Evarts sweep POY, COY All-Press selections

Press Sports Editor
sports@presspublications.com

Behind the best season in school history, the Gibsonburg Golden Bears were rewarded by the community for their efforts.
Gibsonburg’s freshman point guard Elly Evarts earned 10 of the 11 votes for The Alan Miller Jewelers’ All-Press Player of the Year (POY) — Eastwood’s Kayla Buehler received one vote — and her father, Bo, the coach of the Lady Bears, was named the Coach of the Year (COY) with six votes, finishing just ahead of Oak Harbor’s Dick Heller, who had four votes. (Genoa’s Glenn Black got one vote.)
Gibsonburg went 23-3, won its first district title and its first league title in 48 years.
Bo Evarts, who just completed his fifth season as the coach, went from two wins in his second season to six to 17 to 23.
“It was a pretty historic season,” he said. “We did some pretty cool things, but it was a team effort. I have five assistant coaches, and it was very rewarding.
“I took it over five years ago. It was a struggle at first. We had five seniors that were here my very first year. We went 17-7 last year. It was a testament to those seniors.”
The three seniors who are leaving the program in great shape are Jazmyne Morant, Sophia Paul and Harley Gamble.
“These seniors, we won two games in their freshmen year,” said Evarts. “This year, we thought we’d be pretty good. A lot of it has to do with those seniors. It was nice to see them get the reward. A lot of it has to do with them. Now we feel like we’re going to be good for a while.
“I think it validates all of the time and effort you put in. I worked just as hard three to four years ago. There were a lot of sleepless nights when we weren’t winning very much. We knew we were getting better. We’re working just as hard. This year, because of our success, it helps when you win. It becomes contagious, and you have to prepare a little more.”
Bo Evarts talked about the play of Elly Evarts.
“Elly has always been a good offensive player. This year, being the point guard, she made some of the other players go to other positions where they felt more comfortable,” said Bo Evarts. “Leah Hall could run up and down the court, hit open shots. She could handle situations. We were pretty confident she would do pretty well. A testament to those seniors and juniors that welcomed her. Some of her better friends welcomed her. It’s a group effort, and she did very well. I think she had 87 3s, which I think was second-most in Ohio. As a team, we got better. It did help having stability in the back court with her handling the pressure.”
Elly Evarts talked about the time and energy she has invested to become a better player.
“It was a very enjoyable season, especially because our high school hasn't been known for being the best at basketball,” she said. “It was a great year for the team, and our team chemistry was great. It was great to have the season with them.
“I worked hard in grade school I was pushed in AAU and played in middle school. I did as much as I could. This fall, I shot a lot in the gym, worked on my skills. By the time I got to high school, I was prepared.”
Joining Evarts on the first team is Kayla Buehler (Eastwood), Autumn Schroeder (Northwood), Cameran Quisno (Woodmore) and Makenna Moritz (Genoa).
First team
• Elly Evarts
• Kayla Buehler
• Autumn Schroeder
• Cameran Quisno
• Makenna Moritz

Second team
• Jazmyne Morant
• Sydney Stanley
• Karder Haas
• Natalie Thompson

Third team
• Kara Schneider
• Addi Moritz
• Asia Brown
• Brooke Wiley
• Amelia Ward

Honorable mention
• Lucy Schlageter
• Leah Hall
• Kelsey Kaylor
• Bree Bolden
• Brooke Tabbert
• Kaelani Chanthakham
• Emilia Henneman-Dallape
• Brynn Reiter

– Cameran Quisno, Woodmore, 5-8, G, 10.2 pts, 4.8 rebs, 2.4 stls
– Kara Schneider, Woodmore, 6-0, F/C, 9.5 pts, 6.3 rebs, 1.4 stls
– Kelsey Kaylor, Woodmore, 5-5, G, 7.4 pts, 3.7 rebs, 3.4 stls
– Elly Evarts, Gibsonburg, 5-8, G, 22.2 pts, 6.2 rebs, 4.3 stls, 3.5 asts
– Jazmyne Morant, Gibsonburg, 5-9, F, 9.2 pts, 7.1 rebs, 4.0 stls, 2.9 asts
– Leah Hall, 5-10, F, 7.4 pts, 6.5 rebs
– Autumn Schroeder, Northwood, 5-9, G, 12.4 pts, 2.9 rebs, 2.2 asts, 1.6 stls
– Natalie Thompson, Northwood, 5-7, G, 9.8 pts, 3.2 rebs, 3.4 stls
– Bree Bolden, Northwood, 5-7, F, 6.9 pts, 4.0 rebs
– Karder Haas, Oak Harbor, 5-6, G, 10.2 pts, 2.0 stls
– Brooke Tabbert, Oak Harbor, 5-4, G, 7.2 pts, 3.0 rebs
– Kayla Buehler, Eastwood, 5-7, G, 18.0 pts, 3.7 stls, 3.4 rebs
– Amelia Ward, Eastwood, 5-7, G, 8.4 pts, 4.5 rebs, 3.4 stls
– Makenna Moritz, Genoa, 13.0 pts, 7.5 rebs, 1.8 stls
– Lucy Schlageter, Genoa, 8.8 pts, 4.0 rebs, 2.4 stls
– Addi Moritz, Genoa, Genoa, 5-10, G/F, 8.5 pts, 5.4 rebs
– Sydney Stanley, Lake, 5-5, G, 12.3 pts, 4.3 rebs
– Brooke Wiley, Lake, 5-9, G, 7.3 pts, 5.5 rebs
– Asia Brown, Stritch, 6-0, F, 9.4 pts, 6.5 rebs
– Kaelani Chanthakham, Clay, 5-6, Sr., 4pts, 3.5 rebs, 6 asts, 3 stls
– Emilia Henneman-Dallape, Clay, 5-11, Jr., 6.4 pts, 5 rebs, 2 asts
– Brynn Reiter, Clay, 5-7, Jr., 6.2 pts, 4 rebs, 1.5 stls