OCC Buckeye Basketball Awards 2025–26: Jake Quackenbush and a Deep Buckeye Division Honor Roll
Newark's Jake Quackenbush earned the Buckeye Division's player of the year award, and the wider honor roll explains how much basketball there was to appreciate across this division. Reynoldsburg placed three players on the first team, and Newark had two. Pickerington Central, Teays Valley, Canal Winchester and Groveport were represented there, too.
Reynoldsburg's first-team group included senior honorees Xavier McKinney and Jordie Bowens alongside sophomore Mekhi Roddy. Newark's Quackenbush and Ty Gilbert were joined on the first team by junior Landon Evans of Pickerington Central. Those historical class listings matter: this is a record of the season just completed, with different next steps for graduates and younger players.
The names behind the next season
Look beyond the top line and the younger talent becomes easier to follow. Jordan Wagner of Groveport and Hudson Edwards of Logan earned second-team honors as sophomores. Reynoldsburg's Rashad Perry and Newark's Zach Meister were sophomore special mentions. Dennis White of Canal Winchester was a sophomore honorable mention. Their awards provide specific starting points for following development, without assuming a current roster spot.
Jeff Quackenbush of Newark and Andrew Moore of Reynoldsburg shared coach of the year recognition. The scholar-athlete list also deserves its own space. A season is built around practices, travel and school responsibilities, and those honorees belong in the division's permanent record.
Complete 2025–26 honor roll
The following lists preserve every award entry in the official OCC workbook for this division. School affiliations refer to the award season. The lists are award categories, not recruiting rankings.
First Team All-Conference
Jake Quackenbush • Newark
Xavier McKinney • Reynoldsburg
Jordie Bowens • Reynoldsburg
Mekhi Roddy • Reynoldsburg
Brody Fields • Teays Valley
Ty Gilbert • Newark
Landon Evans • Pickerington Central
Elijah Dunn • Canal Winchester
Tyreke Ruffin • Groveport
Second Team All-Conference
Jordan Wagner • Groveport
Marcus Hemphill • Groveport
Kaden Purdon • Teays Valley
Drew Whitlatch • Lancaster
Cam Eaton • Lancaster
Tybron Brooks • Newark
Aaven Snyder • Pickerington Central
Hudson Edwards • Logan
Special Mention
Isaiah Darfus • Canal Winchester
Jayden Morrison • Teays Valley
Rashad Perry • Reynoldsburg
Davis Call • Lancaster
Zach Meister • Newark
Albee Moore • Pickerington Central
Ayden Snyder • Pickerington Central
Owen Bell • Logan
Honorable Mention
Dennis White • Canal Winchester
Kofi Kudolo • Groveport
Tanner Smith • Teays Valley
Carson Rhymer • Lancaster
Alex Irvin-Royster • Newark
KD Smith • Pickerington Central
Owen Hughes • Logan
Scholar Athlete
Trey Haynes • Canal Winchester
Ty Cooper • Groveport
Brody Fields • Teays Valley
Xavier McKinney • Reynoldsburg
Cam Eaton • Lancaster
Sean Brechbill • Newark
Ayden Snyder • Pickerington Central
Owen Bell • Logan
Player of the Year
Jake Quackenbush • Newark
Coach of the Year
Jeff Quackenbush • Newark
Andrew Moore • Reynoldsburg
Follow the next chapter of Ohio basketball
Explore the 2026–2027 Ohio High School Boys Basketball Preview from Wolfe Sports Recruiting. The digital preseason edition arrives October 31, with a midseason update and postseason recap included in one purchase. Every division. Every conference. Every team.
Sources and reporting notes
Award recipients and categories were checked against the OCC's official 2025–26 boys basketball workbook on October 21, 2026. Historical class listings describe that award season. The workbook contains occasional spelling or class-year inconsistencies; current school records should control current roster information.
Cover graphic: illustrative artwork created for Wolfe Sports, not a photograph of an athlete or a specific game.
NO RANKINGS. JUST HOOPERS.
