All American Awards & Engraving D9Sports.com D9 Boys’ Basketball Awards; All-District Teams Announced

Click here for the girls’ All-District team

CLARION, Pa. – Coming off a three-win season in 2015, not much was expected of the Kane boys’ basketball team.

But the Wolves pulled off an 11-win turnaround that included winning the District 9 Class AA title in 2016, and with that also comes a pair of major District 9 awards with junior center Andrew Bucheit being named the 2016 All American Awards & Engraving/D9Sports.com District 9 Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year and Matt Gasbarre being named the All American Awards & Engraving/D9Sports.com District 9 Coach of the Year.

Bucheit had a fantastic season averaging 19.9 points, 11.3 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 52.2 percent (153 of 293) from the field including an amazing 21 of 52 from 3-point range for a 6-foot-6 big man. He scored 20 or more points in 13 of his 22 games and was dominant down the stretch averaging 24 points per game in the Wolves final three regular-season games and two District 9 playoff games after returning from an injury that caused him to miss three games. He is the first underclassman to win the award since Johnsonburg’s Cameron Grumley and Cole Peterson shared the award as juniors in 2013.

Gasbarre, as mentioned above, in just his third season helped engineer a turnaround only seen a few times in District 9 history. The Wolves, in fact, hadn’t had a winning season since 2010 and had won just 20 games over the previous five years before the title-winning campaign this year.

Rounding out the major award winners for 2016 is Clarion-Limestone’s Ian Callen, who is the All American Awards & Engraving/D9Sports.com District 9 Rookie of the Year.

Callen, a freshman, joins his brother, Dan, in winning the award. Dan Callen was Rookie of the Year in 2014.

Ian Callen beat out a strong field of freshmen that included DuBois Central Catholic’s Justin Miknis and Coudersport’s Owen Chambers by playing an all-around game that saw him average 12.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.3 steals and 2.4 assists per game for the Lions while shooting 51.2 percent (131 of 256) from the floor.

In addition to the awards, the 2016 All American Awards & Engraving/D9Sports.com Boys’ All-District 9 basketball teams were chosen.

Joining Bucheit on the first team are C-L’s Dan Callen, Clarion’s Jonathan Smith, Clearfield’s Will Myers, Venango Catholic’s Brady Kingston and Ridgway’s Jeremy Breier. For Breier, it’s the third straight year he has been a first-team selection, while Dan Callen and Myers were both second-team choices last year.

A pair of Clearfield players anchors the second team with Cody Spaid and Tommy Hazel giving the Class AAA champion Bison a district-leading three all-district players. Also on the second team are Union’s Cole Morris, Coudersport’s Jared Green and Darren Keglovits and Elk County Catholic’s Nate DaCanal. It’s a second all-district honor for both Morris and DaCanal.

The third team comprises Oswayo Valley’s Brandon Brabham, St. Marys’ Jeff Wehler, Redbank Valley’s Sam Heeter, DuBois Central Catholic’s Christian LaParne, C-L’s Noah Rankin, ECC’s Kyle Huff and Punxsutawney’s Dylan Huey. It’s the second straight all-district award for Brabham, the Green Wave sharpshooter.

This is the 17th year of the postseason District 9 awards and the 16th they have been housed at D9Sports.com (the first year, 2000, the awards were awarded by the Tri-County Sunday out of DuBois). It marks the eighth year All American Awards & Engraving has been the title sponsor of the awards.

The 2012 Clarion Area Chamber of Business and Industry Business of the Year in the Economic Development Division, All American Awards & Engraving is located on Route 322 in Shippenville. The company, which specializes in all kinds of awards, trophies and engraving products as well as screen printing and embroidery, will put just about anything on just about anything. It can be found on the web at www.allamericanhq.com or by calling 1-877-402-9273.

Located at www.d9sports.com, on Twitter @D9Sports and on  Facebook, D9Sports.com is in its 16th year of covering athletics within the PIAA’s District 9. The independent media site, which recently became part of the EYT Media family of sites (www.exploreClarion.com, www.exploreJeffersonPa.com, www.exploreVenango.com) is not affiliated with the PIAA or PIAA District 9 in any way. For more information on the site, please visit it or e-mail the staff at sports@d9sports.com.

NOTES – In order to be eligible for the award or the all-district team, a player must participate in at least 70 percent of his team’s games. In order to be eligible for Rookie of the Year a Player must be either a freshman or a sophomore who saw limited or no time as freshman

2016 All American Awards & Engraving /D9Sports.com All-District Teams

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Andrew Bucheit – Jr., Kane – 19.9 ppg (4th in District 9), 11.3 rpg, 4.5 bpg (98 total blocks), Shot 52.2 percent (153 of 293) from the field including 21 of 52 from 3-point range. Scored 20 or more points 13 times in 22 games and led Wolves to a 14-10 overall record and the District 9 Class AA title.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Ian Callen – Fr., Clarion-Limestone – 12.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.3 spg, 2.4 apg, Shot 131 of 256 (51.2 percent) from the floor.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Matt Gasbarre – Kane – Helped engineer an 11-win turnaround from last year, as the Wolves went from 3-19 to 14-10 and the District 9 Class AA title. Kane had won just 20 games in the past five season including just 10 in the previous three years prior to Gasbarre taking over in the 2013-14 season.

FIRST-TEAM ALL-DISTRICT

Jonathan Smith – Sr., Clarion – 20.5 ppg (2nd in District 9), 11.2 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.3 spg, Shot 53.7 percent (167 of 311) from the field. Scored 20 or more points in 14 of his 21 games with 6 games of at least 25 points.

Dan Callen – Jr., Clarion-Limestone – 18.7 ppg (7th in District 9), 11.5 rpg, 2.8 bpg, 2.2 apg, 2.1 spg, Shot 53.3 percent from the field (163 of 306). Nine games of 20 or more points with a pair of games in the 30s playing in 21 games. Will enter his senior season with 1,052 career points.

Will Myers – Jr., Clearfield – 17.3 ppg (10th in District 9), 6.5 rpg, 2.7 apg, Shot 45 percent for the season for 40 percent from 3-point range with 83 3-pointers. Scored 20 or more points 13 times 26 games. Will enter his senior season with 1,002 career points.

Andrew Bucheit – Jr., Kane – 19.9 ppg (4th in District 9), 11.3 rpg, 4.5 bpg (98 total blocks), Shot 52.2 percent (153 of 293) from the field including 21 of 52 from 3-point range. Scored 20 or more points 13 times in 22 games.

Jeremy Breier – Sr., Ridgway – 18.2 ppg (Tied for 8th in District 9), 8.1 rpg, 2.2 apg, 2.0 spg, Shot 53 percent from the field, Scored 1,500 career points. Three-time District 9 first-team selection.

Brady Kingston – Sr., Venango Catholic – Led District 9 in scoring at 21.7 ppg while adding 11.4 rpg, 5.5 apg, 2.1 spg, 2.0 bpg. Shot 47 percent from the floor and scored 20 or more points 13 times in 22 games while going over 30 points four times. Finished with 1,094 career points.

SECOND-TEAM ALL-DISTRICT

Tommy Hazel – Jr., Clearfield – 13.5 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 2.7 apg, 48 3-pointers.

Cody Spaid – Sr., Clearfield – 11.2 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 2.3 apg, 2.3 bpg, shot 60 percent from the floor.

Jared Green – So., Coudersport – 13.6 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 3.9 spg, 3.7 apg, 1.5 bpg, shot 46 percent from the floor, 29 3-pointers.

Darren Keglovits – Sr., Coudersport – 16.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 2.6 spg, 1.6 apg, 1.9 bpg, shot 45 percent from the floor and 82 percent (92 of 112) from the free-throw line.

Nate DaCanal – Jr., Elk County Catholic – 13.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 3.2 apg, 2.6 spg, shot 57.7 percent from the field, hit 17 3-pointers.

Cole Morris – Sr., Union – 18.2 ppg, 6.4 apg, 5.0 rpg, 3.7 spg.

THIRD-TEAM ALL-DISTRICT

Noah Rankin – Sr., Clarion-Limestone – 14.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 5.8 apg, 3.4 spg, 0.8 spg, shot 50.4 percent from the floor.

Christian LaParne – Sr., DuBois Central Catholic – 19.0 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 3.0 apg, 2.3 spg.

Kyle Huff – Sr., Elk County Catholic – 10.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg, shot 51.1 percent from the field.

Brandon Brabham – Sr., Oswayo Valley – 20.2 ppg.

Dylan Huey – Sr., Punxsutawney – 13.3 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 34 assists, 23 steals.

Sam Heeter – Sr., Redbank Valley – 19.5 ppg.

Jeff Wehler – Jr., St. Marys – 13.9 ppg.

All American Awards and Engraving is located on U.S. 322 in Shippenville. The company specializes in Embroidery, Screen Printing, all kinds of awards, trophies, engraving, unique gifts and more. As the company motto says, We can put “Almost Anything on Almost Everything”.

They can be found online at www.allamericanhq.com or www.facebook.com/AllAmericanAwardsandEngraving or by calling toll free 1-877-402-9273 and ask for Jim Carroll.