Westerville North’s Elijah McCree Caps Historic Season with Division II Player of the Year Honor

Dayton, Ohio — The snapshot that will live on in Westerville North yearbooks is frozen in time: Elijah McCree rising up for a first-half jumper in the Division II state title game at University of Dayton Arena on March 22, 2026. By season’s end, that single frame had become the emblem of a championship run and an individual accolade no Warrior has ever claimed.

On Thursday the Ohio Prep Sports Media Association confirmed what every opposing coach already suspected, naming McCree the Division II Player of the Year. The 6-foot-5 junior guard averaged a double-double throughout the tournament trail and delivered clutch performances when the stage was brightest, cementing his place atop the All-Ohio list released this week.

“Elijah’s work ethic is unmatched,” Westerville North head coach Ryan Bobo said after the announcement. “He turned our program into a destination for tough, winning basketball.”

McCree headlines a Division II honor roll that also features:

- Isaiah Mack-Russell, Cincinnati Winton Woods, junior - Steven Skaljac, Brecksville-Broadview Heights, senior - Marcus Johnson, Garfield Heights - Adam Guthrie, Washington Court House Miami Trace, senior

The association staggered its release, unveiling Divisions IV-VII on Wednesday and Divisions I-III on Thursday. Among the other top individual awards:

Division I Coach of the Year: John Feasel, Lewis Center Olentangy Division III Player of the Year: Gator Nichols, Zanesville Maysville Division IV Player of the Year: Jason Singleton, Columbus Academy Division V Player of the Year: Trey Sagester, New Madison Tri-Village Division VI Player of the Year: Cameron Elwer, Delphos St. John’s Division VII Player of the Year: Trey Sagester, New Madison Tri-Village (repeat honoree)

Coaches of the Year in the smaller divisions included Kyle Dack, Sullivan Black River; Drew Stevens, Ironton; and Caleb McClanahan, Portsmouth West.

For McCree, the hardware adds another layer to a legacy still under construction. College scouts flocked to Westerville this winter to watch a player capable of scoring in flurries while locking down the opponent’s top threat on the other end. His 28-point outing in the state semifinal propelled the Warriors to the title contest, where McCree’s first-half rhythm kept Westerville North within striking distance before eventual champion Columbus Africentric pulled away late.

“Individual awards are great,” McCree said, “but we’re chasing a banner. This motivates me to get back in the gym and finish the job next year.”

With every starter expected to return except one senior reserve, the Warriors will enter 2027 as the early favorite in central Ohio. McCree, already holding multiple mid-major offers, will headline a roster stacked with length, speed, and a year of championship experience.

Ohio’s high-school landscape continues to churn out talent capable of making noise on the national scene, and McCree’s name now sits at the forefront of that conversation. If the Warriors needed any more proof that their star is built for the moment, they need only glance at that iconic photo: ball high above his head, eyes locked on the rim, the University of Dayton Arena crowd buzzing in anticipation.

One frame, one season, one unforgettable year — and for Elijah McCree, the story is just beginning.