MANSFIELD, Ohio — Mario Young’s inclusion on the All-Ohio football team in the fall may have come as a surprise, but nobody who follows Mansfield Senior basketball was shocked to see the senior on the list of the state’s elite again this winter.
The Richland Source Player of the Year, Young was selected to the Division I second team earlier this week after earning honorable mention status as a junior. He also was a special mention selection in football in the fall.
“What makes him different from a lot of players is his confidence,” Senior High coach J.T. Reese said during the regular season. “If we were playing the Cavs, he would think he’s the best player on the floor and he would want to win.”
A 6-foot-3 swingman, Young led the Tygers in scoring (19.1), rebounding (8.7), assists (3.7) and steals (4.0) per game. He scored a career-high 48 points in Mansfield Senior’s 84-77 win over Olentangy on Feb. 13.
“I played a lot of games with (Senior High great) Ricky Minard at Morehead State and I played against a lot of guys who went on to play in the NBA,” Mansfield Senior junior varsity coach Marquis Sykes said at the time. “It was, by far, the best individual performance I’ve seen as a coach or a player.”
An Ohio Cardinal Conference and Northwest District first team selection, Young is the headliner on a star-studded All-Richland Source first team. He’s joined by Lexington’s Joey Zahn and Jonah Yaussy, Madison’s Tyrell Ajian and Ontario’s Corey Thomas.
Joey Zahn, Lexington: A 6-foot senior, Zahn averaged 15.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists a game. He led Lexington to an outright Ohio Cardinal Conference championship and a Division II district title. The Minutemen were 24-3 and advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2008. Zahn scored his 1,000th career point in Lexington’s tournament opener against Clyde. He was an All-Ohio second team pick and was selected the OCC Player of the Year.
Jonah Yaussy, Lexington: While Zahn provided the perimeter punch, the 6-foot-5 Yaussy was a force in the paint for the Minutemen. The senior forward averaged 12.8 points and 7.5 rebounds a game. Yaussy was even better during Lexington’s extended tournament run. He scored a career-high 33 points in a district final win over Sandusky and 18 points in a regional semifinal loss to Ottawa-Glandorf. Yaussy was an Ohio Cardinal Conference and District 6 first team pick and a Northwest District third team selection.
Tyrell Ajian, Madison: A blue-chip football recruit, Ajian was a handful on the basketball court as well. The 6-foot-1 junior averaged 17.3 points a game as the Rams advanced to the district tournament. Ajian, who has football offers from Notre Dame and Michigan among others, was an All-Ohio honorable mention selection. He was an Ohio Cardinal Conference and District 6 first team pick and earned a spot on the Northwest District second team.
Corey Thomas, Ontario: A 6-foot-2 senior, Thomas averaged 12.6 points and 7.0 rebounds a game for the Northern Ohio League co-champion Warriors. Thomas joined Ajian as an honorable mention selection on the Division II All-Ohio team. He was a District 6 first team pick and a Northwest District second-teamer.
Second Team: Billy Buckley, Madison (14.0 ppg, 3.0 apg); David Hall, Mansfield Senior (11.3 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 2.3 spg); Jared Jakubick, St. Peter’s (14.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 3.2 apg); Cade Stover, Lexington (13.9 ppg, 9.5 rpg); Houston Blair, Galion (15.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg).
Third Team: Trey Jordan, Ontario; Brandon Mount, Mansfield Christian; Dave Hipp, Shelby; Trevor Durbin, Crestview; Mason Campbell, St. Peter’s.
