Valley standout, coaches earn NLC top honors

A Colony junior standout grabbed the Northern Lights Conference’s top honor.

Patrick McMahon was named the NLC Boys Player of the Year. McMahon helped the Knights finish the regular season 8-0 in conference play, and earn the No. 1 seed in the region tournament. The NLC Championships were canceled due to the COVID-19 threat.

McMahon is one of four Knights on the boys’ first team. Colton Spencer, Jeremiah Hersrud and Wyatt Baker also garned first-team honors for the Knights. Colony mentor Tom Berg was named the NLC Boys Coach of the Year.

Valley players represented six of the seven spots on the NLC boys’ first team. Wasilla’s Luke Devine and Palmer’s Lavar Marshall were also named to the first team.

Wasilla’s Jeannie Hebert-Truax was named the NLC Girls Coach of the Year. Hebert-Truax coached a Wasilla squad that finished 8-0 in league play, and earned the conference’s regular season crown. Two of her players were named to the first team. Bella Hays and Jazylnn Novelli each represented the Warriors on the first team.

Like the boys, the Valley scored six of the seven spots on the first team. The Knights led the conference with three first-teamers. Indiya Clarke, Tori Schwantes and Abby Kenley were all named to the first-team. wCatherine Uschmann represented Palmer on the first team.

Soldotna’s Ituau Tuisaula was named the NLC Girls Player of the Year.

A combined five Valley players earned second-team honors. Wasilla’s Andrew Devine and Donnie Lawhead were named to the boys’ second team. Wasilla’s Harmony McSorley, Colony’s Hannah Duguid and Palmer’s Liv Solis were named to the second team for the girls.

Valley teams ranked No. 1 in final poll of the year

A pair of Valley teams were ranked No. 1 in the final Alaska Association of Basketball Coaches poll of the 2019-2020 season.

Colony finished the season ranked first in the 4A boys poll and the Wasilla Warriors and the Lathrop Malemutes ended the season tied at No. 1 in the 4A girls poll. Colony was ranked fourth in the 4A girls poll.

On the 4A boys side, East Anchorage is ranked second, followed by West Valley, Dimond and West Anchorage. In the 4A girls’ poll, Juneau-Douglas is third and Chugiak is fifth.

Other top-ranked teams in the final polls included Monroe Catholic (3A boys), Anchorage Christian (3A girls), Petersburg (2A boys), Nenana (2A girls), Lumen Christi (1A boys) and King Cove (1A girls)

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