BUTLER TWP — Give him the hat trick.

After being named Gatorade Player of the Year and MaxPreps Player of the Year for Pennsylvania in recent weeks, Butler senior point guard Ethan Morton was named the state's Class 6A Boys Basketball Player of the Year by the Pennsylvania Sports Writers Association over the weekend.

A day earlier, Mars senior forward Michael Carmody was named first team all-state in Class 5A. Averaging 19 points and a nation-best 19 rebounds per game, Carmody became the only athlete to be named first team all-state in football and basketball this school year.

He is headed to Notre Dame to play football.

Morton is also a three-time Butler County Player of the Year and became the first 6A boys basketball player to make first team all-state three consecutive years.

“This one may be the most meaningful,” Morton said of being named player of the year in Pa. Class 6A. “I know that's done by vote and there are a lot of great players on the eastern side of the sate.

“For me to win this and getting votes from out that way shows a lot of respect for myself and my team.”

Morton beat our Coatesville senior guard Jhamir Brickus — the only other repeat first team all-stater — for player of the year. Brickus scored 2,334 points in his prep career and is headed to La Salle University.

Others on the 6A first team are senior forward William Jeffress of McDowell, sophomore guard Jalen Duran of Roman Catholic and junior guard Stevie Mitchell of Wilson.

Mt. Lebanon's Jake Hoffman is the only other WPIAL player to make 6A all-state. He made third team.

Headed to Purdue this summer, Morton averaged 23.4 points, 12.8 rebounds and 8.4 assists this season for the Golden Tornado. He is Butler's all-time scoring leader with 2,198 points.

“This award — and our (upcoming) banquet — gives me a sense of closure for high school,” Morton said. “We didn't get to finish our run in the state playoffs, but we did get to end with an exciting win in a great venue in front of a lot of our fans.”

Butler (22-4) defeated Upper St. Clair 77-73 in the PIAA 6A second round at the Robert Morris University UPMC Events Center, rallying from 11 points down in the fourth quarter. The Tornado ended the season on a 17-game winning streak.

Butler was to face McDowell — and Jeffress, committed to Pitt — in the quarterfinals.

“Without my team, this award doesn't happen,” Morton said of his Player of the Year honor. “The team success is a big part of it.

“We were one of the favorites to win the state. Had we lost our first game in the district playoffs, I don't know how that would have looked. I don't know how that would have felt. This award doeasn't happen if we lose there.”

The Tornado had to rally from behind twice to defeat Peters Township in double-overtime in the first round o the WPIAL playopffs.

Butler coach Matt Clement said he deflected the pressure to win the WPIAL title away from his team — and particularly away from Morton.

“Things don't always happen the way you expect or plan,” Clement said. “Good team,s get knocked off. We could have easily lost those overtime games in the playoffs.

“Ethan deserves all of this. He was a leader. He handled pressure so well, including pressure he put on himself. He faced adversity thfree times this year, losing Luke Patten in preseason, hurting his ankle around Christmas, then again in the playoffs.”

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Morton is unsure when he's leaving for Purdue.

“Originally, it was suposed to be in June. Now it's moved bnack to July or August, maybe at the start of the school year,” he said.

Butler's boys basketball banquet has already been postponed twice due to the pandemic. It is expected to be held this summer.

Morton doesn't plan on missing it.

“I'll be there. I would come back for it,” he said. “That's our final event as a team. It's our time to thank everyone, for me to thank my teammates and appreciate everybody.

“That will be the final closure.”

It will be closure — in a sense — for Clement as well.

“Ethan's had high expectations on him since he was a freshman,” the coach said. “To come so close to a WPIAL championship twice in the past three years, then to get it done as a senior was far from easy.

“He's just a special, special kid.”