2026 All-Hershey First Team

With the PIAA season in the books and six state champions officially having been crowned, there's no better time than to take a look at the top performers from the set of state title games in Hershey.    Finishing off a historic run with an upset victory in the last game of the season across the state, Starling inscribed his names in the history books as Central Dauphin took home its first state championship in the history of the program. The explosive junior guard poured in almost half his team's points, scoring 24 as the Rams held on for a 52-49 win over national power Imhotep Charter. Playing every second of the game, Starling was the best player on the floor from start to finish, using his dynamic first step and incendiary athleticism to put consistent pressure on the paint off the dribble. He kept things honest from the perimeter with CD's only two 3's of the game while contributing a pair of steals as the Rams handily won the turnover and transition battles. Starling has already added multiple D1 offers since Saturday night and should have an opportunity to bolster his stock even more on the EYBL circuit this spring.     The Catholic League MVP and arguably the player of the year across the state this season, Francis put a bow on a fantastic junior season with a dynamic two-way showing to secure Bonner's first state title in program history. Francis stuffed the stat sheet to the tune 18 points, 7 steals and 5 rebounds with a pair of assists and blocks, respectively. He was impossible to stop going downhill and used his defensive prowess to help break the game open with a transition onslaught in the fourth quarter, turning what had been a single-digit game into a commanding 62-35 win for the Friars. His toughness and leadership were vital in overcoming Bonner's lack of size to shut down West York's best player in the frontcourt. It wasn't his highest-scoring game but was the exact type of gritty two-way performance that local fans became accustomed to from Francis over the course of the winter.     One of the more intriguing juniors statewide, Craft showed key signs toward putting the pieces together in a scorching run through the state tournament. A lanky scoring guard who's grown almost a foot since entering high school and is still mostly skin and bones, Craft poured in 21 points in the title game to equal his average over the tournament's final three rounds. Known as a sharpshooter from the perimeter, he knocked down three 3's on his way to an efficient 5-for-10 outing, using his length to add in six boards along with a steal and a block. His high hips and lack of strength can still lead to issues with ball security, as evidenced by his seven turnovers, but the ceiling is becoming closer and closer to reality for Craft as he adds another state title to his resumé.     It wasn't quite the 30-point explosion in the quarterfinals or the 23-point outing (including his 1000th career point) in the semis, but Steele nonetheless did more than enough to ensure Trinity would leave with its first state title in over two decades. The junior guard continued his torrid playoff run with 18 points, steering the ship from the opening tap as Trinity held on against a bigger and more athletic West Catholic lineup. Steele picked his spots from the field, taking only nine shot attempts, but was aggressive seeking out contact on his way to 12 trips to the line, helping to eventually foul out West's star forward in the fourth quarter. His name is now forever etched in Trinity lore with a year left to further add to his legacy.     Capping a breakout sophomore season and dominant run through the Class 2A tournament, Kane made up for a loss in last year's state title game with an imposing 52-36 win over Old Forge. The sophomore forward delivered a double-double of 15 points and 12 boards, tossing in four assists while imposing his will out of the high-low game in a twin-tower duo with junior [player_tooltip player_id='2809899' first='Adam' last='Ikamba']. Kane was the main source behind Sewickley winning the rebounding margin 35-to-19 (17-to-6 offensive), which in large part made up the difference in the outcome. The Senegalese southpaw is tracking as one of the top young frontcourt prospects in the state and now has some state hardware to begin adding to his trophy case.     In a perfect embodiment of his accomplished high school career, it wasn't always pretty but Dubose simply found a way to get the job done. The senior closed out his four-year run at Sankofa in winning fashion, avenging last year's state championship loss by knocking off defending champ The Neighborhood Academy for a Class A title. Dubose delivered 18 points to lead the Warriors, using his lumping downhilll style to get to the foul line 15 times and help foul out a handful of Bulldog players. There's been higher-upside college prospects to come through the program, but Dubose's state crown and career scoring mark give him a real argument as the greatest player in Sankofa's storied recent history.

With the PIAA season in the books and six state champions officially having been crowned, there's no better time than to take a look at the top performers from the set of state title games in Hershey.