Girls basketball: Keystone's Rocky Houston picks up another accolade ... Division III Coach of the Year

The Keystone Wildcats capped a record-breaking season by winning more games than any team in Lorain County history. Now they might be closing in on the record for most postseason awards, as well. Wildcats coach Rocky Houston picked up another coach of year honor Monday when the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association announced its Division III and IV All-Ohio teams. Keystone junior Brooklyn Barber was a second-team selection while seniors Helayna Houston and Jessica Forthofer earned honorable mentions. "Honestly, it's overwhelming. I didn't know they had so many coach of the year awards," said Houston, who in his fifth year guided the Wildcats to a 28-1 record and the first regional championship in school history. "Really it's all the team," Houston said. "It's not like all of a sudden I created some new stuff this year or found some new magic to help the girls be successful, it's all the girls. It's the right girls at the right time. They had the 'It' factor. I give all of the credit to them." Barber led the Wildcats in scoring, averaging 12.5 points, while adding 3.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game. A knee injury suffered in the regional final win over Chippewa limited her to 25 seconds off the bench late in Keystone's state semifinal loss to Columbus Africentric. "I was honestly a little surprised, I had no idea the awards were coming out," Barber said. "I'm super grateful for this. I truly think any of my teammates could have gotten the award." Helayna Houston and Forthofer will graduate from Keystone with the single-game, single-season and career records in assists and rebounds, respectively. "I couldn't be more excited to have three girls selected to the All-Ohio team," Rocky Houston said. "I really would have loved to see Viv and Mady (Vivian Cassel and Madyson Sokolowski) be selected as well. I would trade my award to be able to give those two an award." After winning eight and seven games in Houston's first two seasons, the Wildcats turned the corner in 2022, claiming their first of three consecutive Lorain County League titles. They then won 20 games in 2023. "I'm sure if you would have asked me back then I wouldn't have thought winning 28 games, being undefeated and heading to the Final Four would have been a reality but I knew the talent we had in the youth program so I knew we would turn it around and one day compete for conference championships," Houston said. "But to do what this team has done has been just remarkable." Africentric's Kamryn Grant, who scored 22 points in the state semifinal win over the Wildcats, was named the Division III Player of the Year. Keystone wasn't the only local school to have players pick up All-Ohio honors. Columbia's Elise Champagne and Wellington's Brooke Lehmkuhl were special mention and Black River's Riley Kibitz was honorable mention in Division III. Champagne, a four-time All-Ohio selection, averaged 14.5 points for the Raiders, who won 19 games. She was also named the MVP in the LCL. Lehmkuhl, one of only three players in Lorain County to average a double-double this season, scored 11.6 points a game. Kubitz, a senior, averaged 21.1 points a game. Open Door's Lily Pierre, Oberlin's Clara McCown and First Baptist's Kate Burman were honorable mention in Division IV. Pierre and McCown, both juniors, averaged 10.2 and 10 points per game, while Burman averaged 13 points to earn honorable mention for the second year in a row. The Division I and II teams will be announced today at noon with the boys teams to follow Wednesday and Thursday. Contact Todd Shapiro at (440) 329-7125 or ctsports@chroniclet.com. Division III Player of the Year: Kamryn Grant, Columbus AfricentricCoach of the Year: Rocky Houston, Keystone First Team: Maddie Moody, Kettering Alter, 6-0, jr., 17.4; Megan Zimmerman, Cincinnati Country Day, 5-8, sr., 19.6; Kamryn Grant, Columbus Africentric, 5-11, sr., 17.0; Olivia Skillings, Mechanicsburg, 5-8, sr., 15.0; Sienna Allen, Portsmouth, 6-0, So., 15.8; Payton Johnson, Peebles, 5-7, Sr., 22.9; Lyv Lindeman, Delphos Jefferson, 5-7, sr., 24.2; Katie Kaufman, Ottawa-Glandorf, 6-0, sr., 13.1; Lauren Miller, Belmont Union Local, 5-8, sr., 19.0; Chelsea Johnson, Warrensville Heights, 5-9, sr., 11.5; Alyssa Geiser, Apple Creek Waynedale, 5-7, sr., 13.1. Second Team: Maggie Stephenson, Waynesville, 5-7, so., 11.6; Maliyah Lofton, Canal Winchester Harvest Prep, 5-6, so., 17.0; Natiah Nelson, Columbus Africentric, 5-10, sr., 13.0; Emma Sayre, Portsmouth West, 5-2, Sr., 16.1; Emerson Gray, Liberty Center, 5-7, sr., 16.0; Leah Bourquin, Zoarville Tuscarawas Valley, 5-8, jr., 8.9; Emmie Duskey, Beverly Fort Frye, 5-4, jr., 14.2; Brooklyn Barber, Keystone, 5-9, jr., 13.3; Caitlin Titler, Wooster Triway, 5-8, sr., 18.4; Addison Rhodes, Columbiana Crestview, 5-11, soph., 20.4. Third Team: Katie Berrey, Waynesville, 5-7, so., 11.7; Sierra Brinson, New Lebanon Dixie, 5-11, sr., 19.5; Jenna Brumbaugh, West Milton Milton-Union, 5-6, jr., 16.9; Elizabeth Zimmerman, Cincinnati Country Day, 5-8, sr., 14.9; Daysha Reid, Portsmouth, 5-7, Jr., 14.7; Grace Walton, Upper Sandusky, 5-2, jr., 14.3; Kelly Crites, Sherwood Fairview, 5-11, jr., 19.0; Elizabeth Dunmire, Villa Angela-St. Joseph, 6-0, so., 19.5; Naomi Keib, Smithville, 6-0, sr., 14.2; Aira Regan, Doylestown Chippewa, 5-8, soph., 12.4. Area Special Mention: Brooke Lehmkuhl, Wellington, 6-0, jr., 11.6; Elise Champagne, Columbia, 5-7, sr., 14.5. Area Honorable Mention: Riley Kubitz, Black River, 5-7, sr., 21.1; Helayana Houston, Keystone, 5-6, sr., 6.5; Jessica Forthofer, Keystone, 5-10, sr. 7.7. Division IV Player of the Year: Corri Vermilya, Loudonville Coach of the Year: Rob Smith, Newark Catholic First Team: Avery Brandewie, Fort Loramie, 5-10, jr., 10.5; Taylee Woodbury, Union City Mississinawa Valley, 5-4, jr., 15.0; Voni Bethel, Lancaster Fisher Catholic, 5-8, sr., 16.9; Kylie Gibson, Newark Catholic, 5-7, sr., 15.0; Kendall Sury, Waterford, 5-10, Jr., 13.0; Kendall Braden, Toledo Christian, 5-8, sr., 29.8; Cali Gregory, Convoy Crestview, 5-10, sr., 19.4; Ashley Mullet, Berlin Hiland, 5-8, sr., 21.0; Honor Hall, Richmond Heights, 5-9, so., 18.1; Corri Vermilya, Loudonville, 5-9, sr. 27.8. Second Team: Ellie Bruce, Lancaster Fisher Catholic, 6-2, sr., 16.6; Avery Wagner, Waterford, 6-4, Jr., 13.8; Gracie Ashley, Portsmouth Notre Dame, 5-11, Sr., 16.2; Avae Unrast, Maria Stein Marion Local, 5-6, jr., 13.4; Elly Evarts, Gibsonburg, 5-8, fr., 21.9; Kelsey Harlan, Hannibal River, 5-6, sr., 20.0; Alyssa Cevera, Ashtabula Saint John, 5-6, sr., 18.5; Nisey Darden, Richmond Heights, 5-10, 13.2, sr.; Ashley Shroades, Salineville Southern, 5-4, sr., 25.3; Katie Grexa, Kinsman Badger, 5-11, sr., 17.0. Third Team: Maggie Anderson, Covington, 6-0, jr., 13.6; Bella Black, New Madison Tri-Village, 5-10, sr., 12.9; Victoria Mescher, Fort Loramie, 6-0, jr., 10.5; Roni Poling, Russia, 6-0, sr., 13.0; Ella Proper, Danville, 5-6, sr., 14.3; Grace Lamoreaux, Greenwich South Central, 5-8, sr., 11.2; Lauryn Auchmuty, Columbus Grove, 5-7, jr., 20.4; Maria Maringer, Lakeside Danbury, 5-9, sr., 15.7; Riley Thomas, Strasburg-Franklin, 5-11, jr., 18.4; Joplin Yoder, Berlin Hiland, 6-0, jr., 13.0; Jameka Brungard, New Middletown Springfield, 6-1, jr., 15.3. Area Honorable Mention: Lily Pierre, Open Door, 5-11, jr., 10.2; Kate Burman, First Baptist, 5-4, so., 13.0; Clara McCown, Oberlin, 5-9, jr., 10.0.