Departed Roman star named to 6-A All-State team

Jalen Duren, who has transferred from Roman Catholic to Montverde Academy in Monteverde, Florida, has been named to the first team Pennsylvania Sportswriters Class 6A All-State boy’s basketball team.

A sophomore, the 6-9 Duren is ranked among the top three sophomores in the nation. He averaged 17 points and 12 rebounds. Last season, he was a second-team all-state selection.

Butler’s Ethan Morton, a 6-6 senior guard who has signed with Purdue, was named 6A Player of the Year.

Morton was named Pennsylvania Player of the Year by Gatorade and Maxpreps.com after averaging 23.4 points, 12.8 rebounds and 8.4 assists as a senior. He scored a school-record 2,198 points, 33 in a triple-double performance against top rival Pine-Richland which saw him net 23 rebounds and 12 assists.

Morton is one of two repeat first-team All-State selections, along with Coatesville’s Jhamir Brickus. They’re joined on the top line by Duren and Erie McDowell’s William Jeffress was also a second-team pick a year ago. Another first-team selection, Methacton’s Jeff Woodward, was a third-team pick last year. The lone newcomer is Wilson junior Stevie Mitchell, a 6-2 guard.

Wilson’s Matt Coldren is Coach of the Year after taking his alma mater to its first District 3 championship and to a 28-1 record, tied for the best in the state with Loyalsock.

Jeffress, a 6-7 junior with over 1,700 points, has reclassified and will graduate in January, forgoing his senior season. He committed to attending University of Pittsburgh. He averaged 24.4 points and finished with over 1,700.

Brickus, a 5-11 senior guard, averaged 23.1 points and is his school’s all-time leading scorer with 2,334 points. He’ll play at LaSalle next season.

Woodward averaged 13.8 points and 10.8 rebounds in helping Methacton to a district championship and the No. 1 ranking in the state. He’’ll play at Colgate after setting program career records for points (1,448) and rebounds (1,139).

Mitchell was named Berks Player of the Year after leading the league in scoring at 22.3 points and leading Wilson to league and district titles. He’s the Bulldogs career scoring leader with 1,496 points and can become the first in program history to lead the team in scoring four straight seasons.

Morton is one of the most heralded players to come out of the WPIAL in decades. He was a Post-Gazette Fab 5 and all-state selection three times, and a two-time Post-Gazette Player of the Year.

Roman Catholic’s Lynn Greer III, a 6-1 senior guard and Justice Williams, a 6-3 sophomore guard were named to the second team. Joining them is Yasir Stover, a 6-0 guard from Simon Gratz, Karell Watkins, a 6-4 junior forward from Chester and Erik Timko, a 6-3 senior guard from Methacton.

Lincolns Shaquil Bender, a 6-2 senior guard, Cheltenham’s Jaelen McGlone, a 6-4 senior guard and Akeem Taylor, a 6-4 senior guard from Chester, were named to the third team.

First team

Ethan Morton, 6-5 Sr. G, Butler

William Jeffress, 6-7 Sr. F, Erie McDowell

Jalen Duren, 6-9 Soph. F, Roman Catholic

Jhamir Brickus, 5-11 Sr. G, Coatesville

Stevie Mitchell, 6-2 Jr. G, Wilson

Jeff Woodward, 6-10 Sr. F, Methacton

Second team

Lynn Greer III, 6-1 Sr. G, Roman Catholic

Ike Herster, 6-6 Sr. F, Kennedy Catholic

Karell Watkins, 6-4 Jr. F, Chester

Justice Williams, 6-3 Sophomore G, Roman Catholic

Erik Timko, 6-3 Sr G, Methacton

Yasir Stover, 6-0 Sr. G, Simon Gratz

Third team

Jaelen McGlone, 6-4 Sr. G, Cheltenham

Shaquil Bender, 6-2 Sr. G, Abraham Lincoln

Zach Rocco, 6-2 Sr. G, Penn-Trafford

Jake Hoffman, , 6-3 Sr. F, Mt. Lebanon

Akeem Taylor, 6-4 Sr. G, Chester

Caleb Mims, 6-0 Sr. G, Bethlehem Freedom

Player of the year: Ethan Morton, Butler

Coach of the year: Matt Coldren, Wilson