Associated Press Northwest Ohio announces all-district basketball teams

3/10/2011

Start High School's Azia Bishop has been named Division-I girls player of the year.

The Blade/Jeremy Wadsworth
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Azia Bishop of City League champion Start, which has advanced to Saturday's Division I regional final at Norwalk, has been named D-I girls player of the year on the Associated Press Northwest Ohio all-district basketball team, and Chauncey Orr, who led Bowling Green to its first ever outright Northern Lakes League boys championship, is the D-I boys district player of the year.

Senior guard Damond Powell of Rogers collected boys player of the year honors in Division II.

The AP all-district teams were selected by a panel of representatives from 10 area media outlets.

Bishop, a 6-2 senior who will play at Kentucky next year, averaged 16.4 points and 8.9 rebounds while helping seventh-ranked Start to an 18-2 overall record (10-0 City League) and its second league title in three years.

She was joined on the D-I all-district first team by Ohio State-bound senior guard teammate Maleeka Kynard (14.5 points), who repeated that honor from 2010.

Full roster of girls all-district teams.

Also on the D-I girls first team are 5-4 junior guard Cat Wells (13.9 points) of City League runner-up Notre Dame, 5-11 junior guard-forward Miriam Justinger (16.8 points) of NLL champion Northview, and Michigan-bound, 5-10  senior guard Brenae Harris (21.0 points, 6.8 rebounds) of Marion Harding.

Joining Orr (21.5 points, 7.3 rebounds), a 6-4 senior guard, on the D-I boys first team are two sophomores -- 6-7 Nigel Hayes (15.0 points, 7.9 rebounds) of City League champion Whitmer and 6-8 Marc Loving (18.3 points, 7.4 rebounds) of CL runner-up St. John's Jesuit -- plus 6-3 senior guard Robert Davis (20.1 points) of Bowsher and 6-10 junior center C.J. Gettys (18.5 points, 11.1 rebounds) of Findlay.

Top boys coaching honors in D-I went to Whitmer's Bruce Smith, who shared that award with Jim Rucki of Findlay, and the Division I girls coach of the year is Anthony Wayne's Justin Zemanski.

Full roster of boys all-district teams.

Smith, in his 20th season at Whitmer, guided the Panthers to a 19-1 regular-season finish and a first City League championship in the school's final year in the league. Whitmer was picked to finish fourth in the preseason CL coaches poll. Rucki led the Trojans to an 18-2 record and a title in the final year of the soon to be defunct Greater Buckey Conference.

Zemanski's Generals placed third in the NLL, but climbed from a 3-11 league record (8-14 overall) last season to an 11-3 league mark (15-5 overall) this year. AW ended 18-6 after making its first regional tournament appearance.

The speedy Powell, a 5-10 guard who led the City League in scoring at 22.5 points per game, has led the 13-5 Rams to Saturday's D-II district final against CL rival Scott.

Powell was joined on the D-II first team by seniors Josh Ingle of Shelby, Eric Stapleton of Defiance and Nate Bihn of Celina, and by junior Reggie McAdams of Elida.

Scott's Macketta Allen (15.3 points) repeated her first-team D-II girls honor from 2010, when she played at the former Libbey High School. Allen was joined on the first unit by junior Leslie Raifsnider (19.2 points, 8.2 rebounds) of 19-1 Bellevue, who was named D-II player of the year, plus senior Hailey Griffo of 17-3 Lima Shawnee, sophomore Emma Hostetler of 14-6 Shelby, and freshman Amanda Cahill of 20-0 Clyde. The Division II boys coach of the year is Chris Bihn of Celina, and the top D-II girls coaching award went to Rod Hersha of Napoleon, who guided the Wildcats to their first conference title (in GBC) in 20 years.

In Division III, junior Caitie Craft, who helped Liberty-Benton to the 2010 state championship and a 27-0 record last season, was named girls player of the year after contributing 21.1 points and 7.5 rebounds on a 17-2 Eagles team this season.

Also on the D-III girls first team are senior guard Kaysie Brittenham (19.3 points, 7.7 rebounds), who led the Flyers to a 59-1 regular-season record and three outright Suburban Lakes League titles over the past three seasons, junior Lauren Langenderfer (20.9 points, 10.3 rebounds), who led Evergreen to an 18-2 record and a Northwest Ohio Athletic League co-championship, senior Veronica Wonderly (27.0 points) of Fostoria, and senior Erica Cramer (16.2 points, 9.1 rebounds) of Seneca East.

Senior Derek Zeiter (19.4 points, 6.7 rebounds) of 13-7 Ontario was selected as D-III boys player of the year, and was joined on the firstteam by Archbold senior Telly Fricke, Ottawa-Glandorf senior Travis Schomaeker, Lima Central Catholic junior Tyler O'Connor, and Collins Western Reserve junior Nolan Todd.

John Langenderfer of Evergreen recieved D-III girls coach of the year honors, and the boys award went to Paulding's Shawn Brewer. Columbus Grove, which went 19-1 before tourney play, swept the D-IV boys honors as senior Luke Kohls (16.9 points, 8.4 rebounds) was named player of the year, and Todd Turnwald was selected as coach of the year.

Joining Kohls on the first team are senior J.J. Buckey (11.5 points) of 18-2 Toledo Area Athletic Conference champion Ottawa Hills, senior Mason Roth (18.0 points) of 20-0 Blanchard Valley Conference champion McComb, plus senior Brock Homier of 17-3 Continental, Tyler Lilly of 13-7 Mansfield Christian, Dallas Smith of 9-11 Ayersville, and Marcus Reineke of 17-3 New Knoxville.

The Division IV girls team was highlighted by senior Teneil Krebs (19.2 points, 8.6 rebounds) of 19-1 Bucyrus Wynford, who was named player of the year, and Seth Newlove of 20-0 Arlington, who was named coach of the year.

Joining Krebs on the small-school first team were seniors Tina Brunswick of 20-0 Arlington, Stephanie Recker of 15-5 Pandora-Gilboa, Kacee Hockenberry of 20-0 Wayne Trace, Kristin Klausing of 18-2 Delphos Jefferson and Tasha Kaufman of 18-2 Ottoville, and sophomore McKenzie O'Brien  of 17-3 Mansfield St. Peter's.

Contact Steve Junga at:
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or 419-724-6461.