Quinn Kwasniak set many records in his four years at Cornerstone Christian. He scored 3,341 points to become Ohio’s all-time leader and made a state-record 562 3-pointers. Now he closes out his high school career with one final accolade. Kwasniak was named the 2024-25 Clark Kellogg Award winner as News-Herald player of the year as a part of the Varsity Chalk Talk show at Hooley Pub and Kitchen. “It’s very hard for all the stuff like this,” Kwasniak said. “The records are what last. I couldn’t have done what I did without my teammates. Everyone working with me, this is a reminder of what we did and I’m so proud of what we did.” Kwasniak passed 1,000 points in his sophomore season, 2,000 as a junior, and 3,000 in a game against Dalton on Jan. 25. In the Patriots’ district final against BC Western Reserve, Kwasniak hit a 3-pointer in the final minute to become the state’s all-time leading scorer in Ohio history, passing Jon Diebler. An Army commit, Kwasniak finished the season averaging 37.2 points to lead the area and made 183 3-pointers on the season. He led Cornerstone to the Division VII state final against Russia, the third time in school history that the Patriots made it, but fell to Russia 74-57. “We always said it was our record,” Kwasniak said. “We knew that there wasn’t going to be a chance for us to do anything we wanted to do as a team if we didn’t do it together. It was all about our work together.” Kwasniak was among a senior-laden group of finalists. • Connor Hernan of NDCL finished the season averaging a double-double with 17.2 points and an area-high 11.1 rebounds per game to lead the Lions to a second straight district final appearance. • Thai Duncan of Euclid was the second-highest leading scorer in the area with 26.7 points per game. He surpassed the 1,000-point mark and recently announced his commitment to Wooster. • Dorian Jones, an Ohio State signee, led Richmond Heights with 17 points per game as the Spartans returned to the regional final round. • West Geauga’s Landon Lear, a Mount Union commit, finished the season with 21.7 points per game and became the Wolverines’ all-time leading scorer. A banner year for Hawken adds one more piece of hardware to its trophy case, as head coach Anthony Burns takes home The News-Herald’s coach of the year honors. In the first year under Burns’ guidance, the Hawks won the school’s first district title since 1988, made it to the state round for the first time in school history and finished with a 20-8 record. “It means a lot,” Burns said. “I’ve learned a lot from Babe (Kwasniak), he’s always been like a big brother to me. We had a lot of long talks and I wouldn’t be where I’m at without his leadership.” Hawken was led by a strong three-headed scoring and offensive attack from juniors Greg Price, Da’Ron Hill and freshman Ice Taylor. The trio all averaged over 10 points per game, could run the offense from the point and work inside and beyond the arc. Players including Charlie Mallett and Kene Obi developed well inside with leaders like Jacob Stovsky and Jordan Johnson. “We are a big believer in momentum and going from season to season,” Burns said. “It’s a big first step but the guys made it and now it’s on to the next one. We have a lot of leadership and talent to grow from.” The other coach of the year finalists were Cornerstone’s Babe Kwasniak and Kirtland’s Shawn McGregor, all of whom made it to the state round. ...read more read less