Brown, Bowker NEO top players

JFK’s Nick Brown and Crestview’s Chelsea Bowker earned player of the year awards.

staff report

After losing the core of a team that went 19-5 last season and without a Division I prospect on his roster, McDonald High boys basketball coach Jeff Rasile entered this season with a group of pretty good players who weren’t afraid to dream big.

They haven’t lost yet.

After losing two Division I prospects to graduation over the past two seasons, Howland girls coach John Diehl threw two freshmen into the fire and came away with a 20-0 regular season, a league title and a berth in the Division I district semifinals.

Lowellville girls coach Tony Matisi did Diehl one better, starting three freshmen on a team overstocked with underclassmen and understocked with size. The Rockets won league and district titles anyway.

For their efforts, all three coaches — Rasile and Matisi in Div. IV, Diehl in Div. I — were named Northeast Inland District coaches of the year.

United girls coach Roger Zeigler, who earned the honor in Div. III, may have topped all of them, leading the Eagles to a 22-2 season that included a league crown and their first regional berth in 29 years.

Zeigler shared the honor with Smithville coach Mike Miller, whose team defeated United in Wednesday’s regional semifinal.

Also in Div. III, Crestview senior Chelsea Bowker (who averaged 25 points per game and led the Rebels in just about every statistical category) shared player of the year honors with Smithville junior Jenna Pew, who had 18 points and 20 rebounds in the regional semifinal.

Diehl shared the award with McKinley coach Pam Davis, whose team defeated Boardman in the district final at Alliance.

Warren JFK senior Nick Brown was the only other Valley player to earn player of the year. He averaged 22.7 points per game this season and topped 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in his three-year varsity career.

Several other players were named first team.

Among the boys, Desmar Jackson of Warren Harding was named first team in Div. I; Kurtis Drummond of Hubbard and Niko Fatimus of Poland in Div. II; Ben Gysin of East Palestine and Todd Medallis of Newton Falls in Div. III, and Olonzo Johnson of Youngstown Christian, Josh Selway of Leetonia and Lance Ronghi of McDonald in Div. IV.

First team selections among the girls were Darryce Moore of Boardman in Div. I; Jillian Halfhill of Canfield, Amy Scullion of Salem and Mya Levels of Southeast in Div. II; Maggie Sell of United and Kelsey McGregor of Newton Falls in Div. III, and Ashley Moore of Lowellville, Joh’Vonnie Mosley of McDonald and Alyssa Giesy of Bristol in Div. IV.