Every coach wants to see growth and development from their players.

They’re looking for progress. They’re searching for the kind of evolution that separates the good ones from the greats.

Marian’s Tyler Fritz and Panther Valley’s Rene Figueroa elevated their games this past season, authoring two of the best – and most accomplished – campaigns in the Times News area.

Their skills were honored Tuesday when the The Pennsylvania’s Sports Writers All-State Boys’ Basketball Teams were released.

Fritz, the Times News Boys Basketball Player of the Year, garnered Class 2A Second Team honors, while Figueroa was named to the Class 2A Third Team.

It marks the first all-state selection for both players.

Fritz was the area’s leading scorer this past season, averaging 23.64 points-per-game — the most by an area player since Jim Thorpe’s Walter Johnson scored 24.64 ppg. in the 2002-03 season

“It is a great honor,” said Marian head coach John Patton. “Tyler has certainly worked hard, obviously from last year to this year, to be named the Times News Player of the Year, and now Second Team All-State, it really shows the amount of work that he’s put in, and the amount of commitment that he has to keep getting better, and he has. He’s gotten better in all facets of the game, and he’ll only continue to get better.”

Figueroa scored a single-game area-best 44 points on two separate occasions - against Weatherly on Dec. 19 and again against Marian on Feb. 9, the night the Panthers captured the Schuylkill League Division 3 title. Figueroa finished the season averaging 18.64 ppg., second only to Fritz among area scoring leaders.

“It’s so awesome to see for Rene,” said Panther Valley head coach Pat Crampsie. “We’ve known Rene since he was in our elementary program, and he was always a special talent. To see him get to this point, to see him mature over the last couple years, overcome a lot of adversity, and get to this point, I couldn’t be happier for him.

“He was stunned today. He had no idea, and he was super excited. To see that excitement on his face, and it’s well-deserved. I’m very, very excited for him.”

In addition to his scoring prowess, which also included 63 made three-pointers this season, Fritz averaged 5.36 rebounds-per-game, while also dishing out 61 assists and recording 27 steals for the Colts. An excellent free throw shooter, Fritz went 149-of-186 from the line, good for an .801 percentage.

While the numbers took a significant jump from his freshman to sophomore year, Patton championed Fritz for more than just an improved stat line.

“As a freshman, he was an important cog on the team that won the district championship,” Patton commented. “But he really stepped up to be a leader this year, and that is really something that we needed.

“There were games where he had a lot of our points, but he could find the open guy, and really make us a better team. I think just being a leader, and a guy who understands the team concept has been the biggest growth for him.”

It showed, as Marian overcame a slow start – losing three of its first four games – to ultimately reach the district semifinals.

“One of the things that he has done, is he has made everybody around him better,” Patton said of Fritz. “And that really is a sign of growth. It’s not about him, or what’s best for him; he understands the team, he understands what it takes to win.

“We struggled this year, early … and then he really started to take over, and score, but also be a leader. You need somebody out there, like him, who understands the game, and understands where it’s best to get the ball, and who should have it.”

After averaging 11.75 ppg. as a freshman, Figueroa has steadily improved his scoring, reaching 13.60 as a sophomore before upping the total to 18.64 this season.

Figueroa also averaged 4.88 rebound-per-game, and recorded 4.36 assists-per-contest.

“The thing that is so amazing about his game is how efficient he is,” Crampsie said. “His field goal percentage is very high, his assist-to-turnover ratio, for how much he handles the ball, is outstanding.

“He gets rebounds, he gets putbacks, and he takes as much excitement in making a pass to get a teammate a basket as he does in scoring himself.”

Figueroa’s progress can be seen in more than just his individual stats, as he helped the Panthers go 16-10 – their best mark since the 1999-00 season - and advance to a district championship game and the state playoffs.

“But the biggest thing is the energy he brings to the team. He loves to play ball. He loves playing with his teammates, and he certainly elevated everybody else’s game. He brings a level of excitement to our team that is pretty special.”