The Recorder's All-County boys basketball teams

Friday, March 12, 2010

Player of the year

Marcus Martin

Northern senior guard

Resume: Unanimous choice; scored team-high 320 points (14.5 per game); scored season-high 28 against Broadneck and added 25 versus Thomas Stone and 24 in an in-county game against Calvert; 14 three-pointers; hit 82 of 118 free throws (69 percent); averaged 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.6 blocks per game; totaled 99 rebounds, including 75 on the defensive end

High praise: "Marcus was one of the conference's most versatile players and you had to worry about him on both ends of the court. [He's a] great player, great student, great person." – VaShawne Gross, Huntingtown head coach

"You know he's there before the game starts. You key on stopping him, but he still hurts you." –

Jeremy Kurutz, Calvert head coach

"He is a consistent player and a game changer. Plays hard all of the time and really stepped it up when they were without [injured guard] Dustin Jones]." – Lou Bruno, Patuxent head coach

Coach of the year

Clarence Tennell

Northern (sixth season)

Resume: Led team to record of 17-5 (11-2 overall) despite missing 2008-09 All-County most outstanding player Dustin Jones for most of the year; had winning streaks of eight and six games; won 14 of first 16 games of the season; 5-0 record against county opponents; averaged 54.9 points per game with season-high 76 versus Broadneck in South River tournament; held opponents to fewer than 50 points five times; earned No. 3 seed in Class 3A South region playoffs and fell in region semifinals

High praise: "[He] just seems to always have his kids ready to play and instills confidence in them. [Northern] didn't miss a beat when he was without his best player, Dustin." – Bruno

"It is how you work when no one is watching, that makes you better. Its not many teams in the conference that can lose there best player and finish second in the conference. He's coaching style and how he relates to his players makes him a great coach." – Gross

First team

Guard: Malik Tonkins,

Northern junior

Averaged 11.5 points, 4.1 assists, 3.5 rebounds, 3 steals per game; scored season-high 19 points against both South River and Lackey and reached double digits in scoring in 14 of 22 games; 81 percent from free-throw line; connected on 24 three-pointers and hit three in five games; field goal percentage of 43

Guard: Devonte Weems,

Huntingtown senior

Helped the Hurricanes to a winning percentage of 70 when he is in the lineup; is 18-2 against county opponents; averaged 13 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal; shot 81 percent from the foul line

Guard: Martin

Forward: Ryvell Jones,

Calvert senior

Averaged 16 points and 5.9 rebounds per game; hit 36 three-pointers; connected on 75 percent of his free throws

Center: Chris Waldschmitt, Calvert junior

All-MISAL first team; averaged 16.5 points and 10 rebounds per game; scored 23 points against Hyde Charter School and added 17 each against Grace Christian, Seed and Rockbridge; had close to 40 blocked shots, including nine in two games during Huntingtown's holiday tournament

Sixth man: Dustin Jones,

Northern senior

Guard missed all but 11 games due to knee injury; averaged 11.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 0.9 blocks per game; hit 40 percent of field goals; team-high 26 three-pointers and had two or more treys in nine straight games; scored season-high 20 points in win over Chopticon and reached double figures six times

Honorable mentions

G Ross Walker, Calverton senior; G Jaylen Scayles, Patuxent sophomore;

F Brett Blevins, Northern senior; F Will Lerch, Calverton forward; F C.J. C

annon, Calvert junior; F Aaron Young, Northern junior; C Brian McDonald, Huntingtown junior; C B.J. Poss,

Huntingtown senior