A pair of juniors, South Greene High's Ansley Ricker and North Greene High's Dylan Payne, have been selected as Greene County Players of the Year for the 2009-10 high school season.

The annual All-County teams are announced today, with 10 girls and 10 boys from the five local schools comprising the squads. The teams are selected each season by the newspaper's sports staff after consultation with area coaches and news media who see the Greene County schools on a regular basic.

Four seniors, three juniors and three sophomores comprise the All-County girls team, while the boys team is made up of six seniors and four juniors.

Ricker is a 5-8 junior guard who seemed to catch fire in the latter part of the season and was a driving force in leading South Greene back to Murfreesboro and the state tournament where for the second straight year they finished among the state's "Final 4" in Class AA.

She finished the campaign averaging 15.2 points per game to top all Greene County scorers. She saved her best basketball for the post-season tournaments, where she averaged around 20 points per game in district, regional, sectional and state tourney play. She scored 26 points in a regional semifinal win against Unicoi County, and her season high was a 32-point show against Cumberland Gap earlier in the campaign.

Payne is a 5-10 junior guard for the Huskies who was considered one of the steadiest players in the county during the season. He led Greene County in scoring with 18.1 points per game. Payne missed five games mid-season with an arm injury. He scored over 20 points in 11 games this year, with a season high of 29 in a win over Unaka and he pumped in 27 points in a season-ending regional tourney loss to Cosby.

Three Lady Rebels were on the All-County squad. In addition to Ricker, point guard Rechelle Dye, a 5-6 senior, and senior post Brandi Crum, a 5-9 senior, were named to the team. Dye, a Belmont University signee, closed out a brilliant high school career with an average of 11.1 points per game, while Crum was a defensive stopper, key rebounder, and added 10.2 points per game to the balanced South Greene team.

Two members of the Greeneville High Greene Devils were selected. Junior post Rainey Story, who led Greeneville in scoring with a 12.5 average, and sophomore point guard Chandler Christopher, whose ball-handling and poise were key to the Lady Devils, helped send the Greene Devils back to Murfreesboro this year and the Class AA State Tournament.

The North Greene Huskies also made a trip to the state tourney this season in Class A, with junior point guard Mariah Britton and senior post Dakota White the key ingredients to a solid Husky team. Britton finished the year with a 14.8 scoring average, while the 5-10 White proved to be one of the area's strongest rebounders and averaged 12.7 ppg.

Chuckey-Doak's Lady Knights also had a strong season, and leaders were sophomore point guard Karly Frye, who led the team in scoring with a 13.6 average, and senior guard Brooke White, who averaged 12.8 ppg and was one of East Tennessee's best threats from behind the three-point arc.

Named to the team from the West Greene Lady Buffs was Victoria Franklin, a 5-11 sophomore post, who led the Buffs with a 12.6 ppg average.

Repeat performers on the All-County girls team are Ricker, Dye, Britton, Dakota White, Frye and Brooke White.

The boys team consisted of three Rebels, three Black Knights, two Huskies and one each from Greeneville and West Greene.

Joining Payne from the North Greene Huskies is guard Drew Lady, a 5-10 senior, who averaged 12.1 points per game in his final high school season and his only year as a member of the Huskies.

Rebels named to the team were Scott Blake, a 6-0 senior; Kenan Wilhoit, a 6-1 junior; and T.E. Myers, a 6-4 senior. Blake was leading scorer for the team at 16.7 ppg, Wilhoit tossed in 12.1 ppg, and Myers averaged right at 9 ppg and was a top rebounder.

David Harris, Preston Moore and Clint Sexton were Chuckey-Doak's selections. Moore, a 6-4 senior, made an immediate impact on the team when he became eligible in December, and finished the year with a 17.1 ppg average. Harris averaged 12.2 ppg while Sexton scored 9.4 ppg and was one of the area's best rebounders.

Greeneville's Bryan Everhart, a 6-1 junior, was selected after a season that saw him fire in 14.5 ppg to lead the Greene Devils.

West Greene's Tyler Kelley, a 5-8 junior, paced the Buffs on the hardwood this year with an 11.7 ppg average.

Payne, Blake and Sexton are the only repeat performers from last year's All-County team.

North Greene's James Buchanan is the county's girls Coach of the Year after taking the team to only the school's second-ever appearance in the state turney. Joe Kilday of Chuckey-Doak is boys Coach of the Year in his final season as an educator as he has announced his retirement.