ADAMS TWP — Michael Carmody is an anomaly.

A unicorn in a field of horses.

He's 6-foot-7, but can move.

He's 290 pounds, but has grace inside the paint as well as along the 3-point line.

In the WPIAL there is no one like the senior center on the Mars boys basketball team.

There also may be few like him elsewhere in the country.

“It's crazy,” said Planets' coach Rob Carmody, who is also Michael's father. “It's insane what he's done. And everyone knows and it doesn't matter because he's relentless.

“I have not seen a kid like him in the WPIAL in a long time.”

Few have.

The numbers Michael is putting up are eye-popping — not bad for a football player who is heading to Notre Dame to play offensive tackle in the fall.

He's averaging 19.2 points and, according to MaxPreps, leads the nation in rebounding at 19.6 per game.

No. 2 on that list, Jayden Curl from Mercy High School in Red Bluff, Calif., is averaging 19.2 boards.

“It's a pretty cool feeling to be honest,” Michael Carmody said. “I know MaxPreps, not everyone puts their stats on there, but it's definitely pretty sweet to go on there and see my name on top of the leaderboard.”

He put his name atop another one Tuesday.

In a 59-50 win over Chartiers Valley in the WPIAL Class 5A semifinals, he passed his brother Robby as Mars' all-time leader in rebounds with 1,138.

He also has 1,168 points in his four years with the Planets.

Only three other players in school history are in the rare 1,000-1,000 club — John Castello, Robby Carmody and current Mars assistant coach Bill Cress.

“Little bragging rights,” Michael said, grinning at the notion of passing his older brother. “It's a special feeling. It's really impressive that that's the group of guys I get to be a part of.”

Michael Carmody has been a difference-maker for a team that is going to its third consecutive WPIAL final.

He went for the first time as a sophomore in a completely different role on a completely different team.

Now, as a senior, he's the immutable force for the Planets and has no peer.

“You go out on the court and most of the time I'm playing against guys who are 6-5 and 180, 200 pounds maybe,” Michael said. “So, being as big as I am, it definitely gives me an advantage, especially when I'm inside banging around for four quarters. It wears on guys.”

It shows.

Michael Carmody's biggest quarters have come in the second half of games as opponents can no longer continue the grind of guarding him.

Especially when he can step out and hit a 3-pointer, as he did against Chartiers Valley.

“I don't know if Michael is the best basketball player in the WPIAL, but he's such a dominant force,” Rob Carmody said. “I think he's finally ticked off about hearing that, so (Tuesday) he had to show he can make a 3, he can handle the ball a little bit.

“His ability to play 32 minutes with energy at 290 pounds to keep running and defending, it gives us such a huge advantage.”

The hope is that advantage can be evident again Friday night against Lauren Highlands in the championship game.

Whatever happens, the Carmodys know they have at least two more games together.

It's no small thing for them.

“Playing for my dad the past four years has been awesome,” Michael said. “You can't get time back. I'm trying to prolong it as long as I can. Probably the best thing that's ever happened to me is getting to play for my dad.”