There were no league championships.

There were no district titles.And there were no state playoff berths.While some would translate the above as a disappointing season for Times News area basketball teams, that couldn't be further from the truth.The Marian girls posted an impressive regular-season mark of 20-2, only to fall in the postseason to other quality teams. Northwestern, despite the loss of numerous key players to graduation, continued its trend of recent success by reaching league and district playoffs.Other girls teams, like Lehighton, Jim Thorpe and Weatherly, not only returned to the postseason but kept their programs heading on an upward direction.The Jim Thorpe and Lehighton boys both posted District 11 playoff wins, while Marian made the playoffs for the 11th straight season.Individually, there were also noteworthy achievements.Palmerton's Spencer Hay, Jim Thorpe Kayley Kovac, and Northwestern's Erika Thomas all joined the exclusive 1,000-point club.Kovac, just a sophomore, became the quickest Carbon County player ever to hit four figures and also was honored by making the First Team all-state squad.Speaking of all-star squads, the Times News Sports Department has once again named its First Team players.Below are bios and coach's comments on all 12 of this year's First Team selections.BOYSSpencer Hay, PalmertonResume: A pure scorer, the Palmerton senior is an excellent shooter and also has success driving to the basket. This past season, Hay reached the coveted 1,000-point plateau and finished his career with 1,010. In 22 games during the 2015-16 campaign, the 6-5 Blue Bomber reached double figures in 21 of them. In half of his games he tallied at least 20 points, and he also reached 30 on two occasions. His high of the season was a 33-point effort against Brandywine Heights. His 18.00 point-per-game average not only led the TN area but it is the second highest total over the past six years (the highest was Brett Kosciolek's 18.82 in 2013-14). His 18.00 ppg was also an increase of over five-and-a-half points from last season when he averaged 12.36 and was named to the TN Honorable Mention squad. Hay, who also averaged 9.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per contest, was selected to the Colonial League's Second Team all-star squad.Quotable: "I'm happy for him and the season he had. His scoring average was impressive and one of the highest in the area in a while. He carried us at both ends of the floor, which is hard to do when teams are loading up against you. He's levelheaded, but he's also a total competitor. He excelled as a rim protector, and might have been the best one in the league. When he faced bigger players, that motivated him and he may have played even better. He was our leading rebounder and scorer which shows he played both ends of the floor. His maturity has also really grown. He really improved his jump shot. He's very athletic and agile and he'd play anywhere 1-5. And he did it with pride and passion." - Palmerton head coach Leigh KeenanRayan Green, Jim ThorpeResume: An all-around athlete, Green helped the Olympians post a winning record and earn a berth in the district playoffs. The senior averaged 13.83 points per game, scoring double figures in 18 of his team's 24 games. He had a season-high 27 points during a win against Minersville on Dec. 16 and finished tied for second in the area in points scored (332). Green was also a force on the boards, pulling down around 10 rebounds per contest. The 6-5 frontcourt presence added an average of three blocks per game and was a key reason Thorpe was the best Times News area team on defense, allowing just under 45 points a game. Green, who averaged only 9.3 ppg last season, also stars for the Olympian track team as a jumper and hurdler.Quotable: "He was a leader both on and off the court. He would get the guys going at practice, and he was one of the most coachable kids anyone could have on their team. He was a presence inside and even when he didn't block a shot - and he averaged three a game - he would alter many others. Our team defense dropped by 10 points a game and he was a major reason for that. He led us in scoring. He was one of our best shooters. He had a nice touch around the basket and he demanded the respect of opposing defenses. He was a great kid off the court and always polite. He always wanted to get better and he left a good work ethic for the younger kids to follow." - Jim Thorpe head coach Jason McElmoyleHunter Greene, LehightonResume: Despite tearing his meniscus before the season, the Lehighton senior played in every game, led his team in scoring and helped the squad post a winning record and a berth in the district playoffs. Greene averaged 12.38 points per game, scoring 297 points in 24 games. He reached double figures in 16 games and had a season-high 25 points against Tamaqua on Jan. 21. He tallied a team-high 17 points in Lehighton's district playoff win over Saucon Valley. The 6-4 Indian not only added 200 rebounds, an average of 8.33 per contest, but he was also a threat from the perimeter as evidenced by his 30 three-pointers. Greene also contributed 50 assists, second most on the team, blocked 11 shots and had 20 steals.Quotable: "He had a real nice year considering he tore his meniscus right before the season started ... He ended up playing through it, although it limited his practice time. He was able to gut through the whole season. He was a constant for us and worked hard, as hard as he could. Some days were worse than others and you could tell when he was in more pain. He's a strong kid. He didn't miss any workouts in the offseason and was very accountable. His will to rebound was always there and helped create extra shots for him. He could have had an even better season if not for the injury. - Lehighton head coach Rich OertnerNick Chambers, LehightonResume: A Times News First Team selection a year ago, Chambers returns to the squad again as a senior. The 6-4 inside presence nearly averaged a double-double, finishing the year with 10.35 points per game and 9.00 rebounds per contest. Chambers reached double-figure scoring in 13 games and had a high of 18 points against Blue Mountain on Jan. 28. Besides leading the team in rebounds (207), he also finished first on his team in blocked shots (29). He added 28 steals and 45 assists, and helped his team post a 13-9 record during the regular season and earn a berth in the district playoffs.Quotable: "He was the most athletic kid we had. He was a good rebounder, probably the best we had, and maybe one of the best in the area. We needed him to win games, there's no doubt about that. He suffered a football injury, and that slowed him down a little bit. Defensively, he guarded the basket a lot and opposing players had second thoughts when it came to shooting in the lane. His jumping ability is awesome, and he was a double-digit scorer." - Lehighton head coach Rich OertnerThad Zuber, TamaquaResume: Zuber was the second-leading scorer in the TN area, finishing with an average of 15.1 points per game. The 6-1 sophomore guard scored double figures in 16 of his team's 22 games and had a high of 24 against Nativity on Dec. 12. Zuber reached at least 20 points in five games and was the Blue Raiders' leading scorer in 12 of their games. From his guard spot, Zuber collected a team-high 143 rebounds for an average of 6.5 per contest. He also paced his team is assists (71) and steals (38). Zuber, who only scored 33 points in his freshman season, finished with 332 points and was a solid free-throw shooter, ending the season 82-of-106 for a percentage of .774. He also was a threat beyond the arc, connecting on 34 three-pointers.Quotable: "He had a fantastic year for us, and he really stepped up. Even though he was just a sophomore he took on a leadership role. His biggest strength was his toughness. He was our point guard, but he wouldn't settle for just jumpers. He would drive the ball and wasn't afraid to mix it up in the paint. He wasn't afraid to put his nose in the middle of the action. If there was a loose ball on the floor, he was going after it. He was also the first one to step in and take a charge on defense. He's just a talented kid, an all-around athlete, and we couldn't have asked more of him this season. - Tamaqua head coach Jim BarronRob Seyfried, NorthwesternResume: An inside presence who shot the ball at a high percentage, Seyfried was Northwestern's leading scorer with an average of 14.32 points per game. The 6-0 junior forward reached double-digit scoring in 16 of his team's 22 games, including 20-or-more points in five contests. He hit for a season-high 28 points against Moravian Academy on Dec. 19. Seyfried finished the season with a shooting percentage of .548 from the field and .730 from the free-throw line. He also led the Tigers in rebounding, averaging 6.4 per game, and added 13 blocked shots and 15 steals. Seyfried, who was the third leading scorer in the Times News area, was named a Colonial League Honorable Mention all-star. His .730 clip at the foul line was fourth best among TN boys players.Quotable: "Robbie is a very hard worker. We thrust him into a huge role for us this season with no previous varsity experience. His hard work during the offseason definitely was evident right from the get go. He was just relentless for us on the glass and in the paint. He was outsized in every game and kept going at the opponents, never backing down. He made our guards' jobs easier because the opponents had to honor him in the paint. His work down low gave our wings space to operate. He also became a leader for us this year." - Northwestern head coach Billy HallmanGIRLSKayley Kovac, Jim ThorpeResume: A scoring machine, Kovac followed an outstanding freshman season with an even better sophomore campaign. The Olympian poured in 535 points, finishing with an average of 24.32 points per game. She reached double figures in all 22 games she played in, with her low being 14 points. Kovac tallied 20-or-more points 16 times and hit for 30 on five occasions. She had a season-high 35 points twice, once against Tamaqua and again against Pine Grove. An all-stater (third team) as a freshman, Kovac also pulled down 230 rebounds, an average of 10.5 a contest. The sophomore, who led her team to a 12-10 regular season record and a berth in the district playoffs, added 78 steals, 63 assists and 47 blocked shots. Kovac reached the 1,000-point mark in just her 41st career game, a record in Carbon County.Quotable: "This season, Kayley averaged a double-double for the second consecutive year and her numbers improved dramatically in assists and steals per game. A quintessential scorer, Kayley can stuff a stat sheet in such a variety of ways, not just scoring. She's a throwback player in the sense that she moves so well without the basketball, which is something the game has moved away from in today's variety of dribble-spread offenses. Even more impressive is her ability to score facing specialty defenses on almost a nightly basis. A true gym rat, Kayley works as hard as any player I have ever coached." - Jim Thorpe head coach Rob KovacVanessa Whitecavage, MarianResume: The leading scorer on the area's best team, Whitecavage finished the season with 298 points for an average of 11.46 points per game. The 5-5 senior guard reached double-digit scoring in 17 of her team's 26 games with a high of 20 against Notre Dame-ES on Jan. 5. A quality shooter, Whitecavage's scoring average was eighth best in the TN area while her free-throw percentage and three-point totals were both tops. At the foul line, she shot 54-of-71 for a .761 percentage. From long-range, she hit for 42 treys - including at least one in 17 games. She was also her team's leading scorer in 13 games this season. Whitecavage dished out a team-leading 107 assists (4.1 per game) and collected 50 steals.Quotable: "She was our point guard and did a great job for us. She was good at distributing the ball and also had great vision on the court. She was our most consistent scoring threat from outside and led our team in three-pointers. Defensively, she matured. She used to get in foul trouble when she was younger, but she was better this season and that helped her to stay on the floor more. Her biggest strength was she was a good shooter. We depended on her to handle the ball and she really worked hard on her own during the summer to get better at it." - Marian head coach Paul BruttoSavanna Krushinsky, MarianResume: A solid player in the paint, Krushinsky made her presence felt both on the scoreboard and in the rebound column. The 5-10 senior center collected 285 points this season, finishing ninth in the area with an average of 11.44 points per game. Krushinsky scored in double figures a team-high 18 times and was her team's leading scorer in 10 games. She tallied a season-high 19 points during the Fillies' district playoff win over Salisbury on Feb. 19. She also had one stretch where she reached 10-or-more points in 12 of 13 contests. One of the team's top rebounders, Krushinsky pulled down 150 boards, or 6.0 per game. She also came up with 93 steals, handed out 35 assists, and shot 54 percent from the floor.Quotable: "Savanna was probably our best defender. She was good on the ball, but she was especially good off the ball. She read well and helped save many points. She was also probably our best rebounder, which was important because we didn't have a lot of size. She ran the floor well and could jump. She was an inside presence on offense. We missed her last year with her injury, but she came back strong after it. She recovered well and got right back into it. The injury didn't play on her mind or affect her play. She came back without any problems, and didn't lose any speed or jumping ability." - Marian head coach Paul BruttoBrenna Karnish, MarianResume: Now a two-time Times News First Team all-star, Karnish played an important role in helping her team post a 20-2 regular season record and reach both the league and district playoffs. The 5-7 junior forward/guard hit for 229 points and an 8.81 points per game average, but stepped it up down the stretch. In her final seven games, she reached double figures six times and had a scoring average of 13.00 ppg. She netted a season-high 19 points on Feb. 5 against Williams Valley and showed her range by dropping in 15 three-pointers. Karnish was solid at the line, hitting 56-of-83 free throws for a percentage of .675. She added 56 assists, which was second on the team, 63 rebounds and 44 steals. She also shot a more-than-respectable 48 percent from the field.Quotable: "Brenna has been playing a lot since her freshman year. She usually guards the best perimeter player on the other team. She has great athletic ability. When she receives the assignment of playing the other team's best, she really relishes the challenge. Offensively, her shot has gotten better. She's just an all-around athlete. She works hard and her ball handling also improved. You put all that together, and you have a pretty good basketball player. Plus, she's already practicing to get better for next season. - Marian head coach Paul BruttoErika Thomas, NorthwesternResume: Thomas, a senior, capped her final high school season in impressive fashion, reaching the coveted 1,000-point mark. A valuable member of the Tigers for the past four seasons, Thomas finished second in the Times News area with 411 points and a 16.44 points per game average. She reached double-digit scoring in 21 of her 25 games, and hit the 20-point mark six different times. Included in that total was a four-game stretch of at least 20 points. Her high was a 28-point effort on Jan. 27 against Allen. In addition to her scoring, the 5-6 guard also averaged 5.0 rebounds per contest and dished out and average of 3.5 assists. Her performance helped Northwestern compile a 15-7 regular season, and berths in the league and district playoffs.Quotable: "This year she accepted different roles. In the past she was a complimentary player, but this year she was asked to step up into a leadership role. She became a go-to player, and when we needed her to hit big shots she came through often. She was one of the biggest reasons we got back to the league playoffs. She would make the extra pass, and was the type of player that would make her teammates better. She did everything we asked of her. She was also an important rebounder for us ... and wasn't afraid to mix it up inside. She also has a very good basketball IQ." - Northwestern head coach Chris DeutschLinnaea Leister, PalmertonResume: Often facing double teams and junk defenses, Leister still managed to pile up the points, finishing the season with an average of 12.05 points per game. The 5-7 Blue Bomber guard reached double-figure scoring in 15 of her team's 22 games, hitting for a season-high 20 points against Panther Valley on Jan. 9. The sophomore, who led or tied for the team lead in scoring in all but one game, was efficient at getting to the free-throw line, shooting 77-of-111 for a percentage of .694. A Second Team Colonial League all-star, Leister also finished the season with 52 rebounds, 44 steals and 32 assists. A threat from outside, she connected on 32 three-pointers (the rest of her team totaled 12) to finish fourth in the Times News area.Quotable: "She's a basketball gym rat, she's always playing basketball. Her skills are excellent, her floor leadership is excellent, and she's a good ballhandler. And she's going to get better. Defenses were in her face from one end of the floor to the other, but she handled it well. She also played well defensively. Sometimes she had to play underneath and other times out front. She anticipates well, and generally just played nice defense. Her top strength, though, was her shooting. Offensively you can't let her open. She really shoots the three well." - Palmerton head coach Rod Strohl