Morse honored as MVP of league

Drew Frank has consistently maintained that a good high school basketball team starts with solid guard play at both ends of the floor.

And this season, the State College boys' basketball coach had some of the best guards around with which to work.

On Tuesday, the honors began rolling in for the Little Lions' backcourt.

Senior shooting guard Willie Morse was voted the Most Valuable Player in Division 1 of the Mountain Athletic Conference while point guard Jordan Norwood earned top defensive player honors for the second straight season.

Morse, who averaged a team-leading 14.7 points per game, was a first-team all-conference pick for the third straight year. He was joined on the first team by Norwood and sophomore center Eric Meister.

State College seniors Monika Fogelsanger and Jessie Serafin were named to the girls' first team list for Division 1.

"Personal stuff is always second to team stuff," said Morse, who becomes the second straight Little Lion to win the Division 1 MVP award. Gabe Norwood won the honor last season.

Morse, a St. Bonaventure recruit, finished his career with 1,497 points and helped State College to a school-record 26 victories and a berth in the state semifinals.

Norwood, who has drawn interest from several Division I schools, averaged 6.9 points per game and was the catalyst for the Little Lions' defense, which limited opponents to 43.4 points per game.

Altoona's Cory Tubo, Central Mountain's Sean Hanna and Hollidaysburg's Kyle Brudvig also earned first-team honors.

State College junior forward Keith Hardin was an honorable mention pick.

In Division 2, Bellefonte's senior guard combo of Andy Gaebel and Nick Olson were first-team selections while Bald Eagle Area's Mike Surovec earned the sportsmanship award.

Gaebel averaged 15 points per game while Olson scored 13 per game for the Red Raiders, who finished 17-9.

Lewistown's Joe Stewart was voted the Division 2 Most Valuable Player and was joined on the first team by teammate Matt Hilton, Huntingdon's Geoff Kozak and Indian Valley's Greg Miskinis.

Philipsburg-Osceola's Mike LaFuria was a second-team pick, as were Surovec and BEA teammate Brenton Decker.

Bellefonte senior forward Greg Daughenbaugh made the third team.

Honorable mention honors went to P-O's Jeremy Potter, Ryan Watson and Paul Buynak, Bellefonte's Dallas Settle and D.J. Klinefelter and BEA's Cody Boone and Adam Houck.

Bishop Guilfoyle's Johnny Cotto was voted the top defensive player in Division 2.

Fogelsanger led the Lady Little Lions at 12.2 points a game and Serafin averaged 10.2 points over the course of the season. They were joined on the first team by Altoona's Kristi Little, Mandi Pierce and Erin Dodson and Central Mountain's Missy Blazina.

Little was named Division 1's Most Valuable Player and Outstanding Defensive Player. Pierce was the league's high scorer and Hollidaysburg's Becky Mielnik earned the sportsmanship award.

In Division 2, Bellefonte and BEA each had a pair of selections on the second team. Kristin Irwin and Megan Farrington represent the Lady Raiders and Vicki DeFrate and Angela Hoover were the Lady Eagles honored. DeFrate also won the scoring title. Bishop Guilfoyle's Lindsey Conner, a State College resident, and Bellefonte's Ellen Kolos were named to the third team.

Lewistown's Alicia Espigh was named the Division 2 Most Valuable Player and Bishop Guilfoyle's Angela Greaser was tabbed as the Outstanding Defensive Player. The pair was joined on the first team by Lewistown's Jenny Cunningham and Andrea Kauffman and Indian Valley's Megan Hartman and Liz Harlacher.

P-O's Erin Albert was given the sportsmanship award.

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