Thanks in part to that championship and the following state playoff run to the PIAA semifinals, BG coach Ryan Lestochi was voted as the Altoona Mirror Boys Basketball Coach of the Year.

“It makes me pretty proud, especially since it’s voted on by the coaches. I respect a lot of those guys that vote,” Lestochi said. “I talk to a lot of them. We share a lot of information and bounce ideas off each other throughout the year. It’s not just me. I have two great assistants with Josh Baker and Robby Okonak who give a ton of time helping out. We had some great kids. If we don’t have those kids, and we didn’t win, I don’t win this honor.”

As for Altoona Mirror Boys Basketball Player of the Year, that honor went to Bishop Carroll Catholic’s Jace Casses after he averaged an area-high 26.9 points per game despite being the focus of every team playing against the Huskies.

“There were times where teams were throwing two or three guys at him. He was still able to get his shot off. He’s worked on his game,” Bishop Carroll coach Cosie Aliquo said. “He knew he always had the green light. I just let him go. You can’t imagine how enjoyable it was just to sit back and watch him. People only got to see him do it maybe once a year. I got to see him do it every day, and he was super.”

Casses has landed on an all-state team in each of the last two seasons, including as a sophomore when Bishop Carroll made the PIAA semifinals and his teammate, Luke Repko, was voted as the Mirror’s Player of the Year.

“It just shows how Coach Cosie produces such great talent,” Casses said. “He forms just such great players, and being able to learn from him over the years and get back to the District 6 championship with him and create such a great work ethic has been important for me.”

The Carroll senior said it took some time to adjust to all the focus being on him this season.

“At first, I would get a little frustrated with it,” Casses said. “But with time, learning everything and listening to everyone tell me to just take it as a compliment in a way and figure out a way to overcome it — I learned no matter how many people were going against me how to get the most out of everything for our team.”

In addition to Casses, Bishop Guilfoyle senior Taurean Consiglio, Hollidaysburg senior Kasen Metzger, Central Cambria sophomore J.D. Brouse and Penn Cambria senior Caden Gibbons landed on the first team.

Consiglio, who returned from a football injury to have a successful senior year, played a major role in BG winning district gold.

“Words can’t describe it,” Lestochi said. “We really worked hard toward that goal. Our kids really wanted to win that game. You get a lot of people hating on you a bit about not winning, so it was good to get that monkey off our back so to speak. It really comes down to the kids. We had a great group of kids that really bought in. We had a great team that really enjoyed playing together.”

Bishop Guilfoyle extended its season by winning three state playoff games before falling to District 3 champion Trinity in the PIAA semifinals.

“It was really unbelievable,” Lestochi said. “The kids really believed we could make a run. My coaches put a ton of time into film and scouting and it was a great team effort from top to bottom. It was a little bittersweet, because we thought we could at least get to Hershey. We had a couple tough breaks in the Trinity game that didn’t go our way, but it was the fourth time BG boys made the final four — so we were proud of that, especially in 3A.”

Bishop Carroll made it to the District 6 championship despite entering the postseason with a losing record, and Casses scored 47 points in a loss to Conemaugh Valley.

“It’s absolutely well deserved,” Aliquo said. “He’s a competitor, and he wants to get better each day. Where we’re at, we’re not there without him.”