This is the winter of the Pirate. Over the weekend Bluffton's wrestling coach, Jeff Kleman, was voted NWC wrestling coach of the year and Deandre Nassar was named NWC wrestler of the year. Click here for the wrestling story.

Bluffton senior guard Alivia Koenig was selected as the 2018-19 NWC Player of the Year in voting by Northwest Conference girls' basketball coaches. 

Koenig edged out teammate Averey Rumer, Rylee Sybert (Columbus Grove) and Lexi Gregory (Crestview) in a close vote. 

Koenig averaged 13 points and 3 assists per game in leading the Pirates to a 17-5 regular season record.  Entering tournament play, Koening had amassed a career total of 1,303 points and was a second-team all-NW Ohio selection as a junior.

Joining Koenig, Rumer, Sybert and Gregory on the NWC First Team were sophomore Emma Leis (Columbus Grove) and freshman Makenzie King (Columbus Grove). 

Bluffton's Katie Prater was named honorable mention.

Koenig was named a first team selection all four years of her career while Rumer and Gregory were repeat selections.

Eric Garmatter, who led Bluffton (7-1) to a co-championship with Columbus Grove for the NWC girls basketball title  was selected as the NWC Coach of the Year.