Henderson, Howard district players of year

3/11/2010

Start's Anthony Henderson and Waite's Natasha Howard were named Division I players of the year for the Associated Press northwest Ohio district boys and girls basketball teams.

Henderson, who led the City League in scoring for the second straight year, shared top honors with Darrin Harris of Mansfield Senior.

Henderson, a versatile 6-2 senior guard for the 10-9 Spartans, averaged 28.3 points and 8.6 rebounds during the regular season, and closed his career last week as Start's career scoring leader with 1,350 points.

Also on the D-I boys first team are 6-3 junior guard Robert Davis (25.7 points, 6.8 rebounds) of Bowsher, and 6-5 senior forward Charlie Hughes (20.3, 8.0) of Perrysburg.

Jim Welling, who guided Central Catholic to its first City League championship in 42 years in his second season with the Irish, shared D-I coach-of-the-year honors with Marion Harding's Roger Jury.

Howard, a four-time first-team All-City girls selection, was recently named to the McDonald's All-American team.

The 6-3 senior averaged 24.7 points and 11.0 rebounds during the regular season, as Waite won the CL championship. She has 1,671 career points

Waite's Manny May shared top D-I girls coaching honors with Greg Noftz of 20-0 Marion Harding.

Joining Howard on the D-I first team were 5-7 junior guard Maleeka Kynard (13.2 points) of Start, and 5-11 senior forward-guard Olivia Fouty (17.9 points, 9.1 rebounds) of Northview.

In Division II, the top boys honor was shared by 6-2 senior guard Zach Leahy (23.3 points, 6.3 rebounds) of Rossford, and 6-7 senior center Ryan Hicks (16.4 points, 10.5 rebounds) of Port Clinton, which had its first-ever 20-0 regular season.

Port Clinton's Troy Diels shared D-II coaching honors with Defiance's Kirk Lehman, who guided the Bulldogs to an 18-2 record and their first Western Buckeye League title since 1983.

Also on the D-II boys first team was senior Tyler Hinkle of Wauseon (16.9 points, 10.3 rebounds)

On the Division II first team were 5-8 junior guard Macketta Allen (20.2 points, 7.6 rebounds) of Libbey, and 6-1 senior forward Alexis Pierce (13.0 points, 6-0 rebounds) of Wauseon.

In Division III, seniors Aaron Craft and Amanda Hyde of Liberty-Benton - who led their respective boys and girls Eagles teams to matching 20-0 records and No. 1 state rankings - swept the top player honors.

They were joined by L-B's Steve Williman, who shared D-III boys coaching honors with Plymouth's Brad Turson.

The Ohio State-bound Craft, a 6-2 guard, who helped L-B to a 79-1 regular-season mark in his four years, averaged 26.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 6.5 assists.

Hyde, a 5-10 guard who will play at Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne, averaged 21.8 points and 5.9 rebounds.

Also on the D-III boys

first team was 6-3 senior guard Chad Mossing (19.8 points, 5.5 rebounds) of Evergreen.

Also on the D-III girls first team are 5-9 junior guard Kaysie Brittenham (16.3 points) of Lake, 5-8 senior guard Katherine Jamieson (12.1 points) of Ottawa Hills, 5-8 sophomore guard Lauren Langenderfer (18.2 points, 10.3 rebounds) of 17-3 Evergreen, and 5-9 senior forward Aja Hall (21.4 points, 12.8 rebounds) of 8-12 Fostoria.

Sean Mercer of Ottawa Hills shared top D-III girls coaching honors with Rich Thiel of Tinora.

In Division IV, 6-0 senior guard Eliot Browarsky (19.2 points, 7.4 assists) of 19-1 Ottawa Hills made the boys first team, and the Green Bears' John Lindsay shared coaching honors with Ohio's all-time wins leader, Dick Kortokrax of Kailda, who surpassed 800 career victories late in the season.

The Division IV girls squad is highlighted by players of the year Erica King (19.0 points) of 16-4 Pettisville and Zefiryn Bryan (15.5 points, 7.8 rebounds) of 18-2 Delphos St. John's.

Lauren Geroski, a senior at Fostoria St. Wendelin was also on the first team.

Contact Steve Junga at:

sjunga@theblade.com

or 419-724-6461.