COLUMBIANA — Crestview senior Addison Rhodes, one of the top shooters in Ohio, has shined from the first step she took on the basketball court.

“It’s no mystery she is the best kid on the court,” Crestview coach Aaron Blatch said. “Her reputation has got around the state This is a once-in-a lifetime kid.”

The 6-foot Rhodes, Columbiana County’s all-time leading scorer, was named to the Division V All-Ohio first team Monday for the second straight season. She received second-team All-Ohio honors as a freshman and sophomore.

“I just watched her play in three All-Star games,” Blatch said. “Everybody knows she is the best player there and everybody expects her to do some crazy stuff and she does it.”

She guided Crestview to a 23-3 season, including a loss to eventual Division IV state champion Shaker Heights Laurel, along with a fourth straight Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference Gray Tier title, a fourth straight district final appearance and the Rebels’ first district championship since 2007.

The Rebels went 90-11 over Rhodes’ four memorable seasons.

“She holds herself to a really high standard and holds her team to a really high standard,” Blatch said.

She was one of the top scorers in the state, averaging 30.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.6 steals a game — all team highs. She also shot 57% from the field, 43% from three-point range and a state-best 93.6% from the foul line.

Rhodes had free throw streaks of 50, 38 and 36 made in a row this season.

No wonder she had 21 NCAA Division I scholarship offers.

The Rebels asked Rhodes to do more this season as they returned only two starters.

“I was really impressed with how her scoring took a big jump while also improving on the efficiency,” Blatch said. “Last year with Luvrain Gaskins inside, it was harder to load up with Addi. When we entered the season, I wasn’t sure how it would end up.

“We were a younger team in some spots. With some of the girls we graduated the previous year, we had some question marks. We obviously asked her to raise her game and she responded. When you’ve got a kid like that, the expectations are high. We knew she would step up. A lot of younger girls stepped up and did the job and with her, she makes things easier for her teammates. Whatever we needed on a game-by-game basis, she did.”

Rhodes finishes her high school career with 2,484 points, 825 rebounds, 360 assists and 345 steals. She also shot 50.2% from the field, 41.2% from three-point range and 86.1% from the foul line.

What the numbers don’t show is how much she influences the girls in Crestview’s youth program. Many photos were taken with Rhodes after games.

“They look up to her and look up to Ava (Bucey). They’ve been great role models for those young kids,” Blatch said. “Addi certainly made her mark. I hear all the time, not only these Crestview girls look up her and been impacted by her, but girls throughout the area. Their parents are taking them out to random Crestview girls games because this is something you may not see again in Columbiana County.”

At least not for a while.

“I’m not sure she realizes it at this point, she is going to raise the level of play in Columbiana County because they see the way she plays and trains,” Blatch said. “She’s always been a positive influence on those young kids because I’ve seen how much they look up to her.”

Rhodes will be playing college basketball at NCAA Division I Fairfield (Conn.) University, which led the nation in three-point shooting.

“That is going to be a perfect fit for her,” Blatch said. “I can’t imagine, in the country, that I can count on more than one hand better pure shooters than her. She can do it from all over the place. I’m sure like any freshman, there will be adjustments, and she will do that.”

The Crestview girls will enter a new era without Addison Rhodes next season.

“There is going to be zero talk in our program about who is going to replace Addison,” Blatch said. “I’m excited for the challenge. We’re going to be more balanced.”

See page B6 for the complete Division V All-Ohio girls basketball team.