Derrick Webb, Staff Writer
CHILLICOTHE — Braiden Collins continues to leave her fingerprints all over Huntington’s history books.
After leading the Huntsmen to a 16-6 overall record this season and a second place finish within the Scioto Valley Conference, Collins has been named the SVC Player of the Year — becoming the fifth player to earn that title in her program’s history and the first do so since the 2007-2008 season.
Collins was, as usual, electric all year long. She ended the regular season averaging a league-high 24 points alongside 6.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 6.1 steals per game.
After leading Unioto’s girls to their second consecutive league title and the program’s sixth Gold Ball with a 14-0 record in SVC play, the Shermans’ Jeff Miller was named the SVC Coach of the Year. The honor marks Miller’s second career Coach of the Year honor and first since 2013-2014.
Joining Collins with first-team all-conference honors were Unioto’s Jocie Fisher, Huntington’s Allison Basye, Piketon’s Gracie Lightle and Westfall’s Mahaley Farmer.
Fisher was Collins’ main competition when it came to Player of the Year rights after posting averages of 16.4 points and nine rebounds per game. Basye, a prodigy in the making, ended her freshman year averaging 16.5 points per night — second in the league, behind Collins.
Lightle led Piketon to a 12-11 record while scoring just south of 14 points per evening while Farmer played a key role in Westfall finishing 13-9 overall with averages of 10.1 points and 8.5 rebounds.
Unioto junior Emily Coleman, Southeastern sophomore Macie Graves, Adena junior Hannah Stark, Paint Valley senior Lea McFadden and Westfall junior Marcy Dudgeon make up the five second-team all-SVC selections.
Earning third-team all-league honors were Piketon’s Ally Crothers, Unioto’s Amber Cottrill, Southeastern’s Cidney Huff, Paint Valley’s Kelsey Dunn and Piketon’s Brianna Odel.
Honorable mention selections were as follows: Adena’s Jadyn Smith and Abby French, Huntington’s Riley Black and Katie Hirsch, Paint Valley’s Olivia Smith and Abbi Stanforth, Piketon’s Ally Ritchie and Lizzy Gragg, Southeastern’s Lyndsey Skeens and Sierra Mitten, Unioto’s Cree Stulley and Hallie Pinkerton, Westfall’s Marissa Mullins and Kylee Henry, and Zane Trace’s Lauren Lane and Alexis Guffey.