Potters headline county boys team
Lisbon senior Justin Sweeney, East Liverpool senior Gabe Roach and Beaver Local junior Jenna Riccardo highlight the Columbiana County all-star basketball teams.
They were named Columbiana County players of the year in balloting by county coaches on Sunday.
Sweeney and Roach shared boys top honors after being the only boys unanimous selections.
Sweeney repeats as the county player of the year and is a three-time first-team selection. He is Lisbon’s all-time leading scorer with 1,581 career points, which ranks second in Columbiana County history. He averaged 21.0 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists a game.
Roach was the top player on a balanced Potter team that won 19 games. He averaged a team-high 16.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.9 steals a game while shooting 62 percent from the field. He finished with 1,163 career points.
Riccardo edged Columbiana junior Kayla Muslovski, last year’s winner, for girls player of the year honors. Riccardo and Lisbon junior Izzy Perez were the girls unanimous selections.
Riccardo averaged 23 points, 14 rebounds and three steals a game in leading the Beavers to a 14-9 season. She is the program’s career scoring leader with more than 1,200.
Coaches of the year are East Liverpool’s Nate Conley for the boys and Crestview’s Aaron Blatch and East Palestine’s Will Franklin for the girls.
Conley guided the Potters to a 19-6 record, their most wins since 2012, and the only county team to reach the district finals this season.
Blatch and Franklin both led their teams to 17 wins.
Sweeney, Roach and Wellsville senior Garrett Scott return to the boys first team and are joined by Southern Local junior Cam Grodhaus, East Liverpool junior Tresean Jackson, United senior Landon Baker, Salem senior Josh Young and Crestview sophomore Drake Golden.
The boys second team includes Beaver Local junior Luke Chetock, Columbiana junior Matt Mazei, Wellsville junior Justin Wright, East Liverpool senior James Maxwell, United senior Parker Hydrick, East Palestine freshman Jonathan Bertovich, Lisbon sophomore Ryan McCullough and Salem senior Trey Double.
Muslovki is on the girls first team for a third time, while Riccardo, Perez and Crestview sophomore Krista Perry are two-year honorees. They are joined on the first team by Salem senior Ellie Davidson, Salem sophomore Kyla Jamison, Southern Local senior Riley Felton and East Palestine junior Jaliyah Mixon.
The girls second team includes Crestview junior Tanner Hoffer, Lisbon senior Maddie Liberati, Columbiana senior Kennedy Fullum, East Palestine sophomore Jocelyn Fristik, Leetonia senior Ari Russell, United senior Loren Swords, East Liverpool junior Emma Ludwig and Salem junior Echo Mayer-Kutz.
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COLUMBIANA COUNTY
2018-2019 ALL-STAR
BASKETBALL TEAM
BOYS FIRST TEAM
Player Class School
Gabe Roach Sr. East Liverpool
Justin Sweeney Sr. Lisbon
Cam Grodhaus Jr. Southern Local
Garrett Scott Sr. Wellsville
Tresean Jackson Jr. East Liverpool
Landon Baker Sr. United
Josh Young Sr. Salem
Drake Golden Soph. Crestview
BOYS SECOND TEAM
Luke Chetock Jr. Beaver Local
Matt Mazei Jr. Columbiana
Justin Wright Jr. Wellsville
James Maxwell Sr. East Liverpool
Parker Hydrick Sr. United
Jonathan Bertovich Fr. East Palestine
Ryan McCullough Soph. Lisbon
Trey Double Sr. Salem
HONORABLE MENTION
Josh Hilditch (Beaver Local); Hunter Zentner (Columbiana); Jude Riffle (Crestview); Timmy Neal (East Liverpool); Parker Sherry (East Palestine); Ronnie Matthews, Joey Donofrio (Heartland Christian); Brock Simpson, Ethan Hartman (Leetonia); Logan Bell (Lisbon); Niko Walter (Salem); Brock Smalley (Southern Local); Alex Birtalan (United); Luke Green (Wellsville).
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Gabe Roach (East Liverpool)
Justin Sweeney (Lisbon)
COACH OF THE YEAR
Nate Conley (East Liverpool)
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GIRLS FIRST TEAM
Player Class School
Jenna Riccardo Jr. Beaver Local
Izzy Perez Jr. Lisbon
Kayla Muslovski Jr. Columbiana
Krista Perry Soph. Crestview
Ellie Davidson Sr. Salem
Kyla Jamison Soph. Salem
Riley Felton Sr. Southern Local
Jaliyah Mixon Jr. East Palestine
GIRLS SECOND TEAM
Tanner Hoffer Jr. Crestview
Maddie Liberati Sr. Lisbon
Kennedy Fullum Sr. Columbiana
Joclyn Fristik Soph. East Palestine
Ari Russell Sr. Leetonia
Loren Swords Sr. United
Emma Ludwig Jr. East Liverpool
Echo Mayer-Kutz Jr. Salem
HONORABLE MENTION
Elizabeth Kolkowski (Beaver Local); Grace Hammond (Columbiana); Haley Eskra (Crestview); Ciara Peachey (East Liverpool); Payton Sherry (East Palestine); Sydney Ogden, Madi Matthews (Heartland Christian); Anna Buffone (Leetonia); Chloe Smith (Lisbon); Casey Johnson (Salem); Hannah Hayes (Southern Local); Celeste Hofmeister (United); Cameron Carlevale, Hunter Weekley (Wellsville).
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jenna Riccardo (Beaver Local)
COACH OF THE YEAR
Aaron Blatch (Crestview)
Will Franklin (East Palestine)