We'll start with the good news, and finish up with another slight, unfortunately.
District 4 Awards (covers basically Wayne & Stark Counties)
Boys
Division III Player of the Year - Jacob Bolyard
Division III Coach of the Year - Sly Slaughter (shared with Chad Spurgeon of East Canton)
Division III Asst. Coach of the Year - Ken Landis
Division III 1st Team - Zach Wasson
Division III Hon. Mention - Joe Besancon
Girls
Division III 1st Team - Hannah & Hillary Plybon
Division III Hon. Mention - Sara Aultz & Elle Vierheller
Ohio Cardinal Conference
Girls
Coach of the Year - Mark Alberts
1st Team - Hannah Plybon, Hillary Plybon
2nd Team - Sara Aultz
Hon. Mention - Elle Vierheller, Kaley Aultz
Boys
1st Team - Zach Wasson, Jacob Bolyard
Hon. Mention - Joe Besancon, Max Pirman
Associated Press NE Inland District (covers the entire NE Ohio area except for the counties along Lake Erie)
Girls
1st Team - Hannah Plybon, FR
3rd Team - Hillary Plybon, JR
Boys
Division III Player of the Year - Jacob Bolyard
1st Team - Jacob Bolyard, SR
2nd Team - Zach Wasson, JR
For Wasson, this is his 3rd year being honored on the OCC 1st team. Can say with a lot of confidence that there's never been a player earn four 1st team OCC selections...maybe no other Orrville player in history to earn four 1st team league selections.
Not going to go on a big rant about Jake getting hosed on player of the year, but his numbers were just better than Darrin Harrins of Mans. Senior. More points per game, more steals, more assists, and rebounds were about the same (Harris had a little over 5 rpg, Jake had a little under 5 rpg).
Harris is a fine player, and we saw that up close in Orrville.....but this is the 2nd year in a row that Jake had better numbers than another player in the league, but lost out on POY voting.
So what is it? Geographical bias? Would he won if Orrville had been the top team in the OCC? Lexington wasn't the best team last year (it was Madison), yet Courtney Avery won it.
I hate to break out the conspiracy theories, but this has happened a few times now in football and basketball. It's enough to make me think there's a little buddy system among the Richland county teams, or maybe it's just a case of the coaches over there seeing more of those kids than they do the kids from Orrville, Wooster & West Holmes.
One thing it clearly seems to be is a lack of respect for a player that has scored nearly 900 points in the last 2 seasons.
Maybe the OCC All-Star game set for March 24th is one invitation that Jake politely declines. Play in the North/South game (already confirmed) and the Berkey Classic over in Smithville.
Maybe that's a little harsh, and probably would never happen, but I get tired of seeing kids fall victim to politics. I hope the vote was at least close.
Thoughts? I know we're a little Rider-centric here, but stats never lie. At worst, they should have shared the award. But I think I said that last year too.
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