April 1, 2007

By Jeremiah Bartz/ Frontiersman

WASILLA - Early in his high school basketball career, Jesse Bean's goals were centered around winning region and state titles. Anything more would be an added bonus.

Wasilla senior Jesse Bean, left, works his way around Palmer junior T.J. Fullmer during a Warrior win over the Moose at the end of the regular season. After helping lead his team to a state title, Bean has been named the 4A state player of the year. ROBERT DeBERRY/ Frontiersman

Now just a week after helping lead his team to the first state title in the history of the Wasilla High School boys' basketball program, the WHS senior was awarded one of those added bonuses.

On Saturday, Bean was named the Daily News/Alaska Media 4A Player of the Year.

“I couldn't have had a better season this year,” Bean said. “I think everything went pretty much perfectly.”

Bean said the mere idea of winning that illustrious state title has yet to really sink in, and earning awards such as the player of the year is more than he could have ever expected.

The 5-foot-11 point guard garnered player of the year votes on 60 percent of the ballots collected, and rose to the top of an excellent class of talent that included Division I-bound Will Egolf, of Juneau-Douglas, and East Anchorage guard Damar Wilson, another Division I caliber athlete.

“I thought it was a really good class,” Bean said. “I wish I could have played against some of them. Damar, Will, they're great players.”

Bean is just one of the three from the Valley to win major awards.

There was a Mat-Su sweep in the 4A coach of the year category. Colony's Jeff Bowker was named the coach of the year on the boys' side, and Wasilla's Jeannie Hebert-Truax earned the honor for the girls.

Both earned state coach of the year honors for the second time.

Joining Bean on the boys' first-team is Wilson, Egolf, West Anchorage senior guard Phillip Hearn and Ketchikan junior Damon Bell-Holter.

A par of Valley athletes - Colony junior guard Doug Gray and Wasilla junior guard Dexter Pearce - are on the second team, as is Dimond junior guard Rylan Whilden and Service guards Marcus Lowe and Markese Bookhard.

Wasilla senior Jeremiah Collins and Colony junior Jaron Murphy were each given honorable mention.

Bean was happy to see a pair of his teammates also be honored.

“Those were the people who helped get me player of the year,” Bean said. “They made me better.”

The Wasilla girls have a pair of players on the first team.

Senior guard Hillarie Putnam and sophomore guard Jenna Johnson were both named first-team all-state.

In just two years Johnson has established herself as one of the top players in the state.

“She's just good,” Hebert-Truax said. “She does everything. Somtimes you look at her, and all the sudden you say, ‘wow!'”

Hebert-Truax said there is no doubt in her mind that next season Johnson will be recognized as one of, if not the best player in the state.

Wasilla senior Anne Wesser, the 2007 Northern Lights Conference Player of the Year, was named to the second team.

Wesser and Putnam, both four-year varsity players for Hebert-Truax, realistically could have both been on the first team.

“She was just so consistent,: Hebert-Truax said of Wesser.

Colony sophomore Allie Grazulis is listed as an honorable mention.

Juneau-Douglas senior Talisa Rhea is the girls' player of the year for the third straight season.

Rhea leads a first team that includes Putnam, Johnson, East Anchorage junior Jazzie Gaddy and Chugiak junior Sarah Watzke.

Wesser, Service junior Sylvia Bullock, Soldotna senior Christa Kennedy, Juneau-Douglas sophomore Kayla Harrison and East Anchorage senior Sheena Pio made up the second team.

Despite finishing among the top four teams in the state, Palmer did have a player on the all-state team.

Houston High School has a pair of representatives on the 3A lists.

Junior guard Jen Mason is on the second team for the girls, while senior Donovan Parker is an honorable mention.

Petersburg and Barrow swept the 3A major awards. Petersburg's Cameron Severson was named player of the year or the boys, while Rick Brock was named the top coach.

Barrow senior Piggy Pili is the girls' player of the year, and Ryan Myers is the coach of the year.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.