By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Covington Catholic junior guard Evan Ipsaro was voted Division I Player of the Year by the Northern Kentucky Boys Basketball Coaches Association and his senior teammate Mitchell Rylee placed second in the balloting.
With those two players leading the way, CovCath posted a 23-4 record in the regular season that ended with the Colonels ranked No. 3 in the state by the Associated Press media poll.
CovCath junior guard Evan Ipsaro
Ipsaro is averaging 22.3 points and six assists for the Colonels, shooting 60.6 percent (211 of 348) from the field and 89.6 percent (129 of 144) from the line. He has scored 1,022 points in his two seasons with the program.
Rylee is averaging 16 points and 7.8 rebounds this season. He’s shooting 71.8 percent (176 of 245) from the field, which ranks second in the statewide statistics posted on the khsaa.org website.
Holy Cross junior guard Jacob Meyer was voted Division II Player of the Year by the local coaches. He finished the regular season as the state’s leading scorer with a 38.5 average, shooting 52.1 percent (256 of 683) from the field and 81.7 percent (183 of 224) at the line. He’s also averaging 7.4 rebounds per game.
Meyer has scored 2,066 points in three varsity seasons at Holy Cross. He needs 31 points to become the team’s all-time leading scorer.
Calvary Christian senior guard Ethan Mulling is the Division III Player of the Year. After sharing that award with another player last year, Mulling was the leading vote-getter this time. He averages of 20.4 points and 8.4 rebounds for the Cougars.
The three Coach of the Year awards went to Tim Sullivan of Cooper in Division I, Michael Walker of Lloyd in Division II and Mike Walls of Dayton in Division III.
N.Ky. boys basketball coaches all-star teams
DIVISION I
Evan Ipsaro (Covington Catholic), Mitchell Rylee (Covington Catholic), Landen Hamilton (Conner), Kiernan Geraci (Dixie Heights), Aydan Hamilton (Campbell County), Billy Wogenstahl (Dixie Heights), Caleb Brooks (Cooper), Eric Davie (Campbell County), Donovan Robinson (Ryle), Cole Schumate (Boone County), Chandler Starks (Covington Catholic), Daniel Campbell (Conner), Ayden Lohr (Conner).
Defensive Player of the Year – Chandler Starks (Covington Catholic)
Hustle Award – Alex Castrucci (Conner)
Academic Award – Jay Flynn (Dixie Heights)
Coach of the Year – Tim Sullivan (Cooper)
DIVISION II
Jacob Meyer (Holy Cross), Will Herald (Highlands), Jeremiah Israel (Lloyd), Cameron Boyd (Beechwood), Camden Fedders (St. Henry), Tez Calloway (Holmes), Zach Barth (Highlands), Joel Iles (Newport Central Catholic), David Govan (Brossart), E.J. Walker (Lloyd), Owen Setters (St. Henry), Marquez Miller (Newport).
Defensive Player of the Year – Zaire Monroe (Lloyd)
Hustle Award – Oliver Harris (Highlands)
Academic Award – Ty Eviston (Beechwood)
Coach of the Year – Michael Walker (Lloyd)
DIVISION III
Ethan Mulling (Calvary Christian), Lorenzo Price (Dayton), Luke Ruwe (Calvary Christian), Preston Baggett (Dayton), Colin Chillo (Villa Madonna), Ryan Gaiser (Ludlow), Zach Mertens (Bellevue), Jaxson Rice (Ludlow), Henry Thole (Villa Madonna).
Defensive Player of the Year – Preston Baggett (Dayton)
Hustle Award – Charlie Thiemann (Villa Madonna)
Academic Award – Caleb Howard (Calvary Christian)
Coach of the Year – Mike Walls (Dayton)
