The Third Annual Wallace “Wah Wah” Jones Award will be presented to two great multi-sport high school athletes during the 2016 Mr. and Miss Kentucky Basketball Awards Ceremony, sponsored by Friends of Coal, on March 15th in the Bluegrass Ballroom of the Lexington Center in Lexington, KY starting at 6 PM. Ray Zuberer, III from Owensboro Catholic High School and Landon Young from Lafayette High School were both selected as recipients for the award as both athletes had outstanding credentials.
Nominees were submitted from across the state to the Jones family for this prestigious award for senior multi-sport athletes who excel equally in their classroom and contribute greatly to their community.
“All of the nominees were very deserving and it was an extremely difficult decision,” said Wallace “Wah” Jones, Jr. “It came down to these two nominees and we just couldn’t choose one over the other, so we decided as a family to give the award to both of these great young gentlemen.”
Ray Zuberer, III, a senior at Owensboro Catholic, has played football, basketball and baseball during his high school career. Zuberer has signed to play baseball for Western Kentucky University in 2017. His impressive stats as a quarter back earned him the title of the 2015 KHSAA 2A Player of the Year, throwing over 100 touchdown passes in two years. Zuberer is the current team leader in all statistical categories for his baseball team with a .416 batting average. He has had 116 hits, 26 doubles, 8 triples, 57 RBI’s, 83 runs, and 47 stolen bases in his 94 games played. Zuberer considers hitting the game winning shot in the basketball regional tournament semifinals to send his school to the finals to be one of his greatest athletic achievements. “The best thing about my athletic career has been being around my teammates, coaches, teachers, students and the OCHS fan base,” said Zuberer. “It has been an honor and a privilege to be associated with and to get to play for Owensboro Catholic High School.”
Landon Young, a senior at Lafayette High School, has participated in football, wrestling and track during his high school career, while maintaining an impressive 4.33 GPA. Young has signed with the University of Kentucky to play football, rejecting offers from Alabama, Auburn and Ohio State. For his excellence in football Young was invited to participate in the 2016 US Army All-American Bowl and was named a Five Star prospect by Rivals and 247 Sports. In 2015 he was a part of the Kentucky state championship runner-up team and has been named 1st Team All-State twice in his career as an offensive tackle. In wrestling he is a three time city champion, a three time region champion, the state runner up in 2015 and the KHSAA State Wrestling Champion in 2016 finishing with a 19-0 record on the mat. Young’s endeavors in track and field led him to be a two time state champion in discuss, a state champion in shot-put and he was named the 2014 Gatorade Kentucky Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year. Young has been an officer in Lafayette’s Future Farmers of America chapter and is also a member of the Beta Club and Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Wallace “Wah Wah” Jones, Sr. was a two-sport All-American at the University of Kentucky, playing for legendary coaches Adolph Rupp and Bear Bryant, winning two national championships and an NIT. Jones is the only player at the University of Kentucky to have his jerseys retired in both sports. In addition to basketball and football, Jones was a pitcher with the Wildcats and a member of the UK track and field team. He won a gold medal in the 1948 Summer Olympics with Rupp’s “Fabulous Five” and the Phillip 66ers. After college Jones went on to play in the National Basketball Association with the Indianapolis Olympians. During his tremendous athletic career Jones was the image of sportsmanship and is respected throughout the world.
All sports fans are welcome to attend the 2016 Mr. and Miss Kentucky Basketball Awards Ceremony sponsored by Friends of Coal. Tickets are on sale now at http://www.mrandmisskybasketball.com or by calling 800-232-5308. General admission tickets are $10 and VIP tickets which include dinner are $50. For questions or to purchase a table (seats 10) call KLEF directly at 502-583-0564 or 800-232-5308.
The 5th annual Mr. and Miss Kentucky Basketball Award Ceremony serves as a fundraiser for the Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation, who has announced Mr. Kentucky Basketball since 1954 and Miss Kentucky Basketball since 1976. KLEF’s mission is to prevent and cure blindness. For more information contact KLEF at 502-583-0564 or go to http://www.kylionseye.org.