OLIVESBURG — John Kurtz’s hard work didn’t go unrewarded.
Crestview’s boys basketball coach, Kurtz was selected the District 6 Coach of the Year in Division III when the all-star teams were unveiled Monday.
The Cougars are 20-1 with one regular season game remaining. A win over Western Reserve on Friday would secure no less than a share of a second straight Firelands Conference championship.
Kurtz picked up career victory No. 400 late last month. He is 70-22 in his second stint with Crestview after piloting the program to a 32-34 mark from 2008 to 2011. He’s also had coaching stints at Temple Christian and Mansfield Christian.
Two Cougars, junior Justice Thompson and senior Jarek Ringler, were selected to the District 6 first team. Thompson is averaging 23 points a game, while Ringler is good for 12 points and 3.6 assists a night.
Other area first-teamers include Wynford’s Grant McGuire and Wes Prenger. McGuire averages 13 points and 6.9 rebounds a game, while Prenger ranks second in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference in scoring at 17.9 points a night.
Bucyrus senior Malachi Bayless, the N10’s leading scorer at 19.7 points a game, was a second team pick. He was joined by Crestview’s Dylan Bruner.
Local honorable-mention picks included Crestview’s Sam Wells and Tyson Ringler and Wynford’s Ashton Warren and Sam McMillan.
Margaretta’s Julian Washington was the Player of the Year in Division III. The sophomore averages 20.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists a game for the Polar Bears (17-3).
Division I
Ashland’s Paxon Ediger was selected to the District 6 first team in Division I. The sophomore averages a team-best 12.6 points a game.
Gabe Baith was selected to the second team, along with Madison’s Will Kepple. Baith averages 10.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game, while Kepple averages 9.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists a night.
Ashland’s Nathan Bernhard and Madison’s Cam Kuhn and Owen Wigton were honorable-mention selections. Bernhard averages 8.8 points and 6.7 rebounds a game, while Kuhn is good for 8.4 points and 3.8 rebounds and Wigton averages 9.5 points and 2.1 rebounds a night.
Sanduysky’s Jason Henlon was the Player of the Year in Division I, while Sandusky’s Demar Moore was the Coach of the Year. The Blue Streaks, who won a Division II district title last year before bumping up to Division I, are 19-1.
Division II
Shelby’s Alex Bruskotter was selected the District 6 Player of the Year in Division II.
The Wright State-bound Bruskotter leads the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference in scoring at 23.7 points a game and rebounding (9.1 rpg).
Bruskotter was joined on the first team by teammate Casey Lantz, Mansfield Senior’s Kyevi Roane and Lexington’s Brayden Fogle and Elijah Hudson. Lantz averages 12.2 points a game, while Roane averages a team-best 17.4 points and 6.8 rebounds a game. Fogle leads Lex at 14.5 points and 8.2 rebounds a game. Hudson is good for 12.8 points and 5.7 rebounds a night.
Area second-teamers included Clear Fork’s Garett Hotz (16.3 ppg, 8.2 rpg), Galion’s Cooper Kent (17.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg) and Elijah Chaffin (15.9 ppg), Lexington’s Seven Allen (10.6 ppg, 4.4 apg) and Shelby’s Issaiah Ramsey (10.7 ppg).
Local honorable-mention selections were Mansfield Senior’s Karion Lindsay (8.3 ppg) and Duke Reese (8.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg), Ontario’s Landon Foltz (13.1 ppg) and Grady Schroeder (14.3 ppg), Lexington’s Joe Caudill (9.2 ppg, 7.9 rpg) and Shelby’s Brayden DeVito (9.6 ppg).
Willard’s Joe Bedingfield was selected the Division II Coach of the Year.
Division IV
Lucas senior Logan Toms was tabbed the Division IV Player of the Year after leading the Cubs to a sixth straight Mid-Buckeye Conference crown. Toms averages 17.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists a game.
Toms’ teammate, Aidan Culler, earned a spot on the first team. The senior averages 17.4 points and 6.6 rebounds a game.
Mansfield Christian’s Amarr Davis was runner-up to Toms in Player of the Year voting. Davis averages 15.6 points and 5.7 assists a game. Davis was joined on the first team by teammate Davion Mack. The freshman averages 18.7 points and 7.4 rebounds a game.
Colonel Crawford’s Trevor Vogt and Payne DeGray both earned first-team bids. Vogt averages 15 points a game, while DeGray is good for 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds a game.
Mansfield Christian’s D’Andre Martin (10.7 ppg, 6.6 rpg) was an honorable-mention selection in Division IV, along with St. Peter’s Antonio Lindsay (12.5 ppg, 4.0 apg) and Plymouth’s Jarrett Burrer (12.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg) and Gavin Bishop (8.2 ppg, 3.7 apg).