KNOX COUNTY – Last week, the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference announced its annual awards, naming all-conference selections, as well as Player of the Year, Coach of the Year and All-Academic Athlete of the Year in each of the conference’s five fall sports. The All-Academic winner had to be a senior with a GPA of at least 3.5.

Here is who made this year’s list:

Football

Conference champion: Highland

Player of the Year: Conor Becker (Northmor)

Coach of the Year: Chad Carpenter (Highland)

All-Academic: Brock Veley (Highland)

“We were very fortunate to have many great kids on our team this year. They had worked extremely hard in the off season to put them in a position for a great football season. I am really proud of them,” Carpenter said. “I also have incredible assistant coaches that go above and beyond just coaching. They become very close and develop relationships with our players that will last a lifetime.”

First-team:

QB: Kadden Lester (East Knox)

RB: Brock Veley (Highland), Conor Becker (Northmor)

WR: Caleb Gallwitz (East Knox), Corbin Hazen (Danville)

SKILL POSITION: Hunter Mariotti (Northmor), Brody Matthews (Highland), Kasson Krownapple (East Knox)

OL: Chase Carpenter (Highland), Brad Wilson (Danville), Hayden Hankinson (Centerburg), Gabe Dickerson (Centerburg), Brandon Planey (Northmor)

DL: Joey Scaffidi (Highland), Dylan Wilson (Danville), Blake Miller (Northmor), D’Marcus Hudson (Northmor)

LB: Tate Tobin (Highland), Dawson David (East Knox), Mason Goers (Cardington), Tony Martinez (Northmor)

DB: Reese Weissenfluh (Highland), Ian Taylor (Highland), Dawson Moreland (East Knox), Ethan Hawk (Danville), Cole Dille (Northmor)

K: Brandon Steckel (Cardington)

Second-team:

QB: Dalton David (Danville)

RB: Jack Weaver (Highland)

WR: Mason Mollohan (Mt Gilead), Gavin Ramos (Northmor), Isaiah Stoneburner (Highland), Alex Holt (Danville)

SKILL POSITION: John Sheasby (Centerburg), Terry Fearn (Fredericktown), Chris Greenawalt (Danville)

OL: Tanner Ruhl (Fredericktown), Deven Speck (Cardington), Nick McAvoy (Cardington), Andrew Waddell (Centerburg), Garrett Campos (Centerburg)

DL: Trey Kendrick (Centerburg), Garrett Casto (Mt Gilead), Chase Lilly (East Knox), Cam Cutrone (Highland), Ian Toller (East Knox), Owen Bump (Fredericktown)

LB: Stephen Schmitt (Centerburg), Weston Melick (East Knox), Trenton Vernon (Danville), Jack Fitzpatrick (Fredericktown)

DB: Jarin Vasquez (Highland), Langdon Johnson (Danville), Logan Randolph (Northmor), Jake Partington (Fredericktown)

K: Ellis Grizenko (Centerburg)

Honorable Mention:

Garison Hankins (Highland), Hunter Brookover (Northmor), Gage Steinmetz (East Knox), Corey Webb (Fredericktown), Reese Dorsey (Danville), Joel Rings (Centerburg), Trey Brininger (Cardington), Tristin Seitz (Mt Gilead)

       

Volleyball

Conference champion: Highland

Player of the Year: Raina Terry (Highland)

Coach of the Year: Shena Beheler (Fredericktown)

All-Academic: Sydney Buckingham (East Knox)

“It’s really been an ongoing line of success,” Highland head coach Rob Terrill said. “Our kids seem to work hard year after year and continue to push the envelope. You’d think that after getting top-ranked in the state for five or six years straight, that you would hit a wall and it would start to wear off at some point, but they continue to push themselves.”

First-team:

Kelsey Boeshart (Fredericktown), Leslie Brubaker (Northmor), Paige Clinger (Cardington), Anna Donner (Northmor), Madison Elliott (Danville), Bridget Oder (Highland), Raina Terry (Highland), Ashley VanHoose (East Knox)

Second-team:

Makenna Belcher (Highland), Lindsey Boeshart (Fredericktown), Aly Blunk (Northmor), Olivia Mast (Fredericktown), Hallie Rine (East Knox), Taylor Scowden (Centerburg), Gena West (Highland), Hannah Wickline (Cardington)

Honorable Mention:

Kyleigh Bonnette (Cardington), Halle’ Moreland (Centerburg), Ally Bower (Danville), Meggan Bartok (East Knox), Raven Clagg (Fredericktown), Ashlynn Belcher (Highland), Macy Miracle (Northmor), Jessica Brewer (Mount Gilead)

    

Golf

Conference champion: East Knox

Player of the Year: Drew Salyers (East Knox)

Coach of the Year: Alan Keesee (East Knox)

All-Academic: Hayes Bentley (Northmor)

“I think obviously you, as a coach, want to have as many of your kids recognized for their efforts that they put in over the course of a season, especially one that was as successful as ours,” Keesee said.

“All of that is well-deserved and it’s always good to see, especially when you win a conference title and advance in the tournament the way we did, to see those guys get those awards. It helps fortify what we’re trying to do with East Knox in having a golf program and trying to make it sustainable, with this kind of success in only our second year.”

First-team:

Drew Salyers (East Knox), Hayes Bentley (Northmor), Mitchell Bell (Mount Gilead), Mallory Graham (Mount Gilead), Ryan Bentley (Northmor), Dalton Hall (Centerburg)

Second Team:

James Kirk (East Knox), Jacob Spires (Cardington), Logan Doubikin (Cardington), Cayman Spires (Cardington), Ethan Hibner (Centerburg), Owen Mott (Highland)

Honorable Mention:

Landon Griffith (Centerburg), Levi Houck (Centerburg), Danny Vaught (Cardington), Nathan Friel (East Knox), Gunner Oakley (Highland), Drew Santo (Highland)

        

Boys Cross Country

Conference champion: Fredericktown

Runner of the Year: Paden Spencer (Fredericktown)

Coach of the Year: Bob Geiger (Fredericktown)

All-Academic: Casey White (Mount Gilead)

“For us, the championship run – the second half of the season – kind of starts at the KMAC, and then league, district, regional, state. So that’s kind of the beginning of what we focus on, we call those the meets that people remember,” Geiger said. “And the league is obviously your backyard, so you want to do well in your own backyard, because most of those league schools we race against week after week after week.”

First-team:

Paden Spencer ( Fredericktown), Mason White (Cardington), Thomas Caputo (Fredericktown), Liam Dennis (Mount Gilead), Connor Riley (Fredericktown),Ethan Supplee (Mount Gilead), Casey White (Mount Gilead), Kyle White (Mount Gilead), Michael Snopik (Mount Gilead), Jack Stalnaker (Fredericktown)

Second-team:

Evan France (Fredericktown), Dalton Lee (Highland), Gavvin Keen (Northmor), Ryan Bentley (Northmor), Nathan Whitney (East Knox), Titus Krabill (Fredericktown), Collin Kipp (Highland), Ethan Dudgeon (Fredericktown), Colton Riel (Fredericktown), Bruce Jordan (Highland)

        

Girls Cross Country

Conference champion: Centerburg

Runner of the Year: Allison Johnson (Mount Gilead)

Coach of the Year: Mike Eblin (Centerburg)

All-Academic: Nichole Groseclose (Fredericktown)

“It means a lot. When you look at some of the coaches that are involved in that conference and the success that all of these coaches in our conference have had, it means a lot to be able to compete against some of these guys – guys that have been going at it for several years, they’ve got a lot of experience,” Eblin said.

“And it’s a very, very competitive conference, as you can see. We (had) four teams going at it at the state meet that made it from our conference. So to come out on top of that is definitely a big accomplishment. We went from last year, it was our last spot in the region to make it out to state, and we were on the bottom part of the conference as well. So making that jump from last year to this year definitely has our program started on the right direction for future success.”

First-team:

Allison Johnson (Mount Gilead), Baylee Hack (Mount Gilead), Dreanna Perry (Centerburg), Avery Tucker (Centerburg), Nichole Groseclose (Fredericktown), Camberly Schade (Highland), Sarah Thatcher (Centerburg), Aeryn Walters (Centerburg), Olivia Millisor (Mount Gilead), Abigail Dickof (Centerburg)

Second-team:

Georgie Caputo (Fredericktown), Kristie Wright (Northmor), Elise Tucker (Centerburg), Macy Thorne (Fredericktown), Emma Linhares (Fredericktown), Sammy Maglott (Fredericktown), Sadie Sanders (Fredericktown), Olivia Goodson (Northmor), Julianna Ditullio (Northmor), Miranda Baker (Fredericktown)

        

Additional conference champions:

Boys Middle School Cross Country: Highland

Girls Middle School Cross Country: Cardington

Middle School Football: Centerburg

Freshman Volleyball Tournament: Highland

7th Grade Volleyball Tournament: Highland

8th Grade Volleyball Tournament: Cardington

The KMAC is in its second year of competition. Those interested in becoming an official for high school or middle school football, volleyball, basketball, wrestling, baseball or softball can email the KMAC at KMACcommissioner@gmail.com, or text their name to 614-989-5070.

There is a partial reimbursement of the officiating dues available for people interested in becoming an official who live in Knox or Morrow County.