Pictured from left are local high school basketball players who have earned first-team Central District honors for the 2020-21 season. They are Jackson Izzard (Jonathan Alder), Preston Crabtree (North Union) and Mary Ferrito (Jonathan Alder). (Journal-Tribune photos by Sam Dillon and Tim Miller)
Local high school basketball players and coaches have received district honors for the 2020-21 campaign.
The Ohio Prep Sports Writers Association has named its boys and girls all-district teams for the Central District.
The Union County area is represented by three first-team honorees.
A pair of coaches also earned awards.
Jackson Izzard of Jonathan Alder and Preston Crabtree of North Union respectively earned first-team honors in boys Divisions II and III.
Mary Ferrito of JA earned like honors for girls Division II.
Jonathan Alder boys coach Zach Ross and Marysville girls bench boss Klarke Ransome have also been named to coach of the year honors.
Izzard, a 6-3 senior wing, averaged nearly 19 points per game for the 20-1 Pioneers.
He also notched rebounds at a 5.7 per-game clip and dished for 3.1 assists.
Crabtree averaged 16.7 points for game for the 19-4 Wildcats. He shot nearly 47% from the field, including 39.7% on three-point attempts.
Crabtree, a 6-1 senior guard, shot better than 70% from the free throw line.
Both JA and North Union finished as district runners-up over the weekend.
Ferrito, a 5-8 junior guard, helped lead the Lady Pioneers to a 15-6 record.
She averaged 16 points and nearly six rebounds per game as Alder finished as a Division II district runner-up.
With this year’s 20-1 record, the campaign marks the second consecutive season during which Ross guided Jonathan Alder to 20 victories. Alder placed second in the district the past two seasons.
Ransome made huge strides in turning around a Lady Monarch program that posted a 10-13 record during the 2019-20 campaign.
Marysville won its first girls basketball conference title in 20 seasons and finished with an 18-6 record.
The Lady Monarchs also finished as a Division I district runner-up.
Local hoopsters who earned second-team honors were:
-Zach Vernon and Jordyn Hoffman, North Union, boys and girls Division III;
Vernon, a 6-6 junior post player, averaged 16 points and nearly nine rebounds per game for the Wildcats.
Hoffman, a 5-6 senior guard, scored more than 11 points and grabbed five rebounds per game.
The Lady Cats finished with an 11-10 record.
Third-team honors went to Jack Christian, Marysville (boys D-I); Evan Platfoot, Jonathan Alder (girls D-II); Braylon Green of Fairbanks (boys D-III), Joey Walker, Jonathan Alder (boys D-II) and Macy Miller, Fairbanks (girls D-III).
Christian, a 5-10 senior guard, surpassed 1,200 career points during the 2020-21 campaign.
He broke the school’s old standard of 1,208 that had been held for 65 years by the late Ed Nicol.
He averaged 14.9 points and 4.2 assists this season as the Monarchs finished with a 14-9 record.
PLATFOOT
Platfoot, a 5-9 guard, recently completed her freshman season for the Lady Pioneers.
She averaged 12 points and 3.3 assists per game.
Green, a 6-5 senior, led the Ohio Heritage Conference in rebounding with 10.4 per outing.
He also scored 10.6 points per game as the Panthers finished with a 16-7 record.
Walker, a 6-6 junior post player, averaged eight points per game and shot 67% from the field for the Pioneers.
Miller, a 5-8 sophomore guard, averaged 8.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.
She helped lead the Lady Panthers to a 12-11 record.
A handful of hoopsters earned honorable mention accolades. They are as follows:
-Garrett Taylor, Marysville (boys D-I). The 6-7 senior post player averaged 12.4 points and five rebounds per game;
-Grant Welsch, Jonathan Alder (boys D-II). Welsch, a 6-0 junior guard, averaged five points per game;
-Wyatt Miller and Carter Schultz, Fairbanks (boys D-III).
Miller averaged 10.3 points per game, while Schultz scored eight per outing;
-Kass Lee, Ava Wilkerson and Ava Krutowskis, Marysville (girls D-I).
Lee, a 5-10 senior wing, Wilkerson, a 5-6 sophomore guard and Krutowskis, a 5-8 sophomore wing, each averaged nine points per game for the Lady Monarchs.
-Emma Shepherd, Jonathan Alder (girls D-II).
Shepherd, a 5-8 senior wing, averaged eight points and eight rebounds per game for the Lady Pioneers;
-Elaina Lahmers, Fairbanks (girls D-III).
Lahmers, a 5-6 sophmore guard, averaged eight points and four rebounds per game.
-Trevyn Feasel, North Union (boys D-III).
Feasel, a 5-10 senior guard, averaged 6.6 points per game for the Wildcats.
He dished for 6.9 assists per game and averaged 4.6 rebounds per contest.
Zach Vernon, left, and Jordyn Hoffman of North Union have earned second team All-District honors for the 2020-21 basketball season. (Journal-Tribune photos by Sam Dillon)
Jack Christian of Marysville looks to pass to a teammate. Christian has been named to the boys Division I third team in the Central District. (Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
These local high school basketball players earned third-team honors for the Central District. They are from left, Braylon Green and Macy Miller, Fairbanks; and Joey Walker, Jonathan Alder. (Journal-Tribune photos by Tim Miller)
Marysville girls hoop coach Klarke Ransome, left, and Zach Ross, the coach of Jonathan Alder’s boys squad, have earned top honors in their respective divisions in the Central District. (Journal-Tribune photos by Tim Miller and Sam Dillon)