By JIM WALKER

Tribune Sports Editor

 

It turns out that “8” was enough.

Eight area players were named to the Associated Press All-Ohio basketball teams in Divisions III and IV on Tuesday.

Chesapeake Panthers’ 6-foot-5 senior forward Austin McMaster – who has signed with Rio Grande — was named to the Division III second team.

McMaster averaged 19.2 points a game along with 9.1 rebounds while shooting 51 percent from the field.

Ironton Fighting Tigers’ 5-8 junior guard Zac Carter was selected to the third team. Carter averaged 22.2 points, 4.2 assists and 2.4 steals while shooting 45 percent from the field and 85 percent from the foul line.

Selected to the Special Mention list was Ironton’s 6-6 junior Trey Fletcher who averaged 19.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 55 percent from the field.

Named to the Honorable Mention list were Chesapeake seniors Eric Kennedy and Patrick Hintz and South Point Pointers’ sophomore Brandon Barnes.

The 6-4 Kennedy averaged 15.0 points and 7.4 rebounds while hitting 84 percent from the line. Hintz – a 5-9 defensive specialist — averaged 12.2 points, 3.1 assists and shot 49.7 from the field and 80 percent from the line.

In Div. IV, St. Joseph’s 6-4 junior sharp-shooter Justin Mahlmeister was named Special Mention.

Mahlmeister led the Flyers with a 21.0 scoring averaged and 7.0 rebounds per game. He shots 42 percent from the field including 40 percent from the 3-point range and hit 72 percent of his free throws.

Green Bobcats’ 6-1 senior Cody Bruce was picked as a member of the Honorable Mention list. Bruce averaged 16.4 points a game.

Portsmouth’s Dion McKinley — who has helped the Trojans reached the state tournament for the second straight year — was one of three players selected as the Div. III Player of the Year.

McKinley and McMaster shared the Southeast district honor. Portsmouth Gene Collins was also one of the Div. III Coaches of the Year.