Fuller, Wallace, Jesko, Kershaw among choices

McKinley's Raymar Morgan and Dayton Dunbar's Daequan Cook grabbed the spotlight.
VINDICATOR STAFF/WIRE REPORTS
COLUMBUS -- Warren Harding senior Roddy Fuller and Fitch senior James Wallace each earned honorable mention in Division I, while Salem senior Tom Jesko, Liberty senior Ed Kershaw and Southeast senior Micah Herndon earned special mention in Division II in the 2005-2006 Associated Press All-Ohio boys basketball teams.
West Branch's Shane Young, Canfield's Mike Rounsavall, Lakeview's Dustin Opalka and Eddie Mackiewicz were named honorable mention in Division II, while East Liverpool senior Andrew Bobalik was named to the second team.
State-wide, Canton McKinley's Raymar Morgan and Dayton Dunbar's Daequan Cook -- who will be opponents in college -- grabbed the spotlight.
Their strengths
Morgan, a dominating 6-foot-8 power player, was selected as the player of the year in the big-school division, based on the recommendations of a state panel of sports writers and broadcasters. Cook, a smooth 6-5 slasher, was the pick in Division II.
Morgan has signed to play next season at Michigan State, while Cook is a part of coach Thad Matta's heralded recruiting class at Ohio State.
Both will also be on display this week at the 84th boys state tournament at Ohio State's Value City Arena.
Morgan leads defending champion McKinley (23-2) up against Toledo St. John's (21-5) on Friday night with Lancaster (25-1) meeting Trotwood-Madison (20-5) in the nightcap. The winners decide the state title on Saturday night.
Cook and Dunbar (24-2), making a return trip to the state's final four, take on Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary (21-3) on Friday afternoon, not long after Columbus DeSales (19-6) plays Wooster Triway (25-0). The title game is late Saturday afternoon.
Morgan's legacy
Morgan averaged 24.1 points and 9.4 rebounds a game while shooting 68.2 percent from the field. He has scored more than 1,500 career points and his team has gone 71-7 with him in the starting lineup. The Bulldogs have never lost a home game with Morgan as a starter.
His coach at McKinley, Dave Hoover, shares the state award with Lancaster's John Cofman and Bedford's Everett Heard. Hoover is shooting for his third state championship, having also won a title in 1994 while at Westerville North. Cofman guided Lancaster to its winningest season and a berth in the final four, while Heard's steady hand helped Bedford to an 18-2 regular-season mark and a No. 10 ranking in the final AP poll.
Joining Morgan on Division I first-team all-state are: James Dews of Liberty Township Lakota East (6-4, sr., 27.9); Solon's Dallas Lauderdale (6-9, jr., 21.0); Mentor's Adam May (6-8, sr., 22.6); Javonte Clanton of Reynoldsburg (6-1, sr., 23.1); Mansfield Senior's Rashad Reed (6-0, sr., 18.2); Lancaster's Chris McKnight (6-6, sr., 14.0); and Jason Thompson of Bedford (6-3, sr., 21.0).
Cook had a big year for Dunbar, averaging 25.6 points a game to go with 10.2 rebounds and 5 assists.
Snoddy among coaches
The Division II coaches of the year were: New Albany's Sam Davis, who led his team to a 16-4 regular-season mark and the regional finals despite losing his top scorer in midseason to a brain tumor; Greg Vaughn of Zanesville Maysville, whose club went 13-7 after winning a combined six games the previous two years; and Stephen White of Akron Buchtel and Triway's Keith Snoddy, both of whom posted 20-0 records.
Cook's fellow first-teamers include: Upper Sandusky's Jon Diebler (6-7, jr., 35.5); Jimmy Langhurst of Willard (5-11, sr., 30.9); Marcus Johnson of St. Vincent-St. Mary (6-3, sr., 18.3); Triway's Linc Rottman (6-2, sr., 16.7); Dante Jackson of Greenfield McClain (6-5, jr., 28.7); Sean Elliott of Canal Winchester (6-1, sr., 26.1); Dresden Tri-Valley's Andy Kilgore (6-6, sr., 19.6); Tyler Sparks of Olmsted Falls (6-4, jr., 21.4); and Warrensville Heights' Joe Davis (6-0, sr., 28.1).