BOYS BASKETBALL

Coaches recognize top boys' basketball players in York-Adams Division II

STEVE HEISER
717-505-5446/@ydsports
  • The York-Adams Division II boys' basketball coaches have honored the division's top performers.
  • Susquehannock's Jalen Franklin is the division's player of the year.
  • West York's Garrett Bull is the division's coach of the year.
Susquehannock's Jalen Franklin, seen here at right in a file photo, has been named the York-Adams Division II Boys' Basketball Player of the Year by the division's coaches.

It’s been quite a season for Susquehannock’s Jalen Franklin.

The 6-foot, 1-inch senior captain has led the Warriors to their best record in years.

The four-year starter has guided his team to its first state playoff berth since 2006.

He also recently became the leading scorer in program history, breaking a record that had stood for nearly half a century.

Now, he’s been named the York-Adams Division II Player of the Year by the division’s coaches.

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Franklin has led the Warriors to a 17-8 overall record heading into Tuesday’s PIAA Class 5-A state playoff contest at District 1 runner-up Radnor (21-3).

For a second consecutive season, he’s averaging more than 22 points per game and is second in the York-Adams League in scoring. He’s averaged at least 18 points per game in each of his four seasons with Susquehannock.

Franklin was a York-Adams D-II first-team all-star as a junior and a sophomore after being named to the second team as a freshman.

In a District 3 playoff win over Northeastern on Feb. 28, he became the Warriors’ all-time leading scorer, breaking the previous record of 1,646 set in 1974 by Frank Wright.

West York Head Coach Garrett Bull takes down the net in celebration of a 56-45 title win over Eastern York during YAIAA boys' championship basketball action at York County School of Technology in York Township, Friday, Feb. 18, 2022. West York would win the game 56-45. Dawn J. Sagert photo

West York's Garrett Bull, who led the Trojans to the D-II regular-season title and the league playoff championship, is the division's coach of the year. It was West York's first league playoff crown since 2008. The Bulldogs (24-4) travel to District 12 runner-up Archbishop Ryan on Tuesday night in a first-round PIAA contest.

More:West York tops Eastern York to earn first York-Adams boys' basketball title since 2008

Other D-I first-team all-stars: West York has two players on the D-II all-star first team — Jaden Walker and A.J. Williams. The other members of the D-II first team are Eastern York’s Austin Bausman, York Suburban’s Avant Sweeney and Gettysburg’s Trent Ramirez-Keller.Walker and Williams have led the Bulldogs to a 24-4 overall record and a state 5-A playoff berth.

Walker is a 6-0 senior who averages about 11 points per game, while Williams is a 6-3 senior who averages about 10 points per game.

More:York-Adams Division I boys' basketball coaches hand out top honors for 2021-2022 season

Bausman, a 6-4 junior, helped the Golden Knights to a 16-11 season, averaging 18 points per game

Sweeney, a 6-2 junior, averaged 16 points per game for Suburban, including a 38-point outburst in the Trojans’ regular-season finale.

Ramirez-Keller, a 5-8 senior, averaged 15 points per game.

Second-team and honorable-mention selections: The members of the D-II second team are: Eastern York’s Carter Wamsley (6-6, freshman, 11 ppg), Suburban’s Brady Stump (6-7, senior, 11 ppg), Kennard-Dale’s Koy Swanson (6-3, junior, 12 ppg), West York’s David McGladrie (5-10, junior, 9 ppg) and Susquehannock’s Joshua Franklin (6-0, junior, 12 ppg).

Earning D-II honorable mention were Zach Orwig and Levi Sharnetzka of Kennard-Dale, Braedyn Dietz and Ja’Vair Powell of West York, Ethan Wagner and Mike Hankey of Gettysburg, Jakob Smyser of Dover and Dan Benna of Susquehannock.

Reach Steve Heiser at sheiser@yorkdispatch.com or on Twitter at @ydsports.