MADISON TOWNSHIP — A summer spent in the gym and weight room served Jayden Jeffries well.
The North Central Ohio Player of the Year, Jeffries emerged as one of the most productive players in the area during his senior season. He averaged 23.2 points and 7.6 rebounds a game for the Rams (11-12).
“He spent a lot of time in the weight room and got a lot stronger,” Madison coach Chris Armstrong said of Jeffries early in the season. “He’s always been a gym rat and his game has really developed.”
Jeffries, who averaged 18.5 points a game as a junior, shared the District 6 Division I Player of the Year award with Tiffin Columbian’s Logan Beaston. He was a Northwest District first-team pick and an All-Ohio second-teamer.
Jeffries is one of 10 All-Ohio honorees on the north central Ohio first team. Here’s a look at the others.
Grayson Steury, Ashland: A senior and recent Wittenberg commit, Steury is second on Ashland’s career scoring list with 1,399 points. The sharpshooter averaged 21.4 points a game for the Arrows and scored a career-high 38 points in a 71-60 win over Clyde in December. Steury averaged five rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.5 steals a game. He was a District 6 first-team pick, a Northwest District second-teamer and an All-Ohio special mention selection in Division I.
Alex Bruskotter, Shelby: The Whippets won their fourth straight Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference crown thanks in part to Bruskotter. The 6-foot-7 junior swingman averaged a MOAC-high 22 points a game while grabbing nine rebounds a night. Bruskotter ranked among MOAC leaders in assists (4.9) and steals (1.8) and was the conference’s most accurate free throw shooter, connecting on 102-of-120 freebies during the regular season (85%). Bruskotter was an All-Ohio second-team pick in Division II and the District 6 Player of the Year.
Baden Forup, Lexington: A rugged 6-foot-7 senior forward, Forup helped the Minutemen win a share of the Ohio Cardinal Conference crown and reach the district championship game. He averaged 15 points and nine rebounds a game, earning a spot on the District 6 first team and the Northwest District first team and was an All-Ohio third-teamer in Division II.
Kyevi Roane, Mansfield Senior: Only a sophomore, Roane emerged as one of the area’s top young players as the Tygers reached the district semifinals. He averaged team-highs of 13.7 points and 7.6 rebounds a game during the regular season. The 6-foot-1 swingman was a District 6 first-team selection and a Northwest District third-teamer. He was an All-Ohio honorable-mention pick in Division II.
Justice Thompson, Crestview: The Cougars set a program record with 21 wins and captured just the third Firelands Conference championship in program history — and first since 2000. Thompson, a 6-foot-3 sophomore, averaged a team-high 15.6 points a game. He was a District 6 and Northwest District first-teamer and an All-Ohio third-team selection in Division III.
Kaid Carpenter, Fredericktown: A 6-foot-5 senior forward, Carpenter helped the Freddies win an outright Knox Morrow Athletic Conference championship. He averaged 13.9 points, 6 rebounds and 2.9 assists a game as the Freddies reached the Division III district semifinals. Carpenter was an All-Ohio honorable mention selection.
Logan Toms, Lucas: A junior, Toms spearheaded the Cubs’ run to a fifth straight Mid-Buckeye Conference crown. The 6-foot-2 forward averaged 16 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists a game. Toms was a District 6 first-team pick and shared the Division IV Northwest District Player of the Year award with Vanlue’s Jerome Kloepper and Antwerp’s Landon Brewer. Toms was a third-team All-Ohioan.
Braxton Baker, Colonel Crawford: Baker helped the Eagles reach the regional tournament for the second year in a row and third time in the past four seasons. The 6-foot-4 senior led the Northern 10 Athletic Conference in scoring at 19.4 points a game. Baker was a District 6 first-team selection in Division IV and a Northwest District first-teamer. He was a third-team All-Ohio pick.
Amarr Davis Mansfield Christian: A junior and one of the top point guards in the area, Davis joined Mansfield Christian’s 1,000-point club midway through the regular season. He averaged 21.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists a game and was selected to the District 6 first team in Division IV. Davis was a Northwest District second-teamer and an All-Ohio special-mention selection.
