Craft, Lindsay earn top AP state honors

SPT ohsoccer14p 09/14/2009 Blade Photo/Lori King Eliot Browarsky, a co-captain for the soccer team of Ottawa Hills High School in Ottawa Hills, OH. S4 s4browar .75"x1.15" black and white

Liberty-Benton point guard Aaron Craft was named the Division III player of the year, and Ottawa Hills coach John Lindsay was named Division IV co-coach of the year by the Associated Press Tuesday.

Craft, who will play at Ohio State University next season, averaged 26.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 6.5 assists for the

No. 1-ranked Eagles. Liberty-Benton won the Blanchard Valley Conference title all four years with Craft at the point.

The 6-2 guard also is the first three-time BVC player of the year. Craft's Eagles posted a 20-0 regular season record this year, and they posted a 79-1 regular-season record in his four years.

Lindsay has guided Ottawa Hills to a 24-1 record. The Green Bears will make their first appearance in the state final four when they play No. 1-ranked Newark Catholic (24-1) on Friday at 10:45 p.m. Newark Catholic's Drew Meister also was named co-coach of the year in D-IV.

Lindsay's top player has been senior Eliot Browarsky, who was named to the Division IV All-Ohio second team. The 6-0 guard averaged 19.2 points per game. Browarsky also was named Ohio soccer player of the year in the fall. He was the Toledo Area Athletic Conference player of the year in basketball. Evergreen senior Chad Mossing earned a spot on the Division III third team. The 6-3 forward averaged 19.8 points per game.

The Division IV player of the year is Adreian Payne of Dayton Jefferson. The 6-10 senior is headed to Michigan State after averaging 15.9 points and 11.6 rebounds per game.

Complete list on Page C4.