Rice, Altomore lead local All-State selections
Monessen’s Justin Rice splits the defense and puts up a shot against Imani Christian Academy during the WPIAL Class 1-A boys’ championship game
Jaden Altomore (No. 3) of Monessen rises up to the basket after beating his defender, Ray Jackson (No.5) from Imani Academy during the WPIAL Class 1-A boys’ championship game
They were the heart and soul of Monessen’s basketball team.
Justic Rice and Jaden Altomore formed a great 1-2 punch in leading the Greyhounds to the WPIAL Class A title this year. They finished second and third, respectively, on the school’s career scoring list.
On Friday, the two were named first team in Class A on the Pennsylvania Sports Writers All-State Basketball Teams.
Rice and Altomore were two of the four local athletes who made one of the three teams in each classification.
Matt Popeck, a senior guard from Washington, was named second team on the Class AAA team, and A.J. Myers, a guard from Chartiers-Houston, made third team in Class AA.
Altomore finished with 1,593 career points, which ranks second only to A.J. Jackson’s 1,757 on Monessen’s all-time scoring list. Rice was right behind him, scoring 1,530 points.
“They were right up there with the best players in our program,” said Monessen head coach Joe Salvino. “They led us to two WPIAL championships, this year and they were a big part of it as sophomores.”
Rice averaged 20.3 points, seven assists and six steals per game, and shot 76 percent from the free-throw line. He led a Monessen offense that averaged a WPIAL-best 78.8 points per game and topped 100 in three games.
“He doesn’t worry about scoring,” Salvino said of Rice. “He gets people involved in the game.”
Altomore averaged a team-leading 22.5 points per game and made 64 three-point field goals. He scored 38 points in a PIAA playoff game against North Clarion.
“He came on strong this year,” said Salvino. “I always knew he could score. I wanted him to become a better defender and rebounder and he did.”
Myers averaged 22.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 3.1 steals per game this season for the Bucs. A four-year starter, Myers helped the Bucs make another postseason run.
Popeck is the only player to be named Observer-Reporter Boys Basketball Player of the Year two times. He shot 63 percent from two-point range and 50 percent (53 for 106) from three-point range. Popeck also made 110 of 137 free throws (80.3 percent).
Lonnie Walker of Reading was chosen the Class 6-A player of the year, Collin Gillespie of Archbishop Woodis is the Class 5-A player of the year, Daron Russell of Imhotep Charter was the Class 4-A choice and Quade Green of Neumann-Goretti was the pick in Class AAA. Tamir Green of Constitution got Double-A honors and Kevin Anderson of St. John Neumann was the Class A selection.
All are seniors.