FIRST TEAM
Co-Player of the Year, Janae Driggs & Mackenzie Arledge, Unioto: It really is hard to debate this year’s POY selection unless you are debating between teammates. Mackenzie Arledge did have an incredible year in which she led the league in scoring and rebounding. Janae Driggs filled an equally impressive stat sheet finishing second in the league in scoring while leading the league in steals. With all this said, there is no way I can pick one without the other; therefore, I start my list with Co-POYs in the SVC this season.
Jenny Grigsby, Adena: It is impossible to put Adena players in order. I really feel like Adena has six of the top 21 or 22 players in the SVC, so trying to put them in order is really tough. For example, I have talked to four or five good basketball people from around the league and it is amazing how you get a different name every time you ask who their best player is this year. I just feel like Grigsby is their most complete player. When you look at both ends of the floor, all aspects of the offensive end, and the stats, I just feel this is the Adena player who deserves first team. Again, if someone wanted to argue someone different that is an argument that could be made. I feel Smith is the most talented player who takes Adena to another level. I feel Yates is their leader. I feel Givens is their most consistent, so who knows. I will say Grigsby in my third spot.
Jess Roepke, Zane Trace: The Lady Pioneers are also always tough to sort out come voting time because of their great balance. I give Roepke a slight edge on my list over teammate McKenzee Tatman just because of the attention I felt she had to shoulder to post her numbers. Roepke averaged just less than 12 points per game for most of the year while grabbing over six rebounds per game. She also knocks down a league leading percentage from the free throw line.
Chloe Cottrell, Unioto: I know a lot of fans will have a problem with three Unioto kids being on first team, but I am not going to cheat a kid for being a top-five talent just because she is playing on the same team with the best two players in the league. Cottrell is a versatile player who does a little bit of everything, but the stat about her that you love the most is her winning percentage. Add up her sophomore, junior, and senior seasons and you get three league titles and an ability to count her losses on one hand.
SECOND TEAM
Holly Brabson, Piketon: Just like a year ago, Brabson continued to quietly be one of the league’s best players as she finished in the top five of both scoring and rebounding.
Catherine Dresbach, Southeastern: One of the most complete players in the league, Dresbach finished top five in scoring and in the top 10 of rebounds and assists. Dresbach has a very young supporting cast, and I thought she did a great job of leading her team this season. In fact, if I had one thing about her game this year that I did not like, it would be that she was too unselfish at times.
Brytan Givens, Adena: I think Givens is an experienced player who made the transition for some of the younger players such as Grigsby and Smith easier. Givens scored almost 10 points per game and was one of the league’s premiere three point shooters.
Makenzie Wippel, Westfall: The senior has really become one of the elite players in the league this season. Wippel is a top five scorer and rebounder while shooting a great percentage from the line and producing one of the league's top totals from three-point land..
McKenzee Tatman, Zane Trace: Tatman was a major contributor to Zane Trace’s third-place finish. Tatman averaged close to double figures while dishing out nearly three assists and recording nearly three steals per game.
THIRD TEAM
Madison Vickers, Huntington: In a rebuilding year for the Lady Huntsmen, Vickers is definitely a top 15 player. Vickers is a great athlete who plays with a lot of energy. She can score it, rebound it, and is one of the league’s top defenders as well.
Whitney Hollon & Abbie Walls, Paint Valley: Hollon put up totals that kept her in the league leaders throughout the year in scoring, rebounding, assists, and steals. Two or three tough league losses will cost Paint Valley from perhaps finishing as high as fourth or fifth place. With them finishing where they did, I think this could hurt Hollon and Walls in the vote with the coaches, but no way could I leave these two off of my list. Walls has been a top-10 scorer in the league all season.
Autumn Smith, Adena: As I said earlier, I felt Smith was a top five talent in this league, and as the season moves towards the end, she is the player that has the skill to take Adena to a completely different level. No player in the league is as good with the ball as Smith and the more she becomes comfortable in decision-making the worse things are going to get for SVC opponents.
Sierra Sigman, Zane Trace: A very talented junior who can do a lot of things. She provided ZT with perimeter scoring while also recording 2.5 steals per game. Like Adena, ZT is going to be balanced when they are at their best, but this is the one ZT player who can really score it in a variety of ways.
Alex Southworth, Piketon: The first winning season at Piketon in a decade had a lot to do with the play of this 6’0” sophomore. Southworth has been at the top of the league in assists all year while scoring 10 points per game and pulling down seven rebounds per game.
Just missing the list: Like any year, there are always going to be players that finish in that 16-20 section, and they all probably can make a case for deserving a top-15 slot. You could make this case for nearly every other starter on Unioto (Erin Bane), Adena (Kirsti Yates, Olivia Arledge, & Kelsey Bielanow) and Zane Trace (Erin Dailey) when you consider their team success.
Even on some of the bottom half teams, you have individuals that had all-league type seasons. For example, Casie Zimmerman of Westfall and Tori Pelphrey of Piketon are two players who come to mind.
