As expected, Albert Lea’s Ben Woodside was selected to the 2002-03 Big Nine All-Conference Boys’ Basketball Team. The Tigers’ Tyler Young received honorable mention.

Woodside, a 6-foot junior guard, literally rewrote the Albert Lea High School record books this past season, scoring a single-season record 564 points and becoming the Tigers’ all-time scoring leader.

Recovering remarkably fast from an ankle sprain in December, Woodside went on to average 23.5 points while shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 70.6 percent on free throws, with 81 assists, 71 steals and 65 rebounds.

A three-year varsity player, Woodside was the Tribune’s Player of the Year for 2001-02.

“Woody was as deserving as anyone in our league,&uot; said Albert Lea coach Matt Addington. &uot;Most coaches would agree that a player like Woody is a great place to start a team. He can hurt you in so many ways. That’s why we like having the ball in his hands. The personal accolades that he has received are a product of his hard work and determination to make himself the best he can be. He knows what he has to improve on and will work toward that.

More than anything Woody wants his team to win.”

Young, a 6-5 senior forward, was an inside force for the Tigers while starting for the second year in a row.

Young averaged 8.2 points and 8.2 rebounds, hitting 47.8 percent of his field goals and 63.5 percent at the line. He totaled 44 assists, 30 blocked shots and 17 steals.

“Tyler is such a gifted athlete and had teams keying on him a lot more inside this year,&uot; said Addington. &uot;He was a physical force around the basket and teams knew they had to get a body on him. He was a nice complement to the outside game and penetration that we had. Tyler has the physical tools to be good player at the next level.”

The Tigers finished 6-12 in the Big Nine and 13-13 overall, reaching the semifinals of Section 2AAA for the second year in a row.

The coach of the year was Eric Plitzuweit of Rochester John Marshall.

The 2002-03 all-conference team, by school:

&045; Rochester JM &045; Longar Longar, sr.; Lou Cha, sr.; Hon. Ment.

Cody Woiwood, sr.; Cory Lott, sr.;

&045; Mankato East &045; Nate Harstad, sr.; Jon Kaus, jr.; HM &045; Craig Dahl, sr.; Mitch Gosson, soph.;

&045; Rochester Mayo &045; Ben Sullivan, jr.; Casey Adkins, jr.;

&045; Rochester Century &045; Dan Lyons, sr.; Charlie Sowa, sr.; HM &045; Tim Deedrick, soph.;

&045; Winona &045; Jason Pehler, sr.; David Dreas, jr.; HM &045; Jon Lica, jr.;

&045; Owatonna &045; Andrew Olson, sr.; HM &045; Chris Troy, sr.;

&045; Mankato West &045; Andy Wills, soph.; HM &045; Scott Nessler, soph.; Tommy Saffert, fr.;

&045; Faribault &045; Travis Krenske, sr.;

&045; Albert Lea &045; Ben Woodside, jr.; HM &045; Tyler Young, sr.;

&045; Austin &045; Jon Bain, sr.; HM &045; John Duren, jr.