Two coaches who achieved success guiding their school’s boys’ and girls’ teams along with a quartet of talented players have been selected to the District 12 Basketball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026.

Named to this year’s class as coaches are Dan Lietke of Fort Frye and Doug Fisher of Sheridan while the four players are Julie Hoag of Tri-Valley (Class of 1985) and Melissa Mistovich of River (Class of 2009) as female athletes along with Sam Rutherford of Frontier (Class of 2004) and Matt Williams of Tri-Valley (Class of 1981) as male athletes.

Those six will be honored at the Pepsi/District 12 All-Star Basketball Classic on Friday, April 10 at Buckeye Trail High School in Old Washington.

The girls’ all-star game tips off at 6 p.m. followed by the boys’ game.

That brings the total number of honorees dating back to 2004 to 94, including 25 coaches, 34 female athletes, 34 male athletes and one contributor.

Here’s a look at the bios of Class of 2026:

Dan Liedtke

(Fort Frye Boys/Girls Coach)

When you combine his success as a boys’ and girls’ coach at Fort Frye, Liedtke amassed an amazing 759-259 record.

After a short stint as boys’ freshman coach, he became the head boys’ coach for 27 years (1985-2012), spent three years coaching the boys and girls (2010-2012) and continued as girls’ coach through the 2024-25 season for a 16-year run with the Lady Cadets.

Liedtke’s boys’ teams — who compiled a 433-172 record in 27 seasons — won six OVAC championships along with 17 Pioneer Valley Conference titles.

In tournament play, The Fort won 12 sectionals, three district and one regional, with the 1999 team reaching the OHSAA Division III “Final Four” where they lost to Bedford Chanel to finish with a sparkling 24-2 record.

The Cadets also had two unbeaten regular seasons (1989 and 2003) under his tutelage.

With the boys’ team, he was UPI Division III Coach of the Year in 1988, AP Division III Coach of the Year in 1999 and OHSBCA Division III Coach of the Year in 2003.

He was also Coach of the Year in the East District (6 times), District 12 (5 times) and Pioneer Valley Conference (8 times).

Liedtke’s girls’ teams — with an overall record of 326-87 in 16 seasons — captured seven OVAC championships, 10 PVC titles and one Twin-State League crown. In OHSAA tournament action, the Lady Cadets claimed 16 sectional crowns, eight district championships and three regional titles, reaching the “Final Four” in 2013 (finishing with a 25-4 record, losing to Columbus Africentric in the state semifinals); 2020 (posting a school-record 26-2 mark but missing out on competing due to COVID-19); and 2025 (closing with a 21-5 record, losing to Rootstown in the state semifinals).

With the girls’ team, he was AP Division III Coach of the Year in 2012 along with top honors in the East District (2 times), District 12 (6 times) and PVC (4 times).

All told, Liedtke was an OVAC Overall Coach of the Year finalist four times (2003, ’12, ’13 and ’20). He coached in the Pepsi/District 12 All-Star Game, the OVAC All-Star Game and the BACF All-Star Game as well as coaching the East Ohio girls’ team in the 2015 Nike National Invitational in Chicago.

Liedtke received the OHSBCA Bob Arnzen Award in 2004 and the Paul Walker Award in 2021; was Ohio’s nominee for the NFHS Girls’ Coach of the Year Award in 2022 and received the OVAC Rich Saffield Girls’ Coaches Award in 2026.

As an athlete, he earned third team All-Ohio honors as a senior at New Philadelphia High School (Class of 1978), also gaining All-Eastern District and All-District 5 honors after averaging 22.2 points per game. That included a single-game effort of 42 points, 23 rebounds and eight blocks against East Liverpool. He was inducted into the NPHS Hall of Fame in 2017. He was also a track standout, qualifying for the OHSAA State Championships in the 300-meter hurdles and also setting the Quakers’ school record in that event. He played hoops at California (Pa.) and Kent State-Tuscarawas and then transferred to Rio Grande College but suffered a career-ending injury there.

Doug Fisher

(Sheridan Girls/Boys Coach)

When you add up his victories as girls’ basketball, boys’ basketball and baseball coach, this Sheridan legend racked up more than 850 total victories including a 451-275 combined record in hoops. Fisher coached the Sheridan girls’ team from 1993-2015, posting a record of 286-202. The Lady General captured sectional titles seven times (1994, ’99, 2005, ’08, ’10, ’14) and district crowns twice (2004, 2005) and won the regional championship in 2004 to reach the OHSAAA Division II “Final Four”, finishing with a sparkling 24-2 record. His teams also won three Muskingum Valley League titles (2002, ’03, ’04), with Fisher named Coach of the Year each time. He also was District 12 Coach of the Year several times; coached in the Ohio North-South All-Star Game in 2005 and received the Bob Arnzen Award. With the boys’ team, Fisher was the head coach from 2015-2025, compiling a 165-73 mark highlighted by the 2019 season when the Sheridan won sectional, district and regional championship before falling to Columbus South in the OHSAA Division II State Semifinals. Under Fisher, the Generals also won two MVL titles (2020, ’21). His coaching career began in 1989 as the freshman coach at Alexander High for two years (1989-90 and 1990-91) then one year as freshman coach at Sheridan (1991-92) and one year as JV boys’ coach at New Lexington (1992-93). Fisher also coached the Sheridan baseball team for more than a quarter century, racking up 401 victories, eight MVL championships and 13 sectional titles. He was inducted into the Southeast District Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2023. As a player at Sheridan (Class of 1985), he averaged 24.6 points per game as a senior and he was named third team All-Ohio Class AA along with first team All-Southeast District and All-District 12 while playing in the District 12 All-Star Game. A graduate of Ohio University with a master’s in education from Waldon University, Fisher was inducted into the Sheridan Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.

Julie Hoag

(Tri-Valley High School, Class of 1985)

She held the Tri-Valley girls’ career scoring mark with 1,421 points for nearly 40 years until it was broken in 2023 by Lexi Howe with 1,598 points.

As a senior, Hoag tallied 23.1 points per game in leading the Lady Scotties to a runner-up finish in the OHSAA Class AA State Tournament. T-V won Sectional, District and Regional crowns en route to the State Tournament where she scored 25 points in a 63-57 semifinal win over East Cleveland Shaw and 20 points in 58-55 overtime loss to Pickerington in the championship game.

Hoag received a host of postseason accolades, including first team AP All-Ohio Class AAA and special mention UPI All-Ohio Class AAA. She was also first team All-Eastern District, All-District 12 and All-Muskingum Valley League and she played in the District 12 All-Star Game.

As a junior, Hoag received honorable mention UPI All-Ohio Class AA honors along with All-Eastern District, All-District 12 and All-MVL recognition.

Also a softball standout and the student director of the TVHS band, Hoag was inducted into the Tri-Valley Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009, and her 1985 team was inducted in 2015.

After two years at Division I Belmont University in Nashville, she transferred to Muskingum College where she was a two-year letterwinner graduating in 1990. As a senior, Hoag averaged 16.6 points and 8.8 rebounds as the Lady Muskies won OAC regular season and tournament championships and were NCAA Division III Atlantic Region Champion with a 29-2 final record including 16-0 in the OAC.

Melissa Mistovich

(River High School, Class of 2000)

A 5-8 guard, Mistovich tallied 1,092 career points for the Lady Pilots.

As a senior, she tallied 18 points per game while recording 146 rebounds, 117 steals and 83 assists and was a second team AP All-Ohio Division III selection. She also received first team All-Eastern District Division III, All-District 12 Division III, All-OVAC Class AA and All-Valley ‘Small School’ accolades. She was selected for the OVAC Samuel A. Mumley All-Star Basketball Classic and the District 12 All-Star Game but was unable to play in either game due to injury.

Mistovich tallied 17.8 points per game as a junior and was a special mention All-Ohio selection along with first team All-Eastern District, All-District 12 and All-OVAC honors.

As a sophomore, she earned second team All-District 12, third team All-Eastern District and honorable mention All-OVAC honors.

She was also an All-OVAC Class AA selection in volleyball as a senior.

Mistovich played basketball for two years at Urbana University.

Sam Rutherford

(Frontier High School, Class of 2004)

A 5-11 four-year letterman at guard, Rutherford was a scoring machine who set the Frontier High school record with 1,517 career points, a mark that still stands today.

As a senior, he tallied 22.8 points per game including a 50-point outburst against St. John Central. For his efforts, he was named first team AP All-Ohio Division IV along with first team All-Eastern District Division IV, All-District 12 Division IV, All-OVAC Class 1A, All-Valley ‘Small School’ and All-Pioneer Valley Conference. He was named captain of the OVAC squad.

Rutherford played in the OHSBCA North-South All-Star Game and the OVAC Samuel A. Mumley All-Star Classic.

As a junior, he tallied 20.7 points per game and was a third team AP All-Ohio Division IV selection. He also gained first team All-Eastern District, All-District 12 and All-PVC along with second team All-OVAC.

Rutherford’s sophomore season accolades included first team All-District 12 and All-PVC, second team All-Eastern District and honorable mention All-OVAC. He was also honorable mention All-OVAC as a freshman.

He played one season at Marietta College.

Matt Williams

(Tri-Valley High School, Class of 1981)

A three-year letterman, the 6-4 Williams helped the Scotties to 63 victories during his varsity career.

As a junior, he averaged 10 points per game on Tri-Valley’s Muskingum Valley League championship team that finished with a final record of 23-1 (falling to Waverly in the Division II Regional), earning first team All-MVL honors that season.

As a senior, he tallied 16.4 points to lead the Scotties to the OHSAA Class AA State “Final Four” where they lost to eventual state champion Napoleon with Williams scoring 17 points and earning All-Tournament honors.

Williams’ accolades as a senior included second team UPI All-Ohio Class AA and third team AP All-Ohio Class AA; first team All-Eastern District Class AA, All-District 12 Class AA and All-MVL, receiving “Player of the Year” honors in District 12. He played in the District 12 All-Star Game, scoring 16 points for the victorious West team.

Also a two-year letterman in cross country, he was inducted into the Tri-Valley Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015, and the Scotties’ 1981 team was inducted in 2017.

Williams went on to Marietta College where he was a four-year starter (1982-85), scoring 1,295 career points which ranks 15th all-time for the Pioneers. He was an honorable mention selection on the All-Ohio Athletic Conference team as a junior and senior.