Several area basketball players have been selected to the District Nine Basketball Coaches all-star teams, as voted on recently by the coaches in the district. Over 50 high schools make up District Nine, and some of the top honors went to a few local players.
On the boys’ side, the Division One co-Player of the Year was Dalton Davis, a 5-foot-11 senior point guard at Tecumseh, who averaged 17.4 points per game. He is joined as the other Player of the Year by DaeShawn Jackson from Springfield High School.
Tecumseh senior Josiah McFarland joined teammate Davis on the Division One team.
In Division Two, Tippecanoe senior Ben Stucke was selected as the Player of the Year, as the Red Devils standout averaged 16.9 points per game for a Tippecanoe team who advanced to the sectional finals.
Sean Ford, another senior for the Red Devils was named to the Division Two team, while Northwestern junior Andy Elliott joins the Tipp duo on the team.
Bethel senior Patrick Bain was selected as the Division Four Player of the Year, while Christian Pfledderer was also named to the team. Both will also be playing in the all-star game.
For the girls, it was a good day for the local kids. The Division One Player of the Year was shared this season, between a pair of promising underclassmen. Tecumseh 5-foot-11 sophomore Lindsey Nartker (205. ppg) and Troy freshman Kennedi Kyzer, a talented 5-foot-9 newcomer (16.1 ppg). shared the Player of the Year award, voted by the Division One coaches. Also named to the Division One team was Tecumseh sophomore point guard Danielle Franklin (17.1 ppg).
Halee Printz, a 5-foot-10 junior was selected as the Division Two Player of the Year, as she averaged 18.2 ppg, and led the Red Devils to the district finals. Greenon coach Gary Falkenbach was named the Coach of the Year.
Joining Printz to the team was teammate Carly Clodfelter, a 5-foot-10 sophomore (16.2 ppg), along with a pair from Greenon, senior Lianne Masquelier (11.0 ppg) and junior Taylor Burson (10.0).
Finally in Division Four, Lydia Demmitt, a senior at Troy Christian, was named to the team.
The top seniors will also be playing in the Senior All-Star game on March 27 (girls) and March 28 (boys) at Troy High School. The Girls Division 1-2-3 North team will consist of Stephanie Davis (Kenton Ridge), Katie Heckman (Versailles), Lindsey Black (Graham), Jenn Miller (Greenon), Ashley and Trina Current (Miami East), Abbey O’Donnell (Arcanum), Sara Thornton (Kenton Ridge), Kelsey Crooks (Northwestern), Emily Harman (Versailles), Mallory Rice (Tecumseh) and Masquelier. The team will be coached by Falkenback and Preston Elifritz of Miami East.
The South team includes Ashton Lovely and Alex Rice (Greeneview), Jasmine Haley (Bellefontaine). Shaeyla Givens (Northmont), Maddie Yount and Tasha Potts from Piqua, Holly Parker of Ben Logan, Haley Boberg and Allison Knief from Indian Lake, Kaitlyn Gregory of Shawnee, along with Haleigh Luce and Karlee Lennen from Greenville. That team will be coached by Gregg Haines of Greeneview and Brian Hogan of Bellefontaine.
In the Division Four girls’ game, the North team is highlighted by Division Four Player of the Year Darian Rose from Fort Loramie, along with players from Houston, Botkins, Lehman, Russia and Ansonia. On the South will be the Troy Christian duo of Morgan Haddad and Demmitt, along with players represented from Mechanicsburg, Southeastern, Tri-Village, Bradford and Cedarville.
The Boys Division 1-2-3 game also has several area players involved, including both Davis and McFarland from Tecumseh on the South team, along with Stucke and Ford.