P-G's Harris, Lee; L-B's Gerken, Lieb take top BVC honors

Pandora-Gilboa shared the Blanchard Valley Conference title, but not the league's top post-season awards with senior guard Aiden Harris and Rockets' coach Mike Lee sweeping player and coach of the year honors for the 2023-24 season. Harris averaged 18.6 points and was among the league leaders in 3-pointers and 3-point accuracy (31, .383 percent), rebounds (6.0), assists (3.6) and steals (2.5). A 1,000-point career man, Harris converted 85-of-109 free throws, a .780 average from the line. Lee guided P-G to a 20-2 regular season record, a 7-1 mark in the BVC and a share of the league title with Arlington and Liberty-Benton. It was the second BCVC title in three years for the Rockets, who also claimed an outright Putnam County League championship this season. Harris headed up a BVC first team deep in offensive skills. Elmwood's Kade Lentz, who led the league in scoring at 20.7 points a ganme, was also a first-teamer, along with Van Buren's Parker Beilharz (17.7 ppg), Liberty-Benton's 6-foot-5 tandem of Carson Conaway (14.7 ppg) and Jake Gerken (15.0 ppg, 39 3-pointers) and P-G's Colin Harris (11.2 ppg). Rounding out the first team is Arlington's play-making guard Caden Russell, who averged 9.1 points a game and led the BVC in assists (4.3 apg). Arlington's Jase Vermillion (13 ppg) and Brady Griggs (10.9 ppg) headed up the all-BVC second team, along with Arcadia's Isaac Stoner (14.5 ppg), Riverdale's Evan Reiter (11.1 ppg), P-G's 6-4 senior center Nate Maag (6 ppg, .682 FG) and Van Buren's James Homan (9.5 ppg). Earning third team honors are Vanlue's Owen Roszman, McComb's Mason Holman, Arlington's Brady Kin, Riverdale's Jack Dusseau, Van Buren's Seth Gregory, Arcadia's Owen Rader and Elmwood's Owen Traxler. The all-BVC first team is a senior-dominated group. The league should be well-stocked again next season, though, with nine of the 13 second- and third-team selections being underclassmen. ALL-BVC BOYS BASKETBALL FIRST TEAM Aiden Harris (P-G) 6-4, Sr.; Kade Lentz (Elm) 6-4, Sr.; Parker Beilharz (VB) 6-3, Sr.; Caden Rusell (Arl) 5-11, Sr.; Jake Gerken (L-B) 6-5, Sr.; Carson Conaway (L-B) 6-5, Sr.; Colin Harris (P-G) 6-2, Sr. PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Aiden Harris, Pandora-Gilboa COACH OF THE YEAR: Mike Lee, Pandora-Gilboa SECOND TEAM Jase Vermillion (Arl) 6-0, Jr.; Isaac Stoner (Arc) 5-10, Soph.; Evan Reiter (Riv) 6-1, Jr.; Brady Griggs (Arl) 6-0, Jr.; Nate Maag (P-G) 6-4, Sr.; James Homan (VB), 6-2, Sr. THIRD TEAM Owen Roszman (Van) 6-0, Soph.; Mason Holman (McC) 6-1, Sr.; Brady Kin (Arl) 5-9, Sr.; Jack Dusseau (Riv) 5-10, Jr.; Seth Gregory (VB) 6-0, Jr.; Owen Rader (Arc) 6-1, Jr.; Owen Traxler (Elm) 5-10, Fr. HONORABLE MENTION ARCADIA – Koen Harris, Jacoby Ellis. ARLINGTON – Luke Metzger, Ayden Cavinee. ELMWOOD – Zach Gross, Micah Oliver. LIBERTY-BENTON – Lincoln Holler, Reid Thomas. MCCOMB – Blake Wittenmyer, Bo Tooman. PANDORA-GILBOA – Aidan Morris, Zach Neuenschwander. RIVERDALE – Ethan Elwood, Grant Inbody. VAN BUREN – Cole Bishop, Lucas Harrington. VANLUE – Landon Saltzman, Cam King GIRLS ALL-BVC Liberty-Benton's Lauren Gerken added another footnote to an outstanding prep career by being named Blanchard Valley Conference Player of the Year for the third straight time in voting by league coaches following the 2023-24 season. A first-team all-BVC pick all four years, Gerken averaged 22 points and 8.9 rebounds in leading the Eagles to an unbeaten run through the league. Chad Lieb, in his first year at the L-B helm, was the BVC Coach of the Year. Seniors Anna Durliat of Van Buren, who averaged 11.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game, and Arcadia's Ava Courtney, who averaged 9.7 points and 7.8 rebounds on a balanced Redskins team that went 18-4, were also first-team all-BVC. The all-league selections reflected a wealth of upcoming young talent, though, with eight underclassmen – including four freshmen – earning spots on the all-BVC first and second team. One of those freshmen is McComb's Morgan Kern, a first-team pick who averaged 18.7 points, 6 rebounds and 2.1 steals in her first year of varsity ball. Riverdale junior Mariah Bonham, who averaged 14 points and 7.5 rebounds, was also on first team, along with Pandora-Gilboa sophomore Ava Huffman (14.4 ppg, 1.8 apg). Arlington's Brooklyn Smith (11.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg) is the lone senior on an all-BVC second team that includes McComb junior Kacey Like (8.8 ppg, ), Arcadia sophomore Addy Colman (9.1 ppg) and three freshmen: 6-foot-2 Liberty-Benton center Corra Dehart (8.5 ppg), Riverdale point guard and BVC rebounding leader Marissa Bonham (11.8 ppg, 9.8 rpg) and 6-foot Van Buren center Brooklyn Wilkin ( 14.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg). Arlington sophomores Mea Alexander and Jada Smith were third-team all-BVC, along with Liberty-Benton's Addi Crow, Arcadia's Lili Mundy, Vanlue's Mara Simon and Elmwood's Selina Deal. ALL-BVC GIRLS BASKETBALL FIRST TEAM Lauren Gerken (L-B) 6-1, Sr.; Morgan Kern (McC) 5-9, Fr.; Mariah Bonham (Riv) 5-9, Jr.; Anna Durliat (VB) 5-8, Sr.; Ava Huffman (P-G) 5-5, Soph.; Ava Courtney (Arc) 5-10, Sr. PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Lauren Gerken, Liberty-Benton COACH OF THE YEAR: Chad Lieb, Liberty-Benton SECOND TEAM Brooklyn Smith (Arl) 5-10, Sr.; Corra Dehart (L-B) 6-2, Fr.; Kacey Like (McC) 5-8, Jr.; Addy Colman (Arc) 5-5, Soph.; Marissa Bonham (Riv) 5-9, Fr.; Brooklyn Wilkin (VB), 6-0, Fr. THIRD TEAM Addi Crow (L-B) 5-9, Sr.; Mea Alexander (Arl) 5-8, Soph.; Lili Mundy (Arc) 5-5, Sr.; Mara Simon (Van) 6-0, Sr.; Selina Deal (Elm) 5-8, Soph.; Jada Smith (Arl) 5-10, Soph. HONORABLE MENTION ARCADIA – Liberty Voges, Jade Johnson. ARLINGTON – Leah Durliat, Julia Stewart. ELMWOOD – Molly Barringer, McKenzie Laird. LIBERTY-BENTON – Emma Hooper, Sophia Barbara. MCCOMB – Rylee Scheff, Mckenzie Schroeder. PANDORA-GILBOA – Savannah Knueven, Maddie Rutschilling. RIVERDALE – Harlee Gonzales, Atleigh Vent. VAN BUREN – Kami Bowman, Maddie Hudok. VANLUE – Olivia Secord, Lexi Brooks