Sisters athlete named 'star of stars'

Each year, elite high school senior athletes are chosen from teams across the state of Oregon. From football to lacrosse, these players are the selected few who participate in annual all-star tournaments.

Most recently, a freshly graduated group of basketball athletes from various Oregon high schools were chosen to compete in last weekend's all-star games.

"I think it's a really neat opportunity for all the kids. It's great to get them all together and put aside the grudges they may have had from competing against each other all season," said Coach Robert Jackson of Hidden Valley High School.

Ross Erickson, a 2009 Sisters High School graduate was one of the elite players selected to participate in this year's 2009 all-star basketball competition. He was placed on the South All-Star team coached by Jackson.

"It was really fun to be able to play on such a big stage, and it was an honor to have been selected," said Erickson.

As a senior transfer from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Erickson was a key player for the Outlaws basketball team during their 2009 season. Averaging 17 points and eight rebounds per game, Erickson was an outstanding contributor.

"Ross is a tremendous guy, an awesome person and an excellent player. It's going to be great to see what he'll do in the future," said Sisters High School Coach Rand Runco.

On Saturday, after finishing the final game of the tournament, Erickson received the "Star of the Stars" award. Each recipient was selected by the all-star coaches and the award was given to the top player from each division's team.

"Ross is a phenomenal player and he has all the tools to play at the next level. I had a lot of fun coaching him," Jackson said.

On July 4, Erickson will head to Connecticut to fulfill a full-ride basketball scholarship to at University of Hartford.

"It's a great group of guys and the coaching staff is excellent. I'm really excited to continue my basketball career at the next level," said Erickson.