Rene Castro Named Gatorade Massachusetts Boys Basketball Player of the Year

CHICAGO (March 22, 2012) — In its 27th year of honoring the nation's best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPNHS, today announced Rene Castro of Worcester Academy (Worcester, Mass.) as its 2011-12 Gatorade Massachusetts Boys Basketball Player of the Year. Castro is the first Gatorade Massachusetts Boys Basketball Player of the Year to be chosen from Worcester Academy.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court, distinguishes Castro as Massachusetts' best high school boys basketball player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year award to be announced in March, Castro joins an elite alumni association of past state boys basketball award winners, including Dwight Howard (2003-04, SW Atlanta Christian Academy, Ga.), Chauncey Billups (1993-94 & 1994-95, George Washington HS, Colo.), Jason Kidd (1991-92, St. Joseph Notre Dame HS, Calif.), Paul Pierce (1994-95, Inglewood HS, Calif.) and Chris Bosh (2001-02, Lincoln HS, Texas).

The 6-foot-1 junior guard averaged 23.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game this past season, leading the Hilltoppers (15-11) to the New England Prep School Athletic Council Class AA Tournament quarterfinals. The MVP of the BCD Holiday Hoops Tournament, Castro scored more than 20 points on 16 occasions and knocked down 41.7 percent of his 3-pointers (43-for-103) for the season.

Castro has maintained a B average in the classroom. He has volunteered locally as a tutor at a homeless shelter, as part of a literacy-outreach program and as a youth basketball coach.

"Rene Castro is a scoring machine," said Mike Hart, head coach at St. Andrew's (R.I.) School. "He doesn't take bad shots. He can make the 3-pointer, moves without the ball and he's a good passer."

Castro will begin his senior year of high school this fall.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by ESPNHS and the Gatorade high school sports leadership team, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.

Castro joins recent Gatorade Massachusetts Boys Basketball Players of the Year Pat Connaughton (2010-11, St. John's Preparatory School), Nate Lubick (2008-09 & 2009-10, St. Mark's School), Stevie Mejia (2007-08, Lawrence Academy), and Mike Baldarelli (2006–07, Holy Name Central Catholic) among the state's list of former award winners.

To keep up to date on the latest happenings, become a fan of Gatorade Player of the Year on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. For more on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information, a complete list of past winners, and the announcement of the Gatorade National Player of the Year, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com.