Libbey's Buford is boys district player of the year
3/9/2007
William Buford <br> • <a href=http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070309/SPORTS15/70309003></b>Complete All-District teams</b></a>
Libbey junior William Buford - who averaged 28.4 points and 12.3 rebounds per game while leading the Cowboys to a 19-1 regular-season finish, a City League championship and a No. 3 final state ranking - has been named Division I player of the year on the 2007 Associated Press northwest Ohio all-district boys basketball team.
The 6-5 guard-forward, bound for Ohio State, was a model of consistency throughout the regular season, never producing fewer than 19 points or 10 rebounds in any game, and scoring 25 or more points 14 times. He notched a career-best 41 points in CL play versus Bowsher.
Joining Buford on the D-I all-district first team are City League rivals Chris Wyse, a 6-3 senior guard from 14-4 Scott (26.7 points), and Joe Jakubowski, a 6-1 senior guard from 13-7 St. John's Jesuit (14.3 points).
Rounding out the six-member first team are senior Kelsey Williams (22.0 points, 9.0 rebounds) of 14-6 Sandusky, senior Antwoine Smith (14.8) of 18-2 Mansfield Senior, and senior Zach Maxey (19.3, points, 8.9 rebounds) of 16-4 Mansfield Madison.
Sandusky's Steve Keller Jr. was selected D-I coach of the year.
The teams were chosen by a nine-member media panel with representatives from Celina, Defiance, Findlay, Fremont, Lima, Mansfield, Sandusky, Tiffin and The Blade.
The Division II player of the year is Ohio's all-time scoring leader, Ohio State-bound 6-7 senior guard Jon Diebler of Upper Sandusky, who averaged an incredible 42.7 points per game for the 17-3 Northern Ohio League champion Rams.
Diebler tallied 44 points in a win in Upper Sandusky's regular-season finale against Norwalk, lifting him to 2,960 for his four-year varsity career, which included one season at Fostoria and the last three at Upper. Jay Burson of New Concord John Glenn had held the record at 2,958 for 22 years.
Joining Diebler on the D-II first team are 6-5 Central Catholic senior forward Sam Bastian, whose 16.3 points and 9.4 rebounds per game helped the Irish to a 13-6 season, and 6-2 Wauseon senior guard Chris Villalovos, who netted 19.2 points per game for the 14-6 Indians.
Completing the D-II first team are senior Kyle Hallock (20.6 points) of 19-1 Sandusky Perkins, senior Kevin Murphy (24.5) of 4-16 Galion and Adam Johns (18.3) of 12-8 St. Marys Memorial.
Scott McVeigh of Perkins and Dave Froelich of 19-1 Van Wert share D-II coach of the year honors.
Top-ranked, 20-0 Liberty-Benton received top honors in Division III, as 6-3 senior guard Nathan Hyde (21.3 points) was named player of the year and the Eagles' Steve Williman was selected coach of the year.
Joining Hyde on the first team are 6-2 junior forward Gene Goering (20.0 points, 9.3 rebounds) of third-ranked 18-2 Archbold, 6-1 senior guard Kyle Brubaker (13.3 points) of 16-4 Northwest Ohio Athletic League champion Patrick Henry, and 6-6 senior wing Dustin Reynolds (18.4 points, 8.4 rebounds) of 18-2 Suburban Lakes League champion Elmwood.
Seniors Matt Zahel (16.7 points) of 10-10 Margaretta and Logan Nourse (22.4 points) of 14-6 Spencerville complete the D-III first team.
In Division IV, Dave McWhinnie, of 20-0, third-ranked Toledo Area Athletic Conference champion Toledo Christian, shared top coaching honors with Dan Hegemier of top-ranked fellow unbeaten New Knoxville.
The seven-member D-IV first team includes junior Matt Phillips (18.3 points) of sixth-ranked 18-2 Van Buren, along with seniors Nathan Schmidt (18.7 points) of 15-5 Continental, Alex Nafziger (18.0 points, 8.6 rebounds) of Buckeye Border Conference champion Pettisville, Eric Maag (22.6 points) of 12-8 Columbus Grove and Jason Wehri (14.0 points, 11.1 rebounds) of 17-3 Putnam County League champion Ottoville.
Rounding out the small-school first team are juniors Ross Steinecker (20.4 points) of New Knoxville and Zac Dysert (20.1 points) of 17-3 Ada.
Contact Steve Junga at:
sjunga@theblade.com
or 419-724-6461.