5 lead way for all-Southeast District hoops: 3 players, 2 coaches selected for top SE honors

SCIOTO COUNTY — Indeed, after Scioto County’s completed comeback for the top basketball district award winners —per the Ohio Prep Sports Writers Association —this season’s Southeast District lists saw a run on repeaters, and even those three years in the making.

That’s because three players, either outright or shared, captured Player of the Year honors —while Minford boys basketball coach Josh Shoemaker repeated as the Division III Coach of the Year.

In addition, in his first season with West’s girls, Larry Howell was hailed for the top coaching honor for that Division III side.

Scioto County’s three POY representatives are all three-time all-district honorees —including Annie Dettwiller of Notre Dame for Division IV girls, as the six-foot and one-inch versatile senior is a repeat first-teamer after earning third-team honors as a sophomore.

Dettwiller is actually the third consecutive Scioto Countian to win at least a share of the Division IV girls top player honor —as Ava Hassel of Notre Dame shared that with Peebles’ Jacey Justice two years ago, and South Webster’s Bri Claxon claimed that accolade last season.

Dettwiller, averaging almost a dozen points per game, was the top Lady Titan performer —as Notre Dame extended its Southern Ohio Conference Division I win streak to an amazing 118 games, and was the Region 15 runner-up for the second time in program history in going 24-3.

Dettwiller was a freshman for that first regional runner-up team trophy.

For Division IV boys, Green’s six-foot and four-inch senior standout Levi Sampson is a three-time first-teamer —capping off his Bobcat career by sharing the Player of the Year award.

Green senior Levi Sampson was selected as the Division IV Southeast District boys basketball Co-Player of the Year, as chosen by the Ohio Prep Sports Writers Association.

Ed Litteral | Daily Times

Sampson averaged almost 23 points per game, and helped guide Green to its first SOC I championship since 2011 —and its first district title since 1997, as part of a 20-6 season.

Sampson shared the award with Federal Hocking junior Tariq Cottrill, as the Lancers also won a district championship — their first in 53 years.

Minford’s five-foot and 10-inch sophomore Myles Montgomery, in repeating to the Division III first team, shared the POY award with South Point junior Caleb Lovely.

Minford sophomore Myles Montgomery was selected as the Division III Southeast District boys basketball Co-Player of the Year, as chosen by the Ohio Prep Sports Writers Association.

Courtesy of Patrick Phillips of Glory Days Photography

Montgomery averaged 23 points per game, as his coach Shoemaker shared the top coaching accolade with South Point’s Travis Wise.

With Shoemaker repeating as Division III COY, that makes it a three-peat for Scioto County coaches — with West’s Caleb McClanahan winning two years ago, and sharing it with longtime Eastern Brown coach Rob Beucler.

Shoemaker has guided the Falcons for 14 years now, as Minford went undefeated (16-0) through the rugged SOC II —the Falcons’ first conference championship since a three-of-four year span in 2013 (shared), 2015 (outright) and 2016 (shared).

Minford 14-year head coach Josh Shoemaker captured the Division III Southeast District boys basketball Co-Coach of the Year honors, as chosen by the Ohio Prep Sports Writers Association.

Courtesy of Patrick Phillips of Glory Days Photography

The Falcons stretched their SOC II win streak to 22 games —dating back to the 2021-22 campaign.

Minford also won its first district semifinal game since back-to-back tournaments in 1994 and 1995, and ended up as district runner-up —with an impressive mark at 22-2.

Speaking of outstanding seasons, how about the ladies from West?

It was only the Lady Senators’ best in school history —as West went 25-2, snapped Wheelersburg’s 62-game SOC II win streak, won its first-ever SOC II title, captured its first-ever district crown, and was the Region 11 runner-up to the Lady Pirates.

Howell, an assistant to McClanahan on the boys side, oversaw West’s thrill ride to new heights —and shared the Division III COY with North Adams longtime mentor Rob Davis.

West first-year head coach Larry Howell captured the Division III Southeast District girls basketball Co-Coach of the Year honors, as chosen by the Ohio Prep Sports Writers Association.

Courtesy of Joey Shupert

The Lady Senators, in fact, rallied from a double-digit deficit with six-and-a-half minutes remaining — and defeated North Adams in the Region 11 semifinals for the Lady Green Devils’ lone loss.

For South Point’s boys, Lovely and Wise paced the Pointers to a 12-game win streak in the Ohio Valley Conference —en route to their first OVC title in a decade-and-a-half.

Their district drought had been double that and even more, 33 years to be exact —as they won the Division III title, and eventually lost in the regional championship bout to Columbus Africentric.

The entire lists are selected by an OPSWA panel representing the Southeast District, as the Associated Press is no longer affiliated with ANY all-district and/or all-Ohio teams.

Scioto County’s selections are all within either Division III or Division IV, as OPSWA all-district basketball clubs cover those which are part of the District 14 AND District 13 coaches associations.

All of Perry County’s school districts, and Fairfield Union in Fairfield County, are included as well.

There are a dozen Scioto County programs for both boys and girls basketball — and ALL had at least one representative on either the first team, second team, third team or Special Mention units.

All players which make first-team all-district automatically earn — AT LEAST — Special Mention all-Ohio, while all second-team all-district selections automatically make Honorable Mention all-state.

Dettwiller, by being a district POY as there are seven OPSWA individual districts, qualified automatically for consideration for state Player of the Year.

Joining her on the girls Division IV first-team unit was New Boston 5-6 senior Cadence Williams — a first-timer for OPSWA all-district, but who averaged 19 points per game including a career-high of 37.

Notre Dame junior Gracie Ashley repeated to the second team, and was joined by first-time seniors Madison Montgomery of Valley and Maggie Swayne of Clay.

Notre Dame juniors Katie Strickland and Ella Kirby both moved up a level to third team from Special Mention, while a fifth Lady Titan —junior Annabelle Ball —made Special Mention.

Rounding out the Division IV girls Special Mention picks were junior Lexie Morrow of Valley, senior Morgan McCoy of Clay, senior Dylan O’Rourke of New Boston, seniors Katelinn Satterfield and Anna Knapp of Green, and freshman Lanie Lewis of East.

Knapp notched all-district all four years in fact, as she was third team as a junior —after her initial two seasons of Special Mention.

She suffered an ACL injury at the halfway mark of this past year, and was easily Green’s leading scorer when it occurred.

Morrow made the Division III third team as a sophomore, McCoy made Division IV third team as a junior, and O’Rourke repeated as a Special Mention choice.

For the Division III girls, Portsmouth freshman Sienna Allen made the first team —as did 2022 second-teamers Makenna Walker of Wheelersburg and Maelynn Howell of West, both seniors.

This season’s second-teamers included junior Emma Sayre of West, junior Skylar Zimmerman of South Webster, sophomore Daysha Reid of Portsmouth and senior Madison Whittaker of Wheelersburg.

This is Sayre’s third time on all-district —moving up from Special Mention as a freshman and on third team as a sophomore.

Reid was third team last year, while Whittaker in Division III and Zimmerman in Division IV were Special Mention.

Minford sophomore Lindsee Williams was a repeat third-teamer, while West senior Lexi Deaver moved up from Special Mention last season to third team this year.

There were eight Scioto Countians claiming Special Mention —senior Faith Jewett of Northwest, junior Bella Claxon of South Webster, sophomore Savannah Cantrell of Portsmouth, sophomores Maggie Risner and Lexi Conkel of Minford, seniors Lexie Rucker and Macee Eaton of Wheelersburg, and senior Charlie Jo Howard of West.

Rucker was third team as part of the Lady Pirates’ undefeated regular season last year, while Eaton repeated as Special Mention.

The only other repeater was Claxon —a Division IV Special Mention selection as a sophomore.

For the Division III boys, besides Montgomery’s first-team repeat —Valley junior Jace Copley captured first team, along with Northwest junior Connor Lintz.

Lintz’s ladder of levels has included Special Mention as a freshman and second team as a sophomore, while Copley claimed Division IV second team as a sophomore.

The county’s fivesome of second-teamers are all first-time honorees — Portsmouth junior Deandre Berry, Valley senior Colt Buckle, Minford sophomore Bennett Kayser, and Wheelersburg seniors Jackson Schwamburger and Nolan Wright.

Northwest junior Jay Jenkins made the third team, while West senior Ryan Sissel repeated to that level —as Portsmouth senior Kenny Sanderlin made third team following last season at the second level.

A sixthsome of Special Mentions for this year included senior George Arnett of Valley, junior Tanner Bolin of Northwest, senior Caleb Arthur of Wheelersburg, senior Joe Hannah and sophomore Jackson Shoemaker of Minford, and senior Mitchell Irwin of West.

Arnett was a Division IV first-teamer a year ago, while Bolin was third team in Division III.

Joining Sampson on the Division IV boys first team was South Webster sophomore Eli Roberts —standing six-feet and seven-inches tall, averaging 18 points per game, and moving up from second team as a freshman.

This season’s second-team foursome features senior Myles Beasley of New Boston, junior Abe McBee of Green, junior Cody Metzler of Notre Dame, and senior Dominic Sparks of Notre Dame.

Sparks moved up from last season’s third team, while Beasley bumped up from Special Mention.

East seniors Landehn Pernell and Austin Baughman made the Division IV third team, as did South Webster junior Tyler Sommer.

There was also a half dozen Division IV Special Mention —senior Gabe McBee of Green, senior Carter Campbell of Notre Dame, senior Will Collins of South Webster, seniors Dalton Jackson and Mark Rivers of New Boston, and sophomore Malachi Loper of Clay.

Pernell and Gabe McBee both made Special Mention last winter.

Kyler D’Augustino of Alexander, after sharing the Division III boys POY with Fairland’s Aiden Porter, was the unanimous selection for that award this year —as Alexander was a Division II school.

The other girls Players of the Year were Eastern Brown senior Rylee Leonard in Division III and Fairland senior Tomi Hinkle in Division II.

Leonard shared last season’s award with Huntington’s Allison Basye, while Wheelersburg for Division III and Fairland for Division II represented the Southeast District in the girls state tournament.

For a complete list of the 2022-23 OPSWA all-Southeast District girls and boys basketball teams, please visit www.portsmouth-dailytimes.com.

Reach Paul Boggs at (740) 353-3101 ext. 1926, by email at [email protected], or on Twitter @paulboggssports © 2023 Portsmouth Daily Times, all rights reserved