ALL-TIOGA COUNTY BOYS BASKETBALL: OWEGO’S JOHN BANGEL HEADS UP MULTI-TALENTED HOOP GROUP (2023-03-26)

Tioga County Sports Report
TIOGA COUNTY — The county was loaded with basketball talent this season and the most dominant all-around player in the area was Owego senior John Bangel, the All-Tioga County Boys “Basketball Player of the Year.”

The 6-foot-6 standout averaged 15.1 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. His seven defensive rebounds and 2.3 blocks per outing also earn him the “Defensive Player of the Year.”

Bangel averaged 22.3 points per game during the Section IV Class B playoffs. He would lead the Indians to a state playoff berth.

Tabbed as one of the top three big men in STAC, he was named to the STAC All-Conference team and was recognized by the Basketball Coaches Association of New York as the All-Section IV Class B Co-player of the Year.

Record-setting junior Joey Tomasso worked magic with the basketball and was arguably the most exciting shooter in Section IV. He is the “Offensive Player of the Year.”

The 6-1 guard averaged a school record 30.9 points per game, and also set school marks for a single game with 49 and a season with 649. finished the season as the No. 2 scorer in school history (1,381 career points) and shot a stunning 51.8 percent from the field. He also connected for 50 3-pointers (second most in school history in a season) and also set a school record when he knocked down 17 free throws in a single game.

Tomasso also averaged 4.6 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game. He was selected the IAC South Large School MVP and named to the BCANY All-Section IV Class B first team.

The “Newcomer of the Year” is Candor’s Jadon Heidl. The junior averaged 17.5 points per game, knocking down 66 3-pointers, and also averaged 3.1 offensive rebounds.

He played a key role on defense as well, averaging 3.3 boards and 2.2 steals, as the Indians posted a 15-7 record.

The “Coach of the Year” honor is shared by Owego’s Chris Evans and Tioga’s Brian Card. The duo were named BCANY All-Section IV Coach of the Year in Class B and Class C, respectively.

Evans and the Indians dominated the sectional tournament, outscoring three opponents by an average of 21 points per game to earn a berth in the state playoffs against eventual champion Westhill. Owego was 15-7 overall.

Card’s Tigers overcame a 2-4 start to finish 15-9 and the sectional runner-up. Six of their losses came against larger schools. In the sectional tournament, Tioga, seeded eighth, won its first three games by an average of 18.7 points per contest, including upsets of the first and third seeds

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ALL-TIOGA COUNTY BOYS BASKETBALL
Player of the Year: John Bangel, Owego
Offensive Player of the Year: Joey Tomasso, Waverly
Defensive Player of the Year: John Bangel, Owego
Newcomer of the Year: Jadon Heidl, Candor
Coach of the Year: Chris Evans, Owego & Brian Card, Tioga

First Team
Jadon Heidl, Candor, junior
Zeb Soper, Candor, senior
Joe Bangel, Owego, senior
John Bangel, Owego, senior
Drew Tavelli, Owego, senior
Evan Sickler, Tioga, junior
Joey Tomasso, Waverly, junior

Second Team
Dan Truesdail, Newark Valley, junior
Danny Pirger, Newark Valley, junior
Riley Loomis, Owego, junior
Ethan Perry, Tioga, junior
Valentino Rossi, Tioga, junior
Jay Pipher, Waverly, junior
Jake VanHouten, Waverly, junior

Honorable Mention
Luke Heidl, Candor, senior
Jakobe Foster, Candor, freshman
Ryan Rhodes, Newark Valley, junior
Joey Rombach, Newark Valley, freshman
Ryan Pryor, Owego, senior
Ben Rollison, Owego, sophomore
Hunter Harmon, S-VE, junior
Shea Bailey, Tioga, sophomore
Isaiah Bretz, Waverly, senior
Nate DeLill, Waverly, senior
Hogan Shaw, Waverly, freshman

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IN PHOTO: Owego's John Bangel. ... TCSR STOCK PHOTO.