10 State High athletes across three winter sports earned All-Division recognition for their performance and dedication throughout the season.
The All-Mid-Penn Commonwealth teams highlight top student-athletes, recognizing their effort and success. Players are selected for first, second, and third teams based on their performance against other schools in their division.
This year, State High saw strong representation across boys basketball, girls basketball and wrestling. Their success reflects hard work, confidence and growth, especially at a young age.
Sophomore Micah James earned second-team recognition alongside his teammates junior Nick Carr and sophomore Chase Rhoades, surpassing his original expectations.
“My goal was to make third team, so I mean second team was great,” James said.
During his first varsity season, James focused on outworking the competition and building his confidence on the court. Looking ahead, he hopes this honor will motivate him even further.
“It’ll motivate me for next year to be able to get first team, and I learned to just take off with it,” James said.
James also emphasized his work ethic throughout the season, using it as a way to compete against older players and continue improving his game.
Junior Sienna Wilson earned second-team recognition for girls basketball after a season defined by hard work and growth. Wilson put in consistent work during games and in practice. One moment that stood out to her was a close home game against Central Dauphin East.
“We had a slow start, but towards the end it got really close, and Sheree [Wilson] hit the game winner,” Wilson said. “We’ve already had overtime at home once before that game, so it was just really exciting.”
Wilson also saw major improvement in her shooting, an area she had focused on throughout the offseason.
“Shooting hasn’t always been my strongest suit of my game, but I put in a lot of work during the summer and you could definitely see the work that was put in, because I started knocking down a lot more shots,” Wilson said.
Despite the recognition, Wilson highlighted that awards like these are not the most important part of the game. She acknowledged that many players in the conference also put in the work, adding that continued dedication and effort are what truly lead to success.
Freshman wrestler Teag Sanderson earned first-team recognition, joining junior James Whitbred and fellow freshman Noah Williams. Additional second-team honors went to sophomores Kael Davis and Luke Young, and junior Noah Young.
Despite being one of the youngest competitors, Sanderson focused on his performance rather than his age.
“I tried not to focus on my age or the ages of my opponents because it doesn’t really help you compete if you’re focused on things like that,” Sanderson said.
He also credited his success to a strong support system, including his family, teammates, and coaches.
These 10 athletes represent more than just individual recognition, as many are still early in their high school careers, and none are seniors. With continued growth and commitment, they are setting the tone for future success while continuing to represent the strength of State High athletics.
