By Cort Reynolds
Two Bluffton girls received All-Northwest Conference girls basketball second team honors from league coaches in voting conducted at their annual selection meeting last Monday night.

Senior post Libby Schaadt and junior guard Laykin Garmatter were both voted second team All-NWC. Schaadt led the team in scoring and rebounds. Garmatter topped Bluffton in three-point goals and was the top vote-getter on the five-player second team.

Scrappy Pirate senior guard Kayla White also was voted honorable mention all-league.

The Lady Pirates finished the regular season 14-8 overall and 5-3 in the NWC, good for a third-place tie. 

Paulding senior Chelsi Giesige was selected the 2019-20 NWC Player of the Year in voting by the league coaches. Giesige averaged 16.8 points, three steals and three assists per game in leading the Panthers to an 18-4 regular season record. Paulding ended up tied for third place in the NWC at 5-3.

Joining Giesige on the seven-player All-NWC first team were junior Emma Leis (Spencerville), senior Alexis Gregory (Crestview), sophomore Makenzie King (Columbus Grove), senior post Tori Newland (Allen East), senior Angel Schneider (Columbus Grove) and senior Nelaya Burden (Spencerville).  

Gregory is a three-time first team selection, while Leis and King are two-time first team members.

Brian Schroeder, who guided Columbus Grove (18-3) to their fifth straight championship with an 8-0 league record, was selected  the NWC Coach of the Year by his peers.

Spencerville finished second in the nine-team NWC race with a 6-2 record. Bluffton, Crestview and Paulding all tied for third at 5-3. Delphos Jefferson came in sixth (4-4), followed by Lincolnview (2-6), AE (1-7) and Ada (0-8).

FIRST TEAM ALL-NWC
Chelsie Giesige - Paulding - 12
Emma Leis - Spencerville - 11
Alexis Gregory -  Crestview - 12
Kenzie King - Columbus Grove - 10
Tori Newland - Allen East - 12
Angel Schneider - Columbus Grove - 12
Nelaya Burden - Spencerville -  12

SECOND TEAM
Laykin Garmatter Bluffton - 11
Alycia Lindeman Delphos Jefferson -10
Libby Schaadt - Bluffton - 12
Bailey Gregory - Crestview - 11
Abby Gladwell - Columbus Grove - 12

HONORABLE MENTION
Olivia Cunningham - Crestview - 11
Kendall Bollenbacher - Lincolnview - 10
Addy Stewart - Delphos Jefferson - 12
Sydney McCullough - Paulding - 12
Courtney Sumner - Ada - 9
Kayla White - Bluffton - 12
Gillian Goecke - Spencerville - 11
Savanah Ridenour - Columbus Grove - 10
Brianna Ebel - Lincolnview - 11
Janae Pease - Paulding - 10