Players and coaches were recognized for their outstanding achievements throughout the recent high school basketball season during the 15th Region Coaches Association’s 2020-21 basketball banquet at the Appalachian Wireless Arena on Wednesday morning.
Guest speakers were legendary and former Paintsville head coach Bill “Mike” Runyon and current Pikeville High School principal Jason Booher.
Runyon led the Tigers to the 1996 Sweet 16 championship and his team’s reach the final four on four different occasions. He finished with 581 wins, which included 14 district titles and eight regional championships.
Booher coached Shelby Valley’s boys to the 2009 and 2010 All “A” championship and became the first team in state history to win both the All “A” crown and Sweet 16 titles in the same season (2010).
Both encouraged players to give the game their all, praised coaches for their outstanding leadership and said the region currently has the youngest talent of any statewide.
Johnson Central’s Isaiah May was honored as the 15th Region boys’ Player of the Year while the girls honor was bestowed upon Floyd Central’s Katie Jo Moore.
Paintsville’s Landon Slone and Pikeville’s Kristy Orem were named Coaches of the Year after leading their respective schools to the Sweet 16. It was Orem’s third straight trip.
Here is a look at those honored:
Girls All Region Team
Coach of the Year: Kristy Orem (Pikeville)
Player of the Year: Katie Jo Moore (Floyd Central)
Cushi Fletcher, Kyera Thornsbury, Belfry; Madie Meade, Kim Akers, Betsy Layne; Jerrica Thacker, Kristin Thacker, Jenkins; Sammi Sites, Kelci Blair, Johnson Central; Kensley Feltner, Lawrence County;
Laken Williams, Martin County; Emilea Preece, Paintsville; Kenzie Maynard, Trinity Rowe, Pikeville; Alyssa Elswick and Cassidy Rowe, Shelby Valley.
Boys All Region Team
Coach of the Year: Landon Slone (Paintsville)
Player of the Year: Isaiah May (Johnson Central)
Sal Dean, Bol Kuir, Belfry; Jordan Frazier, Brady Robinson, Betsy Layne; Isaac Woods, East Ridge; Cory VanHoose, Johnson Central; Trenton Adkins, Cody Maynard, Lawrence County; Aiden Barnett, Magoffin County;
Brady Dingess, Martin County; Colby Fugate, Braxton Tharp, Paintsville; Rylee Samons, Pikeville; Keian Worrix and Kaden Robinson, Shelby Valley.