DUBOIS – Chad Zurat and Madison Sopic of Clearfield and Tess Bloom of Curwensville have been selected to play in the 11th annual Alice R. Kozel Foundation District 9 Basketball All-Star Games on Saturday, April 10, at Punxsutawney Area High School.
Tip-off for the girl’s game will be at 4 p.m. with the 3-point shooting contest for the boys at halftime.
The boy’s game is set for 6 o’clock with the girls’ 3-point shooting competition during intermission.
The four rosters will be comprised of 41 of District 9’s top senior players, with 26 of the 36 schools represented.
Prior to the games, they will be honored along with the 12 coaches and any underclassmen who have been selected for the D9Sports.com All-American Awards & Engraving All-District teams at a banquet in the Pantall Hotel in Punxsutawney.
“Punxsutawney is a great sports town, and it’s great to be able to move the event every chance we can so more people can experience it in different facilities,” Kozel Games founder Larry Salone said. “We’re excited about the banquet at the Pantall Hotel, a perfect venue.
“Hopefully, the community will come out to the games. We have plenty of talent and a lot of good kids playing in their final game as a high school player.”
Zurat led Clearfield in scoring with 378 points and rebounds with 181. The 6-2 guard-forward’s 15.8 average was No. 13 in District 9. He hit 120 of 243 shots inside the arc for 49 percent and 15 of 40 from three-point distance for 38 percent. At the foul line, Zurat converted 93 of 122 attempts, an outstanding 76 percent.
Sopic also excelled in all phases of the game for the Lady Bisons. She topped them in scoring with 260 points, an 11.3 average that ranked No. 19 in District 9, by shooting over 40 percent (101-for-245) from the field and 73 percent (46-for-63) at the foul line. The 5-9 guard led the Lady Bisons in steals (73) and was second in rebounds (135) and assists (65).
Bloom accounted for 48 percent of Curwensville’s offense with 338 points, a 16.1 average that was fifth highest in District 9. She was of the district’s premier free throw shooters, sinking 117 of 148 attempts for 80 percent. Bloom also led the Lady Tide in assists (26) and steals (63). The 5-9 point guard more then held her own under the boards, too. She pulled down 156 rebounds, a 7.4 average, and blocked 19 shots.
The Kozel rosters feature a 2,000-point scorer in Geena Sneeringer of West Forest and a quartet of 1,000-point scorers, Dane Kopas of Punxsutawney, Scott Booth of Union, Emily Detsch of Elk County Catholic and Hannah Heeter of Cranberry.
Coaching against their own sons will be Bill Shuey of Johnsonburg, Dave Fuhrman of Bradford and Glenn Bobak of North Clarion for the Blue Team.
Mike Nesbit of DuBois Central Catholic, Chad Long of Punxsutawney and Bud Baughman of Brookville will coach the White Team.
Coaching staffs for the girls will be Mike Slimmer of Brockway, Dave Kiehl of Kane and Chrissy Shumaker of Cranberry for the Blue Team and Ken Pistner of Elk County Catholic, Paula Judy of North Clarion and Bob Wachob of West Forest for the White Team.
BOYS ROSTERS Blue Team – Chris Barnett, Cameron County; Chad Brocious, Brookville; Dave Bucheit, Kane; Joe McNally, DuBois Central Catholic; Kyle Gilbert, North Clarion; Ryan Mackey, Bradford; Ben Marchand, Keystone; Aaron Patrick, Johnsonburg; Robby Wortman, Elk County Catholic; Chad Zurat, Clearfield.
White Team – Johnny Bobak, North Clarion; Scott Booth, Union; Dave “Pug” Fuhrman, Bradford; Joe Jacob, Elk County Catholic; Dane Kopas, Punxsutawney; Andrew Mickle, Coudersport; Arie Paup, Kane; Dan Reed, Keystone; Matt Shuey, Johnsonburg; Reed Terwilliger, Allegheny-Clarion Valley.
GIRLS ROSTERS Blue Team – Tess Bloom, Curwensville; Amanda Carll, West Forest; Skyler Ganoe, Clarion; Hannah Heeter, Cranberry; Brynna Hetrick, Brookville; Natalie Kossack, Kane; Michelle Mancuso, Brockway; Madison Sopic, Clearfield; Jess Tarr, North Clarion; Kristen Wilcox, DuBois.
White Team – Karlee Cyphert, North Clarion; Emily Detsch, Elk County Catholic; Olivia Pinson, Clarion-Limestone; Jenna McCorry, Moniteau; Kirstin Neidich, Cranberry; Brooke Pollock, Union; Kaitlin Roth, Clarion; Samantha Schwabenbauer, Keystone; Amanda Simbeck, St. Marys; Geena Sneeringer, West Forest; Emily Wambaugh, Austin.