Bill Dressel was the focus of opposing defenses all season.

Thursday, March 07, 2002

Bill Dressel was the focus of opposing defenses all season. Now he’s the focus of the Division IV all-district team.

Dressel, a 6-foot-2 senior who averaged 21 points a game for the St. Joe Flyers, was voted the Associated Press Southeast District Div. IV Player of the Year by a panel of sports writers and broadcasters.

Dressel averaged 6.5 rebounds., 3.1 assists, and 2.3 steals a game while shooting 47 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range, and 71 percent from the foul line.

Dressel joins his older brothers, Joe, a sophomore for the Marshall Thundering Herd, as a district Player of the Year. The older Dressel won the award three seasons ago.

Joining the first team was Green’s 6-2 senior center Jacob Yarnell who averaged 14.5 points and 10.5 rebounds in helping the Bobcats win the Southern Ohio Conference title.

Symmes Valley’s 6-foot junior Drew Hunt was a second team pick after averaging 20.2 points per game.

Honorable mention selections were Green’s junior guard Ben Dyer and sophomore forward Timmy Yarnell, Symmes Valley junior guard Terry Elswick, and St. Joe junior center Chris Laber.

The girls Div. IV Player of the Year award was shared by Green’s Megan Tackett and South Webster’s Brooke Hughes.

Tackett, a 5-6 senior, averaged 24 points a game and has signed to play at the University of Rio Grande. Hughes averaged 19 points a game as South Webster reached the district finals and had a top 10 poll ranking.

Honorable mention selections went to Symmes Valley senior Keren Bell and St. Joe freshman Christina Harvey.

South Point 6-foot senior guard Shane Holsinger headed up the area boys Div. III selections.

Holsinger was voted to the first team after averaging 25.5 points a game, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.7 assists while shooting 47 percent from the field, 42 from 3-point range, and 75 from the line.

Wheelersburg’s 6-6 senior Andrew Burleson, who has signed with Wright State, was the district Player of the Year for the second straight season. Burleson averaged 29.1 points and 8.3 rebounds a game.

On the second team were Chesapeake’s 6-4 junior guard Aaron Gossett and Rock Hill’s 6-2 junior forward David Schug.

Gossett had 13. 5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals a game. Schug’s totals included 21.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game.

On the third team were Ironton senior center Tommy Lutz and Fairland 6-foot junior guard Chris Dinwiddie.

Lutz had 12.0 points and 7.1 rebounds per game while Dinwiddie averaged 18.2 points a contest.

On the honorable mention list were Ironton sophomore guard Josh Sands, Chesapeake junior guard Nick Karle, Fairland senior center Darren Colburn, Coal Grove senior guard Brandon Waller, Rock Hill senior guard Isaac Kitchen, South Point senior center Bryan Maggard, and Wheelersburg senior guard Dusty Winebrenner.

On the girls Div. II first team was Rock Hill’s Jordan Edwards. The 5-7 senior guard averaged 19 points a game as she registered more than 1,000 points for her careers. She also averaged 5.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.5 steals. She has signed with Bluefield (Va.) College.

Junior Miranda Edwards, Jordan’s sister, was honorable mention.

Fairland 6-foot senior center Jeana Diamond was voted to the Div. III first team after averaging 21.2 points and 14 rebounds a game.

On the second team were 5-11 Chesapeake senior center Emily Delimpo and 5-5 sophomore guard Lisa Perry, Fairland 5-2 senior guard Brooke Fisher, and 6-foot Ironton junior center Candace Ferguson.

Delimpo averaged 14.0 points and 14.2 rebounds a game while Perry had an 11.0 scoring and 6.0 assists average. Fisher averaged 14.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 5.0 steals per game while Ferguson scored at a 14.2 clip with 13.4 rebounds a game.

Wheelersburg’s 5-10 senior Emily Hehl (13.0 ppg, 11.5 reb.) was a second team selection.

Voted to the honorable mention list were Ironton junior Ashley Hannon, Coal Grove junior Cassi Ball, Fairland junior Jennifer Jones, South Point senior Nikki Layne and junior Allison Perdue, and Wheelersburg’s Kendra Massie.

Other award winners included:

Marietta’s John Farr, Div. I boys Player of the Year; Greenfield McClain’s Sarah Hull Div. II girls Player of the Year and Dennis Overstreet Coach of the Year; Washington Court House’s Dustin Pfeiffer boys Div. II Player of the Year and Gary Shafer top coach; Eastern Brown’s Micah Harvey girls’ Div. III Player of the Year while Oak Hill’s Doug Hale and Eastern Brown’s Richard Kiser co-Coaches of the Year; Southeastern’s Larry Jordan the boys Div. III top coach; and Reedsville Eastern’s Howie Caldwell the Coach of the Year.

A complete all-district list appears on Page 10.