DUBOIS — The 10th Annual Alice R. Kozel Foundation District 9 Basketball All-Star games are set to tip-off Saturday, March 28, at Penn State-DuBois.
The girls’ game starts at 4 p.m. followed by the boys’ game at 6 p.m. At halftime of each game will be a 3-point shooting contest with the boys competing during the girls’ halftime and girls shooting during the boys’ halftime.
This year, 42 of the top senior players in District 9 were named to the four teams. Overall, 25 of the district’s 36 schools will be represented. Kozel officials are once again excited about this year’s crop of seniors.
Those 42 players, along with 12 coaches and underclassmen who will be named to the D9Sports.Com All-American Awards & Engraving District 9 boys’ and girls’ All-District 9 basketball team, will be honored prior to the games at a banquet at the Church of God in Brookville.
“It really doesn’t matter how the games go as far as quality of play, how many points or anything like that,” said Kozel Games Co-Chairman Rich Rhoades. “The thing that we walk away with every year is watching a lot of student-athletes and coaches who worked very hard during the season having a lot of fun at this event.”
And the Kozel Games committee is proud that the event is entering its 10th year.
“What I wanted this to become has certainly happened,” Kozel Foundation founder and Kozel Games Co-Chairman Larry Salone said. “It’s one of, if not the premier event in the district, certainly in basketball. We’re thankful that the players, coaches, school districts and definitely the parents have supported us over the years.”
Overall, 10 1,000-point scorers are on the Kozel rosters.
In the boys’ game, Cameron County’s Dan Sullivan, St. Marys’ Levi Welder, Moniteau’s Tyler Armagost and Elk County Catholic’s Nate Higgins have reached four figures in their scoring careers. Welder, Sullivan and Armagost will be on the Blue Squad while Higgins is on the White Squad.
The boys’ coaching staff consists of Forrest Campman (Clearfield), Clark Cummings (Oswayo Valley) and Bill Shuey (Johnsonburg) on the Blue Squad while Aaron Straub (Elk County Catholic), Kurt Becker (Brockway) and Joe Ferguson (Clarion-Limestone) will coach the White Squad.
Six 1,000-point scorers are on the girls’ rosters. Johnsonburg’s Abby Grumley, Sheffield’s Amanda Craker, Kane’s Bree Bergman and Austin’s Whitney Crosby are on the Blue Squad that’s coached by Bob Wachob (West Forest), Mark Yeager (Moniteau) and Dick Logue (Austin).
On the White Squad, East Forest’s Kelsey Rini and Karns City’s Ashley Campbell lead the way. Its coaching staff is made up of Paula Judy (North Clarion), Ken Pistner (Elk County Catholic) and Chrissy Shumaker (Cranberry).
The Alice R. Kozel Foundation is a non-profit organization created in 1999 to provide funding for children and youth activity programs. To contact the foundation, please call 814-375-6999. We appreciate all contributions, ideas, questions and assistance.
The rosters:
BLUE SQUAD – Levi Welder, ST. MARYS; Cory Waigand, KANE; Dan Sullivan, CAMERON COUNTY; Ren Yonker, JOHNSONBURG; Joe Carson, OSWAYO VALLEY; Brock Witkowski, KEYSTONE; Matt Shiner, CLEARFIELD; Corey Neal, PUNXSUTAWNEY; John Ferraraccio, DUBOIS CENTRAL CATHOLIC; Tyler Armagost, MONITEAU.
Coaching Staff – Forrest Campman, CLEARFIELD; Clark Cummings, OSWAYO VALLEY; Bill Shuey, JOHNSONBURG.
WHITE SQUAD – Wayne Taylor, OTTO-ELDRED; Brett Quiggle, ST. MARYS; Mark Shannon, BROCKWAY; Jordan LaBue, DUBOIS; Seth Streich, JOHNSONBURG; C.J. Hesdon, CLARION-LIMESTONE; Jarrin Campman, CLEARFIELD; Norm Felmlee, CRANBERRY; Josh Adams, WEST FOREST; Nate Higgins, ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC.
Coaching Staff – Aaron Straub, ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC; Kurt Becker, BROCKWAY; Joe Ferguson, CLARION-LIMESTONE.
GIRLS
BLUE SQUAD –Erica Blum, WEST FOREST; Kayla Bohn, COUDERSPORT; Emily Mitchell, RIDGWAY; Kirstie Pistner, ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC; Whitney Crosby, AUSTIN; Amanda Craker, SHEFFIELD; Maura McCaslin, MONITEAU; Bre Grimone, ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC; Ashley Oliver, EAST FOREST; Abby Grumley, JOHNSONBURG; Bree Bergman, KANE.
Coaching Staff – Bob Wachob, WEST FOREST; Mark Yeager, MONITEAU; Dick Logue, AUSTIN.
WHITE SQUAD – Ellie Kocjancic, JOHNSONBURG; Karli Duffee, COUDERSPORT; Cassie Stuckey, AUSTIN; Ashley Campbell, KARNS CITY; Kaitlyn Geci, ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC; Kelsey Rini, EAST FOREST; Maggie O’Neil, CRANBERRY; Allie Miller, PUNXSUTAWNEY; Justine Wilkins, OTTO-ELDRED; Karyn Larson, CLARION; Jamie Zacherl, NORTH CLARION.
Coaching Staff – Paula Judy, NORTH CLARION; Ken Pistner, ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC; Chrissy Shumaker, CRANBERRY
