In addition to player of the year Kevin McCarthy of Episcopal Academy, the All-Delco team includes:
Aasim Burton, Cardinal O’Hara: The senior guard was the most electric scorer in Delco and one of the premier offensive talents in the region this year, even for a team that won only 10 games. Burton averaged 21.6 points per game and accounted for 37.5 percent of O’Hara’s points, the second-highest share among county players this year. He added 5.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.9 steals per game. He topped 30 points on six occasions, including an outing of 30 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in the opener against Germantown Academy and 30 points again the next night against West Philadelphia. Burton added 33 points in the league against Father Judge and 40 points (plus six rebounds, four assists and seven steals) against Reading as the Lions kept it close with the reigning PIAA Class 6A champs. Burton shot 40.7 percent from the field and hit 44 3-pointers. A second team All-Catholic pick, Burton will continue his career at Rider University.
Matt Gardler, Marple Newtown: One of two juniors on this year’s first team, Gardler and Jake Sniras have both hit 1,000 points already in their careers. Gardler was prolific, steady and possessed a flair for the dramatic. He finished second in Delco at 20.0 points per game but first in the share of his team’s points, accounting for 43.1 percent of the offense on a Marple team that went 13-12. Gardler also averaged 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists. He hit game-winning buzzer-beating 3-pointers in the regular-season finale against Penncrest to ensure the Tigers of postseason basketball, then in double overtime of the Central League first round against Garnet Valley. He also assisted on the buzzer-beater to beat Conestoga in late January. Gardler shot 47 percent from the field and 43 percent on 68 made 3-pointers, as well as 84 percent from the line. The Central League MVP, as voted by league coaches, topped 30 points four times, including 32 against Garnet Valley and 30 in a win over Upper Darby in which he scored 23 straight points for Marple.
Jake Sniras, Garnet Valley: The junior forward has already crossed the 1,000-point threshold and pushed his Garnet Valley team to new heights. With Sniras leading the way, the Jaguars won 19 games, made the state tournament for the fourth straight season and reached the District 1 Class 6A final, the deepest districts progress for the program in such a big classification. Sniras was instrumental in this year’s march, which ended in the first round of states to a Central York squad that went on to win the 6A title. Sniras led Garnet Valley in scoring at 17.8 points per game, for a team that averaged 58.7, a 30.0 percent share of the offense. The 6-4 wing also grabbed 5.3 rebounds and dished 3.1 assists per game. He had three 30-point games, including 31 in a classic double-OT affair against Marple Newtown in the Central League playoffs, and 11 games of 20 or more points. He shot 42 percent from the field, 76 percent from the line, and made 30 3-pointers. Sniras was a first-team All-Central selection.
Kevin Rucker, Bonner & Prendergast: The Chester transfer wrapped a stellar career by helping the Friars win 12 games and make the PIAA Class 5A tournament. Rucker was Bonner’s leading scorer at 18.0 points per game. He added 5.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He shot 46.9 percent from the field and made 35 3-pointers. He went off for 34 points in the Friars’ Catholic League win over La Salle and topped 20 points in eight league outings. The high-water mark was 28 in a win over Father Judge, plus 27 in topping Conwell-Egan. The second-team All-Catholic pick, Rucker is fielding interest to play basketball at the next level.
Deuce Ketner, Bonner & Prendergast: Ketner’s all-around excellence complemented the high-scoring of Rucker in an effective 1-2 punch. The senior wing wasn’t far behind on scoring average at 17.4 points per game, but he added 8.8 rebounds and 2.0 steals. He shot 49.8 percent from the field and 81.1 percent from the free-throw line. Ketner helped the Friars get to states, scoring 23 points in a District 12 placement game against Simon Gratz that ended a six-game slide. The second-team All-Catholic pick topped 20 points in four straight PCL games, including 30 points in a 12-point win over Devon Prep, and five times overall in the league slate. He was a nightly double-double threat – 25 and 13 against St. Joseph’s Prep, 25 and 15 against Carroll, 26 and 14 against Wood. The 6-7 forward is getting Division I looks.
Jake Sniras, Garnet Valley: The junior forward has already crossed the 1,000-point threshold and pushed his Garnet Valley team to new heights. With Sniras leading the way, the Jaguars won 19 games, made the state tournament for the fourth straight season and reached the District 1 Class 6A final, the deepest districts progress for the program in such a big classification. Sniras was instrumental in this year’s march, which ended in the first round of states to a Central York squad that went on to win the 6A title. Sniras led Garnet Valley in scoring at 17.8 points per game, for a team that averaged 58.7, a 30.0 percent share of the offense. The 6-4 wing also grabbed 5.3 rebounds and dished 3.1 assists per game. He had three 30-point games, including 31 in a classic double-OT affair against Marple Newtown in the Central League playoffs, and 11 games of 20 or more points. He shot 42 percent from the field, 76 percent from the line, and made 30 3-pointers. Sniras was a first-team All-Central selection.
