Rutecki, Price earn AP honors

3 area coaches also selected

Staff report

Lisbon’s Austin Rutecki and Howland’s Sara Price have been selected as players of the year by the Associated Press.

Friday, the All-Northeast Inland District all-star basketball teams were released.

Rutecki, the Blue Devils’ career leading scorer with more than 1,400 points was selected the player of the year for Division IV. He averaged 18.5 points per game.

Price was named the girls Division II player of the year after leading Howland to the All-American Conference Red Tier title. She averaged 22 points.

Rutecki’s coach, Chris Huckshold, was one of three Mahoning Valley coaches to receive honors. Also selected were Newton Falls coach Mark Baker (Division III girls) and Jackson-Milton’s Pat Keney (Division IV girls).

Joining Rutecki on the Division IV boys first team were Bristol’s Alex Jones (17 points), Lowellville’s Cole Beatty (18), Mathews’ Clay O’Dell (20), Sebring’s Josh Zmuda (14.5) and McDonald’s Jake Reckard (15).

Joining Price on the Division II first team were: teammate Victoria Rappach (18.1); Lakeview’s Addie Becker (19.2) and Annie Pavlansky (15.8); and Poland’s Bella Gajdos (16.8).

For Division I boys, Warren Harding’s Gabe Simpson (20.5) was first team. Three made the Division II first team: Ursuline’s Greg Parella (23.4) Niles’ Cameron Kane-Johnson (25.4) and Canfield’s Mason Mangapora (19.1).

There also was a trio who made the Division III: Springfield’s Graham Mincher (27), Newton Falls’ Jaden Walton (27.1) and South Range’s Preston Stitt (14).

For girls Division I, Boardman’s Krista Johnson (17.1) made first team.

In Division III, three were selected: South Range’s Morgan Czopur (20.7), Newton Falls’ Gabby Kline (19.1) and Ursuline freshman Dayshanette Harris (21).

Six girls were selected for Division IV: Valley Christian’s India Snyder (21), Jackson-Milton’s Kaitlyn Totani (12.3), Warren JFK’s Antonella LaMonica (19.8), Mathews’ Katarina Schubert (11), McDonald’s Sara Joseph (16) and Sebring’s Sydney Smith (14).