WARREN, Pa. – Cole Miller did a little bit of everything to help Clearfield to its ninth straight District 9 title, and that is the reason Miller is the YDL Sports Network/D9and10Sports.com District 9 boys’ basketball Player of the Year powered by All American Awards & Engraving.
Joining Miller as major award winners are Clearfield’s Braison Patrick and Moniteau’s Andrew Zepeda (Co-Rookies of the Year) and Otto-Eldred’s Derrick Francis (Chuck Daly Coach of the Year).
Three All-District 9 teams were also awarded.
The first team includes Miller, Brookville’s Clayton Cook and Jack Pete, Clarion-Limestone’s Jordan Hesdon, North Clarion’s Aiden Hartle, and Otto-Eldred’s Landon Francis.
On the second team are Clarion-Limestone’s Jase Ferguson, DuBois’ Tyson Kennis, DuBois Central Catholic’s Luke Swisher, Elk County Catholic’s Jordan Wasko, Karns City’s Micah Rupp, and Union’s Payton Johnston.
The third team consists of A-C Valley’s Jay Clover, Cameron County’s Camdyn Allison, Clarion’s Devon Lauer, Karns City’s Taite Beighley, Otto-Eldred’s Manning Splain and Shene Thomas, and Ridgway’s Aaron Sorg.
Award winners and teams were chosen by the staff of the YDL Sports Network in consultation with a select group of District 9 coaches.
All American Awards and Engraving specializes in all kinds of awards, trophies, and engraving products as well as screen printing and embroidery. As the company likes to say, they will put almost anything on almost everything. The 2012 Clarion Area Chamber of Business and Industry Business of the Year in Economic Development is located on Route 322 in Shippenville. It can be found on the web at www.allamericanhq.com and can be reached at 1-877-402-9273.
2023 D9AND10SPORTS.COM BOYS’ DISTRICT 9 BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR POWERED BY ALL AMERICAN AWARDS AND ENGRAVING
Cole Miller, Sr., Clearfield: – Miller finished as the third-leading scorer in District 9 at 19.8 ppg and completed a season double-double by averaging 10 rebounds per contest. He also added 3.0 assists per game and 2.0 steals per game.
Helping the Bison to a record of 17-7, Miller finished his career as Clearfield’s all-time leading scorer with 1,533 career points, the 47th-best mark in District 9 history.
Cole Miller. Photo by Jared Bakaysa/JB Graphics
2023 D9AND10SPORTS.COM BOYS’ DISTRICT 9 BASKETBALL CO-ROOKIE OF THE YEAR POWERED BY ALL AMERICAN AWARDS AND ENGRAVING
Braison Patrick, Fr., Clearfield: Patrick had a solid rookie season for Clearfield finishing as the Bison’s third-leading scorer at 9.0 points per game while adding 2.3 rebounds. 2.0 assists, 1.0 steals per contest, and hitting 35 3-pointers. He got better as the season progressed averaging 10.7 ppg over his final 12 contests.
Braison Patrick Photo by Jared Bakaysa/JB Graphics
Andrew Zepeda, Fr., Moniteau: Zepeda was the fourth-leading scorer for a well-balanced Moniteau team that finished second in D9 Class 3A averaging 8.2 points per game. The freshman point guard also dished out 3.5 assists and came away with 3.0 steals per contest.
Andrew Zepeda Photo by Noah DiTullio/JB Graphics
2023 D9AND10SPORTS.COM BOYS’ DISTRICT 9 BASKETBALL CHUCK DALY COACH OF THE YEAR POWERED BY ALL AMERICAN AWARDS AND ENGRAVING
Derrick Francis, Otto-Eldred: In his first year as the head coach after serving as an assistant a year ago, Francis guided the Terrors to a place where no previous District 9 Class 2A team had ever gone – the PIAA semifinals. He also helped guide Otto-Eldred to its first District 9 title-game appearance since 1997 and a second-place finish in D9 Class 2A. The Terrors finished the season with a record of 26-3, and their .897 winning percentage tied for the best in District 9 with Elk County Catholic. This despite Otto-Eldred starting just one senior and three sophomores.
Derrick Francis Photo by Barb Close
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.
2023 D9AND10SPORTS.COM BOYS’ FIRST-TEAM ALL-DISTRICT 9 POWERED BY ALL AMERICAN AWARDS AND ENGRAVING
•Clayton Cook, Sr., Brookville: 14.4 ppg (13th in D9), 9.3 rpg, 2.1 bpg, 1.7 spg, 1.7 apg
•Jack Pete, Jr., Brookville: 10.5 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 2.8 spg, 1.2 apg, 0.9 bpg
•Jordan Hesdon, Sr., Clarion-Limestone: 14.3 ppg (14th in D9), 4.5 rpg, 2.4 apg, 2.8 spg, 0.9 bpg
•Cole Miller, Sr. Clearfield: 19.8 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 3.0 apg, 2.0 spg; 1,533 career points (all-time leading scorer at Clearfield)
•Aiden Hartle, Sr., North Clarion: 24.7 ppg (1st in D9), 8.2 rpg, 5.4 apg, 2.0 spg; 1,160 career points including 1,151 over his final three seasons
•Landen Francis, So., Otto-Eldred: 14.2 ppg (15th in D9), 6.0 apg, 2.1 spg; Shot 89.6% (129 of 144) from free-throw 3-pointer and 39.8% from 3-point range (51 of 128)
2023 D9AND10SPORTS.COM BOYS’ SECOND-TEAM ALL-DISTRICT 9 POWERED BY ALL AMERICAN AWARDS AND ENGRAVING
•Jase Ferguson, So., Clarion-Limestone: 9.7 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 5.5 apg, 4.7 spg
•Tyson Kennis, Jr., DuBois: 14.0 ppg (16th in D9), 9.2 rpg, Shot 58.6% from the field (139 of 237)
•Luke Swisher, Sr., DuBois Central Catholic: 15.5 ppg (8th in D9), 7.4 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.1 spg, 1.0 bpg Shot 55.2% (160 of 290) from the floor
•Jordan Wasko, Jr., Elk County Catholic: 9.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.8 spg; Was averaging over 10 ppg when he tore his ACL in mid-February. Returned for three playoff games with a brace on and helped Crusaders win the District 9 title
•Micah Rupp, Sr., Karns City: 10.6 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 3.7 bpg, 2.5 spg, Shot 65% from the field
•Payton Johnston, Sr., Union: 16.8 ppg (T-6th in D9), 4.6 apg, 2.5 apg, 2.4 spg, shot 52.4% (196 of 374) from the field with 33 made 3-pointers
2023 D9AND10SPORTS.COM BOYS’ THIRD-TEAM ALL-DISTRICT 9 POWERED BY ALL AMERICAN AWARDS AND ENGRAVING
•Jay Clover, Jr., A-C Valley: 17.4 ppg (5th in D9), 9.3 rpg, 1 bpg, Shot 173 of 237 (73%) from the field
•Camdyn Allison, Sr., Cameron County: 12.3 ppg (T-26th in D9), 3.1 rpg, 2.3 spg, 1.9 apg, 34 made 3-pointers
•Devon Lauer, Jr., Clarion: 16.8 ppg (T-6th in D9), 3.2 rpg, 2.6 spg, 2.5 apg, Shot 48% (177 of 369) from the field and 38.6% from 3-point range (61 of 158)
•Taite Beighley, Jr., Karns City: 13.6 ppg (19th in D9), 4.3 apg, 4.0 rpg, 2.2 spg, shot 49% from the field
•Manning Splain, So. Otto-Eldred 11.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.6 apg, 2.1 spg, hit 41 3-pointers
•Shene Thomas, So., Otto-Eldred: 12.3 ppg (T-26th in D9), 4.0 rpg, 1.0 spg, 19 blocked shots; Shot 59.2% (141 of 238) from the field
•Aaron Sorg, Sr., Ridgway: 14.6 ppg (12th in D9), 5.0 rpg, 1.4 apg
