Butler’s Ethan Morton named Player of the Year in Class 6A all-state voting
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Saturday, May 2, 2020 | 12:00 AM
Butler’s Ethan Morton celebrates after defeating Upper St. Clair, 83-78 in overtime, in a WPIAL Class 6A semifinal Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020, at Robert Morris University.
Butler’s Ethan Morton’s quest for a PIAA basketball title was cut short, but the senior earned statewide recognition Saturday as the state’s Class 6A Player of the Year in a vote of Pennsylvania sports writers.
The Purdue recruit was the first WPIAL athlete to win the award in the PIAA’s largest classification since 2014. This also was the third year in a row that Morton earned first-team all-state honors.
The 6-foot-6 point guard averaged 23.4 points, 13 rebounds and 8.3 assists this season for Butler (22-4), which won the WPIAL title and had reached the state quarterfinals before the covid-19 outbreak shut down the PIAA tournament.
Two other WPIAL players joined Morton on the Class 6A all-state team. Penn-Trafford’s Zach Rocco and Mt. Lebanon’s Jake Hoffman were both named to the third team.
Rocco averaged 23.7 points and Hoffman 21.2.
Erie McDowell senior William Jeffress, who committed to Pitt, also earned first-team honors.
Hampton’s Ryan Luther earned the player of the year award in 2014.
Class 6A
First team
Ethan Morton, 6-6, Sr., G, Butler
William Jeffress, 6-7, Sr., F, Erie McDowell
Jalen Duren, 6-9 So., F, Roman Catholic
Jhamir Brickus, 5-11, Sr., G, Coatesville
Stevie Mitchell, 6-1, Jr., G, Wilson
Jeff Woodward, 6-10, Sr., F, Methacton
Second team
Lynn Greer, 6-1, Sr., G, Roman Catholic
Ike Herster, 6-6, Sr., F, Kennedy Catholic
Karell Watkins, 6-4, Jr., F, Chester
Justice Williams, 6-3, So., G, Roman Catholic
Erik Timko, 6-3, Sr., G, Methacton
Yasir Stover, 6-0, Sr., G, Simon Gratz
Third team
Jaelen McGlone, 6-4, Sr., G, Cheltenham
Shaquil Bender, 6-2, Sr., G, Abraham Lincoln
Zach Rocco, 6-2, Sr., G, Penn-Trafford
Jake Hoffman, 6-3, Sr., F, Mt. Lebanon
Akeem Taylor, 6-4, Sr., G, Chester
Caleb Mims, 6-0, Sr., G, Bethlehem Freedom
Player of the Year: Ethan Morton, Butler
Coach of the Year: Matt Coldren, Wilson
_ _ _
Pa. Sportswriters All-State Boys Basketball
Class A — Monday
Class 2A — Tuesday
Class 3A — Wednesday
Class 4A — Thursday
Class 5A — Friday
Class 6A — Saturday
Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.
Tags: Butler, Mt. lebanon, Penn-Trafford
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