Basketball: The 2008-09 Dream Team

Published: Thursday, April 9, 2009
By the News-Herald Sports Staff

The 2009 boys’ basketball season did not lack for excitement this winter.

A trio of marquees players: Kennedy’s Breland Hogan, Truman’s Christian Moon and Roosevelt’s Andrew VanDierenDonck all took turns leading the area in scoring at 20 or more points per game and provided highlights galore.

Team success wasn’t far behind either, as Hogan’s Eagles were co-Mega Blue champions, Moon’s Cougars were district champions for the record fourth-straight year and VanDierenDonck’s Bears were runners-up in the Mega White.

The Huron League also featured thrills and chills, headlined by resurgent Huron, which went undefeated and won its first league and district championships in more than three decades.

While Truman, Huron and Inter-City were all district champions, it was the Chargers that made it to the regional final before running out of steam.

Meet this season’s News-Herald Dream Team:

Breland Hogan, Kennedy: The Eagles’ senior combination guard leaves Kennedy as one of its best players ever. Hogan led Kennedy to a share of the Michigan Mega Conference Blue division title. The three-year starter averaged a Downriver-best 22.5 points per game with 2.4 assists and 2.2 steals.
From the free-throw line he averaged 76 percent, while shooting 37 percent from behind the three-point arc. Hogan, a multiple all-league selection, has garnered mid-major Division 1 recruiting interest.

Christian Moon, Truman: After missing his junior season with a broken leg, Moon came back with a vengeance this winter for the four-time Class A district champion Cougars. Moon, a 6-foot-3 swingman, was one of the area’s scoring leaders with 19.9 points, more than five rebounds per game, 2.5 assists and three steals. The all-Mega Red pick shot at a 40 percent clip from three-point range.

Andrew Scarton, Flat Rock: Although just a junior, the Flat Rock point guard was named the Huron League MVP. He ran the show for the Rams, who finished second in the Huron League and game Huron a battle in the district championship game. Scarton, who earned Class B all state honorable mention honors, proved early in the season that he could score, notching a couple of near-30 efforts in the first few games. He then settled into a role as distributor and proved deft at that as well. In the end, he averaged 15.8 points and 7.4 assists a game. His assist total was the highest in the Downriver area and his scoring was eighth.

Larry Smith, Lincoln Park: Smith was a first-team Mega Gold honoree after averaging 16 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.1 steals for the Railsplitters, who made a Class A district final. One of the few regulars to play most of the season at Lincoln Park, Smith made the Rails a much tougher defensive matchup with his quickness and catch-and-shoot ability.

Andrew VanDierenDonck, Roosevelt: The Northwood University-bound senior garnered Class A honorable mention all-state laurels from the Associated Press after averaging 22.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.9 steals and 3.9 assists. Vastly oversized for a point guard, he created myriad defensive problems for opponents, who often saw entry passes picked off by the 6-foot-3 guard.

Eric Voelz, Riverview: A slasher and one of the area’s flashiest players, Voelz could score inside and he proved to have near limitless three-point range. Voelz, who was all-Huron League first team, scored 337 points this season and his points-per-game average was sixth best among Downriver players. He also added 4.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.5 steals per game

Published: Wednesday, April 8, 2009
By The News-Herald Sports Staff

Mickey Bozymowski, Roosevelt: The big senior averaged 10.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game for the Bears, who finished second to eventual Class B semifinalist Inkster in the Michigan Mega Conference White division.

Jamar Brown, Truman: The senior combo-guard averaged 14.4 points for the four-time district champion Cougars as well as 2.6 assists and 3.0 steals per game.

Aaron Felsner, Allen Park: The Jaguars’ 6-foot-7 big man was a welcome addition this year, helping Allen Park get back to .500 after a one-win season a year ago. In his one year with the Jags, the transfer student averaged 16.3 points and 8.7 rebounds while dominating at times inside the paint.

Brandon Jordan, Kennedy: The sophomore forward played injured in the second half of the season, but provided the co-Blue champs with their inside presence. Jordan averaged 10 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.

Mike Kozar, Anderson: The three-year letterwinner was a rock inside for the Titans. As a second-year starter in a balanced attack, Kozar averaged 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Carlos Love, Carlson: The point guard paced the Marauders to a share of the Mega Gold championship after dishing out 4.8 assists to compliment his seven points per game.

Andrew Matt, Roosevelt: The Bears’ leading rebounder — he’s a Wayne State football signee — averaged 6.9 boards per game and added 9.3 points per night as Wyandotte finished second in the Mega White.

Donald Mitchell, Anderson: The all-league swingman could score in bunches and averaged 11.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.

Johnnie O’Bannon, Lincoln Park: O’Bannon did a little of everything for the Railsplitters, averaging 8.6 points and 4.5 rebounds while leading the team in assists (3-1) and steals (2.6). He was a Mega Gold honorable mention selection.

Dontez Patton, Carlson: The junior led the Marauders in both scoring (14.9 points per game) and rebounding (8.3) as they rolled to a share of the Mega Gold championship.

Raphael Sanders, Truman: The Cougars’ junior power forward added some inside muscle this winter. Sanders averaged 10.5 points per game with 7.5 rebounds and 2.3 steals.

Trevor Zacny, Allen Park: Capable of playing multiple positions, the all-league pick averaged 12.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.

Honorable Mention

Allen Park: Joe Latkovic, Zachary Ross; Anderson: Nick Horiatis; Kemir Kouassin; Carlson: Larry Frederick, David Gish, Rob Worthy; Kennedy: Aaron Hayes, Ryan White; Lincoln Park: Ray Barcenas, Jake Choice; Roosevelt: A.J. Sowards; Truman: DeRay Kelley, Lance Marshall; Woodhaven: Brandon Dorsey, Johnell Moore.