MANSFIELD — You could put together a pretty good football team with the first team members of the All-Richland Source boys basketball squad.
Player of the Year Cameron Mack of Ontario is headed to Malone University to play receiver, while forward Tristan Kehres of Shelby will be a linebacker at Ohio Dominican. Junior forward Tyrell Edmiston of Plymouth was an all-Northwest district wideout last fall and forward Jalen Reese of Mansfield Senior was an All-Ohio second team quarterback in Division II after leading the Tygers to an unbeaten regular season and an appearance in the second round of the playoffs. He will graduate as Senior High’s career, single-season and single-game passing record holder. That leaves guard Ridge Winand of Clear Fork, who was a talented receiver early in his high school career but focused on basketball and baseball his final two years. The decision paid off as Winand will be a preferred walk-on for Ohio State’s baseball program next year.
Make no mistake, though; the quintet was every bit as talented on the basketball court as they were on the football field. The Richland Source’s starting five combined to score 80.5 points a game.
Cameron Mack, Ontario: The Warriors won a Division II poll championship and Mack was the straw that stirred the drink. The 6-foot-2 senior, who was an All-Ohio second team pick in football last fall, averaged 17.4 points and 6.8 rebounds a game, leading Ontario to a share of the Northern Ohio League crown. The Warriors split the NOL title with Norwalk, which will play for a Division II state title Saturday. Ontario snapped Norwalk’s 57-game regular season winning streak in late January with a 63-61 win. All Mack did was score 20 points and partially block a potential game-tying shot by Norwalk’s Ben Haraway in the closing seconds. The Truckers would hand Ontario its only regular season loss int he season finale. The Warriors finished the year 21-2.
Mack was District 6 first team selection and a Northwest District second team pick in Division II. He was an All-Ohio honorable mention selection.
Tyrell Edmiston, Plymouth: There may not be a more dynamic athlete in all of Richland County. A 6-foot-4 junior, Edmiston averaged 16.9 points, 12.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game. He scored his 1,000th career point in grand fashion — a powerful two-handed dunk after an offensive rebound in the first quarter of a 74-55 win over Seneca East in early February. Teammate and classmate Tyson Beebe would score his 1,000th career point moments later. Edmiston and Beebe led Plymouth to a Firelands Conference title and a district championship. Plymouth was 22-3 on the season.
Edmiston was a District 6 and Northwest District first team selection in Division IV and an All-Ohio third team pick.
Tristan Kehres, Shelby: A rugged 6-foot-1 power forward, Kehres was Shelby’s lone returning letterman and he didn’t disappoint. He gave Shelby fans reason to celebrate in the first game in the new high school gym, banking in a foul line jumper with 2.6 seconds remaining to lift the Whippets to a 62-61 win over Richland County rival Shelby in the season opener. He scored 27 points that night, 13 in the fourth quarter.
For the season, Kehres averaged a double-double, scoring 16.7 points and grabbing 10.3 rebounds a game. He was a a second team pick in District 6 and the Northwest District and was an All-Ohio honorable mention selection, helping the inexperienced Whippets to an 8-14 record.
Ridge Winand, Clear Fork: The 6-foot-1 senior was Richland County’s scoring champ, averaging 23 points a game. He nearly led the Colts to their first ever win over Mansfield Senior, scoring the game-tying bucket with 30 seconds remaining in Senior High’s 51-49 victory. He became Clear Fork’s fourth 1,000-point scorer in a win over Lucas in early January and helped lead the Colts to a 10-12 record.
Like Mack and Kehres, Winand was a District 6 first team pick and a Northwest District second team selection in Division II. He joined Mack and Kehres on the All-Ohio honorable mention list.
Jalen Reese, Mansfield Senior: The Tygers had a drama-filled season, but the 6-foot-3 senior forward was a steadying influence. He came off the bench early in the year but was inserted into the starting lineup when Robert Jones was lost for the season. He averaged 6.9 points and 4.6 rebounds a night for the Tygers, who had their Ohio Cardinal Conference title taken away for the use of an ineligible player. Senior High came together in the postseason, reeling off four consecutive wins and capturing a district title for the first time since 2006. The Tygers advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2005 before falling to Division I heavyweight and nationally-ranked Lakewood St. Edward in the regional championship game.
Reese was an Ohio Cardinal Conference and District 6 second team pick and a Northwest District special mention selection.
Honorable mention: Naradain James, Mansfield Senior; Mario Davison, Mansfield Senior; DeJorr Gibson, Mansfield Senior; Chek Washington, Mansfield Senior; Tyrell Ajian, Madison; Coy VanTilburg, Madison; Bryce Luckie, Madison; Billy Buckley, Madison; Matt Barkett, Lexington; Joey Zahn, Lexington; Zach Temple, Lexington; Jonah Yaussy, Lexington; Kadin Chrastina, Clear Fork; Brandon Wagner, Ontario; Tyler Boatwright, Ontario; Lenell Shelby, Ontario; Tyson Beebe, Plymouth; Hunter Bailey, Plymouth; Dodge Collins, Plymouth; Bryan Hissong, Crestview; Brandon Mount, Mansfield Christian; Caleb Young, Mansfield Christian; Stevie Brown, Mansfield Christian; Joe Rall, St. Peter’s; Adam Blunk, St. Peter’s; Thomas Schell, Lucas; Jakob Gerich, Lucas; Austin Wagner, Lucas; Josh Grover, Temple Christian, Emonde Adkins, Temple Christian.
Follow Curt Conrad on Twitter @curtjconrad.
