CMR's Huestis repeats as Gatorade Player of the Year
By
KFBB Sports_Team
Story Created:
Mar 18, 2010 at 1:22 PM MST
Story Updated:
Mar 18, 2010 at 1:26 PM MST
CHICAGO (March 18, 2010) — In its 25th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPN RISE, today announced Josh Huestis of C.M. Russell High School as its 2009-10 Gatorade Montana Boys Basketball Player of the Year. The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court, distinguishes Huestis as Montana’s best high school boys basketball player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year award to be announced in March, Huestis joins an elite alumni association of past state boys basketball award winners, including Chris Paul (2002-03, West Forsyth HS, N.C.), Kevin Garnett (1992-93, Maudlin HS, S.C.), Chauncey Billups (1993-94 & 1994-95, George Washington HS, Colo.), Jason Kidd (1991-92, St. Joseph Notre Dame HS, Calif.), Paul Pierce (1994-95, Inglewood HS, Calif.) and Chris Bosh (2001-02, Lincoln HS, Texas). The state’s returning Gatorade Boys Basketball Player of the Year, Huestis led the Rustlers (21-3) to a second straight Class AA state title this past season, averaging 17.3 points, 12.8 rebounds, 4.8 blocks, 1.4 steals and 1.3 assists per game. A returning Class AA First Team All-State selection, the 6-foot-7, 205-pound senior power forward and center totaled 12 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks in a 71-41 victory against Billings West in the state championship game, capturing state tournament Most Valuable Player honors in the process. Also the MVP of last winter’s state championship run, he averaged 15.3 points, 11.2 rebounds and 4.3 blocks per game as a junior. Huestis has maintained a 3.93 GPA in the classroom. In addition to serving in two student-leadership programs at the high school, he has volunteered locally on behalf of his church, at a local assisted living facility, as co-chairman of the Montana Teens March Against Meth, as well as for the Special Olympics and the area Catholic Youth Organization. “Huestis, in my opinion, is by far the best player in the state,” said Mike McLean, former C.M. Russell High coach and a member of the state coaches association’s Hall of Fame. “I have not seen a guy from Montana in a long time cause as much havoc defensively as he does. At 6-foot-8, he blocks five to 10 shots a game and alters many others. He gets four or five dunks a game and is just a very good all-around player.” Huestis has signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball on scholarship at Stanford University this fall. The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by ESPN RISE and the Gatorade high school sports leadership team, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport. Huestis joins recent Gatorade Montana Boys Basketball Players of the Year Andy Garland (2007-08, Sentinel) and Derek Selvig (2006-07, Dawson County) among the state’s list of former award winners. To celebrate the award’s 25th anniversary, Gatorade wants you to vote for the All-Time Greatest Players of the Year at gatorade.com/POY25. To keep up to date on the latest happenings, become a fan of Gatorade Player of the Year on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. For more on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information, a complete list of past winners, and the announcement of the Gatorade National Player of the Year, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com. ###
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