Dunlap, Rowan head up local picks for boys' all-region

DRY RIDGE – Six local players have earned post-season honors from the Eighth Region coaches making the all-region basketball team. Each of the three local high schools placed two players on the team. South Oldham put senior Aaron Carrithers and junior Drew Kraemer on the team, North Oldham was represented by Mike Rowan and Alex Foley and Oldham County by repeat picks Billie Payne and Eric Dunlap. Anderson County junior C.J. Penny, the preseason pick as the top player, was selected as the Player of the Year and Anderson coach Glen Drury as the Coach of the Year. Penny edged out Gallatin County senior Trent Maddox and Shelby County senior Coty Minnis for top player honors. Carrithers and Kraemer led SOHS to a 18-14 record this year and the regional tournament semifinals after the Dragons were picked as low as ninth in the region. Like their team, neither player was picked in the top 10 preseason picks but both had solid seasons. The 6-foot-3 Carrithers led the Dragons in scoring at 15 points a game and in rebounding at seven a game. He also hit more than 40 percent of his three-pointers after coming back from off-season knee surgery. Kraemer who helped keep the SOHS three-point shooting attack open with his slashing style, averaged 14 points a game. “No one picked either of them in the preseason, so this really shows what a great season they both had,” SOHS coach Steve Simpson said. “Aaron was an absolute gladiator on the boards this year. If Aaron didn’t rebound the way he did, we don’t win nearly as many games as we did this year. "We thought coming in Drew would have the kind of year he had. He has and had such good off season work habits and was playing all the time that we anticipated this.” Payne and Dunlap were the leaders of an OCHS team that struggled with a 10-15 record after many picked them to repeat as regional champions. The 5-foot-11 Dunlap, a junior, averaged 13 points a game this year to go with four assists. He is in line to become the first OCHS player to make the team three years in a row after making it as a sophomore last year.“When Eric is going forward, going to the basket with the ball there may not be a better guard in our region,” OCHS coach Gary Forrest said. Payne, a 6-foot-2 senior forward, averaged nine points and eight rebounds a game this year for the Colonels. Rowan, a 6-foot-3 senior was a key contributor inside and out for NOHS this year and was the district tourney’s MVP leading the Mustangs to the title and the regional semifinals with a 20-9 record. Slated to play more outside this season, he was forced inside after injuries to the NOHS big men and averaged 15 points and eight rebounds a game. “I think when he didn’t make the team last year it may have been the best thing for our team,” NOHS coach Danny Edelen said. “He spent his whole off season with kind of a chip on his shoulder. He set a lot of team goals, but some of them were individual goals and making this was definitely one of them. He sacrificed a lot this year, not just by going inside, but by accepting our depth which was such a great part of our success. ON a lot of other teams he could have scored over 20 points every game.” Foley, a 5-foot-10 sophomore, emerged as a top guard in the region this year with his three-point shooting and penchant for hitting big shots when NOHS needed it. He hit the game-winner in overtime for the Mustangs in their regular season win over OCHS. “For the other teams it may have been a surprise and he started off kind of slow after golf,” Edelen said. “He took advantage of the opportunities. He started playing well in the Christmas tournament in Florida and in the second half of the season he just continued to get better. He’s going to be a special player. He just has it, he thrives on big game situations.”Coaches All Eighth RegionPlayer of the YearC.J. Penny - Anderson CoTrent Maddox - Gallatin Co Coty Minnis - Shelby Co Eric Dunlap - Oldham Co Michael Rowan - North Oldham Billie Payne - Oldham Co Jacob Russell - Anderson Co Craig Edwards - Spencer Co.Drew Kraemer - South Oldham Brandon Maegley - Simon Kenton Aaron Carrithers - South Oldham Colin Gamble - Owen Co Taylor Jones - Gallatin Co Lucas Sharp - Grant Co Alex Foley - North Oldham Coach of the YearGlenn Drury – Anderson County

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