PA Writers Boys All-State Team: 4A
Written by: Dell Jackson on April 30, 2020
Ed note: The players were selected by nominations from across PA from writers/media folks who covered the sport. After nominations, the players were voted on by all included in the initial requests. LLhoops was included in this process. There will be a separate posting for each of the classes on several dates. Enjoy!
Jordan Longino- credit @GABoysBball
4A
First team
Jordan Longino, 6-4 Jr. G, Germantown Acad
Tyreese Watson, 6-4 Jr. G, Bonner-Prendergast
Elijah Taylor, 6-8 Sr. F, Imhotep
John Camden, 6-7 Jr. F, Archbishop Carroll
Donald Whitehead, 5-11 Jr. F, Hickory
Caleb Dorsey, 6-8 Sr. F, Hill School
Second team
Isiah Warfield, 6-5 Sr. F, Central Valley
Nick Filchner, 6-8 Sr. F, Allentown CC
Ibrihim Kane, 6-5 Sr. F, Polumbo
Jake Kelly, 6-3 Sr. G, Bishop McDevitt
Gabe Dorsey, 6-6 Jr. F, Hill School
Zack Rovinsky, 6-7 Sr. F, Western Wayne
Third team
Drew McKeon, 6-3 Sr. G, Pope John Paul II
Steven Ressler, 5-11 Jr. G, Bedford
Donovan Rodriguez, 6-0 Sr. G, Bonner-Prendergast
Johnny Crise, 6-6 Sr. F, Highland
Justin Green, 6-5 Jr. F, Pope John Paul II
Peyton Mele, 6-3 Jr. G, Hickory
Coach of the year: Brendon Stantan, Pope John Paul II
Also receiving votes: Kevin Funston, Bonner-Prendergast; Joe Klazas, Lancaster Catholic
By Mike Gross
@MikeGrossLNP
mgross@lnpnews.com
The Pennsylvania Sportswriters All-State basketball team reflects a trend toward big guards who can do everything.
In the case of Class 4A Player of the Year Jordan Longino, “everything,’’ isn’t even limited to the basketball court. Longino, a 6-4 junior guard at Germantown Academy, is a major-college recruit in basketball and football. In hoops, he averaged 22.9 points per game to go with elite play-making, rebounding and defense.
He’s the 46th-ranked high school junior in the country, with scholarship offers from Villanova, Indiana, Virginia, Florida, Maryland, Penn State and others. He was also first-team all-state last season.
In football he’s a quarterback who threw for over 2,000 yards, with 16 touchdowns and just four interceptions, and is starting to attract FBS college attention.
The 4A first team is big, period, and unlike the first teams in other classes actually looks, positionally, like a basketball team.
The other guards are 6-4 Tyreese Watson of Bonner-Prendergast, and 5-11 Donald Whitehead of Hickory.
Watson was a first-team choice in the tough Philadelphia Catholic league who averaged 17.6 pointer per game. B-P went 20-5 with wins over Roman Catholic, Bishop McDevitt and Imhotep Charter, the last for the District 12 4A title, and was through to the state quarterfinals when the coronavirus pandemic ended the season.
Whitehead’s team was 23-4, also made the state quarters, and won the 4A District 10 title for the second straight year. He averaged 21 points per game and finished his career with 1,837 points.
Also on the first team: Imhotep 6-8 senior big man Elijah Taylor; 6-7 junior forward John Camden from Philadelphia Archbishop Carroll; and another big, 6-8 senior Caleb Dorsey of The Hill School in Pottstown.
Taylor is a Notre Dame recruit. Dorsey is signed with Penn State. Camden has offers from Syracuse, Penn State, Florida, Miami and Temple.
In addition to Longino, repeat all-staters include Whitehead and Jake Kelly, a 6-3 senior swingman from Harrisburg Bishop McDevitt.
The 4A coach of the year is Brendan Stanton of Pope John Paul II, who took over a losing program two years ago and went 20-5 this season, won the District One championship and reached the state quarterfinals.
Two of his players, 6-3 senior guard Drew McKeon and 6-5 junior forward Justin Green, earned third-team recognition.
The all-state teams are chosen in voting by a panel of sportswriters from throughout the state.
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