Wasilla seniors sweep 4A top honors; 9 named to all-state list

WASILLA — There’s no co-player of the year this time.

A week after sharing the Northern Lights Conference Player of the Year Award with Soldotna’s Kaillee Skjold, Wasilla senior Alyssa Hutchins stands alone with the state’s top honor.

Hutchins, one of two Wasilla seniors to earn top 4A honors, was named the girls player of year. Connor Devine was named the player of the year for the 4A boys.

Wasilla girls head coach Jeannie Hebert-Truax said she was surprised to see a tie in the conference player of the year voting, but was thrilled to see Hutchins as the lone winner of the state honor.

“I think that says a lot about her. Coaches from all over the state admire and respect what she’s done,” Hebert-Truax said. “Obviously I thought she was the player of the year in our conference, hands down. I was a little disappointed she wasn’t the player of the year by herself, but this shows statewide what people think about her.”

Hutchins, a UAA recruit, is among the top scorers in the state, averaging 18 points per game.

“It’s well-deserved,” Hebert-Truax said. “She puts in a lot of time and effort, and has brought a lot to our team.”

Hebert-Truax said Hutchins’ ability to score is obvious, but believes some may look past her ability to excel on the other end of the floor.

“I think a lot of people look at her offense, but don’t look at her defense,” Hebert-Truax said. “She’s got tenacity, good court sense.”

Colony junior Mary Klapperich joined Hutchins on the first team. Dimond’s Sierra Afoa, West Valley’s Hannah Mattson and Skjold also were named first-team.

While some may see room for debate on the girls side, Wasilla boys head coach Ryan Engebretsen said Devine is clearly the best boys basketball player in Alaska.

“There’s no debate,” Engebretsen said.

Devine has averaged nearly a triple-double during his senior year, netting 20.2 points, 14.5 rebounds and 8.1 blocks per game. Devine finished the regular season with eight triple-doubles, and fell just shy of the mark in a handful of other games. In addition to the statistics, Engebretsen said Devine, a two-time NLC Player of the Year and changes games like no other player he’s seen in his 12 years as a coach in the Valley.

“The biggest thing he does, he makes you game-plan for him,” Engebretsen said. “You have to game-plan for Connor, knowing he’s on the floor.”

Divine will play Division I basketball at South Dakota State next year.

Hutchins and Devine both helped their teams win NLC titles last week, and both squads enter this week’s state tournament as the top-ranked team on their respective bracket. The Wasilla girls open tourney play Thursday at 6:45 p.m. at the Sullivan Arena in Anchorage against eighth-seeded Palmer. The Wasilla boys face Lathrop at 5 p.m. in the first round.

Devine was the lone Valley player on the boys’ first team. Dimond’s Ryden Hines and Colter Lasher, Service’s Adam Klie and Bartlett’s Treshawn King-Dunbar were also named first-team.

Klapperich earned first-team honors after helping lead Colony to a third-place finish in the NLC tourney. The Knights are seeded fifth, and face NLC rival Soldotna Thursday at 1:15 p.m.

A handful of Valley players were also named second-team. Palmer junior Taylor Blake, Wasilla junior Alexis Imoe and Houston senior Savanna James were named second-team all-state on the girls side. Wasilla junior Alysha Devine earned third-team honors.

Wasilla senior Braydon Kuiper and Palmer junior Connor Looney were named to the 4A boys second team.

The 2011-12 all-state team was voted on by members of the Alaska Association of Basketball Coaches and tabulated by Alaska Media LLC.

Alaska Media LLC/

AABC All-State Team

4A Girls Player of the Year:

Alyssa Hutchins, Wasilla

4A Girls Coach of the Year:

Steve Caciari, West Valley

4A Girls First Team:

Alyssa Hutchins, Wasilla; Sierra Afoa, Dimond; Hannah Mattson, West Valley; Kaillee Skjold, Soldotna; Mary Klapperich, Colony.

4A Girls Second Team:

Taylor Blake, Palmer; Alexis Imoe, Wasilla; Aminata Cole, Dimond; Esra Siddeek, Juneau-Douglas; Savanna James, Houston.

4A Girls Third Team:

Gabi Fenumiai, Juneau-Douglas; Caitlyn Brice, West Valley; Alysha Devine, Wasilla; Josie Broderick, North Pole; Taria Page, East.

4A Boys Player of the Year:

Connor Devine, Wasilla

4A Boys Coach of the Year:

Rob Golosich, Dimond

4A Boys First Team:

Connor Devine, Wasilla; Ryden Hines, Dimond; Adam Klie, Service; Colter Lasher, Dimond; Treshawn King-Dunbar, Bartlett.

4A Boys Second Team:

Trenton Anthony, Bartlett; Connor Looney, Palmer; Braydon Kuiper, Wasilla; Amu Aukisitino, Service; Kyle Day, Ketchikan.

4A Boys Third Team:

Lance Ibesate, Juneau-Douglas; Evan Withrow, Soldotna; AJ Hull, Kenai; Marques Robinson, Service, Kendall Brown, West.