VALLEY SPORTS REPORT: ATHENS' BABCOCK HEADLINES SUPER 7 AS BOYS BASKETBALL 'PLAYER OF YEAR;' SAYRE'S FABBRI, TIOGA'S SICKLER, WAVERLY'S WESTBROOK, ATHENS' LISTER ALSO EARN TOP HONORS (2021-08-05)

Valley Sports Report
THE VALLEY "” Junior J.J. Babcock put together a strong season to help Athens to District 4 semifinals, and to earn the Valley Sports Report 2020-21 Boys Basketball "Player of the Year" honors.

Sayre junior Dom Fabbri is the "Offensive Player of the Year," while Tioga freshman Evan Sickler is the "Newcomer of the Year," Waverly senior Aidan Westbrook is the "Defensive Player of the Year," and first-year Athens coach Jim Lister is the "Coach of the Year."

A versatile 6-5 swingman, Babcock can score in transition, from the perimeter, taking the ball to the bucket, and in the low blocks.

Babcock led the Wildcats in scoring at 14.8 points per game, while shooting 48.5 percent from the field. He also led the team with 24 blocked shots and 61 deflections. He was second on the team at 6.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, as well as 38 steals, and 14 3-pointers.

A smooth shooting guard, Fabbri could score in transition, from behind the 3-point arc, and with the mid-range jumper.

Fabbri led the Redskins at 15.4 points per game, 49 3-pointers made, 35 free throws made, and a 74 percent free throw percentage. He also averaged 4.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.

Sickler made an immediate impact for the Tigers, scoring a team-high 16 points in his first varsity game.

Sickler averaged 11.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game, and led the Tigers with nine 3-pointers in eight game.

Westbrook, a tireless and relentless defender, used his length and athleticism to create havoc in Waverly's pressure defense, and was also tasked with guarding the opposition's best scorer on a nightly basis.

In his first year on the Athens sidelines, Jim Lister directed the Wildcats to a 13-9 regular-season mark.

Athens tacked on a win over Lewisburg in the Class 4A quarterfinals, before bowing out of the postseason with a loss at Danville to finish at 14-10.

The 2020-21 VSR Boys Basketball Super 7:
J.J. Babcock, junior, Athens: See above.

Dom Fabbri, junior, Sayre: See above.

Joey Tomasso, freshman, Waverly: Composed beyond his years, Tomasso is strong with the ball, and can flat-out score.

Tomasso scored a freshman school-record 15.3 points per game, and led Waverly with 23 3-pointers in 12 games. He also averaged 2.5 rebounds, 18 steals, and 1.5 assists per game.

Mason Lister, sophomore, Athens: At 6-4, Lister was a standout on both ends of the court for the Wildcats. He led the team in assists (4 per game), steals (49), and 3-pointers (30).

He was second on the team at 10.8 points per game, and averaged 4.8 rebounds per game.

Aidan Westbrook, senior, Waverly: A premier defender (see above), Westbrook was also a factor on the offensive end of the floor for the Wolverines.

He averaged 9.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 1.4 assists per game.

Nalen Carling, junior, Athens: Long and athletic, Carling was a big contributor in his first season at Athens.

Carling averaged 9 points, a team-high 6.6 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and 1 steal per game. He shot a team-best 49.1 percent from the field, and also led the team with a 71.9 percentage from the free-throw line.