All-Montgomery Media Basketball Teams

By Andrew Marcus 
Sportswriter for Montgomery Media

Follow me on Twitter @amarcus515

I have narrowed down the best basketball players this winter, both guys and girls. 


This is the unoffical teams, as Montgmery Media has no affiliation with the picks, it just was the criteria to being selected. Players had to play on a team in our coverage area.


I have chosen players from multiple leagues and multiple classifications. While I know some players may have been left off, this is solely based on opinions from I witnessed and read about over the past three months. These are the players that carried their team with timely shots, game winning buckets and hard fought rebounds.


Without further adieu...


BOYS

FIRST TEAM

Player of the Year - Jordan Reed  (Wissahickon): If anything, the loss of back court mate Anthony McKie (transferred to Plymouth-Whitemarsh) put the pressure square between the two threes on the back of Reed. He was the clear-cut guy who the Trojans were going to live and die with. While Reed received some help from his friends this season, the 6-foot-3 senior rose to the challenge. Reed averaged over 24 points per game this season for the Suburban One American Conference co-champs. Lost in his dynamic scoring prowess is ability to guard some of the best guards in the area. Division-One schools such as Iona, Manhattan and Sienna are after the Trojan.

Jordan Reed (Wissahickon)

Tim Abruzzo (Pennridge): Scoring 39 points on the night you need 33 to reach 1,000 points for you career is example of Abruzzo's determination. He had no problem putting his young team on his back this season and taking them to the brink of postseason play. Though the Rams missed out on the second season it is hard to overlook what the senior did. Abruzzo averaged 21 points per game and showed so much growth in his arsenal that Division-One schools are giving him a serious look. 

Dinjyl Walker (Academy New Church): There was not one off-night for the 6-2 senior this year. Walker, who averaged 21 points per game, never scored fewer than 10 points and scored 25 or more points 10 times this season. And on the night he "only" scored 10, he had seven assists, five rebounds and six steals. This all-around play maker also led the Lions in assists and steals. 

Nick Lindner (Germantown Academy): Whatever the gamed called for the junior point guard dished out. Some days is was dimes, others it was 20-plus point games. Lindner averaged close to 17 points per game for the Patriots and earned first team All-InterAc honors. The 5-11 floor general should be in store for a huge senior season.

Anthony Durham (Abington): After a year of being overshadowed at Academy of the New Church the junior guard burst onto the scene this year with the Galloping Ghosts. After scoring 21 points all year for the Lions as a sophomore, Durham dropped nearly 20 points per game this season in his first year at Abington. He took a nine win team to the final four of the Class AAAA District One playoffs and put himself atop the list of the top players in the area for the Class of 2013. 

John Decamara (UD)

SECOND TEAM

Montana Mayfield (Abington Friends)
Tonah Kpassagnon (Wissahickon)
Nafis Walker (Cheltenham)
Marcus Gilbert (Academy New Church)
John Decamara (Upper Dublin)

Luke Moyer (Souderton)

THIRD TEAM

Luke Moyer (Souderton)
Pat Smith (Archbishop Wood)
Anthony McKie (Plymouth-Whitemarsh)
James Mobley (Upper Merion)
Braheime Jackson (Bishop McDevitt)

Mike Hutson (PMCA)

HONORABLE MENTION

Wes Brooks (North Penn)
Mike Hutson (Phil-Mont Christian)
Brendan Casper (Methacton)
Zameer McDowell (Spring-Ford)
Mike Brown (Hatboro-Horsham)

GIRLS

FIRST TEAM

Player of the Year - Ciara "C.C." Andrews (Cheltenham): Time stops for just a second when C.C. Andrews takes her patented jump shot. Good luck trying to stop her from getting a good look at the hoop when she is soaring vertically. It is reason she has scored at ease all season. Andrews, who has committed to play at St. Joseph's next season, averaged 22 points per game this year and led her team to the number one seed in the Class AAA District One playoffs. 

C.C. Andrews (Cheltenham)

Mariah Traywick (Spring-Ford): The one constant over the past four years in Spring-Ford has been their 5-11 center and this year she has been a rock for the Rams. Traywick could score 20 points a night if she needed to, but instead she gets her 12 points per game and makes sure she is dominating the glass and defending the opponent's post players. Shippensburg got a steal when they landed Traywick.

Jaryn Gardner (Germantown Academy): You just feel more comfortable as coach when Gardner is bringing the ball up the floor. The senior, who recently committed to Virginia, was the key to the Patriots success and made their offense flow. The 5-foot-7 point guard did whatever was asked of her for the best interest of the team and it led them to their 14th straight Inter-Ac title.

Cassidy Koenig (Upper Merion): Dangerous is an understatement about this sharpshooting senior. If you give her any breathing room she will make you pay and it does not matter how far away from the basket she is. Koenig is one of the most prolific three-point shooters in Southeastern PA and averaged over 14 points per game this year for the Vikings. Her athleticism is proven by her ability to dominate in the multiple sports. She is a phenomenal volleyball player to go along with 1,000 career points on the basketball floor.

Aiyannah Peal (Abington): Each year Peal pushed herself to get better and each year the the numbers showed off her hard work and dedication to the sport. Peal's aggressiveness on both ends made her one of the toughest assignments for defenders. The senior averaged over 15 points per game, which was good for third best average in Suburban One League and easily helped her surpass the 1,000 point total for her career. Peal is graded at 86 on ESPN and should have a stellar college career wherever she decides to attend.

Alex Louin (MSJ)

SECOND TEAM

Steph Knauer (North Penn)
Alex Louin (Mount Saint Joseph)
Taylor Bryant (Upper Dublin)
Kiernan McCloskey (Germantown Academy)
Sierra Guenst (Calvary Baptist)

Sammy Stipa (Spring-Ford)

THIRD TEAM

Lauren Crisler (North Penn)
Bridget Higgins (Mount Saint Joseph)
Sarah Listenbee (Abington)
Sammy Stipa (Spring-Ford)
Bianca Picard (Souderton)

Olivia Bradford (Dock)

HONORABLE MENTION

Kelly Glatthorn (Methacton)
Emily O'Donnell (William Tennent)
Madison Kimball (Jenkintown)
Ali Morganstein (Lower Moreland)
Olivia Bradford (Christopher Dock)