HONORS KEEP PILING UP FOR IRISH

Coach Tony Bisutti is Coach of the Year and guard Bradley McDougald was named to the second team for the Columbus Dispatch All-Metro Team released on March 27.

The Dispatch honors include players and coaches in all four divisions in the newspaper’s central Ohio coverage area.

It is the first time that Coach B has earned the Dispatch honor and marks the fourth award he’s received this season. He has already been named Associated Press Ohio Division I Coach of the Year, Central District and Ohio Capital Conference Cardinal Division.

Veteran sports reporter Steve Blackledge who covers the high school beat for the Dispatch noted that Coach B turned “a group of talented athletes into a cohesive basketball team.” He noted that the Irish run to the regional final helped cap a three-year run in which the Irish went 66-6 and didn’t lose an Ohio Capital Conference game.

In the article, Coach B credited coaches of various sports at Scioto for communicating well with one another and working around each other’s schedules in order to allow multiple sports players to work with all their games.

Coach B also credited his players, quoted by Blackledge as saying: “They special quality about our guys is that they never got tired of practicing. Whether they considered themselves football players or baseball players, they loved playing the game of basketball and it showed out there on the court they way they shared the ball and hustled.”

BMac added the Dispatch honor to OCC-Cardinal Player of the Year and first team recognition, second team all Central District and honorable mention all-state. He was named honorable mention All-Metro in 2008 along with teammates Ben Ashwill and Blair Gorniak.

He is the second player to earn second team All-Metro, joining Mike Heine who was recognized in 2002 and earned special mention in 2001.

In addition to Ashwill, Gorniak and Heine, other Irish players to earn Dispatch honors include: assistant coach Mike Fiebig (3rd team/2001), Clark Crum (2005/06), David Hayes (2002), Al Kamara (1997), Ish Kamara (1997/98/99), Michael McGory (2004), Johnny Savage (1997/98) and Eric Yates (2003/04)

The All-Metro first team included: Tanner Furno (6-9/SR/Columbus Whetstone), Brian Hecker (6-4/SR/Worthington Christian), Ben Siefert (6-2/SR/Columbus Bishop Hartley), Jon Smith (6-7/SR/Grove City) and Jared Sullinger (6-9/JR/Columbus Northland) who was named Player of the Year.

Ralph Hill of Westerville North in the Cardinal Division was named to the third team. OCC-Cardinal players receiving honorable mention were: Jerrell Fernandez (Westerville Central), Traevon Jackson (Westerville South) and Max Van Meter (Westerville Central).