Skeens defends Player of the Year honor

CHILLICOTHE - After sharing last year's Scioto Valley Conference Player of the Year honor with Unioto's Alexis Overly, Southeastern's Ella Skeens now stands alone at the top.

The sophomore phenom defended her crown and was named the 2015-16 Player of the Year after helping her Panthers secure their first conference title since 1990-91. During the regular season, Skeens registered 428 points, 175 rebounds, and 55 assists through 21 games; leading the team in each category.

After leading the area in scoring with an average of 20.4 points per game, Skeens now has career numbers of 913 points (20.3), 362 rebounds (8.0), and 105 assists (2.3) through 45 games.

Skeens' head coach Mike Adams was named the 2015-16 Scioto Valley Conference Coach of the Year after leading his team to an 18-3 mark, including a 12-1 record in SVC play. Adams is the first Panthers' head coach to be recognized with the honor since Mike Jordan in 2003-04.

Alongside Skeens, Southeastern's Audrie Wheeler was selected as first team all-league. Wheeler was a juggernaut in most games for the Panthers, averaging 14.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per contest.

Three others were named first team all-league including Westfall's duo of Regan Stonerock and Kelsie Robinson. During their senior year, Stonerock and Robinson combined to average 29.6 points, 15.1 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per outing. During their four years in Williamsport, the Mustangs went 62-29 with a 43-13 mark in the SVC.

Huntington's Ariel Sams rounded out the first team selections after averaging 18.3 points per game. Sams, a senior, ends the regular season sitting at 1,274 career points — third all-time in school history and 26th all-time in conference history.

Second team selections included Piketon's Kara Blanton and Faith Pack, Paint Valley's Lexi Woods, Huntington's Carolane Cox, and Unioto's Caroline Thiel.

Blanton, a junior, led the conference in rebounds with an average of 11.2 per game while Pack, a senior, averaged 11 points and 5.3 rebounds. Woods got even better during her sophomore year and led the Bearcats with 18.8 points per game — second in the league (Skeens). Cox, a senior, was arguably the area's best defender while putting up averages of 10.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. Thiel, a junior, led the Shermans with averages of 11 points and 7.6 rebounds.

Third team selections are as follows: O.J. Mathes (senior, Westfall); Alexis Putnam (junior, Adena); Dylana Gragg (senior, Huntington); Morgan Arledge (junior, Zane Trace) and Rachel Collins (sophomore, Southeastern).

Honorable mention selections were: Taylor Rawlings and Kelsie Bossert (Adena), Jillian Snyder and Kennedy DeBord (Huntington), Mikayla Newland and Madison Smith (Paint Valley), Avery Reuter and Cami Chandler (Piketon), Kali Mitten and McKinley Mitten (Southeastern), Kaylee Valentine and Carly Adkins (Unioto), Emily Walker and Becky Mathes (Westfall), Katie Unger and Justine Pontius (Zane Trace).

dwebb@chillicothegazette.com

Twitter: @dw1509