VBCA Hands out Annual Awards

New England Recruiting Report | Monday, March 15th, 2010

The Vermont Basketball Coaches Association held their annual North-South Senior All-Star Classic on Saturday at Windsor High School.  In addition to four all-star games (two boys and two girls) featuring the top seniors in the state, the VBCA handed out a number of awards honoring the state player of the year, coach of the year, and “Dream Dozen” list featuring the top underclassmen in the state. 

To no one’s surprise Burlington senior guard Joe OShea was named the player of the year after leading his team to their third consecutive state final.  O’Shea, who signed his National Letter of Intent with Holy Cross in the fall, scored close to twenty points per game in his senior year and has been one of the marquee players in the state for the last three years. 

The “Dream Dozen” list actually turned out to be a Baker’s Dozen as a tie in the voting resulted in thirteen players being named to the prestigious list.  Ben Ferris (Essex) and Jake Donnelly (Champlain Valley Union) headlined the group while being joined by Ryan Shea (U-32), Evan Tullar (Spaulding), Nick Swim (BFA St. Alban’s), Ryan Tatro (Hazen), Chad Copeland (Twinfield), Tony Burrington (Danville), Matt Chamberlin (Danville), Troy Davine (Rutland), Alex Snyder (Rutland), Harrison Taggart (Mill River), and Clayton Palmer (Mount Anthony Union). 

The thirteen players selected for the Dream Dozen will team up this summer to take on the best underclassmen New Hampshire has to offer in the annual Merchants Bank Rotary Twin State Basketball Classic. 

The north took both victories in the North-South Senior All-Star Classic, defeating the south 98-78 in the Division I & II game and a tight 78-75 margin in the Division III & IV game. 

Demir Smajovic was the star of the first game as he scored a game high 26 points for the north.  O’Shea was the only other player to crack double figures with 10 while Connor Merrill and Josh Stewart were not far behind with 9 and 8 respectively.  Christian Doran led the South with 13 while Kyle Callanan had 11. 

The north utilized a balanced offensive attack to take the division III & IV game as Billy Boyd scored a team high 10 points before going down with an unfortunate ankle injury.  Emmitt Hackett was next in the scoring column with 9 while his Lake Region teammates Richie Hackett and Travis Terrell joined Jeremy Lawrence and Billy Ross in scoring 8 points each.  Scott Hayford led the South with 11 while Jake Bielecki had 9 and Adam Daley and Tyler LaFreniere 8 each. 

Complete All-Star Rosters

Division I/II North: Mark Mallory, Tyler Kaczor, and Eric Dubuque, South Burlington, Joe O’Shea, Jackson Grady, and Brendan Corriveau, Burlington; Demir Smajovic and Chris Bogue, Essex; Conor Leland, Mount Mansfield; Connor Merrill and Logan Williams, Vergennes; Sean Dowling and Sam Brigham, Montpelier; Thomas Jacobs-Moore, Harwood; Jimmy Lau, Lyndon.

Division I/II South: Dennis Brooks, Tanner Darwell, Kyle Callanan, Mount Anthony; Chris Antonez and Danny Favreau, Burr and Burton; Adam Boyle, Brattleboro; Brian O’Rourke, Rutland; Leighton Thayer, Mount St. Joseph; Gavin Callahan, Windsor; Brandon Boyle, Springfield; Matt Doaner, Mill River; Sam Stockwell and Colin Hogbrath, Woodstock; Joe Massores, Otter Valley; Christian Doran, Fair Haven. Injured: Chris Reedy, Mount St. Joseph.

Division III/IV North:  Jeremy Lawrence and Josh Woodward, BFA-Fairfax; Wayne Honaker, and Jordan St. Pierre, Enosburg; Vince Hanvey, Richford; Emmitt Simpson, Richie Hackett, Ed Collins, Travis Terrell, Lake Region; Tanner Benjamin and Billy Boyd, Hazen; Chris Link, Twinfield; Patrick Rainville, Danville; Cody Arsenault, Concord; Billy Rose, Rivendell. Injured: Joe Desroches, Blue Mountain.

Division III/IV South: Ray Burgos, Troy Laughlin and Steve Manwaring, Williamstown; Adam Daley, Northfield; Tyler Lafrenier, Randolph; Jace Curtis and Matt Brown, Rochester; Jake Bielecki, Oxbow; Devon Cilley, South Royalton; Scott Hayford and Skylar Duncan, Twin Valley; Josh Taranovich, Proctor; Spencer Mumford, West Rutland; Tyler Rossell, Leland & Gray; Kolby Crofut, Arlington.