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Three of the top players in the County come from Brown City. One Coach of the Year directed the Green Devils and the other Coach of the Year comes directly from the Green Devil program. Throw in some other very talented hoops player from around the County and it makes for another strong group of players this season.

The All-County team this year is headed up by Brown City's Donavan Ogboh. The 6'2" senior, a repeat choice to the honor squad, was a natural forward playing a post position for the Green Devils. A recipient of some Class C All-State honors, Ogboh averaged 17 points and 8.5 rebounds a contest this season, his third on the varsity. He shot 44% from three-point range, 50% inside the arc and 77% from the stripe, and he also had 31 assists.

"He had a great year," lauded BC coach Tony Burton. "He worked on his game a lot in the off-season and developed an inside-outside game. And, he's such a strong individual.... and he's one of those kids that leads by example."

Juniors A. J. Burton and Jack McPhail both boosted their games tremendously this winter, helping deliver an unbeaten GTC East season for Brown City.

Burton, a 6'1" guard, averaged 11.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per contest. But, he also ran the point at times and finished with 73 assists. An outstanding three-point shooter, Burton had 49 triples and shot 43.4% from the floor and 76% from the free throw line.

Coach, and father, Tony Burton commented. "He could handle the ball for us and played wing. He's been around basketball all of his life...so he's been an extension on the floor (of the coach). And, like Donovan, he has a passion for the game."

McPhail, a rangy 6'2" guard/forward, was another Green Devil that roamed from the point, to wing to underneath. His length caused several match-up problems for opponents. McPhail averaged 11.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists a contest, but also led the team in steals with 42. From the three-point line, he connected on 44 shots (37%).

"He's got long arms and gets his hands on a lot a basketballs. He also gave us a little size inside, plus with his arm span, he creates a lot of havoc," said Coach Burton. "Hopefully, he'll grow a little more and put a little more weight on. Basketball is his sport of passion."

If the County News would pick a Defensive Player of the Year, that honor would likely go to Justin Taylor of CPS. The 5'10" senior, was a tenacious, tireless defensive hawk on the ball and in the press. Taylor was more than that, though. He played a forward spot for the Tigers because of the team's overall lack of height and held his own underneath. Taylor averaged 11.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.1 steals and 2.7 assists a contest this winter.

Coach Jeremy Macejewski had nothing but praise for Taylor. "He's a relentless worker. I challenge anyone to try to out-work him. He sets a precedence for our work ethic in practice every day." He added, "He's not the most skilled offensive player, but he creates a lot of offensive opportunities with his offensive rebounding, running the floor, and his hard work."

The Peck Pirates needed a leader on the floor and received just that from Michael Mann. The 6' Pirate senior, a third-year varsity player, was a more natural No. 2 guard or the small forward type, but moved into the point guard for Coach Kohler's squad and handled the duties well. Along with handing out four assists per game, Mann averaged 10.5 points and 5.3 rebounds a contest. He also had a team-high 57 steals.

"He was, by far, our leader on the court. When he was out there, everything was a little more calm," remarked Coach Kohler. "The thing I liked is that he put individual stats aside. He wanted to get everyone else involved. He did a great job of controlling the tempo. Putting his own stats aside is a real testament of the type of kid he is."

Rounding out the All-County First Team is Sandusky's Derek Neumayer. The 6' senior moved into a full-time point guard position for the Redskins this winter and played very well out front guiding the offense and the defense. He not only led the team in assists (3.9 per game) he also led in steals (2.6 per contest). Neumayer was a scorer when he needed to be, averaging 9.3 points and he also collected 5.7 rebounds a contest.

"He did a little of everything for us," pointed out Kurt Long, Sandusky coach on his third-year varsity player. He didn't have great stats but he was a floor leader, offensively and defensively. He was a huge key for our team. Without him, we would've struggled on the offensive end."

In 21 seasons as head coach at Brown City, Tony Burton's teams have brought home 21 league, district or regional trophies. The Green Devil program continued its success this winter with an undefeated GTC East season and a Class C District championship on its way to a 20-2 record.

"You never know how the team will mix. We lost three starters from last year, but the kids mixed well," said Burton on the season.

"There were a few factors. The ball fell our way a few times Ð like games against Sandusky, Ubly... Harbor Beach," cited Burton. He then continued, "A huge addition was when Jim (Seidell, assistant coach) came back. When Garnett (Kohler, now coaching at Peck) stepped away, that left a void. Jim makes a big difference. Between the players and Jim, that's where the credit goes."

Garnett Kohler, the former BC star and assistant coach, was selected as our other choice for Coach of the Year honors. He led the Pirates to an NCTL South title and a Class D District championship.

Kohler points to his years underneath Burton as being a main influence, "He's kinda the reason I decided to become a coach. I'd been around him since I was in first grade. I was a team manager, I was in the gym all the time, I played under him and I coached under him. He's been my mentor."

What makes Burton so successful? "It's just how he gets the most out of kids," explained Kohler. "It's just those coaching instincts he has and his attention to fundamentals and details."

Kohler fashioned his success with the Pirates this season with that background. Peck won its first league title since 1994, its first district championship since 2002 and finished with a school-record 20 victories (20-4).

Burton said there was no doubt in his mind that Kohler would have success as a varsity coach. "I knew he was going to do a good job. He has great knowledge of the game, a tremendous work ethic, and he puts a lot of time in.

"We knew when we had him as a senior," added Burton, "that he could be a good coach. He had an outstanding season, and he'll continue to work hard at it."

Kohler them commented on the 2007-08 campaign at Peck. "It was a fun season. We had a great group of kids to work with. They made it fun for me."

He continued, "To win a league, and then a district in my first year, that's pretty special. It's a testament to the type of kids we have in our program. They are a bunch of hard workers.... and they were a great group to work with."

Second Team

One of the more versatile players in the County this past season was Marlette's Austin Comment. Another one that was a three-year varsity player, the 6' guard forward could be a scorer from inside or out, rebounded well, and was a tough defender on the ball. Comment led the Raiders in scoring with 10.1 a game and posted other solid numbers as well. Primarily a No. 2 guard, he added 5.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, plus, 2.6 steals per game. He also had a team-high 12 blocks and shot 42.1% from the floor.

"He was involved in every aspect of the game for us," said Chris Storm, Marlette coach. "Offensively, we looked for him to penetrate and score. Along with having great vision for passing, he was at the core of our defense. He led us in deflections, too. He always seemed to be able to get his hands on the ball."

Peck's Zac Overstreet came on in the second half of the season to become the team's top scorer and rebounder. The 6'4" junior forward will be a major factor in the Pirates' success next year after averaging 11.5 points and 7.6 rebounds a game this campaign. He shot 51% from two-point range.

Coach Kohler commented: "He was one we really looked to for points every night. He was our best shooter. But, what I liked the most was his consistent rebounding. In the last 14-15 games, he had, at least, eight a game. He did a good job defensively all year and he also hit some big shots."

Sandusky's Matt Grabitz became an intimidating force in the middle for the Redskins this year. The 6'5" senior plugged up the middle with his shot-altering reach and gave the team a good inside scoring presence. Grabitz was the top rebounder in the county, averaging 9.1 a game and also added 8.7 points a contest. For the season, he also blocked 45 shots.

Coach Long commented, " I really think that Matt improved a lot from last year to this year. He opened our offense up from the inside out with his scoring ability. I thought he came on and improved throughout the whole year."

On a team noted for its defense play, Cameron Barrett of Cros-Lex was a part of that. The junior guard/forward also provided a punch on an offense that struggled often. The 6'1" Barrett was named the team's MVP, averaging 8.2 points, five rebounds and 2.1 assists.

Coach Don Roberts lauded Barrett, "He has excellent basketball skills and became stronger as the season progressed. He has a good combination of driving to the basket and shooting from the perimeter. He's just, generally, a good, all-around player. He's a good team player and very coachable."

Junior Billy Burns combined his offensive style with a hard-working defensive approach for the Peck Pirates this season. The 6' guard/forward could shoot the three but he also was able to drive to the basket and get to the line. Burns, who shot 45% from the floor, averaged nine points a contest. He also finished with 88 rebounds and 38 assists.

"He had to step into a different role than he played in the past," noted Coach Kohler. "He became a guy that defensively would take on one of the top perimeter players on the opposing team. He would match-up one-on-one on the outside. Offensively, he penetrated real well and he actually was our best leaper."

Ever since a career-high 29-point game a year ago, Deckerville's Sean Hornby was a marked man by opposing defenses. The 6'4" senior had a good scoring touch inside and was a factor on defense with his long reach. Hornby, who was rotating in and out of the line-up often this season, still averaged 9.0 points and 6.7 rebounds. He shot 41% from the floor and added 24 steals.

Coach Steve Keinath said teams did key on Hornby and did limit his output. "But, I still thought he did a pretty decent job for us."