LOUDONVILLE — Tyler Bates ran out of superlatives a long time ago.
There are only so many ways to say legendary when describing Corri Vermilya.
The Ashland University-bound Vermilya is North Central Ohio’s Girls Basketball Player of the Year for a second straight season after leading the Redbirds (26-3) to the Final Four for the second time in program history and first since 1992.
The 5-foot-9 senior averaged 26.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 6.4 steals a game.
“What else can you say about her?” asked Bates, who stepped down as Loudonville’s coach after the season. “She had one of the greatest high school careers ever.”
The Redbirds’ guard ranks 10th in state history with 2,407 career points and 13th with 1,255 rebounds. Her 553 steals are the seventh most in state history.
What’s more, Loudonville was 89-16 during her four-year varsity career. Vermilya never lost a Mid-Buckeye Conference game.
Vermilya was the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association Division IV Player of the Year after claiming Division III POY honors last year.
She was also a finalist for Ohio’s Ms. Basketball as a junior and senior and finished runner-up in balloting this year.
Here’s a look at the other members of the 2023-24 All-Area girls basketball starting five:
Eve Schwemley, Shelby
A junior, Schwemley led the Whippets (18-6) to their sixth straight Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference crown. She ranked second in the MOAC in scoring, averaging 14.1 points a game during the regular season. The 5-foot-7 guard was the MOAC Player of the Year and an All-Ohio special-mention selection in Division II.
Annika Labaki, Clear Fork
The senior sharp-shooter will graduate as the most prolific 3-point shooter in program history. Labaki broke the career record with 185 3-pointers, including a single-season record 77 triples this season as the Colts (17-8) reached the district semifinals. Labaki was an All-MOAC first-teamer and an All-Ohio special-mention pick in Division III after averaging 10.5 points a game during the regular season.
Kayla Larimore, Centerburg
The Knox Morrow Athletic Conference Player of the Year, Larimore led the Trojans (19-6) to the outright KMAC title and a berth in the Division III district finals. A 5-foot-10 junior, Larimore led the KMAC in scoring at 19.4 points a game during the regular season. She was an All-Ohio special-mention selection.
Monetta Hilory, Mansfield Senior
The 5-foot-5 senior led the Tygers (20-4) to a runner-up finish in the Ohio Cardinal Conference. Hilory will graduate as one of the most productive point guards in program history. She is second on the career assists list and averaged 10 points a game. Hilory was an All-OCC first-team pick and a Division II All-Ohio special-mention selection.