Ahrens, Barhorst earn top D-III All-Ohio honors

Versailles High School senior Justin Ahrens has been named the boys high school basketball Division III player of the year and Anna’s Nate Barhorst the D-III coach of the year.

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Their selections, along with other D-III and D-IV All-Ohio boys basketball teams, were announced on Monday by the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association.

An outstanding offensive presence, the 6-foot-6 Ahrens surpassed 2,000 career points this season and holds most significant Tigers single-season and career records. He set a single-game Versailles record of 46 points as a senior and a single-game record of 10 three-pointers.

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Ahrens also set an all-time Midwest Athletic Conference record for more career points. He has signed to play basketball at Ohio State University. His brother, A.J. Ahrens, plays basketball at Big Ten rival Michigan State.

Justin Ahrens averaged 25.3 points as a senior. Versailles (21-5) lost to Cincinnati Madeira in a district final.

Barhorst is an Anna graduate and completed his seventh season guiding the Rockets. Anna was 21-5 overall and shared a Shelby County League tri-championship with Fort Loramie and Russia.

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Joining Ahrens on the D-III first team was Bethel senior Ryan Rose (22.3 points).

Area first-team D-IV players were Fort Loramie senior Dillon Braun (16.5 points) and Franklin Monroe junior Ethan Conley (22.6). Hadley LeVan (25.3) of Triad was second team and Tyler Mescher (16.4) of Marion Local third team.

Senior Michael Bothwell (24.6) of Willoughby Cornerstone Christian was the D-IV player of the year and Rittman’s Chad Bever the D-IV coach of the year.

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The Divisions I and II teams were scheduled to be announced on Tuesday. The Ohio Mr. Basketball will be released on Wednesday.

Players are chosen based on coaches’ nominations that are forwarded to district media panels.

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