Having secured regular season district championships with wins over Oakdale on Tuesday, it was no surprise that Oneida swept the District 3-A superlatives at the district’s annual coaches meeting on Wednesday, taking all four coach-of-the-year and player-of-the-year honors.
Lady Indians head coach Marv West was named the girls coach of the year, while sophomore point guard Kelsey Pike was named the girls player of the year. On the boys side, Oneida head coach Jacob King was named co-coach of the year, along with Sunbright’s James Jones, while senior point guard Nathan Bowling was named player of the year.
The district superlatives often — though not always — go to the team that wins the regular season. Both Oneida teams are undefeated in district play this season; the Indians have one game remaining, against Harriman on Friday, while the Lady Indians will play Coalfield on Thursday and Harriman on Friday.
Despite her young age, Pike established herself as the district’s best player as Oneida steam-rolled its competition in the league. The Lady Indians’ margin of victory in district play is over 25 points per game.
Bowling entered the season as the consensus pick for the district’s top player. Despite missing time due to an ankle sprain, he has put together a Mr. Basketball candidacy while leading the Indians to an undefeated run in the district heading into Friday’s showdown with Harriman, which only has one loss in district play.
West is no stranger to coach of the year honors; he’s won or shared the title more years than not since returning to coaching nearly a decade ago. King shared the award with Sunbright’s Jones after the Tigers established themselves as an upper-echelon team in the 9-team league. In fact, the Tigers came closer to beating Oneida than anyone else, losing to the Indians by just two points in the district opener in December.
Joining Pike on the girls all-district team from Oneida were seniors Jacey Manis, Gracey Martin and Katelyn Stiltner.
Other players on the girls all-district team included:
Lindsey Brown (Sunbright)
Taylor Cox (Sunbright)
Cassidy Gilmore (Oliver Springs)
Kadence Jackson (Coalfield)
Callie Johnson (Wartburg)
Skylar Johnson (Harriman)
Carlee Kees (Coalfield)
Gabbi Lowe (Coalfield)
Amelia Miller (Oakdale)
Alexis Northrup (Sunbright)
Addison Oliver (Harriman)
Sophia Patterson (Midway)
Regan Redmon (Wartburg)
Named honorable mention were:
Isabella Armes (Coalfield)
Selena Byrge (Wartburg)
Olivia Davis (Wartburg)
Aleena Goldston (Harriman)
Victoria Jones (Oakdale)
Kailey Mackie (Rockwood)
Holly Nitzschke (Sunbright)
Gracie Tarver (Oliver Springs)
Madi Thompson (Harriman)
Joining Bowling on the boys all-district team were fellow senior Kolby Morgan, who was named first team all-district, and sophomore Jeric Huling, second team all-district. Junior Noah Buttram was named honorable mention all-district.
Also named all-district were:
First Team
John Robert Freels (Sunbright)
Jaiden Hannibal (Rockwood)
Jordan McCullum (Harriman)
Brady Stubbs (Harriman)
All-District Second Team
Tanner Johnson (Wartburg)
Keaton McDonald (Oliver Springs)
Colton Nitzschke (Sunbright)
Ethan Parks (Midway)
All-District Third Team
Brent Carroll (Coalfield)
Tucker Carroll (Wartburg)
Jacob Freytag (Sunbright)
Sydney Gregory (Oakdale)
Tanner Melton (Oliver Springs)
Camden Smith (Sunbright)
Honorable Mention
Javon Barger (Oliver Springs)
Cole Branstetter (Sunbright)
Brayden Burgess (Coalfield)
Emmett Hegland (Midway)
Cole Hines (Coalfield)
Zane Lawhon (Midway)
Jacob Reano (Rockwood)
