Times News announced all-star basketball teams

A district championship. A number of 1,000-point scorers. Players going off for 40-plus points in games.

The 2017-18 Times News basketball season had plenty of highlights.

After such an eventful year, the Sports Department once again has named its all-star teams.

Seven boys and seven girls have been selected to our First Team. Of the 14 players, only five of them are seniors. Four of them, however, eclipsed 1,000 points in their career.

The Weatherly girls also had a 1,000-point scorer, but the team’s biggest accomplishment was capturing its first district title since 1986.

Below are bios and coach’s comments from every player on the First Team.

One note that needs to be made is that players had to participate in at least half of their team’s games to be eligible for the all-star squad. That, unfortunately, eliminated Jim Thorpe Kayley Kovac. The senior, who was the Times News Girls Player of the Year the past two seasons, was injured in the team’s ninth game this year.

BOYS

Tyler Fritz, Marian

Resume: The area’s leading boys scorer averaged 23.64 points per game (520 points in 22 games). That figure was the most by an area boy since Jim Thorpe’s Walter Johnson netted 24.64 during the 2002-03 season. It also marked the second highest scoring average in Marian’s history, trailing only Brand Shanfelt’s 24.38 set in 1992-93 ... Fritz reached double-digit scoring in 21 straight games before closing the year with eight in his team’s final contest of the season. He also hit for 20-or-more in 16 games, including a season-high 41 against Weatherly on Jan. 29. Only two other Colts have scored more in a game — 42 by Chris Decker and Mark Makovec ... The sophomore also added 118 rebounds (5.36 rpg), including a season-high nine boards on two occasions, 61 assists and 27 steals ... Fritz excelled behind both lines — free-throw and three-point. As the stripe, he went 149-of-186 for an .801 percentage. In his 41-point game, he was a perfect 15-of-15, while he also hit on 20-of-22 foul shots during a game against Nativity. From three-point range, he connected 63 times, which finished second in the area behind teammate Chris Ritsick’s 67.

Quotable: “Obviously being named Player of the Year says a lot. He just picked up where he left off from his freshman season. He made his teammates better. As a freshman he wasn’t overwhelmed and learned a lot. This season he grew his game. He was a good foul shooter and three-point shooter, but he became a better ball-handler and got to the basket more. He was able to feed guys who were open. He would get them open looks. He also was our backup point guard and played there often, so not only was he a scorer but he was also able to run the offense. He stepped up his defense, too. We tried to protect him a little, using different zones to keep him in the game. But when we needed to play man, there were times we would put him on their best player. He turned into a good man defender.” — Marian head coach John Patton.

Rene Figueroa, Panther Valley

Resume: The junior was an explosive player who scored an area-best 44 points in a single game. Figueroa actually hit the figure twice, hitting for 44 against Weatherly on Dec. 19 and the same total against Marian on Feb. 9. He reached at least 20 points in 10 games this season, and was a double-digit scorer in 21 of his 25 contests played ... He finished the year with 466 points for an average of 18.64 per contest, a mark that placed him second among TN area boys. It also pushed his career mark to 973. His scoring average his improved from 11.75 as a freshman to 13.60 as a sophomore to the 18.64 he eclipsed this season ... He connected for 46 three-pointers, but also made 111 field goals and shot percent from inside the arc ... Other numbers he compiled included 122 rebounds for an average of 4.88 per game, and 109 assists for 4.36 per contest. He had a high of 10 boards against Marian and recorded seven assists six different times. He also came up with 63 steals, including a season-high seven against Hamburg ... Helped the Panthers post a 16-10 record, the most wins the program has had since the 1999-2000 campaign, along with a district and state playoff berth.

Quotable: “Rene’s season was the most efficient and electric in my time at Panther Valley. Although known as a scorer, his all-around game is one of the best we’ve seen. He shot 46 percent from the field, led our team in points, assists, steals, and assist to turnover ratio. In his two 44-point games, it took just 17 and 22 field goal attempts to get those points. In addition, he made highlight type plays that we have just not seen before. Rene is a gamer, and played his best games in our biggest games. With a season left to play, Rene currently ranks seventh all time in scoring in Panther Valley boys history. He was key in us improving our regular season record from 7-15 last season to 15-7 this year.” — Panther Valley head coach Patrick Crampsie.

Thad Zuber, Tamaqua

Resume: The team’s leading scorer became the 13th Tamaqua boys player to reach the 1,000-point mark when he did it against Wilson in the District 11 Class 4A consolation game. Zuber finished his scholastic career with 1,012, which ranks 11th on the Blue Raiders boys list ... The senior finished the year with 382 points in 26 games, an average of 14.69 points per contest. He reached double figures in 22 of his team’s 26 games, including a season-high 26 in the season opener against Schuylkill Valley. He also netted at least 20 points six different times ... Zuber is now a three-time Times News First Team all-star. He was the only underclassmen on last season’s squad and was the only sophomore on the team two years ago ... He finished second on his team in three-pointers (21), steals (44), and rebounds (148), averaging 5.69 boards per game. He led the Raiders in assists with 77 and took a tam-high 14 charges on defense ... Helped the team improve from six wins two years ago to 13 and a district playoff berth last season to an 18-8 record and a state berth this year.

Quotable: “He’s meant everything to us the past three years. He’s unselfish and he does just about everything on the floor. This was his senior year and he stepped up whenever we needed him. He’s the kind of kid that really doesn’t have a strength, he just does everything well. He was our leading scorer and was second in rebounding. He also took the second most charges. In a way, his consistency is his best strength. Defensively, he’s the kind of guy who we knew whoever we put him on, that player wouldn’t go off. He came out in our first game, and we weren’t sure where all our scoring was going to come from, and he hit a bunch of threes and scored 20-some points. It’s what out team needed. He just put the team on his back. He was solid all year. Anybody would want him in their program.” — Tamaqua head coach Jim Barron.

Brandon Hess, Northern Lehigh

Resume: Hess scored seven points in his season-opener, and then reached double figures in every game (20 of them) he played the rest of the season. Hess hit the 20-point mark five times, including a season-high 30 points on Dec. 21 versus Northwestern and again on Jan. 18 against Palmerton. The junior was named to the Colonial League Second Team all-star squad. He finished the year with a team-leading 361 points for an average of 17.19 points per game. The ppg. figure ranked third in the TN area ... Hess was a three-point threat, connecting for 40 on the season. He had at least one trey in 19 of his 21 games and had multiple threes 14 times. His season-total of 40 was sixth best among TN boys. The Bulldog also excelled at the line, finishing 51-of-70 for a percentage of .729 ... Besides his scoring, Hess also contributed an average of nearly four rebounds, six assists, and steals per game.

Quotable: “Obviously he was our leading scorer, but more than that he’s just a very hard-working young man. He was always known as a shooter, but he developed his game in getting to the rim. He’s not the biggest player or the most physically-imposing guy but he became one of the best finishers that I’ve coached. I was confident anytime he went to the basket he was going to score. He has worked so hard to get better. He’s a gym rat. He’s the first one there and the last to leave. It’s good to see him have that kind of success. We saw his improvement last summer when we went to camp. He leads by example, especially with his work ethic. Going forward, we think he’s going to have an outstanding senior year.” — Northern Lehigh head coach Jeff Miller.

Nate Dougherty, Palmerton

Resume: Dougherty, a junior, paced the Blue Bombers with 372 points and a 16.17 points per game average — fourth highest among TN area boys. He tallied a season-high 30 points on Dec. 20 against Moravian Academy. The Colonial League Second Team selection reached double figures in scoring in 20 of Palmerton’s 23 games, and hit the 20-point mark on eight occasions ... The Times News Honorable Mention selection as a sophomore now has 702 career points. He also collected 114 rebounds, an average of 4.96 per contest. He also came up with 46 steals and handed out 41 assists ... Dougherty had a knack for getting to the foul line, and also had success there. He was only one of two TN players to convert at least 100 free throws, finishing the season 115-of-154 at the charity stripe. That worked out to a percentage of .747 ... His play helped the Bombers post a regular season record of 11-11, qualifying the team for the district playoffs for the first time since 2002.

Quotable: “Nate just had a fantastic year. He was top 5 in the league in scoring and was second on our team in rebounds and assists. He’s just a tough-nosed gym rat who loves to ball. He’s been part of our team’s growth. As a sophomore, he was an outstanding shooter but Nate added to his game, especially getting to the rim and improving on defense. He became a more well-rounded player. Nate was one of our co-captains and he developed into a well-rounded leader. The guys look up to him because he’s such a hard-working kid ... Against Northwestern this year, there was a play where he attacked the rim and made a Eurostep move that just excited the fans and got us pumped up. Northwestern needed a timeout after it. It was just a special play. He’s just a stud player.” — Palmerton head coach Ken Termini.

Sam Yadush, Northwestern

Resume: On a team that had four players average double-digit scoring, Yadush led the way with 348 points and an average of 15.13 per contest. His ppg figure was third best among TN area boys. He hit for 10-or-more points in 18 of his team’s 23 games and reached 20 points on seven occasions. Yadush tallied a season-high 27 points on Dec. 21 during an overtime win against rival Northern Lehigh ... The Tigers main threat from distance, Yadush drained 51 three-pointers, including six during that contest against Nolehi. He hit at least two treys in 14 games, and finished fourth in the area in three-pointers made ... Just a junior, the First Team Colonial League selection now has 689 career points and 99 three-pointers. He was one of just two underclassmen to be named to the CL first squad ... Yadush was close to automatic at the foul line, converting 81-of-99 shots for a percentage of .818. That figure ranked third in the area. It also allowed him to be the only TN boys player to rank in the top five of scoring, three-pointers, and FT percentage ... Yadush led the team in assists with 101, averaging 4.4 per contest, and steals at 37. He also chipped in with 83 rebounds ... The junior was key in the Tigers posting a 12-win season, their most since the 2007-08 campaign.

Quotable: “Sam was a very important part of the success our team had this season. His offensive creativity made us go on offense. His ability to score and get others involved is at the top of the Colonial League. I am very excited to watch his game grow and expand this off season. His goals, along with my goals for him next season, will be very high. I believe he can be the best player in the league.” — Northwestern head coach Bill Hallman.

Tristan Blasko, Panther Valley

Resume: A senior, Blasko provided solid scoring and rebounding to a Panther Valley team that captured the Schuylkill League Division 3 title and a runner-up finish in the district playoffs. He helped the Panthers post 16 wins and earn a berth in the state playoffs. He finished the year with 352 points in 26 games, an average of 13.54 per contest. He tallied double figures in 16 games, and reach the 20-point plateau six times, including a stretch of three in a row in mid-January. He hit for a season-high 26 points against Shenandoah Valley on Jan. 6 and hit that total again on Jan. 12 versus Lourdes ... Blasko, who will be heading to Bloomsburg University in the fall to play football, pulled down 148 rebounds, 49 of them offensive, for an average of 5.7 per game. He had six or more boards 13 times, including a season-high of 12 against Kutztown. He also blocked 15 shots, including four against Marian in a district semifinal matchup, and had 13 steals ... Besides the team’s success, the highlight of the year for Blasko had to be on Feb. 1. On that night against Tri-Valley, he scored 18 points to reach 1,000 in his career. By doing so, he became just the fourth PV boys player to reach four figures. He ended his career with a total of 1,065.

Quotable: “Tristan was thrust into the starting lineup as a freshmen and has not missed a start in his career. Each year he steps off the football field and continues to improve his game as the season plays on. He has added to his game and become a more complete and versatile player every season. His post play opened up our offense this season, allowing us to score the most points per game in the last 15 years. This year, his leadership and toughness (as he played with a broken hand) were instrumental in our success. Tristan became our first 1,000-point scorer since 1986, and ranks fourth all time in PV boys history. He was a driving force in our team going from 1-12 in the league last season to division champs and a 10-3 record.” — Panther Valley head coach Patrick Crampsie.

GIRLS

Skylynn Faust, Lehighton

Resume: Faust led all Times News area girls in scoring average (among qualifying players) at 22.83 points per game. The senior accumulated 548 points in 24 games, including a game-high 38 on Dec. 29 against Pleasant Valley. She also tallied 37 versus Panther Valley on Feb. 6. The TN Girls Player of the Year reached double-digit scoring in every game this season and was her team’s leading scorer or tied for the team-lead in 22 of the 24 games. She also reached the 20-point mark 16 different times, including a stretch of seven in a row early in the year. From distance, she connected on 40 three-pointers, which ranked third in the area ... Faust reached the coveted 1,000-point plateau on Jan. 3 in a game against Pottsville and finished her scholastic career with 1,323 — fourth best all-time in Lehighton’s girls history ... She averaged a double-double, finishing the season with a team-high 288 rebounds for a mark of 12.0 per contest. She consistently made her way to the free throw line, shooting at least four foul shots in 22 of her games. She also contributed 59 steals and 53 assists ... Her efforts helped the Indians post a 15-7 regular season — the program’s most wins in a season since 1996-97. The squad played in the Schuylkill League wild card tiebreaker game and qualified for districts.

Quotable: “Sky was one of our team captains. As her coach, the best complement I can give her is to know no matter if we were playing a Schuylkill League opponent, teams from the Colonial League or the Lehigh Valley, with her you had the best player on the court. She’s that special type of player that only comes around every so often. She has that rare ability of understanding the game and being able to play any position on the court. She never took a night off. Sky will be attending Kings College to continue her academic and basketball career. She’s just a great kid. She reached the 1,000-point mark and helped our team reach our goal of ‘Flip & Beyond’. She, along with (Aubrey Blasiak) were the heart and soul of our team.” — Lehighton head coach Joe Berezwick.

Emily Zoscin, Weatherly

Resume: Zoscin became just the fifth Weatherly girls player to hit 1,000 career points during a Jan. 18 game against Minersville. The junior tallied 18 points in that contest, which ended up being right around her average for the season. Zoscin finished the year with 465 points in 25 games for an 18.60 points per game figure. She posted double-digit points in 24 of the 25 games she played and was her team’s leading scorer in 22 contests. She reached the 20-point mark 11 different times with her high game being 28, which she accomplished twice — Jan. 11 versus Williams Valley and Jan. 15 against Schuylkill Haven ... Zoscin was proficient at getting to the free throw line, leading all TN girls players with 193 foul shots attempted. She made 141 of them, giving her a percentage of .731 which ranked in the area’s top five. In the district championship game, she went 12-for-12 at the line ... In addition to her scoring marks, Zoscin proved she was an all-around player evidenced by other statistics. She led the Wreckers in rebounds with 188, an average of 7.5 per game, and was also tops in steals (113) and assists (88). She was second on the squad in three-pointers, connecting for 22 treys ... More important than the stats, she helped guide the team to a 16-9 record and a District 11 Class 1A title, the program’s first since 1986.

Quotable: “Emily is our go-to player and is under constant duress and handles it very well. She does a lot for us and other teams try to stop her from doing her thing. She must set us up offensively, find ways to get herself shots, as well as be our reader on our presses, which covers a lot of ground, and be our top rebounder. I expect a lot from her and hold her to a high standard, fair or not. She is such a great girl, very coachable. Her biggest strength is her competitiveness. She works extremely hard on her game and is very team-oriented. She is an attacker, and attacks the basket because of her great will and quickness, and her outside shot is also coming along. She is a great young lady and is a role model for the younger girls. I really think her defining moment was winning the district title this year. It validated her and our team. I expect another big year from her next season.” — Weatherly head coach Kevin Kringe.

Emma Kuczynski, Tamaqua

Resume: Just a sophomore, Kuczynski is now a two-time member of the Tines News First Team. A talented overall player, she scored 441 points on the season to finish with an average of 18.38 ppg. That figure ranked third in the area. She reached double-figure scoring in 23 of her 24 games played, with the only miss being a nine-point effort against Pine Grove. She netted 20 points or more seven times, including a season-high 33 versus Northwestern in a district playoff win ... Despite playing just two seasons, Kuczynski is already at 859 points (having posted 418 as a freshman). That figure already puts her in 15th place on the Tamaqua girls scoring list, one point ahead of Barb Koch ... A 50.5 percent shooter inside the arc, Kuczynski also is a solid rebounder having pulled down 150 this season. That was second best on the team and was an average of 6.3 per contest. She reached at least 10 rebounds in three games, with a high of 11 against Catasauqua. Against Panther Valley on Dec. 21, he recorded a triple-double with 19 points, 10 boards, and 11 assists. She led the team in assists (84), steals (67) and blocked shots (21), while also adding 16 three-pointers and getting to the foul line 145 times ... Her efforts helped Tamaqua post a 12-12 record and a berth in the district playoffs.

Quotable: “Emma was our spark. We go how she goes. She always looks to get her teammates involved, as evidenced by the fact she doubled her assist total this season compared to last. Emma has many strengths and is a hard matchup for any team. She can play inside or outside, runs the floor well, and creates for herself. She always finds a way to get her teammates involved. Defensively, she was able to use her athletic ability to react and get in passing lanes, as well as playing solid fundamental defense. Overall, she is a competitive athlete who leaves it all on the floor and has a passion for winning. The way Emma ended her sophomore season with two huge performances in our district games against two high caliber teams really shows that she is ready to take the next step in elevating her game.” — Tamaqua head coach Erika Davis

Jada Saeger, Northern Lehigh

Resume: A Colonial League First Team selection, Saeger was the only girl to rank in the area’s top five in scoring, free throw percentage, and three-pointers. The junior tallied 404 points in 22 games, an average of 18.36 ppg — fourth best, and went 106-of-139 at the foul line, a .763 percentage — also good enough for fourth best. Beyond the arc, she drained 42 three-pointers, the second most in the area. Only teammate Jill Olewine had more with 43 ... Saeger scored double figures in 20 of 22 games and reached 20-or-more 10 times. She also hit the 30-point plateau three times, including a season-high 31 against Wilson on Dec. 18. She made at least one trey in 17 games, including a high of seven against Northwestern on Dec. 21. She was her team’s high scorer (or tied for team-high honors) in 19 of her team’s 22 games ... The Bulldog player also chipped in with 97 rebounds (third best on team), or 4.41 per game, and 44 assists (second most on team), 2.0 per contest. She has now scored 730 points in her Northern Lehigh career ... Helped the Bulldogs record seven victories, the most they’ve had in a season since the 2011-12 campaign.

Quotable: “Jada controlled the offense for us and was a consistent scorer averaging just over 18 points a game. Her ball handling ability and composure during games were her strongest traits. I would like to see her to continue to improve on ball pressure on defense. We are looking forward to how far she can lead this team in her senior year.” — Northern Lehigh head coach Ken Shankweiler

Leighanna Lister, Northwestern

Resume: A big-time presence in the post, Lister was the leading scorer for a deep Northwestern team that spread the ball around among its top players. The senior, who was selected as a Colonial League First Team all-star, finished the year with 274 points in 24 games — an average of 11.42 per contest. The six-foot center tallied double figures in 13 games, including seven of her last nine. She hit for a season-high 24 points against Wilson during a league playoff game on Feb. 12. The two-time TN First Teamer concluded her scholastic career with 873 points ... Lister was a force inside, shooting 109-of-201 from the floor for a percentage of .542. She also shot 56-of-91 (.615) from the free throw line ... She was a fixture in the paint, pulling down a team-high 198 rebounds, or an average of 8.3 per game. Of her boards, an impressive 88 of them came at the offensive end. Lister also collected 37 blocked shots and altered many others. Other stats included 23 assists and 30 steals ... Her efforts helped Northwestern post a record of 18-6 and qualify for league and district playoffs. In her four-year career, the Tigers had a combined record of 68-33. Lister plans on attending Georgian Court University in New Jersey.

Quotable: She meant a lot to our team. For two years she was our leading scorer and rebounder. We ask a lot of her offensively, and she also excels on defense. Defensively, she can cover different girls. We can play her at a number of positions. She’s very athletic for a big girl. She can really move up and down the court. She’s also the ultimate team player. Whatever is needed to do for the success of the team she’s willing to do. One moment really stands out. We had a Saturday game against Southern Lehigh and we didn’t play well and lost. She texted me on Sunday and wanted to know if she could come in and practice because she felt bad at how poorly we played the day before. She called other players and they came in. That just showed her leadership. She’s a wonderful young lady and always represented our school well. I think she’ll be very successful at the next level.” — Northwestern head coach Chris Deutsch.

Aubrey Blasiak, Lehighton

Resume: A four-year varsity player, Blasiak provided the Indians with solid scoring and was a threat from outside. She finished the season with 339 points in 24 games, an average of 14.13 per contest. She reached double digits in 18 games, including a stretch of 10 in a row between Dec. 14 and Jan. 11. She also hit for 20-or-more points on six occasions, including a season-high of 23 against Lincoln Leadership on Dec. 14. From three-point range, she hit 37 times, which placed her in the area’s top five ... Blasiak handed out 61 assists, second most on her team, and 54 steals, also second best. She chipped in with 53 rebounds ... On Feb. 2 against Tamaqua, she tallied 16 points to reach 1,000 in her career, becoming the eighth girl in Lehighton’s history to accomplish the feat. She ended her career with 1,051. Blasiak also reached a milestone in her third game of the season when the first of her four three-pointers against Lincoln Leadership put her at 100 in her career. She ended her Indian tenure with 133 treys.

Quotable: “Aubrey was a team captain, a true leader and a tremendous person on and off the court. She had the unique combination of being an outstanding outside shooter and was fearless in attacking the basket. To go along with that, she was also handling our point guard responsibilities. When talking about Lehighton girls basketball, immediately you thought of Aubrey and Sky (Faust). She was able to reach the 1,000-point mark, but along with Sky, their love for each other, their teammates, the school and the game is something I’ll never forget. Aubrey will be attending Misericordia University this fall but is currently undecided if she will continue playing basketball or focus completely on her studies. She’s a great kid and it was a pleasure to coach her.” — Lehighton head coach Joe Berezwick.

Emily Shaud, Marian

Resume: Shaud opened her season with a bang, putting up a 33-point effort against Lourdes in the second contest of the year. In that game, she also drained seven three-pointers. For the season, the sophomore finished with 289 points for an average of 12.57 points per game. She reached double digits in 16 of her 23 games played, including a stretch of eight in a row between Jan. 15-30 ... She topped the Fillies in three-pointers, hitting 31 shots from long range. That was good enough for ninth best in the area. Shaud was also first on her team in free throw percentage (and sixth in the area) at .708, going 85-for-120 at the line ... Her other statistics included averages of four rebounds per game, four assists per contest, and three steals per game. Defensively, she took 21 charges ... Shaud’s performance helped Marian post a record of 16-7, the program’s 25th straight year with a winning record, and a berth in the district playoffs.

Quotable: She was our floor general and our best ball handler. She was our leading scorer so she obviously she meant a lot to our team. She’s the engine that drives our train. Defensively, she easily led the team in taking charges. Her toughness is one of her major assets. She has toughness, but she’s also skilled. She can finish in a variety of ways and also has a good pull-up jumper. She’s getting better with the three-point shot, so she has an arsenal of weapons to score. She has that grit that teams need to be successful. Against Lourdes in an early tournament championship game she hit seven three and was on fire. It was probably the highlight of her season offensively. She has so many intangibles that make her a quality player. She’s definitely an important part of our future.” — Marian head coach Paul Brutto.