Norwich heads up 2011 all-star team
For the second straight year, Norwich dominates our first team boys’ basketball all-stars. A season ago the Tornado reached the Section IV Class B finals, and placed three players among our starting five. Facing the best possible competition of any area team, Norwich excelled and its players were duly recognized for their performances.
One season later, Norwich is continuing to thrive among the best six or seven teams in all of Section IV, and a 15-win season almost seems like a step back considering the Tornado won 38 games over the previous two seasons.
This season had to be especially satisfying for Norwich coach Mark Abbott, who now has spent a quarter century manning the sidelines. He had no returning starters from last year’s team, and the returning players were little more that situational substitutes.
Jumping to the forefront this season was Norwich senior Jon Foulds, who was the lone boy in Chenango County named to the Basketball Coaches Association of New York all-Section IV team. Foulds was among the area’s scoring leaders throughout the season, and was one missed three-pointer away from completing the best scoring night in Abbott’s coaching career.
Foulds is joined on the first team by teammates Dennis Oralls and Seth Thomsen, who are just juniors and give Abbott the backbone of next year’s team.
Completing our starting five are Oxford senior Booker Davis and Bainbridge-Guilford junior Ryan Porter, each all-stars in the Midstate Athletic Conference, and each was the scoring and rebounding leaders for their respective teams.
What is unique about this year’s group of all-stars is that every player – save Davis – is unique to our all-star squad. Nine of our 10 selections are first-timers Making the second five were Austin Bauerle, Bainbridge-Guilford; Randy Briggs, Sherburne-Earlville; Dusty Davis, Otselic Valley; Andrew Golden, Oxford; and Justin Hofer, Unadilla Valley.
Next season we should see plenty of familiar faces returning to our all-star team. Hofer, Golden, Briggs, Bauerle, Porter, Thomsen, and Oralls are all underclassmen.
Below are summaries of each all-star selection by first and second team. Players are listed alphabetically.
FIRST TEAM
Booker Davis, Oxford, 6-foot, sr.
Davis was a model of consistency reaching double figures scoring a team-high 15 times, while leading the team in rebounding for the second straight season at 10.4 pull-downs per contest. Undersized in the post position, Davis augmented his game with a consistent spot-up 15-footer on the baseline. “He was a really solid player for us,” said Oxford coach Tim Davis. “He was always happy to be out there playing and gave 110 percent. He was a joy to coach.” Davis had a 16-point, 18-rebound night in a one-point win over Delhi, scored a career-high 24 points against Afton, and had at least 16 points in eight different games. “He loves to play and loves the competition and he always works hard,” Davis said of his senior. “He really has his head on straight about scholastic sports, and he gives everything he has.”
Jon Foulds, Norwich, 6-foot-3, sr.
Foulds was the leading scorer and rebounder on the 15-win Purple Tornado, and was selected to the BCANY all-Section IV team for his outstanding senior season. Foulds was the Greene Holiday Classic’s most valuable player scoring 63 points in two games including a career-high 35 against Delhi. “Jon proved to be one of the more versatile players around this year, and rightfully so,” said Norwich coach Mark Abbott. “It was his effort on the defensive end of the floor that really impressed me.” Foulds also led Norwich with 31 three-pointers, 2.3 blocked shots per game, and was almost always hovering around double figures scoring and rebounding. “I don’t think Jon was on a lot of team’s radars at the beginning of the season, but that didn’t last long. Teams were game-planning for him, and you know you are a ‘player’ when that starts happening.”
Dennis Oralls, Norwich, 6-foot-3, jr.
Oralls set the stage for a breakout junior season scoring 41 points in the Tom Schwan/Wells Fargo Advisors Tournament, while also winning the Most Valuable Player award. “Dennis took a huge step forward this year,” said Norwich coach Mark Abbott. “As a sophomore, he was primarily a situational shooter for us. And now, as a junior, he is a guy that was on the floor a lot.” An excellent outside shooter and foul shooter, Oralls was a pivotal piece in Norwich’s dribble-drive offense that relied on dribble penetration by its guards and capable perimeter shooters. In addition to averaging 11.7 points per game, Oralls grabbed nearly six rebounds per contest, and hit 82 percent of his free throws, the second best single-season average in Abbott’s 25-season tenure.
Ryan Porter, Bainbridge-Guilford, 6-foot-4, jr.
Porter was arguably one of the best – if not the best – inside post player in the Midstate Athletic Conference this season. A third-year starter for the Bobcats, he led his team in scoring and rebounding, and shot over 50 percent from the field, best on his team. “He was unselfish, almost to a fault,” said B-G coach Ben Nelson. “He really wanted to keep everyone involved.” Porter averaged just under 14 points per game, and easily could have scored more if not for constant double teams. His presence inside keyed a win over Section IV Class D champion Hancock, and Porter gave evidence of his capabilities with a monster 26-point, 17-rebound effort against Greene. He scored in double figures 15 times, and had 20 or more points in four games.
Seth Thomsen, Norwich, 6-foot-2, jr.
Norwich doesn’t run much in the way of set plays for its inside players, but Thomsen found ample opportunities to score through sheer will and desire. After a slow first half of the season on offense, Thomsen became a regular double-double machine (points, rebounds), and nearly averaged a double-double for the season finishing with 10.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game against the best competition our local teams face. “Seth just amazed me this year, and I don’t know if he ever covered a guy his size,” Abbott said. “He would give up inches and pounds, and never complain.” Thomsen was in double figures scoring nine times and had 10 or more rebounds 11 times with a high of 18 in an overtime win at Owego. “People talk about measurables, but there is no way you can measure the size of Seth’s heart,” Abbott said. “He’s also a total gym rat. He’s the first guy in the gym, and the last guy I have to chase out every night. That’s a given.”
SECOND TEAM
Austin Bauerle, Bainbridge-Guilford, 6-foot-1, so.
Bauerle was one of those players who would be diving on the floor for loose balls, no matter what the scoreboard read. He hit better than 50 percent of his shots from inside the three-point arc, and led the Bobcats with 30 three-pointers. Over the last seven games, with teammate Ryan Porter consistently receiving double teams, Bauerle was the leading scoring averaging nearly 14 points a game during the home stretch of the season. “He’s a pretty good all-around player, and he’s a good leader,” said B-G coach Ben Nelson. “I think he gained confidence during the season.” Bauerle’s season was highlighted by a 21-point game in a win over Roscoe, and a 20-point night in a rout of Afton.
Randy Briggs, Sherburne-Earlville, 5-foot-11, jr.
Sherburne-Earlville had four players on its team named first- or second-team Center State Conference players. Briggs, though, set himself apart with his game-to-game defensive intensity. Second on the team in scoring at 9.7 points per game, Briggs was typically assigned the other team’s best offensive player – regardless of height. “In our locker room, we’d figure out who was the best player on the other team, and that was the guy Randy would guard,” said S-E coach Kevin Vibbard. “His play on the defensive end really allowed us to play man-to-man all year long.” Briggs, as a guard, still pulled down 6.1 rebounds per game and dished out 3.2 assists to go with nearly two steals per game. While not a prolific scorer – yet – Briggs was a reliable offensive player scoring nine or more points in 12 games.
Dusty Davis, Otselic Valley, 6-foot, sr.
Davis was the heart and soul of the Vikings this season, and after a slow start offensively, became the team’s most consistent scorer averaging 13.4 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. “He was clearly the leader on our team,” said OV coach Dave Loomis. “He showed up every day in practice or a game with a positive attitude, and just worked extremely hard.” After the first eight games, Davis was averaging just over seven points per game. Over the last 11 games, he had five 20-point-plus performances scoring a season-high 24 versus Cincinnatus, while also producing multiple double-doubles in points and rebounds. “He did a great job this year and was a pleasure to work with,” Loomis said. “I never had to worry about (Dusty’s) effort being there.”
Andrew Golden, Oxford, 6-foot-4, so.
Golden made a splash on the varsity as a freshman call-up helping the Blackhawks win a MAC league championship a season ago. He proved an explosive scorer at times this season for Oxford, and led the team in scoring most of the season finishing with 12.5 points per contest to go with a team-high 27 three-pointers. “He can be a dominant player offensively,” said Oxford coach Tim Davis. “If he can continue to develop his shooting even more, he will be a real strong force. He has a lot of potential.” Golden was in double figures scoring 12 times this season scoring at least 20 three times and scoring a season-high 23 points in a win over Harpursville.
Justin Hofer, Unadilla Valley, 5-foot-10, so.
Hofer spiked up his scoring better than three points a game over last season to just over 15, and he also hiked his defensive performance finishing at or near the top for UV in nearly every defensive category. “We wanted him to focus more on defense this year, and he certainly did that,” said UV coach Matt Osborne. “As a team, that was our biggest improvement, and (Justin) became an all-around player and a good leader on the team.” Hofer finished the season scoring in double figures in each of his last 10 games. He finished the season scoring 22 points against Section IV champion Moravia, and in the previous game, scored a season-high 27 points against Afton. Overall, he was over 20 points four times in 16 games.
Editor’s note: The merit of each all-star selection was determined by our observations during the season, statistical performance, league all-star recognition, and input from area coaches.
One season later, Norwich is continuing to thrive among the best six or seven teams in all of Section IV, and a 15-win season almost seems like a step back considering the Tornado won 38 games over the previous two seasons.
This season had to be especially satisfying for Norwich coach Mark Abbott, who now has spent a quarter century manning the sidelines. He had no returning starters from last year’s team, and the returning players were little more that situational substitutes.
Jumping to the forefront this season was Norwich senior Jon Foulds, who was the lone boy in Chenango County named to the Basketball Coaches Association of New York all-Section IV team. Foulds was among the area’s scoring leaders throughout the season, and was one missed three-pointer away from completing the best scoring night in Abbott’s coaching career.
Foulds is joined on the first team by teammates Dennis Oralls and Seth Thomsen, who are just juniors and give Abbott the backbone of next year’s team.
Completing our starting five are Oxford senior Booker Davis and Bainbridge-Guilford junior Ryan Porter, each all-stars in the Midstate Athletic Conference, and each was the scoring and rebounding leaders for their respective teams.
What is unique about this year’s group of all-stars is that every player – save Davis – is unique to our all-star squad. Nine of our 10 selections are first-timers Making the second five were Austin Bauerle, Bainbridge-Guilford; Randy Briggs, Sherburne-Earlville; Dusty Davis, Otselic Valley; Andrew Golden, Oxford; and Justin Hofer, Unadilla Valley.
Next season we should see plenty of familiar faces returning to our all-star team. Hofer, Golden, Briggs, Bauerle, Porter, Thomsen, and Oralls are all underclassmen.
Below are summaries of each all-star selection by first and second team. Players are listed alphabetically.
FIRST TEAM
Booker Davis, Oxford, 6-foot, sr.
Davis was a model of consistency reaching double figures scoring a team-high 15 times, while leading the team in rebounding for the second straight season at 10.4 pull-downs per contest. Undersized in the post position, Davis augmented his game with a consistent spot-up 15-footer on the baseline. “He was a really solid player for us,” said Oxford coach Tim Davis. “He was always happy to be out there playing and gave 110 percent. He was a joy to coach.” Davis had a 16-point, 18-rebound night in a one-point win over Delhi, scored a career-high 24 points against Afton, and had at least 16 points in eight different games. “He loves to play and loves the competition and he always works hard,” Davis said of his senior. “He really has his head on straight about scholastic sports, and he gives everything he has.”
Jon Foulds, Norwich, 6-foot-3, sr.
Foulds was the leading scorer and rebounder on the 15-win Purple Tornado, and was selected to the BCANY all-Section IV team for his outstanding senior season. Foulds was the Greene Holiday Classic’s most valuable player scoring 63 points in two games including a career-high 35 against Delhi. “Jon proved to be one of the more versatile players around this year, and rightfully so,” said Norwich coach Mark Abbott. “It was his effort on the defensive end of the floor that really impressed me.” Foulds also led Norwich with 31 three-pointers, 2.3 blocked shots per game, and was almost always hovering around double figures scoring and rebounding. “I don’t think Jon was on a lot of team’s radars at the beginning of the season, but that didn’t last long. Teams were game-planning for him, and you know you are a ‘player’ when that starts happening.”
Dennis Oralls, Norwich, 6-foot-3, jr.
Oralls set the stage for a breakout junior season scoring 41 points in the Tom Schwan/Wells Fargo Advisors Tournament, while also winning the Most Valuable Player award. “Dennis took a huge step forward this year,” said Norwich coach Mark Abbott. “As a sophomore, he was primarily a situational shooter for us. And now, as a junior, he is a guy that was on the floor a lot.” An excellent outside shooter and foul shooter, Oralls was a pivotal piece in Norwich’s dribble-drive offense that relied on dribble penetration by its guards and capable perimeter shooters. In addition to averaging 11.7 points per game, Oralls grabbed nearly six rebounds per contest, and hit 82 percent of his free throws, the second best single-season average in Abbott’s 25-season tenure.
Ryan Porter, Bainbridge-Guilford, 6-foot-4, jr.
Porter was arguably one of the best – if not the best – inside post player in the Midstate Athletic Conference this season. A third-year starter for the Bobcats, he led his team in scoring and rebounding, and shot over 50 percent from the field, best on his team. “He was unselfish, almost to a fault,” said B-G coach Ben Nelson. “He really wanted to keep everyone involved.” Porter averaged just under 14 points per game, and easily could have scored more if not for constant double teams. His presence inside keyed a win over Section IV Class D champion Hancock, and Porter gave evidence of his capabilities with a monster 26-point, 17-rebound effort against Greene. He scored in double figures 15 times, and had 20 or more points in four games.
Seth Thomsen, Norwich, 6-foot-2, jr.
Norwich doesn’t run much in the way of set plays for its inside players, but Thomsen found ample opportunities to score through sheer will and desire. After a slow first half of the season on offense, Thomsen became a regular double-double machine (points, rebounds), and nearly averaged a double-double for the season finishing with 10.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game against the best competition our local teams face. “Seth just amazed me this year, and I don’t know if he ever covered a guy his size,” Abbott said. “He would give up inches and pounds, and never complain.” Thomsen was in double figures scoring nine times and had 10 or more rebounds 11 times with a high of 18 in an overtime win at Owego. “People talk about measurables, but there is no way you can measure the size of Seth’s heart,” Abbott said. “He’s also a total gym rat. He’s the first guy in the gym, and the last guy I have to chase out every night. That’s a given.”
SECOND TEAM
Austin Bauerle, Bainbridge-Guilford, 6-foot-1, so.
Bauerle was one of those players who would be diving on the floor for loose balls, no matter what the scoreboard read. He hit better than 50 percent of his shots from inside the three-point arc, and led the Bobcats with 30 three-pointers. Over the last seven games, with teammate Ryan Porter consistently receiving double teams, Bauerle was the leading scoring averaging nearly 14 points a game during the home stretch of the season. “He’s a pretty good all-around player, and he’s a good leader,” said B-G coach Ben Nelson. “I think he gained confidence during the season.” Bauerle’s season was highlighted by a 21-point game in a win over Roscoe, and a 20-point night in a rout of Afton.
Randy Briggs, Sherburne-Earlville, 5-foot-11, jr.
Sherburne-Earlville had four players on its team named first- or second-team Center State Conference players. Briggs, though, set himself apart with his game-to-game defensive intensity. Second on the team in scoring at 9.7 points per game, Briggs was typically assigned the other team’s best offensive player – regardless of height. “In our locker room, we’d figure out who was the best player on the other team, and that was the guy Randy would guard,” said S-E coach Kevin Vibbard. “His play on the defensive end really allowed us to play man-to-man all year long.” Briggs, as a guard, still pulled down 6.1 rebounds per game and dished out 3.2 assists to go with nearly two steals per game. While not a prolific scorer – yet – Briggs was a reliable offensive player scoring nine or more points in 12 games.
Dusty Davis, Otselic Valley, 6-foot, sr.
Davis was the heart and soul of the Vikings this season, and after a slow start offensively, became the team’s most consistent scorer averaging 13.4 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. “He was clearly the leader on our team,” said OV coach Dave Loomis. “He showed up every day in practice or a game with a positive attitude, and just worked extremely hard.” After the first eight games, Davis was averaging just over seven points per game. Over the last 11 games, he had five 20-point-plus performances scoring a season-high 24 versus Cincinnatus, while also producing multiple double-doubles in points and rebounds. “He did a great job this year and was a pleasure to work with,” Loomis said. “I never had to worry about (Dusty’s) effort being there.”
Andrew Golden, Oxford, 6-foot-4, so.
Golden made a splash on the varsity as a freshman call-up helping the Blackhawks win a MAC league championship a season ago. He proved an explosive scorer at times this season for Oxford, and led the team in scoring most of the season finishing with 12.5 points per contest to go with a team-high 27 three-pointers. “He can be a dominant player offensively,” said Oxford coach Tim Davis. “If he can continue to develop his shooting even more, he will be a real strong force. He has a lot of potential.” Golden was in double figures scoring 12 times this season scoring at least 20 three times and scoring a season-high 23 points in a win over Harpursville.
Justin Hofer, Unadilla Valley, 5-foot-10, so.
Hofer spiked up his scoring better than three points a game over last season to just over 15, and he also hiked his defensive performance finishing at or near the top for UV in nearly every defensive category. “We wanted him to focus more on defense this year, and he certainly did that,” said UV coach Matt Osborne. “As a team, that was our biggest improvement, and (Justin) became an all-around player and a good leader on the team.” Hofer finished the season scoring in double figures in each of his last 10 games. He finished the season scoring 22 points against Section IV champion Moravia, and in the previous game, scored a season-high 27 points against Afton. Overall, he was over 20 points four times in 16 games.
Editor’s note: The merit of each all-star selection was determined by our observations during the season, statistical performance, league all-star recognition, and input from area coaches.
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