Northern Kentucky high school basketball coaches award 2023 season honors

Three of the top players and overall scorers in Kentucky were honored over the weekend by the Northern Kentucky boys coaches association.

Covington Catholic senior Evan Ipsaro was named Division I Player of the year by the local coaches. The Miami University commit is averaging over 25 points per game and recently scored his 2,000^th career point.

Holy Cross senior Jacob Meyer was named Division II player of the year. He is the state’s leading scorer for the second-straight year, averaging 37.1 points per game. He recently broke the Ninth Region all-time scoring record and has over 3,200 currently. He has 40 or more in five straight games including 58 against Walton-Verona Feb. 4.

More:Who could Northern Kentucky basketball teams face in the KHSAA Sweet 16?

Media poll:Four Northern Kentucky basketball teams ranked in top 10 heading into postseason

Ipsaro and Meyer were both named finalists for Mr. Basketball out of the Ninth Region for the statewide vote, which ends Friday. Kentucky head coaches, media and previous winners of Mr. or Miss Basketball are eligible to vote. Both players will vie for the 35^th District championship this week at CovCath. Semifinals are Wednesday, with CovCath facing Holmes at 5:30 followed by Holy Cross vs. Beechwood. The winners face off in the final at 7 p.m. Friday.

Ludlow’s Jaxson Rice, who averages 30.1 points per game, is the Division III Player of the year. Head coach Aaron Stamm is the coach of the year as they led the Panthers to a 19-11 record in the regular season and the NKAC Division III title.

Conner’s Matt Otte was DI coach of the year after leading the Cougars to an 18-7 record and in the mix for the Ninth Region title. Casey Sorrell of Holy Cross (21-7) and Rod Snapp (Newport) 23-6 shared the DII coach of the year honors and will have their teams in contention for the region title as well.

Here are the all-conference honorees.

Boys Division I

Player of the Year – Evan Ipsaro (CovCath); Dave Cowens Hustle Award – Dalton Kramer (Conner); Defensive Player of the Year – Gabe Dynes (Simon Kenton); Academic Award – Grant Reece (Conner); Coach of the Year – Matt Otte (Conner); All-conference - Jake Gross (Campbell County), Aydan Hamilton (Campbell County), Landen Hamilton (Conner), Dalton Kramer (Conner), Ayden Lohr (Conner), Daniel Campbell (Conner), Yamil Rondon (Cooper), Evan Ipsaro (CovCath), Brady Hussey (CovCath), Kascyl McGillis (CovCath), Gabe Dynes (Simon Kenton), Travis Krohman (Simon Kenton).

Boys Division II

Player of the Year – Jacob Meyer (Holy Cross); Dave Cowens Hustle Award – Braden Fedders (St. Henry); Defensive Player of the Year – Sam Gibson (Holy Cross); Academic Award – Will Herald (Highlands), Joe Cooley (Lloyd); Coach of the Year – Casey Sorrell (Holy Cross), Rod Snapp (Newport); All-conference - Cameron Boyd (Beechwood), Mason Sepate (Brossart), Will Herald (Highlands), Nathan Vinson (Highlands), Jacob Meyer (Holy Cross), Javier Ward (Holy Cross), Jeramiah Israel (Lloyd), E.J. Walker (Lloyd), Taylen Kinney (Newport), Marquez Miller (Newport), Coby Kramer (Newport Central Catholic), Braden Fedders (St. Henry), Matt Resing (St. Henry).

Boys Division III

Player of the Year – Jaxson Rice (Ludlow); Dave Cowens Hustle Award – EJ Solano (Dayton); Defensive Player of the Year Award – Ethan Powell (Ludlow); Academic Award — Aaron Vogt (Bellevue); Coach of the Year – Aaron Stamm (Ludlow); All-conference - Zach Mertens (Bellevue), Race Zachary (Calvary Christian), Mason Johnson (Dayton), Ty Barnes (Dayton), EJ Solano (Dayton), Landon Warner (Heritage), Jaxson Rice (Ludlow), Spencer Brandenberg (Ludlow), Elijah Perrin (Ludlow), Henry Thole (Villa Madonna).

Eighth Region: Locals making the all-region team included Grant County’s Dylan Hammonds, Simon Kenton teammates Gabe Dynes and Travis Krohman, and Walton-Verona teammates Aaon Gutman and Julian Dixon.  Grant County’s Joe Utter was named coach of the year.

10^th Region: Campbell County senior Aydan Hamilton was named region player of the year by the 10^th Region coaches. Teammate Jake Gross was named third team. Garyn Jackson was honorable mention.

Honorable mention picks for Pendleton County were Alex Beyst and Austin Kirsch. For Brossart, Mason Sepate and Logan Woosley; and for Scott: Dylan Giffen, Brayden Howell and Carter Eten.

Girls basketball

Senior Whitney Lind, who has signed with Division I Lehigh of the Patriot League, leads Cooper with 17.7 points and 7.1 rebounds. Lind, who was just named the Miss Basketball finalist from the Ninth Region, was named Division I player of the year. Cooper head coach Justin Holthaus was named DI coach of the year for Cooper, who enters the postseason with a 24-3 and ranked third in the state media poll.

Cooper’s only three losses are to Louisville teams Sacred Heart and DuPont Manual, the top two teams in the state poll, and Purcell Marian, a leading contender for the Ohio Division II state title this season.

In Division II, Highlands post player Marissa Green was named player of the year after averaging 17.1 points and 9.0 rebounds. Holy Cross head coach Ted Arlinghaus was named coach of the year after leading the Indians to a 24-6 record and ninth place in the state in the final media poll. Holy Cross was also All “A” Classic state champion.

Walton-Verona senior Grace Brewer, the Miss Basketball finalist from the Eighth Region, was named all-conference in Division II.

In Division III, Ludlow senior guard Mylee Garrett was named player of the year after averaging 16 points per game for the Panthers, who are 15-15. Bellevue’s Tommy Sorrell was coach of the year after leading the Tigers to a 17-13 record in the regular season.

The Ninth Region all-region teams will be released on Wednesday.

Girls Division I

Player of the Year – Whitney Lind (Cooper); Miss Hustle – Kelsee Simpson (Conner); Academic Award – Kay Freihofer (Cooper); Coach of the Year – Justin Holthaus (Cooper); All-conference - Whitney Lind (Cooper), Noelle Hubert (Notre Dame), Anna Hamilton (Conner), Quinn Eubank (Ryle), Abby Holtman (Ryle), Sammy Berman (Dixie Heights), Liz Freihofer (Cooper), Ella Steczynski (Dixie Heights), Juliet Strange (Conner), Kay Freihofer (Cooper), Brynli Pernell (Simon Kenton), Sarah Baker (Ryle), Austin Johnson (Ryle), Alivia Scott (Boone County), Logan Palmer (Cooper).

Girls Division II

Player of the Year – Marissa Green (Highlands); Miss Hustle – Alyssa Harris (Highlands); Academic Award – Cora; Bertsch (Brossart); Coach of the Year – Ted Arlinghaus (Holy Cross); All-conference - Marissa Green (Highlands), Julia Hunt (Holy Cross), Caroline Eaglin (Newport Central Catholic), Kayla Unkraut (St. Henry), Grace Brewer (Walton-Verona), Sierra McCoin (Lloyd), Aleah Arlinghaus (Holy Cross), Zoee Meyers (Brossart), Nejai Lewis (Holy Cross), Alyssa Harris (Highlands), Molly Kramer (Brossart), Chilota Iloegbunam (St Henry), Riley Boyd (Beechwood), Harper Birkemeier (Beechwood).

Girls Division III

Player of the Year – Mylee Garrett (Ludlow); Miss Hustle – All MacPherson (Bellevue); Academic Award – Mylee Garrett (Ludlow); Coach of the Year – Tommy Sorrell (Bellevue); All-conference - Mylee Garrett (Ludlow), Sydni Massey (Bellevue), Addy Garrett (Ludlow), Jayda Dowell (Bellevue), Haylee Reynolds (Dayton), Jaylah Dowell (Bellevue), Ava Hoffmeister (Ludlow), Annie Chadwick (Villa Madonna), Maddie Mitchell (Villa Madonna), Kate Gibbs (Villa Madonna).

Eighth Region: Simon Kenton’s Brynli Pernell and Walton-Verona’s Grace Brewer were named to the all-region team.

10^th Region: Pendleton County senior Saniah Thomas was named first team. Bishop Brossart senior Molly Kramer was named second team. Pendleton County senior Cara Stewart was named third team. Campbell County teammates Keauna Cullum and Isabella Jayasuriya were named honorable mention, as were Brossart’s Zoee Meyers and Scott’s Kayla Overman.

Bishop Brossart’s Steve Brown was named coach of the year.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Northern Kentucky high school basketball coaches award season honors