Alston, Stevens tough 1-2 punch for Haverford School
In addition to Daily Times Player of the Year Derrick Jones, the rest of the All-Delco team includes:
Shawn Alston, Haverford School: The senior guard and two-time selection averaged 19.4 points per game for the Fords, who finished third in the Inter-Ac and advanced to the semifinals of the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association tournament. Alston also averaged 5.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.2 steals per game. He scored a season-high 30 points in a Dec. 5 win over Imhotep Charter and notched 15 or more points in nine of the Fords’ 10 Inter-Ac games. The All-Inter-Ac selection scored 24 points against Germantown Academy and 25 against Malvern Prep in his final two league games. Alston finishes his high school career with 1,461 points, second in program history. The Temple signee was voted the USA Today high school Player of the Year in Pennsylvania and to the Pennsylvania Sportswriters first team All-State.
Lamar Stevens, Haverford School: The junior forward bulled his way to averages of 18.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. He scored 30 or more points on three occasions, the high total a 33-point outing in a loss to Phelps School Dec. 19. He twice notched 30-point outings in the league, scoring 30 against Penn Charter Jan. 13 and a stellar game of 31 points, 21 rebounds and six blocks against Malvern Prep Jan. 9. Stevens has scored over 900 points in his high school career, including his freshman year at Abington Friends. The all-Inter-Ac pick and second team all-state pick by Pennsylvania sportswriters has received Division I offers from several Big 5 schools as well as Penn State and Indiana.
Malik Jackson, Penn Wood: The senior two-time All-Delco pick finished as the leader in scoring average in the county this season. He averaged 26.2 points per game, leading the Patriots to a share of the Del Val title for a season straight season. Jackson hit 81 3-pointers, the most in the county and an average of nearly four per game. He scored in double-figures in all 22 games played, never tallying fewer than 14 points in a game. He scored 30 or more points in a game more often (eight) than he scored fewer than 20 (five). His high game on the season was 45 points against West Philadelphia Jan. 23 in a game in which the Patriots scored just 60 points. Jackson also scored 37 in a win over Solebury School Dec. 20. The All-Del Val selection averaged 31.5 points per game over the Patriots final six contests, including 33 in the Del Val-clinching win against Academy Park and 31 (of the Patriots’ 56) in the District One Class AAAA overtime ouster against Penncrest. He finishes his career with 1,113 points. Jackson is still weighing options to play collegiately.
Nick Alikakos, Episcopal Academy: The Inter-Ac League’s Player of the Year blossomed as a sophomore, illustrating why he’s receiving a bevy of Division I attention. He averaged 19.6 points and 10 rebounds per game this season. The forward scored in double figures in every game he played, helping lead the Churchmen to second place in the Inter-Ac. Alikakos scored 34 points in the Dec. 6 win over Roxborough, his season high. He scored 20 or more points on 11 occasions, including a vital 28 in a 78-75 overtime win against Malvern Prep Jan. 6. He provided a game-high 17 in the Jan. 6 win over Germantown Academy Jan. 9. Perhaps most impressively, Alikakos shot 77.1 percent from the free throw line over 192 attempts.
Brett Foster, Ridley: The Central League MVP paced the Green Raiders to their first league title since 2008 and a berth in the PIAA Class AAAA Tournament. The junior led Ridley in scoring at 16.3 points per game, and that captured only a fraction of his contributions. He also averaged five assists and two steals per game. Foster scored a season-high 32 points in a 48-44 win over Del Val co-champion Glen Mills Jan. 30. Foster tallied 23 points in the Central League final win over Conestoga, then chipped in 19 as Ridley sealed a berth in the state tournament by coasting past Great Valley in the second round of the District One Tournament. The three-year starter supplied 20 points in the PIAA Tournament ouster at the hands of La Salle, the 17th playoff game of his still young career.
