DLN WINTER ALL-AREA: West Chester East’s Carr stands above the rest, in more ways than one

The truly special athletes not only shine the brightest among their peers, but they elevate the games of their teammates, and even their opponents.

During the 2019-20 high school basketball season, no other player did more for his team than West Chester East senior center Andrew Carr.

All the Vikings’ star did was average more than 22 points per game, haul down 10 rebounds per contest and lead West Chester East to a 28-2 record, a Ches-Mont League championship, a District 1 Class 5A title, and a a berth in the PIAA Class 5A quarterfinals.

Today, that lengthy resume gets one more notch on it before Carr heads off to the University of Delaware: Daily Local News 2020 All-Area Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

“We really had some goals set for us before the season started,” Carr said. “We wanted to win the league first, then the district and we had high hope for states. I hope we can finish that at some time.”

Carr’s West Chester East squad is one of the 96 basketball teams — boys and girls — in the state that has yet to officially finish its season, as of this publication.

The Vikings were set to face Ches-Mont rival Unionville in the Class 5A quarterfinals before the PIAA tournament was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. As of early April, the 48 boys teams and 48 girls teams are still holding out hope for three more rounds and a legitimate state title.

Area coaches all had to game plan for Carr when their teams faced West Chester East. The 6-foot-9 big man was a matchup nightmare for opponents, and the Vikings, who were 1-1 against Coatesville this season, impressed Red Raider coach Marc Turner immensely.

“I though he got better from the first time we played them to the second time,” Turner said. “He was one of the more versatile players we faced this season. He could go to the rim, shot from outside and he was a real problem for anyone trying to defend him.”

The West Chester East star has committed to play his collegiate basketball at Division I Delaware, a choice Carr made last summer. The Vikings star is very happy with his college choice.

“For me, Delaware was just a great fit all around,” Carr said. “I want to be a physical therapist and they have a great program for that. They have the No. 1 graduate program in the country for that. Plus, I really liked the basketball coaches when I met them so it was a great fit all around for me.”

West Chester East’s opponent in the semifinals of the Ches-Mont League final four was crosstown rival West Chester Rustin. The Golden Knights were 0-2 against East this seasons, and Rustin coach Keith Cochran came away from those meetings very impressed with Carr.

“Andrew is just a hard-working kid who plays not only for himself but he plays for his teammates too,” Cochran said. “The results are not surprising because he works so hard at what he does. He is a very skilled player who makes everyone around him better. West Chester East was a very tough team to play because of Andrew.”

Carr’s own coach, Tom Durant, who coached Carr for the last three seasons, was also very high on his star center.

“Andrew was not only a great player but he was a great teammate,” Carr said. “He cared about not only himself but he cared about getting everyone involved and he cared about winning.”

Although Carr’s Vikings may never get to finish their journey through the PIAA tournament, the legacy the Vikings’ big man has left on those who played and coached against him, and those who watched him, will last a very long time.