Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

COLUMBUS — Forget cheaper by the dozen. When it comes to the local basketball players, it’s better by the dozen.
A total of 12 area players were named the Associated Press sports writers’ All-Ohio basketball team in Divisions 3 and 4.
Area players named to the Division 3 All-Ohio team were Fairland Dragons’ 6-foot-3 junior Jacob Polcyn, 6-foot sophomore Aiden Porter and 5-10 junior Clayton Thomas, South Point Pointers’ 6-3 junior Austin Webb and 5-10 senior Chance Gunther, Chesapeake Panthers’ 5-10 sophomore Levi Blankenship, Coal Grove Hornets’ 5-10 senior Cory Borders and Ironton Fighting Tigers 6-3 junior Reid Carrico.
In Division 4, St. Joseph Flyers’ 5-8 senior Zach Roach and 5-9 senior Ryan Payne, Symmes Valley Vikings 6-4 senior Jack Leith and Green Bobcats’ 6-1 senior Gage Sampson were all honored with an All-Ohio selection.
Polcyn was named special mention as he led the Dragons’ to a 20-2 regular season, the Ohio Valley Conference title and a berth in the regional finals.
Polcyn averaged 11 points and 8 rebounds to go with 4 steals a game.
Porter and Thomas were both honorable mention. Porter averaged 15.3 points, 4 rebounds and 2.4 assists a game while Thomas averaged 15.5 points, 2.4 rebounds and 5 assists a game during the regular season.
Webb led the OVC with a 22.4 scoring average and also had 7.3 rebounds a game and was named special mention.
Gunther was honorable mention as he averaged 14 points, 2.6 assists and 1.9 steals.
Blankenship was named special mention as he averaged 15.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.8 steals in helping the Panthers go 18-3.
Despite a knee injury that sidelined him part of the season, Borders was honorable mention as the 3-point sharp shooter averaged 17 points a game.
Carrico — the Ohio State recruit who was first team All-Ohio and defensive player of the year in football — was honorable mention as he averaged 13.6 points and 8 rebounds a game in leading Ironton to the district finals.
Roach was special mention All-Ohio as he averaged 16.9 points and 4 assists in helping the Flyers to 19 wins including 16-5 in the regular season.
Payne was an honorable mention selection as he led the Flyers in 3-point goals as he averaged 16.5 points a game and 3.5 assists.
Leith was a special mention selection after a dominant season inside that saw him average 19.7 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2 blocks a game.
Sampson was special mention as he averaged 21 points a game.