SUN-GAZETTE FILE PHOTO Williamsport's Stanley Scott attempts to score during a game against Lewisburg in 2016.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a series looking back at the Top 10 boys basketball teams, coaches, games and players from the last decade.

Stanley Scott spent his first eight years playing basketball as a guard. He spent his first varsity high school season playing forward. And then Scott returned to guard as a junior. Then he played some point guard as a senior.

Scott was a man with no position and every position. Whatever his position, whatever is role, Scott embraced it and shined. Scott’s older brother was Williamsport two-time all-stater Jahad Thomas who helped it capture 2012 and 2013 district championships. Thomas could have cast a large shadow, but Scott created his own identity, emulating his brother’s hard-working, unselfish philosophy.

Now playing at Missouri Southern, Scott helped Williamsport improve its win total in each of his three seasons, leading it to the 2017 District 2-4 Class 6A championship. Forget labeling Scott by a position. He simply was an outstanding basketball player.

“The one thing I stress to him is we don’t want to pigeon-hole him into being one specific position. We want him to just think of himself as a ball player,” Williamsport coach Allen Taylor said following Scott’s 29-point, seven-rebound, five-steal performance in a 2015 win against Motivation. “Whatever it is that we need he can go out there and do. If we need him inside he can go inside and if we need him to playing wing he play the play and if we need him to push the ball he can do that as well.”

Scott’s versatility and unselfishness helped him become one of the state’s top players by his junior year and he earned 6A second-team all-state honors as a senior when he was the most valuable player for a 21-5 team which nearly reached the state quarterfinals for the first time since 2009.

Scott and Thomas are bonded by blood, but also by their basketball styles. Scott built on the example Thomas set from 2009-13 and set a hard-working tone for a team which grew each season he was there. Scott could fill up the stat sheet, but his most valuable asset might have been his ability to elevate his teammates.

“He’s put a lot of work in. Stan loves the game. He wants to be good and I’m real pleased with his leadership and his ability to trust us and make the players around him better,” Taylor said during Scott’s senior season. “He’s really helped a lot of kids improve and has made them legitimate threats. You just can’t worry about Stan because if you do other guys will hurt you. He has had a tremendous impact on our program and our season.”

Scott started making that impact as a sophomore, playing forward for the first time and quickly adjusting. Some thought the Millionaires might take a step back after dynamic all-state guard Isaiah Washington graduated, but Scott helped them continue to flourish. Averaging 11.5 points per game while being among leaders and in assists and steals, Scott helped the Williamsport come within a basket of reaching a fourth straight district championship.

His best days were ahead, but Scott offered quite a look at what was coming in just his fifth varsity game. That night, he erupted for 31 points in the middle quarters, helping Williamsport turn a six-point deficit into a 92-45 blowout against Wyoming Valley West. He made 14 of 16 shots, dealt four assists and had a hand in 38 of 68 points in the second and third quarters. And for the only time that season due to his playing basketball at UMass-Lowell, Thomas was there to see him. What a show Scott provided.

“This will be the only game he can see the whole year so I just wanted to play a good game,” Scott said. “He’s always helping me, texting me and telling me to play strong. I’m trying to do everything he did and maybe even better.”

Like his brother, Scott was a grinder and kept working toward that goal. His junior season was a breakthrough and Scott started putting all parts of his arsenal together. Already a captain, Scott combined leadership with some outstanding play to help Williamsport reach the district final. Along the way he averaged 18.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists while improving his defense and adding 2.8 steals per game.

When the pressure was highest, Scott often was at his best, playing his best basketball against the toughest opponents and helping Williamsport win six of seven games entering the district final. He hit game-clinching free throws against State College and scored 30 points against 4A state quarterfinalist Carlisle. How valuable he was as a talent and mentor was on full display against undefeated Lewisburg (19-0) late in the season. That night, Williamsport trailed late, but Scott took over down the stretch, scored 23 points and made some critical last-minute free throws and helped it win, 65-57.

“A couple people started putting their heads down and I had to tell them to pick it up and tell them it’s not over. We still had a lot of time left. We had to get after it defensively and that’s what we did,” Scott said. “It was a no-brainer. We had to get the win. They were undefeated and people were talking down saying they were going to beat us so we had to get this win to make up for the losses we had earlier.”

Williamsport did not lose much in 2017 and Scott was the primary reason why. Scott could and sometimes did play all five positions. He also often overpowered opponents with his all-around skills and his commitment to winning. Earning second team all-state honors, Scott averaged a career-high 20.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and three steals per game. Scott was skillful at getting his teammates involved, but also knowing it was time for him to take games over and helped Williamsport win 14 straight games following a 7-4 start.

Scott was the team’s rock, dependable in all situations. He nearly recorded double-doubles in state tournament games against Penn Wood and Hempfield while going for 22 points, seven rebounds and three assists in an exciting district championship win against state-ranked Hazleton.

“He’s one of those calm, cool and collected players. You never really see Stan rattled,” Taylor said. “When another team is starting to make a run he typically finds a way to come up with a big basket or a huge assist or a blocked shot. He will make some kind of big play that will spark the team and get the juices and confidence levels up and we find a way to go on a nice run.”

That is exactly what Scott did in victories against district champions Harrisburg and State College as well as against Penn Wood. The Patriots were rallying that day before Scott dominated the fourth quarter, finishing with 19 points, nine rebounds and five assists in the 59-41 win.

“I expect that from myself,” Scott said. “My teammates expect it from me and that’s what I need to do in order to help us win.”

“He’s a Division I athlete and he poses so many problems with his athletic ability,” Penn Wood coach Matt Lindeman said. “It’s hard to stay in front of him. You’re really not going to contain him. You just have to hopefully slow him down a little bit. He is their engine. He makes them go and he’s tough.”

Scott scored his 1,000th point that season, joining his brother in that exclusive club. Thomas was a tough act to follow, but Scott blazed his own trail, built on the family tradition and created his own memorable legacy.

“Just to watch him develop from second grade to his senior year, he’s developed into a role model on and off the court,” Taylor said after Scott was named all-state. “He did an awesome job in leading this team to the second round of states. He’s just a tremendous student-athlete.”