By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Four starters on the Covington Catholic boys basketball team are among the top 12 Division I players selected by Northern Kentucky coaches with senior point guard Athen McGillis being named Player of the Year.
McGillis has a team-high 22.7 scoring average for the Colonels, who finished the regular season with a 26-2 record and climbed to No. 1 in the statewide media poll during a 20-game winning streak.
CovCath’s other Division I nominees are junior guard Braeden Myrick, senior forward Donovan Bradshaw and senior guard Cash Harney.
A four-year starter, McGillis enters next week’s playoffs in fourth place on CovCath’s career scoring list with 1,887 total points. He accepted a scholarship offer from Nova Southeastern University in Florida, one of the nation’s top NCAA Division II programs.
Lloyd senior guard Anthony Blaackar was voted Division II Player of the Year for leading his team to a 20-4 record.
He went into Friday’s final regular season game averaging 25.1 points, shooting 60.6 percent (218 of 360) from the field and 80.3 percent (98 of 122) at the free throw line.
The Division III Player of the Year is Holmes senior Mark McCutcheon. He was averaging 18.2 points and 9.4 rebounds going into his team’s regular season finale.
The Northern Kentucky Boys Basketball Coaches Association will recognize the top 12 players selected in each of the three divisions during a post-season awards banquet on Sunday, March 15 at Covington Catholic.
DIVISION I PLAYERS
Athens McGillis (Covington Catholic), Austin Davie (Campbell County), Finn Louden (Conner), Braeden Myrick (Covington Catholic), Bray Bilton (Simon Kenton), Anthony Coppola (Ryle), Max Rubenmeyer (Dixie Heights), Holden Smith (Ryle), Donovan Bradshaw (Covington Catholic), Tayden Lorenzen (Highlands), Vinny Listerman (Highlands), Cash Harney (Covington Catholic).
Player of the Year — Athens McGillis (CovCath)
Defensive Player of the Year — Blake Broz (Ryle)
Mr. Hustle — Vinny Listerman (Highlands)
Academic Award — Nathan Rickard (Highlands)
DIVISION II PLAYERS
Anthony Blaackar (Lloyd), Dylan Topmiller (Beechwood), Luke Arlinghaus (Holy Cross), John Luhn (Newport Catholic), Brady Gabbard (Holy Cross), Nate Rominger (Holy Cross), Kingston Brockett (Beechwood), Isiah Golsby (Lloyd), Jordan Clemons (Scott), Ben Brown (Scott), Tyler Detzel (St. Henry), Owen McCormack (Beechwood).
Player of the Year — Anthony Blaackar (Lloyd)
Defensive Player of the Year — Kingston Brockett (Beechwood)
Mr. Hustle — Tyler Detzel (St. Henry)
Academic Award — Brycen Herald (Boone County)
DIVISION III PLAYERS
Mark McCutchen (Holmes), Amontae Lowe (Newport), Collin Duty (Calvary Christian), Logan Day (Ludlow), Trent Stone (Heritage), Malachi Kennedy (Dayton), Arion Stuckey (Bellevue), Rashad Whitfield (Holmes), Michael Popham (Villa Madonna), Luke Getsy (Calvary Christian), Oscar Kawanishi (Heritage), Jaylen Stone (Ludlow).
Player of the Year — Mark McCutchen (Holmes)
Defensive Player of the Year — Luke Getsy (Calvary Christian)
Mr. Hustle — Jay Meyers (Villa Madonna)
Academic Award — Drew Thomas (Villa Madonna)