Boys Basketball: 4 Highland County athletes selected Div. III, V, VII All-Ohio
Pictured are OPSMA Boys Basketball All-Ohio selections from Highland County (l-r) Jack Howland (Hillsboro, D3 3rd Team), Brody Smith (Fairfield, D7 3rd Team), Griffin Friend (Fairfield, D7 honorable mention), and Denver Clinton (Lynchburg-Clay, D5 honorable mention). (HCP Photo/Stephen Forsha)
The success of the 2025-26 high school boys basketball season was on full display this week, as the All-Ohio lists were released by the Ohio Prep Sports Media Association (OPSMA), and Highland County was well-represented with four boys basketball players selected.
Three Highland County high schools in the OHSAA were represented, with Hillsboro and Lynchburg-Clay having one representative each in Division III and VII, respectively, while Fairfield had two players named in Division VII.
Hillsboro’s Jack Howland (Div. III Third-Team All-Ohio) in 21 games this past season became the Indians’ all-time leading scorer in boys basketball, finishing the season with 1,326 career points thus far.
As for his junior season of ’25-26, Howland averaged 25.4 points per game with 6.1 rebounds per game, 2.4 assists per game and 1.6 steals per game. He also shot 45.5 percent from the field, 85.6 percent from the free-throw line and 33.1 percent from the 3-point line.
Howland was 177-of-389 from the field and 137-of-160 from the free-throw line. He also made 43 3-pointers and finished the season with 534 points. His rebounding totals were 129 with 34 offensive rebounds, plus he had 51 assists and 33 steals.
Fairfield’s Brody Smith (Div. VII Third-Team All-Ohio) played in 26 games this season as the Lions reached the Elite 8 in the Division VII tournament, as he was a pivotal member of a team that won a district championship (fifth time in program history) and were regional runners-up (second time in program history).
Smith this season averaged 19.8 ppg with 3.8 rpg, 2.6 apg and 1.2 spg. He also shot 48.1 percent from the field, 66.0 percent from the free-throw line and 39.2 percent from the 3-point line.
The FHS junior Smith also was 185-of-385 from the field and 64-of-97 from the free-throw line, plus he made 80 3-pointers, scoring 514 points this season. He also collected 98 rebounds (12 offensive), 68 assists, 31 steals and he made 16 blocks.
Fairfield junior Griffin Friend (Division VII Honorable Mention) also played in 26 games for the district champion and regional runner-up Fairfield Lions as he averaged 16.7 ppg, with 5.9 rpg and 4.7 apg. He also had 1.8 spg, shooting 49.8 percent from the field, 71.3 percent from the free-throw line and 39.7 percent from the 3-point line.
Friend was 158-of-317 from the field and 87-of-122 from the free-throw line, as he also finished the season with 31 3-pointers, finishing his junior season with 434 points scored. Friend also had 154 rebounds (50 offensive), with 121 assists, 46 steals and four blocks.
Lynchburg-Clay senior Denver Clinton (Div. V Honorable Mention All-Ohio) became a 1,000-point scorer for the Mustangs this season, finishing his career with 1,200 points in four seasons with LCHS. As for his ’25-26 season Clinton averaged 15.4 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 1.5 apg and 1.6 spg, while shooting 49.5 percent from the field, 66.1 percent from the free-throw line and 25 percent from the 3-point line.
Clinton in 22 games was 145-of-293 from the field and 41-of-62 from the free-throw line, plus he made seven 3-pointers. The senior forward also finished the season with 338 points, 170 rebounds (50 offensive), 34 assists, 36 steals and 16 blocks.