Clemens Wins Trester At State FinalsINDIANAPOLIS - A 95-74 loss in the Class 4A state championship Saturday wasn't what the Warsaw Tigers boys basketball team had expected, but the recipient of the Arthur L. Trester Award was predicted.
Warsaw Community High School senior Justin Clemens won the 2009-2010 4A Arthur L. Trester Award for Mental Attitude, accepting the award with tears in his eyes following a loss in his final prep game.
"It's going to be tough taking off the jersey for the last time," Clemens said on the court at Conseco Fieldhouse as the North Central Panthers celebrated a state championship on the other end.During Thursday's pep rally at Warsaw Community High School, Warsaw head coach Doug Ogle all but awarded Clemens the honor, which came to fruition Saturday.
"We're proud of our guys and really happy Justin Clemens won the Trester Award," Ogle said. "I was going to launch an investigation if he didn't get it. He's very deserving."
Justin's father, Gordy Clemens, was also in Ogle's camp when it came to believing his son was worthy of the award.
"It's very humbling and mind-numbing to think he's made it this far, with the team making it to the state championship and Justin being honored this award," Gordy Clemens said. "Justin is a very deserving boy, but I'm sure there's many. I just feel really blessed. I can assure anyone out there that he's just a wonderful boy. I couldn't be more proud or happy."
The Trester Award is awarded "to the outstanding senior participant in each classification of the boys basketball state finals. The recipients of this award, who are nominated by their principals and coaches, must excel in mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability in basketball."
All of those qualities seem to be in line with Clemens' makeup.
"I've been a varsity athlete for four years, in football and basketball, and I've got a high GPA, top 20 in my class," Justin Clemens said. "I've just worked hard in everything I do."
Along with basketball, Clemens was also the quarterback of the football team, all this while carrying a 12.4 GPA on a 12-point scale.
"He's just a great competitor," his father said. "He never quits, he always gives his best. The teammates love him because he cares, he cares about them. They know he's going to give it his best and he expects that from them. It's just been an incredible, great run this year."
That great run came to an end Saturday as North Central built a 46-26 lead by the half. With his team in a deep hole, Clemens' had to display leadership with a strong mental attitude.
"It's tough, especially when everyone's getting out of it (the sport) and they're all going their separate way," Justin said about staying positive when his team was down big in the championship game.
In his final prep game, Clemens scored 11 points on 5-for-12 shooting, also recording two rebounds, two assists and a steal.
Clemens joins Triton's Jacob Everett (1A, 2008), Warsaw's Matt Taylor (1996), Whitko's Steve Nicodemus (1991) as other local products to win the Trester Award.
