D-II All-Ohio: Maysville's Jarrett joins rare pantheon

NEWTON TOWNSHIP — Hayden Jarrett was more than just a scorer for Maysville, far from it.

Granted, when the Panthers needed a big basket during their 24-2 season, it was often their 6-2 senior who took it. But if they needed a key pass to set up a teammate, or a rebound to trigger a fast break, he was there for that, too.

The Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association acknowledged his stellar season on Thursday, naming him to the first team on their All-Ohio list in Division II. He and New Philadelphia's Carter Vandall were the only two East District players named to the top three teams.

Sheridan's Reed Coconis, River View's Owen Emig, Zanesville's Rashaud Hampton, Tri-Valley's Max Lyall and New Lexington's Lukas Ratliff were special mention selections, while Maysville's Alex Bobb, New Lexington's Isaiah Stephens, John Glenn's Nathan Walker and Morgan's Carson Mummey were honorable mention picks.

Jarrett finished with 1,358 career points — most in school history — and this season he scored 501 and averaged 21.4 points per game.

He also led the team in rebounding and assists, as Maysville won its first district title since 2008 before a 61-38 loss to top-ranked Columbus Ready in the Athens regional.

"It’s been a big goal of mine ever since I started playing in high school," Jarrett said of making All-Ohio. "It feels really good to achieve it, knowing all the hard work I’ve put in has paid off. I wouldn’t be able to do it without my coaches and teammates."

Jarrett, known as a difficult interior matchup for much of his career, took his perimeter game to new heights as a senior. He shot 49 percent on 3-pointers, as he and Bobb, who averaged 17.3 points, formed the league's best backcourt tandem.

This year, teams couldn't slough off either player.

"Every team last year played for the drive, so I knew that extending my game would open a lot more options for me," Jarrett said. "Also wanting to play in college, I needed to be able to hit outside shots."

Maysville coach Dave Brown acknowledged as much, pointing to improving his 3-point shooting as an area that could help take his game to a higher level. That mission was accomplished, in correlation with the team's success that accompanied it. He couldn't recall the last first-team All-Ohio boys player the program had produced.

"After we lost to Indian Valley last year (in the tournament), he was in the gym for 375 straight days," Brown said. "His 3-point percentage was up 17 percent from last year. He was getting up 500 to 700 shots per day. He got a lot better as a shooter."

Also a football standout as a running back and linebacker, Jarrett said the gridiron helped his basketball career. He was among the area's top tacklers as a senior and a 1,000-yard rusher as a junior. As a senior, he proved to be a versatile pass catcher.

In an era when many top basketball players avoid football to prevent injuries, he chose the opposite approach.

"It definitely helped me with my physicality and getting stronger, but it helped me develop good leadership skills going into basketball more than anything else," Jarrett said. "It's something I've focused on a lot the last couple of years. Our coaches always say 'players-led teams are better than coach-led teams.' That really stuck with me."

Brown still marvels at the way South Town came alive during the season. Many donned team T-shirts, which became commonplace at games, especially during the tournament run.

He said Jarrett, Bobb and others were driving forces in making that happen.

"Now everywhere you go, you see a kid dribbling a basketball," Brown said. "They have been so good for the kids in our own community. They have awoken South Zanesville."

Jarrett takes plenty of pride in that.

"Because I was that young kid that looked up to the basketball players at one point," Jarrett said. "Every since I was young, I wanted to play in front of big crowds and inspire younger kids to want to play. Making a difference in the community with the three guys that I have been playing ball with since third grade makes it a lot better."

Player of the Year honors went to Dayton Chaminade-Julienne's George Washington III, a Michigan signee who led his team to the regional final. Coach of the Year went to Ready's Tony Bisutti, whose team took a 26-0 record into the state tournament.

Division I Player of the Year went to Pickerington Central's Devin Royal, an Ohio State signee, while Westerville North's Shan Trusley was Coach of the Year.

sblackbu@gannet.com; Twitter: @SamBlackburnTR

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: D-II All-Ohio: Maysville's Jarrett joins rare pantheon