(3-2-17) This season has been one that has produced many quality Stateline area Boys and Girls Basketball Conference Players of the Year. Each year, most likely voted on by conference coaches, each league selects an All-Conference team and a Player of the Year.
Below are Players of the Year for area conferences.
In boys there are eight winners, the The Three Rivers Athletic Conference (TRAC) had co-players named, four are Juniors and four are Seniors. Girls winners, the Western Buckeye League (WBL) had co-winners, one player was the choice in two different conferences, of the winners two were Juniors and seven were Seniors.
Boys Conference Players of the Year
- WBL Player of the Year: Jay Kaufman, Ottawa-Glandorf (Junior)
- MAC Player of the Year: Justin Ahrens, Versailles (Junior)
- NWC Player of the Year: Spencerville, Dakota Prichard (Senior)
- NWCC Player of the Year: Jackoby Lane-Harvey, Perry (Senior)
- SCAL Player of the Year: Nathan Lessing, Fairlawn (Senior)
- TRAC Co-Players of the Year:
Vincent Williams Jr., St. John’s Jesuit (Junior)
Jarius Ward, Lima Senior (Senior) - CCC Player of the Year: Caleb South, Bethel (Junior)
Girls Conference Players of the Year
- WBL Co-Players of the Year:
Kadie Hempfling, Ottawa-Glandorf (Junior)
Kylie White, Ottawa-Glandorf (Senior) - MAC Player of the Year: Rosie Westerbeck, Minster (Senior)
- NWC Player of the Year: Paige Bellman, Columbus Grove (Junior)
- Putnam County League Player of the Year: Paige Bellman, Columbus Grove (Junior)
- NWCC Player of Year: Emily Patton, Upper Scioto Valley (Senior)
- SCAL Player of the Year: Maria Herron, Russia (Senior)
- TRAC Player of the Year: Bre Hampton-Bey, Notre Dame Academy (Senior)
- CCC Player of the Year: Allie Downing, Tri-Village (Senior)
One of the most well known Players of the Year if the Midwest Athletic Conference (MAC) winner, Junior Justin Ahrens who is already committed to play at Ohio State. The Ahrens family is well known for boys basketball, brother Kyle plays for Michigan State.
The MAC’s Player of the Year was Minster’s Rosie Westerbeck, she scored 13.3 points a game, was third on the team with 94 rebounds (4.5 avg), second-best on the team with 53 assists on the team and second best in the MAC with 57 steals. She was is what made Minster roll this season.
Westerbeck Named MAC Player of the Year, others earn All-MAC honors. https://t.co/PJ7bcPpbnm pic.twitter.com/wC46P4rWRQ
— EveningLeader Sports (@EL_Sports1) February 21, 2017
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The Western Buckeye League titles (boys and girls) went to Ottawa-Glandorf in undefeated conference seasons. The WBL Players of the Year were all Titans.
Junior Jay Kaufman led the way this year for O-G and was named the boys Player of the Year.
@JayKaufman10 it's about time!!! pic.twitter.com/wkBww5TMTp
— Tyson McGlaughlin (@TysonMac05) February 25, 2017
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The O-G D II #1 State ranked girls team landed two players, Kadie Hempfling and Kylie White as Co-Players of the Year. The Titans have dominated this season thanks to these two.
Northwest Central Conference (NWCC) Girls MVP, Emily Patton, had a big season for the Rams, scoring 20 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists a game.
Named as the NWCC Boys Player of the Year, Perry’s Jackoby Lane-Harvey who helped the Commodores to a conference title on a well-balanced team.
Northwest Conference (NWC) Player of the Year, Dakota Pritchard of Spencerville. Pritchard scored his 1,000th career point this season, led the Bearcats to a NWC title, while averaging 18 points, 5 rebounds and 2.5 assists a game.
Congratulations to Dak Prichard who goes over 1,000 career points tonight. Only the 6th Bearcat player to achieve this milestone. pic.twitter.com/5hKZHHMfQI
— John Zerbe (@SpencervilleAD) January 17, 2017
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The Shelby County Athletic League’s (SCAL) Player of the Year Nathan Lessing of Fairlawn showed the conference the Jets were for real. Lessing is presently 24th on Ohio’s all-time scoring list with 2,214 points as they continue in tournament play. Fairlawn was never known for basketball in the past, they are now.
@Fairlawnbbk @Jetsfairlawn @Lessing03 with the county scoring record. Congrats Nate! pic.twitter.com/O5sXgBuDyY
— Fairlawn XC (@XC_Coach_North) January 18, 2017
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The Three Rivers Athletic Conference named two Boys Players of the Year, both outstanding players that make the TRAC one of the area’s toughest conference.
Vincent Williams Jr., St. John’s Jesuit and Jarius Ward, Lima Senior were both keys in their team’s success this season.
🚨 JARIUS WARD AT THE BUZZER! 🚨 Take a look at every angle as @LimaCitySchools defeats @SFSAthletics, 54-51. #BCSNnation #SCTop10 pic.twitter.com/mPVBfF7P8x
— #BCSNnation (@BCSNsports) January 28, 2017
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Caleb South of Bethel was the Player of the Year in the Cross County Conference (CCC) , leading his team to the conference title. South who is averaging almost 30 points a game, has already scored a 1,000 points in his career as just a Junior.
Caleb South scored 24 points Friday night in Bethel's CCC Championship clinching win. Here's his 14 1st half points. pic.twitter.com/QFsU4AFgG9
— James Rider (@JamesRRider) February 12, 2017
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Columbus Grove Junior Paige Bellman did something not many high school players accomplish in a career, she was named Player of the Year in two conferences, the Northwest Conference and the Putnam County League (PCL).
Grove’s Bellman named top player in PCL https://t.co/dtnDwwBCTR pic.twitter.com/vVGnrqhsBB
— LimaScores.com (@limascores) February 28, 2017
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Bre Hampton-Bey of Notre Dame Academy was named the Three Rivers Athletic Conference Player of the Year, the Senior picked up her 1,000th career points and the led the Eagles to a TRAC title and 14-0 conference record.
Congratulations Bre Hampton-Bey on 1000 points! 🏀 #NDAeaglepride pic.twitter.com/IwvGFR6ERS
— NDA Athletics (@NDAEagleSports) February 22, 2017
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The Cross County Conference Player of the Year is Tri Village Senior Allie Downing, she scored 18.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.2 assist and 2.0 steals a game. She will represent District 9 at the Ohio North-South state All-Star game in April. The Patriots won the CCC title.
Tri-Village’s Allie Downing has been named the MaxPreps/JJHuddle Ohio girls basketball athlete of the week https://t.co/KrZlLQ5vr0 pic.twitter.com/0JgJr00ggH
— Kyle Shaner (@KShanerAdvocate) January 12, 2017
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The Shelby County Athletic League’s Player of the Year was Russia’s Maria Herron, besides being a great basketball player and overall athletes, she was also named this year’s Homecoming Queen. Now that’s a great Senior Season.
