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ÈËÊÞÐÔ½»'s Boys Basketball Player of the Year: Joe Baylor, Moravia

´¡´Ú³Ù±ð°ùÌýbeing sidelined with a torn ACL during the Blue Devils’ run to a Class C state championship last year, Baylor hoped to make a name for himself during his senior season. He would do just that as he led Moravia to the Section IV, Class C title and the state final four, each for the third straight year. The senior also became the eighth Blue Devil in school history to join the 1,000-point club. Averaging 25 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists a game during Moravia’s 21-2 season, Baylor was named to the New York State Sportswriters Association Class C all-state first team, and added the Interscholastic Athletic Conference North Small School Division MVP to his accolades. 

Isaac Brozon, Southern Cayuga

Brozon more than left his mark with Southern Cayuga in his final game on his home court. The senior scored a staggering career-high 57 points in his team’s 83-64 win over Deposit-Hancock in the first round of the Section IV, Class C tournament. It stands as the most points scored in a single game by a Southern Cayuga player, and it elevated the guard to being the all-time leading scorer (1,302) in Southern Cayuga boys history. Over his final season, Brozon put up 30.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists a game. For those efforts, he earned a spot on the NYSSWA Class C all-state third team.

Reid Danforth, Skaneateles

Coming off a sophomore season where he contributed 20.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists a game, Danforth expanded his role even more his junior year. He averaged 15.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists a contest as the Lakers returned to the Section III, Class B championship for the first time since 2013. To help punch his team’s ticket to the finals, Danforth dropped in 27 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a 74-66 win over Phoenix in the Section III, Class B semifinals.

Nolan Brunelle, Jordan-Elbridge 

Brunelle made history his junior season by eclipsing his father to become Jordan-Elbridge’s all-time leading scorer. One game prior to the historic milestone, he set a career high of 47 points against Homer on the road. On the way to the Eagles ending the season at 9-12, he averaged 26.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.7 steals and three assists a game. Brunelle’s scoring prowess resulted in him earning NYSSWA Class B all-state third-team honors. Heading into his senior season, Brunelle sits at 1,685 points as an Eagle. 

Aaron Johnson, Union Springs

Johnson racked up a stat line of 19 points, six rebounds, four assists and four steals a game as the Wolves finished the season at 16-6. The senior was named MVP of the Cayuga County Holiday Basketball Tournament after leading the Wolves to their second title there in three years. He scored 31 points over Union Springs’ pair of dominant victories. For his efforts during his final season with the Wolves, Johnson earned a spot on the IAC North Small School Division first team.

Perry Planck IV, Cato-Meridian 

After the Blue Devils finished the season 16-7 to get the seventh seed in the Section III, Class C tournament, Planck played a key role in his team’s upset win over No. 2-seeded Tully in the quarterfinals. The freshman had a performance of 16 points, four assists, four blocks and two steals in a 53-48 victory. His season averages of 15.7 points, six rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.7 steals and 1.3 blocks a game were all improvements over his stats as an eighth-grader, and he has three more years to continue that improvement. 

Mason Kocur, Weedsport

The Wolverines finished the season at 14-8, with the junior leading the charge. Kocur scored 16.3 points, grabbed 8.4 rebounds and swiped 1.8 steals a game. During Weedsport's 8-3 start to the season, he averaged 18.2 points. That stretch included a career-high 27 points in a 68-64 loss to Southern Cayuga. One of Kocur's best performances of the season came in a 60-58 home win over Onondaga, where he scored the game-winning layup and recorded a double-double of 21 points and 14 boards.

Travis Stuart, Port Byron 

With Dominic LaFramboise graduating after last season, the Panthers were in search of a new top scorer. Enter Stuart. During his junior year, he increased his scoring average from 8.8 points to 18.7. In the third game of the season, he dropped in a career-high 33 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a matchup with LaFayette. Along with his scoring, he averaged 5.9 rebounds, two assists and 1.7 steals.

Jack Peenstra, Skaneateles

The senior made major strides during his final season with Skaneateles. After posting 6.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 0.7 steals per game as a junior, Peenstra improved those marks to 14.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, three assists and one steal in his last year as Laker. Affecting almost every area on the court, he had one of his most complete performances on Dec. 23 in a win over General Brown. Peenstra had a career-high 23 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and three steals in the 34-point rout.

Dylan McGetrick, Cato-Meridian

Dishing out 6.1 assists a game as a junior, McGetrick was a key facilitator during the Blue Devils’ run to the sectional semifinals. He had a career-high 14 assists on Feb. 3 in a 79-74 win over Hamilton. To add to his assists, he averaged 12 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.9 steals a game. In Cato-Meridian’s 78-69 loss to Waterville in the Section III, Class C semifinals, the guard led his team with a career-high 22 points.

Honorable mentions

• Johntae Smith, Auburn
• Nevin Brown, Union Springs
• Brady Docteur, Weedsport 
• Ben Kermidas, Southern Cayuga 
• Jairen Francis, Moravia