Marysville girls basketball coach Klarke Ransome walks back to his team with the Division II district runner-up trophy. The 2020-21 campaign marked the first time the Lady Monarchs had played in the district hoop tournament. (Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
Jonathan Alder boys basketball coach Zach Ross, right, accepts the Division II district runner-up trophy and team medals from JA athletic director Mark Fenik. (Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
North Union players honored in CBC
The 2020-21 Ohio high school basketball season will conclude this weekend with the boys state tournament in Columbus.
Although the Union County campaign ended in the district finals or before, it was pretty much a successful season.
First of all, each one of our teams is to be commended for making it through a difficult COVID-19 winter.
There were some stoppages and delays along the way for a few squads, but every team managed to get through what amounted to a full season.
Our area is the home of four squads that finished as district runners-up.
Marysville’s girls were the highlight of the season.
The Lady Monarchs reached the district level for the first time in their hoop history and brought home the runner-up trophy.
The Marysville girls captured their first Ohio Capital Conference basketball title in two decades and won 18 of their 24 games.
Playing in the district tournament was nothing new for North Union’s boys (Division III) and the boys and girls squads from Jonathan Alder (Division II).
All three teams also finished as district runners-up.
It was, though, particularly frustrating for NU and JA in the boys’ district tournament.
The Wildcats and Pioneers respectively lost to Johnstown and DeSales, the teams that knocked them out at the same level a year ago.
North Union’s and Jonathan Alder’s boys will both lose key players from the past few years.
Preston Crabtree and Trevyn Feasel of NU will graduate, as will Jackson Izzard of Alder.
Crabtree averaged nearly 17 points per game, while Feasel was a lock-down defender in the backcourt.
It’s going to be very difficult for JA to replace Izzard, who was the CBC’s Kenton Trail Division player of the year.
At last check, the Pioneer sharpshooter hadn’t decided whether he was going to play football or basketball in college.
He’s a lock, in my opinion, to succeed whatever path he takes.
Joey Walker, a 6-6 junior who averaged seven points per game, will need to take up more of the scoring next winter for the Pioneers.
Jonathan Alder’s girls have two very talented players returning next year in junior Mary Ferrito and freshman Evan Platfoot.
Both averaged in double figures as JA placed second in the district tourney.
The Lady Pioneers will be under the direction of a new coach, however, as Steve Cawley stepped down from the job this week.
The new coach will, though, inherit two very solid scorers in Ferrito and Platfoot.
Although the Lady Monarchs will lose seniors Kass Lee and Madi Sloan, there is a good deal of talent returning for 2021-22.
Ava Krutowskis, Ava Wilkerson and Leah Brown played huge roles for the MHS girls.
They are all just sophomores and should give Monarch Nation plenty to cheer about during the next two seasons.
North Union hoopsters earned honors in the Central Buckeye Conference.
Crabtree was named the Mad River Division player of the year.
He earned first-team CBC honors, along with junior teammate Zach Vernon, who averaged 16 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.
Feasel and Aaron Krebehenne, a junior, were named to the circuit’s second team.
Krebehenne averaged nine points per game and Feasel added 6.6.
Sophomore Owen Davis was named to the CBC Special Mention list and his senior brother, Hudson, earned the sportsmanship award.
Owen Davis averaged eight points per game.
He, along with Vernon and Krebehenne, will have to play even bigger roles for the Wildcats next year.
Several North Union girls also earned conference accolades.
Jordyn Hoffman was honored on the Mad River first team
Abbey Price was named to the special mention list, while Sydney Parish earned the division’s sportsmanship honor.
Hoffman, a senior, led the team with an 11.2 per-game scoring average.
Price, a freshman, averaged 6.2 and Parish, a senior, averaged two per game.
In the top photo, North Union’s Preston Crabtree goes up for a basket. In the bottom photo, Jordyn Hoffman of the Lady Cats does the same. Crabtree has been named the CBC’s Mad River Division player of the year. (Journal-Tribune photos by Sam Dillon)