6-2, sr, 18.9 ppg
Jeff Yordy, Pottsville Nativity, 6-2, sr, 22.4 ppg