The Ohio Crossover Athletics Best Defensive Player Award is given to a player who exemplifies excellence on the defensive end of the court. This player through effort, hard work, and ability is able to disrupt the opposing team and take them out of their offense by shutting down his opponent one-on-one or contributing to his team's success with great help side defense. I am proud to announce that the winner of the 2014 OCA 11th Grade Boys Best Defensive Player Award is Simeon Ward from Norwood High School.

Simeon did it all on the defensive end this season as he led the team in rebounding, blocked shots, charges taken, and was second on the team in steals. He is a very versatile defender who can guard every position from center to point guard and his length and athleticism were a huge asset in our press as well. He was able to deflect passes that led to steals for himself and his teammates. Simeon had 12 games this season where he grabbed 9 or more rebounds; including a 15 rebound performance against the Cincinnati Dream Chasers in the Championship Game of the Dick's Sporting Goods Classic. He also had 14 games where he collected 2 or more steals. Whether it was taking a charge, diving for a loose ball, jumping to save a bad pass, or defending a bigger player, Simeon was always willing to sacrifice his body to help the team.

I enjoyed coaching Simeon this year and expect him to have a fantastic Senior season at Norwood High School and to have the opportunity to continue his career on the next level. Congratulations Simeon!