ADAMS TWP — A ton of talent took the court for the Mars boys basketball team this past season.

Leading the way was a dynamic duo.

For the third straight season, senior center John Castello averaged a double-double, posting 18.2 points and 13 rebounds per game. His teammate, sophomore guard Robby Carmody, scored 19.4 points, 7.5 rebounds and six assists per contest.

Their play spearheaded Mars' 23-7 season, which culminated with a trip to last Friday's PIAA Class AAA title game in Hershey.

Castello and Carmody have been named Butler Eagle Boys Co-Players of the Year.

“What those two did was create space for each other on the court,” said Planet coach Rob Carmody. “Teams couldn't double-team either one. They were a great inside-outside complement to each other.”

“John is always in the right spot,” Robby Carmody said of Castello. “We could always count on him to make a big shot or get a key rebound.”

Coach Carmody referred to Castello as “the anchor of our team.”

At 6-foot-5, Castello was an imposing threat on both ends of the floor and he performed well against top-notch competition. He went up against Cathedral Catholic (Calif.) High School's Brandon McCoy (7-foot, 245 pounds) in December and matched skills with Neumann-Goretti's Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree in the state final.

“McCoy is ranked among the top 15 centers in the country and Cosby-Roundtree is in the top 75,” Coach Carmody said. “And John scored at least 20 points and had double-digit rebounds against both of them. He is the model of consistency.”

Castello closed his scholastic career with over 1,200 rebounds and is Mars' all-time leading scorer with more than 1,400 points. He will take his game to Shippensburg University.

“I decided in December that I didn't want to play football in college,” Castello said. “It was in January that I realized I could play Division II basketball. Coach Carmody sent my highlight tape out to different schools and that's how it started. I'm really excited about going to Shippensburg.”

The trip to and from Hershey was a memorable two days for Castello and his teammates.

“Staying in a hotel, going out to eat, the bus ride....just being together as a team was great,” he said. “Playing at the Giant Center and being able to experience that atmosphere, it's something we'll be talking about for the rest of our lives.”

Castello saw first-hand the progress in Robby Carmody's game this season.

“The largest part of it was maturity,” he said. “In my opinion, he's one of the best players in the WPIAL and soon will be one of the best in the state, if he's not already.”

“He made the biggest strides in his confidence,” said Coach Carmody of his son. “Last year, he had so many talented guys around him, I don't think he thought it was his time. He asserted himself much earlier in games this season.”

Robby Carmody shot 70 percent from the field this year, but said, “I still want to work on that. I think I can improve my shooting and have less turnovers.”

Rob and Robby Carmody are currently in Italy where the latter is taking part in a tournament consisting of international players.

“I try to get as much live action as I can,” said Robby, who, despite his sophomore status, has been offered scholarships by several Division I schools, including Purdue, Louisville, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Penn State, Xavier and Duquesne.

“It's not clear to me where I will end up,” he said, “but when I find the right fit, I'll know it.”