COLUMBIANA — Heartland Christian junior Collin Kalaher is taking the Lions boys basketball team to new places.

Kalaher, who led the Lions to a school-best 22-5 record and their first district title, is the school’s first first-team All-Ohioan after earning Division VII honors Wednesday.

“For the younger kids, it gives them some excitement and something to shoot for,” Heartland coach Josh Scott said. “Here’s someone who has been here all along like us.”

Heartland’s Jonathan Bertovich was a second-team Division IV All-Ohioan as a senior in 2022.

“Collin’s the ultimate competitor,” Scott said. “He and Brody (Conaway) both showed they are not afraid of the moment. That is something that set them apart.”

Conaway received All-Ohio honorable mention.

“I think we exceeded expectations,” Scott said. “Our goal all along was to win the district title. We hadn’t done that. In the back of my mind, those are games we can compete in. I didn’t want to put (getting to the state tournament) in the kids heads. It was just lets get through the district.”

Heartland came within a point of becoming the first Columbiana County boys basketball team to reach the state semifinals since East Liverpool in 1999.

The Lions lost to Jeromesville Hillsdale, 58-57, in the Barberton regional final. Kalaher missed a free throw with 0.6 seconds left.

“I ran up and said, ‘You didn’t lose us the game.’ I knew he was thinking that,” Scott said. “There were so many things that happened.”

He said Kalaher watched the replay of the free throw after the game.

“He kept watching it,” Scott said. “That one hurt. As many games as I played as a player and I coached, I can’t even begin to understand the magnitude of that.”

Scott said it will motivate Kalaher to work even harder in the offseason.

“I’m looking for a motivated kid who can put it behind him,” Scott said. “I think we saw the best of him at the end of the year.”

Somewhat lost is that Kalaher totaled 16 points and 11 assists in the regional final.

“We were down 15 before we were even knew we were playing,” Scott said. “I think we were overtaken by the moment.”

Kalaher scored 609 points on the season and has 1,433 career points. He will be making a run at Bertovich’s Columbiana County OHSAA boys record of 1,810 points.

Kalaher was all over the court as he averaged a team-high 22.6 points a game along with 5.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 3.6 steals.

He shot 53.8% from the field, including 57.6% from two-point range and 31.5% from three-point range.

“He’s got a good blend of being a really good athlete,” Scott said. “He worked at as a young kid and he really wanted to do this. He can score around the rim a little more consistent than other guys because he can contort his body. He can pass, too.”

Joining Kalaher on the All-Ohio first team is Medina Christian’s 6-foot-7 junior R.J. Walgate. He is the son of Rob Walgate, a 1995 graduate of East Liverpool High School, who is the head coach. Ironically, R.J. Walgate scored his 1,000th career point in a 50-49 loss to East Liverpool at the Potter Fieldhouse on Jan. 10.

Conaway was Heartland’s second-leading threat. He averaged 12.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 3.0 steals a game. He also shot 56% from two-point range

See page B6 for the complete Division VII All-Ohio boys basketball team.