Mars senior guard Robby Carmody was named the 2017-18 Gatorade Pennsylvania Boys Basketball Player of the Year Thursday. Carmody is averaging 32.2 points and 14.2 rebounds per game for the Planets, who won the WPIAL 5A championship last week.

ADAMS TWP — Mars' Robby Carmody found out Thursday before school that he had been named 2017-18 Gatorade Pennsylvania Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

Not a bad way to start the day.

A senior guard, Carmody is averaging 32.2 points and 14.2 rebounds per game for the Planets, who recently won the first WPIAL title in program history.

Only one boys player per state is honored each season by Gatorade,

“This is really special and I am honored to be picked for it,” said Carmody.

“There's a lot of great players across the state, especially out in Philadelphia,” said Mars coach and Robby's father, Rob Carmody. “It's neat to see this honor come to the western side of the state.”

The award also takes into account a player's performance in the classroom, where Carmody, a University of Notre Dame recruit, carries a 4.0 grade-point average. He plans to major in business/finance in college.

A full story appears in the sports section of Friday's Butler Eagle.