The 2020-21 Times News/Lehigh Valley Health Network Boys Basketball All-Star team featured a little bit of everything.

The six-person First Team is loaded with experience as four seniors - Kody Kratzer, Dewin Concepcion, Scott Zoscin and Dante Agosti - were selected. It also features some outstanding young talent in sophomore Kaiden Herron, and freshman Steven Hood.

The team also has a pair of 1,000-point scorers in Kratzer and Zoscin.

Five different schools are represented, with Marian placing two players (Concepcion and Agosti) on the squad, while Palmerton (Kratzer), Weatherly (Zoscin), Jim Thorpe (Herron), and Panther Valley (Hood) all have one player.

Kratzer is the only returning First-Team selection, while Zoscin and Agosti were Second Team picks a year ago.

Below are notes on the First Team members, as well as the names of the Second Team and Third Team selections.

Kody Kratzer, Palmerton

THE CLIMB … Kratzer, this season’s Times News Player of the Year, has put in the work to get to the top of the mountain. His numbers don’t lie. As a sophomore, Kratzer had a solid campaign, averaging just over 11 points per game. He then exploded onto the scene as a junior, improving his average by 9.27 points per game, and leading the team in scoring at 21 ppg. This season, Kratzer led the Times News area in scoring at 20.5 ppg. “Kody has the ability to score the ball from anywhere on the floor, but he also plays very strong defense. By the time Kody got to his senior year, he had grown into the type of defensive player who could lock down and shut down the guy he was guarding. By the end of the year, Kody was playing the type of basketball that I think is ‘beautiful basketball’. He was still getting his ... scoring 15, 16, 17 a game. But most importantly he was making the right reads.” – Palmerton head coach Ken Termini.

MILESTONE … Kratzer added yet another milestone to his impressive Bombers’ resume when he surpassed the 1,000-point plateau this season. Kratzer became the 12th Palmerton boys’ basketball player to reach the milestone as part of a game-high 22 point performance against Wilson on Jan. 21. He finished his career with a total of 1,307 points.

LEADER … Kratzer led the Bombers in almost every statistical category, including points (390), rebounds (140), steals (28), assists (80) and blocked shots (23).

Dewin Concepcion, Marian

CHANGE OF SCENERY … Concepcion transferred to Marian from Hazleton Area knowing he wouldn’t be able to participate in the District 11 or PIAA postseason due to the PIAA transfer rules. Still, Concepcion made the move, and went on to have a profound impact on the Colts, leading them in scoring, averaging 13.7 ppg. “I think what Dewin did was heroic, knowing that he wasn’t going to be able to play in districts. He wanted to be part of in-person schooling, and he put his education over athletics. He was rewarded for that by recently being accepted by, and committing to, a great institution in Misericordia to continue his academic and athletic career. He is an excellent person and teammate, and brought a skill set to our team that we didn’t have, with his size and ability to shoot and handle the ball. He has a nice inside/outside game, and all the intangibles to be successful at the next level.” Marian head coach John Patton.

SIZE AND SPEED … Concepcion, at 6-3, can play both inside and out. He made his presence known getting to the basket, but also showed the ability to step outside and hit the triple, draining 30 three-pointers on an impressive 42.8 percent of his attempts from behind the arc. Concepcion was also solid in the rebounding department, using his size and jumping ability to haul in 8.9 rebounds per game.

SCORING STREAK … Amazing enough, Concepcion went scoreless in his Marian debut against Jim Thorpe after getting into foul trouble. But from then on, he scored in double figures for the remainder of his season – 16 straight games – with a high of 24 against Mahanoy Area.

Scotty Zoscin, Weatherly

LEADERSHIP … Zoscin has been seeing significant playing time ever since he was a freshman. He has always had command of the floor, and the confidence of his teammates. Those leadership qualities were especially prevalent this season as the Wreckers finished 15-8, and gave a tough Notre Dame of East Stroudsburg team all it could handle in the District 11 1A playoffs. “I’m just so proud of Scott and the career he has had. His work ethic on and off the court has been phenomenal. He’s also so tenacious on the court, and that’s why you see him score so many points, because he works hard for them. From day one, he’s been a leader for us and never afraid to take big shots in big moments,” – Weatherly head coach Corey Gerhart.

FROM DEEP … Zoscin likes to shoot the triple, and has been successful at converting the trifectas in his careers for the Wreckers. He came through with 61 this season, and has an exceptional 197 career three-point field goals.

SCORER … Simply put, Zoscin can score. He averaged 18.3 ppg. as a sophomore, 17.6 ppg. as a junior and 19.2 ppg. this season. He’s leaving the Weatherly program with 1,526 career points, which ranks third in the boys program all-time.

Kaiden Herron, Jim Thorpe

BREAKOUT … Herron, just a sophomore, didn’t see significant varsity time until late in his freshman season. But there was no doubt this season that it wasn’t going to take the 6-2 Herron long to make an impact - and it didn’t. After a bit of a slow start, he came on strong to lead Jim Thorpe in scoring (12.5 ppg.), which was a nine-point scoring average increase from his freshman season. “It was all about confidence with Kaiden. Once he realized he could take over a game, or make a big impact on a game, it was off to the races. He put us on his back at times this year, and you won’t find many guys out there as athletic as he is. His defensive pressure in our defense was key for us, and what I like about him is he isn’t afraid to guard guys much bigger than he is.” – Jim Thorpe head coach Jason McElmoyle.

WIN STREAK … The Olympians got off to a rocky start this season, going 0-4, with Herron scoring just five points total over those first four games. But then a 20-point effort in Thorpe’s fifth game of the season opened up the sophomore’s eyes to his potential. The Olympians would then go on to win their next seven in a row, with Herron averaging 17.7 ppg. during that stretch, scoring 20 or more points in four of the seven.

MAKING THE MOST … Herron made the most of his offensive opportunities in the scoring department. He shot 55 percent from the field, and a solid 77 percent from the charity stripe. He also brought down five rebounds per game to give himself second chance opportunities.

Dante Agosti, Marian

FOUR ON THE FLOOR … Agosti has been a staple in the Colts’ lineup for the past four seasons. Having to battle through injuries at times has cost him some games, but in his senior season he put together an impressive campaign for Marian. Agosti, who has always been a tough defender, put together some big games offensively this season as well. “He’s the kind of guy you want guarding the other teams best player each and every game. Usually that type of player doesn’t give you much offensively, because being a really good defender takes a lot out of a player, but he was a good offensive threat for us, and that’s what set him apart. He really held us together this season, and he was a pleasure to coach.” – Marian head coach John Patton.

HEATING UP … Agosti put together a three-point stretch during the season that would rival any in recent memory. Midway through the season he knocked down a video game like nine triples against Minersville, and then in his very next game hit seven against Mahanoy Area. Agosti finished the season with 47 trifectas, including four or more in six games.

MOVING ON … Agosti logged a lot of minutes over the years for the Colts, and was solid in each and every one of those seasons. He leaves Hometown with 752 career points, which ranks 27th on the all-time scoring list.

Stephen Hood, Panther Valley

BRIGHT FUTURE … To say Hood’s future is bright would be an understatement. The freshman was the anchor of a young Panther Valley team that flashed a ton of potential this season. Hood’s competitiveness, along with his desire to compete night in and night out, helped him put together one of the best freshman basketball seasons in PV history. “Looking at his overall production, I’d have to say Stephen had the best freshman season of any boy in the history of Panther Valley basketball. From day one, he was the focal point of opposing defenses, yet he was extremely consistent with his play. We expected a lot out of him, but he was never overwhelmed or intimidated. Two factors stand out with Stephen along with the rest of our young team: they love to compete, and they are great teammates that celebrate each other’s successes. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for him.” – Panther Valley head coach Pat Crampsie.

DOUBLE IT UP … The 6-4 hybrid forward showed his versatility time-and-time again this season, making plays in the paint and on the perimeter. He averaged 16.1 ppg. and 10.0 rebounds per contest, while also drilling 34 triples.

STATEWIDE … According to MaxPreps, Hood had one of the best freshman seasons in the Commonwealth this season. He ranked first in rebounds per game, and second in points per game in the freshman ranks.

Second Team

Brendan Lonergan, Marian, junior

Antonio Colecio, Weatherly, senior

Dylan Witkowski, Northwestern, junior

Richard Yturrino, Lehighton, senior

Chris Condly, Jim Thorpe, senior

Nate Gregoire, Tamaqua, junior

Third Team

Owen Buck, Palmerton, senior

Ardit Mujovic, Northern Lehigh, senior

Joel Contreras, Pleasant Valley, senior

Zach Hunsicker, Lehighton, senior

Caiden Fitch, Northwestern, sophomore

Chase Weaver, Panther Valley, freshman

Frank Valente, Marian, sophomore

Donald Francois, Pleasant Valley, junior