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Fort Hill, East Hardy, Mountain Ridge and Southern placed two each on the 2024-25 boys basketball All-Area team, and seven schools were represented.
Coaches were asked to submit nominations from their teams for consideration, and the All-Area team was decided at a coaches meeting on Tuesday. Fourteen coaches submitted nominations and six attended the meeting.
The first team was headed by Area Player of the Year Jared Haskiell, whose season is detailed in a separate story in Friday’s Times-News.
Joining him on the first team are senior Jordan ***** of East Hardy and juniors Jeremy Phillips (Frankfort), Chris Manherz (Allegany), Liam Hamilton (Fort Hill) and Cameron Breighner (Mountain Ridge).
Five seniors made the second team in Paw Paw’s Donovan Tanouye, Fort Hill’s Gamil Daniels, Southern’s Brayden Upole, Petersburg’s Peyton Tingler and Mountain Ridge’s Ian Duncan. East Hardy junior Evan Hamilton rounded out the squad.
There were also 14 honorable mentions named. That list is at the bottom of this story.
First Team Jordan *****, East Hardy, Sr.
*****, a Class A first-team All-State and All-Potomac Valley Conference Division 3 selection, rounded out his career with a second-consecutive first-team nod.
***** was seventh in the area averaging 18.1 points per game. The sharpshooter was the top 3-point shooter locally, drilling 95 3s (3.80 per game) at a blistering 51.1% from deep.
“Jordan ***** had a great season and career for us,” East Hardy head coach Chris Hahn said. “He surpassed 1,000 career points, and he scored 20 or more points in a bunch of games this year. He was a great leader and teammate.”
Jeremy Phillips, Frankfort, Jr.
Phillips, the PVC Division 1 Player of the Year and a Class AAA second-teamer, was one of just three players to eclipse 500 points this season (517), doing so at an average of 23.5 points a night (second locally).
The junior was second in 3s per game (3.09), fourth in 3-point percentage making 68 of 172 attempts (39.5%) and fifth in free-throw percentage converting 67 of 86 tries (77.9%).
“Jeremy can shoot the ball very well,” Frankfort head coach Scott Slider said. “Accurate from everywhere on the floor, whether it’s a midrange jumper or a 3-point shot. Goes to the basket well.
“When he really steps up defensively, that’s when he has his best games. He distributes the ball well when he wants to. We kind of play how he plays in a lot of games.”
Chris Manherz, Allegany, Jr.
Few individual players were more valuable to their team than Manherz was to Allegany, as the 5-foot-6 point guard was among the area’s top 10 statistically in scoring, free-throw shooting, assists and steals.
The junior scored 467 points for a 22.2 per game average (third in the area), had 3.8 assists per game (fifth), 3.1 steals per game (fifth) and made 103 of 136 free throws (75.7%, eighth).
Manherz was also named to the All-Western Maryland Athletic Conference first team and the All-City squad.
“Chris was a major contributor to our season,” Allegany head coach Brandon Reed said. “His ability to score the basketball and create for others is incredibly impressive and contributed to key upsets this season for us.
“It’s impressive having two 30-point scoring games and two 29-point games. He played his best basketball against area opponents and stepped up when needed. I look forward to seeing him continue to get better and have a great senior season.”
Liam Hamilton, Fort Hill, Jr.
Hamilton played his best basketball when it mattered most for the area champion Sentinels. He most notably tallied 21 points, nine rebounds and four steals in Fort Hill’s state quarterfinal loss to eventual state champion Cambridge-South Dorchester.
An All-WestMAC first team and All-City selection, Hamilton finished with averages of 13 points (17th in the area), 7.5 rebounds (ninth), 3.6 assists (seventh) and 2.4 steals per game (seventh).
“Liam got better throughout the year,” Fort Hill head coach Thad Burner said. “Early on in the season, I think he kind of helped hold us together. ... His whole game got better. He became a better defensive player, I thought he was attacking the rim a lot better, he was rebounding better.
“He’s super competitive in all the sports he participates in, and he succeeds in all of those. ... We’re super excited about Liam going into his senior year.”
Cameron Breighner, Mountain Ridge, Jr.
Breighner established a reputation as the area’s premier dunker, throwing down two in a 60-52 win over Fort Hill on Feb. 5 in Frostburg — the Sentinels’ lone WestMAC defeat.
A matchup nightmare at 6-foot-6, Breighner averaged 12.3 points (19th locally) and was fifth in the area in rebounding at 8.0 boards a night.
An All-WestMAC second-teamer, Breighner also made 70.1% of his free throws (61 of 87), which ranked 11th locally.
“Breighner is a problem on the court because of his size, his length. He can play inside, play out,” Mountain Ridge head coach Tim Nightengale said. “His game over the course of the year improved greatly. He got stronger, got better at taking the ball to the basket.
“He wasn’t selfish at all, he looked to distribute the ball as well and make plays. ... He’s a student of the game, playing a lot of ball in the offseason, and we’re excited to have him back for another season.”
Second Team Donovan Tanouye, Paw Paw, Sr.
Tanouye did it all for Paw Paw, leading the Pirates in nearly every statistical category.
The senior’s 631 points (27.4 per game) were tops locally. He scored at least 40 points twice, 30 in 10 games and 20 in 19 games, and he did so efficiently, shooting 43% from the field and 76.6% from the foul line.
An All-PVC and second-team Class A All-State selection, Tanouye was third in the area in rebounding at 9.5 per game despite playing point guard. He also averaged 5.7 steals (led the area) and 3.0 assists (15th).
Tanouye was also among the area’s leaders in blocks with 26.
“Donovan is a player that could fill any role I asked of him, even if it meant playing a position he was not accustomed to,” Paw Paw head coach Adam Carder said. “His work ethic and never-quit attitude, wrapped in with outstanding talent, that’s what made Donnie such a great kid to coach and watch mature in this sport.
“This kid had quickness that few have ever had in this area, I believe. His ball-handling and sharp cuts to the basket are the things that Donovan will be remembered for most as a Paw Paw Pirate.”
Evan Hamilton, East Hardy, Jr.
Hamilton has been a nuisance defensively along with his brother, Mason Hamilton, but the junior took a step forward offensively to help East Hardy back to the Class A state semifinals.
Hamilton, who was second-team Class A All-State and was All-PVC, put up averages of 15.2 points (10th locally), 4.8 assists (second), 4.2 steals (tied for second) and 2.92 3s (fourth).
He was also third in 3-point percentage locally, making 73 of 170 triples (42.9%).
“Evan Hamilton had a really great season,” Hahn said. “He was the leader on defense, and he developed into a real threat offensively and gained a lot of confidence. Can’t wait for next season with Evan.”
Gamil Daniels, Fort Hill, Sr.
Daniels directed the Fort Hill offense at point guard, and he established himself as one of the area’s top distributors and defenders in his final season.
The All-WestMAC first-teamer and All-City performer was third locally with 4.3 assists per game, and his 2.8 steals a night ranked sixth.
Daniels, a skilled athlete with a wingspan that disrupted passing lanes, also scored when needed, as he averaged 11.7 ppg.
“Just an outstanding player the last two years,” Burner said. “Gamil had 100% to do with us winning 34 games. His desire to win. His desire to want to compete. His desire to want to defend.
“I thought he did a better job toward the end of the season getting guys involved, and even more so getting himself involved more. Gamil is a special player.”
Brayden Upole, Southern, Sr.
Upole responded to an injury that derailed his junior season with a final campaign in which he led the area in assists en route to All-WestMAC and All-Area honors.
The senior’s 5.6 assists per game were nearly a full assist more than second-place locally, and he was a true combo guard, averaging 14.1 points a night (12th).
Upole made 40 of 50 free throws (80%), which ranked second locally, and his 1.87 3-pointers a game were sixth-most.
“Brayden was really good for us,” Southern head coach Hunter Broadwater said. “He distributed the ball well. Him and Jared played well together, especially when Brayden was handling the ball and Jared could get a backdoor cut and score at the rim. Brayden always knew where to find him.
“He ran our offense really well. For the most part he played 32 minutes. Most of the time he had to guard the other team’s best guard or second-best guard.
“Once we got the new year, he really figured out how to score the basketball. It helped us a lot because it took some of the pressure off of Jared, which we really needed.”
Peyton Tingler, Petersburg, Sr.
A four-year starter and 1,000-point scorer, Tingler lands on the All-Area squad after back-to-back honorable mentions the last two seasons.
Tingler, an All-PVC selection, could play down low or on the wing, evident by his 35% shooting from 3-point land and 7.7 rebounds a night — both of which rank among the top 10 locally.
The senior also averaged 14.4 points (11th in the area) and 2.6 assists (21st).
“He came to our program as a freshman, he worked his way through and developed every year,” Petersburg head coach Stacey Berg said. “He did a lot of things this year that really doesn’t show up on stats. They were the difference in a lot of our games.
“He’s just an all-around great kid, and I couldn’t be any more proud to have the opportunity to coach him for four years.”
Ian Duncan, Mountain Ridge, Sr.
An efficient scorer with a technically sound shooting stroke, Duncan ranked second in the area shooting 44.3% from deep, making 31 of 70 attempts.
The All-WestMAC first team pick averaged 11.5 points and 6.2 rebounds, the latter of which was good enough for 14th locally. Both were second on Mountain Ridge to Breighner.
“Ian Duncan has one of the prettiest jump shots we’ve seen come through Mountain Ridge,” Nightengale said. “He’s a problem player at 6-foot-4. He’s a natural small forward who can face the basket and take you off the bounce or can hit the 3.
“He’s a great jumper. He can jump out of the gym. He’s a great rebounder. Whenever he was on, he was lights out. There wasn’t anybody in the area that could stop him.”
Honorable Mention
Eli Imes (Allegany); David DiNola (Bishop Walsh); Gideon Good (East Hardy); Jabril Daniels (Fort Hill); Uriah Cutter (Frankfort); Ethan VanMeter, Carder Monroe (Hampshire); Braylon McGreevy (Keyser); Owen McGeady (Mountain Ridge); Taylor Carder (Paw Paw); Payton Metheny, Caden Ours (Petersburg); Graham Harvey (Southern); Braylon Ward (Union).
Continue reading...
Coaches were asked to submit nominations from their teams for consideration, and the All-Area team was decided at a coaches meeting on Tuesday. Fourteen coaches submitted nominations and six attended the meeting.
The first team was headed by Area Player of the Year Jared Haskiell, whose season is detailed in a separate story in Friday’s Times-News.
Joining him on the first team are senior Jordan ***** of East Hardy and juniors Jeremy Phillips (Frankfort), Chris Manherz (Allegany), Liam Hamilton (Fort Hill) and Cameron Breighner (Mountain Ridge).
Five seniors made the second team in Paw Paw’s Donovan Tanouye, Fort Hill’s Gamil Daniels, Southern’s Brayden Upole, Petersburg’s Peyton Tingler and Mountain Ridge’s Ian Duncan. East Hardy junior Evan Hamilton rounded out the squad.
There were also 14 honorable mentions named. That list is at the bottom of this story.
First Team Jordan *****, East Hardy, Sr.
*****, a Class A first-team All-State and All-Potomac Valley Conference Division 3 selection, rounded out his career with a second-consecutive first-team nod.
***** was seventh in the area averaging 18.1 points per game. The sharpshooter was the top 3-point shooter locally, drilling 95 3s (3.80 per game) at a blistering 51.1% from deep.
“Jordan ***** had a great season and career for us,” East Hardy head coach Chris Hahn said. “He surpassed 1,000 career points, and he scored 20 or more points in a bunch of games this year. He was a great leader and teammate.”
Jeremy Phillips, Frankfort, Jr.
Phillips, the PVC Division 1 Player of the Year and a Class AAA second-teamer, was one of just three players to eclipse 500 points this season (517), doing so at an average of 23.5 points a night (second locally).
The junior was second in 3s per game (3.09), fourth in 3-point percentage making 68 of 172 attempts (39.5%) and fifth in free-throw percentage converting 67 of 86 tries (77.9%).
“Jeremy can shoot the ball very well,” Frankfort head coach Scott Slider said. “Accurate from everywhere on the floor, whether it’s a midrange jumper or a 3-point shot. Goes to the basket well.
“When he really steps up defensively, that’s when he has his best games. He distributes the ball well when he wants to. We kind of play how he plays in a lot of games.”
Chris Manherz, Allegany, Jr.
Few individual players were more valuable to their team than Manherz was to Allegany, as the 5-foot-6 point guard was among the area’s top 10 statistically in scoring, free-throw shooting, assists and steals.
The junior scored 467 points for a 22.2 per game average (third in the area), had 3.8 assists per game (fifth), 3.1 steals per game (fifth) and made 103 of 136 free throws (75.7%, eighth).
Manherz was also named to the All-Western Maryland Athletic Conference first team and the All-City squad.
“Chris was a major contributor to our season,” Allegany head coach Brandon Reed said. “His ability to score the basketball and create for others is incredibly impressive and contributed to key upsets this season for us.
“It’s impressive having two 30-point scoring games and two 29-point games. He played his best basketball against area opponents and stepped up when needed. I look forward to seeing him continue to get better and have a great senior season.”
Liam Hamilton, Fort Hill, Jr.
Hamilton played his best basketball when it mattered most for the area champion Sentinels. He most notably tallied 21 points, nine rebounds and four steals in Fort Hill’s state quarterfinal loss to eventual state champion Cambridge-South Dorchester.
An All-WestMAC first team and All-City selection, Hamilton finished with averages of 13 points (17th in the area), 7.5 rebounds (ninth), 3.6 assists (seventh) and 2.4 steals per game (seventh).
“Liam got better throughout the year,” Fort Hill head coach Thad Burner said. “Early on in the season, I think he kind of helped hold us together. ... His whole game got better. He became a better defensive player, I thought he was attacking the rim a lot better, he was rebounding better.
“He’s super competitive in all the sports he participates in, and he succeeds in all of those. ... We’re super excited about Liam going into his senior year.”
Cameron Breighner, Mountain Ridge, Jr.
Breighner established a reputation as the area’s premier dunker, throwing down two in a 60-52 win over Fort Hill on Feb. 5 in Frostburg — the Sentinels’ lone WestMAC defeat.
A matchup nightmare at 6-foot-6, Breighner averaged 12.3 points (19th locally) and was fifth in the area in rebounding at 8.0 boards a night.
An All-WestMAC second-teamer, Breighner also made 70.1% of his free throws (61 of 87), which ranked 11th locally.
“Breighner is a problem on the court because of his size, his length. He can play inside, play out,” Mountain Ridge head coach Tim Nightengale said. “His game over the course of the year improved greatly. He got stronger, got better at taking the ball to the basket.
“He wasn’t selfish at all, he looked to distribute the ball as well and make plays. ... He’s a student of the game, playing a lot of ball in the offseason, and we’re excited to have him back for another season.”
Second Team Donovan Tanouye, Paw Paw, Sr.
Tanouye did it all for Paw Paw, leading the Pirates in nearly every statistical category.
The senior’s 631 points (27.4 per game) were tops locally. He scored at least 40 points twice, 30 in 10 games and 20 in 19 games, and he did so efficiently, shooting 43% from the field and 76.6% from the foul line.
An All-PVC and second-team Class A All-State selection, Tanouye was third in the area in rebounding at 9.5 per game despite playing point guard. He also averaged 5.7 steals (led the area) and 3.0 assists (15th).
Tanouye was also among the area’s leaders in blocks with 26.
“Donovan is a player that could fill any role I asked of him, even if it meant playing a position he was not accustomed to,” Paw Paw head coach Adam Carder said. “His work ethic and never-quit attitude, wrapped in with outstanding talent, that’s what made Donnie such a great kid to coach and watch mature in this sport.
“This kid had quickness that few have ever had in this area, I believe. His ball-handling and sharp cuts to the basket are the things that Donovan will be remembered for most as a Paw Paw Pirate.”
Evan Hamilton, East Hardy, Jr.
Hamilton has been a nuisance defensively along with his brother, Mason Hamilton, but the junior took a step forward offensively to help East Hardy back to the Class A state semifinals.
Hamilton, who was second-team Class A All-State and was All-PVC, put up averages of 15.2 points (10th locally), 4.8 assists (second), 4.2 steals (tied for second) and 2.92 3s (fourth).
He was also third in 3-point percentage locally, making 73 of 170 triples (42.9%).
“Evan Hamilton had a really great season,” Hahn said. “He was the leader on defense, and he developed into a real threat offensively and gained a lot of confidence. Can’t wait for next season with Evan.”
Gamil Daniels, Fort Hill, Sr.
Daniels directed the Fort Hill offense at point guard, and he established himself as one of the area’s top distributors and defenders in his final season.
The All-WestMAC first-teamer and All-City performer was third locally with 4.3 assists per game, and his 2.8 steals a night ranked sixth.
Daniels, a skilled athlete with a wingspan that disrupted passing lanes, also scored when needed, as he averaged 11.7 ppg.
“Just an outstanding player the last two years,” Burner said. “Gamil had 100% to do with us winning 34 games. His desire to win. His desire to want to compete. His desire to want to defend.
“I thought he did a better job toward the end of the season getting guys involved, and even more so getting himself involved more. Gamil is a special player.”
Brayden Upole, Southern, Sr.
Upole responded to an injury that derailed his junior season with a final campaign in which he led the area in assists en route to All-WestMAC and All-Area honors.
The senior’s 5.6 assists per game were nearly a full assist more than second-place locally, and he was a true combo guard, averaging 14.1 points a night (12th).
Upole made 40 of 50 free throws (80%), which ranked second locally, and his 1.87 3-pointers a game were sixth-most.
“Brayden was really good for us,” Southern head coach Hunter Broadwater said. “He distributed the ball well. Him and Jared played well together, especially when Brayden was handling the ball and Jared could get a backdoor cut and score at the rim. Brayden always knew where to find him.
“He ran our offense really well. For the most part he played 32 minutes. Most of the time he had to guard the other team’s best guard or second-best guard.
“Once we got the new year, he really figured out how to score the basketball. It helped us a lot because it took some of the pressure off of Jared, which we really needed.”
Peyton Tingler, Petersburg, Sr.
A four-year starter and 1,000-point scorer, Tingler lands on the All-Area squad after back-to-back honorable mentions the last two seasons.
Tingler, an All-PVC selection, could play down low or on the wing, evident by his 35% shooting from 3-point land and 7.7 rebounds a night — both of which rank among the top 10 locally.
The senior also averaged 14.4 points (11th in the area) and 2.6 assists (21st).
“He came to our program as a freshman, he worked his way through and developed every year,” Petersburg head coach Stacey Berg said. “He did a lot of things this year that really doesn’t show up on stats. They were the difference in a lot of our games.
“He’s just an all-around great kid, and I couldn’t be any more proud to have the opportunity to coach him for four years.”
Ian Duncan, Mountain Ridge, Sr.
An efficient scorer with a technically sound shooting stroke, Duncan ranked second in the area shooting 44.3% from deep, making 31 of 70 attempts.
The All-WestMAC first team pick averaged 11.5 points and 6.2 rebounds, the latter of which was good enough for 14th locally. Both were second on Mountain Ridge to Breighner.
“Ian Duncan has one of the prettiest jump shots we’ve seen come through Mountain Ridge,” Nightengale said. “He’s a problem player at 6-foot-4. He’s a natural small forward who can face the basket and take you off the bounce or can hit the 3.
“He’s a great jumper. He can jump out of the gym. He’s a great rebounder. Whenever he was on, he was lights out. There wasn’t anybody in the area that could stop him.”
Honorable Mention
Eli Imes (Allegany); David DiNola (Bishop Walsh); Gideon Good (East Hardy); Jabril Daniels (Fort Hill); Uriah Cutter (Frankfort); Ethan VanMeter, Carder Monroe (Hampshire); Braylon McGreevy (Keyser); Owen McGeady (Mountain Ridge); Taylor Carder (Paw Paw); Payton Metheny, Caden Ours (Petersburg); Graham Harvey (Southern); Braylon Ward (Union).
Continue reading...
