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Elder’s Estep, Uran Share Top Honors with Moeller’s Ponatoski, Clapper of St. Xavier

Posted on 11/7/2025 at 4:15 a.m.

It’s been another successful year for the Greater Catholic League South Division football teams.

Elder finished the regular season with its first 10-0 record since 1991, winning the league title outright for the first time since 2009, while La Salle, Moeller and St. Xavier each earned seven wins to give the four GCL South members a combined 31-8 record against top competition.

As a result, Elder, Moeller and St. Xavier claimed the top three seeds in Division I, Region 4, earning first-round byes in the OHSAA State Football Tournament.  La Salle, which competes at the DII level, finished with the fifth seed in Region 8 and opened postseason play for the league with a 28-27 win over Turpin last week.

All four teams play in the regional quarterfinals tonight, with Elder hosting Fairfield, Moeller facing Lakota West at Mount St. Joseph University, St. Xavier opposing Lakota East at home, and La Salle traveling to play Xenia.

It’s now time to honor the top players in the GCL South.

First- and second-team members of the All-GCL South Football Team, along with winners of the categorical awards, were voted on by league coaches at a special meeting held Sunday, October 27 at St.  Xavier High School.

Versatile Elder junior quarterback Kaden Estep, who ranks among GCL South leaders in both passing and rushing yards, and reigning Ohio Mr. Football senior QB Matt Ponatoski of Moeller were named GCL South Offensive Players of the Year.

During the regular season, Estep completed 138-of-192 passes for 1,746 yards to rank second, with 12 TDs and four interceptions.  He also ranked second in rushing yards, carrying 91 times for 714 yards and six TDs.  Estep also was the league’s top punter with a 37.8-yard average on 19 punts, dropping nine punts inside the opponents’ 20-yard line.

Ponatoski, GCL South Player of the Year last season, led the league in passing again – connecting on 160-of-241 passes for 1,921 yards, 24 TDs and just one interception.  He surpassed 200 yards passing in six games, including a 19-of-30 performance for 287 yards and five scores in a 43-42 loss to 16-time Illinois state champion Mt. Carmel in a game played in Ironton.

A first-team all-league selection the last three seasons, Ponatoski can surpass 9,000 passing yards tonight when the Crusaders play Lakota West in the regional quarterfinals at Mt. St. Joseph University.  Ponatoski has thrown for 92 TDs and just 12 interceptions the last three seasons, including 63 scoring passes with just three interceptions the last two years.

He has committed to play football and baseball at the University of Kentucky.

It’s no surprise in a league packed with Division I commits on defense and top-notch linebackers that a pair would share GCL South Defensive Player of the Year honors.  The duo is Elder senior Derek Uran, a University of Virginia commit, and St. Xavier’s Ja’Kobe Clapper, who has signed with Notre Dame after claiming a share of the elite defensive special award for the second consecutive year.

Uran, a catalyst for an Elder defense that allowed just 118 points in 10 games, holding five to single digits.  Uran led the GCL South with 9.5 sacks while finishing second in tackles, with 77.  Clapper was the leader of a talent-laden St. Xavier defense that allowed a league-low 101 points in nine games, holding five opponents to seven or fewer points.  Clapper ranked fifth in the league with 65 total tackles, recording 5.5 tackles for loss for the Bombers.

Clapper also was named co-Defensive Player of the Year as junior, along with Brady O’Conner from La Salle – who graduated after the 2024 season.  As a junior, Clapper finished second in the league in total tackles, with 77, while leading the St. Xavier defense with nine tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.

Elder’s Doug Ramsey, whose team was ranked No. 1 n the final MaxPreps Ohio (all divisions) and DI state polls, is the GCL South Coach of the Year.  The Panthers made their way unscathed through a brutal schedule that in a six-week stretch included victories against La Salle, Louisville St. Xavier, St. Xavier, Moeller, Highlands and Indianapolis Bishop Chatard to earn the region’s top seed.  The Panthers host Fairfield in the regional quarterfinals tonight.

All four league members were well represented on the All-GCL South teams and in the categorical special awards, all of which are listed below.  

Here is a look at this year’s league all-star selections:

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
NAME, SCHOOL, POSITION, CLASS, HEIGHT, WEIGHT
Tommy Becker, Elder, RB, Senior, 5-11, 180
Kaden Estep, Elder, QB, Junior, 6-0, 170
Tyler Josleyn, Moeller, RB, Senior, 5-11, 190
Max Kief, La Salle, OL, Senior, 6-5, 265
Jack Mallabar, Moeller, K, Junior, 5-11, 215
Alex McClatchey, St. Xavier, WR, Senior, 5-10, 175
Cooper McCutchan, Moeller, TE, Senior, 6-5, 245
Jace Montgomery, Moeller, OL, Sophomore, 6-3, 260
Patrick O’Brien, Moeller, OL, Junior, 6-6, 285
Hunter Ogdan, La Salle, TE, Senior, 6-5, 225
Matt Ponatoski, Moeller, QB, Senior, 6-1, 200
Jackson Ruth, Elder, WR, Senior, 5-10, 170
Tyrell Scott, Elder, OL, Senior, 6-4, 300
William Sweeney, St. Xavier, OL, Senior, 6-1, 280
Daniel Vollmer, St. Xavier, RB, Senior, 6-2, 220
Reggie Watson, Moeller, WR, Senior, 5-6, 165
 
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
NAME, SCHOOL, POSITION, CLASS, HEIGHT, WEIGHT
Jake Britt, St. Xavier, DB, Senior, 6-0, 186
Mason Chumbley, Elder, DB, Senior, 5-11, 165
Ja’Kobe Clapper, St. Xavier, LB, Senior, 6-2, 215
Conner Cuozzo, Moeller, LB, Senior, 6-1, 215
Alex Dugan, Elder, LB, Senior, 6-4, 200
Kaden Estep, Elder, P, Junior, 609m 170
Pete Fortkamp, Elder, LB, Sophomore, 6-2, 205
Christian Harris, Moeller, DL, Senior, 6-2, 300
Jayven Hutchinson, Elder, DL, Senior, 6-0, 250
Marino Middleton, Moeller, DB, Junior, 6-1, 188
Aden Reeder, St. Xavier, LB, Senior, 6-3, 215
Brayden Reilly, St. Xavier, DB, Senior, 6-3, 210
Naseer Salaam, La Salle, DB, Junior, 5-7, 145
Derek Uran, Elder, LB, Senior,6-2, 200
Colin Wooldridge, La Salle, LB, Senior, 6-0, 195
 
SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
PLAYER, SCHOOL, POSITION, CLASS, HEIGHT, WEIGHT
Nick Cassaro, Elder, OL, Junior, 6-1, 290
Jackson Frey, St. Xavier, QB, Senior, 6-3, 205
Sam Hamilton, Moeller, TE, Senior, 6-4, 240
Grant Hester, St. Xavier, OL, Senior, 6-3, 280
Seb Hignite, Elder, OL, Senior, 6-3, 240
Kalel Johnson, Moeller, OL, Junior, 6-6, 285
Rahmiir Murphy, La Salle, OL, Junior, 6-0, 350
Cam Taylor, St. Xavier, WR, Senior, 6-2, 185
Chase Walpole, Elder, WR, Junior, 6-1, 185
Dante Ware, Moeller, RB, Senior, 5-6, 170
 
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
PLAYER, SCHOOL, POSITION, CLASS, HEIGHT, WEIGHT
Paxton Dodsworth, Moeller, DB, Sophomore, 5-10, 185
Max Doogan, Elder, DL, Junior, 6-0, 220
Henry Fortkamp, Elder, DL, Senior, 6-0, 210
Ricardo Harris, Moeller, LB, Senior, 6-0, 210
Jared Lammers, Elder, DB, Senior, 6-2, 180
Griffin Lyons, St. Xavier, DL, Sophomore, 6-1, 220
Claude Moore, La Salle, DB, Senior, 6-0, 190
Charlie Nelson, Moeller, DL, Senior, 6-1, 230
Caden Orr, Moeller, DL, Sophomore, 6-0, 285
Rodney Portis, La Salle, DL, Senior, 6-0, 170
K’Mahri Price, La Salle, DB, Junior, 5-10, 170
Dereion Spraggs, La Salle, DL, Senior, 6-0, 240
Brody Turner, Elder, LB, Sophomore, 6-2, 220
 
SPECIAL AWARDS
OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Kaden Estep, Elder
Matt Ponatoski, Moeller
 
DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Ja’Kobe Clapper, St. Xavier
Derek Uran, Elder
 
COACH OF THE YEAR
Doug Ramsey, Elder
 
POSITION AWARDS
BACK OF THE YEAR
Daniel Vollmer, St. Xavier
 
RECEIVER OF THE YEAR
Reggie Watson, Moeller
 
TIGHT END OF THE YEAR
Cooper McCutchan, Moeller
 
OFFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE YEAR
Tyrell Scott, Elder
 
DEFENISVE LINEMAN OF THE YEAR
Christian Harris, Moeller
 
LINEBACKER OF THE YEAR
Aden Reeder, St. Xavier
 
DEFENSIVE BACK OF THE YEAR
Brayden Reilly, St. Xavier
 
ALL-PURPOSE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Naseer Salaam, LaSalle
Colin Wooldridge, La Salle
 
KICKER OF THE YEAR
Jack Mallabar, Moeller
 
PUNTER OF THE YEAR
Kaden Estep, Elder

Moeller’s Lang Repeats As Player of Year; Crusaders’ Ripberger Earns Coach Honor

Posted on 10/31/2025 at 6:00 a.m.

The Greater Catholic League South Division is pleased to announce its all-star soccer teams for the 2025 season. Members of this prestigious team, along with winners of special awards, were voted on by league coaches at a special meeting held at the conclusion of the regular season.
For the second consecutive year, Moeller’s Karson Lang was named the GCL South Player of the Year after leading the league in points, goals and assists during the regular season.  Lang, a senior forward, scored 10 goals, added 12 assists for 32 points scored in 17 matches. A second team All-GCL South selection as a sophomore, Lang finishes his outstanding four-year varsity career with 27 goals, 38 assists (second all-time at Moeller) for 92 points scored.  Lang also ended his career having played the most matches in school history.

Lang is committed to play at Bellarmine University. 

First-year Moeller coach Tom Ripberger, who took over the Crusaders’ varsity program after spending the previous 12 seasons as head coach at Madeira High School and four years previously at McNicholas, was named GCL South Coach of the Year after leading the Crusaders to a 4-0-2 record in league matches and the school’s third straight league title. 

Moeller now has a 19-match unbeaten streak in the league dating back to a 3-2 setback to St. Xavier on October 4, 2022.  Ripberger extended Moeller’s GCL South reign despite losing 17 players from last year’s team and returning four with varsity match experience. Ripberger also notched career victory No. 200 this season when the Crusaders shut out Hamilton, 4-0, in the second match of the season on August 20.

Moeller – which finished the regular season at 7-7-3 – had four players on the first team: Lang, senior midfielder Jose Stefano (named second and first team All-GCL South the lasts two years, respectively), senior goalkeeper Tee Munafo (who allowed just two goals in 15 matches and recorded 4.5 shutouts) and junior midfielder Antonio Alzugaray.  The Crusaders wound up finishing 8-8-3 following a 2-1 overtime loss to Lakota West in the second round of the OHSAA Soccer State Tournament last Saturday at Mariemont High School.

St. Xavier had another successful regular season against a brutal schedule.  The Bombers, who finished 8-4-4 overall and 3-1-2 in the GCL South, placed three players on the first team:  senior Alex Haddad (five goals, four assists for 14 points during the regular season), and juniors James McKernan (51 saves and a league-best four shutouts in the regular season) and Jack Sweeney (second in goals with seven, third in assists with 6, second in points with 20).

The Bombers were tested by a brutal regular-season schedule, which again is paying dividend in the postseason as St. Xavier is heading to the DI regional final for the third time in five years, also going in 2021 and 2023. St. Xavier defeated Kettering Fairmont, 3-1, in the regional semifinals Wednesday night at Fairborn High School getting a goal each from Haddad, Sweeney and sophomore Zac Linenkugel, second-team selection, along with a pair of assists from senior Rowdy Scheer, also named second team.

St. Xavier’s district title was its eighth in nine years.  The Bombers (11-4-4) advance to the Region 3 final against Beavercreek, which got past Little Miami, 1-0, in double overtime Wednesday at Loveland.  The regional final is 2 p.m. Sunday at Lakota East High School in Liberty Township.

Elder and La Salle each placed two players on the first team. Elder had a pair of seniors selected in Sam Bill and Max Martin, fifth in the league with six goals scored.  La Salle Joe Harmon and Kellan Riesenbeck, both seniors, were named to the prestigious group by league coaches.  Harmon was tied for second in the GCL South in goals scored, with seven, and finished third with 17 points scored.  He led the league with 12 goals scored in 2024. Riesenbeck was a strong backline defender.

Here is a look at this year’s league all-star selections:

FIRST TEAM
NAME, SCHOOL, CLASS
Antonio Alzugaray, Moeller, Junior
Sam Bill, Elder, Senior
Alex Haddad, St. Xavier, Senior
Joe Harmon, La Salle, Senior
Karson Lang, Moeller, Senior
Max Martin, Elder, Senior
James McKernan, St. Xavier, Junior
Tee Munafo, Moeller, Senior
Kellan Riesenbeck, La Salle, Senior
Jose Stefano, Moeller, Senior
Jack Sweeney, St. Xavier, Junior

SECOND TEAM
NAME, SCHOOL, CLASS
Liam Breidenbach, Moeller, Junior
Will Burkart, St. Xavier, Senior
Simon Burke, Elder, Senior
Vincent Carnevale, Elder, Senior
Johnathan Danzinger, La Salle, Senior
Andrew Everly, Moeller, Junior
Sean Herzig, Moeller, Senior
Zac Linenkugel, St. Xavier, Sophomore
Benson Rhoads, Moeller, Junior
Rowdy Scheer, St. Xavier, Senior
Kellen Schmitz, La Salle, Senior

ACADEMC ALL-STARS
Nick Leuenberger, Elder
Kellen Riesenbeck, La Salle
Jose Stefano, Moeller
Will Burkart, St. Xavier

SPECIAL AWARDS
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Karson Lang, Moeller

COACH OF THE YEAR
Tony Ripberger, Moeller

St. Xavier’s Ellis Earns Runner of Year Honor; Bombers’ Wietmarschen Is Coach Of Year
Posted on 10/24/2025 at 6:00 a.m.

The Greater Catholic League South Division is pleased to announce its all-star cross-country teams for the 2025 season. Members of this prestigious team, along with winners of special awards, earned their respective status through their performances at the annual GCL Cross Country Championships, a meet that was held on Saturday, October 11 over the course at Christ’s Church in Mason.

St. Xavier senior Dom Ellis, who finished second at last year’s league meet behind teammate Alex Bruns, was named GCL South Runner of the Year after finishing first over the 5K course with a time of 15:39.5 – 42 seconds ahead f the pack.  Ellis has been one of the best runners in Ohio this season, recording the second-fastest 5K time in the state.

Bombers’ coach Andy Wietmarschen, who has led his teams to league titles each of the last 15 years, was again named GCL South Coach of the Year.  His Bomber runners claimed two of the top three spots, four of the first seven, and had six runners finish in the top 10 to finish with a team score of 16.  The league title was No. 28 for St. Xavier’s outstanding program, tying the Bombers with Elder for the most titles in GCL South history.

In the league championship race, St. Xavier came in first with a team score of 25.  Moeller, which had its runners grab three of the top five spots and five of the first 14 finishers, was scored with a 37, with Elder in third at 74, and La Salle finishing at 120.

Moeller senior Brock Grubert was second with a time of 16:21.9.  St. Xavier junior Benjamin Wangugi came in third (16:24.3), with a pair of Moeller runners claiming the fourth and fifth spots, respectively, in senior Preston Wesley (16:27.0) and Owen Speed (16:27.5).  Also earning first-team status based on their performances were St. Xavier junior Aidan Dehring (16:34.4) and Bombers’ junior Liam Holman (16:39.8).

The second-team members are runners who finished in the next seven spots at the league meet, listed in order:  sophomore Sam Bruns, St. Xavier; junior William Louis, St. Xavier; senior Charlie Aug, Elder; senior Colin Albers, St. Xavier; sophomore Paul Eckstein, Moeller; junior Dylan Cooper, Elder; and sophomore Hayden Son, Moeller.

Because of the expansion of divisions in cross country in Ohio, there was no district meet this year at the Division I level.  St. Xavier, Elder and Moeller all advanced to the region meet this Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Troy.  La Salle will join the other three GCL South teams in the regional after six Lancer runners qualified for the DII race based on their finish at last Saturday’s DII district meet at Voice of America Park in West Chester. 

The GCL Championship also featured Junior Varsity, Freshmen and Open races that same morning. The Girls’ Greater Catholic League again held its league competition in conjunction with the GCL South, making for a great atmosphere and showcasing the student-athletes of the GCL all boys’ and girls’ schools together.

Here is a look at this year’s league all-star selections

FIRST TEAM
NAME, SCHOOL, CLASS
Dom Ellis, St. Xavier, Senior
Brock Grubert, Moeller, Senior
Benjamin Wangugi, St. Xavier, Junior
Preston Wesley, Moeller, Senior
Owen Speed, Moeller, Senior
Aidan Dehring, St. Xavier, Junior
Liam Holman, St. Xavier, Junior

SECOND TEAM
NAME, SCHOOL, CLASS
Sam Bruns, St. Xavier, Sophomore
William Louis, St. Xavier, Junior
Charlie Aug, Elder, Senior
Colin Albers, St. Xavier, Senior
Paul Eckstein, Moeller, Sophomore
Dylan Cooper, Elder, Junior
Hayden Song, Moeller, Sophomore

SPECIAL AWARDS
RUNNER OF THE YEAR
Dom Ellis, St. Xavier

COACH OF THE YEAR
Andy Wietmarschen, St. Xavier

St. Xavier's McGrath, Paquette Share Player of Year Honors; Nikias Is Coach of Year
Posted 10/17/2025 at 6:00 a.m.

The Greater Catholic League South Division is pleased to announce its all-star golf team for the 2025 season. Members of this prestigious team, along with winners of special awards, earned their respective status through a league season of matches that included a total of 72 holes comprising two 18-hole quads held in August and culminated with the two-round, 36-hole GCL Championship in late September.

St. Xavier teammates Zac McGrath and Patrick Paquette were named GCL South Golfers of the Year after posting identical scores of 1-under-parover the 72 holes.  McGrath, a freshman, posted an average score of 36.36 and twice tied the school record for low rounds, firing 66 at both the Best of Southwest Invitational at Sugar Valley Golf Club in Bellbrook and the third round of the GCL South competition at Pipestone Golf Club in Miamisburg.

Paquette, a junior, also finished with a 36.47 stroke average and finished 18 of his 19 rounds entering state with rounds of 76 or lower.

First-year St. Xavier coach Alex Nikias, a longtime mathematics teacher at St. Xavier who had been an assistant with the Bombers and  had previous coaching stints at Mason and Cincinnati Country Day, led the Bombers to another exceptional season that included three invitational titles, the GCL South Championship, and Division I victories in both the sectional and district events.

The GCL South crown extended St. Xavier’s streak to 11 consecutive years and was the Bombers league championships in 36 of the last 46 years – earning Nikias GCL South Coach of the Year honors.

Final aggregate totals for the four GCL South teams were St. Xavier, 1161, followed by Elder at 1235, Moeller 1317, and La Salle 1359.

The Bombers then finished first out of 15 teams in the DI Sectional Tournament to advance to the District Tournament, where St. Xavier captured the titles by finishing atop the 16-team field with a balanced team performance.  The Bombers posted a team score of 1-under 287 to edge Anderson by three strokes and finish seven shots in front of Centerville.

Junior Peter Boylan led the Bombers with a 4-under 78 to tie for second place overall.  Paquette fired an even-par 71 to come in a tie for sixth, while senior Jimmy Benedict, McGrath and senior Owen Sedgwick finished with rounds f 74 to earn St. Xavier another trip to the OHSAA DI State Tournament.

St. Xavier competed against top golfers from around the state this past Sunday and Month at Firestone Country Club in Akron, playing the North Course. The Bombers earned a fourth-place finish in DI, posting scores of 297-302 – 709.  Dublin Jerome came in first with a 578, St. Charles was second at 589, with Cleveland St. Ignatius third, with a 598.

McGrath, competing at state for the first time, finished third with a 69-74 – 143.  Paquette and Benedict tied at No. 16, both firing 150s. Sedgwick and Boylan had two-day totals of 154 and 160, respectively, tom come in at No. 33 and tired at No. 43.  

Six St. Xavier golfers were named All-GCL South, with five earning spots on the first team based on their performance in league quads and the finishing 36-hole tournament.  Joining McGrath and Paquette on the first team are Boylan, junior Eli Moore and Sedgwick.  Benedict earned a spot on the second team.

Elder, which had another outstanding season, also is well represented with sophomore Mickey Moorman and senior Jack Voss being members of the first team, with a trio of Panthers seniors in Shea Macke, Jack Richardson and Sam Thiessen earning second-team honors.  The Panthers finished second in the sectional out of 15 teams to advance to the districts, where they were seventh.

Moeller seniors Peter Swallender and Griffin Valencic are members of the second team.
The league held two 18-hole quad matches at Western Hills Country Club (August 12 and Heatherwoode Golf Club in Springboro (August 21),before closing its competition with a two-day, 36-hole tournament played at Pipestone Golf Club in Miamisburg (September 21) and Miami Whitewater Golf Course in Harrison (September 27), site of the DI Sectional Tournament.

Here are this year’s league all-star selections:

FIRST TEAM
NAME, SCHOOL, CLASS
Peter Boylan, St. Xavier, Junior
Zac McGrath, St. Xavier, Freshman
Eli Moore, St. Xavier, Junior
Mickey Moorman, Elder, Sophomore
Patrick Paquette, St. Xavier, Junior
Owen Sedgwick, St. Xavier, Senior
Jack Voss, Elder, Senior
 
SECOND TEAM
NAME, SCHOOL, CLASS
Jimmy Benedict, St. Xavier, Senior
Shea Macke, Elder, Senior
Jack Richardson, Elder, Senior
Peter Swallender, Moeller, Senior
Sam Theissen, Elder, Senior
Giffin Valencic, Moeller, Senior
 
SPECIAL AWARDS
GOLFERS OF THE YEAR
Zac McGrath, St. Xavier
Patrick Paquette, St. Xavier
 
COACH OF THE YEAR
Alex Nikias, St. Xavier

Elder’s Williams Named Player of Year; St. Xavier’s Reilly Earns Top Defensive Honors
Posted 02/21/2025 at 8:15 a.m.

It has been more than two decades since St. Xavier stood atop the Greater Catholic League South Division basketball standings, but that all changed this season as the Bombers reeled off five consecutive Friday night wins to earn the title outright for the first time since the 2000.  The Bombers tied Elder and Moeller atop the league, with 4-2 records, in the 2020-21 season.

St. Xavier, which finished 17-5 overall in the regular season and narrowly missed posting a rare unbeaten season against league competition with a 55-49 loss at Elder in their final GCL South game 10 days ago, placed two players on the first team and claimed two of the special awards with senior Brayden Reilly earning GCL South Defensive Player of the Year honors and Bombers’ second-year coach Ryan Fleming being named GCL South Coach of the Year.  Fleming is 33-12 overall and 8-4 in the GCL South since taking over at St. Xavier before last season.

Elder senior Cam Williams, who finished second in the league in scoring, averaging 14.6 points, and second in assists, dishing out 2.6 per game, in helping to lead the Panthers to a 13-7 overall record and a 3-3 record and tie for second place with Moeller in the league standings, was named GCL South Player of the Year.

Williams was a model of consistency for the Panthers, scoring in double figures in 16 of 20 games. He poured in a season-high 31 in a 53-43 loss against La Salle on February 17, sinking 23-of-29 free throws in the Elder win.  Williams was held below nine points only once all season, that coming in the season’s fourth game against Roger Bacon, when he played just 17 minutes in a Panthers’ victory.

The All-GCL South Basketball Teams, along with the three special individual awards, were voted on by league coaches at a special meeting held February 16.  
 
St. Xavier claimed two of the five first-team spots, with seniors Jacob Wassler and Donovan Waslekowski.  Wassler ranked fifth in the league in scoring, at 11.4 points per game, while leading the GCL South in rebounding, 6.9, and finishing third in field-goal percentage, at 58.4. Waslekowski averaged 13.4 points to lead St. Xavier, finishing third in the league. 

Moeller senior Alex Kazanecki, GCL South Player of the Year as a junior when he helped the Crusaders to a 6-0 record in the league and 26-2 mark overall, was named to the first team for a second consecutive year.  Kazenecki averaged a league-best 16.8 points and 6.6 rebounds, which ranked second.  His 1.6 blocked shots per game paced the GCL South, while he also finished second in field-goal percentage (58.1) and ranked fourth in steals (1.6).

La Salle is represented on the first team by senior guard Drae Arnold, a second-team selection last season.  Arnold ranked fourth in the GCL South in scoring, 11.7; was fourth in assists, 2.7; and led the league in steals, at 1.9 per game.

The second team comprises two players from each team:  senior Reilly and junior Brendan Deeley from St. Xavier; seniors Bray Franz and Zach Green from Moeller; senior Dylan Palicki and junior Alex Dugan from Elder; and seniors Brady O’Connor and Patrick McLaughlin from La Salle.  O’Connor has been named All-GCL South the last three seasons.

It was another successful season for the GCL South, which enters the postseason with a combined 60-27 as all four finished with winning records in the regular season.  St. Xavier and Moeller both posted 17-4 marks, while Elder enters the postseason at 13-7 and La Salle is 13-10.  Two of the four teams – Moeller and Elder - advanced to the Division I, Region 4 semifinals last season.  Moeller defeated Elder, 39-35, to advance to the regional final.

Here is a look at this season’s league all-star selections:

FIRST TEAM
PLAYER, SCHOOL, GRADE, HEIGHT
Drae Arnold, La Salle, Senior, 6-0
Alex Kazanecki, Moeller, Senior, 6-5
Donovan Waleskowski, St. Xavier, Senior, 6-5
Jacob Wassler, St. Xavier, Senior, 6-10
Cam Williams, Elder, Senior, 6-2

SECOND TEAM
PLAYER, SCHOOL, GRADE, HEIGHT
Brendan Deeley, St. Xavier, Senior, 5-8
Alex Dugan, Elder, Junior, 6-3
Brady Franz, Moeller, Senior, 6-6
Zach Green, Moeller, Senior, 6-1
Patrick McLaughlin, La Salle, Senior, 6-0
Brady O’Connor, La Salle, Senior, 6-3
Dylan Palicki, Elder, Senior, 6-2
Brayden Reilly, St. Xavier, Junior, 6-4

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Cam Williams, Elder

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Brayden Reilly, St. Xavier
 
COACH OF THE YEAR 
Ryan Fleming, St. Xavier