Valley players, coaches earn all-district honors

Staff report

Friday was a banner day for Warren JFK’s Justin Bofenkamp.

The Eagles’ senior boys basketball player was announced as the Associated Press All-Northeastern Inland District Division IV Player of the Year early Friday evening.

Not long after, Bofenkamp and Warren JFK took down defending state champion Cornerstone Christian — one of Ohio’s Division IV powers — 75-72 in a district final at Grand Valley High School in Orwell.

Bofenkamp, who averages 17 points for the Eagles, was one of three Mahoning Valley players to earn Player of the Year honors on the AP all-district team. One of the others was Warren JFK schoolmate Antonella LaMonica, a 5-1 senior who averaged 18.7 points for the Eagles’ girls team.

The other was Howland senior Sara Price, a 6-0 senior who averaged 20 points for the Tigers.

Of those three, only Bofenkamp’s team is still alive in tournament play. Warren JFK will meet McDonald in a Division IV regional semifinal at 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Canton Fieldhouse.

Ursuline head coach Keith Gunther shared Division II Coach of the Year honors with Peninsula Woodridge’s Ric Blevins. Gunther’s Ursuline boys will meet Salem in a district final at 4 p.m. today at Boardman High School.

Thee other Mahoning Valley boys coaches earned Coach of the Year honors. LaBrae’s Chad Kiser and South Range’s John Cullen shared the award in Division III, while Bristol’s Craig Giesy — a former Panthers star player — was the top coach in Division IV.

Also in Division IV, Columbiana’s Ron Moschella was the Coach of the Year after leading the Clippers’ girls team to a 22-0 regular season.