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

Click here for the boys’ All-District team

CLARION, Pa. – After leading her team to a third straight District 9 Class AA title, Karns City’s LeeAnn Gibson is the 2016 All American Awards & Engraving/D9Sports.com District 9 Girls’ Basketball Player of the Year.

Gibson, a Slippery Rock recruit, averaged 16.8 points, 10.2 rebounds. 3.0 steals and 2.6 assists per game for the Lady Gremlins, who finished 24-3 reaching the second round of the PIAA playoffs. This marks the third straight year Gibson has been named a first-team All-District 9 performer.

Joining Gibson in earning major awards are Punxsutawney sophomore Leah Miller, who is the 2016 All American Awards & Engraving/D9Sports.com District 9 Rookie of the Year, and Keystone’s Barry Foust, who is the 2016 All American Awards & Engraving/D9Sports.com Coach of the Year.

Miller, in her first season of varsity basketball, averaged a double-double with 11.2 points and 12.7 rebounds per game while adding 2.5 blocks (62 total), 1.8 steals and 1.4 assists per game for the District 9 Class AAA Lady Chucks.

Foust, meanwhile, guided a young Keystone squad that had only one senior while starting three sophomores and having two freshmen as the top two reserves, to a 19-8 overall record and the District 9 Class A title. The Lady Panthers, who also had the overcome the midseason loss of another starter to a season-ending injury, then advanced to the second round of the PIAA playoffs before losing to eventual PIAA champion Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic.

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

Joining Gibson on the first team are teammate Emily Hegedus, a sophomore, Redbank Valley’s Brooke Hinderliter, a senior who is just the third player to be named to the first team four times, North Clarion’s Tori Obenrader, a sophomore, and Abbie Schmader, a senior, and Port Allegany’s Autumn Buchsenschutz, a junior.

Hinderliter, another Slippery Rock recruit, joins St. Marys’ Kayla Hoohuli and Cranberry’s Emily Merryman as the only four-time first-team All-District 9 selections after averaging a District 9-leading 22 points per game to go with 8.3 rebounds, 3.3 steals, 2.1 assists and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 49 percent from the field and 82 percent (148 of 191) from the free-throw line. Hinderliter finished her career as the all-time leading scorer in Redbank Valley history with 1,997 career points, the sixth most in District 9 history.

Hegedus joined Gibson in providing a fantastic one-two punch for Karns City. She led the team in scoring 17.0 points per game while adding 5.0 rebounds. 3.2 assists and 3.0 steals per contest.

Obenrader, who was a second-team selection last year as a freshman while being named Rookie of the Year, averaged a monster double-double with 16.4 points and 16.5 rebounds per game while adding 4.4 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.6 blocks per contest. She recorded 24 double-doubles in 27 games and shot 47.5 percent from the field while helping the She-Wolves to their first-ever division crown (KSAC North) and a PIAA playoff berth for the first time in 30 years.

Schmader, a third-team selection last year, joined Obenrader in leading North Clarion and nearly averaged a double-double herself scoring 17.9 points per game to go with 9.7 rebounds per contest. She had 18 double-doubles on the year and shot 50.6 percent from the field while finishing her career with 1,066 points.

Buchsenschutz stepped right into the void left by the graduation of 2015 first-team choice Brooke Roys and ended second in District 9 in scoring with 20.5 points per game while adding 3.0 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game. She hit 67 3-pointers along the way.

A pair of Keystone players and Miller anchor the second team with senior Amber Hess and sophomore Taylor Geer of Keystone joining Miller, Venango Catholic senior Ava Homan, Moniteau’s Kristina DeMatteis A-C Valley sophomore Ellie Thompson in making up the squad.

Hess averaged 13.3 points, 5.2 rebounds. 2.6 steals, 2.4 assists and 1.5 blocks per game for the Lady Panthers while hitting 41 3-points, and Taylor Geer tied her for the team lead in scoring with 13.3 points per game while averaging a double-double with 10.2 rebounds per game. She added 2.6 blocks, 2.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game.

Homan, a two-time All-District selection, also averaged a season double-double with 17.5 points and 10.9 rebounds per game while chipping in 2.6 blocks and 2.2 steals per contest.

DeMatteis was a leading force behind Moniteau reaching the PIAA playoffs scoring 15.6 points per contest to go with 8.4 rebounds, 3.3 steals, 1.8 assists and 1.8 blocks per game, while Thompson averaged 16.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game while shooting an even 50 percent from the field for the Lady Falcons.

The third-team All-District squad is a complete underclassmen group that includes three juniors, two sophomores and a freshman.

The juniors are Union’s Lexey Shick, Moniteau’s Alazia Greaves and Elk County Catholic’s Reilly Herzing, while the sophomores include Keystone’s Josselin Geer and Coudersport’s Haley Keck. The freshman is Kane’s Ella Marconi.

Shick averaged 14.8 points. 4.9 steals, 4.4 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game, while Greaves scored 14.0 points per contest to go with 4.2 rebounds. 2.4 steals and 1.4 assists per game.

Herzing led ECC on a surprising run to the PIAA playoffs and nearly averaged a double-double scoring 11.3 points per game to go with 9.0 rebounds. 2.0 steals and 2.0 blocks per contest.

Josselin Geer was the third cog in the Keystone machine averaging 12.0 points. 5.9 rebounds. 2.8 steals, 1.6 assists and 1.5 blocks per game, while Keck was key to Coudersport’s fantastic season that ended with a PIAA playoff berth scoring 12.2 points per game to go with 3.0 rebounds. 1.9 assists and 1.8 steals per contest. She also hit 23 3-pointers while seeing her minutes limited due to the scores of most of the Lady Falcons’ games.

Marconi had a fantastic first year for Kane and nearly averaged a double-double scoring 10.4 points per game to go with 9.4 rebounds per contest. She also blocked 65 shots (2.5 bpg).

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

LeeAnn Gibson – Sr., Karns City – 16.8 ppg (6th in District 9), 10.2 rpg, 3.0 spg, 2.6 apg. Led Karns City to a 24-3 record, the District 9 Class AA title and the second round of the PIAA playoffs.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Leah Miller – So., Punxsutawney – 11.2 ppg, 12.7 rpg, 2.5 bpg, 1.8 spg, 1.4 apg

COACH OF THE YEAR

Barry Foust – Keystone – Led a young Keystone team (3 sophomore starters; 1 senior on the roster) to a 19-8 record and the District 9 Class A title. The Lady Panthers advanced to the second round of the PIAA playoffs where they lost to eventual state champion Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic.

FIRST-TEAM ALL-DISTRICT

LeeAnn Gibson – Sr., Karns City – 16.8 ppg (6th in District 9), 10.2 rpg, 3.0 spg, 2.6 apg. Finished her career with 1,456 points.

Emily Hegedus – So., Karns City – 17.0 ppg (5th in District 9), 5.0 rpg, 3.2 apg, 3.0 spg.

Tori Obenrader – So., North Clarion – 16.4 ppg (tied for 7th in District 9), 16.5 rpg, 4.4 apg, 1.9 spg, 1.6 bpg, 24 double-doubles in 27 games.

Abbie Schmader – Sr., North Clarion – 17.9 ppg (3rd in District 9), 9.7 rpg, 18 double-doubles, shot 50.6 percent from the floor. Finished her career with 1,066 points.

Autumn Buchsenschutz – Jr., Port Allegany – 20.5 ppg (2nd in District 9), 3.0 apg, 3.2 rpg, 2.4 spg, 67 3-pointers.

Brooke Hindlerliter – Sr., Redbank Valley – 22.0 ppg (led District 9), 8.3 rpg, 3.3 spg, 2.1 apg, 1.3 bpg, shot 49 percent from the field. One of three players to earn first-team honors four times. Finished sixth all-time in D9 history with 1,997 career points.

SECOND-TEAM ALL-DISTRICT

Ellie Thompson – So., A-C Valley – 16.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.4 spg, shot 50.0 percent from the field.

Amber Hess – Sr., Keystone – 13.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 2.6 stp, 2.4 apg, 1.5 bp, 41 3-pointers.

Taylor Geer – So., Keystone – 13.3 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 2.6 bpg, 2.3 rpg, 1.1 apg.

Kristina DeMatteis – Jr., Moniteau – 15.6 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 3.3 spg, 1.8 apg, 1.8 bpg

Leah Miller – So., Punxsutawney – 11.2 ppg, 12.7 rpg, 2.5 bpg, 1.8 spg, 1.4 apg

Ava Homan – Sr., Venango Catholic – 17.5 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 2.6 bpg, 2.2 spg

THIRD-TEAM ALL-DISTRICT

Haley Kec – So., Coudersport – 12.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.8 spg, hit 23 3-pointers.

Reilly Herzing – Jr., Elk County Catholic – 11.3 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 2.0 spg, 2.0 bpg.

Ella Marconi – Fr., Kane – 10.4 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 2.5 bpg.

Josselin Geer – So., Keystone – 12.0 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 2.8 spg, 1.6 apg, 1.5 bpg.

Alazia Greaves – Jr., Moniteau – 14.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.4 spg, 1.4 apg.

Lexey Shick – Jr., Union – 14.8 ppg,4.9 spg, 4.4 apg, 3.7 rpg.

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.