By Berkshire Eagle staff
Co-Player of the Year
Alie Mendel, Sr., Hoosac Valley
Mendel's season was punctuated by helping her Hurricanes claim a first-ever state championship, and started with her making a full return to athletics after being diagnosed with thyroid cancer last summer. To say that her year was remarkable is an understatement. The talented senior guard, who will head to Westfield State University next year, scored 437 points this season for Hoosac, shooting 33.7 percent from the floor. She added 45 made 3-pointers, and was always a calm and steady presence as Hoosac got back to the top in Western Mass. Division III, before going on to beat St. Mary's of Lynn in the D-III state championship game. She was held to single digits once this season — in the season opener against Lenox — and scored at least 20 points in 16 of her team's 25 games. She also topped the 1,000-point mark for her career, finishing her four years at Hoosac with 1,357 points. Mendel also brought it on the defensive end, whether in the team's vaunted press defenses or in the half-court.
Offensive Player of the Year
Lexi Mercier, Hoosac Valley, Senior
To watch Mercier play, was to see a basketball player with no fear of shooting. It seemed that anywhere inside of the half-court line was fair game for Mercier in her senior season, as she and fellow senior captain Alie Mendel helped guide the Hurricanes to their first-ever state championship victory. Mercier knocked down an eye-popping 97 3-pointers during her senior year, shooting 35-percent from long distance, and 40.2 percent overall on 152 made baskets. She finished her senior season with 429 points, and also topped the 1,000-point mark for her career, with 1,182 career points. Mercier is taking her talents to Hudson Valley Community College next season.
Coach of the Year
Ron Wojcik, Hoosac Valley
The veteran coach for the Hurricanes is no stranger to winning basketball games, but this year saw Wojcik reach the highest mountaintop in MIAA basketball — winning the state Division III championship. Hoosac's win over St. Mary's of Lynn in the state final helped get the proverbial money off of Wojcik's back, as the coach had seen his Hurricanes reach the championship game before, but never win it. This year's Hurricanes also shook off the ghosts of the 2017-18 season that saw the team's Western Mass. championship streak snapped. Wojcik pushed the limits on 3-point shooting this year, encouraging his players to chuck up as many shots as possible as the team tried to run and shoot opposing teams off the court. Hoosac went 21-4 this year and earned a share of the Berkshire North crown with Wahconah — which the team went 2-1 against, including a win in the Western Mass. D-III semifinals.
