Radnor’s Hicke, Chester’s Jerkins on 5A All-State squads
In the District 1 Class 5A final, Radnor and Chester waged an epic battle at Temple’s Liacouras Center.
Friday, two of the main protagonists in that battle were recognized for their outstanding seasons with spots on the Pennsylvania Sports Writers All-State team.
Radnor junior Jackson Hicke landed on the second team, while Chester sophomore Larenzo Jerkins is a third-teamer. Honorees are nominated and voted on by sports writers statewide.
The 6-4 Hicke led Radnor to the state tournament by averaging 16.5 points per game. He scored 38 points to lead the Raptors to a states win over Susquehannock, the last of 23 victories on the season.
Jerkins, a 6-5 wing, average a double-double at 12.9 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. He was the Clippers’ leading scorer and second-leading rebounder. Jerkins’ Clippers beat Radnor in overtime of the District 1 final.
Both teams had their seasons end at the hands of Imhotep Charter, which landed two players on the first team.
Justin Edwards, an explosive, athletic, skilled 6-7 junior, was named player of the year. He led Imhotep to the Philadelphia Public League, District 12 and PIAA 5A championships. He averaged 18.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. He also made the Sports Writers’ all-state first team a year ago, and his dozens of scholarship offers include Kentucky, Villanova, Auburn, Virginia, Syracuse and Penn State.
Imhotep went 28-4 against a national schedule. The state title was the school’s eighth. Coach of the Year Noble is 442-96 over 18 seasons, averaging 25 wins per year.
The Panthers had three players make all-state — Rahmir Barno made the first team, and Ahmad Nowell the second. Barno, a 6-0 junior guard, averaged 11.2 points, 5.3 assists and 2.1 steals. He made third-team all-state last season and has scholarship offers from Temple, LaSalle, Drexel, Hofstra, and Virginia Commonwealth.
Nowell, a 6-0 sophomore, averaged 12.5 points and made nearly 40 percent of his threepoint attempts. He has offers from Kansas, Memphis and Auburn.
Rodney Gallagher, a 6-0 junior from Laurel Highlands, made the first team for the third time. One of the best pure athletes in the state, Gallagher also made all-state last fall in football, the sport he is likely to play in college.
He averaged 18.6 points, and led Laurel Highlands to a 27-1 record, the WPIAL championship and the state quarterfinals. He has football offers from Notre Dame, Oregon and Penn State, and basketball offers from Penn State, Pitt, Florida and Illinois.
Jumping from the third team to the first is Ty Burton, a 5-10 sophomore point guard from Lampeter-Strasburg. Burton averaged 21.2 points per game, shooting 56 percent from the field, 40 percent from the threepoint arc and 89 percent from the foul line. His team went 27-1, winning the Lancaster-Lebanon League and District 3 titles.
Mike Wells, a 6-4 senior from New Castle, made the first team after leading his team to the 5A state final.
He averaged 22.4 points, including 41 in a state-tournament game, and finished a four-year varsity career with 1,932 points. Wells is a Youngstown State football recruit.
Among the state’s top sophomores and top big men, Archbishop Ryan’s Thomas Sorber made the first team after leading the Philadelphia Catholic League in rebounds and blocked shots.