This is the fifth in a series of 12 articles profiling the Mars Athletic Hall of Fame's Class of 2021

NEW YORK — In the 11th game of his sophomore season, Mars forward Steve Cress tallied 23 points to help the Planets defeat Slippery Rock.

“That helped me realize what I was capable of,” said Cress, a 2008 Mars graduate. “From that point, I knew I could have a big impact on the team.”

Cress, a forward, finished his sophomore season averaging 10 points per game, but he had just scratched the surface of his potential.

He went on to earn Butler Eagle Boys Basketball Player of the Year honors his junior and senior seasons, averaging a double-double both times. His career culminated with 21.5 points and 12.7 rebounds per game as a senior.

Cress graduated as Mars' all-time scoring leader with 1,208 points. He will be inducted into the Mars Hall of Fame Sept. 18.

“To get recognized for what I contributed, it's a good feeling,” he said. “I owe a lot to the coaching staff, they played a critical role ... especially Rob (Carmody, head coach). He never stopped pushing me to get better.”

Cress' passion for basketball was sparked by his father, Bill Cress, also a Mars graduate and longtime coach in the district.

“He was pretty instrumental and I owe a lot of my success to him,” said Cress. “He has so much knowledge of the game.”

Carmody knew of Cress long before the latter joined the varsity team as a freshman.

“I knew about him when he was in the third grade,” he said. “By the eighth grade, he was going up with the ball with ease and we knew he had a chance to be really special.”

Tall and lanky at the start of his varsity career, Cress was 6-foot-6 and 215 pounds by his senior season.

“He was physically imposing, but was also as good of an athlete as we've ever had.

“I remember a game his senior year, he was running down the court at full speed, put a spin move on a kid, went up and hammered it with both hands.”

Stars at all levels of sport can be distant with teammates, especially the reserves. That wasn't the case with Cress.

“He wanted to make the last guy on the bench feel that he was important. That's how he endeared himself to the rest of the team,” said Carmody.

Cress believes that mentality was influenced by two factors.

“I naturally tended to be that way. I've never been the type to take all the glory,” he said. “But also, my dad ... he taught me how important the team structure is. If you're not that way (inclusive), it can lead to problems.”

Cress' ability, productivity and demeanor influenced future Planets.

Carmody saw that play out with his son Robby, who went on to become the school's all-time leading scorer before graduating in 2018.

“When Robby was 7 or 8 years old, his favorite player wasn't LeBron James or Magic Johnson, it was Steve Cress,” Carmody said.

“Here's a kid who was flying around, could jump and run, dunking the ball ... that brought a lot of excitement to the gym.”

Four seasons after Cress graduated, the Planets began a string of nine straight trips to the playoffs, a streak that ended last March only because of COVID-19.

During that 9-year span, Mars won two WPIAL titles and reached the state championship game twice. Carmody believes Cress had a hand in that success.

“When he was still playing here, he'd take the time to talk with the younger kids,” he said. “He was a great ambassador to our program. It helped usher in the kids that took us a step further.”

Cress played in college at Edinboro University and Westminster College, but injuries often kept him off the court.

“I didn't play my senior year,” he said. “I had trouble with my ankles and knees, was in pain every day.”

He graduated from Westminster with a degree in financial economics and has lived and worked in New York City for seven years.

Cress is looking forward to returning to Mars for his induction.

“My dad and grandfather (William Cress) are already in, so I'll be the third generation of my family to be inducted. Not many families can say that,” he said.

In fact, Cress also has a great uncle, Larry Cress, and an aunt, Carole Cress Descovick, who were previously inducted.