A pair of Somerset County boys basketball players collected all-state honors from the Pennsylvania Sports Writers.
Turkeyfoot Valley senior Bryce Nicholson was a Class 1A second-team selection while North Star senior Andy Retassie garnered third-team accolades in Class 3A.
“This is such an honor,” said Nicholson. “I never thought I would make it this far, especially as far as I did this season. I didn’t think I would be recognized across the state like this.”
A season ago, Nicholson was a third-team all-state selection. He took his game to new heights this year.
Nicholson paced the Rams with 582 points (21.6 per game) and 151 steals (5.6) in 27 games played. He contributed 143 rebounds, 98 assists and 51 blocks. He became the all-time leading scorer in Turkeyfoot Valley history, finishing his career with 1,864 points.
He guided the Rams to the program’s first WestPAC title and PIAA playoff victory as well as a District 5-1A crown for the first time since 1995 this season. The all-state honor put a cherry on top of a fantastic career.
“I am just so glad I got to do all of this with my teammates and my coach one last time,” Nicholson said.
Meanwhile, Retassie earned his first all-state selection in what proved to be a breakout season.
“This definitely means a lot,” Retassie said. “My freshman year, I didn’t even start. I definitely worked hard to get to where I was at this year. I spent a lot of time in the gym. I am very thankful for the coaches and the people I had around me who helped me play so well this season.”
Retassie delivered 522 points (19.3 per game) and 130 assists (4.8) to lead the Cougars. He topped 1,000 career points this season. Retassie also notched 175 rebounds, 88 steals and 25 blocked shots. He led North Star to a District 5-8 Class 3A championship in thrilling fashion with his late-game heroics.
It was a special year for the senior court general.
“I think it was great (being the leader),” Retassie said. “I think the whole team was prepared for this season. We all had a chip on our shoulder after the last couple of years, not going as far as we would have liked. That definitely played a role in my success as well as the team’s.”
Adam Ripple is the Daily American sports editor. He can be reached at 814-444-5926. Follow him on X @ARipple_DAsport. Follow Daily American Sports on Facebook and @dailyamericanmedia on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Nicholson, Retassie earn PA Sports Writers’ all-state basketball nods
