For the tremendous impact he made on Dow’s season and for emerging as the most dangerous scorer in the Daily News coverage area, Zielinski is this year’s Dream Team Player of the Year.

“Chris is a very talented offensive player, but he was also an excellent defensive player who led our team in steals. Additionally, he was a strong rebounder from the guard position,” said Dow coach Ken Cook. “His work ethic was off the charts, always arriving early for practice and staying after practice to work on his game. He was an outstanding teammate to every player on our team and provided exceptional leadership.

“Chris was an absolute pleasure to coach,” Cook added. “As good a basketball player as he is, he is an even better person.”

Joining Zielinski on this year’s Daily News Dream Team are Dow High senior guard Jamie Rozeveld, Meridian junior center Sawyer Moloy, Freeland senior point guard Jacob Kowalski, Gladwin senior forward Lucas Mead, and Freeland freshman forward Tristan Comer.

Like Zielinski, Rozeveld was a former home-school player who joined Dow for his senior season. Also like Zielinski, Rozeveld was a threat to score in a variety of ways, an excellent rebounding guard, and a hard-nosed defender.

He averaged 9.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.7 steals per game and shot 52 percent from the floor.

“Jamie was the hardest worker on the team. He was known as the junk yard dog with the knack for rebounding the basketball,” said Cook. “He came to practice every day with a smile on his face, and he was well-liked by his teammates. He was also one of our top defenders.”

Though sidelined with a fractured bone in his foot for about half the season, Moloy returned to the Meridian lineup mid-season and made a big impact on both ends of the court. Boasting an improved jump shot and ballhandling skills, the 6-foot-7 junior averaged 16.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game in leading the Mustangs to 17 wins, including 11 in their final 12 games, and a district championship.

“Sawyer is a one-of-a-kind athlete,” said Meridian coach Mitch Bohn. “His running and jumping abilities are tremendous, and his skill level is not far behind.”

As the only returning starter from last year’s historic Final Four team, Kowalski took up the role of Freeland’s team leader and ran with it, guiding the Falcons to 17 wins, including an 11-game winning streak which was snapped only by a loss to Saginaw High in a district semifinal – a loss which occurred after Kowalski’s season had ended due to injury two days earlier.

Kowalski was not only the Falcons’ primary ballhandler and a calming influence on his younger teammates, but he also averaged 13.4 points per game, made 60 3-pointers, and shot over 50 percent from the floor.

“We are proud of what Jacob accomplished as a player at Freeland. However, we are more proud of his growth as a person in his time as a Freeland hooper,” said Falcons’ coach John Fattal. “ … Jacob is one of the best shooters in all of Freeland’s history. His gravity as a shooter made it hard to take him off the floor both as a junior and especially as a senior.

“ … It was apparent that Jacob was highly respected among area coaches and teams. Statistics aside, however, we are most proud of how Jacob grew to lead this year’s squad,” Fattal added. “ … Last year, Jacob was simply expected to follow and embrace being led. However, this year, that dynamic changed, and he had to become a more vocal leader. He was expected to be a threat offensively and show a group of young guys how to practice and how to handle themselves in tough environments.”

One of the top all-around athletes in the area, Mead did it all for Gladwin, leading the Flying G’s to 13 wins – including victories over rivals Beaverton, Meridian, and Clare – and to the brink of a Jack Pine Conference championship. In the process, Mead averaged 16.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per contest and shot 52 percent from the floor.

“Lucas is the most athletic player I have ever coached,” said Gladwin coach Mike Verellen. “He was a unanimous first team all-conference selection, (and) he was not only our best offensive threat, but he was also tasked with guarding our opponent’s best player each night as well.”

A 6-foot-5 athletic ninth-grader with a considerable social media following which preceded him into high school, Comer was a big reason for the Falcons’ success. He averaged 12.8 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game and earned his coach’s admiration and praise for his humble demeanor.

“With social media and the following that he has developed in mid-Michigan as a young teen, it has been beyond impressive how level-headed he has been. Tristan is skilled, especially for a freshman, but his best skill is his work ethic and his humility,” said Fattal. “Throughout our entire season, and since I have known him, he is constantly asking to get into the gym to work on his craft. Further, when it comes to his humility, he is not comparing himself to others but is constantly doing everything in his power to grow himself as both a player and a leader.

“ … As the season progressed, his impact on the game grew, especially defensively. His ability to alter shots around the rim made scoring difficult,” Fattal added. “It wasn’t only his length and athleticism that impacted shots but also his savvy and willingness to take charges. Tristan successfully took at least one charge per game. We are excited about where his work ethic is going to take him.”

This year’s Daily News Coach of the Year is Bullock Creek coach Justin Freeland, who led the Lancers to a 13-11 record, the first winning season for the program in 15 years, in his first year at the helm. Of Creek’s 11 losses, six came by six points or fewer.