WARREN, Pa. – The 2023-24 YDL Sports Network TapNPay+ District 9 All-District boys’ basketball team is highlighted by seven returning All-District players including a pair of first-team selections.
First, a little about TapNPay+
TapNPay+ is a fundraising company located out of Pittsburgh whose motto is Fundraising made easy! Earn more funds in less time with nothing to sell, hand out or collect. Earning money for your club, team, or organization – not just sports but any organization – is as easy as signing up with TapNPay+ and downloading their app. Find out more at tapnpayplus.com
Headlining the team are the first-team choices from 2022-23, Brookville’s Jack Pete and Otto-Eldred’s Landen Francis.
Pete, a senior, lifted Brookville to the District 9 Class 3A playoffs and the second round of the PIAA playoffs a year ago.
He averaged 10.5 points, 8.1 rebounds. 2.8 steals, 1.2 assists, and 0.9 blocks per game.
Francis, a junior, was a key contributor to Otto-Eldred’s District 9 Class 2A runner-up squad that then advanced to the PIAA Class 2A semifinals.
He finished 15th in District 9 in scoring at 14.2 points per game while adding 6.0 assists, and 2.1 steals per contest. He shot 39.8% (51 of 128) from 3-point range and 89.6% (129 of 144) from the free-throw line.
Joining Pete and Francis on the preseason All-D9 team are Clarion-Limestone junior Jase Ferguson, DuBois senior Tyson Kennis, Elk County Catholic senior Jordan Wasko, Clarion senior Devon Lauer, and Otto-Eldred junior Shene Thomas.
Ferguson helped C-L to the District 9 Class 2A title by averaging 9.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 4.7 steals per game a year ago.
He was a second-team All-D9 selection.
Kennis was the 16th-leading scorer in District 9 averaging 14.0 points per game in 2023. He just fell shy of a season double-double averaging 9.2 rebounds per game while shooting 58.6% (139 of 237) from the field.
He was a second-team All-D9 choice.
Wasko averaged 9.4 points per game, 3.3 rebounds per game, 2.2 assists per game, and 1.8 steals per game for the District 9 Class 1A champion Crusaders. He was averaging 10 ppg when he tore his ACL in mid-February but he returned to play three postseason games with a brace and helped ECC to a PIAA playoff win.
Wasko was a second-team All-D9 selection.
Lauer tied for sixth in District 9 in scoring a year ago at 16.8 points per game while adding 3.2 rebounds, 2.6 steals, and 2.5 assists per game. He shot 48% (177 of 369) from the field including 38.6% (61 of 158) from 3-point range.
He was a third-team All-District 9 choice.
Thomas was a key cog for Otto-Eldred during the season and in the Terrors PIAA playoff run averaging 12.3 points per game, 4.0 rebounds per contest, and 1.0 steals per game. He blocked 19 shots and shot 59.2% (141 of 238) from the field.
He was a third-team All-D9 selection.
2023-24 YDL SPORTS NETWORK TAPNPAY+ PRESEASON ALL-DISTRICT 9
BOYS’ BASKETBALL TEAM
• Jack Pete, Sr., Brookville
• Devon Lauer, Sr., Clarion
• Jase Ferguson, Jr., Clarion-Limestone
• Tyson Kennis, Sr., DuBois
• Jordan Wasko, Sr., Elk County Catholic
• Landen Francis, Jr., Otto-Eldred
• Shene Thomas, Jr., Otto-Eldred
