Fall sports season wraps with All-Tribuneland honorees
COSHOCTON - Yet another fall sports season has come and gone. So many memories were made and records were broken, which will be highlighted in this year's All-Tribuneland player of the year awards.
Ridgewood linebacker Brice Hammond edged out Coshocton running back Jake Fortney for the player of the year honor. Hammond was the leader of a defensive front that dominated many of the opponents Ridgewood faced, including holding Harrison Central's Travis Stenson — who totaled more than 1,200 yards on the year — to 17 yards in the first round of the playoffs. Hammond totaled 88 tackles, three sacks and three interceptions during the regular season, was named East District Defensive Player of the Year and was a first-team Inter Valley Conference selection.
Coshocton running back and linebacker Jake Fortney led a near-dominant running game for Coshocton, which won a East Central Ohio League Gray Division title, and was the team's leading rusher and tackler. He ran for 825 yards and 11 touchdowns on 143 carries in just eight games. The first-team East District and ECOL selection also tallied 80 tackles, six tackles for a loss, one interception and fumble recovery on defense.
Ridgewood running back Trent Harrison was third, while Coshocton's Kobie Means finished fourth.
In volleyball, Ridgewood's Laura Crawford earned her third consecutive player of the year honor with 429 kills, 315 digs, 83 blocks and 28 aces in 79 sets played. Crawford signed her letter of intent to play for Northern Kentucky University on Friday and was named IVC and District 5 player of the year to go along with All-Ohio honors for the third straight year.
Crawford's teammate Morgan McDorman finished second, while River View's Paige Douglas finished third and Coshocton's Lauren Hire finished fourth.
In boys soccer, Conner Roahrig earned player of the year for the second consecutive year after finishing with 21 goals and seven assists on the way to being named the ECOL player of the year.
He defeated River View's Jorn Hocter, who finished second; Coshocton senior defender Alec McPeak, who finished third; and Black Bear Nick Gunn, who rounded out the four.
A new face takes the award in girls soccer; River View midfielder Danielle Muhleman won a close race for player of the year, edging Coshocton's Tyra Woods. While her numbers won't jump off the stat sheet, her play on the field will. Muhleman totaled just five goals and two assists, but her versatility and meaning to her team makes her standout.
Muhleman was the team's primary penalty kicker, where she tallied three goals and played forward, defender and even goalkeeper, where she tallied nine saves, at times for the regional semifinalist Black Bears. Her versatility and ball distribution were key to the Black Bears' double-digit win season.
Coshocton's Tyra Woods finished second, totaling 21 goals and nine assists. Muhleman's teammate Zoe Smalley finished in third, while Ridgewood goalkeeper Karrie Bluck finished in fourth.
In cross country, River View's Bella Pendola and Michael Hardesty picked up runner of the year honors, as each carried his or her team to the regional meet this year. Each also received first-team ECOL honors.
Hardesty's teammates Austin Hill and Sawyer Neal were second and third, respectively, while freshman Rachel Allen rounded out the category.
In golf, Coshocton's Gage Bosson picked up the honor for the Redskins. Bosson placed third among all individuals at the Division II state golf tournament this year. His total of 159 put him at 14th overall.
Bosson's freshman teammate Logan Desender finished in second, while Ridgewood's Brice Dennis and Samantha Wilson finished third and fourth, respectively.
Hopefully, the winter sports season brings as much excitement and as many memories as the fall sports season.
cteaguerob@gannett.com
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Twitter: @cj_teague