Sports Editor
Area boys basketball All-Stars and coaches were honored at the Southern Buckeye Conference Winter Sports Banquet earlier this month at Hammersville School. Among the awards handed out were Player and Coach of the Year in the American and National Divisions as well as the league championships.
Clermont County’s most decorated boys basketball player of the night was Clermont Northeastern senior guard Nick Ernst who was named the National Division Player of the Year.
The 6-foot guard led his team with a 20.7 points per game average. He also grabbed just shy of three rebounds per game while dishing out more than two assists.
Ernst led the Rockets to a six-win season inside the SBC.
He was joined on the National Division First Team by teammate Chris Coleman. Other First Team honorees in the National were: Bethel-Tate’s Trenton Weeks, Felicity-Franklin’s Dominic Ruwe, Williamsburg’s trio of Nate Bogan, Landen Ridener and Jacob Wells, Georgetown’s Logan Doss and Blanchester’s Dylan Miller, Alec Richardson and Jordan Stroud.
On the Second Team were: Bethel’s Tommy Bingamon, Blanchester’s Quenton Miller and JD Weiderhold, CNE’s Grant Fishback, Felicity’s Dalton Cochran, Georgetown’s Noah Pack and Williamsburg’s Drew McKibben and Austin Wellman.
Burg’s head man Dan McKibben shared Coach of the Year honors with Blanchester’s Adam Weber. The two teams tied for first place in the league with divisional records of 7-3.
In the American Division, Amelia was crowned champions for the fourth consecutive season. As a byproduct, head coach Craig Mazzaro picked up his fourth Coach of the Year trophy as well.
Western Brown’s Chaiten Tomlin was named the American Player of the Year. He was joined on the First Team by teammate Brandon Butler.
The Barons on the First Team were Cage Meyer, Ryan Turner and David Winkler. They were joined on the list by Batavia’s Shawn Adams and Ty Wolfe, Goshen’s Tony Moore, Norwood’s Jaylin Cooper and Hunter Raines and New Richmond’s Frankie Taulbee.
On the American Division Second Team were Amelia’s Tyler Stewart an Daniel Waldmann, Batavia’s Garrett Kraus, Goshen’s Ryan Wake, Norwood’s Andy Harkins and Jeb McGeorge, New Richmond’s Gage Kramer and Western Brown’s Joseph Sams.
Complete lists of the All-Stars are available at sbaac.net.