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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)

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