They both helped out all over, and both were rewarded.
Calvert junior Nick Warnement and New Riegel senior Brooke Scherger were each named the player of the year this past week by the Midland Athletic League basketball coaches.
Warnement tied for third in scoring in the MAL with 15.8 points per game. He also tallied five rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.6 steals for the Senecas, who ended the regular season 16-4 overall and 9-2 in the MAL, taking second in the league.
Scherger, her team's lone senior, fueled the Blue Jackets' run to their 13th MAL crown as New Riegel went 17-3 overall and 9-1 in the league during the regular season. She averaged 14.2 points per game to end third in MAL scoring, and turned in 3.2 rebounds 4.1 assists and 5.4 steals per contest.
New Riegel's Todd Aichholz and Old Fort's Eric Hoover shared the top boys coaching honor.
Aichholz guided the 17-3 Blue Jackets to a 10-1 mark in the MAL and the league title. Hoover, in his first year at his alma mater, led a young, inexperienced group of Stockaders to a 13-7 overall mark and an 8-3 record in the league.
The girls coaching honor went to long-time New Riegel mentor Steve Lucius, who began coaching at his alma mater with the start of the 1985-86 season.
The rest of the first-team boys players were New Riegel senior Cody Kinn (14.6 ppg., 5.9 rpg., 1.8 apg. 1 spg.), Old Fort junior Dalton Perry (16.9 ppg., 10.2 rpg., 2.1 apg. 1.7 spg), Carey junior Justin Meek (13.6 ppg., 2.9 rpg., 2.8 apg., 2.4 spg.), Seneca East senior Billy Diehm (16.2 ppg., 1.8 rpg., 2.9 apg., 1.8 spg.), New Riegel senior Ryan Schalk (10.9 ppg., 2.3 rpg., 1.5 apg., 1.4 spg.), Fremont St. Joe junior Jordan Sessler (13.1 ppg., 2.8 rpg., 4.5 apg., 1.9 spg.) and Seneca East junior Ben Hahler (12.9 ppg., 13.3 rpg., 1.9 apg., 1.4 spg.).
Rounding out the first-team girls were Calvert sophomore Olivia Smith (12.5 ppg., 7.7 rpg., 4.5 apg., 4.2 spg.), Carey junior Hannah Tong (10.8 ppg., 10.3 rpg., 1 apg., 1 spg.), Hopewell-Loudon junior Cassandra Hohman (12.5 ppg., 5.9 rpg., 1.2 apg.), Mohawk junior Lynsey Trusty (11.1 ppg., 3.3 rpg., 5.2 apg., 4.5 spg.), St. Wendelin junior Colleen Fondessy (14.5 ppg., 7.1 rpg., 2.2 apg., 2.7 spg.), North Baltimore senior Jessica Frost (12.4 ppg., 7.7 rpg., 1.9 apg., 1 spg.) and Seneca East junior Ashton Daniel (14.9 ppg., 6.3 rpg., 1.6 apg., 1.6 spg.).
