Russia coach Spencer Cordonnier holds up a piece of the net after cutting it following a victory over Springfield Catholic Central in a Division IV district final on March 1 at University of Dayton Arena. Cordonnier was named D-IV state coach of the year.
Bryant Billing | Sidney Daily News
Jackson Center senior guard Jace Mullenhour shoots during a Division IV district final against Cincinnati College Prep on March 3 at University of Dayton Arena. Mullenhour was named second team all-state in Division IV.
Bryant Billing | Sidney Daily News
Russia coach Spencer Cordonnier holds up a piece of the net after cutting it following a victory over Springfield Catholic Central in a Division IV district final on March 1 at University of Dayton Arena. Cordonnier was named D-IV state coach of the year.
Bryant Billing | Sidney Daily News
Russia coach Spencer Cordonnier was named as the state’s Division IV coach of the year, and a few area players earned spots on all-Ohio teams.
Cordonnier was named D-IV coach of the year when the D-IV and D-III all-Ohio teams were released on Wednesday by the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association. He coached the program for three seasons before stepping back into an assistant role following the 2018 season.
Cordonnier took over the team on an interim basis last October after the death of coach Dave Borchers, who had led the program since 2018. Borchers died as a result of injuries suffered in a car accident.
The Raiders finished 25-4 and earned a state berth for the second time in program history.
Botkins senior guard Carter Pleiman and Jackson Center senior guard Jace Mullenhour were each named second team all-Ohio in Div. IV.
Pleiman, who was named Shelby County Athletic League player of the year, averaged 19.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.1 steals per game. Mullenhour averaged 15.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.
Fort Loramie’s Caleb Maurer, Russia’s Hayden Quinter and Braylon Cordonnier and Jackson Center’s Nolan Fark were each named special mention in Div. IV.
Sidney’s Sam Reynolds was named honorable mention in Div. I.
Lehman Catholic’s Justin Chapman was named honorable mention in Div. IV.
All-district and all-state teams are coordinated by the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association, which took over handling the teams in 2017 after the Associated Press cut its handling of all-state teams nationwide.
The OPSWA has media panels which select all-district teams for each of the OHSAA’s six districts. A statewide panel selects all-state teams based on first and second team all-district selections.
All-district and all-state selections are based on regular-season performance only.
The OPSWA partners with the OHSAA on the release of the all-state teams. The OHSAA released Div. III and IV teams on Wednesday and Division I and II teams on Thursday.
The OHSAA announced during the boys state tournament last week Pickerington Central’s Devin Royal was voted by OPSWA members as Mr. Basketball. Royal is an Ohio State signee.
Contact Bryant Billing at (937) 538-4818, or follow @SidneyOHSports on Twitter and @BryantBillingSDN on Facebook.
