D-9 Senior Basketball Stars Shine One Last Time At Sportsmanship 1 Games (03/29/15)

The fifteenth annual Clarion County YMCA – Sportsmanship 1 Basketball All-Star Games, featuring some of District Nine’s top graduating seniors, were held at Clarion High School, on Saturday (March 28th).

In what would be for most, if not all, of the participants, the last time they lace up for a high school basketball game, some great athletic skills were on display. And none more so than Boys’ MVP Nate Sestina, of the Blue Team, from Cameron County.

The 6’7″ Bucknell recruit put on a crowd pleasing show, in the night cap, as he delivered seven slam dunks in the contest, including three on successive trips down court in the first half. The large crowd cheered in approval on each one. Sestina scored a game high 39 points. It was a great performance, even though it was in a losing cause, as the Red Team won 117-100.

The Red Team, coached by area District Nine Champions, Joe Ferguson of Clarion-Limestone and Redbank Valley’s Greg Bean, a Clarion Bobcat alum, used a balanced attack with seven players scoring in double-figures. Among them were five KSAC players: Colton Stiglitz, Clarion-Limestone – 17 points; Jake Dougherty, Redbank Valley – 14 points; Christian Cyphert, North Clarion – 14 points; Alex Graf, Keystone – 13 points; David Olszak, Karns City – 13 points.

They were joined by  Dane Aucker, Dubois Central Catholic – 14 points and Mitchell Struble, Elk County Catholic – 12 points. Joining Sestina, in double-figures for the Blue Team, were Tate Canavan, Brookville – 15 points and Andrew Serafini, Brockway – 11 points.

The Girls’ Game went to the White Team, 77-66, as Keystone’s  Madison Johnston and Clarion’s Maci Thornton, as they have so many time over the last four years, put on their best as they faced each other. The two 2013-14 All-Staters, from neighboring schools scored 18 and 16 points respectively, with each showing fine basketball skills. For her efforts, Johnson was named the Girls’ MVP.

Other Girls’ players scoring in double figures were: for the White Team, Taylor Morgan, Kane – 14 points and Macy Neureiter, Elk County Catholic – 12 points; and for the Blue Team, Morgan Okerlund, Smethport – 15 points.

Thornton, who won the Girls’ 32 shooting contest, was given the Sportsmanship Award. Fellow KSAC player, Shanel Preston of Karns City finished second in the 32 point contest. Dougherty was the Boys’ 32 contest winner, with Struble finishing second. Stiglitz was the Boys’ Sportsmanship Award recipient.

Other coaches in this years games included: from the KSAC, Dave Kershbaumer, Karns City and Tom McNellie, Venango Catholic – Girls’ White Team; Ken Pistner, Elk County Catholic and Dave Sullivan, Cameron County – Girls’ Blue Team; and Nate Glunt, Clearfield and Jon Songer, Cameron County – Boys Blue Team.

This year’s Sportsman of the Year Award winner was  Aaron Straub, athletic director and boys basketball coach from Elk County Catholic. Coach Straub has coached ECC to 724 wins, 19 District Titles and a State Championship. He has coached other sports as well.

Anyone who has ever gotten to meet this fine gentleman, will agree that this award is well deserved. Congratulations, Coach.

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Clarion County YMCA Director Jesse Kelley shared some thoughts with me. He said, “This event, The Sportsmanship Basketball Games, first of all, we’ve been doing it for fifteen years. It is a chance to honor our senior boys and girls basketball players who have given so much to their respective communities. It’s a chance to give them one last opportunity to shine in front of their communities and play in one last all-star game as well.

“But we are really here today to celebrate sportsmanship. We call it Sportsmanship 1 because we want sportsmanship to be the focus – for us not to forget about that. And we also want to promote the values of the YMCA. We use programs like basketball and all the other youth sports. We’re really trying to nurture the development of all of our children who turn into our teenagers and build wholesome values.

“This fits in with our mission, what we want to do. It’s one last chance for the kids to play for their parents and their communities. It really involves all of District Nine.”

Kelley mentioned the selection process, “The kids are selected from a volunteer base within our organization, that serves the Sportsmanship 1 committee. And then also our District Nine coaches send in their ballots.”

And what do the players receive from the experience? “It gives the kids a chance, that may not have played against each other or have played against each other, to get to know kids from other teams in the district. There able to build relationships here. That’s another strong component of the event.”

Kelley mentioned the area support: “We wouldn’t be able to run this event without our sponsors. Pizza Pub providing the pizza for the kids is a really nice thing and Clarion Area High School, who opens up their doors to host the event here. Some of our major sponsors, this year, were: the Clarion County Rod and Gun Club, out of Knox gave us a thousand dollar donation and the Fraternal Order of  the Eagles of Clarion gave us a thousand dollars also. So I want to make sure that we acknowledge them. They were the lead sponsors for the event this year.

“But we have over six thousand dollars in sponsorships for the event so people from the community are really starting to recognize what this event brings.”

The referees did something special. Kelley said, “We normally give the refs fifty dollars each, to work the event. All six officials were nice enough this year to donate the fifty dollars back. So that’s three-hundred dollars total that they donated back to the YMCA.”

Who are the beneficiaries of the funds raised? “The proceeds go to the Clarion County YMCA and also to Camp Coffman, which is part of our Scenic Rivers YMCA Association. With the YMCA being a not for profit charity, no matter what program we run, we never turn anyone away for financial reasons. We do these fundraisers throughout the year, so no family is ever turned away.”

What does the committee look for in selecting the Sportsperson of the Year? “The event also serves as a platform to acknowledge a Coach or Sportsperson of the Year from our community, or from District Nine, who has had a positive impact on the lives of people, that have led in the communities that they have served. This year’s Sportsperson of the Year is Aaron Straub.

“We select one person each year that embodies what the YMCA is about and most important, that sportsmanship is related to. Somebody like Aaron, with his many years of experience and coaching that he’s had, has given so much to his community and his players that have come through. So it’s a nice way to acknowledge somebody like that and say ‘Thank you’ for their service to their community.”

And who is the backbone of this event? Kelley said, “Norbert Baschnagel has been the Director of this event. He’s a YMCA volunteer first, but he really heads this event because his quote is, ‘Without sportsmanship you got nothing.’ Sportsmanship is the number one thing. If the kids are learning the X’s and O’s and learning about winning and losing, and learning how to be a good sport, it really sets them up to be successful in life, just through the game of basketball. Sportsmanship first; he has always led his life that way and without sportsmanship you don’t have anything.

“I want to thank Norb. This is his fifteenth year, doing this. And the YMCA and Camp Coffman are just benefactors of his time and his energy and the relationships he’s built with the community.”

And who are some of the others who help make the event successful?  “Also District Nine Sports (D9Sports.com) have put in a lot of time into this event. ExploreClarion.com is here also, broadcasting the event. I’d like to thank Rich Rhoades and Chris Rossetti for serving on the committee. Rich Rhoades does an extensive amount of volunteer work, writing up the players bios for the program and Chris Rossetti, the time he put on the committee.

“Without that connection also, it would be really hard for just the YMCA staff to put on this event. So it is multifaceted from a lot of people. And Norb kind of maintains quality control over everything: making sure you’ve got the programs, you’ve got the concessions taken care of. He calls me constantly, just to make sure, because he’s done this so many times.”

(Thank you to all involved in this great effort and congratulations to all of this year’s players!!!!)