WARREN, Pa. – Showing an all-around game shared by just a handful of players in District 9, Otto-Eldred junior Landon Francis is the YDL Sports Network District 9 boys’ basketball Player of the Year powered by Tapnpay+.
Joining Francis as major award winners are Keystone’s Eli Nellis (Rookie of the Year) and Moniteau’s Mike Jewart (Chuck Daly Coach of the Year). First-, second-, and third-team All-District 9 teams were also named.
Also see: D9 Girls’ Team • D10 Girls’ Team • D10 Boys’ Team
The first team includes Francis, Brookville’s Jack Pete, Cameron County’s Josh Smith, Clarion-Limestone’s Jase Ferguson, Elk County Catholic’s Wil Wortman, and Karns City’s Taite Beighley.
The second team consists of Clearfield’s Braison Patrick, Curwensville’s Davis Fleming, DuBois’ Tyson Kennis, Elk County Catholic’s Jordan Wasko, Otto-Eldred’s Manning Splain, and Redbank Valley’s Mason and Owen Clouse.
On the third team are Clarion’s Devon Lauer, DuBois Central Catholic’s Andrew Green, Johnsonburg’s Isaiah Jackson, Moniteau’s Chason Delarosa-Rugg and Andrew Zepeda, Redbank Valley’s Kieran Fricko, and Union’s Dawson Camper.
Award winners and teams were chosen by the staff of the YDL Sports Network in consultation with a select group of District 9 coaches.
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2024 YDL SPORTS NETWORK BOYS’ DISTRICT 9 BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR POWERED BY TAPNPAY+
Landon Francis, Jr., Otto-Eldred – Doing a little bit of everything for Otto-Eldred, which finished third in District 9 Class 2A, Francis averaged 15.6 points, 6.3 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.1 steals per game while shooting 45.3% from the floor. That included hitting 40% of his 3-pointers while making 71 of them. He scored 20 or more points 10 times, including a high of 30. Becoming the first Otto-Eldred player to go over 1,000 points in 48 years, he enters his senior season with 1,199 career points.
Photo by Paul Burdick
2024YDL SPORTS NETWORK BOYS’ BASKETBALL DISTRICT 9 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR POWERED BY TAPNPAY+
Eli Nellis, Fr., Keystone – Nellis pulled off the rare double-Rookie of the Year award after also earning the award in football. He did so by averaging 12.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.6 steals per game.
After scoring double digits just twice in his first six games, Nellis proceeded to finish the season by scoring in double digits in 13 of his final 16 games averaging 14.1 ppg over that span.
Photo by Danno JB Graphics
2024 YDL BOYS’ BASKETBALL DISTRICT 9 CHUCK DALY COACH OF THE YEAR AS PRESENTED BY THE CHUCK DALY FOUNDATION POWERED BY TAPNPAY+
Mike Jewart, Moniteau – In the long history of Moniteau boys’ basketball, the Warriors had never lifted a District 9 championship trophy, until this year when Jewart guided Moniteau to the District 9 Class 3A title beating five-time defending champion Brookville in the process.
In the title game, the Warriors rallied from a seven-point deficit with under three minutes to play to pull out a 58-57 victory.
After starting the year, 5-8, Moniteau rolled off eight wins in its next 10 games on its way to the D9 title. The Warriors finished the season 13-12 with eight of the losses coming against PIAA playoff opponents.
Photo by Jared Bakaysa of JB Graphics
About Chuck Daly: Daly was a 1948 graduate of Kane High School who started his coaching career at Punxsutawney High School (1956-63, 111 wins, D9 title in 1958 and league titles in 1958, 1962, and 1963) before moving into the college and pro ranks where he won two NBA titles with the Detroit Pistons. Daly also coached the 1992 United States Olympic “Dream Team” to a gold medal finish. He was inducted into the James Naismith National Basketball Hall of Fame in 1994. In addition to coaching the Pistons for nine years going 467-271, he spent a little under a season coaching the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1981-82 and coached the New Jersey Nets and the Orlando Magic in the 1990s. He was also the head coach at Boston College and Penn in the college ranks. The NBA continues to honor his coaching legacy with the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award given annually to a longtime NBA coach’s life in basketball and his “standard of integrity, competitive excellence and tireless promotion” of the game.
About the Chuck Daly Foundation: The Chuck Daly Foundation was formed in Punxsutawney in 2016 by 1960 PAHS graduate George “Butch” White, who played basketball under Daly. The foundation was formed primarily to create scholarships for both male and female student-athletes in both basketball and golf.
2024 YDL SPORTS NETWORK BOYS’ FIRST-TEAM ALL-DISTRICT 9 POWERED BY TAPNPAY+
•Jack Pete, Sr., Brookville: 14.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 3.3 spg, 2.5 apg. Shot 54.7% from the field. Scored 20 or more points 7 times.
•Josh Smith, Sr., Cameron County: 17.5 ppg, 8.0 rrpg. Scored 20 or more points 11 times with a high of 34.
•Jase Ferguson, Jr., Clarion-Limestone: 13.7 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 5.1 apg, 4.0 spg. Shot 42.2% from the field. Scored 20 or more points five times. Dished out 5 or more assists 15 times. Had five or more steals 8 times.
•Wil Wortman, Jr., Elk County Catholic: 14.7 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.8 sp, Shot 64.8% (184 of 284) from the field. Scored 30 or more points twice and 20 or more points 6 times
•Taite Beighley, Sr., Karns City: 14.6 ppg, 5.5 apg, 5.2 rpg, 2.9 spg, Shot 47% from the field; Scored 20 or more points five times with a high of 32. Scored 1,137 career points
•Landon Francis, Jr., Otto-Eldred: See above
2024 YDL SPORTS NETWORK BOYS’ SECOND-TEAM ALL-DISTRICT 9 POWERED BY TAPNPAY+
•Braison Patrick, So., Clearfield 19.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.0 apg. Shot 46.1% from the field and 38.2% from 3-point range with 68 made
•Davis Fleming, Jr., Curwensville: 20.1 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 6.2 apg, 2.5 spg. Shot 45.3% from the field. Scored a career-high 41 against eventual D4 1A champion Bucktail. Scored 30 or more points twice and 20 or more points 12 times.
•Tyson Kennis, Sr., DuBois: 14.4 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 1.2 spg. Shot 56.1% from the field.
•Jordan Wasko, Sr., Elk County Catholic: 12.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.8 apg. Hit 59 3-pointers
•Manning Spalin, Jr., Otto-Eldred: 16.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg. 3.1 apg, 2.3 spg, Shot 47.4% from the field; Hit 68 3-pointers
•Mason Clouse, Sr., Redbank Valley: 11.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 2.0 spg, 1.7 apg. Shot 59% from the field.
•Owen Clouse, Sr., Redbank Valley 11.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.9 spg. Shot 53.2% from the field
2024 YDL SPORTS NETWORK BOYS’ THIRD-TEAM ALL-DISTRICT 9 POWERED BY TAPNPAY+
•Devon Lauer, Sr., Clarion: 14.0 ppg, 2.0 spg, 1.9 rpg, 1.9 apg. Shot 55.5% from the field. Hit 41 3-pointers. Scored 1,121 career points.
•Andrew Green, Sr., DuBois Central Catholic: 18.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg. Scored 20 or more points 11 times with a high of 35. Scored 1,028 career points.
•Isaiah Jackson, Sr., Johnsonburg: 18.5 ppg (no other stats provided)
•Chason Delarosa-Rugg, Sr., Moniteau: 14.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.2 apg
•Andrew Zepeda, So., Moniteau: 12.3 ppg, 3.2 apg
•Kieran Fricko, Jr., Redbank Valley: 10.6 ppg, 3.5 apg, 3.4 rpg, 1.9 spg. Shot 49.5% from the field, Hit 45 3-pointers
•Dawson Camper, Sr., Union: 12.4 ppg, 11.9 rpg. Record 10 double-doubles. Had 15 or more rebounds five times including 25 in a PIAA playoff game against eventual PIAA champion Imani Christian.
