The Mount Vernon News sports department's MVN ATHLETE of the WEEK is a weekly feature that spotlights local student-athletes and their schools.
Based on their performances, we will select an ATHLETE of the WEEK and recognize other outstanding athletic accomplishments.
This week's worthy student-athletes come from the hard court, the mats, and the lanes and our Athletes of the Week come from the world of nets and glass – Riley Johnson (Northmor basketball) and Matthew Bland (Mount Gilead basketball).
Female Athlete of the Week
Riley Johnson
In Northmor's buzzer-chilling 49-47 win over Mount Gilead on Jan. 14, Lady Knight Riley Johnson was a game-saver on offense and defense. Johnson scored 20 points and was deadly from downtown, hitting 6-of-8 from 3-point range and was 7-of-9 on all shots. She also played tenacious defense and was credited with five deflections.
Freddie Beachy, Northmor girls basketball coach, said Johnson is a determined leader.
"Riley works very hard on her game," Coach Beachy said. "She has put in a lot of hours working on her shooting over the last three years, and it's paying off in her senior year. Riley has a motor that doesn't stop and she is very coachable. She has heart and determination to make our team good."
Coach Beachy said Johnson is as valuable behind the scenes as she is in competition.
"I can't say enough good things about Riley as a person," he said. "She is a leader on our team and she helps with the underclassmen. Additionally, over the last four years, Riley has helped with our youth program and volunteered to help with anything we needed. In fact, this year, Riley became a licensed basketball referee and along with her sister reffed our youth basketball games. She is a great kid to have on your team."
Honorable mention goes to five basketball players and three bowlers. Northmor's Madison Simpson grabbed 11 rebounds, swatted two blocks, dished six assists, and scored six points against Mount Gilead. On the other side of the ball, Mount Gilead's Madilyn Elson scored 15 points and drained three 3-point shots, hauled down five rebounds, passed five assists, and played stellar defense with 11 deflections and six steals against the Lady Knights.
Danville's Ella Proper led all scorers with 16 points including four 3-pointers – three in the third quarter – to fuel a Blue Devils comeback. She also had three rebounds and an assist in the Jan. 11 Danville win over favored Mount Gilead 43-34, handing the Indians their first KMAC loss.
In Mount Vernon's loss to Wooster on Jan. 12, the Lady Jackets duo of Nevaeh Williams and Kymber Bell had winning games. Williams finished with a double-double of 12 points and 10 boards while dishing out a pair of assists. Bell scored five points and also did well on the glass with 10 rebounds and also grabbed three steals.
In East Knox's bowling victory over Ridgedale on Jan. 9, Hailey Baker rolled a 173, Chloe Stevens bowled a 181, and Olivia Nastasi scored a 163. Nastasi put the finishing touches on the win with a 10th-frame strike.
Male Athlete of the Week
Matthew Bland
The Indians won a nail-biter basketball game between Mount Gilead and Northmor 65-63 on Jan. 13. The game featured a shoot-out between two of the KMAC's finest student-athletes. Mount Gilead's Matthew Bland outdueled Golden Knight Grant Bentley in the win, with Athlete of the Week Bland sinking 35 points.
Bland scored 18 in the second half with 10 points in fourth-quarter crunch time. He hit six of 14 shots from beyond the arc and was 9-for-9 at the line. He grabbed seven rebounds and swiped three steals in the win.
Dan Strasser, Northmor basketball coach, said it was a great game and great performance from a solid player and person.
"Matthew is a great young man," Coach Strasser said. "He is a good-natured kid who is very durable. He has worked extremely hard on his game from a young age and has earned a lot of the crazy shots that he makes."
Honorable mention goes to Bland's shoot-out foe, a teammate, three other hard court players, and four gold-winning wrestlers.
Northmor's Grant Bentley scored 26 points and nailed 19 in the second half, including 13 points and three treys in the crucial fourth quarter, fighting to the end.
Bland's teammate Aaron Gannon added eight points, including the winning basket with 0.7 seconds left.
In Centerville's 67-27 win over Danville, Colton Martin led all scorers with 26 points, including going 8-for-9 from the free-throw line.
In Fredericktown's 45-39 win over East Knox, Ethan Rine made four timely blocks for the Freddies with a steal and block in the first quarter, a block in the second, and two and a steal in the fourth. Teammate Luke Bean sank timely threes – one in the first and three in the fourth – to seal the win.
In wrestling, four local athletes won gold medals. Two Mount Vernon wrestlers won titles at the 2023 Freddie Invite. Josiah Colon won the 120-lb. championship by a fall and fellow Yellow Jacket Mason Mitchell was the 144-lb. winner. Also winning gold was Fredericktown's Mason Hoeflich, who won the 190-lb. title. Cardington-Lincoln's Wyatt Denny won the 165-lb. championship at the Triad Invite.
Coaches and community members: join us in our award process. Send us your choices for MVN ATHLETE of the WEEK, a recap of their prowess in competition, and a photo of them and give them the community recognition they deserve. Encourage your community members and coaches to contact us each week. Send your selections to mike.blake@mountvernonnews.com.
