CRANBERRY TWP — Sam Breen didn't want to take a break from basketball.

Her father, Mike, made her, however.

After the Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic 6-foot-2 junior forward helped the Trojanettes win a PIAA Class A title last month, she was banned from the gym for a week.

Breen's response: “Dad, you have to be kidding me?”

He wasn't. He refused to tell her what time or where her AAU practices were being held. When she slipped away after school to work out and shoot around, he wasn't thrilled.

“I can't go a week without basketball,” Breen said. “I just can't do it.”

That work ethic and dedication are reasons why Breen was named Class A Girls Player of the Year and was a first-team selection on the Pennsylvania Sports Writers All-State Teams, which were announced Saturday.

It highlighted a big year for Butler County area basketball.

Mars sophomore guard Robby Carmody made the Class AAA boys first team. His teammate, Planets' senior center John Castello was a second-team selection.

A pair of North Catholic boys players, junior guard Kenny Fukon and senior forward Erick Taylor, were named to the Class A third team.

Karns City senior forward LeeAnn Gibson was a girls Class AA third-team selection.

For Breen, the recognition as the top player in the state was further proof her offseason work paid off.

“Honestly, it's unbelievable,” said Breen, who was also named Butler Eagle Girls Player of the Year. “I'm just so happy. I was so happy when I got the Eagle player of the year.”

Breen averaged 26.6 points per game this season for North Catholic, but was even more dominant in the PIAA playoffs as the Trojanettes made a run to the state title.

Breen averaged 29.2 points in five state playoff contests. She scored 27 points to go with 13 rebounds in the state championship win over Lourdes Regional.

“I couldn't have asked for anything better,” Breen said. “Winning the state championship was the best feeling in the world.”

Once her week-long purgatory was over, Breen was back on the court and back at working on her game.

She plays for Drill 4 Skill — one of the top AAU organizations in the country — coached by John Miller, who won more than 600 games as the boys basketball coach at Riverside and Blackhawk.

This is Breen's first year with Drill 4 Skill. The AAU team she was on last year folded.

“AAU is completely different from school ball,” Breen said. “Everyone on the team (at North Catholic) is very close and I wasn't sure what it would be like. But I could tell from the first (Drill 4 Skill) practice I went to that we'd be close. Everyone has a good sense of humor. It's been great.”

Breen's first big tournament with her new team is next weekend in Kentucky.

Drill 4 Skill went 5-0 this weekend in their first tournament and won each game by more than 30 points.

She's getting even more attention from Division I coaches all around the country since her standout season.

Interest in Breen has swelled even more since her state tournament performance.

“I'm still looking at Dayton and I'm going to be going on college visits soon,” Breen said. “A lot of bigger schools have shown interest, but I haven't talked to any of them yet.”

Breen has a specific goal for her development during the AAU season.

“I want to work on my left hand,” Breen said. “On fast breaks this weekend I went to my left and worked on finishing better from my left.”

North Catholic coach Molly Rottmann, who earned her own honor by being named Class A girls coach of the year, said Breen has earned every accolade she has received.

“I was talking to her earlier (Sunday) and she had a list of what she needs to work on during the offseason,” Rottmann said. “She's a special kid.

“You might be able to coach that a little bit into some kids,” Rottmann added. “But with Sam, it's in her demeanor. I told her that she is no longer under the radar and that will motivate her to bigger and better things.”

Carmody was the only sophomore named to the first team among the 25 boys in all four classes.

“I really wasn't expecting this honor, but I made a huge leap in between my freshman year and this year.”

Carmody's father and Mars boys basketball coach Rob Carmody, who was named the Class AAA boys coach of the year, said Robby understands talent means nothing without working hard and having great teammates around him.

“Off the court, he's such a humble and shy kid,” Coach Carmody said. “You see him do what he does on the court — he's not doing any of it for attention. He does it because he loves basketball.”

Eagle staff writer Derek Pyda contributed to this story.