NWC names players, coaches of the year

Northwest Conference information

Crestview senior Damian Helm and Allen East senior Kaycee Rowe are this year’s top basketball players in the Northwest Conference. Both were near-unanimous choices.

Helm received 117 of a possible 120 votes as the 2013-14 boys’ NWC “Player of the Year” by league boys’ basketball coaches at the annual selection meeting held this past Monday evening in Delphos. Rowe also was a near-unanimous choice as NWC girls’ “Player of the Year”, receiving 119 of a possible 120 votes in voting by NWC girls’ coaches.

Helm averaged 15.2 points per game, along with 4.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists for the Knights, while shooting 57 percent from the field and 91 percent from the free-throw line.

He was joined on the All-NWC boys’ basketball first team by Columbus Grove’s Will Vorhees, Spencerville’s Ben Bowers, Delphos Jefferson’s Trey Smith and Lincolnview’s Kyle Williams.

Rowe averaged 18.2 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists, along with 2.6 steals per game in leading the Lady Mustangs to a 6-2 conference record and second place in the league.

Crestview junior Lindsey Motycka received 109 points, while Ada junior Tory Wyss received 106 points. Rowe, Motycka and Wyss were joined on the NWC girls’ first team by Sarah Shriner of Bluffton and Sydney McCluer of Columbus Grove.

Crestview won both top coaching awards this year. Knight boys’ coach Jeremy Best and Crestview girls’ coach Greg Rickard were both chosen “coach of the year” by their peers.

Best led the Knights to an 8-0 conference record and undefeated regular season at 22-0, while Rickard’s Lady Knights were also unbeaten in the NWC and won the school’s 15th NWC girls’ basketball title, as well as a 21-1 regular season record.

The Northwest Conference is made up of nine teams: Ada, Allen East, Bluffton, Columbus Grove, Crestview, Delphos Jefferson, Lincolnview, Paulding, and  Spencerville.

Full All-NWC honors are as follows:

BOYS

First Team – Damian Helm, senior, Crestview; Will Vorhees, senior, Columbus Grove; Ben Bowers, senior, Spencerville; Trey Smith, sophomore, Delphos Jefferson; Kyle Williams, senior, Linconview.

Second Team – Zach Goecke, sophomore, Spencerville; Cam Etzler, senior, Crestview; Kyle Kauser, senior, Paulding; Ross Thompson, senior, Delphos Jefferson; Tyson Bolenbaugh, senior, Crestview.

Honorable Mention – Levi Kistler, junior, Bluffton; Guy Harder, senior, Paulding; Matt Shuey, senior, Allen East; Jace Darbyshire, junior, Columbus Grove; Justis Dowdy, junior, Lincolnview; Austin Dumbaugh, senior, Ada; Connor Lautzenheiser, sophomore, Crestview; Dakota Prichard, freshman, and Mason Nourse, sophomore, Spencerville; and Brayden Sautter, sophomore, Ada.

GIRLS

First Team – Kaycee Rowe, senior, Allen East; Lindsey Motycka, junior, Crestview; Tory Wyss, junior, Ada; Sarah Schriner, senior, Bluffton; Sydney McCluer, junior, Columbus Grove.

Second Team – Emily Bauer, sophomore, Crestview; Rilieigh Stockwell, senior, Delphos Jefferson; Julia Thatcher, junior, Lincolnview; Mackenzie Riggenbach, junior, Crestview; Carly Clum, junior, Allen East.

Honorable Mention – Schylar Miller, junior, Spencerville; Alexis Amburgey, junior, Ada; Paige Buroker, senior, Bluffton; Christine Stemen, senior, Lincolnview; Samantha Stechschulte, senior, Columbus Grove; Katie Goergens, senior, Delphos Jefferson; Kennis Mercer, junior, Crestview; Erin Conkle, senior, Allen East; Sierra McCullough, senior, and Abby Pease, senior, Paulding.