Lemaster, Guthrie play in Dist. 14 All-Star game

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WAVERLY — Two local high school basketball players and one coach were part of the District 14 All-Star boys game held Wednesday, March 22, 2023 in Waverly.

Seniors Andrew Guthrie from Miami Trace High School and Tanner Lemaster of Washington High School were teammates in their final high school basketball game.

After playing baseball for the Blue Lions this spring, Lemaster will be heading to the University of Kentucky to be a member of the Wildcats’ football team and study business finance.

Guthrie will be attending Division I Campbell University in North Carolina, where he will be a member of the Fighting Camels’ football team and study agricultural business.

District 14 Coach of the Year, Shannon Bartruff, head coach of the Blue Lions, coached the North squad, which featured Lemaster and Guthrie. The North All-Stars defeated the South All-Stars, 111-100. Lemaster scored 20 points and had 12 assists.

Guthrie scored 22 points.

Bartruff spoke about the experience of coaching in his first District 14 All-Star game.

“It is an honor to be chosen by your peers to coach in the game (as the Coach of the Year). It’s really cool to be able to be around some of the best players in the area in all divisions. It was fun to coach Tanner and Drew in their last game. I started them together. Those two have been playing together and against one another for a long time.

“Tanner played really great in the game and by far had the best game (not just saying that because I coached him). Being coach of the year is a result of one thing, having a really good team and having a great staff. It was a fun night, and we won.”

Lemaster spoke about his mindset going into his final appearance on a basketball court.

“I didn’t really think about it being my last time on a basketball court until halftime. I went into the game just kind of nonchalantly, and I just wanted to go out there and have fun. Before the game, I wasn’t really thinking about the game a lot because I was just in the locker room with a bunch of guys that I played sports with my whole life, whether it was football, baseball or basketball. We were all just talking, and we really weren’t thinking about basketball, we were just kind of glad to be there.”

He continued, “Halftime came, and I realized that I was about to play the last half of my career. I want to say the New Lexington game was more emotional because it was the last time that I would play as a Blue Lion with all my teammates, but with the all-star game I was just kind of enjoying it and trying to have fun, because I knew that like that was it”

Lemaster spoke about the opportunity to share the court with Andrew Guthrie one final time. Guthrie and Lemaster played with and against each other countless times throughout their athletic careers.

“Honestly, it was pretty fun because we have played together for so long, as long as I can remember. We played together and we played against each other over the years. Capping off both of our careers on the same court was special and was a pretty good feeling.”

“It was super-fun to play, especially being my last-ever (basketball) game,” Guthrie said.

Guthrie said he and Lemaster had a good bit of time together on the court.

“We played a lot together,” Guthrie said. “We subbed every five minutes and there were 20-minute running halves. So we were in, I would say, 20 minutes of the game together. It was fun to get out there with him one last time and everybody else that was on the all-star team.”

Hillery ‘Bean’ Jacobs, a Miami Trace High School senior, played in the girls’ District 14 All-Star game. There will be more about her experience in a future edition of the Record-Herald.

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