COLUMBUS — Two area boys basketball players who put forth seasons to remember were recognized as All-Ohioans Wednesday afternoon.

The Ohio Prep Sports Writers Association announced its All-Ohio players in Divisions III and IV with Divisions I and II slated to be announced today.

In Division III, Martins Ferry’s Denali Jackson made the most of his first and only season with the Purple Riders by earning First Team All-Ohio acclaim.

Jackson began his Purple Rider career with a triple double against St. Clairsville and never looked back en route to helping to lead the Riders to the OVAC title game.

Jackson, who was the Purple Riders point guard, did a little bit of everything for Coach Derek Edwards’ team.

Jackson scored at a 22.7 points per game clip. He didn’t stop there, however. He also pulled down 10.1 rebounds and handed out 5.7 assists.

In Division IV, River senior Ty Long made his first appearance on one of the top three All-Ohio squads.

Long was named Third Team All-Ohio for the Pilots, who advanced to the Division IV Eastern District championship game after claiming the OVAC Class 2A title.

Long averaged 15.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 52% from the field.

Also in Division IV, Caldwell’s Bede Lori, who was a finalist for the prestigious Mr. Basketball, was named First Team All-Ohio, giving him four appearances on one of the top-three teams. Lori, who led the Redskins to the district tournament, averaged 28.8 points a game with five rebounds and four assists per game. He also shot an astounding 90% from the foul line.