Ohio High January 2008 by Eric Frantz

n Dec. 1, my wife called me prior to the Division IV state football championship to see what channel the game was on back in Dayton. Her reasoning? She couldn’t “imagine another football team being better than Coldwater.” Turns out there wasn’t. Influenced by the Cavaliers dismantling of Williamsport Westfall the week before in the state semis, my wife and I left that game thinking Coldwater had a chance against Youngstown Cardinal Mooney -- the prohibitive D-IV favorite to repeat as state champions since the end of last season. Few others felt the way we did. Mooney was after all -- despite being a D-IV team -- ranked No. 8 nationally in the USA Today Super 25. Coldwater won anyway, 28-27. It was the Midwest Athletic Conference’s second state title in as many days and the MAC’s second win over a favored team from the Mahoning Valley’s fabled Steel Valley Conference. The first “upset” had gone to Maria Stein Marion Local, which won its second straight state title with a 20-14 victory over Youngstown Ursuline in the D-V final. Last year Marion Local won in D-VI, while Ursuline was in the D-IV playoffs. This has become commonplace in Stark County when the weather turns cold – the MAC walking away with wins, hardware and history. Consider, eight of the last 10 years, the MAC has sent two, yes TWO, teams to the state football finals. The first five trips, the conference went 5-5. The last three visits the MAC is 6-0. Mercer and Auglaize County residents ought to start buying property in Canton and Massillon. They own it anyway.

Volume 5

Issue 4

Editor in Chief Steve Helwagen Managing Editor Eric Frantz Assistant Editor Matt Natali Recruiting Editor Duane Long Staff Writers Kirk Larrabee, Glenn Forbes, Jeff Rapp, Dave Biddle Contributors

Paul Boggs, Todd Stumpf, Ian Mara, Alex Sator

Photography

Gary Housteau, Nick Falzerano, Stephanie Porter, John Ritter, Jim Rinaldi, Greg Beers, Brad Morris, Lori Reeder

Printing Miami Valley Sports Magazine (MVP) miamivalleysports.com

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Ohio High Magazine is published bi-monthly, six times a year. Ohio High is an independent source of news and features relating to Ohio high school sports. Ohio High strives to report information based on fact, but assumes no responsability for any inaccuracies that may appear within the pages. Ohio High is not authorized, sponsored or sanctioned by any university, athletic conference or athletic governing body. Subscriptions are available for $29.95 and may be purchased online at jjhuddle.com. Single copy price is $6.95 each. c Copyright 2008, Ohio High Magazine and MVP Magazine, LLC. All rights reserved. COVER PHOTOS: Nick Falzerano

What’s Inside

In addition to our extensive coverage of the state football finals in this issue of Ohio High Magazine, including Coldwater’s dramatic win, we recap all state finals for all fall sports including boys and girls soccer, girls tennis, boys and girls golf, boys and girls cross country, field hockey and volleyball. Also featured are our Ohio High/Huntington Bank players of the year in all fall sports and our football coach of the year. Other articles include: * Ohio High Cup standings: We release the first rankings for the 2007-08 school year. * Duane Long’s top senior and junior football players: The 2008 senior class is recapped one last time before moving our attention to the 2009 class come May. * The Ohio High/ONN All-Ohio football team. * A feature on Middletown Madison senior basketball player Nathanael Harney, who is honoring his deceased brother and identical twin this season. * Updated information on Ohio’s top boys and girls basketball recruits. * A feature on Indiana University-bound basketball standout Tom Pritchard of Lakewood St. Edward. About the only thing more absolute than the fact fans of high school sports will enjoy this issue of Ohio High is that the MAC will win two football state championships next year. Or at least have two teams playing for titles. Eric Frantz Managing Editor

Upcoming Issues

Going forward, here are general topics that will be covered in each edition of Ohio High: * March (Due out Feb. 15) – Basketball and wrestling tournament previews. * May (Due out April 15) – Recap of basketball and wrestling state tournaments and first top 100 football recruit bios * July (Due out June 15) – H.S. football preview, spring sports recap * September (Due out Aug. 15) – Top 100 senior prospect bios updated * November (Due out Oct. 15) – Basketball preview issue, football playoff preview Check out JJHuddle.com every day for season previews and daily coverage of Ohio high school athletics. For subscription information on Ohio High, check the Internet at www.jjhuddle.com

Fall Sports Players of the Year

The Huntington Bank/Ohio High Magazine Players of the Year in all fall sports

Fall Sports Round Up

Photo by John Ritter

A look back at all OHSAA-sanctioned fall sports championships

Ohio High Cup Standings

2007 State Football Recap

ONN/Ohio High All-Ohio Football

ONN/Ohio High Football POY

Marion Local takes the early lead after fall season

Coldwater and Marion Local’s wins headline the state football finals; Cincinnati St. Xavier completes undefeated season The top high school football players regardless of Divison

15 Photo by Greg Beers

Cardinal Mooney’s Danny McCarthy takes the top honor

ONN/Ohio High Football COY

Duane Long’s Updated Top 100

Cardinal Mooney head coach P.J. Fecko earns nod

A final look at the Class of 2008’s top football recruits

Duane Long’s Top Juniors

Boys Basketball Recruit Update

JJHUDDLE.COM

An early look at the top football players in the Class of 2009

Photo by Gary Housteau

Buford, Mullens and Roe top Ohio’s Class of 2008

Girls Basketball Recruit Update

Ohio’s leading girls prospects sign Division I letters

Also...

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St. Xavier football standout Greg Scruggs

St. Edward senior and Indiana basketball recruit Tom Pritchard

Middletown Madison senior Nathanael Harney

62 Photo by Nick Falzerano

STORY BY OHIO HIGH STAFF

F a l l S p o r t s P l a y e r s o f t h e Ye a r Boys & Girls Soccer Boys & Girls Golf Boys & Girls C.C. Volleyball Field Hockey

t was another great fall season in Ohio high school athletics. Ohio High is proud to partner with

Huntington Banks to present the player of the year awards in 10 fall sports. The football player of the year award is

Girls Tennis

Coffman’s Turvy Takes Top Honors In Girls Tennis

eading into the state tennis tournament this fall, Kate Turvy would have told you she wasn't sure about continuing her high school tennis career beyond this, her junior year at Dublin Coffman High School. After what transpired in the Division I singles final on a windy October afternoon in Hilliard, it's now hard to believe Turvy – named the Huntington Bank/Ohio High Player of the Year in girls tennis -- will be able to stay away. The No. 1 player in Ohio, Turvy is currently ranked in the top 50 of the USTA's December national girls 18s standing. Players of that caliber rarely elect to play high school tennis at all, given that 99 percent of the matches they will play don't present even the slightest challenge. The vast majority of Turvy's set wins since she began her Kate high school career have been 6-0, and she doesn't often let opponents score Turvy three points in a game. But when asked in December about Dublin her plans for next fall, the two-time Coffman defending Division I singles champion sounded firm in her resolve to try for No. 3. "Right now, I'm definitely planning on playing again," said Turvy, who would take a 59-match winning streak into the 2008 season. "It's not 100 percent, but unless something changes I'm going to play." Since she fell in the state semifinals as a freshman, Turvy has won every one of the 118 sets she has played in a high school uniform. But the emotion and energy of Turvy's 6-1, 7-5 victory over Stephanie Danesis on Oct. 20 in the D-I singles final at Davidson might have counteracted every one of the laughers that went before it. "I've never seen her like that," Coffman coach David Drees said after the match, after Turvy had overcome blustering winds, a failing serve and the size of the moment to battle back from 4-1 down to capture the title. Danesis, like Turvy, a top junior talent (the Akron resident is ranked No. 2 among Ohio players by the USTA), was on top of her game early in that second set and had Turvy on the ropes for the first time in more than two years of high school play. In an effort to simply keep her the ball in play, the Dublin baseliner started points on her serve underhand. It was a tactic she had used

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revealed on page 32. Here is a look at the nine other player of the year award winners for the fall season. Photo by Greg Beers

Tennis

Dublin coffman junior Kate Turvy

before, but only to overcome injury. With her biggest weakness now weaker than ever, Turvy’s setstreak and the state championship appeared to hang in the balance after five games of the set. It was at that point that a competitive light was flipped in Turvy's head and the Lilliputian righty began physically and verbally willing herself back into the match. In a move that drew the ire of both Danesis and the Richfield Revere coach, Turvy started screaming "come on!" and pumping her fist after virtually ever single point. Turvy would scream out loud and practically

leap towards her chair before changeovers. It was electric. And it was working. "It was the greatest thing I've ever seen," Drees said. "She got better the more excited she got. It was just one of those things where Kate took it to a level she’s never been to before." Turvy's private coach, Wedgewood pro Scott Welsh, stood and watched the drama unfold with giddy excitement and pleasant surprise. "I don't think she's ever done this," Welsh said of the verbal outbursts. "She's just fired up." Though unapologetic for her actions, Turvy stressed after the match that the emotion was not aimed at her opponent. "Winning a state championship is really important to me," she said afterwards. "I was really excited to be there, I had a lot of energy and I had to show it. It's hard to describe, but you can’t keep that much energy inside you." The question now is what a senior Turvy will be able to manage for an encore. – Ian Mara

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Boys Cross Country

Only Fitting: Luttrell Brothers Share Cross Country Honors

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Photo by Greg Beers

ayton Christian’s twin sensations, Walter and John Luttrell, have had quite a year. Their photo finish in the Division III cross country final at Scioto Downs will be talked about for years to come, and now they have been named as the Huntington Bank/Ohio High Runners of the Year in boys cross country. “I’m really proud of them,” Warrior head cross country coach Larry Meyers Walter and said. “They are hard working, dedicated, John Luttrell all-around great guys. They always seem to run their best when the pressure is on Dayton Christian them in the big race. The more they have become aware of their natural talent, the more they have trained; and the better they have trained the better they have gotten. It’s funny how that works.” The final is still etched in Meyer’s mind. “They came through the mile around 4:50 and the two-mile around 10:00. With about a kilometer to go they were together with the kid from Louisville (Tony Migliozzi) as we knew they would be. They came into the stadium, put the hammer down, and powered away from him. Then it was just the twins. Walt reached way back for his kick and got John at the tape. They were 0.27 of a second apart, 15:34.09 and 15:34.36.” The Luttrell’s interests aren’t limited to just cross country. Last spring Walter won the 3200-meter run at the state track meet (9:18) and John finished third (9:25). John also finished second in the 1600 (4:18) to former Yellow Springs star Sam Borchers. All of this scoring contributed heavily to Dayton Christian’s 2007 Division III state team championship in track and field. “They are pretty good soccer players, too, and they played for the school team this fall,” Meyers offered. “They’ve been playing their whole lives. Last year on the Thursday before the cross country regional, they played every second of a double-overtime game in the state soccer tournament. They’re busy kids.” On a bedroom wall somewhere in suburban Dayton is a picture of two twins hitting the tape together in the state final. “I am not very good at taking the lead so I let John lead the races,” Walter laughed. “We were pretty much the same distance apart the whole race and I thought that I would just maintain that through the end of the race but in that last 50 meters that all changed. “It’s hard to sprint in but once you get going it gets easier. Once I got going, I knew that I could pass him. It’s easier to catch someone than it is to hold him off. He probably would have done the same thing if I were leading.” John had a different perspective. “I had been leading the whole race and he passed me in the last five meters,” John said. “I lead the workouts and win most of the races but somehow he usually beats me in the biggest races. That’s going to change this year in track though! “We won the state team title last year. We’re both going to double in the 1600 and the 3200 to get team points. I should beat him at least in the 1600 because I have a little more natural speed than he does, although there isn’t much of a difference. We are about equal although I usually push the pace and Walter usually tries to draft off of me.”

Dayton Christian seniors Walter and John Luttrell

Boys Golf

The Luttrells are considering college offers from Kentucky and Bowling Green. Even so, they know that 2007 was a great time, a year for them to savor. “We had a disappointing season last year,” John stressed. “We both had really good track seasons so we knew that if we came into the CC season healthy that we could have a breakout season. I ran a 15:33 (personal record) at the Fairmont Firebird meet and Walter ran a 15:33 (personal record) at the Mideast Meet of Champions -- and we ran our best at the state meet, so we are pleased.” – Alex Sator

University School’s McLaughlin Bags Top Award In Boys Golf

e didn’t appear on the Tonight Show at the age of 6, but Mac McLaughlin has done many things with a golf club that people outside of Tiger Woods likely cannot even comprehend. Most recently that included shooting a 66 on Ohio State University’s Gray Course in the second round of Ohio’s Division II state high school golf tournament. That score lifted McLaughlin to individual state medalist honors and propelled Hunting Valley University School to its second consecutive team championship and third in five years. His accomplishments this season are Mac why McLaughlin is the Huntington McLaughlin Bank/Ohio High Player of the Year in boys golf. University School His level of accomplishment on the course is why this will not likely be the last we’ve heard of the Preppers’ junior star. Much like Woods, McLaughlin’s story begins as a 2-year-old prodigy. He was given a toy club and fell in love with it. Soon thereafter, McLaughlin’s dad cut a putter down to fit the youngster. The family built a putting green at his grandparents’ house, giving him a place to practice. Taking lessons from his dad, McLaughlin quickly developed a passion for the game. “I just kind of picked it up and progressed,” he says. “I wasn’t one of those Tiger Woods guys, who had a perfect swing at age 4. I had a good swing. I could hit the ball and my putting was

JJ Hu ddle’ s O h io Hi gh

F a l l S p o r t s P l a y e r s o f t h e Ye a r always pretty good. My love for the game started then.” By the age of 6 or so (he’s not quite sure), McLaughlin got his first birdie on a full-sized hole. Hitting driver, 3wood, he found himself on the green of a course in Florida. Faced with a 30-foot putt, he did what any good first- or secondgrader would do and drained it. “It was downhill and broke crazy to the left,” recalls McLaughlin, who was a sixth-grader Hunting Valley when he got the first of University School his four holes-in-one. “I junior Mac still remember that McLaughlin putt.” He’s provided plenty of memories for the Preppers. He shot 7166 to win by two strokes over Mike Oberschmidt of Cincinnati McNicholas at the state tournament. McLaughlin’s play led University School to a two-day total of 580 to win by 13 strokes over Dayton Chaminade-Julienne. The Preppers rallied from 10 shots down after the first day. It capped a year in which McLaughlin averaged 72.2 shots per 18 holes. He was 11-over-par for the entire high school season. He was medalist at seven invitationals, as well as at sectional play. “He has matured enormously as an athlete,” says University School coach Bill O’Neil. “He’s also a swimmer. A lot of fitness and mental toughness has come from that. All the sides of his game are really strong. He has an excellent short game and he’s a great putter.” As a swimmer, McLaughlin is a novice. In addition to conditioning, he gets an appreciation for how the other half lives on the golf course. Not everything comes easy for him in the pool. He’s a high-B student in an advanced-placement courses at one of the most academically challenging schools in the state. They’re not called the Preppers for nothing. McLaughlin hopes golf can lead him to a similar environment after high school – if not much farther. “It would be great to become a professional,” he says. “I love this game and I’d like to do it for the rest of my life. My goal is to let this game take me as far as I’m able to go. I’m going to get as good as I can. If that means professional, I’d love to. I’d like it to be my life.” It’s his life to a degree now. When it’s not swim season, McLaughlin is working on his game. It doesn’t allow for a lot of free time. Or, it allows for nothing but. McLaughlin works hard at his game, but doesn’t consider it work. His vocation is vacation. “People are always asking me that: ‘Do you have any free time to just to relax?’ ” he said. “I just tell them, ‘I’m going to my free time right now,’ when I’m going to practice. That’s what I really enjoy doing.” – Todd Stumpf Photo by John Ritter

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Boys Soccer

Strongsville’s Green Leads The Way In Boys Soccer

ichael Green was born in Birmingham, England. But that’s not why soccer is in his blood. He was barely in the English town long enough to have a cuppa’. Green’s brother Chris was another story. Chris was 7 when the Green family headed to America, and by then had already found football – European style – fit him to a tea, err, T. “My dad had to work over there,” Michael Green says. “My family ended up moving there. That’s how my brother learned to play soccer. He continued to play over here. He was actually really good. I used to watch Michael him play and I wanted to play.” Green And he did. “For as long as I can remember,” Strongsville Green says, “I’ve been kicking a soccer ball.” For the last four years, he’s been kicking them for Strongsville High School, where his impact was felt immediately. He notched nine goals and six assists as a freshman. During his sophomore year those numbers jumped to 17 and 14. As a junior Green scored 16 goals and assisted on 18 to lead the Mustangs to the state semifinals, where they lost to eventual champion Stow. He topped all of that off this year with 16 goals and 13 assists. He converted nearly half his 34 shots. He had a hand in nearly half of the Mustangs’ goals. The Mustangs finished 12-2-4, losing their first and last games of the season. The latter was a 2-1 loss to Medina in the Brunswick Division I District semifinal. That production and consistency are why Green has been named the Huntington Bank/Ohio High Player of the Year for boys soccer. “His statistics speak for themselves,” says Strongsville coach Tobey Cook. “Michael not only could score important goals for us but he was as complete and unselfish a player I've had the pleasure of coaching.” Green’s name is littered about Strongsville’s career record book. His 49 career goals are tied for second all-time in school history. His 45 assists are first by a wide margin, as is his point total of 143. There is one record he missed out on, and it grinds him. Green appeared in 78 career games, one shy of the team mark. It’s not the record he wanted. Rather, he wanted more games. Finishing his career in the district semifinal was not what he had in mind. “It was very disappointing,” Green says. “For me, it felt like it didn’t happen. You’ve got nothing to do after that. You just stop playing and you just stop practice. You just kind of lose your way and there’s nothing to do. You can’t say, ‘Oh, there’s next year,’ when you’re a senior. It’s very disappointing.” That’s the type of attitude coaches love. That, along with his skills, are what landed him a scholarship to play for the University of New Mexico. He verbally committed to the school last March, choosing it over the likes of UCLA, UConn, Ohio State, SMU, Michigan and St. John’s. He has no idea what he’s going to study. There’s plenty of time to figure that out. As for soccer, Cook believes his star will have no problem figuring that out at the next level. “I have little doubt that he will have a successful collegiate career

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F a l l S p o r t s P l a y e r s o f t h e Ye a r

Volleyball

Mother Of Mercy Standout Harpenau Tops In Volleyball

incinnati Mother of Mercy senior Missy Harpenau may not be the best volleyball player ever to come out of the Queen City, but she’s close, according to an authority. “Bryn Kehoe is by far the best player to come out of Cincinnati,” Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame head coach Donna Mechley said. “But Missy Harpenau is a very close second.” Missy While Kehoe, a 2004 graduate of St. Harpenau Ursula Academy and the 2003 national high schoool player of the year, was Mother of Mercy busy leading Stanford to the NCAA title game and earning her third AllAmerican honor this season, Harpenau was doing a pretty good impression of her own on the prep level. Leading Mercy to its first state volleyball title since 1982, Harpenau, a first team All-Ohio selection, earned Girls Greater Cincinnati League, Southwest Ohio Volleyball Coaches Association and Gatorade (Ohio) player of the year honors. Add another laurel to the list. Harpenau is the 2007 Huntington Bank/Ohio High Player of the Year in volleyball. “She is the greatest player I have ever coached, and she keeps great company as a Mercy volleyball player,” Mercy head coach Denise Harvey said. “Missy excels in all areas as a volleyball player. She is not just a specialized position player.” Harpenau is definitely special, as is her game. Listed as an outside hitter, the 6-0 Harpenau excels at all disciplines. During her stint at Mercy, Harpenau racked up school records for career (1,093) and season kills (458). She also owns the Mercy record for kills in a game (33) set against Mount Notre Dame during the 2007 regular season. “She is an extremely smart player,” Mechley said. “She can see the block. She can hit around the block. She just does a masterful job of picking a part a defense.” That ability was on display in the D-I state final as Mercy outlasted

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MND 16-25, 25-12, 2628, 25-19, 15-11 at Wright State’s Nutter Center on Nov. 10. Against the Cougars in a rematch of last year’s state final that MND won, Harpenau led the Bobcats with a match-high 27 kills. She also added 20 digs and four key blocks. The appearance was Mercy’s third at state in Harpenau’s four years. “Losing to (Notre Dame) last year gave us so much motivation,” said Harpenau, who had to wear a bandage on her face Mother of during the game to Mercy senior cover a nose injury Missy sustained in warm-ups. Harpenau “We just fed off that. We all wanted it.” Mercy, ranked No. 1 in the state, finished 28-1 overall and won the GGCL title with a 9-1 record. In addition to Harpenau’s school records for kills, she also owns the mark for digs in a match (30) set in 2006. Harpenau had 348 digs this season and had a kill percentage of .338. Her serve-receive percentage was 96-percent. As a junior, Harpenau was also a first team GGCL pick and was second team All-Ohio. On the club level, she competed for Team Z in 2007 and led the squad to a national championship at the Junior Olympics, where she was named tournament MVP. Next season Harpenau will take her game to the University of Cincinnati. Her impact will be immediate. “She plays remarkable defense, her ball handling is the best I have ever seen and adding her offensive power to the mix makes her unstoppable,” Harvey said. “She has a keen understanding of the game that makes her so dominant.” – Eric Frantz

Photo by John Ritter

and meet his goal of playing professional soccer,” the Mustangs coach says. “He still has much to learn about playing the game and I’m quite sure that he will work diligently to attain his goal.” It’s something Green has worked at since he was a wee lad. Following his brother’s footsteps, he started playing with a local Strongsville travel team. By elementary school, he already knew soccer was a means to opening doors in his future. He played a year of basketball in grade school, but gave up other sports to pursue his greatest passion. He’s been at it ever since. This year he became Strongsville’s third Ohio Coaches Association player of the year, joining Doug Deken (1996) and Bruce Murphy (1999). Beyond it all, Green is just a normal kid. He plays video games, listens to rap music and eats PB&J. In the end, though, he’s a soccer player. “I just love the game,” Green says. “I always have. I’ve loved it for as long as I can remember. I can’t imagine not playing it.” – Todd Stumpf

Girls Cross Country

Continual Improvement Key For Kilbourne Star Durkin

laire Durkin so completely defies the traditional model of the high school athlete it is essentially impossible to find areas where she is like everybody else. It certainly isn't when she's running. The 2007 Division I state cross country champion has only added to her resume since concluding her career at Scioto Down in October with a 28-second blitzing of the big-school field. Three weeks later in Wisconsin, the Worthington Kilbourne senior burst on to the national scene by winning the Foot Locker Midwest Championship, dominating an elite regional field by 41 seconds and

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Photo by Greg Beers

breaking a 17-year old course record in the process. On Dec. 13 in San Diego, Durkin placed fifth in what was her first-ever trip to the Foot Locker national final. "I'm glad I was able to finish in the top five," Durkin said of the AllClaire Durkin American performance. "I'm really happy with the way my cross country Worthington career turned out." Kilbourne All of these accolades made Durkin the obvious choice as the Huntington Bank/Ohio High Runner of the Year in girls cross country. But in terms of athletics, Durkin's unusual talent is not the most unusual thing about her. For starters, she is a female distance runner who has improved as she has progressed through high school. In many instances, the onset of puberty can reduce a state champion-caliber 14 or 15-year-old runner to an above-average talent by her high school graduation. After not running as a freshman, Durkin had modest success as a sophomore, qualifying for the '05 state race and finishing 40th. But Durkin improved her time by nearly two minutes when she returned to Scioto Downs in 2006, placing third. She knocked yet another 50 seconds off that time this past fall on her way to the title. Melanie Williams, Durkin's coach at Kilbourne, credited some of the progression to good genes. "It really is unusual, with girls," Williams said. Worthington "They hit that Kilbourne senior growth spurt, start to mature and it takes a Claire Durkin toll on the body. But (Claire's family) seem to genetically have thin, runner's bodies." Durkin also doesn't seem to relish the spotlight the way some elite athletes do. Despite being a two-time state champion (she won the 3,200-meters in track in the spring), Durkin shies from media attention. With a growing number of blue chip seniors taking to national television to announce to the world via baseball cap which college they will be attending, Durkin does not like to openly discuss the schools she is considering because, as she simply put it, "I don't think it's the whole world's business." And it is still possible she may not run in college at all. An out-

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standing student, Durkin has applied to a number of elite academic institutions including MIT. Even after winning the Midwest Foot Locker race, Durkin had not told her parents whether she wanted to run in college at all. "Running is definitely a priority, but I want to keep it fun," Durkin said. "I want to enjoy running as a sport, not as a thing to get me money for a scholarship. And how many people can even make a living as a professional runner?" Where Durkin may stand out the most is in her training. Between 60 miles a week on the road, interval training, recovery runs and competing for Kilbourne's swim team in the winter, there are few high school distance runners in the country that train as hard as she does. It is an area of her sport in which Durkin takes a great deal of pride. "I really think it is a reflection of how much work I put in," she said when asked about her yearly time-drops at the state race. "Instead of keeping the same regimen, I've tried harder every year." Williams pointed out that Durkin is on the road in any kind of weather. As recently as December, she was making her own sneaker path through fresh snow on the Kilbourne track. "She works and trains harder than any runner I've had," said Williams, who has coached the sport since 1991. "She's very selfdisciplined and you have to have that to be good." When asked about the ceiling for her best pupil, Williams seemed to sum up perfectly the dichotomy inherent in Claire Durkin. "I would think she could be an Olympic-caliber runner," the coach said. "But I'm not sure she even wants to do that. “The way Claire puts it, it’s that she doesn't want to go to college and get run to death by a coach. She doesn't want to be just another disposable athlete." – Ian Mara

Girls Golf

Lancaster’s White Swings To Top Honor In Girls Golf

f in a decade’s time you are able to regularly find the name Allie White on LPGA leader boards, there will be a small contingent in the central Ohio golf community ready to say they told you so. After concluding a sparkling high school career in October with her second consecutive OHSAA individual medal, the Lancaster High Allie School senior and University of North White Carolina signee appears to be on her way to becoming one of the state's Lancaster best-ever golf products. Accordingly, she was named as the Huntington Bank/Ohio High Player of the Year in girls golf. "Allie's rare," said her swing coach, Eagle Sticks pro Kelly Morrow. "You don't come across players like her every day." Able to drive about 250 yards off the tee, White is obviously long for a junior player. She believes though, that it is improvements around the green that have helped her move forward in the game.

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Photo by Greg Beers

"I've always been able to hit it far," White said. "But recently I've started putting better. That's been the difference." Morrow countered by saying he thinks White's putting stroke Lancaster is a good one, but that senior the difference on the green has come Allie White between her ears. He said that playing overseas and in most of this country’s biggest junior events has given her big-game polish. "Controlling your nerves is the difference," Morrow said. "It's a matter of playing in a lot of big tournaments. Obviously she's done that." Though she first picked up clubs at age 5 and was playing Fairfield County events by 8, White didn't start playing the game at the national level until just before her freshman year of high school. That's when White began making the rounds of the American Junior Golf Association's regional events. White said she didn't start to envision golf being a career until this past summer when she posted several low scores in national events. One of those moments came in July when she finished as the runner-up in the 2007 Betsey Rawls Girls Championship at White Manor Country Club in Malvern, Pa. To perform so well in what is one of the country's premier junior events was an eye-opener. "Going against a lot of good golfers in the national tournaments I realized I can do it too," she said. "I realized I might be able to go toward a professional career." As of December, White was ranked the eighth best golfer in the country by the AJGA, and she has been as high as sixth. White notched top-five finishes in four of the six events she played during the 2007 season. And as nice as the OHSAA state championships are, Morrow said it is in the AJGA events one can see White's potential on a larger scale. "They set those courses up longer, more the like the conditions they play at college and LPGA events," he said. "Plus you see where you are against the best in the country." Even more impressive is that White has reached the lofty perch from a part of the country not always conducive, weather-wise, to playing elite golf. Of the top 30 girls on the AJGA's national ranking, 17 are from either Florida or California and only White is from the Midwest. Morrow isn't eager to heap any extra pressure on his pupil in the form of career predictions. With that said, he had to allow that he thinks anything is possible. "She definitely has the tools to do it," he said. "She's got the skill and the mindset." – Ian Mara

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Field Hockey

Thomas Worthington’s Brinkman Tapped For Field Hockey Award

ou could turn to any teammate, scout or opponent for an appraisal of Kelsey Brinkman's field hockey abilities and you will hear similar words of praise and respect. But listening to the first time Paul Simonetti watched the Thomas Worthington senior midfielder play is just so much more fun. Though not a player himself, the brother of Thomas Worthington head coach Terri Simonetti-Frost, has been around the game for decades and has watched his sister Kelsey play at the highest level of the collegiate game. Brinkman That first time he came to watch Brinkman in a Thomas uniform, Thomas Simonetti-Frost didn't have to wait and Worthington ask for an opinion: Her brother registered his disbelief as soon as he walked near the field. "He was 10 yards away but I could hear him," Simonetti-Frost remembered. "He just yelled out: 'Oh my gosh.'" The slick playmaker that helped guide Thomas to the program's second state championship in early November has the kind of technical skills so apparent they tend to produce shock when others watch her on the field. Fittingly, Brinkman has been named as the Huntington Bank/Ohio High Player of the Year in field hockey. Simonetti-Frost said on a number of occasions she has literally halted her instruction in practice to verbally marvel at something Brinkman has done with the stick. "I'll just stop and say 'Whoa, that's the most ridiculous play I've ever seen,'" the coach said. The University of North Carolina commitment is among the most gifted players ever to come out of central Ohio, both with her field awareness and stick skills. "You see Kelsey with three people on her and it's like she's peeling a banana," her coach said. "One layer's gone, then another, and then she's still making an accurate pass." The individual numbers for Brinkman speak for themselves. In her three years manning central midfield for Thomas Worthington, Brinkman scored 24 goals and dished out 45 assists, more than half coming in her senior season. A two-time All-Ohio honoree, on Dec. 11 Brinkman was named a first-team member of the 2007 National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-American Team. She was the only Ohioan to receive the honor. Brinkman scored the first goal in Thomas Worthington's win over Bishop Watterson in the 2007 state title game, setting the tone for what would be a 3-0 victory. But where Brinkman really stands out, even among the elite in her sport, is in her vision of the field and an accompanying sense of calm in stressful situations. "There are a lot of kids at the high school level that panic with the ball," Simonetti-Frost said. "Kelsey never does. She has complete confidence and can be on-the-money with her passes. That's what makes here so unique."

JJ Hu ddle’ s O h io Hi gh

F a l l S p o r t s P l a y e r s o f t h e Ye a r Photo by Lori Reeder

Thomas Worthington senior Kelsey Brinkman

Brinkman concurred, though she couldn't explain the ability. "I've been told you can't teach it, it just happens," she said. "I'm just able to see people in open spots." An outstanding stick-handler, Simonetti-Frost says Brinkman could play defense or midfield at the next level. Playing under head coach Karen Shelton with current NCAA champion UNC should give Brinkman every opportunity to go far in the sport. SimonettiFrost said Shelton works to develop players beyond the college level and mentioned that the Tar Heels had five national team

players on their roster this fall. "She is going to that top-caliber program," Simonetti- said. "The kid is a hard worker. She wants to play and she wants to improve." Brinkman's own expectations weren't far behind, saying she has national team and Olympic-level aspirations for herself. "I want to be the best player I can be," Brinkman said. "My goal right now is to when I graduate get on the All-American team. We'll see where college takes me." – Ian Mara

Girls Soccer

Sacrifices Helped Pickerington North’s Annis Excel In Soccer

he top girls soccer player in Ohio has been making sacrifices for her sport since she was in elementary school. Fortunately for Tahnai Annis, her unique talents have helped make sure those sacrifices have paid the dividends they were supposed to. Tahnai Annis wrapped up her senior season at Pickerington North this fall by leading the Panthers to the program's first-ever state semifinals and being named the Huntington Bank/Ohio High Player of the Year in girls soccer. Playing a combination of central midfield and forward, Annis accounted for 18 goals and five assists for 17-3-2 North. The team came one match shy of the state title game, falling 1-0 to eventual state champion St. Ursula Academy on a controversial overtime goal. Annis is a player noted for superb attacking talents and unusual aerial talents for a shorter athlete. "I really like to be creative with the ball," Annis said. "I like to distribute to people as well as score.” Despite the frustrations of her senior season, the body of work

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J J H U D D L E . C O M 13

F a l l S p o r t s P l a y e r s o f t h e Ye a r Annis leaves behind is a testament both to her abilities as an athlete and her maturity as a person. Starting with selecting soccer over gymnastics at age 10 and then dropping her second-favorite sport, basketball, four years later, Annis has made difficult decisions to get the most from her gift. "It was hard, I really enjoyed basketball," she said of the choice made before her freshman year of high school. "But it came out of common sense. If I wanted go to college and play at a Division I school, I would have to play yearround. Tahnai “I wanted to better myself so I made Annis the decision to focus on soccer." The immediate results were two AllPickerington Ohio selections and a pair of Eastern North District Player of the Year awards whiles a freshman and sophomore at Tri-Valley High School in Dresden. Following her second year at TriValley, Annis made the decision that she needed to move on to a program which would better meet her soccer needs. Annis felt she required a larger stage on which to compete, and many of her club teammates were students at North, one of the better girls programs in the Ohio Capital Conference. Since it was not realistic for Annis' entire family to re-locate to Pickerington, over the last two years Annis established residency with teammates, living the entire school year with the family of a North player and visiting her parents occasionally on weekends. "Her family support is outstanding," said Brandon Koons, Annis' club coach with Ambassadors S.C. "As she has traveled all over the

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country for tournaments and to receive awards her family has always been there with her.” Though the archetypal figure when high school students transfer for athletic reasons is a manipulative parent, in this case it was Annis calling the shots. "My parents didn't like the idea at all when I first brought it up," she said. "They were my last years in high school and they wanted me to be around." But after realizing that if Annis were to remain at Tri-Valley she would not be satisfied, her parents relented "They said they would rather me be happy, even if I was away from them. It was a big sacrifice for them and I really appreciated it. Not many parents would allow their kid to be away from home like that." After her first season at North, Annis was able to realize her dream and verbally committed to play soccer at the University of Florida. With both of the Gators' central midfielders set to graduate this spring, it is possible Annis could step right into the lineup of the SEC's top women's program. Holding a number of All-American awards and with several appearances with the U.S. Under-17 team under her belt, Koons said he thinks Annis can be an outstanding player at the next level. "Tahnai has that technically ability on her first touch," Koons said. "Her balance gives her the ability the change direction so quickly, I've seen defenders fall down trying to stay in front of her." Annis said she has even more hard work ahead of her, but is optimistic about being a factor in Gainesville right away. "It all depends on my fitness and how well I do in pre-season," she said of her prospects for next fall. "If I do well in both of those aspects I can hopefully make an impact." – Ian Mara

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STORY BY OHIO HIGH STAFF, OHSAA REPORTS

Fall Sports Round Up

he fields of play saw some remarkable performances this fall across the Buckeye State – both on individual and team levels. The following is a look back at those performances in all 10 OHSAA sanctioned state championships. A roundup of the football playoff can be found on page 21. For more information, please visit www.jjhuddle.com and www.ohsaa.org.

Boys Cross Country

* Division I: Medina’s best finish was fourth last year, but the Bees won their first state title with 76 points, easily outdistancing runner-up Centerville, which had 127. Last year’s champion, Cincinnati LaSalle, did not qualify for the state tournament. Leading Medina was junior Donny Roys, who took individual honors with a 15:21.83. He edged Cincinnati St. Xavier senior Dan Thaler, who ran a 15:22.86. Also helping the Bees’ cause was senior Sam Maynard, sophomore Hunter Heaton and senior Jeremy Arthur, who placed 13th, 14th and 15th, respectively, in the team scoring. * Division II: Peninsula Woodridge defended its championship from last year and won its second title overall when it had 83 points. Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit was second with 115. Leading the Bulldogs was senior Brian Himelright, who placed third overall but had the top time in the team scoring with a 15:47.92. Junior Michael Rhodes was 17th in the team scoring, senior Tony Marette 19th and junior Joe White 20th. “There’s no better feeling than winning a team championship,” Himelright said afterwards. “But it’s a different feeling this year, there are different emotions.” Sandusky Perkins senior Cory Leslie was the individual champion, running a 15:33.47. * Division III: Louisville St. Thomas Aquinas won its second championship and fifth overall when it had 54 points. McDonald was a distant second with 118. The Knights were led by senior Tony Migliozzi and junior Nate Addessi, who placed third and seventh overall, respectively, but first and second in the team scoring. Three other runners also placed in the top 20 of the team scoring. St. Thomas Aquinas won its other titles in 1976, 1980 and 1981. Dayton Christian senior twins Walter and John Luttrell placed first and second in the individual race, with Walter running a 15:34.09 and John a 15:34.36. “I think it was exciting for the crowd, seeing two twins out there in the front,” said Walter, who raised both arms above his head as he crossed the finish line.

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Maria Stein Marion Local won its first state volleyball title 3-0 over Norwalk St. Paul in the Division IV final.

Photo by Nick Falzerano

J J H U D D L E . C O M 15

Fall Sports Round Up Girls Cross Country

* Division I: Brecksville-Broadview Heights won its first state championship with 115 points, edging runner-up Rocky River Magnificat, which had 120. Defending champion Cincinnati St. Ursula Academy did not qualify for this year’s tournament. The Bees’ previous top finish was second place in 1981. Junior Aly Dosen finished 21st overall and seventh in the team scoring, senior Megan McAdams was 22nd overall and eighth in the team scoring and junior Molly Jacobson was 31st overall and 13th in the team scoring to lead Brecksville-Broadview Heights. Worthington Kilbourne senior Claire Durkin was the individual champion with a 17:10.51. Her time set a Division I state tournament record, breaking the mark of 17:15.3

“It feels good,” Infeld said. “I’m really happy to win.” * Division III: In the closest small-school girls race ever, Versailles took the title with 119 points, edging defending champion Gates Mills Gilmour Academy by one point and sixtime champion Minster by five. It was the second state title for the Tigers, who won their other crown in 2003. Junior Mary Prakel was Versailles’ top finisher, placing eighth overall and fourth in the team scoring with a time of 19.02.72. Four other Tigers also placed in the top 34 of the team scoring. Barnesville junior Stephanie Morgan was the individual champion, running a 17:27.36.

Boys Golf

* Division I: Dublin Jerome followed up a

second round to take medalist honors. Darby classmate Ethan Tracy tied Jerome’s Siekmann for second place with a 155. Two individual qualifiers, Lancaster senior Nick Helser and Massillon Perry junior Tyler Light, led after the first round and finished fourth and tied for fifth, respectively. The 2006 medalist, Upper Arlington’s Bo Hoag, graduated. * Division II: Hunting Valley University School overcame a 10-stroke deficit after the first round to defend its championship and capture its fourth title overall. The Preppers, the only school to break 300 in the final round when they shot a 285, had a 580 total to finish 13 strokes ahead of first-day leader Dayton Chaminade-Julienne. Pepper Pike Orange placed third in the 12-

Photo by Greg Beers

Medina junior Donny Roys won the individual title in D-I, while the Bees captured thier first team title as well.

Cleveland Heights Beaumont senior Emily Infeld defended her D-II individual state title with a time of 17:30.91.

Despite a fourth place finish at regionals, Versailles, led by junior Mary Prakel (above), claimed the D-III state title.

that was set by Salem’s Jenni Brown in 1992. * Division II: Kettering Alter, runner-up the past three years, captured its first state title when it had 94 points. Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy was second with 111, while defending champion Salem was sixth. Senior Hilary Esselestein was the top finisher for the Knights, placing third overall and second in the team scoring with a time of 18:12.49. Four other Alter runners also placed in the top 26 in the team scoring. “It’s just a huge relief,” said Alter coach Matt Sableski, whose team finished with 94 points. “We needed this result.” Cleveland Heights Beaumont senior Emily Infeld defended her championship from last year, running a 17:30.91. She also placed third as a freshman and second as a sophomore.

first-round 316 with a 323 in the final round to give it the title with a 639 total, which was 13 strokes ahead of Cincinnati Moeller. Columbus St. Charles was third with a 663. Last year’s champion Upper Arlington did not qualify for the tournament. The championship was the third in four years for the Celtics (they won the Division II crown in 2004 in the school’s first year of existence) after they placed second last year, five strokes behind Upper Arlington. Junior Aaron Siekmann had the school’s best score with a 155, finishing in a tie for second place in the medalist race. Senior Paul Grauer added a 158 to tie for fifth and senior Michael Lamping had a 160 to tie for seventh. Hilliard Darby senior David Haley Jr. followed his first round 5-over 76 with a 77 in the

team, 36-hole tournament with a 601. Junior Mac McLaughlin led University School with a 137 total to earn medalist honors. He shot a four-under 66 in the final round. Senior Andrew Haines was next with a 143, while freshman Scott Smith added a 148. Cincinnati McNicholas senior Mike Oberschmidt was second in the medalist race with a 139. “Mike was magical around the greens on Friday,” McNicholas coach John Meyer said. “I thought conditions were a little easier today, and I thought Mike struck the ball much better. I am really proud of how he played this weekend.” First day leader Dorian Vauls, a senior from Chaminade-Julienne, and Chagrin Falls junior Sam Core were third with 140s.

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Photo by Greg Beers

JJ H u ddle ’s O h io Hi gh

Fall Sports Round Up Last year’s medalist, Canal Fulton Northwest’s Justin Lower, graduated. University School’s other championships came in 1990 and 2003. * Division III: Sugarcreek Garaway stood in fifth place, 14 strokes behind Fremont St. Joseph Central Catholic, after the first day but fired a 322 in the final round to carry it to its second state title in four years. The Pirates’ two-day total of 660 was one stroke better than Gahanna Columbus Academy and two ahead of third-place Sandusky St. Mary Central Catholic. Fremont St. Joe slipped to fifth place in the 12-team, 36-hole tournament with a 670. Junior Kevin Miller, the state runner-up as a freshman, led Garaway and captured medalist honors when he shot a two-over 73 Saturday

and its 649 total gave it the championship – 13 strokes better than runner-up Mason. Defending champion West Chester Lakota West, seven strokes back in second place after the first round, finished third with a 667. It was the third state golf title for Walsh, moving it into a tie for most girls golf championships with Toledo Notre Dame Academy. The Warriors’ other crowns came in 2001 and 2004. Senior Erin Misheff had the team’s top score with a 157 total, including a 77 in the final round. Junior Kelly Krusoe was next with a 161 and sophomore Ariel McNair had a 165. Senior Allie White, an individual qualifier from Lancaster, defended her medalist honors when her 145 edged two other individual qualifiers, Macadonia Nordonia senior Shamira

Photo by John Ritter

Photo by Greg Beers

first-half tempo by not allowing Jackson a shot on goal. The sixth-ranked Polar Bears (18-2-3) were in the state tournament for the first time. Semifinal Results: Hilliard Davidson 3, Cincinnati Elder 0; Massillon Jackson 1, Sylvania Northview 0, OT. * Division II: Senior midfielder Danny Thompson scored goals in the 72nd and the 75th minutes to lead No. 2 Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy (18-1-3) to a 2-0 win over Kettering Alter (18-3-2). “This is the definition of a team right here,” said Thompson, who as a freshman helped the school win its first championship. “This is the best team I’ve been on at CVCA.” Alter was limited to two shots on goal. It was the second state championship for the Royals, who won their other title in 2004. No.

Photo by Greg Beers

Chaminade-Julienne senior Dorian Vauls finished third overall, while the Eagles placed second as a team in D-II.

Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy won the school’s second D-II state title, while Alter finished runner-up for the second straight year.

Springfield Catholic Central won its second D-III state title in overtime on a goal from Anthony Canestraro (#13).

for a 151 total. Senior Tyler Gerber was next with a 164. Nine other golfers were within eight strokes of Miller in the medalist race. Zanesville Bishop Rosecrans junior Josh Agin was second with a 152, and Columbus Academy senior Alex Simson, the first-day leader, placed third with a 153. Last year’s medalist, Delphos Jefferson senior Dillon Klein, shot a one-over 72 Saturday but his 154 total left him in fourth place. Last year’s team champion, JohnstownMonroe, did not qualify for this year’s tournament.

Marshall and Bowling Green junior Caroline Bowers, who shot 147 and 148, respectively. White followed up a first-round 72 with a 73 on in the final round. Marshall’s 72 was the best score in the final round.

5 Alter was seeking its fourth state title and finished as state runner-up for the second straight year and fourth time overall. Semifinal Results: Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy 2, Napoleon 0; Kettering Archbishop Alter 1, Columbus DeSales 0, OT. * Division III: Senior midfielder Anthony Canestraro scored a goal in the 86th minute in overtime to lead Springfield Catholic Central (20-1-1) to a 2-1 victory over Gates Mills Hawken (18-2-2). “I just think about what if I had a goal this big,” Canestraro said. “It’s amazing to be here and have a goal like that. The seniors – it has to be the best feeling for all of us. I can’t describe it.” After Hawken scored in the 26th minute of the first half, Catholic Central senior midfielder

Girls Golf

Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit followed up a first round 323 with a 326 in the final round,

JJ Hu d d l e ’ s O h io H i g h

Boys Soccer

* Division I: First-half goals by senior midfielders Jon Reasoner and Colby Catlett led Hilliard Davidson (18-2-2) to its first state championship when it defeated Massillon Jackson 2-1. “This is definitely a dream come true,” Catlett said. “I’ve been putting a lot of hard work growing up playing soccer my whole life. This is an amazing experience right now.” The seventh-ranked Wildcats, in the state tournament for the second time, controlled the

J J H U D D L E . C O M 17

Fall Sports Round Up Stephen Kearns tied the game a minute later. Canestraro’s goal came following a scoreless second half. The second-ranked Irish won their second state championship, capturing their other crown in 2001. Hawken, ranked No. 3 in the final state coach’s poll, was also seeking its second championship and finished as state runner-up for the sixth time. Semifinal Results: Springfield Catholic Central 1, Worthington Christian 0; Gates Mills Hawken 3, Kidron Central Christian 2.

Girls Soccer

* Division I: Cincinnati St. Ursula Academy (20-1-2) scored a goal in the 75th minute to break a 1-1 tie and outlasted top-ranked Strongsville 2-1. Senior midfielder Tori Huster scored the game-winner after junior forward

Badin 2-0. Junior midfielder Merrill Bachouros scored a goal and sophomore midfielder Lani Smith had a goal and an assist to lead the Blazers. Hathaway Brown, ranked No. 5 in the final state coach’s poll, won its other championship in 2004. “We’re a small school from the northeast,” Hathaway Brown coach Dennis Weyn said. “It’s hard for us to get through our area. But once we do get out we usually do pretty well.” Tenth-ranked Badin (17-6-1) finished second for the second straight year, sixth time overall and was also seeking its second state championship. Semifinal Results: Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown 2, Akron Archbishop Hoban 1; Hamilton Badin 2, Cincinnati Madeira 1.

Photo by Greg Beers

Cincinnati St. Ursula beat Strongsville 2-1 to capture the D-I state title. Senior Tori Huster (#10) scored the game-winner. Alexandra Berry tied the game in the 48th minute. "It’s just a really special feeling," said Huster. It was the third state championship for the fourth ranked Bulldogs, which won titles in 1991 and 1993. Strongsville (18-1-4), which received a goal from senior midfielder Kerri Krawczak in the 38th minute, was seeking its fourth state championship and finished as state runner-up for the second time. Semifinal Results: Cincinnati St. Ursula Academy 1, Pickerington North 0, OT; Strongsville 1, Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit 0, SO. * Division II: Fifth-ranked Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown (20-3-1) scored a goal in each half and went on to capture its second state championship when it defeated Hamilton

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Photo by Greg Beers

Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown, led by a goal from junior Merrill Bachouros (#16), beat Hamilton Badin for the D-II title.

Volleyball

* Division I: Top-ranked Cincinnati Mother of Mercy (28-1) turned the tables on rival Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame (24-5) when it stopped the No. 3-ranked Cougars, 16-25, 2512, 26-28, 25-19, 15-11. Mount Notre Dame defeated Mercy in last year’s finals in four games. “We’re happy we get to sit here and say we beat Mount Notre Dame,” Mercy head coach Denise Harvey said. “It’s a reversal of roles from last year and that makes it sweeter.” Senior Missy Harpenau had 27 kills and three players had 20 or more digs to lead the Bobcats. The two schools split five-game matches during the regular season. It was the fourth state championship for Mercy, which won its

other titles in 1977, 1980 and 1982. Mount Notre Dame was seeking its sixth state championship and finished as runner-up for the second time. Semifinal Results: Cincinnati Mother of Mercy def. Mentor, 25-10, 20-25, 25-16, 2511; Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame def. Rocky River Magnificat, 25-23, 25-12, 25-19. * Division II: No. 10 Toledo Central Catholic (25-4) captured its first state championship in its third trip to the state tournament when it stopped No. 6 Columbus Hartley (23-6) in the finals, 25-19, 26-24, 25-17. Senior Ashley Frazier had 15 kills and senior Amanda Gray 19 digs for the Fighting Irish. Hartley was in the state tournament for the first time. Semifinal Results: Toledo Central Catholic

Photo by John Ritter

Cincinnati Mother of Mercy captured its first D-I state title since 1982 with a fiveset win over Cincinnati Mt. Notre Dame. def. Salem, 22-25, 19-25, 25-15, 25-6, 15-13; Columbus Hartley def. Tipp City Tippecanoe, 21-25, 25-19, 19-25, 25-19, 16-14. * Division III: No. 10 Lima Central Catholic (27-2) won its first championship in its first trip to the state tournament when it defeated No. 16 Albany Alexander (25-4), 25-27, 25-17, 2515, 25-20. Junior JoJo Krieg had 18 kills and junior Alexis Diglio 15 digs to lead the Thunderbirds. “This is like nothing else in the world,” said Krieg, who was the Northwest Conference player of the year. “To come here with our fans and teammates that you have worked so hard with and win a state title is an incredible experience.” Alexander was in the state tournament for the second time after losing in last year’s

JJ Hu ddle’ s O h io Hi gh

Fall Sports Round Up semifinals. Semifinal Results: Lima Central Catholic def. Cincinnati Roger Bacon, 25-19, 17-25, 25-20, 25-23; Albany Alexander def. Gates Mills Gilmour Academy, 25-18, 25-21, 18-25, 24-26, 16-14. * Division IV: Top-ranked Maria Stein Marion Local (28-1) won its first state championship when it defeated third-ranked and defending champion Norwalk St. Paul (26-3), 25-14, 25-22, 25-16. Senior Abby Niekamp had 14 kills, senior Megan Barhorst 12 kills and freshman Alyssa Winner 14 digs for the Flyers, who finished as state runner-up in 2002. “I thought our whole front line did a great job today,” Marion Local coach Amy Steininger said. “Our blocking was tremendous. We had 16 team blocks and that’s almost a season-

Photo by John Ritter

here second state title. “The pressure of it was different.” Danesis was the 2006 Division II state runner-up and was on the Division II state championship doubles team in 2005. Turvy defeated Perrysburg junior Julia Metzger in the semifinals, 6-1, 6- 2, and Danesis was a 6-1, 6-1 winner over Miamisburg junior Kayla Tuscany. Metzger won the third-place match. * Division I Doubles: Dublin Jerome senior Jessica Easdale and freshman Kathryn Farrar took home the gold medals with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Dayton Chaminade-Julienne junior Katie Pleiman and sophomore Nicci Dresden in the finals. Easdale was on last year’s doubles team that placed third, Farrer’s sisters were the 2004 Division II state doubles titlists and Pleiman was on last year’s state runner-up

Photo by Greg Beers

Lima Central Catholic won its first state volleyball title with a four-set win over Albany Alexander in the D-III final.

Dublin Jerome partners Jessica Easdale (senior) and Kathryn Farrar (freshman) won the D-I doubles title.

high for us especially for a three-game match. I thought we dominated net play.” St. Paul was seeking its third championship overall and finished as runner-up for the second time. Semifinal Results: Maria Stein Marion Local def. Newark Catholic, 25-19, 25-13, 2514; Norwalk St. Paul def. Jackson Center, 2519, 28-26, 25-22.

team. Easdale and Farrar defeated Massillon Jackson senior Loni Dickerhoof and freshman Trisha Conlan in the semifinals, 6-4, 6-1, while Pleiman and Dresden stopped Toledo Notre Dame Academy seniors Tara Majdalani and Meredith Morse, 6-4, 6-3. Majdalani and Morse won the third-place match. * Division II Singles: Cincinnati Summit Country Day junior Gabby Steele won the championship, defeating Dayton Oakwood senior Kelsey Haviland in the finals, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. Steele placed second in 2005 and third last year and Haviland was the state champ as a freshman in 2004, lost in the second round in 2005 and did not qualify last year. “It’s a good feeling, winning states,” said Steele. “Kelsey’s a very good player and she

Girls Tennis

* Division I Singles: Dublin Coffman junior Kate Turvy defended her championship from 2006 when she defeated Richfield Revere senior Stephanie Danesis in the finals, 6-0, 75. Turvy won the crown last year while attending Dublin Jerome. “This was definitely hard,” Turvy said of

JJ H u d d l e ’ s O h i o H i g h

played well. I just tried to be more aggressive and stay focused.” Steele defeated Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy junior Katherine Bulling in the semifinals, 6-3, 6-4, while Haviland stopped Pepper Pike Orange junior Sabrina Jetli, 6-0, 6-2. Bulling won the third-place match. * Division II Doubles: Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown’s Dorsey sisters, senior Morgan and sophomore Cameron, won the championship when they defeated Lexington seniors Torrie Goudy and Courtney Schaub in the finals, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2. The Dorseys, who were second last year, defeated Middletown Bishop Fenwick juniors Caitlin O’Gara and Maggie Sullivan in the semifinals, 6-3, 6-3, while Lexington beat Columbus Academy.

Photo by Greg Beers

Cincinnati Summit Country Day junior Gabby Steele won her first state title in D-II singles after finishing second and third.

Field Hockey

Sophomore Anna Simmons had two goals and an assist to lead Worthington Thomas Worthington (18-2-1) to a 3-0 win over Columbus Watterson in the finals. Senior Kelsey Brinkman scored the first goal for the Cardinals, while junior Anna Geissbuhler had two assists. It was the second state championship for Thomas Worthington, which won its other title in 1988. Watterson was seeking its third state championship and finished as runners-up for the second straight year and fourth time overall. Semifinal Results: Worthington Thomas Worthington 4, Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown 1; Columbus Watterson 1, Kettering Fairmont 0. — OH

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Maria Stein Marion Local leads standings

Ohio High Cup Standings

Flyers ride championships in football and volleyball to top spot; Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit a close second

or the fifth year in a row, Ohio High will present the Ohio High Cup to the school that scores the most points in Ohio High School Athletic Association-sanctioned state championship events. This competition is patterned after the Directors’ Cup standings for colleges and universities. In the Ohio High Cup competition, schools accumulate points by finishing in the top four at OHSAA-sanctioned state team championships. Schools that win a state title are awarded five points. Runner-up teams receive three points, third-place teams get two points and fourthplace teams get one point. In sports where state semifinal teams tie for third, they each receive 1-1/2 points. In this issue, we tabulate the first standings for the 2007-08 school year after the fall sports season. That 2003-04 season saw points awarded for finishes in football, volleyball, boys and Versailles girls soccer, boys and girls cross 2004-05 country, field hockey and boys and Cuyahoga Falls girls golf. Maria Stein Marion Local, behind Walsh Jesuit state championships in Division V 2005-06 football and Division IV volleyball, Cincinnati St. Xavier has grabbed the early lead with 10 2006-07 points in the competition. But Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit, keyed Kettering Alter by a state title in girls golf, is right behind in second at 9-1/2. Defending Ohio High Cup champion Kettering Alter is tied for third with eight points, sharing that spot in the standings with Cuyahoga Falls Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy. Last year, Kettering Alter grabbed a commanding lead in the fall with three state runner-up team performances and a state championship in Division II volleyball. The Dayton-area school added one more point in the spring with a fourth-place finish in Division II girls track to end up with 15 points to win the 2006-07 Ohio High Cup competition. Versailles captured the first Ohio High Cup in 2003-04. In 2004-05, Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit claimed the cup. In 2005-06, Cincinnati St. Xavier won the Ohio High Cup competition. — OH

Previous Winners

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STORY BY STEVE HELWAGEN

Ohio High Cup Standings Here is a complete look at the first Ohio High Cup standings for 2007-08: 10 -- Maria Stein Marion Local (D-V football champions, D-IV volleyball champions).

9-1/2 -- Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit (D-I girls soccer semifinalist, D-II boys cross country runner-up, girls golf champions). 8 -- Cuyahoga Falls Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy (D-II boys soccer champions, D-II girls cross country runner-up), Kettering Alter (D-II boys soccer runner-up, D-II girls cross country champions). 6-1/2 -- Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown (D-II girls soccer champions, field hockey semifinalist), Springfield Catholic Central (D-VI football semifinalist, D-III boys soccer champions). 6 – Brecksville-Broadview Heights (D-I girls cross country champions, D-I boys cross country fourth). 5-1/2 -- Rocky River Magnificat (D-I volleyball semifinalist, D-I girls cross country runner-up, girls golf fourth). 5 -- Cincinnati Anderson (D-II football champions), Cincinnati Mother of Mercy (D-I volleyball champions), Cincinnati St. Ursula Academy (D-I girls soccer champions), Cincinnati St. Xavier (D-I football champions), Coldwater (D-IV football champions), Dublin Jerome (D-I boys golf champions), Hilliard Davidson (D-I boys soccer champions), Hunting Valley University School (D-II boys golf champions), Lima Central Catholic (D-III volleyball champions), Louisville St. Thomas Aquinas (D-III boys cross country champions), Massillon Jackson (D-I boys soccer runner-up, D-I girls cross country third), Medina (D-I boys cross country champions), Newark Catholic (D-VI football champions), Peninsula Woodridge (D-II boys cross country champions), Sugarcreek Garaway (D-III boys golf champions), Sunbury Big Walnut (D-III football champions), Toledo Central Catholic (D-II volleyball champions), Versailles (D-III cross country champions), Worthington Thomas Worthington (field hockey champions). 4-1/2 -- Gates Mills Gilmour Academy (D-III volleyball semifinalist, D-III girls cross country runner-up), Mentor (D-I football runner-up, D-I volleyball semifinalist), Newark Catholic (D-V football runner-up, D-IV volleyball semifinalist). 4 – Youngstown Ursuline (D-VI football runner-up, D-II boys golf fourth). 3 -- Albany Alexander (D-III volleyball runner-up), Bascom Hopewell-Loudon (D-VI football runner-up), Centerville (D-I boys cross country runner-up), Cincinnati Moeller (D-I boys golf runner-up), Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame (D-I volleyball runner-up), Columbus Hartley (D-II volleyball runner-up), Columbus Watterson (field hockey runner-up), Dayton Chaminade-Julienne (D-I boys golf runner-up), Gahanna Columbus Academy (D-III boys golf runner-up), Gates Mills Hawken (D-III boys soccer runner-up), Hamilton Badin (D-II girls soccer runner-up), Louisville (D-II football runner-up), Mason (girls golf runnerup), McDonald (D-III boys cross country runner-up), Newark Licking Valley (D-III football runner-up), North Canton Hoover (D-I girls cross country fourth, D-I boys cross country third), Norwalk St. Paul (DIV volleyball runner-up), Strongsville (D-I girls soccer runner-up), Youngstown Mooney (D-IV football runner-up). 2 – Canal Winchester (D-II boys cross country third), Cleveland Heights Beaumont (D-II girls cross country third), Columbus St. Charles (D-I boys golf third), Minster (D-III girls cross country third), Pepper Pike Orange (D-II boys golf third), Russia (D-III boys cross country third), Sandusky St. Mary Central Catholic (D-III boys golf third), West Chester Lakota West (girls golf third). 1-1/2 – Ada (D-VI football semifinalist), Ashland (D-II football semifinalist), Akron Hoban (D-II girls soccer semifinalist), Burton Berkshire (D-III girls cross country fourth), Brunswick (D-I football semifinalist), Cincinnati Elder (D-I boys soccer semifinalist), Cincinnati Madeira (D-II girls soccer semifinalist), Cincinnati Roger Bacon (D-III volleyball semifinalist), Columbus DeSales (D-II boys soccer semifinalist), Columbus Ready (D-V football semifinalist), Dublin Coffman (D-I football semifinalist), Hamler Patrick Henry (D-V football semifinalist), Jackson Center (D-IV volleyball semifinalist), Kettering Fairmont (field hockey semifinalist), Kidron Central Christian (D-III boys soccer semifinalist), Marion Pleasant (D-IV football semifinalist), Mayfield (D-II football semifinalist), Mentor Lake Catholic (D-III football semifinalist), Mogadore (D-III boys golf fourth), Monroe (D-III football semifinalist), Napoleon (D-II boys soccer semifinalist), Pickerington North (D-I girls soccer semifinalist), Salem (D-II volleyball semifinalist), Sylvania Northview (DI boys soccer semifinalist), Tipp City Tippecanoe (D-II volleyball semifinalist), Williamsport Westfall (D-III football semifinalist), Worthington Christian (D-III boys soccer semifinalist). 1 – Bellaire St. John Central (D-III boys cross country fourth), Cincinnati St. Xavier (D-I boys golf fourth), Defiance (D-II girls cross country fourth), Uhrichsville Claymont (D-II boys cross country fourth).

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STORY BY ERIC FRANTZ & MATT NATALI

State Football Finals Recap Mooney’s Brandon Beachum meets the heart of the Coldwater defense.

Photo by Nick Falzerano

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State Football Finals Recap hen the final whistle blew on the 2007 OHSAA state football championships in Stark County, two schools raised the state championship trophy for the second time in three seasons, two programs claimed their first state titles, another school won its second straight state championship and a traditional power earned its eighth title in school history. Both Cincinnati St. Xavier and Coldwater won their second football state championships after both schools won titles in 2005. The Bombers blanked 2006 runner-up Mentor 27-0 in Division I in icy conditions, while the Cavaliers edged heavy favorite and defending champion Youngstown Mooney 28-27 in thrilling fashion. Cincinnati Anderson and Sunbury Big Walnut both won their first titles in school history. Anderson knocked off Louisville 31-25 in the Division II bout, while the Big Walnut outlasted Newark Licking Valley 17-10 in Division III. In small-school action, Maria Stein Marion Local won its fourth state championship in school history and its second in as many years with a 20-14 win over Youngstown Ursuline in Division V. Newark Catholic topped Bascom Hopewell-Loudon 28-14 in Division VI for its eighth state title in school history and first since 1991. The following is a division-by-division look at the 2007 OHSAA state football championships.

Photo by Stephanie Porter

Division I State Championship

Cincinnati St. Xavier Blanks Mentor 27-0; Ashley Sets D-I Title Game Rushing Record Following Mentor’s double-overtime loss in the Division I state championship last year, the team motto for this season was “New Team, Same Dream.” But St. Xavier running back Darius Ashley and the Bombers defense were Mentor’s nightmare in the state title game Dec. 1 as St. Xavier blanked the Cardinals 27-0 with Ashley setting a new D-I state title game rushing record in front of 12,442 fans at Canton’s Fawcett Stadium. Ashley tallied 271 yards on 36 carries and scored on runs of 27 and 1 yards in the snow and freezing rain, breaking former Cincinnati Colerain quarterback Dominick Goodman’s record of 259 yards set in the 2004 title game.

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St. Xavier senior Darius Ashley ran for a D-I title game record 271 yards. “Any time a running back ends up with that many yards it is a result of great blocking,” Ashley said. “The offensive line did exactly what they have been doing all year opening up huge holes and all I had to do was find them.”

“(Darius Ashley) is a talent. He does things you can’t teach.”

Cincinnati St. Xavier Head Coach Steve Specht For St. Xavier (15-0), it is the second D-I state title in three seasons and second in school history. Ashley, a Louisville recruit, registered 153 yards and a TD as a sophomore in the 2005 championship game against Massillon. “He is a talent,” said St. Xavier head coach Steve Specht. “He does things you can’t teach.” The Bombers defense held Mentor (11-3) in check, shutting the Cardinals out for the first time since their 2005 season-opener. It was only the second shutout in D-I title game history since Canton McKinley defeated Cincinnati Moeller 13-0 in 1981. “We thought we were going to have to mix and match coverages and keep them off balance with our coverage schemes and we figured if we could get pressure from a four man rush from different angles we could be very effective,” Specht said. Mr. Football award-winning quarterback Bart Tanski, who set a D-I state title game

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State Football Finals Recap record for completions last year, was 19-of38 passing for 179 yards and an interception. Mentor struggled to get its spread offense into a rhythm with the poor weather conditions producing only 197 yards of offense to St. Xavier’s 411, respectively. “They were getting good pressure on us the whole game and they were only bringing four people so they could drop seven players into coverage and it made it virtually impossible for our receivers to get open,” Tanski said. The Cardinals had only 18 yards rushing. “I’ve got to believe (the weather) hurt Mentor because they didn’t have much of a running game,” said Specht. “When you run the spread, it is tough to get a running game going and when it sleets like that it makes it tough on a non-running team.” Said Mentor head coach Steve Trivisonno: “(The weather) is always the worry when you run that kind of offense in northeast Ohio. We could have used about two hours of drier weather but you have to give (St. Xavier) credit. They played well and you have to be able to handle those situations.” Division I offensive co-player of the year Danny Milligan caught a 4-yard TD lateral pass from sophomore quarterback Luke Massa midway through the first quarter for the Bombers first score and kicked 23 and 24-yard field goals. “Whenever we needed a big play this season, Danny always stepped up,” said St. Xavier linebacker and Stanford recruit Fred Craig. “We are all just so proud of him. He has always been one of those guys who has great heart and determination and he just goes out there and makes plays.” Craig was named D-I defensive player of the year and had four tackles, a forced fumble and a pass break up in the game. St. Xavier topped the D-I ONN-Ohio High Power Poll wire-to-wire this season and finished the season ranked No. 5 in the country by USA Today. Several national polls had the Bombers ranked No. 1 in the nation coming into the season. “These guys really kept focused and the true humility they showed was able to help carry us to this point,” said Specht. “We’re going to look back on this season for years and years to come and this was a special group.” Said Trivisonno: “What a great football team they are – in all phases of the game. The can run they ball, they can pass the ball and they should be proud of themselves.” * State Semifinal Results: Cincinnati St. Xavier 10, Dublin Coffman (13-1) 7; Mentor 39, Brunswick (13-1) 14. – Matt Natali

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Division II State Championship

“This year we felt if we could get in we’d have a chance.”

Anderson Scores First State Football Title, Outlasts Louisville In D-II Final Photo by Gary Housteau

Senior Nick Truesdell catches the first of two TD passes. Randy Moss and Terrell Owens play for two of the top teams in the National Football League. Nick Truesdell plays for the top Division II team in Ohio. Following the state championship game Fri., Nov. 30, the trio was mentioned together. Putting together the best performance of his relatively quiet career, Truesdell blossomed on the state’s biggest stage in helping Cincinnati Anderson defeat Stark County ‘s own Louisville 31-25 in the D-II state championship before 11,065 at Massillon ‘s Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. Truesdell, a 6-7, 215-pound receiver, caught back-to-back touchdown passes on the Redskins’ first two possessions and returned a kick 44 yards to set up a pivotal field goal before the end of the first half. Truesdell ended the game with 129 yards on

Cincinnati Anderson Head Coach Jeff Giesting five receptions. He also ran three times for 28 yards. ”Randy Moss, I mean my gosh,” Louisville head coach Paul Farrah said. “We had him the one time doubled on third-and-10 with two of our best athletes and he just split them and went up and got it. He’s thick. He was able to shield us off just like a basketball player going up for the ball.” Truesdell had 41 catches for 582 yards and seven touchdowns coming in and admitted teammates sometimes call him “T.O.” because he wears No. 81 “I didn’t expect to make this big of an impact at all,” he said. “I was nervous coming in and in warmups I was dropping balls. When the game came, I was just ready to go.” Truesdell’s offensive exploits helped fuel an Anderson offense that churned out 399 total yards and had flashes of brilliance. The Redskins jumped out to a 21-0 lead thanks to three scoring drives of less than two minutes, the last of which was capped by a 3-yard run from junior quarterback Daniel Rod with 2:38 to go before half. Louisville responded with a scoring drive of its own that finished with a 14-yard pass from Neal Seaman to Brandon Mathie. On the ensuing kickoff, Truesdell returned the ball to the Louisville 35-yard line. Eight plays later Anderson ‘s John Howard hit a 19-yard field goal for a 24-7 lead at the break. The score was key. ”That was a killer,” Farrah said. “It was big more to me, because I knew we were down 24-7 and it was going to take 17 (points to get back). The kids just came in the locker room and they were upset because we just couldn’t get off the field. The kid had a great kickoff return. We had three or four shots at him and didn’t tackle him. He made a play.” Said Anderson coach Jeff Giesting: “To get up 17 points at the half was huge for us.” Seaman’s second TD pass of the second half to Mathie drew the Leopards to within 24-19 with 2:58 left to play. Instead of opting for an onside kick, Louisville kicked deep and Anderson took over. On the first play from scrimmage, senior Elijah Storey went 67 yards for the game-clinching touchdown. ”I asked my defense what do you want to do – do you want to onside it or kick it

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State Football Finals Recap

Division III State Championship

Defense, Turnovers Propel Sunbury Big Walnut To First State Title As a freshman, Sunbury Big Walnut quarterback/defensive back Ethan Wetzel figured out that he and the Golden Eagles could potentially be playing for a state championship on his 18th birthday his senior sea-

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Sunbury Big Walnut won its first state title over fellow central Ohio foe Newark Licking Valley.

“I am so proud of the players to beat a football team of the caliber of Licking Valley,”

Big Walnut Head Coach Scott Wetzel

Photo by Nick Falzerano

deep?” Farrah said. “They said kick it deep and we’ll hold them. (Storey) just cut back (through) the zone and that was it. He cut right through us.” Seaman hit Bob Swigert for another TD with 20 seconds to go, but Anderson recovered the onside kick and secured the school’s first state football title. The Redskins dropped down to D-II this season after spending a lengthy stay in Division I. ”We’ve had some great teams in the past but we were in Division I and we had to play some really good schools and some schools that were a lot bigger than us sometimes. We could never really make a long playoff run,” Giesting said. “This year we felt if we could get in we’d have a chance.” Storey led the Anderson rushing attack with 154 yards on 21 carries. Rod completed 12-of-19 passes for 203 yards and had 15 yards on seven carries. Louisville racked up 386 yards and 27 first downs of its own, but three first half turnovers led to 14 Anderson points. Seaman rushed for 91 yards on 24 carries and completed 29-of-45 passes for 283 yards and four TDs. Mathie caught 11 passes for 120 yards and three TDs, while Swigert had nine catches for 77 yards. Tyler Jones added six receptions for 64 yards. Louisville, playing in its first state championship game, was trying to be the first school from Stark County to win a state title since Canton Central Catholic in 2000. ”We were still fighting with 20 seconds to go,” Farrah said. “We made it a game.” * State Semifinal Results: Cincinnati Anderson 35, Ashland (12-2) 20; Louisville 41, Mayfield (10-4) 13. – Eric Frantz

son. Wetzel celebrated his 18th birthday just like he imagined with his Big Walnut teammates knocking off Newark Licking Valley 1710 in the Division III state championship Nov. 30 at Canton’s Fawcett Stadium. “I wish I could describe how it feels. I am so proud of the players to beat a football team of the caliber of Licking Valley,” said Wetzel’s father and Big Walnut head coach Scott Wetzel. Big Walnut (14-1) had only three first downs and 109 yards of total offense in the game, but the defense stepped up by forcing five turnovers resulting in 10 points. “Our defense is what we’ve hung our hat on all year and we have our 11 best players out there,” the elder Wetzel said. Senior wide receiver/defensive back Joe Reed got Big Walnut on the board first picking off a Drew Ryan pass on a reverse and sprinting 54 yards to the end zone. “I had two guys to beat that had a good angle on me and I knew if I beat those two I was good to go,” Reed said. Licking Valley (13-2) coughed the ball up again on another reverse play in the second quarter and Big Walnut defensive lineman Colton Griffis pounced on it resulting in a 33yard Andy Dronsfield field goal. The Panthers scored for the first time in the third quarter on a safety with Wetzel fumbling out of the end zone after an errant snap. Licking Valley then tied the game with 2:04 left in the period, engineering an eight play,

57-yard drive capped off by an 8-yard Storm Klein touchdown run. The two-point conversion from quarterback Nick Phillips to fullback Vince German was good knotting the game at 10-10. Reed broke the tie for good with 9:29 left in the game scooping a fumble from teammate Corey Wolf and racing 60 yards to the end zone, giving the Golden Eagles the 1710 lead. “When I first approached the pile I was just looking for a guy to knock down and the ball just ended up being in front of me as I was running and I just picked it up and took off,” Reed said. Licking Valley threatened late in the game marching down to the Big Walnut 15-yard line. But defensive back Nick Heiden intercepted a Phillips pass with 30 seconds left sealing the win. “It was a tipped ball and it just kind of fell in my hands and we were good from there,” Heiden said. Licking Valley held the advantage in nearly every offensive and defensive category. “Things didn’t go quite our way today but I couldn’t be prouder of a group of guys,” said Licking Valley head coach Randy Baughman. “I thought we played hard. That is a great football team and we played hard. I admire (our players) for coming back and tying to make a game out of it but it just wasn’t meant to be today.” Klein, an Ohio State verbal commitment already for 2009, led all stat-getters with 155 yards rushing on 33 carries and the TD in the third quarter. “I thought we did a nice job of containing Klein,” Wetzel said. “What a great running back he is. I thought these guys did a nice job against him.” Licking Valley had 322 yards of offense and held the edge in time of possession 32:21 to 15:39, but the five turnovers were the difference in the game. “They have a lot of speed on that defense and they went out and started making some plays and gained some confidence,” Baughman said. “We said coming in that we didn’t want to give them any opportunities and we did, especially in the first half. We just didn’t capitalize when we had chances and we gave them too many chances.”

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State Football Finals Recap Big Walnut was 0-for-9 on third down conversions, but the Golden Eagles took advantage of Licking Valley’s miscues in locking up the first football state championship in school history. “It was a frustrating day on offense and we kept shooting ourselves in the foot but we came up with plays when we needed to,” said Wetzel. “Licking Valley outplayed us today but the character of our team really showed and we came up with some big plays when we needed them.” Said Reed: “You can’t dream this. It just happens. Something just went my way tonight and you can’t explain it.” * State Semifinal Results: Sunbury Big Walnut 21, Monroe (11-3) 7; Newark Licking Valley 27, Mentor Lake Catholic (9-4) 21. – Matt Natali

“You know we live over on the other side of Ohio and we really don’t know about the Mooney mystique and all of that. We really don’t. We played them two years ago and we were able to play them tough. We we’re confident we’d come here and play them tough again. We didn’t say we were going to win, but we came here to win.” “Our guys performed all year and played at such a high level and today was no different,” Photo by Nick Falzerano

and that’s sincere.”

Coldwater Head Coach John Reed

Coldwater Shocks Defending Champ Youngstown Mooney With 28-27 Win In D-IV Youngstown Cardinal Mooney now knows how Goliath felt. Midwest Athletic Conference and Mercer County schools have long put their stamp on the state football championships. But on Dec. 1 in the Division IV state final at Massillon’s Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, Coldwater recorded one of the conference’s, county’s and state’s biggest upsets ever with a 28-27 victory over nationally-ranked and undefeated Youngstown Mooney. A crowd of 7,465 witnessed the upset. Mooney (14-1), the consensus D-IV favorite all season long and the defending state champion, was making its fourth straight appearance in the state final. The Cardinals entered the game No. 8 in the USA Today Super 25 national rankings. Mooney’s senior class has players committed to Penn State, Oklahoma and Notre Dame. Ohio State has a verbal from one of its juniors. Coldwater didn’t care. “We came here to win,” said Coldwater head coach John Reed, whose team finished 14-1. “You can’t be influenced by what other people are going to think or say. You have to believe in yourself.

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“We talk about respect everybody but fear nobody

Division IV State Championship

asking, what’s the fuss? The state championship, coupled with Marion Local’s Division V crown on Nov. 30, marks the MAC’s fifth and sixth state titles in three years. Since 1998, MAC schools have taken home hardware 12 times. The Coldwater student section filled the stadium with chants of “M-A-C, M-A-C” following the game. “It’s a special place,” Reed said. “We feel

Coldwater’s Tyler Kunk celebrates during the Cavs upset of Youngstown Cardinal Mooney. Mooney head coach P.J. Fecko said. “We put forth a ton of effort and definitely battled hard. Unfortunately we came up on the short end of the scoreboard. Coldwater should be congratulated for pulling it out.” Playing inspired football after a lackluster first half, the Cavaliers rallied from a 21-7 deficit after three quarters and scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth to take a 2821 lead with 2:41 left. The Cavs scored on a reverse pass from Keith Wenning to Ryan Geier and then set-up their next score with another trick play, this one a double-pass from Wenning to Tony Harlamert that set up first-and-goal at the 1-yard line. Coldwater’s final score followed a Mooney fumble. The Cavs still had to withstand a late Mooney charge which resulted in a TD with 21 seconds left. But Coldwater’s Kurt Schlarman blocked the extra-point and Adam Homan recovered the ensuing onside kick to secure the monumental upset. Of course, those from Coldwater and the rest of Mercer County and the MAC may be

very privileged to come from where we are. Somebody asked me beforehand why are there so many successful teams that come out of that area? People in Mercer County and Auglaize County expect a great deal from themselves and their children. You don’t build anything as a coach without a successful foundation and these kids come to us with great foundations.” Mooney found that out the hard way. Despite being the odds-on favorite and looking like it would roll to victory after a 14-0 first quarter, Mooney made some uncharacteristic mistakes. The Cardinals were penalized 11 times in the game for 94 yards and committed three turnovers. Running back Brandon Beachum, headed to Penn State, led the Mooney rushing attack with 191 yards on 34 carries. But he managed just 73 yards in the second half. quarterback Tim Marlowe, filling in for injured Ohio High state player of the year Danny McCarthy (Notre Dame), rushed for 92 yards on 17 carries and completed 5-of-6 passes for 135 yards and two TDs, both to senior Mike Gemma. The Cardinals had 432 yards of offense. Coldwater countered with 353 yards, including 254 in the second half. The Cavs only rushed for 53 yards, but junior quarterback Cory Klenke completed 16-of-37 passes for 185 yards and a TD. Backup quarterback Wenning threw for 115 yards on the two reverse passes. Harlamert finished with 178 total yards, including 126 on eight catches, while Geier had 134 yards and two TDs on four catches. The offensive line did not allow a sack against Mooney’s vaunted front seven. The state title was Coldwater’s second in three seasons and second over Mooney. The

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State Football Finals Recap

Division V State Championship

The Flyers took that frustration out on Youngstown Ursuline in the Division V state football championship Nov. 30 at Massillon’s Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. Behind its suffocating defense, the Flyers won their second straight state title with a 2014 victory. Last year, Marion Local captured the Division VI title. The championship was also Marion Local’s fourth overall, making the Flyers (15-0) the 10th school in state history to have four or more titles. The title game win extended Photo by Nick Falzerano

Cavs also beat the Cardinals in the 2005 DIV final at Canton’s Fawcett Stadium. That loss was Mooney’s last until this season’s state title game as the Cardinals saw their 28-game winning streak snapped. “We have the utmost respect for Cardinal Mooney, we really do,” Reed said. “We respect everybody we play and we talk about that all the time. We talk about respect everybody but fear nobody and that’s sincere.” Said Coldwater senior linebacker/fullbackTyler Kunk: “I think we all just gave a little bit extra. We dug down as deep as we could and I think we had a little bit more left than what they did.” Added classmate Kyle Ahrens: “They’re high school kids, too.” * State Semifinal Results: Coldwater 56, Williamsport Westfall (13-1) 14; Youngstown Mooney 28, Marion Pleasant (12-2) 0. – Eric Frantz

Marion Local Wins Second Straight State Title With Win Over Youngstown Ursuline None of the four Maria Stein Marion Local football players at the Division V championship postgame press conference – seniors Chris Stucke, Greg Koesters, Ben Schaefer and Luke Homan -- said anything when questioned about being slighted from the AP All-Ohio Division V football team. The quartet is part of a defense, that, despite allowing just 6.4 points per game and recording seven shutouts, landed not a single individual on the All-Ohio first or second team. Marion Local head coach Tim Goodwin was not so shy. “I want to talk about that,” Goodwin said. “We don’t make a big deal out of it, but it does get irritating after a while when we’ve have all this success in the postseason. We went against three all-state running backs (Miami East’s Sam Smallwood, Deer Park’s Ben Rascona and Patrick Henry’s Drew Kuesel) prior to today and you add up all their yards and they didn’t have 100 yards total. It’s just gets frustrating after a while. It really does.”

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Luke Bertke’s interception return for a TD fueled the Marion Local’s winning streak to 27 games in a row. “That’s the way we’ve been playing defense all year,” Goodwin said. “If you’re a Marion fan, that looked similar. We have quick, aggressive kids up front and we’re not afraid to send our linebackers. And these two linebackers (Homan and Koesters) are the best two pair of linebackers and the best blitzing linebackers I’ve ever had.” “Defensively they blitz almost every single play,” Ursuline head coach Dan Reardon said. “I don’t know if I’ve ever coached against a team that blitzes that much. It’s hard to sustain drives against a defense with that mentality.” As it has all season, Marion Local’s defense decided the outcome. Ursuline (12-3) opened the game with a 15-play drive that erased 7:35 from the scoreboard but put no points on it. Despite converting two fourth downs on the drive,

including a fake punt, the Irish were finally forced to punt. Ursuline did get on the board first, though, when senior quarterback Lamar McQueen, the D-V state offensive player of the year, hooked up with junior Dale Peterman for a divisional record 76-yard TD pass with 11:09 to go in the first half. On its next possession, the Irish were forced to punt from their own end zone and Koesters blocked the kick. Dustin Heitkamp recovered for the score.

“If we’re going to leave it up to one phase of our team, we might as well leave it up to our defense.” Marion Local Head Coach Tim Goodwin

Marion senior quarterback Chris Stucke hit Alex Moeller for a 22-yard TD with 1:14 to go in the half to give the Flyers a 14-7 lead at the break. After a scoreless third quarter, Irish senior Justin Brown made back-to-back momentum swings. The defensive end stripped Homan of the ball on first down on the Marion Local 49-yard line and raced 51 yards for the tying score. On the Flyers next possession, Brown blocked a 29-yard field goal attempt. “That was huge,” Reardon said. “That was a critical time in the ball game and he came up with the big play.” The Marion Local defense delivered the final fireworks, however, with 5:36 left. Facing third-and-9 on the 29-yard line, McQueen tried to lob a screen pass over Flyers defender Luke Bertke. Bertke snagged the ball and raced 18 yards for the TD. The extra point was no good. Ursuline had one more crack, but back-toback Bertke sacks set up fourth-and-24 at the 5. McQueen’s final pass fell incomplete. Offensively, the Flyers had 218 total yards. Stucke and Schaefer each rushed for 70 yards, while Stucke added 76 through the air. Moeller caught three passes for 54 yards and a TD. The offensive line also held Ursuline sophomore Jamel Turner without a sack for the first time this year. He had 23 coming in. Defensively, Marion Local held the Irish to 98 yards rushing, well below their 250 average. The Flyers also limited junior standout Darrell Mason to 11 yards on 12 carries. All told, Ursuline had 199 yards with 76 coming on McQueen’s TD toss to Peterman. The Irish averaged 2.4 yards on their other 54 plays from scrimmage.

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State Football Finals Recap McQueen finished with a team-high 69 yards on 18 carries, and completed 3-of-16 passes for 101 yards, two interceptions and a TD. “They are a big play defense,” said Reardon, whose team faced Massillon Washington, Warren Harding, Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary and Youngstown Mooney this season. “That’s their philosophy, that’s their mentality and they do a very good job of it. “They are right up there (with the best we’ve faced). We’ve lost three games (Washington, Mooney and Marion) and all three had great defenses. Shoot they’re state champs. Their defense is good.” Said Goodwin: “If we’re going to leave it up to one phase of our team, we might as well leave it up to our defense.” Since 1994, the MAC is now 14-6 in state title games, having sent at least one team 14 of 15 years. With the win, the Flyers became just the 10th school in state history to win four or more state titles and just the third public school to do so. The Flyers also became the fourth MAC school to make the list. Cleveland St. Ignatius leads with nine titles, Newark Catholic with eight and Cincinnati Moeller has seven. Cleveland Benedictine, St, Henry, Versailles and Youngstown Cardinal Mooney (six) and Akron SVSM and Delphos St. John’s (four) round out the list. * State Semifinal Results: Maria Stein Marion Local 42, Hamler Patrick Henry (12-2) 20; Youngstown Ursuline 28, Columbus Ready (12-2) 6. – Eric Frantz

Division VI State Championship

Marion Local Wins Second Straight State Title With Win Over Youngstown Ursuline When Mark Nichols moved to Ohio from Missouri with his family, his parents wanted him to attend Newark Catholic because of the quality of education that it offers. Nichols wanted to attend Newark Catholic because of its rich football tradition. The senior running back helped contribute to

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Photo by Nick Falzerano

“To beat the number one team in the state took perfection in the first half.”

Newark Catholic Head Coach Bill Franks

Newark Catholic’s Mark Nichols rushed for 161 yards as the Green Wave won their eighth title. that Green Wave football tradition Dec. 1 at Canton’s Fawcett Stadium in the Division VI state championship game as Newark Catholic claimed its eighth state title in school history and first since 1991 with a 28-14 win over Bascom Hopewell-Loudon. Newark Catholic (13-2) scored on its first four possessions and Hopewell-Loudon (14-1) couldn’t overcome the deficit in the second half despite battling back. Nichols, the Division VI co-player of the year, collected 161 yards on 38 carries and a TD while quarterback Mark Elwell was a one-man wrecking crew rushing for 100 yards on 13 carries and three TDs. Elwell was 4-of-5 passing for 55 yards. “All year, we’ve said it starts with our offensive line and against a great defense our offensive line pushed and enabled Mark Nichols to find some seams at critical times,” Newark Catholic head coach Bill Franks said. “I really felt Mark Elwell’s speed and athleticism was going to be the difference maker. Having a mobile quarterback, we wanted to get him the ball. You let your players make plays and be in their comfort zone and I think we did that.” The Green Wave defense was stifling in the first half allowing just 88 yards of offense. “I think if you go back and look at the films, that was a perfect half of football,” said Franks. “To beat the number one team in the state took perfection in the first half. Our guys put the time in and went out and did it.” Elwell got Newark Catholic on the board midway through the first quarter on a 1-yard quarter-

back sneak on fourth down and goal capping off a 14 play, 64-yard drive on the opening possession of the game putting the Green Wave up 70. He stretched the lead on the first play of the second quarter racing 15 yards to the corner of the end zone on a busted play picking up a key block from tight end Tony Weisent giving Newark Catholic a 14-0 advantage. The senior quarterback wasn’t through scoring in the first half sprinting 20 yards to the end zone on a bootleg putting the Green Wave up 21-0 with 7:21 left in the first half. “I just owe it to our line, the backs and the coaches for calling the right plays and being in the right position to have a good game,” Elwell, a Xavier University baseball recruit, said about his performance. Nichols reached pay dirt on a 1-yard TD run with just under a minute left in the half putting a bow on an 11 play, 76-yard scoring drive. Hopewell-Loudon battled in the second half getting a pair of Travis Wise 1-yard TD runs pulling within two scores but the Chieftains failed to capitalize on several opportunities, including going a dismal 6-of-13 on third down conversions and 0-for-4 on fourth down. “We didn’t get to the state finals playing like we did in the first half and I was proud of the second half,” Hopewell-Loudon head coach Brian Colatruglio. Quarterback Tyler Brown was 17-of-41 passing in the Hopewell-Loudon spread offense for 309 yards and an interception. Wide receiver Lukas Schalk reeled in eight passes for 138 yards. “It was kind of nerve racking,” Newark Catholic defensive back Matt Grieb said about defending the spread offense. Grieb had several pass break-ups in the game. “We knew that they were going to pass (a lot) and at first I was playing back and our coaches moved me up and that helped us out a lot better.” For Newark Catholic, it is the first state championship under sixth-year head coach Bill Franks, who is a Newark Catholic graduate. “I always felt humbled to have the opportunity to go to Newark Catholic and play and having to opportunity to come back and coach,” Franks said. “I just feel blessed.” * State Semifinal Results: Bascom Hopewell-Loudon 41, Ada (9-5) 38; Newark Catholic 21, Springfield Catholic Central (13-1)

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State Football Finals Pictoral

Photos by Nick Falzerano, Gary Housteau, Stephanie Porter

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JJ Hu ddleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; s O h io Hi gh

O h i o H i g h / O N N A l l - O h i o Te a m

State’s top players recognized on ONN/Ohio High All-Ohio team

Mentor senior quarterback Bart Tanski was first team ONN/Ohio High All-Ohio.

or the fifth year in a row, Ohio High magazine has selected the Ohio News Network/Ohio High All-Ohio football team. We have picked a full team on offense and defense and have also selected special award winners for the player of the year and coach of the year. The team was revealed during a broadcast Nov. 25 on ONN. We have three repeat All-Ohio team members from last year with Clayton Northmont offensive lineman Zebrie Sanders, Dublin Coffman offensive lineman Mike Adams and Youngstown Mooney quarterback/defensive back Danny McCarthy. Below is a look at the special award winners, followed by this year’s full team (all players listed are seniors unless noted):

Player Of The Year

The ONN/Ohio High Player of the Year award goes to Danny McCarthy of Youngstown Mooney. The 6-1, 200-pound McCarthy was a driving force on both sides of the ball for Mooney. He played in 12 of the team’s 15 games before going down with a neck injury in his team’s regional semifinal win over Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary. He was a major component in Mooney’s 28-game winning streak over the last two years. On offense, McCarthy rushed for 1,219 yards on 154 carries and scored 15 touchdowns. He completed 18 of his 37 pass attempts for 425 yards with five touchdowns and four interceptions. On defense, McCarthy recorded 90 total stops that included nine tackles for a loss of which two were quarterback sacks. He has three interceptions (one he returned one for a score), forced two fumbles and recovered one. McCarthy also returned two kicks for scores that had him personally account for 23 touchdowns. McCarthy has issued a verbal commitment to Notre Dame. For more on McCarthy, see Gary Housteau’s outstanding feature on him on page 32.

Coach Of The Year

The ONN/Ohio High Coach of the Year award goes to Youngstown Mooney’s P.J. Fecko. Mooney had won 28 straight games prior to its Division IV state championship game loss (28-27) to Coldwater. Under Fecko’s tutelage, the Cardinals reached their fourth straight state title game and had won two state titles (2004 and 2006). In eight seasons as the Mooney coach, Fecko has compiled a record of 70-29. But the last four years have been especially strong with Mooney posting a mark of 52-6. This season, Mooney snapped Steubenville’s 42-game win streak in a Division IV regional final. In addition to that huge win over the defending Division III state champions, Mooney also took wins over four teams that reached one of the six state final fours in Mentor, Mentor Lake Catholic, Youngstown Ursuline and Marion Pleasant. For more on Fecko, see story on page 35.

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Photos by Stephanie Porter

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O h i o H i g h / O N N A l l - O h i o Te a m

ONN/Ohio High All-Ohio Team

STORY BY STEVE HELWAGEN

ALL-OHIO TEAM OFFENSE Q B – B ar t Tansk i, Me nt or: Tanski (6-2, 190) led Mentor to an 11-3 record and a second straight berth in the Division I state title game. He completed 230 of 388 passes (59.3 percent) for 3,179 yards with 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also rushed for 558 yards and nine touchdowns. He was the Division I state offensive co-player of the year. R B – I saiah Pead , Co lumbus Eas tmoor Ac ad emy : Pead (5-11, 195) rushed for 2,204 yards on 192 carries (11.5 average) with 39 touchdowns. His team was 91 and just missed the playoffs. R B – B r an don B e ach um, You ng sto wn M ooney : Beachum (6-1, 223) had 1,525 yards and 14 touchdowns on 242 carries. He helped the team go 14-1 and reach the Division IV state title game. He had 56 tackles, four sacks and an interception on defense. He had 237 yards on 32 carries and 3 touchdowns against previously unbeaten Steubenville in a regional final game. He is committed to Penn State. W R – J ake S t onebu rn er , D ublin C offman: Stoneburner (6-5, 225) had 74 catches for 1,267 yards (17.1 average) with 15 touchdowns. His team was 13-1 and reached the Division I state semifinals. He is going to Ohio State and will play in U.S. Army All-American Bowl. W R – D eVi er Posey , C inc inn at i LaS alle: Posey (6-3, 194) logged 48 catches for 784 yards (16.3 average) with eight touchdowns. He also had a punt return and

an interception for TDs this year. He has verbaled to Ohio State. Will play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl TE – Ky le R ud olph, Cinc in nat i Elder : Rudolph (6-7, 240) had 30 catches for 544 yards (18.1 average) and 10 TDs. He has verbaled to Notre Dame. OL – M ike A dams, Dublin Coffman : Adams (6-8, 305) returns to the All-Ohio team. He is regarded as one of the top OL in the country and will play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. His team was 13-1 and advanced to the Division I state semis. He has verbaled to Ohio State. OL – M ar cu s Hall, ju nior , C lev elan d G len v ille: Hall (6-5, 305) is one of the top juniors in the state. His team was 10-3 and reached the Division I regional finals. OL – J ake Cur r ent , Tr oy : Current (6-3, 270) was an All-Southwest District firstteam pick. He has verbaled to Wisconsin. OL – Ellio tt Me aler , W ause on: Mealer (6-6, 300) was the Northwest District lineman of the year. He has verbaled to Michigan. OL – Z ebr ie S and er s, Cl ay ton Nor t hmon t: Sanders (6-5, 275) returns to the AllOhio team. He is one of the top linemen in the country and was looking at Florida and Georgia, among others. His team was 7-4 this year. K – K ev in Har pe r, Me nt or: Harper (5-10, 170) hit a state-record 61-yard field goal in Week 3 against Solon. Harper hit 17 of 25 field goals, including 3 of 4 from 50 yards or beyond. He was 58 of 61 on extra points for a total of 109 points.

ALL-OHIO TEAM DEFENSE DL – John Simon, junior, Youngstown Mooney: Simon (6-3, 266) logged 87 tackles and 8-1/2 sacks for 14-1 Mooney. He is one of the top juniors in Midwest and has already been offered by Ohio State. DL – Kevin Koger, Toledo Whitmer: Koger (6-4, 235) was a first-team All-Northwest District pick and was a two-way standout at tight end and defensive end. He has verbaled to Michigan. DL – Jerel Worthy, Huber Heights Wayne: Worthy (6-2, 285) was a first-team AllSouthwest District pick. He is headed to Michigan State. As a senior, he had 45 tackles, 10 sacks, six pass deflections and two fumble recoveries. DL – Taylor Hill, Youngstown Mooney: Hill (6-3, 215) had 21 sacks, 152 tackles and 47 tackles-for-loss for 14-1 Mooney. He originally committed to Oklahoma, but has decommitted and is still working on his college choice. LB – Storm Klein, junior, Newark Licking Valley: Klein (6-3, 220) was a two-way force at linebacker and running back for his 13-2 team, which ended up as the Division III state runner-up. He had over 100 tackles on defense. Offensively, he had 221 carries for 1,514 yards (6.9 average) and 30 touchdowns. He is already verbaled to Ohio State for the 2009 class. LB – Mike Zordich, Youngstown Mooney: Zordich (6-2, 237) 133 tackles, six sacks, 24-1/2 TFLs for the D-IV runner-up. He also had 937 yards and 10 touchdowns on offense at fullback. He is following in dad’s footsteps at Penn State. LB – B.J. Machen, Hilliard Darby: Machen (6-2, 215) helped his team go 11-2 and

reach a Division I regional final. He is headed to Georgia Tech. He had 130 tackles on the year. LB – Will Studlien, junior, Sunbury Big Walnut: Studlien (6-3, 225) is one of the top juniors in the state. He led his team to a 14-1 record and the Division III state title. He had 22 tackles in the state title game win over Newark Licking Valley. DB – Danny McCarthy, Youngstown Mooney: See page 32. DB – Cordale Scott, Cleveland Glenv ille: Scott (6-4, 200) had 51 tackles and five interceptions (two for TDs) on defense. On offense, he had 27 catches for 431 yards and five touchdowns. He also had three kick return TDs and one rushing TD. His team was 10-3 and reached the D-I regional semi. He has verbaled to Illinois. DB – Fred Craig, Cincinnati St. Xavier: Craig (6-2, 210) had 100 tackles and an interception (for a touchdown) for the Division I state champions. This three-year starter is committed to Stanford. He was the Division I state defensive player of the year. All-Purpose – Danny Milligan, Cincinnati St. Xavier: Milligan (5-9, 165) had 33 catches for 537 yards (16.3 average) and seven touchdowns for the 15-0 Division I state champions. He also made seven field goals and returned 28 punts for a 12.1 average. He was the Division I state offensive co-player of the year. P – B en Buchanan, Westerville Central: Buchanan (6-0, 195) averaged 40.6 yards per punt (best in central Ohio). He also scored 73 points (31 PATs, 14 of 19 on field goals, 13 of 13 inside 50 yards, misses were from 63, 60, 63, 53 and 50 yards, longest make was 57 yards). He is headed to Ohio State.

HONORABLE MENTION ALL-OHIO Here is a position-by-position look at other players considered for the ONN/Ohio High All-Ohio Team:

Offensive Line – Shawntel Rowell, Cleveland Glenville; Max Baumann, Cincinnati St. Xavier; Justin Leahey, Toledo St. John’s; Jack Mewhort, junior, Toledo St. John’s; Tim German, Newark Licking Valley; Ricky Harris, junior, Westerville South; Chris Freeman, junior, Trotwood-Madison. Defensive Line – Jamel Turner, sophomore, Youngstown Ursuline; Evan Klepac, Youngstown Boardman; Matt Schooley, Louisville; Josh Lott, Warren Howland; Melvin Fellows, junior, Garfield Heights; Nate Cadogan, junior, Portsmouth. Linebacker – Steve Bigach, Cleveland St. Ignatius; Justin Staples, Lakewood St. Edward; David Rolf, Piqua; Nathan Williams, Washington C.H. Miami Trace; Jordan Thompson, Parkway; Adam Homan, junior, Coldwater; Branko Busick, junior, Steubenville Defensive Back – Tony Stover, Canal Fulton Northwest; Alex Gedeon, Hudson; Deondray Brown, Fremont Ross; Justin Turner, junior, Massillon Washington; C.J. Barnett, junior, Clayton Northmont; Denicos Allen, junior, Hamilton. Kicker-Punter – Steve Schott, Massillon Washington.

Quarterback – Salvadore Battles, Youngstown East; Sean Bedevelsky, Brunswick; Zak Dysert, Ada; Ryan Radcliff, Sherwood Fairview; Devontae Payne, junior, Cleveland South; Zack Stoudt, Dublin Coffman; Taylor Housewright, Ashland; Ross Oltorik, Cincinnati Moeller; Zach Toerner, Hamilton Badin; Alex Gillett, Clyde. Running Back – Darius Ashley, Cincinnati St. Xavier; DeVoe Torrence, Massillon Washington; Michael Shaw, Trotwood-Madison; Dru Jones, Wadsworth; Brian Wagner, Springfield Catholic Central. Wide Receiver – Perez Ashford, junior, Shaker Heights; D.J. Woods, Strongsville; Teddy Robb, Canal Fulton Northwest; Chris Fields, junior, Paynesville Harvey; Nate Jackson, Hamilton Badin. Tight End – Nic DiLillo, Madison; Brandon Moore, Trotwood-Madison.

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O N N / O h i o H i g h F o o t b a l l P l a y e r o f t h e Ye a r

t’s not surprising to hear Danny McCarthy say that he wouldn’t trade his senior year for anything. McCarthy was the best player on arguably one of the best high school football teams in the state over the past two seasons. His exploits on the gridiron, on both sides of the football this past year were more than enough to award him the official title of the ONN/Ohio High Player of the Year. Statistics alone might not say it but they certainly contributed to why he was named the winner of this award. On offense, McCarthy rushed for 1,219 yards on 154 carries and scored 15 touchdowns. He completed 18 of his 37 pass attempts for 425 yards with five touchdowns and four interceptions. And on defense, McCarthy recorded 90 total stops that included nine tackles for a loss of which two were quarterback sacks. He picked off three enemy aerials of which one he returned one for a score, forced two fumbles and recovered one. McCarthy also returned two kicks for scores that had him personally account for 23 touchdowns. McCarthy was more or less the quarterback for the Cardinals on both sides of the ball for the past two years and the intangibles, as well as the tangibles, that he brought to the playing field every week were impressive as well. At 61 and about 200 pounds, McCarthy had the size, speed and toughness that made Mooney’s offense click on all cylinders all season long. And on defense he was solid enough to clean up anything was left over after Brandon Beachum, Michael Zordich, Taylor Hill and Johnny Simon had a chance at it. But the one thing that made McCarthy really special was his durability. During Mooney’s last two runs at a state championship, McCarthy answered the bell every week for Cardinal Mooney. He was tough as nails whether he was under center on offense, at safety in the secondary on defense or returning kicks on special teams. And then it happened. He was injured. And because of the way that he played the game, with reckless abandon, he put himself out for the remainder of the season when he

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Photo by Gary Housteau

Mooney senior Dany McCarthy is headed to the University of Notre Dame. McCarthy is the ONN/Ohio High player of the year. was injured while making a jarring tackle in a regional semifinal game against St. Vincent-St. Mary on Nov. 10. He even played the rest of the game against the Irish, on offense only, after he sustained the injury. That’s right: McCarthy suffered a serious, season-ending spine injury but he still played on offense for the remainder of the game. And almost two full weeks after the disappointing state final loss to Coldwater, McCarthy, the only player that Mooney could ill afford to lose in their quest to win back-to-back state championships for the first-time ever in the illustrious history of their school, still had a bit of stiffness in his neck. But he was doing great and he was in great spirits. “Obviously it didn’t end the way we wanted it

to but I wouldn’t take it back, this season that we’ve gone through, for anything,” McCarthy said. “With the players that I played with and the coaches that I’ve been coached by, it’s been the greatest time of my life and I really enjoyed the experience.” Yes that statement was made by the same Danny McCarthy whose season prematurely came to an end in Week 12 while he was making a big play for the Cardinals on the defensive side of the ball from his safety position. The same Danny McCarthy who stood on the sideline and watched helplessly as his teammates lost to Coldwater 28-27 in the Division IV state championship game. The same Danny McCarthy who is now faced with many weeks of rehabilitation after he’s cleared by doctors to begin getting himself ready for his freshman season at Notre Dame. The injury, looking on the bright side of it, however serious in nature it actually is, has not been deemed career-ending. But it’s had a major impact on McCarthy nonetheless. Admittedly, McCarthy, still thinks about the St. Vincent-St Mary game. “You wish, an inch or two another way, it would have gone differently but everyone has got to go through adversity,” McCarthy said. “It’s something that unfortunately happened to me but my team responded great to it and they really picked it up and did a great job throughout the rest of the season.” McCarthy said he allows himself, every once in a while, to relive the actual play that put an end to his season and changed the fortune of the rest of his Cardinal teammates. He was making a tackle on a receiver who made a catch down the field when the injury occurred. Some people who were at the game have said it was one of the best hits they’ve ever seen on a football field. “I try to (relive it) sometimes but it’s just a tough thing,” McCarthy said. “I got a chance to get a good hit in and unfortunately it turned out not the way we wished.” McCarthy was the safety on the other side of the field from an Irish receiver running a slant pattern. “I just took off straight for him,” McCarthy said.

JJ H u dd le’s O h io High

STORY BY GARY HOUSTEAU “I looked back at the quarterback and saw him throwing it and I had a clear shot on (the intended receiver) and I took it. It was a big play, but unfortunately it didn’t turn out in our favor.” He knew he was injured immediately. “I got up and I hadn’t felt anything like that before,” McCarthy said. “Deep down I thought that could be my last game and I just wanted to take it as far as I could with it.” So he kept on playing. But only on offense. McCarthy was potentially risking paralysis if he sustained one more hit in the wrong place. “As long as I could still play, I wanted to get back in there and be with my teammates,” he said. “The coaches knew that I was a little banged up and they didn’t let me go back in on defense. Thankfully, nothing else happed and it will all be all right.” McCarthy was concerned for his safety but he kept on playing. “I was (concerned) but I wasn’t thinking about it too much during the game,” he said. “Obviously it was painful but I just wanted to keep playing and see how far I could (go) with it. And unfortunately it was just until the end of that game.” He thought he had some kind of neck or back injury, but he didn’t know for sure which. “I had a headache and I had a lot of pain in the spine,” McCarthy said. “I didn’t know it would be as serious as it was but I knew that there was definitely something wrong.” Officially, McCarthy sustained a herniated disc. “Whether I get surgery or it heals on its own, either way, I’ll be good to go in about six months,” he said. “I’m not too educated on the whole spine injury but, as the doctors told me, all of the fluid leaked out of the disc so that was a problem.” McCarty was actually feeling much better one day short of five weeks past the day he sustained the injury than he felt right after he was initially hurt. “Yeah I’m feeling all right now,” he said. “I’ve got to make some decisions here within the next couple of weeks on whether I’m going to get surgery or try to let it heal on its own but either way I’m thankful that nothing else worse happened and everything should be all right in about six months.” The actual prognosis if McCarthy should opt for the surgery is a positive one. “They said it’s a common surgery that’s done and many NFL players have had it,” he said. “Once you’re all healed and have gone through rehab, it’s something that you won’t even notice.” The mental scars from missing out on the rest of the season this past year, however, will probably last longer than any scars he’ll end up with from the surgery if decides to go that route.

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O N N / O h i o H i g h F o o t b a l l P l a y e r o f t h e Ye a r Photo by Gary Housteau

McCarthy suffered a seasonending spinal injury in the Cardinals regional semifinal playoff victory over Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary. Despite the fact he was injured in the first half, McCarthy finished the game on offense.

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Previous Winners

“Obviously, it was very difficult him.” for me,” McCarthy said. “My best And on defense, McCarthy was friends were out there and I wish I a better player than most people was out there playing with them. I gave him credit for. Previous winners of the ONN/Ohio High football player of the year wish I could help as much as I “I loved playing defense, I loved could but I had to take a different being on both sides of the ball,” award have included: point of view from it and just try to McCarthy said. “It was great Year Player Pos. High School/College encourage them and coach them because you could help the team 2003 Ted Ginn Jr. QB-DB Cleveland Glenville/Ohio State up as much as I could on the sideout in every way you can by playline.” ing on defense and special teams 2004 Tyrell Sutton RB Akron Hoban/Northwestern McCarthy remained a team and on offense. It’s just some2005 Ross Homan RB/LB Coldwater/Ohio State leader throughout the entire thing that I loved doing. I never painful ordeal. wanted to come off the field. And 2006 Brandon Saine RB Piqua/Ohio State “It was very tough but I was now as I go on to college, 2007 Danny McCarthy QB-DB Youngstown Mooney/Notre Dame proud of the guys,” he said. “I (defense) is something that I’ll think in each of those last three focus on more and hopefully keep games, they played their hearts getting better at.” make and I’m thankful that it turned out well.” out and they really did a great job and there’s He really enjoyed contributing to all three McCarthy was definitely a running threat at no regrets about it.” facets of the game. quarterback but he could also hurt a defense He even dressed in full gear for the state “Any way that you can make plays is what with the pass when they would least expect it. championship contest even though everyone makes it fun,” McCarthy said. “Defense obvi“Naturally I was a running back throughout inside of Paul Brown Stadium in Massillon ously doesn’t get as much credit but it’s somemy whole career and in my sophomore year,” knew he wasn’t going to play in the game. thing that I love playing and it was great to be he said. “And when I changed over to quarter“Putting on that Mooney uniform meant coached by Coach (Mike) Zordich and Coach back, the coaches, Coach (John) D’Apolito and everything to me,” McCarthy said. “Mooney just (Ron) Stoops. Those guys were great and they Coach (P. J.) Fecko, did a great job developing means so much tradition and everything and I really developed my skills on defense and they me into a quarterback. With our offense, the just wanted to do that one last time with the really helped me out a lot.” run is very effective and we’d use what the guys and run out and be a part of it that way.” McCarthy will play defense when gets to teams gave us to our advantage. We had He won’t say whether or not he thinks Notre Dame. some great athletes outside to throw to and Mooney would have won a third state champi“Mainly defense is where they want me to when we needed to we did a great job with onship in four years if he was actually healthy play,” he said. “They’ve talked about some that.” playing for the Cardinals on both sides of the punt returns and things like that but they like You had to pick your poison when you played me at safety and I feel that I’m a good fit there ball. against Mooney. Having Zordich and Beachum and I’ll have to continue to develop myself at “I don’t know. I could have helped out but I in the same backfield would give fits to any can’t answer that,” McCarthy said. “It’s somethat position.” defensive coordinator they would face. thing I wish I could have had the chance to help He’ll get the chance to play with his brother “It’s an experience that I’ll never forget,” out but I didn’t.” Kyle in the secondary. Kyle, a backup safety McCarthy said. “Those guys are awesome. I McCarthy, who would without a doubt trade for the Irish, led Mooney to the state title at think that’s the thing that opened up everything. in the player of the year selection to have won quarterback and cornerback in 2004. You never knew which guy was going to get the another state championship for his school, “He’s been a great inspiration to me and has ball and whoever did would do a great job with shares the credit with his teammates and helped me through so much,” McCarthy said. it. I think that really helped our offense out.” coaches for him winning such a prestigious “It will be fun. I don’t know if I’ll be able to be And one of the “great athletes” that McCarthy on the field with him at the same time or not but award. “It’s definitely an honor,” he said. “Ohio is one could kill you deep going down the field with, it will be great to be with him there.” Timmy Marlowe, was the player that took over of the best football states in the country and Despite the way his season ended at for him at quarterback when his season came there are so many great players here and it’s Mooney, he’s already looking forward to his to an end. an honor to be recognized among them but I future. “I was so proud of Timmy. I feel he’s very can’t take all the credit for the award. The “I’m very excited,” McCarthy said. “It’s tough underrated. He’s one of the greatest athletes coaches that have coached me have really leaving Mooney. It’s given me the greatest I’ve ever been around,” McCarthy said. “When developed me and I feel that they can (coach) memories of my life and it’s (a place) that I’ll the injury happened, we had a talk and I told at any level. They’re just a great coaching staff never forget. But now it’s time to open a new him this was his team and he was going to do a chapter in my career and my life at Notre Dame and they’re great teachers and great people. great job with it and he did. He really did. He’s And also my teammates that I played with realand I’m definitely excited about it.” ly made me better. I played with so many great such a competitor and he’s very talented and McCarthy still has big hopes and dreams that he did a great job leading the team the way he guys and we’re all going to do really well in the he wants to accomplish. did.” future.” “I hope that everything works out with my It was no longer his team but McCarthy was Over the past two seasons, McCarthy was health and that I’m able to get back into it and proud to hand the reins over to Marlowe in his 26-0 as the starting quarterback on a team that hopefully someday start at Notre Dame and win absence. went to the state finals in both of those years. a national championship,” McCarthy said. “I “It was tough but Timmy and I have been “I love to compete and that was the position just want to get back to another championship best friends since I was 6 years old and I was that really let me use my talents,” McCarthy game and set the record straight.” said. “The coaches really were able to help me glad that he was able to step in for me,” He wouldn't trade his future for anything, McCarthy said. “I couldn’t be more proud of through that. That was a transition that I had to either. — OH

34 J J H U D D L E . C O M

JJ Hu ddle’ s O h io High

O N N / O h i o H i g h F o o t b a l l C o a c h o f t h e Ye a r

STORY BY GARY HOUSTEAU

our state championship game appearances in four years. That accomplishment alone is probably worthy enough for P.J. Fecko to be named the ONN/Ohio High coach of the year in 2007, despite Mooney losing in the Division IV state final contest this season to Coldwater, 28-27. But Fecko, himself, may have made the best case on his own behalf when he described the year of his Cardinal Mooney Cardinals who went into this season with probably the highest of expectations ever faced by any team in all of the rich history of their traditionladen school “It was really an exciting year,” the coach said. “It was a year that was wrapped in a lot of different emotions and a lot of different feelings, starting with all of the anticipation and expectations leading up to the year. But I think the way that we battled through the schedule that we faced and came out on top in so many big games against some really great competition and some outstanding athletes across this part of the country for that matter, made it really special. “Obviously to end the way we did was not how we planned on it and not the way we wanted it to but it is what it is and that’s how it went down.” More than anything, however, the coach of the year award is a fitting tribute to Fecko and the tremendous senior class of 2008 that he’s had the opportunity to coach over the past four years. “More so than all of the victories as well as the defeat at the end of the year,” Fecko said, “this award is all about the relationships that were built with the players, especially this senior class that has been very successful here since the day they arrived.” But when a team is supposed to win the way Cardinal Mooney was this season, the head coach usually doesn’t end up winning any coachof-the-year awards. But for the most part, over 14 games and three quarters, Mooney went out and played winning football like they were expected to despite have a big bull’s-eye on their chest all season long. “We definitely did a great job of winning,” said Fecko whose team this year matched the 14 wins of a season ago, the most-ever wins logged

JJ H u d d l e ’ s O h i o H i g h

P.J. Fecko’s Career Record At Mooney Year

Record

2000

5-5

2001

0-10

2002

5-5

2003

8-3

2004

12-2 (State Champions)

2005

12-3 (State Runner-up)

2006

14-0 (State Champions)

2007

14-1 (State Runner-up)

Photo by Gary Housteau

Cardinal Mooney head coach P.J. Fecko led the Cardinals to their fourth straight state title game this season..

in a season at the Youngstown parochial school. “I think our guys worked hard at it each and every week and never took anything for granted and went out and played hard and performed. We knew that nobody was going to give everything to us and everybody was going to play at a high level when they faced us.” And after going 4-1 during the postseason this year, Fecko, who turned 33 in November, now has a playoff record of 18 victories versus just three losses which rounds out to a winning mark of 86 percent. “It’s definitely a great accomplishment looking back on it but unfortunately just my name is attached to that record and there is such a combination of things that factor into that including the many people who have contributed to all of

those wins,” Fecko said. “But it is exciting to look back and see the success that we’ve had and where we’ve come from. It’s very rewarding.” Winning two state championships over the past four years is not something that the eightyear head coach at Mooney was expecting to accomplish four years ago, coming off of an 8-3 campaign which marked his first-ever playoff season in 2003. After all, Fecko had taken over at Mooney in 2000 following the departure of the legendary Don Bucci, who won four state titles with the Cardinals. Fecko’s first three teams went 5-5, 010 and 5-5. “We obviously had a plan that we wanted to have a successful program four years ago and we believed that we would,” Fecko said. “To what level we would reach, you obviously don’t predict that but we definitely have accomplished a lot. You don’t actually realize it until you step back and really have a chance to look at it and see what you’ve accomplished but it definitely is something that is very, very special. We wanted to be a great program again and I think we’ve reached that level and hopefully we can continue it.” Against Coldwater, Mooney seemed like they were well on their way to winning their third state title in four years, leading 21-7 and marching down the field for another score in the fourth period, when the bottom fell out. “Obviously, we would like to change the outcome of that game and be state champions, but unfortunately we’re not and we can’t change that,” said Fecko, whose team had to play their final three games of the post-season without ONN/Ohio High state player of the year Danny McCarthy, their most-important two-way player on the squad, because of an injury. “But I know one thing that, for sure, we wouldn’t change is that I wouldn’t go into that game with any other team than the one I had, with the players I had and the focus that they had. I wouldn’t trade those guys for anything in the world.” Mooney dealt with the lofty expectations from going into the season with the “Big Four” of McCarthy, Michael Zordich, Brandon Beachum and Taylor Hill. The Cardinals played against a very difficult schedule with everyone gunning for them. They had to overcome the adversity of losing not only their best player at the most important part of the season, but also losing their only returning starter on the offensive line who quit the team in the preseason. Still, Fecko and his staff managed to get their team to the state title game for the fourth year in a row. “It was a fun year. It was definitely fun,” Fecko said. “It was just a joy to go out to practice every day. Any time you’re with a group, staff-wise and player-wise, that I was blessed to be around this year it’s always exciting and it’s always fun. No

J J H U D D L E . C O M 35

Duane Long’s Updated Top 100 are already on the radar by the time they are halfway through their junior year. That tells me he is a late bloomer. Upside is one of the words we throw around most in this business and the sky is the limit on Poseyʼs upside. He is an ESPN national top 150 player and is a top-10 national receiver on everyoneʼs board, in a great year for receiver talent. As a senior, he had 48 catches for 784 yards (16.3 average) with eight touchdowns. He also scored on an interception return and the punt return against Anderson. Posey committed to Ohio State last spring and is a U.S. Army All-American.

The Finish Line: Ohio’s 2008 class of football prospects ready to sign on bottom line

ational signing day for college football prospects is fast approaching on Feb. 6. Ohio’s 2008 class of football prospects looks like it will be another strong one with a number of the state’s key players ready to sign with BCS caliber schools from across the country. Dublin Coffman offensive lineman Mike Adams reasserted himself in his senior year and is once again the clear No. 1 prospect in Ohio. At the same time, a pair of wide receivers – Cincinnati LaSalle’s DeVier Posey and Coffman’s Jake Stoneburner – each delivered on their immense promise as seniors. Accordingly, that is my final top three in Ohio for 2008. Below are bios on the state’s top 109 prospects for 2008, followed by a list of others to keep an eye on as signing day approaches. We will be back in our March issue with coverage of national signing day. In our May issue, we will reveal the first complete top 100 of Ohio’s top prospects for 2009.

1. ***** Mike Adams (6-8, 305, OL, Dublin Coffman) I have seen more full games of Dublin Coffman than I have any other school in years. It is the best program in central Ohio and is chock full of Division I talent. The only question that seems to come up about Ohio State recruit Mike Adams is whether he is a dominating run blocker or not. I have little doubt that Mike Adams will be a fine run blocker. He just does not get a lot of opportunities to show that he will be a complete football player because Coffman has been blessed with a level of quarterback play over the years that few schools can match. In Ohio, we think of Cleveland St. Ignatius when we think about quarterbacks but I think there is a GH strong argument for Coffman to have the title of quarterback high school. Everyone remembers Brady Quinn but there were outstanding quarterbacks at Coffman before Quinn and there have been ever since. This year Coffman has Zack Stoudt – another scholarship quarterback – but they also have receivers in Jake Stoneburner and Trey Fairchild, headed for Ohio State and Syracuse, respectively. Coffman is throwing the ball a lot and Adams is not being asked to run block very much in his high school years. When he has run blocked, he has been very effective. Opposing defenses do not line up anyone over Adams on a regular basis, which makes perfect sense. Why put a player in a situation where he has little chance to be successful? As a pass blocker there is no question about Adams. He is one of those players that can go for an entire season and you can count the number of times he is beaten on one hand. Besides his ideal measurables the characteristic that makes Adams No. 1 in Ohio, to me, is he can get so much better. I was speaking with a coach who saw Adams beaten by a pass rusher. Adams likely had not seen the player in question as he had transferred in and the game was very early in the season so the chances he had seen tape were quite remote. The very next time this very lined up over Adams this coach told me Adams stoned him badly and he spent the rest of the night rushing off the other side of

Mike Adams

36 J J H U D D L E . C O M

the Coffman line. That tells me once Adams is seeing players on the other side of the line that can really challenge him he will get better. This is the kind of lineman I only hope to see again in Ohio. It is very rare that a lineman could play as a freshman, but I think Adams can. He and Stoneburner helped Coffman post a 13-1 record and reach the Division I state semifinals. He will play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

2. ***** DeVier Posey (6-3, 180, WR, Cincinnati LaSalle) I was recently discussing former Texas quarterback and current Tennessee Titan Vince Young on the Bucknuts.com message boards. I remember him coming out in the national championship game against USC with the game on the line and there was a look of utter confidence on his face. He single-handedly beat USC and that is what the great ones do. They rise to the occasion and find a way to elevate their game when their teams need them the most. That is what we saw out of DeVier Posey on Sept. 14. There are four big private schools in Cincinnati that dominate the landscape: St. Xavier, Moeller, Elder and LaSalle. Some question whether LaSalle really belongs in that group but DeVier Posey answered that question against Elder that night with a nine catches for 141 yards and a TD performance. GH He was the best player on a field full of Division I players and was the difference, leading the Lancers to an impressive 2819 victory. In his very next game against Division II state champion Anderson, Posey did not have the impact as a receiver but he stamped his imprint on the game with a 73-yard punt return that left everyone in attendance speechless. That is what really surprises about Posey – he is a big kid but his elusiveness is that of a much smaller player. That a player this size is a punt returner at all speaks volumes about his skills. Recruiting is all about projecting and that is where you get really excited about Posey. This time last year he was just now becoming a name on the recruiting board and most players of Poseyʼs caliber

DeVier Posey

3. ***** Jake Stoneburner (6-6, 223, TE/WR, Dublin Coffman) An opposing coach gave me this quote about Jake Stoneburner and it says everything about this kid: “I see potential first-round pick in this kid. He is physically as impressive as anyone. I watched him run routes even when the ball doesnʼt come his way. He is very polished. There will be no red shirt here. He is a wow kid. If they threw deep to him three plays in a row, he would score on at least two.” I still donʼt know where Stoneburner lines up when he gets to Ohio State. I think there is little doubt he starts off as a wide receiver. Anybody running a 4.46-second 40 is a wide receiver in my mind. But what happens after he gets in a college weightlifting program and really starts eating to fuel his body? I think he could possibly grow into a tight end. But if he establishes himself at wide receiver before he fills out more, it may not matter. One college coach I was speaking to has the same concern I have about asking GH a wide receiver to step into the trenches and block the big boys. If Stoneburner is the player I think he will be, he will be able to change defensive game plans as a wideout. How do you defense a player that is as tall as a lineman but has the speed, athleticism and leaping ability of a five-star skill athlete? I think about the mismatches with the corners he is going to face but it could be more pronounced against linebackers and safeties in the middle of the field. Corners might be able to run with him but it will take a rare safety and there is no linebacker that can run with him. He is still going to be as big as any linebacker and bigger than any safety, so there is no break for a defensive coordinator if he grows into a tight end. We love the word freak these days and I donʼt think it is going out on a limb to slap the freak label on Stoneburner. As a senior, he had 74 catches for 1,267 yards (17.1 average) with 15 touchdowns for the 13-1 Shamrocks. He will also play in the U.S. Army AllAmerican Bowl.

Jake Stoneburner

4. ***** Cordale Scott (6-4, 200, ATH, Cleveland Glenville) There has been a lot of buzz with Ohio high school football fans about the schedule Ted Ginn, Sr. signed up for this year, which included Indianapolis Warren Central, Long Beach (Calif.) Poly Tech and Cincinnati St. Xavier. There are D-I recruits on all three of those teams and no high school has put more players in the NFL than Long Beach Poly. Because the Senate League is down, there was a fear that losses to these national powers would leave Glenville out of the playoffs. That did not happen and the players are better off playing against that level of competition. That is what Ginn is most concerned about. Scott looked like he belonged in those games and was the best prospect on the field in all three. There is no doubt he is going to be a major impact player. Exactly where is the question. Scott is a dynamic receiver and he has size and knows how to use it. If you want a big receiver to get in one-on-one situaGH tions, put the ball up to him. Scott fits that bill perfectly. He has the athleticism, the leaping ability and the tenacity to win those battles. That tenacity is what keeps me wondering about his future position. He plays the game with the mindset of a defensive player no matter what side of the ball he is on. To my knowledge, Scott has never stated a preference. Ultimately, his body may make the decision for him. He is a big receiver now but has a long lean body, is long-limbed and I do not think he is anywhere near finished growing. He could outgrow the safety position into a linebacker and I would not be at all surprised to see this super athlete grow into a defensive end. We had yet to see a Glenville player offered by Ohio State during Jim Tresselʼs tenure not choose Ohio State. But Scott may be on his way to changing that. He visited OSU and Illinois in December and then shocked most observers by committing to Illini coach Ron Zook on Dec. 19.

Cordale Scott

JJ Hu ddle’ s O h io Hi gh

STORY BY DUANE LONG 5. ***** DeVoe Torrence (6-2, 215, RB, Massillon Washington) After the first three games of the year, the buzz around DeVoe Torrence was about the possibility that he made a mistake in transferring to Massillon and his decision to be a running back in college. After opening with a 164-yard rushing effort against Middletown, Torrence had a 25-yard performance on 16 carries and 82 yards on 16 carries against Parma Normandy. But Torrence found his game against Youngstown Ursuline racking up 158 yards on 29 carries and followed that with a 283-yard and four TD breakout game against a Mentor team that advanced all the way to the Division I state title game. He spent the rest of the year showing why Ohio State and Michigan both offered Torrence as a running back. He ended up with 1,062 yards and 11 touchdowns on GH 177 carries (6.0 average per carry). His early game woes can be attributed to his inexperience as a running back. He spent the previous three years playing mostly linebacker. When he did play offense, he spent just as much time at wide receiver and quarterback but there were times he did not play offense at all. This year, it was the other way around. Torrence did not play a single down on defense that I am aware of making the transition to an offensive player complete. There has been much speculation that offers for Torrence as a running back were simply to get his name on a letter of intent then get him to thinking like a linebacker again once he got to school. It is something we see every year at most every college. I do not think that is the case with Torrence. He has such raw skills and reminds me of former national No. 1 running back Chris Wells in the fact that he is a big back but he is an elusive big back with excellent feet and quickness. Seeing film of Torrence from a sideline view gave me an excellent look at just how agile and quick this young man is. Again, I think about how few reps he has under his belt as a running back and what he will be when so much of this just becomes second nature. Torrence is an ESPN national top 150 player and an Ohio State recruit.

DeVoe Torrence

6. ***** Kyle Rudolph (6-7, 220, TE, Cincinnati Elder) It was a rough season for Rudolph. Elder played a murderous schedule against excellent an LaSalle team, a Lakewood St. Edward team that was much improved by the time Elder ran into them and state power Cincinnati St. Xavier in back-to-back weeks in the midseason. Elder quarterback John Groene was under assault all season and there was not a lot of time to throw the ball. In the first six games he was sacked 20 times and the next closest sack total in the Cincinnati area was 12. When the quarterback doesnʼt have time to throw, a receiversʼ numbers are going to be impacted. The last thing college coaches worry about with receivers is catches. What they do with those catches and what they do when they are not catching the ball means a lot more. Nothing has changed with Rudolph. He is still as good a tight end prospect as I have seen in Ohio. He didnʼt see as many throws come his way as he would have Sub liked but that has not impacted his effort. He was playing just as hard. He ended up with 30 catches for 544 yards (18.1 average) and an impressive 10 touchdowns. I see a complete player. If I were building a tight end, he would look like Rudolph. He tall with room to add weight and not have it impact his athleticism. He is already as good of a blocking tight end as most at the college level. He has good hands and can take a short ball and turn it into a touchdown. He very much reminds me of New York Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey because he is capable of doing everything and he plays with an edge. I am hearing so much about the other tight ends Notre Dame has landed and I have seen film of all of them. They are not better prospects than Kyle Rudolph and I think he brings a strong argument for being the best tight end prospect in the country.

Kyle Rudolph

7. ***** Nathan Williams (6-4, 235, DE/LB, Washington C.H. Miami Trace) I remember reading about a 27-yard TD run about midseason for Ohio State recruit Nathan Williams as a fullback on offense. The opposing coach had to be thinking how unfair it is for a kid this big to be running the ball, especially at this level. I am sure Miami Trace coach Pat Conroy could respond that there was no need to worry about Williams hurting any of the players that tried to tackle him. First, they were going to have to catch him. We have some remarkable athletes in this class from Jake Stoneburner to Cordale Scott to DeVoe Torrence and others. We

JJ H u dd l e ’ s O h i o H i g h

Duane Long’s Updated Top 100 are seeing a class full of players with a combination of size, speed and athleticism that put them in the freak category. I think that if there was a way to measure it, Nathan Williams would be the freak of freaks. He is running an 11.5-second 100meter weighing between 250 and 255 pounds. In a workout at school, three different stop watches came up with an GH average 40-yard time of 4.56. None of the other players in this discussion can match his size to speed numbers. Where Williams pulls away from the rest is strength numbers. He is benching 420 pounds and doing hang cleans at 320 pounds. His listed 6-4 size is legit He plays middle linebacker at the high school level but most are projecting Williams as a defensive end. I think that is premature. Having a big player at middle linebacker is a plus. He is going to be able to take on blockers better and his bigger body helps plug holes better. As long as he can still run, and Williams is showing so far that he can, I see no reason to move him until his body says he has to. Because he is from a small rural school, Williams is being overlooked. He does not have to take a backseat to any player in this class.

Nathan Williams

8. ***** Brandon Moore (6-6, 230, TE, Trotwood-Madison) Trotwood-Madison head coach Maurice Douglass knows what it takes to compete on the championship level. He was a member of the 1985 Chicago Bears Super Bowl team and he knows that competition is very important. He has improved the Rams level of competition every year and Brandon Moore has benefited from playing against a better level of competition and is more ready to play at the next level as a result. Despite having an ankle injury that stayed with him for the early part of the season, there was a noticeable difference in his intensity. I think he is more comfortable being NF back at his natural tight end position but I believe the move to wide receiver last year taught him a lot about route running. I think it taught him a lot having to beat the quicker and faster athletes he ran into at cornerback. He is going to see a better caliber of athlete at linebacker and safety at the University of Michigan, so going against high school cornerbacks was a move that will help him in the long term. Douglass played Moore on defense, too, early in the season but he decided to play Moore strictly on offense after the ankle injury. It paid dividends as Moore found his game more and more as the season went along. Moore is a unique athlete. Players this big making the kinds of athletic plays he makes is rare. He is a hard worker and a highly intelligent young man with a great attitude. He is one of those players you speak to and know that he is going to be a success after his football career ends, no matter what that might be.

Brandon Moore

9. ***** Dan McCarthy (6-1, 190, S, Youngstown Cardinal Mooney) If option offenses were still en vogue, I donʼt think we would be talking about Dan McCarthy as a safety. He is that good on offense. He runs the offense like a field general and is in control out there making great decisions. McCarthy is almost good enough as a ball carrier to be a running back. He is strong and never seems to go down on first contact. Once he breaks through, there is no catching him. I have never seen a 40 time on him but his football speed is impressive. The characteristic that intrigues me is he throws the ball well enough that he could be effective under center in the right offense. Most option quarterbacks do not throw the ball well enough. That is why defenses come up tight on the line GH against option teams but McCarthy will gut a defense if they try to come up and take the run away from Mooney. It is harder to see what McCarthy brings to the table as a safety because he got so little work with Mooney front seven is making sure he is fresh to play offense. There is no question we are looking at one of the really special talents to come along in this state in some time. We had Ted Ginn, Jr. and last year we had Eugene Clifford. After those two unique talents, I think you need to include Dan McCarthy in the conversation about who would fit that No. 3 slot. He suffered a late-season neck injury, but all signs say McCarthy

Dan McCarthy

should still be able to play college football. Notre Dame has landed a player that is sure to make Fighting Irish fans not miss Tommy Zbikowski too much.

10. ***** Kevin Koger (6-4, 235, DE/TE, Toledo Whitmer) The inevitable question that Kevin Koger has to deal with is whether or not to stay committed to Michigan. That is especially pointed when it comes to an Ohio kid with an Ohio State offer. If Koger has ever wavered he is keeping it to himself. There was some talk about him attending an Ohio State game in October but that never materialized. I think under the circumstances that would be a major development. This late in the game, with the Wolverines having a below average season, head coach Lloyd Carr out and Ohio State having a better year than expected, if Koger visited the Buckeyes I think there could be something to it. I can see why the Buckeyes, and any other school, would want to try and change Kogerʼs mind. He is a special talent. I have gone over this list many times and the one player I look at and think that he is just not high enough is Koger. Any other year he is sitting in the top five and GH likely the top three. Koger is such a fine tight end prospect. He has good hands and has talked about working on his blocking even though he is a solid blocker in the first place. I He looks bigger than his listed 235 pounds and looks more muscular. In the end, I always come back to defensive end. I know Michigan and Ohio State both offered as a tight end but I thought he had even more promise as a defensive end. But I am more convinced that he would be a better tight end after this year. I see him as an athlete more than a skill player. Koger is a great get for Michigan as it stands right now. But with Lloyd Carr out, I would not be surprised to see Koger, as well as the other Michigan commitments, look elsewhere.

Kevin Koger

11. ***** Zebrie Sanders (6-6, 273, OL, Clayton Northmont) The interest from one school is indicative of what kind of senior year Zebrie Sanders had. Ohio State had Dublin Coffmanʼs Mike Adams pegged as their left tackle of the future. Everyone assumed that the Buckeyes would come around and offer a left tackle of Sandersʼ quality. The thinking is, Ohio State has settled on a target number of four offensive linemen in this class and Sanders is really only suited for tackle. It started to look like an offer was not going to happen. About a third of the way through the year Ohio State invited Sanders up for a game. I think it says everything about his development that in a small recruiting class that any school would double up on a position. Left tackle is the most important position on the offensive line. Without a good one, the passing attack suffers greatly. Sanders is the kind of player that can make sure the quarterback operates with total confidence because his blind side is covered and Sanders has all the tools to be an elite left tackle in college. He has the length I like to see, in body NF and in limb, and has an even more imposing wingspan than Adams. He has the long body that will match-up with elite pass rushing defensive ends. He has really good feet and can mirror with any defensive end. He is going to have to work on his strength and his intensity to be the player I think he can be at the next level. If he does, I think he is a Sunday talent. His offer list includes Michigan, Florida and Georgia, but if Ohio State should get involved I think that is where he is likely to end up. If the Buckeyes do not decide to offer, Sanders heads to warmer climates.

Zebrie Sanders

12. **** Isaiah Pead (5-11, 175, ATH, Eastmoor Academy) Isaiah Pead is officially the human highlight film. At least for this class he is and Pead is a player that belongs in the conversation about the most spectacular players I have ever seen in Ohio. He averaged right about 11.5 yards a carry year. That is not a misprint. And he averaged about 200 yards a game, with 2,204 yards on 192 carries and 39 touchdowns in 10 games. Pead also had six interceptions, which he returned for 125 total yards. One City League coach told me he was the best player he has seen in the City League. One thing that I saw this year with Pead is he is looking more like he could be a back. He is running tougher between the tackles and not going down on first contact. He looks like he has filled out some, too. I think he still could be a running back, depending on the offense. Some schools are recruiting him as

J J H U D D L E . C O M 37

Duane Long’s Updated Top 100 a running back but most are looking at him as a cornerback or a wide receiver – with the majority saying cornerback. Pead has really good size for a corner and has the speed but I want a player like this with the ball in his hands. He is a game changer. Maybe there is a question about his hands but I would need to see him fail as receiver before I moved him to defense. Grades are going to have a major AB impact here. He has an impressive offer list with schools like Wisconsin, West Virginia, Maryland, Pittsburghsburgh, Cincinnati and Louisville getting their feet in the door but I see a ʻʻBig Fourʼʼ player in Pead. Ohio State has brought him in and he says OSU his dream school. With his grades in order, an offer from the Buckeyes is a possibility. We will not know until later in the school year when there is a clearer picture on grades and whether Pead will see that dream offer.

Isaiah Pead

13. ***** Elliott Mealer (6-6, 280, OL, Wauseon) The Michigan staff has to be given credit for recognizing this is a special player. They offered him early while others were still deciding. Mealer wanted to get his recruiting over with and lock himself into a scholarship before the season started and committed to the Wolverines. If he had not, I suspect he would have had an offer list that would compare with any other lineman in the state. There has been a lot of buzz that if Ohio State would come in with an offer that Mealer would change his mind but I have seen nothing that tells me that is the case. Mealerʼs value goes beyond the fact that he is a big kid with a great body and athleticism to play tight end. That he can play any position on the offensive line, including tight end, is what makes him so valuable. We live in an era where 85 scholarships makes versatile players all the more desirable. Some schools are trying to keep their offensive line scholarship numbers down because the positions, as important as they are, are a last stop so to speak. The game is so much about speed and offensive linemen are the slowest players on the field. At every other position, even quarterback, there is an GH option for moving players who are not getting it done to another position. That is not the case with offensive linemen. A player like Mealer can move all along the offensive line. I think he is better off at guard but he could play either tackle spot. Mealer needs to work on his pass blocking as he has not been asked to do a lot of that at the high school level. He will likely need to spend some time in the weightroom. I see a body that can carry another 35-40 pounds. Mealer is a great looking, big athlete that I think has an outstanding future in front of him.

Elliott Mealer

14. ***** Greg Scruggs (6-5, 225, DE, Cincinnati St. Xavier) Talk about one of the stories of the year. This might be the story of the decade. Last year at this time, Greg Scruggs was in the stands. Not as a fan but as a member of the Bombersʼ band. St. Xavier head coach Steve Specht had been trying to get Scruggs out for football and finally convinced him this year. He had never played in high school and his performance was nothing short of extraordinary. Scruggs is as raw as you might expect but he seems to have some natural football instincts. He takes good attack angles in his pass rush and puts up a fight to keep from getting knocked off of it. I have seen raw players before but not as athletic as Scruggs. They do not play physical and do not get what they are supposed to do beyond try to get around the corner. Scruggs has a high motor and plays very hard. That is another thing that usually leaves players with so little experience looking at smaller schools if they get GH scholarship offers. He comes off the ball hard and has a really good burst. He pursues and does so many things that you only expect out of a veteran player. It is remarkable that he is this good with so little football experience. There is still so much for him to learn but it is obvious he is a quick study. He has an ideal body for a rush end. This situation is not unprecedented. We have seen players who did not grow up playing the game turn out to be stars in recent years. Amobi Okoye from Louisville was a top ten draft pick this past year and New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora may be the best pass rusher in the NFL right now. It looks like schools are taking interest in Scruggs. He picked up

Greg Scruggs

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an offer from North Carolina State relatively early and Tennessee followed suit. Ohio State was considering an offer as we went to press. For more on Scruggs, see page 50.

15. **** Brandon Beachum (5-11, 220, LB/RB, Youngstown Cardinal Mooney) Over the summer – in the “athlete” season of recruiting – we all got caught up in the fact that Beachum was not ideal sized for a linebacker. I was so focused on the fact that he was a linebacker in my eyes that I lost track of what a great looking running back he is. I first saw Beachum as a running back and did not even think about him as a linebacker. He was that impressive. In the first Mooney game this year against Mentor, I got re-introduced to Beachum as a running back. First, while he may not be ideal-sized for a linebacker, he is for a running back. He is a very quick-footed kid. He steps his way out of trouble where other backs would get caught up in the traffic. Beachum has a runnerʼs instinct. He reads the play well and he has the acceleration and the burst once he finds the hole. He runs with good pad level and makes tacklers pay. I like that he makes good decisions about how to beat a defender. He will step away those that he can step away from and take on those that he canʼt. He is a tackle breaker. GH I have seen film of Beachum since he was a freshman and he is a player that Brandon Beachum gets the most of every play. He does not leave yards on the field. The most underrated area of his game is speed. Once he breaks through the line of scrimmage you donʼt see him getting caught. I would say he is one of the top three backs in Ohio this year. He had 1,525 yards and 14 touchdowns on 242 carries. He helped the team go 14-1 and reach the Division IV state title game. He had 56 tackles, four sacks and an interception on defense. He had 237 yards on 32 carries and three touchdowns against previously unbeaten Steubenville in a regional final game. Penn State came in here and snuck out with a really great player while the rest of us were fussing about minutiae. 16. **** Nick Truesdell (6-7, 215, WR/TE, Cincinnati Anderson) Having covered Anderson twice this season, Ohio Highʼs Matt Natali offers the following evaluation of Nick Truesdell: The first time I noticed Nick Truesdell was in Week 5 against Cincinnati LaSalle. Truesdell had only two catches for 9 yards with quarterback Daniel Rod out due to injury but Truesdellʼs sheer size on the field was hard to ignore. Anderson lost that game 51-10 but the Redskins would not lose again claiming the Division II state title with Truesdell reeling in 35 catches for 687 yards and 10 TDs on the season, including five receptions for 129 yards and two TDs in the state championship game. Truesdell attended Anderson as a freshman and moved out of the district only to return his senior year and star for the Redskins on the gridiron. He has concentrated on basketball competing on the AAU circuit in the summers but following his performance on the big stage in the title game, he has quickly become coveted football prospect. Truesdell is a raw player that has all the tools to become a top-notch receiver at the next level. He has height, good hands, long arms and probably most important – he has speed not typically found in players his size. In fact, Anderson used him out of the backfield early in the season and he ran for 305 yards and two TDs on the year in addition to returning kicks and punts. GH With his frame, it might be difficult for Truesdell not to bulk up too much without compromising his speed. He has the build to put on weight in college and become an effective pass-catching tight end. With his size, speed and passcatching ability, I am reminded of former Miami Hurricane and current New York Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey – only without the attitude. Truesdell is a humble young man and was more pleased Anderson won the state title than his breakout performance in the title game. A few years ago, we saw Cardinal Mooney QB/S Kyle McCarthy get offered by Ohio State and Notre Dame after his performance in the Division IV state title game and we could very soon see offers of that magnitude come in for Truesdell. He has committed to Cincinnati and has heard from the likes of N.C. State, West Virginia, Florida and Ohio State.

Nick Truesdell

17. **** Anthony Allen (6-1, 185, RB, Toledo Whitmer) Every year, I talk about players that are not getting the attention they deserve and it is especially acute this year. No player in the class is more underappreciated than Anthony Allen. The northwest part of the state has suffered from neglect and I include myself in there. I need to get into that part of the state more

myself but how this kid is not being talked about at this point with the best in the state is beyond me. Allen is on the same team as everybodyʼs All-American Kevin Koger, so I know he has been seen. He is not even in the ESPN database despite reporting offers from Michigan, Michigan State and Illinois. I see a kid with a great frame to add weight to. He is a very lean 185 pounds right now and that will not do in college and is likely going to need to redshirt as a result. Allen is an explosive runner picking his hole and exploding to it with a fearless style. He is a brutally efficient runner with no wasted motion. He is going to use as much shake-and-bake as he needs to beat a tackler, then he is going to get north-south as quickly as possible. He showed a lot of heart rushing for 82 yards on 18 carries leading Whitmer to a come-from-behind victory in the first round of the playoffs against Wadsworth, scoring the go-ahead touchdown. I have seen players running under the radar but this one takes the cake. I feel confident saying I have never seen a player this good who did not have grade problems and was not even worthy of a profile in the worldʼs biggest recruiting database.

18. **** Shawntel Rowell (6-4, 320, DT, Cleveland Glenville) I received a DVD in the mail not too long ago and had nothing on it identifying it at all. This is not alarming since it has happened before. I assumed it was a high school player and usually it is an unknown but this time it was not. It was a grainy film of Shawtell “Shaq” Rowell at the junior national combine last winter. There wasnʼt much too it but the few plays were very telling. It was Rowell going against players that I knew and they were all top offensive linemen from the current recruiting class. This is the only defensive film out there for Rowell. In his two years at Glenville he has only played offense. Glenville head coach Ted Ginn, Sr. is just not going to have any 300-pound players on his defense anywhere but in this film, Rowell was giving these elite offensive linemen fits. Most of the time he was beating them and even when he wasnʼt, he was never handled. I have had more questions about ranking Rowell this high ever since the Ohio High rankings for the class of 2008 came out. All this film does is confirm to me what I have believed since he was a freshman – Shaq Rowell is the best defensive lineman in the class and he is one of the best in recent years. The other side of the argument is his offer list is not that impressive GH and that he has a weight problem. I think those points are one on the same. Rowellʼs weight has been as much a topic of discussion as his play but he seems to be winning that battle. He has gotten his weight down to 300 pounds and if he can keep it there his offer list will become an impressive one. Rowell became the latest in the Glenville-to-Ohio State pipeline when he verbaled to OSU on Dec. 17.

Shawntell Rowell

19. **** Salvador Battles (5-11, 205, ATH, Youngstown East) A few years ago when I first heard about Salvador Battles, a coach told me he saw Maurice Clarrett at the same stage of development. He said Battles was as good as Clarrett. This year a coach who did not know about the conversation I had with one of his peers told me the same thing – Sal Battles reminded him of Clarrett. Maybe that is becoming apparent to more people because Battles ran as an I-formation tailback this year in addition to playing quarterback. He looks great at quarterback too. He is not ideal sized to be a quarterback but he does have offers from the MAC as a quarterback. Based on his performance this year at quarterback, that may not be a case of offering a player at the position he wants to play then showing him once he is on campus that he would be better off playing elsewhere. He always had a strong arm and he got better from his sophomore year to his junior year as a quarterback. So much so that I thought he could be a college quarterback and I did not think that after sophomore tape. He was even better this year. But he is an even better back. Who knows where he could go with his impressive running skills if he were to concentrate on just being a running back. DeVoe Torrence was offered as a running back by schools like Ohio State and Michigan despite the fact that he was not a full-time GH running back until this year. It is based on what he could be when he becomes a running back only. Battles has a great body for a back. He is explosive to the hole and runs with the power of a much bigger back. He has vision and good speed and is a back that can take it outside as well as he takes it between the tackles. He has great balance and great instincts. Battles is a much underrated player. He committed to Akron in early December.

Salvador Battles

JJ H u ddle’ s O h io Hi gh

Duane Long’s Updated Top 100 20. **** Phillip Barnett (6-2, 180, WR, Middletown) Back when I first saw Barnett, I said it looked like all he needed was reps. The very first play on the tape I received from Middletown coach Ron Johnson of Barnettʼs senior year was all I needed to see. He does a quick hitch, catching the ball with his hands – which he always does – does a hop step away from the first defender, makes a second hop step away from two others, then runs away from three more defenders. I donʼt know if I can find a player who has improved as much, but at the same time, has more upside than Phillip Barnett. About the only difference I can find between him and DeVier Posey is speed. This year he caught at least two passes in every game he has played in, with a high of twelve against Lakota West for over 200 yards and a TD and had 14 TDs on the year. That is production and that is consistency. Barnett ended with 950 yards receiving reeling in 53 catches and put up those numbers against one of the toughest schedules in Ohio. He had a 4.5-second 40 last summer and he can get faster. He is obviously quicker now. Barnett has excellent hands and DeVier Posey is the only receiver I have seen in this class that has hands as good. I say as good, not better. Barnett played basketball up until this year and this is another one of those receivers that is showing the advantage of playing a lot of basketball receivers learning to catch the ball with their hands. Like Posey, he is showing he can be an over the top guy or he can run the underneath routes. I was surprised at how fearless he was going over the middle and he does not go out of bounds willingly. The upside for Phillip Barnett is tremendous.

21. **** Nic DiLillo (6-5, 220, TE, Madison) Other players may grab the headlines but Nic DiLillo does what his team needs him to do to win football games. He had games where he had 120 yards receiving and games where he did not catch a ball once but was the best blocker on the field and led his team to victory. We have seen the Jeremy Shockeys and the Kellen Winslows – the freaks that are more like wide receivers lined up at tight end – but there is still a place for the classic tight end. It just so happens the majority of tight ends at the pro level and the highest levels of college football, are Nic DiLillos. They are role-players. They are the players that do the jobs nobody wants to do like catching the ball in the middle of the field where those two-legged GH predators that we call linebackers lurk, just waiting to take the head off of an unsuspecting receiver. Wide receivers donʼt like to go in there. Tight ends like Nic DiLillo make quarterbacks look good, getting those 6-yard plays when the team needs 5. They are the chain movers – the unsung heroes. They are asked to block players that are much larger at the line of scrimmage. And DiLillo is a tenacious blocker. He takes great pride in being a great blocker and is as good as it gets at the high school level and will be in college once he adds size. Defenses will ignore him at their own risk. I have the film to prove it. DiLillo will catch everything thrown his way and his run after catch is the most underrated aspect of his game. As a senior, he had 43 catches for 551 yards (12.8 average) and two touchdowns. This is a young man of character with a work ethic second to none. He always wanted a Buckeye offer and when it came it took Nic little time in accepting.

Nic DiLillo

22. **** Taylor Hill (6-2, 200, DE/LB, Youngstown Cardinal Mooney) Hill is the most underappreciated player in the state of Ohio. He is on a star-studded team with teammates headed to Notre Dame, two to Penn State and underclassman John Simon already been offered by Ohio State. Being the fourth or fifth best player on your team is not going to get a player a lot of time in the spotlight. It does not seem to bother this outstanding team-oriented player. I am still trying to decide where Hill fits in best. He is a strongside end on high school. I was wondering why a player with the closing speed Hill shows would be on the strong side most of the time but it is because he is so strong at the point of attack. I noticed how many times he stands up tackles. He has a shocking punch, regularly knocking them into the backfield. If the play is coming his way, it is over at that point. I think he might move to linebacker on the college level but he is so good at the line of scrimmage. He is not going to grow GH into a full blown 4-3 defensive end, but he would make quite a stand-up 3-4 defensive end. He does a great job of avoiding

Taylor Hill

JJ H u dd l e ’ s O h i o H i g h

blockers and is a good hand fighter. Longtime Mooney watchers say we have it all wrong – Taylor Hillʼs best position is running back. I have seen film of him as a running back and he would surely be a top 100 player as a running back and might be a top 50 player. He is that good, but where I see him playing his college football is on defense either as a 4-3 linebacker or a 3-4 defensive end. Hill had 21 sacks among his 152 tackles as a senior for Mooney. He had committed to Oklahoma before the season, but recently de-committed. West Virginia was among his list of schools.

23. **** Michael Zordich (6-1, 210, LB, Youngstown Cardinal Mooney) I did not think it was possible but Michael Zordich has become an even more devastating striker. When he hits people it reminds me of watching Mike Tyson back in his heyday. I have heard the young guys talking about getting “trucked.” That is often what it looks like after an encounter with Zordich. “Pole-axed” was a word I grew up with. Zordich hits and whoever got hit goes straight down. I know he is headed to Penn State as a linebacker but I still think his best position is fullback. I think adding weight will impact his speed and athleticism as a linebacker but it will not hurt him as a fullback. He is very good with the ball in his hands and he will still be a devastating hitter. A coach like Joe Paterno could be the one man out there willing to use the fullback as a skill player, so in my mind GH Zordich choosing Penn State is a wise choice. I do not understand why coaches at the pro level as well as the college game have decided to give up a skill player. That is what they have done by making fullbacks nothing more than an extra lineman. This is one of those players who could make the fullback position a weapon again. Zordich had 133 tackles on defense as a senior and also had nearly 1,000 yards as a fullback on offense. Even as the current incarnation of a fullback, Zordich is such a great blocker that I would still give him a look first as a fullback.

Michael Zordich

24 (tie). **** Kenny Stafford (6-3, 175, WR, Columbus DeSales) The lack of offers to Kenny Stafford has grown from a curiosity to mystery and now is a full blown legend. I have yet to speak to anyone that has seen him who has not wondered what is going on with Stafford. His only offer is from Indiana with Purdue and Iowa are considering offers. Stafford did not see a lot of balls thrown his way as the DeSales offense is still a run-dominated one but I go back to Roy Hall, a current NFL player with the Indianapolis Colts. He caught nine passes his junior year but had offers from Ohio State, Michigan and Florida State before his senior year. Most of the time numbers mean very little. I have not seen a 40 time on Stafford GH but his football speed is something to see. In his junior tape, he blows by a teammate who has a legitimate 4.4 as he tries to block for him. I have yet to see any academic information on Stafford. It would not surprise me if that is the problem because I have no other answer for why this super player does not have a lengthy offer list – one that I believe should include ʻBig Fourʼ schools. His uncle is former Buckeye great Cris Carter. Stafford conjures up memories of his uncle in his body and his skills. He has hands, speed and he plays very hard. He is an outstanding blocker and other than the lack of a 40 time I cannot find a weakness in his game.

Kenny Stafford

24 (tie). **** Roy Roundtree (6-2, 170, WR, Trotwood-Madison) What a senior year Roy Roundtree had. He caught 80 passes for over 1,300 yards and took 13 of those passes for TDs. I spoke to both Trotwood head coach Maurice Douglass and offensive coordinator Jeremy Beckham about Roundtree and neither could have heaped more praise on Roundtree for his coachability and his team oriented game. He did whatever was necessary to get better and to help his team. Douglass told me he will get me film that will show Roundtree catching the bulk of those passes, if not every single one, with his hands. It is just a natural NF thing to him. He does not think about cradling the ball. The tape I already have of Roundtree shows him mostly catching the ball away from his body. Both coaches feel confident that if Roundtree had decided to go

Roy Roundtree

to Ohio State camp that he would have received an offer from the Buckeyes. Roundtree committed to Purdue rather early and never questioned that decision. He still has some work to do by getting a higher ACT score but that looks to be very reachable and he has a 2.9 core GPA. This is one of the steals in Ohio this year. He has a game that can put him on the field at either split end or in the slot. I can not say which he fits better – he is equally adept going over the top as he is running underneath. His listed size is legit and he is not finished growing so I think it likely he lines up at split end.

26. **** Whitley Mercilus (6-3, 225, DE, Akron Garfield) Mercilus is one of the super players in this class that is just not getting the publicity he deserves and I would go so far as to say he is the best pure defensive end in the class. Nathan Williams might be a linebacker or he might grow into a defensive end. Bu Mercilus (pronounced mur-si-lis), is the edge rusher everyone is looking for. He comes off the snap like a shot and has that relentlessness that defines the top edge players. His motor never stops. This year, he stepped up for long time Garfield head coach Bob Sax as a tight end. He tied for the team lead in receptions with 21 catches for a whopping 375 yards and eight TDs. His effort on the defensive side has not suffered as he has been all over the field. He had 34 tackles, six tackles-for-loss, three sacks, nine pressures, three caused fumbles, three batted passes and a fumble recovery that he picked up and carried in for a 36-yard TD. Mercilus rarely left the field for Garfield as he was the kicker on kickoffs and averaged 35 yards per punt. His best number is a 4.1 grade point average and Sax speaks as highly of this young man as he did former national No. 1 running back Chris Wells, currently at Ohio State. The recruiting interest has started to peak with both Ohio State and Michigan asking for tape but Mercilus pulled the trigger in early December committing to Illinois.

27. **** Dominick Britt (6-5, 190, QB, Trotwood-Madison) The numbers for Dominick Britt this year are not what they were last year, at least the numbers that catch your eye. The most important one is Britt is 11 points better on his passing percentage. That is the one that says he has developed into a thinking football player at the one position that being heady is most important. There is a good reason why those lofty yardage totals and TD totals are not what they were last year. He did not play in the second half of six games. Trotwood had leads that the coaching staff felt comfortable about and they sat him to develop a talented young quarterback. In the end, he did not have the statistical numbers like he had last year. Another NF number that is more important than those big numbers is a small number. Britt threw for fewer interceptions this year. Trotwood offensive coordinator Jeremy Beckham has been in charge of some high powered offenses and he couldnʼt have been happier with Brittʼs development. He read the game better and made good decisions. He is threw the ball away, realizing that no gain is the best option in some cases. The super athletes seem to have a hard time coming around to that way of thinking. The one thing that stands out is Britt is taking to coaching. He was always a physically gifted athlete. When I first saw him I was not sure where he would end up, quarterback or wide receiver. Last year I saw him become a player I knew would get a shot at quarterback. This year he became a quarterback. Britt had committed early to Cincinnati, but there were reports that he had de-committed.

Dominick Britt

28. **** Johnny Adams (5-11, 170, CB/WR, Akron Buchtel) It was a tumultuous off-season for Buchtel as head coach Claude Brown was replaced by former Buchtel star running back Ricky Powers. It is tough on a new coach to get up to speed with recruiting and Adams disappeared from the recruiting radar for awhile. After Powers got himself acclimated, we saw the explosive Adams get back in the game. He was offered by Michigan State and right before the season started Adams gave a verbal to new Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio. I donʼt know what Dantonioʼs staff has in mind for Adams but Brown thought Adams was a corner. I was always of the mind that a player with this kind of explosive, game breaking ability should have GH the ball in his hands as much as possible. I would play him at wide receiver. This year, I see Adams was on the field for Buchtel as a safety because of his ball skills – put him in the middle of the field and let him make plays on the ball – that is where he is at his best.

Johnny Adams

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Duane Long’s Updated Top 100 The one thing we know for sure is the Spartans have themselves a punt returner. Adams is one of those players that is good enough to be offered just as a return man. Brown used to compare him to Ted Ginn, Jr and I think as a punt returner he could be in Ginnʼs class. Electrifying is the word I would use to describe Adams. The other comparison I would make with Ginn is that he is not big enough to play cornerback at the college level. Couple that with the game breaking skills and underrated hands and I see him as a wide receiver in college, but as I said earlier, I donʼt know what Dantonio has in mind for Adams. He is trying to rebuild the Michigan State program so he might be pressed to put a game changer like Adams on defense. 29. **** B.J. Machen (6-1, 210, LB, Hilliard Darby) Four years from now I think we will look back and say Georgia Tech came into Ohio and stole a player. I see B.J. Machen and I see one of those versatile players that every school in the country is looking for. I donʼt know if he is going to get big enough to be a middle linebacker in college but he is tough enough and strong enough to get a look inside in a 3-4 with a big partner beside him to do most of the heavy lifting, giving him the opportunity to run and make plays. That could happen but I think we will see Machen playing on the outside in college. Everyone wants a player that is athletic enough and fast enough to play in space and cover but physical enough to play tough against the run. I see that kind of player in Machen. He seems more comfortable at the line of scrimmage but I think he is heady enough and has the work ethic to be a good cover defender in time. This year I saw a bigger player and one that handled being the focal point of the oppositionʼs attack. I spoke to two opposing coaches and one said, “Machen was a problem,” and the other said, “Machen just killed us.” In the end, it likely would not have mattered if the local big boys had come calling. A lot of players talk a good game about academics but Machen meant it. He was going to the best pre-med program he could find and found it in Georgia Tech. 30. **** Douglas Rippy (6-2, 215, OLB/DE, Trotwood-Madison) Potential -- that is what recruiting is about – what players will be in three years and not what they are right now. Doug Rippy would not be this high in the Ohio High top 100 if we were looking at what players are right now. What we have with Rippy right now is a raw athlete because he has played so little football. He transferred to TrotwoodMadison and the coaching staff got a firsthand look at just how raw he was. Rippy did not have a good understanding of what to do in the weight room, let alone of the football field. But they also saw what was in the making. This is as impressive a physical specimen as there is in the class of 2008. NF He was 6-3, 225 pounds this summer during the athlete season running a 4.46 40 at one camp. I saw film of him from some drills at one of those combines and at first glance I had to check to see if I had called up the right film. The body I was looking at was more that of an NFL playerʼs. He moved so well. Douglass was so impressed with his cover ability as the season went along but you could see in this film that he had the ability. In the end, Douglass thinks he will fill out into a rush end at 255-260 pounds. Rippy committed to Nebraska but that turmoil has him thinking about other options. With the coaching change, I look for Rippy to open up his recruitment again.

Douglass Rippy

31. **** Michael Shaw (5-11, 185, ATH, Trotwood-Madison) Versatility is something every college recruiting coordinator is looking for. I doubt you will find any college coach that will tell you 85 scholarships is enough so finding players that can be plugged in at multiple positions is something they are all looking for. The one word that comes to mind when I think about Shaw is versatile. He had been used mostly as a speed back in the Kettering Alter option offense but when he moved over to TrotwoodMadison he was in a completely different arena as Jeremy Beckhamʼs offense asks a lot more out of a back. One thing that really impressed Beckham was Shawʼs hands. He catches the ball so well now and after watching him in practice and in NF games for the past year he feels like Shaw is best suited to play the old wingback position, where he can carry the ball some and catch it some. That is one of the draws for Shaw at Penn State. They have showed they will still use a player like that in their offense. Shaw totaled 1,400 yards in total offense. I originally saw Shaw as a cornerback but if he is showing hands

Michael Shaw

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I would agree with Beckham. He is a player with special speed and I like putting these kinds of game breakers on offense where they can touch the ball more than they would on defense.

32. **** Fred Craig (6-2, 210, LB, Cincinnati St. Xavier) I canʼt tell you how many people asked me why Fred Craig was not in the initial Ohio High for the class of 2008 back in February. The answer is simple: I did not get to see Craig until later in the process but I can see what all the fuss was about. Craig is an active defender that finds the ball as well as any linebacker in the state. We talk about speed so much we forget there is more to the equation. It is read-react-run. It is easy to get caught up in the run part of it because that is the one area that is easiest for the fan to see. We can put a stopwatch to it and get a number – it is something tangible. I was talking to Bucknuts.com associate and former Ohio State linebacker Jerry Rudzinski a few years ago and he told me that he never san better than 4.75 but he was reading the game, processing what he saw and reacting to it so quickly that he was there a step before the guys running the eye popping 40 times. This is a fine linebacker class but none of them are doing the read and react part of being a linebacker better than Fred Craig with instincts second to none. Academics were always going to play a major part on where Craig played his college ball. The Stanford Cardinal came in with an offer and Craig gave coach Jim Harbaugh his verbal right before the season started. Craig needs time in the weightroom but in time Fred Craig will be a factor for the Stanford defense. He was named Division I defensive player of the year for the state champion Bombers. 33. **** Jamiihr Williams (6-2½, 230, LB, Trotwood-Madison) When I first saw Jamiihr Williams he was just a sophomore. He was playing defensive end and looked great. His junior year he played linebacker but a severe ankle injury curtailed his production and he was being asked to play quarterback but the film spoke for itself. He was a playmaker when healthy. Williams and his father decided to move him to TrotwoodMadison and it ended up being a good move for Williams. He was always such a great performer in camps and combines because he is such a good athlete. Athleticism is at the root of versatility and Williams has performed everywhere he has played. Douglass thinks he could play anywhere from linebacker to defensive end and his body could take him all the way to the three-technique. Douglass was impressed that Williams did everything asked of him and never complained once. He just went and did what was asked of him. We had seen him play well in space but the single most impressive thing coach Douglas found with Williams this year was how well he played at the point of attack. Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio is looking for versatile players that he can plug into the lineup anywhere and Williams accepted an offer from the Spartans.

34. **** Joe Pachuta (6-7, 285, OL, New Concord John Glenn) Joe Pachuta is simply a small school superstar. He has the feet and frame that everyone is looking for in an offensive lineman and moves very well. He comes off the ball hard and really brings it. I think one of those things that we donʼt talk about enough in the recruiting process but is just as important as any other attribute is attitude, especially with the big kids. Pachuta plays the game with a relish. He is one of those players that – even if he was a back – he would want to play on the offensive line where he can really mix it up. Pachuta is a poster child for the growing importance of camps. It has been important for some time but in just the last couple of years I have seen it become that much more important, especially for small school players, with linemen and quarterbacks being the players most impacted by it. We are not seeing offers to smaller school players that donʼt camp. It is that simple. Joe Patchuta does not have to take a backseat to any lineman in this class but until recently Maryland and Akron were his only offers. That has now changed, as has Patchutaʼs verbal to Maryland. He says he is not going to Maryland and will decide between Boston College, Michigan State, West Virginia and Purdue. One of those schools is going to get a fine lineman.

35. **** Zac Dysert (6-4, 190, QB, Ada) What a senior year Zac Dysert had. He completed 154-of-242 -that is a 63 percent completion rate. He had passed for 2,350 yards and 21 touchdowns with only five interceptions. He put those numbers up in just six games plus one quarter as he broke his thumb early in Week 7. Those are great season numbers for any other quarterback. Dysert had also rushed for 500 yards on 68 carries, a 7.4 yard per carry average and four TDs. The broken thumb could not keep him off the field though as he played wide receiver and linebacker. This is a real talent, and a tough kid. He came back for the postseason and led Ada to the Division VI state semifinals and was named the Division VI offensive co-player of the year in late November. Since he committed to Miami (Ohio) last summer, he has

received additional offers from Utah and Kansas. Michigan State has never stopped contacting Dysert since he camped there and continues to talk about an offer. Pittsburgh is another school still in contact. This is a smalltown kid and likes the recent track record with the MAC and Miami, specifically with quarterback development. I donʼt see him changing his mind.

36. **** Aaron Van Kuiken (6-7, 285, OL, Cincinnati Turpin) I got a really good look at Aaron Van Kuiken about midseason. The first thing that got my attention is just how big he is. This is a great line class and there are some really big kids making up this great line class but Van Kuiken stands out. Mike Adams is the only player in the class who is as big as Van Kuiken. The next thing I noticed is how well conditioned he is. There is not going to be any problems with weight control for Van Kuiken. He is a well proportioned kid. They can get him right into the weight room and start adding weight the right way. He plays tackle in high school and he has a tackleʼs body with length and wingspan. He moves really well, getting out on long handoffs, leading sweeps and he is asked to make second level blocks. Those are plays that high school coaches only ask of unique players. He gets a good initial surge coming off the ball, and he always finishes his blocks. This is a player that committed early and never wavered. Academics were always going to be the most important thing in this decision and you canʼt do much better than Virginia.

37. *** Trevor Walls (6-6, 225, QB/TE, Waverly) Every year there are players that I am surprised donʼt have offers. This year I am looking at two players that would top the list of players with baffling offer lists, or lack thereof. One is Kenny Stafford and the other is Trevor Walls. He threw for over 1,750 yards passing this year. That is nothing compared to last year but this year he has played every game despite separating his left shoulder in Week 1. Against a very good Wheelersburg team, he passed for 309 yards. What makes the situation even more perplexing is I do not see what the problem is. With other players I see what the question marks are but believe the pluses outweigh the minuses. With Walls I do not see the questions. I hear about his mobility with a 4.8-second 40 at Bowling Green camp. I hear about his level of competition. He camped JR at Ohio State and several other Big Ten schools where he would come up against national level cornerbacks and he left all camps with great reviews. Walls is 6-6, has a great arm and is one of the best touch passers I have ever seen in Ohio. Toledo and Ohio are showing some interest but to me this is a Big Ten quarterback. He is a 4.0 student has a 29 ACT and is a member of the National Honor Society. He has only played quarterback for 2-1/2 years so we are only seeing a player that is scratching the surface of his talent. It has been a strange year in football with a school like South Florida at No. 2 in the polls, Michigan losing to Appalachian State and Stanford beating USC. None of those things are stranger than no offers for Trevor Walls. He is also an All-Ohio basketball player.

Trevor Walls

38. *** Justin Staples (6-3, 220, LB, Lakewood St. Edward) Tantalizing is the one word that comes to mind when I see Justin Staples. This summer, I heard good things about how he looked at camps and combines. He is always going to look good in an athlete setting but on the football field you see flashes of what he can be once he finds consistency. He disappears for long stretches then he makes a play that very few can make. If I were building an outside linebacker GH prospect he would look like Staples. He has an ideal body at 6-3 and about 225 with the frame to add enough weight to maybe be a defensive end sometime in the future. He is going to run under 4.7, consistently, and is a long-limbed kid – something that is often an indicator of a player that is going to get bigger – and it is such an advantage with keeping blockers at bay. One long time St. Edward observer thinks Staples would be better off playing as a rush end, either out of the 3-4 or putting his hand in the dirt. Staples is already committed to Illinois and if this special athlete ever becomes the football player that he can be, Illinois will have a future All-American.

Justin Staples

JJ Hu ddle ’s O h io Hi gh

Duane Long’s Updated Top 100 39. *** Jeremy Ebert (6-0, 170, ATH, Hilliard Darby) I remember a conversation I had with Darby head coach Paul Jenne. I called him to talk about his super senior linebacker B.J. Machen. He told me I was missing on someone. There were a lot of names banging around in my head at the time but I could not come up with a Darby player that was looking like a top 100 player and he clued me in about Jeremy Ebert. He put up some great combine numbers, running under a 4.4second 40 three straight camps. Ebert built on his impressive athlete season with an outstanding senior year. I had the opportunity to see Darby a couple of times this season. Ebert reminded me of Westerville South ATH and current Buckeye Rocco Pentello from last year in the fact that he was playing on another level. He seemed to be using a different playbook. There is no question about Darbyʼs level of competition and Ebert was always the best player on the field. As a quarterback, he makes great decisions. He is the reason Darby finished 11-2. I do not name district players of the year. Northwestern is getting a fine player here. Ebert committed over the summer to the Wildcats and they intend on using him as a slot receiver and a kick returner.

40. *** Donnie Fletcher (6-0, 170, CB, Cleveland Glenville) No cornerback in Ohio has gone about securing a more impressive offer list than Derrick Fletcher. He has been put through trial by fire this year with the Glenville schedule and Fletcher went about improving his stock with his performance. He had an impressive summer and it brought him a list that any player would be happy to see sitting in front of them. He ran great and handled himself very well in drills but I think his measureables are what brings so many offers to Fletcher. He is a 6-0 cornerback in a day and age when there is nothing as high on most coaches list as a big corner. He has a great body and long limbs and is going to get a lot bigger. His early season performance brought schools like Nebraska and Boston College to the north side of Cleveland to make offers to Fletcher. He visited Boston College and Iowa early on. We talk a lot about the relationship with Glenville coach Ted Ginn, Sr. and Ohio State but there is an awful strong one between Ginn and the impressive staff at Iowa under coach Kirk Ferentz. Glenville players that have not been offered by Ohio State have a history of ending up at Iowa. West Virginia, Michigan State, Pittsburgh and Minnesota have also offered. Donʼt count out Michigan State in this. Ginn knows Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio well. He told me long ago that he liked to see his players at Ohio State because he knew Jim Tressel would take care of them off the field. Dantonio is building a reputation for tough defense and being a very Jim Tressel-like man. This is a player whose best is in front of him.

41. *** Jake Current ( 6-3, 270, OL, Troy) The more I see Jake Current, I still come back to the same thought: any other year we would have been doing a lot more talking about him. When you look at the top of this recruiting class you have a couple of players that are getting national attention so the conversation always comes back to Mike Adams and Zebrie Sanders but Current belongs in that conversation. He is as technically sound as either of them, and a case could be made that he is more technically sound. Current plays smart football. He has excellent footwork and shows outstanding agility. Troy uses him a lot to pull and lead plays. You donʼt see him getting tied up in traffic and he is just as good as on power running plays. He gets good pad level NFH and stays low. I would go so far as to say, as a football player, he is the most ready to step in early. He needs to get in the weight room and that is going to be what keeps him from stepping in early at Wisconsin. Current was never enamored of the recruiting process and verballed soon after receiving an offer from the Badgers. We have seen Wisconsin producing great offensive linemen since Barry Alvarez arrived. New head coach Bret Bielema will continue that tradition if he continues to get lineman of the caliber of Jake Current. The Wisconsin staff sees Current as a center but I thought he would be a guard as he moves so well I would want him to get out and pull. Of course, that mobility can be used to get out on the second level and make blocks on linebackers as a center, too.

Jake Current

42. *** Jake Stoller (6-4, 250, DT, Hunting Valley University School) High school coaches are the best source of leads and information about players. I always ask who looked good on the other team and who looked good on tapes they have seen. No playerʼs name came up more often this year than Jake Stoller. He has really opened some eyes this year. Stoller is a high school defensive end but will play tackle in college. When I first heard about Stoller, it was as an offensive line

JJ H u d d l e ’ s O h i o H i g h

prospect. I never could see that. A big kid that moves like Stoller and has this kind of speed is a waste as an offensive lineman. He has the motor you want to see on a defensive lineman. He has a nice offer list with Wisconsin, Iowa and Pittsburgh leading the list with Bowling Green, Toledo and Miami (Ohio) in the mix. There were rumors that several of the ʻBig Fourʼ getting involved early on but I have not heard anything about that recently. I think it is likely that Stoller ends up at Wisconsin but he is in no hurry. If he wants to see offers from other schools waiting is a good idea. His senior year performance could get one or more of the ʻBig Fourʼ interested again if he is still on the board come January. Hunting Valley University School is not a school that you would expect to see players in the top 100 from. Head coach Jim Stephens and his staff need to be commended.

43. *** Walt Stewart (6-5, 210, DE, Ashville Teays Valley) This is a player that college coaches need to get out and see. I know Teays Valley is off the beaten path but this is a raw talent who is going to be something when he is bigger and stronger. He has had a tough situation and has now found some stability under head coach Steve Evans. Stewart is a late bloomer and has not been playing football for that long. He had two coaches with completely different styles in his first two years of high school. Now he has been under Evans for two years and the results are there for all to see. He was athletic enough to be a safety but Evans moved him to his natural defensive end spot this year. He responded with seven sacks, six forced fumbles and three fumbles recovered in his first five games. He is just now scratching the surface of what he can be in time. Stewart needs to add muscle and weight. Those are things that any competent strength and conditioning coach can add. The frame, the first step and the athleticism are things you canʼt coach. Stewart has those things. He is likely to fit best as a 3-4 outside linebacker/defensive end. A high school coach that played against future Hall of Fame defensive end Jason Taylor when he was in college says Stewart reminds him of Taylor. Stewart picked Cincinnati over Akron in early December. 44. *** Dawawn Whitner (6-2, 245, DT, Cleveland Glenville) I imagine by now Dawawn Whitner is plenty tired of being compared to his brother, Donte – a former Ohio State All-American, who is now a Pro Bowl caliber safety in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills. In addition to being brothers, they have another thing in common: they are both outstanding football players. I would go so far as to say that Dawawn is close to being as good as Donte. I realize that is a big statement considering the success we have seen from Donte on both the college and professional level. The difference is Donte had the body for his position. Dawawn does not. He can dominate games with his speed and tenacity and there is not a quicker tackle anywhere in Ohio. He has a first step that any sprinter would be love to have. He gets off blocks like a much more advanced player. Once he is free, Whitner is going to run down anybody – backs, quarterbacks – it does not matter. If skill was all that mattered, Dawawn Whitner would be a top 20 player like GH Donte was his senior year. Dawawn just does not have the size. He has an impressive offer list, nonetheless. Maryland, Michigan State, Illinois, West Virginia, Purdue and Louisville have all offered. I wonder if these schools are thinking about moving him outside to defensive end. I donʼt know if Whitner can add the weight to play inside at the level the schools he has offers from but he does have the quickness to play defensive end. He is flat out one of the best football players in Ohio. If he were an ideal size, I feel confident that Dawawn would see an offer from the same schools that offered Donte, including Ohio State.

Dawawn Whitner

45. **** D.J. Woods (6-0, 175, WR, Strongsville) D.J. Woods was off to the kind of season that could have made him one of the most sought after players in Ohio after he decided to make a preseason verbal to the Nebraska Cornhuskers. In the first five games of the year, Woods had hauled in 38 balls for nearly 750 yards and five TDs. Woods missed the next two games with a back injury and it was then discovered that he has a tumor on his back. He was operated on and it ended it season. This is a classy young man from a strong family. He is someone that everyone who has come in contact with will be praying for him. GH As a player it is hard not to like Woods. He is such a natural. He catches everything he can reach and he runs away from defenders after the catch. He is also an exceptional kick returner.

D.J. Woods

With the turmoil at Nebraska, he has de-committed opening up his recruiting once again. He committed to West Virginia after taking an official visit in December. But it was anybodyʼs guess if that would stick after WVU coach Rich Rodriguez bolted for Michigan.

46. *** Darius Reeves (5-11, 185, CB, Gahanna Lincoln) I have been more than a bit surprised that Darius Reeves has not been getting the interest I thought he should. I know he did not camp and I found out recently that it had everything to do with an injury that could not have come at a worse time. He was always a running back but everyone projected him to play somewhere else, most likely corner. I have not seen him play a lot of defense and I suspect most colleges wanted to see him as an athlete and to wait until the injury was behind him. The interest has picked up now that he has shown he is over the injury, as Reeves had a fine senior year on the football field. He has been to Washington on an unofficial visit and to Purdue and Illinois. There is a report that he has been to Michigan, his fatherʼs alma mater, on an unofficial visit but I cannot confirm that one and he will also visit West Virginia. I think someone gets a great football player here. He has good cornerback size and is a strong kid. In the right offense, one like West Virginiaʼs, he still could be a back. Solid grades and no character issues make this one outstanding prospect. He has offers on the table from Kent and Toledo.

47. *** Juandez Brown (6-3, 190, QB, Cincinnati Withrow) As a junior, Juandez Brown was 22-of-31 for 297 yards and three TDs. Those are game numbers for most top quarterbacks but they were season numbers for Juandez Brown. I think I saw every one of those passes on the film Withrow head coach Doc Gamble sent to me. That is why I sent him an e-mail saying that anybody that recruited Brown as an athlete was crazy. This kid can throw the rock. He has the strongest arm in the state and I would say he has the strongest arm I have seen in Ohio since current Ohio State Buckeye Rob Schoenhoft. This year, all he did was confirm my evaluation. He was 125-of213 for 2,323 yards and 30 TDs with only nine INTs. Those are amazing numbers for a player who has so little experience under center. Brownʼs upside is tremendous. He is such a good athlete that he could move to safety or wide receiver but he has to be given a shot at playing quarterback. Athletic quarterbacks are the future and this is one with the tools to be great. Maryland has quietly gone about recruiting Ohio very well. I was under the impression they had already offered but that is not the case. They are talking about bringing him in for an official visit and so is Louisville. To no oneʼs surprise, most of the MAC schools have already offered. Nobody is doing a better job at evaluating and developing quarterbacks than the MAC coaches.

48. *** Ashante Williams (5-11, 200, ATH, Mayfield) When we talk about safeties in Ohio we always end up talking about Mike Doss. Every top safety gets compared to this Ohio high school legend. I know Williams will get a shot at playing corner in college but I see a safety. He is a strong well-built kid who is an outstanding high school running back. He does not look like a corner physically and he does not have the game of a corner. When he runs the ball he reminds me of Mike Doss. There is an economy of effort. He is going to get north-south as quickly as possible with no wasted motion and no flash. H gets to the hole and hits it hard. He plays the same way on defense and has the speed to play corner and everyone wants bigger corners these days with so many big receivers out there. I am sure that Illinois head coach Ron Zook will give Williams a shot at corner but by the time he gets in the weight room he will fill out even more and I think he will end up at safety.

49. *** Derek Wolfe (6-5, 260, DL, Lisbon Beaver Local) It was a tough year for Beaver Local finishing 3-7 but Wolfe did not let that deter him from giving it his all. I spoke to one opposing coach that could not be more impressed with Wolfe. He agrees with me that new Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly has stolen a Big Ten caliber player. Another thing we are in agreement on is Wolfe playing defense. I first heard about him as an offensive player. He is a highly athletic, big player and you have to play this kind of player on defense. He comes off the ball hard and has the motor and an attitude I like to see in a defensive player. Wolfe just looks more motivated on defense. I think he has as good a frame as any defensive lineman in Ohio. I donʼt think Wolfe is going to see any impact on his athleticism and his impressive first step in the least as he adds weight. He can add another 25 pounds easily. He is a high school defensive end but I see a defensive tackle that can break into the lineup rather quickly but it will depend on how well he does in the weightroom. Usually high motor players are high energy workers in the weight room. I feel confident that if Wolfe had decided to wait he would have seen Big Ten offers.

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Duane Long’s Updated Top 100 50. *** Evan Klepac (6-4, 245, DE, Youngstown Boardman) I saw Evan Klepac about midseason and all he did was confirm my first impression of him: He is a Big Ten or Big East caliber player. Klepac was even better this year as he is bigger but leaner. He looks like he made a concerted effort in the off-season to his conditioning. One thing that I liked from the Boardman coaching staff was moving him around – he is not just sitting on the weak side edge now. Klepac is playing on the strong side and as a stand-up rush end. The results speak for themselves. In the game I saw he was in on so many plays, including making a very impressive thinkingmanʼs INT, as he read the play and stepped into the passing lane. It was not a matter of him just being in the right place at the right time. He has the body to fill out into a full fledged 4-3 defensive end, or keep him on the right diet and play him as a stand-up end. In this game against Massillon Perry, he was always around the ball. He plays smart and he plays hard all the time. Ohio is so loaded this year that there are a lot of good football players flying under the radar. This is one at the top of the list. 51. *** Bakari Bussey (6-3, 190, WR, West Chester Lakota West) Bakari Bussey is another player that I am surprised has not drawn more interest. Bussey is such a big, athletic kid and has a great upside. I donʼt think we have seen nearly the best of Bussey. As a big, over-the-top receiver, he dominates defensive backs. Get him one on one, throw it up and let him go up and get it. He is the kind of player that will win the majority of those battles and plays big. Bussey goes after defensive backs after the catch knowing they are unlikely to bring him down and he is a very good blocker. GH He has offers from Indiana, Toledo, Miami (Oh.) and Ohio. He will likely pick from one of those three MAC schools as there just doesnʼt seem to be the kind of interest I thought there would be for Bussey, the son of former Cincinnati Bengal defensive back Dexter Bussey.

Bakari Bussey

52. *** Steve Greer (6-1, 220, LB, Solon) Steve Greer reminds me a great deal of Ohio State backup middle linebacker Austin Spitler. Their careers are following the same path. Both were probable MAC linebackers or possibly fullbacks as juniors but really blossomed as seniors. Greer is taller and bigger but leaner in his senior year videos. He hits people and they are going backward but that is not a real surprise because he did that last year. What stands out to me this year is his range. He plugged the holes well his junior season. This year we saw a more athletic Greer making plays outside the hash marks. In pass defense, he showed a fluid drop and a comfort level. A lot of linebackers never really seem to feel comfortable in coverage. In this pass-happy day and age, a middle linebacker that can stay on the field and be a three down player is a valuable commodity. Greer has a motor that will not quit. On two plays on his film, he tackles ball carriers twice. On another play he makes a tackle on a quarterback who makes a pitch as he is going down. Greer then gets up and tackles the pitch man, too. On another play he blitzes and hits the quarterback as he is throwing to a wide receiver on a long hand-off. Greer then gets up and makes the tackle on the receiver, too. Boston College has come in with an offer and there are other major programs rumored to have come in with offers. Ohio State reportedly made contact in October. This is one of the most improved players in Ohio.

53. *** Casey Williams (5-11, 175, WR, Waverly) If it werenʼt for bad luck, Casey Williams would have no luck at all. He broke a finger and has missed a good chunk of the year as a receiver because of it. The injury did not keep him from playing defense, though. He made the best of the situation as he had four INTs and is a solid tackler at corner for Waverly. He was double covered most of the time before he broke his finger, not to mention the shoulder injury to quarterback Trevor Walls in Week 1. The numbers are just not there for him as a senior. This is a fine athlete and is an outstanding hurdler for the track team. We always think about the 100-meter event when we think of speed but recently we are seeing great hurdlers as the better football speed players, including Ted Ginn, Jr., Brian Hartline and Kyle Jefferson, to name a few. The junior tape when Williams and his quarterback were both healthy is very impressive. 54. *** Jerel Worthy (6-2, 290, DT, Huber Heights Wayne) When I look at Jerel Worthyʼs highlight tape, I see a player that does not have to take a backseat to any defensive tackle in the

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Midwest. He is such a disruptive force. On his latest tape, I saw him make nine tackles for loss, three tackles for no gain and two knockdowns on the quarterback and the piece of film was less than two minutes long. Huber Heights coach Jay Minton moves him around and let him attack. He has such a great first step and a burst. For his first three or four steps, Worthy moves as fast as anyone on the field. As NF a senior, he had 45 tackles, 10 sacks, six pass deflections and two fumble recoveries. Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio is going to re-establish a presence for the Spartans program here in Ohio. When Michigan State was a regular on the bowl schedule they had a nice number of players from Ohio and Dantonio got a verbal from this much underrated tackle in early October.

Jerel Worthy

55. *** Andrew Radakovich (6-6, 280, OL, Steubenville) The one word that I keep coming back to with Radakovich is ʻupside.ʼ It is a key word with recruiting and, in fact, it could be the most important word. When I see Andrew Radockivich it is the first word that comes to mind. He is a late bloomer who grew into his body between his junior and senior year and he is still growing. He is going to add another 25 pounds and he is a technically sound player. The Steubenville Big Red football program has blossomed into one of the best in Ohio and I am asked what makes them so good regularly. They are just fundamentally sound. Radakovich is so fundamentally sound plus he has a great body GH and is a fine looking athlete. What he can be in time is a player we will look back on Andrew as one of the best to come out of a great 2008 recruiting class.

56. *** Bruce Parker (6-3, 230, DE/OLB, Sandusky) Parker had a solid senior year. He did not have the impact on defense that was expected because he played both ways this season. I have never talked to a high school player that did not think he could play both ways but the wear and tear is something they cannot grasp. Parker did a great job playing fullback this year, was an outstanding blocker and some schools have taken notice of that. He is being recruited by all the MAC schools and he is fully qualified with an 18 ACT score and a 2.9 core GPA. Parker is a weight room warrior with a 550-pound squat to his credit. He is focusing on recruiting now that the season is over but has already tripped to Bowling Green. The possibilities of him being a fullback are intriguing but this is as good an edge rusher as there is in this class. Quarterback is the only position that is more important than a pass rushing defensive end. He could be a 4-3 end but he fits best as a stand-up rush end in a 3-4. Linebacker in a 4-3 is another possibility. 57. *** Zack Stoudt (6-4, 200, QB, Dublin Coffman) Zack Stoudt is the evidence of just how good the Dublin Coffman football program has been at quarterback over the last few years. The way a player brings the talent to the position that Stoudt brings speaks volumes. He has the size you want in a quarterback at a legitimate 6-4, he has a fine arm and he is mechanically sound. He also throws well on the run and has a good sense of touch. Some quarterbacks never seem to understand when to fire it and when to take a little off and lay it in there. Stoudt had better weapons than any quarterback in Ohio and he takes full GH advantage of them. He led central Ohio in passing. He completed 173-of-251 passes, which is a very impressive 68 percent completion rate, for 2,586 yards and over 25 TD passes. Stoudt was regularly hearing from Alabama, Tennessee and Michigan State and he had written offers from Pittsburgh, Bowling Green and Eastern Michigan before committing to Dave Wannstedt and the Pitt Panthers in December.

Zack Stoudt

58. *** Demicus Brown (6-5, 320, OL, Hamilton) The impact of coach Jim Place on Demicus Brown cannot be put into words. You have to see the game film. I had the opportunity to see two full games this year and the difference between the sometimes motivated Brown and the current

incarnation is stark. Previously, he stopped looking like a potential scholarship player in his mental approach. Not this year. Even when he looks tired he is playing hard. The impact of a high level football coach on his technique is apparent, too. He comes out of stance with some pop, keeps his rear down and moves his feet. He packs a punch and once he locks his man up it is over. Brown is showing solid technique in pass protection and moving his feet well. Generally, his intensity and focus is where it needs to be. That was the biggest question about him. He is playing left tackle, something that shows how much confidence Place has in Brown. He is going to be a right tackle or maybe a guard in college. Brown is one of the most improved offensive linemen in the state this year.

59. *** Kenny Annunike (6-5, 215, ATH, Olentangy) When I look at Annunike just standing there, I see one of those freaky defensive end prospects we see coming mostly out of the southeastern part of the country. He is long and lean with the wingspan of a 7-foot-7, but he didnʼt not play defense – not this year. Olentangy plays a 3-4 defense. Being the athlete that he is, Annunike does not fit the scheme. Once I saw him play, I can understand why head coach Ed Terwilliger has him on offense. He is going to be a tight end. He does not play with a defensive playerʼs mentality and his best is still in front of him. Annunike will fill out a lot and will handle 250 pounds or so easily. He is a raw prospect but when you see him run you see poetry in motion. ʻGracefulʼ is the one word that comes to mind. Fluid is another. He did not see a lot of passes come his way in the rundominated Olentangy offense. Though I did not see that motor and the nasty to be a defensive player, Annunike is a willing and effective blocker. Once he has time to really learn the intricacies of playing the position, he could be a special player. Academics were always going to carry the day. Duke received a verbal from this honors student before the season started and I think the Blue Devils may have secured one of the steals of this Ohio class.

60. *** Steve Yoak (6-2, 210, LB, Akron Hoban) Steve Yoak spent most of the year playing with mononucleosis. How he managed to play at all is simply amazing. I have never heard of anyone playing through an illness that zaps you of all your energy. The next break this talented athlete gets will be his first. He missed all of his junior year with an injury. He played mostly on offense for the first part of the year then was moved over to linebacker for the second half of the year. Since he has moved over to linebacker, and recovered from his illness, many schools that have remained in conGH tact will probably come in with offers. When healthy, this is one of the best athletes in Ohio. The last two games he is averaged over 100 yards a game on 15 carries or less and has more than 10 tackles in each of his last two games.

Steve Yoak

61. *** Kenny Veal (5-11, 175, CB, Hamilton) I sometimes wonder how frustrating it must be for running backs like Kenny Veal to see the kind of scholarship offers going to runners he is better than. This is a highly skilled runner with great vision and feet as quick as any back in the state. He is such a playmaker. Veal can cut on a dime, has a great burst and has the instincts of a top runner. I saw him put all his skills on display against Fairfield where he turned a good run into a great run by bursting through a hole and cutting on a dime away from a defender that he set up perfectly. It looked like he drew it up in his head what he was going to do. The tackler did not even have a chance. The only thing Veal does not have is the size the big schools want in a back. If he were 25 pounds heavier, he would be a Big Ten caliber back.

62. *** Trey Fairchild (5-11, 175, WR, Dublin Coffman) Talk about trying to get some time in the spotlight. Nobody has suffered from a lack of respect like Trey Fairchild. On any other team, he is going to be the focal point. On Coffmanʼs star-studded roster, this outstanding football player is just the opening act. He is a player with good size and you are not going to find many slot GH receivers – the position Fairchild projects to – that are as big as he is. One thing that gets overlooked is his hands. I have not seen him drop a ball and I have seen more of the Coffman offense than any other school this

Trey Fairchild

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Duane Long’s Updated Top 100 year. He catches everything thrown his way. After the catch is where Fairchild earned an offer from the Syracuse Orangemen. He is fast and will run a 4.4 right out of his warm-ups and has 4.3 40s to his credit. What impresses me most is the determination he runs with. You donʼt see tackle-breaking slot receivers and Trey Fairchild breaks tackles. This is the kind of talent that can help the Orangemen get turned around.

63. *** Steve Gardiner (6-1, 210, LB, Dublin Coffman) The Coffman offense shined such a spotlight on it that Stoneburner, Adams that Fairchild and Stoudt needed to wear sunglasses all the time. I only saw one game film of the Coffman defense before August. They have a pretty solid unit over on that side of the line, too, and Steve Gardiner is the straw that stirs the drink. If you see a big play by the defense you will find Gardiner rising up from the bottom of the pile. He is a smart, instinctive and active linebacker who always seems to be around the ball. GH Size seems to be the hold-up with the big boys making offers. He is more an inside linebacker in game but an outside linebacker in size. He ran a 4.51 50 at the Ohio State camp and would love to get an Ohio State offer but I do not see that happening. He has a nice offer list with West Virginia, Pittsburgh and Northwestern topping the list. He is also a 1,000-yard rusher but Gardiner will be a linebacker in college.

Steve Gardiner

64. *** Adam Bice (6-4, 270, OL/DT, Dresden Tri-Valley) Adam Bice had a great senior year. He was the catalyst for TriValley making the playoffs and just missing an undefeated season on the final Friday of the regular season. He was a standout at both defensive end and center.

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Natural centers are hard to find and Bice has now gone through two seasons without a bad snap. That is an impressive feat made more impressive by the fact that he is snapping out of the shotgun. With a big player this athletic you want to play him on defense but what Bice brings on offense may be too much for the Akron Zip staff to ignore. This is a player with so much upside. He was a 6-3, 195 tight end as a sophomore so he is still growing. He is the best basketball player in the league, averaging 15.5 points per game as a junior. He is starting to get attention from other schools with Boston College, Cincinnati and West Virginia all showing interest but is still committed to Akron.

65. *** Blaec Walker (6-4, 290, OL, Middletown) Middletown coach Ron Johnson is a former college player as well as a college coach. He knows talent and he is a straight shooter when it comes to information about his players. He could not be higher on Blaec Walker. He speaks highly of his work ethic, his coachability and his attitude in general. Walker has put in the work to be a better player and it has paid off. He had a lot of schools talking about him after an excellent summer and then showed great toughness and perseverance as he continued to play for all intents and purposes on one leg as he had a knee injury early in the year. He missed two games but was never his explosive self with the injury. He could have mailed it in but he decided to play it out but ended up having to have another surgery on the knee. Who knows who would have offered should he have been able to follow-up his fine athlete season with a fine football season. He is committed to the Bowling Green Falcons.

68. *** Lamonte Lattimore (5-11, 190, CB, Cincinnati Winton Woods) Winton Woods head coach Troy Everhart told me that Lattimore still does not have any offers. That is one of the biggest shocks to me. He is qualified, there are no questions about his size and there are no speed questions. He ran very well at a couple of camps and he is one of the big playmakers in the state of Ohio. He is a versatile player that can play any receiver spot, could be a running back if called on to do so, is ideally a safety and could play corner. I see a

player that can make any team better, especially on defense. He is great on the ball, very willing in run support and a solid tackler Everhart is one of the savviest coaches in the state when it comes to recruiting so I know that is not it. Someone will come in late and find this gem.

69. *** Joe Madsen (6-4, 270, OL, Chardon) Madsenʼs senior year ended on a down note. Chardon finished 7-3 in the tough northeast region of the state and just missed making the playoffs. Despite that disappointment, Madsen had a fine year playing both defensive tackle and offensive tackle. One coach told me his team thought they needed to scheme to take him out of the game because if they didnʼt he would have that kind of impact on the game. He played virtually every snap, a feat in and of itself for a big guy. Madsen committed to West Virginia in late summer and has never wavered, though there has not been a decision made on what side of the ball he will play on. He is a high motor player who is very strong at the point of attack so I think he could be an excellent nose guard in a 3-3-5 scheme. But I think he could make an even better offensive lineman. He could also be a punter in a pinch.

70. *** Chad Hounshell (6-6, 300, OL, Mentor Lake Catholic) Hounshell is a mobile and athletic player that is at his best when he is moving. My first look led me to project him as a guard but after this year I see a more agile kid. I would still say guard but I would not rule out seeing him play his college ball at tackle. Recruiting has picked up for Chad Hounshell so much he is not spending a lot of weekends at home. He went to games at the request of host schools for a good chunk of the year. Notre Dame had him in for a game but has not offered yet. His other favorite school is Boston College. Like Notre Dame they are maintaining contact but have not offered. Hounshell does have a nice offer list, though, and an eclectic one at that. Colorado and Kansas came in early. Indiana, Central Florida, Cincinnati and Miami (Oh.) are some of the other schools that have offered. Michigan State has not offered but they are showing the kind of interest that makes me suspect he will eventually see an offer.

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Duane Long’s Updated Top 100 Hounshell is committed to Central Florida .

71. *** Patrick Omameh (6-4, 250, OL, Columbus DeSales) As someone who evaluates players, I see a body like the one on Patrick Omameh and the most important word in the recruiting lexicon lights up in mind in huge vibrant letters – ʻUpside.ʼ This is a kid that I first saw at about 240 pounds but he is now up to 250 and still looks like he is about 225. He is going to come home for the first time from college and his parents are not going to recognize him. Once he is in a college weightlifting program he will be 280 pounds in no time and I think he could find himself pushing into the 300-pound range with no problem. When I first heard about him the buzz was that he was a defensive end but it was easy to see he was going to be an offensive lineman. That is where he is going to play in college. Omameh gave is pledge to Cincinnati over Akron, Miami of Ohio and Eastern Michigan. All had offered. 72. *** Chip Robinson (6-7, 340, OL, Middletown) Robinson had another year where he showed improvement. He is moving much better as he matures and is adjusting to his huge body. That is something that does not get discussed. These kids that are so huge at such a young age and need time to get their agility and their strength to catch up. We are now seeing that happen with Robinson. His weight was such an issue when he was younger but he now it looks more like he is a kid that is going to be this weight. He got to about 340 and has stayed there. Robinson comes off the ball well with his first few steps are impressive. His technique is coming and will only get better under Bowling Green offensive line coach Matt Campbell, who has quietly gone about producing some really good players. Campbell had the opportunity to get to know and work with Robinson at the Bowling Green camp and the Ohio State camp. The relationship played a role in the decision by Robinson to pledge the Falcons in early October.

73. *** Will Fleming (6-4, 205, ATH, Akron Hoban) Hoban had a tough year going 3-7. Fleming played strong safety the first two games. The coaching staff discovered that teams were running away from him so they moved him back to his more natural free safety spot where he ended up getting in on a lot more plays. Fleming also played receiver but it was a disappointing year because the protection was not there to execute a passing game. But he still managed to come up with over 30 catches for more than 500 yards. Fleming lead the team in tackles, interceptions and forced fumbles. GH He is still hearing from Akron, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Illinois, Michigan State, Iowa and Kansas on a regular basis. Other schools are starting to talk the talk. I knew a lot of schools were going to wait and see where his body was going to take him. This is one of the most intriguing athletes in Ohio. He is such a great athlete and has outstanding football instincts. The sky is the limit on what he can be in time.

Will Fleming

74. *** Nate Schuler (6-1, 208, ATH, New Middletown Springfield) I donʼt think Nate Schuler is the best football player in Ohio but he is definitely in the running for most underrated. The one area where there is no question he is right at the top of the list – if not the best – is his hitting. Schuler and Mooneyʼs Mike Zordich are the two players that would take up the bulk of a highlight reel I would put together of the best hits in Ohio. This kid really brings it. I think Akron really got a fine player here. Nobody has heard about him because he did not go to any camps that I am aware of other than Akron and he plays at such a small school. I think he would have been recruited more heavily by bigger schools because everyone is looking for that strong safety/outside linebacker hybrid that can play at the line of scrimmage but cover effectively when asked to do so. I think Schuler is one of the better fits for the role you will find in Ohio this year.

75. *** Justin Brown (6-4, 255, DT/OL, Youngstown Ursuline) Justin Brown played both ways again this year but he played a different position on offense. Ursuline head coach Dan Reardon moved him from tight end to right tackle and it was a good move for Brown. He was not going to be a tight end in college despite being a highly athletic, big guy. He is still played defensive end but would be a tackle on defense if he were to play defense in college. But I see an offensive lineman. He is strong at the point of attack on defense but does not get the kind of penetration the type of playmaker you want on defense. He showed his agility with a long fumble return in the Division V state title game against Maria Stein Marion Local. Brown was always a tenacious blocker as a tight end but he just

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looks at home at right tackle. He has such great feet and adjusted to being a pass blocker quite well. He needs to add some weight and strength and he needs more reps as an offensive lineman but I like the athleticism and the frame. There are a number schools interested in Brown but he has no offers at this point, to my knowledge.

76. *** T.J. White (6-3, 265, ATH, Troy) Everybody wants big kids that can run. White is big, is a fine athlete and one outstanding football player. White is so fluid he almost looks graceful. He has recently run 4.77 40 at 265 pounds, ran a 4.8 at Georgia Tech last summer and made the all-camp team in Chicago. I think the only question remaining is where he plays. That is the only thing that makes sense. I would start him out as a defensive tackle and go from there. He is quick enough off the snap to cause probLW lems in there and he can add a bit more weight. If he is not a defensive tackle, I am sure he can play guard. Yet, he is athletic enough to be a receiver and physical enough as a blocker that he could be a tight end. I think right now that there is a lot of scrutiny on what is wrong with a player. Come January I am betting that college recruiting coordinators remember what is right about T.J. White.

T.J. White

77. *** Nate Wilburn-Ogletree (6-3, 190, WR, Clayton Northmont) I lost track of Nate Wilburn-Ogletree over the summer and was not aware of a single camp that he attended. I found him again this season versus Trotwood-Madison and he was a key element in Northmont taking apart the most talented team in the state not named Youngstown Mooney. Wilburn -Ogletree was the best player on the field. When you think about who was on the field that night and where they are going to school, you get a better idea of how impressive he NF was. He made catches all over the field, showed hands to go with the ability to get open and made nice runs after the catch. I donʼt know if Wilburn -Ogletree went to any camps and if he did, he did not stand out. I know every time I see him on he football field he shows he is a very talented football player.

Nate WilburnOgletree

78. *** Phillip Manley (6-4, 305, OL, Hamilton) I am not going to be surprised if we see Manley end up with as good an offer list as his ballyhooed linemate Demicus Brown. . Bodies mean so much with offensive linemen. Take the jerseys and the name tags off and stand them side by side and I think most would choose Manley. He is the leaner of the two and has the same kind of reach. He is as tall and could be taller. On the football field I give Brown the edge now, but in the future, after some time in the weightroom and more coaching, Manley could be the better player. He had offers from Miami (Ohio), Western Michigan and Eastern Kentucky and was waiting for offers from Louisville and possibly from Virginia Tech. He caught the eye of Hokies head coach Frank Beamer when the Hamilton team camped there this summer but made the decision to commit to Miami (Ohio) in late October. Manley has a 25 on the ACT and is doing well in the weight room with a 325-pound bench and an impressive 515-pound squat.

79. *** Joshua Smith (6-2, 170, ATH, Cincinnati Withrow) Withrow head coach Doc Gamble could not be happier with the way Josh Smith played this year. Though, he did not have the year on the offensive side of the ball that was expected despite the emergence of quarterback Juandez Brown as a passer, I was always more impressed with Smith as a safety anyway. He has really taken another step up with his tackling and hitting and had two INTs on the year. I think he is going to be a fine strong safety if he does not grow into a fine linebacker. He has a long lean frame and I think once he is in a college weightlifting program and gets better advice on diet, he could blow up into a weakside linebacker by the time he is ready to step onto a college football field. Smith does not look like he is in a hurry to make a verbal. He has offers from Kent State, Ball State, Eastern Michigan, Ohio and Miami (Ohio), with Indiana, Louisville and Minnesota still showing interest.

80. *** Travis Kelce (6-5, 230, QB/ATH, Cleveland Heights) I knew Travis Kelce was going to have a nice selection of schools on the table to choose from. He has the size, speed and

athleticism that you just cannot coach. What did surprise me a bit was his verbal to Cincinnati is as a quarterback. I had not seen him play as a senior when I learned of the Cincinnati verbal by Kelce, who also had offers from Pittsburgh, Connecticut, Miami (Ohio), Eastern Michigan and Akron. He also had recent contact from Virginia Tech, Iowa and Illinois. After seeing his senior year highlight film, I see why the Cincinnati staff made the offer as a quarterback. He looks more confident throwing the ball and is throwing on the run extremely well. When I was first told about how Kelce had progressed, the coach I spoke to mentioned Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger. He very much resembles Roethlisberger when he was a senior at Findlay. With some of the bigger name schools starting to pay attention you would think Kelce would wait but Cincinnati has something the others donʼt – they have his older brother as an offensive lineman. He has also been cleared to play basketball if he chooses to.

81. *** Jordan Bright (6-6, 225, DE, Cincinnati Wyoming) I didnʼt hear anything about Jordan Bright over the summer from camps and combines but I sure heard about him during the season. He racked up 34 tackles and he assisted on 30 more. Those are impressive numbers for a defensive lineman but the numbers that matter for defensive ends are those big play numbers and Bright has them. He racked up nine sacks, forced two fumbles, recovered a fumble and had an interception. I really like those big play numbers and I expected them from Bright. What I think tells more about his development is the total tackles. One thing that I heard from college coaches is he could disappear for stretches. A defensive lineman that can come up with over six tackles a game is an active one. Bright is only looking at an offer from Marshall to my knowledge but with his size and athleticism someone is going to come in and see what kind of upside he has late in the process and make an offer.

82. ** Brad Bednar (6-5, 230, OL, Mentor) Brad Bednar always attracts my attention every time I see him play just by the way he moves and how technically sound he is for a high school offensive lineman. He is just as adept of a run blocker as he is a pass blocker because he moves his feet and he plays hard all the time. He gets out and makes second level blocks and he uses his long arms effectively to keep pass rushers off quarterback Brad Tanski. I think he has the frame to fill out into a fine college tackle. If he were a little bigger GH now he would be another thirty places or more up this list. Bednar had offers from Miami (Ohio), Ball State, Bowling Green and Air Force. He pledged Miami in mid-October and the RedHawks have the best recruiting class in the mighty MAC at this point – great job by that staff.

Brad Bednar

83. *** Ben Buchanan (6-0, 197, K, Westerville Central) It was another record breaking year for Ben Buchanan. The most important thing for me with kickers is the inside the 50 yard line numbers. He was perfect on the year going 13-for-13 inside of 50 yard line. There are NFL kickers that would take that. Long kicks are great but being automatic inside of 50 is my definition of a great kicker. With the rules these days, longer kicks that are missed give up field position. Buchanan hit a 57-yard field goal this year and his only misses this year were from 63, 60, 60, 53 and 50. He is averaging over 40 yards per punt GH and I am told he will be given every opportunity to win the job at all three kicking positions. The thing that makes his accomplishments all the more impressive is he plays receiver, averaging 13.5 yards per catch. What happens when he is kicking with a fresh leg? Cars in the parking lot might be in danger. I only hope to see a kicker this good again in the state of Ohio.

Ben Buchanan

84. ** Rodney Stewart (5-7, 170, ATH, Brookhaven) This is a year of firsts for Ohio High. I have never before had one kicker in the Ohio High top 100 and I ended up with two with a potentially three this year. I have never considered having a player this size in the top 100 but I have never seen one like Rodney Stewart. He is a unique talent. The talk of Ohio is Isaiah Pead from Eastmoor Academy but Stewart may be an even more exciting player. I watched the Brookhaven-Beechcroft game and Stewart took the game over, scoring five TDs. He has such great vision and the balance of a cat

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Duane Long’s Updated Top 100 with 4.39-second speed in the 40. Stewart has offers from Akron, Toledo and Eastern Michigan. I donʼt know where he lines up as an every down player but he will certainly be a kick returner. I donʼt see him as having the size to be a cornerback but in a utility role on offense, as a slot receiver and a third down back is a possibility. Stewart is one of the most exciting players in Ohio this year.

85. Da'Jouir Cornnielies (5-10, 220, LB, Middletown) Like with Milton-Unionʼs Tyler Wilson, DaʼJouir Cornnielies has been operating under duress. There is a template that everyone in the evaluation business uses. For linebackers we are all looking at players a little taller. Well, here we are at the end of their senior year and a lot of the bodies more in line with what we are all looking for have not gotten it done. This kid did. All Coach Johnson needs to do is get the film of the Massillon game out to coaching staffs – 27 participations against one of the best programs in the country – and he played most of the season with a cast on one hand. The height number is the one that is getting too much attention. This is a kid that has run 4.48-second 40 and broad jumped 10-3 – and those are combine numbers. Some schools have jumped in and taken notice. Just about every MAC school is showing interest and so are Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. Cornnielies is a great football player and at 6-2 he is a top 50 and likely a top 40 player. 86. ** Jordan Graham (6-1, 250, DL/OL, Canfield) I am a believer in the athlete-first philosophy with recruiting. I agree with the templates for every position with the exception of quarterback. I also believe there are exceptions to every rule and Jordan Graham is one of them. I see a player with feet as quick as any linemen in the state. His agility is second to none. When he comes off the ball he is going to penetrate or he is going to knock his man backward. He is running backs down from behind and is a highly athletic kid. Graham has run under 4.9 in the 40 and an impressive 4.4 in the shuttle, and those times came from a camp not from SP the coach. He plays with great intensity and a love for the game. If Graham were 6-3 or better, he would have his pick of offers. Ever since I first saw Graham I have been trying to come up with a player he reminds me of. I finally came up with Chris Hovan. He played at Cleveland St. Ignatius and ended up with an offer to Boston College then went on to the NFL. Graham has the same kind of body and same kind of quickness. He plays with the same intensity, too. Someone needs to take a chance on Graham. If he isnʼt a defensive tackle then he is sure a fine guard prospect. He is also an outstanding swimmer.

Jordan Graham

87. ** Sean Egler (5-10, 185, RB, Bellefontaine) I have said before that coaches are a great source to find out about talent. One coach could not believe that I did not have Sean Egler in my top 100. In fact, in his opinion, he was the one player missing from my top 50. I saw Egler against Wapakoneta about midseason and the coach was right. This kid belonged among the stateʼs top players. He is an explosive runner with great instincts. He looks and runs bigger than his listed 5-10, 185 pounds. He seems NF just as comfortable between the tackles as he is running wide. Egler is one of those runners that always seems to make the right decision. Whether it is kicking it outside or cutting it up, he knows to take a tackler on or break his ankles with a move. What Egler needs to do is get his grades in order. The MAC schools are well aware of him and will get heavily involved once he shows himself to be a qualifier.

Sean Egler

88. ** Tyler Wilson (5-10, 210, LB, Milton-Union) I did not include Wilson in the Ohio High top 100 before but I cannot leave him out anymore. He is just too good a football player. Pound-for-pound Wilson is as tough and physical as any player in the class. Timing on the blitz is so crucial and he blitzes like a player who has been playing college ball for a few years. He has such instincts and reads the game so well. Play after play, I saw him step into the hole

Tyler Wilson

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where the play was going like he had been in the offenseʼs huddle. This year he rushed for 1,044 yards and 14 touchdowns as a fullback and led the way for a 1,500 yard rusher. He only played part time on defense but still racked up over 70 tackles and was named Southwest Buckeye League linebacker of the year for the second straight year. Wilson is a very talented player. If he is 6-2, he is likely a Big Ten recruit. He is looking like he will be a MAC recruit anyway with Miami (Ohio) and Toledo showing strong interest.

89. ** Andy Cruse (6-4, 210, WR, Cincinnati Turpin) Matt Natali, Ohio High assistant editor, covered Turpin twice this year and offers these observations of Cruse: If there is a steal in this class, Cruse might be it. Miami (Ohio) offered this talented wide receiver early and he committed at the end of June after reeling in 38 catches for 1,025 yards and 14 touchdowns in 10 games for state semifinalist Turpin. As a senior, he led the Spartans to a perfect regular season with 847 receiving yards on 43 catches and 11 TDs. In the first playoff game against Winton Woods, Cruse had seven catches for 126 yards and two TDs. At 6-4, 210 pounds, Cruse has shown tremendous ability to catch the ball in traffic and is not afraid to do so with his size. He has nice, long arms and good hands. All Turpin quarterback Ryan Martin had to do when looking downfield towards Cruse was lay the ball up in the air and he was guaranteed to catch it – much like a power forward boxing out to pull down a rebound. While he will not kill teams with his speed, he has all the tools a good WR embodies to make up for it. He has the frame to add some weight in college and become a TE but he is such a talented pass catcher that it is probably in Miamiʼs best interest keep him at receiver.

90. *** Darius Ashley (5-9, 170, TB, Cincinnati St. Xavier) Darius Ashley did not have the year statistically that he expected to have due to an early season ankle injury but that is offset by the success his team had on the field. St. Xavier is the top team in Ohio and one of the nationʼs best. That is more important to this ultimate team player. He had a successful season as he has racked up 822 yards on only 122 carries (6.7 avg.) and Ashley put the ball in the end zone 10 times. He also set the Division I state title game rushing record with 272 yards and two TDs in the St. Xavierʼs 27-0 win over Mentor. Despite the injury, recruiting was never impacted as schools continued to come after Ashley just as hard as ever. He ended up with an impressive offer list, including Boston College, Virginia, Wisconsin, Illinois, Northwestern, West Virginia and Louisville. He ended his recruiting trail in October pledging the Louisville Cardinals. 91. ** Doug Reynolds (6-2, 190, S/QB, Colerain) I thought we might see the ball in the air a little more this year with former Colerain head coach Kerry Coombs moving on to the college game. That did not materialize but I think we saw an improved quarterback in Doug Reynolds. He only threw about 100 balls on the year but was hitting 75 percent of his throws and his TD-to-INT ratio is 3-to-1. I just think that all he needs is for a college recruiting coordinator to see him and realize that the kid can throw the ball but Colerain is a run-first football team. I absolutely believe he can be a quarterback. If West Virginiaʼs Pat White can be a Heisman candidate, then Doug GH Reynolds can be a Division I college quarterback. He has the same game although he is a little bigger and I would say he is a better pure passer. Reynolds also averaged over 6 yards a carry. He makes great decisions and takes care of the ball. In this day and age versatility means everything and he makes plays. If Reynolds is not a quarterback, he is surely a safety at the next level.

Doug Reynolds

92. ** Hank Keighley (6-4, 215, LB/DE, Kettering Alter) Ohio Highʼs eye and ears in southwest Ohio, Matt Natali took in several Alter games this season and offers the following evaluation of Keighley: Keighley was named the Division IV Southwest District defensive player of the year with 62 tackles including 23 for loss and was an All-Ohio first team defense selection. He is a tenacious defender that played in a stand up DE role for Alter. Keighley has a nose for the ball if he is not busting through the offensive line and getting to the QB first. He explodes off the snap and sheds blockers with his strength and speed playing 110 percent on every play with incredible intensity. Keighley will not kill teams with speed but moves extremely well laterally. He plays with tremendous football speed and has a motor that is up there with some of the top players in this class.

Keighleyʼs recruitment flew largely under the radar but Toledo offered a scholarship and he accepted in November. He will most likely move to LB with his size – and considering his ability to get in the opponents backfield in a blink of an eye – he is best suited at the Will position. Keighley and Cincinnati LaSalleʼs J.K. Schaffer are cut from the same cloth. Both may lack the ideal size of a major college football conference recruit for their respective positions but both play a lot bigger than what is listed on the roster.

93. ** Isaac Washington (6-2, 270, DE/DT, Trotwood-Madison) Back when I first did an evaluation of Isaac Washington I noted that he would do himself a favor by dropping some weight. He has done the complete opposite and gained more weight. That is only a problem in the fact that it now means be is likely to see colleges will want to see him on the field with his hand in the dirt before they come in with offers. He is now at least a defensive end and likely a defensive tackle. If he embraces it, there should not be any problem. He will simply be recruited at a different position. I was impressed with him as a football player period. He has great instincts and a knack for beating blockers. He is just going to have to show he can do those things from a different position. I have seen players start to add weight or not show the speed for their preferred position. How they adjust to that mentally means everything. The sooner and more enthusiasticalGH ly he embraces it, the better chance he has of being a success and getting better offers. I saw Trotwood once this year in their worst performance of the year against Clayton Northmont. I remember seeing the camera tighten up on Trotwood head coach Maurice Douglass on the sideline. You wonder what is going through a coachʼs mind when his team just does not have it on a given night. One player who did not have an off night was Washington. He played middle linebacker that night and was the player of the game for Trotwood. When I see Washington, I think about the possibilities if he were 225 pounds, not 275. He is a great football player and a natural linebacker. He has great instincts nut the problem is he has a defensive tackles body. I have not seen film of Washington as a defensive tackle but Douglass says he is just as good. He has an offer from Jackson State but other schools have started to creep in, including Pittsburgh and West Virginia. If he looks as good on tape Douglass says he does, an offer from one of those schools would not surprise me.

Issac Washington

94. ** Branden Williams (5-10, 175, CB, Lakewood St. Edward) I had the opportunity to see Branden Williams several times this year. I was impressed with him as a cornerback. He has the tools, including great feet and can turn on a dime. He is absolutely fearless in run support despite his slight build. Williams has been battle tested against a level of competition that is beyond question. He gets off the ground and makes plays on the ball against bigger receivers. With all that said, it sounds like a ringing endorsement of Branden Williams as a cornerback but what I remember more is his play as a wide receiver. I think we are close to done with these smaller players as cornerbacks but the popularity of the GH spread offenses has opened up the receiver ranks for them again. I think he could be a great slot receiver. He has speed and great quickness and I am impressed with his hands and ball skills. Branden Williams is a battle tested football player with legit speed. Someone will come in on him.

Brandon Williams

95. ** Bart Tanski (6-2, 190, QB, Mentor) Ohio Highʼs Matt Natali offers this assessment of Bart Tanski: As a junior, Tanski led Mentor to a D-I state runner-up finish knocking off Glenville twice, Strongsville, Solon, Massillon Washington, Maple Heights, Warren Harding and Canton McKinley. Few junior quarterbacks face a schedule tougher than that and succeed. Tanski led Mentor to an 11-3 record and a second straight berth in the Division I state title game. He completed 230 of 388 passes (59.3 percent) for 3,179 yards with 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also rushed for 558 yards and nine touchdowns. He led Mentor to its second straight D-I state runner-up finish while earning the coveted Mr. Football award along the way. For as talented and successful as Tanski is on the high school football field, he lacks the measurables college coaches look for in an ideal, blue-chip signal caller. But that is not to say Tanski isnʼt a hard-nosed, scrappy player that can create plays and knows how to win. In Mentorʼs spread offense, Tanski is at his best in short slant or

J J H U D D L E . C O M 45

O h i o H i g h / O N N A l l - O h i o Te a m post pattern situations. He can get the ball down field for the big play but is more effective when his receivers are running the short routes. Tanksi also has the ability to move out of the pocket and hurt teams with his legs. He had 97 yards rushing and two TDs on the ground against Cleveland Heights this year. Despite lacking ideal quarterback size, Tanski will make a midmajor college very happy with his ability to win football games – he just needs to get that first offer.

96. ** Nathan Cope (5-11, 185, S/RB; Warren Howland) This is one of the better all around players in Ohio in my opinion. He can play any number of positions but I think safety is his best positions. As a running back this year, Cope put up numbers that tell something about his versatility. In a game late in the season, he had seven carries for 80 yards and three rushing TDs while adding five receptions for 60 yards and another TD. As a safety on defense he had four tackles for a loss and three pass breakups and that was just in the first SP half. Cope has been hearing from Cincinnati, Miami (Ohio), Ohio, Kent State, Ball State and Bowling Green. His athlete numbers are impressive enough to get him offers. He has run a 4.47 40, a broad jump of nine feet and a very impressive 35-inch vertical. Those are camp numbers, not school numbers.

Nathan Cope

97. **** Chandler Burden (6-6, 272, OL/DL, Cincinnati LaSalle) Ohio High Assistant Editor Matt Natali offers this evaluation of Burden after seeing LaSalle play several times this season: Burden had nine sacks in as many games as well as one forced fumble and one recovered fumble for 5-5 LaSalle against one of the toughest schedules in the state this year. But Burden will be on the offensive side of the ball at the next level with Kentucky recruiting him as a guard. With his size and his frame, it should not be difficult for him to get over 300 pounds making him ideal size for that position. Burden is a tenacious player that plays to the whistle but could stand to work on his technique and fundamentals some more. This will most likely happen once he gets to college and can focus on one position instead of playing on both sides of the ball. He has all the tools and football smarts – it is just a matter of putting it all together at the next level. The Wildcats seem to have their football program on the upswing and adding Burden to their offensive line is another step in the right direction.

98. ** Briggs Orsbon (6-1, 185, ATH, Conroy Crestview) Every year I get so many e-mails and message board comments about this player and that player. This year I got more about Briggs Orsbon than any other player. I did see him as a junior and thought he was a nice player but I did not see anything special about him. His junior tape was mostly field level which does not give the depth perception necessary to get a good perspective of speed. This year, I have seen really good senior year tape. Orsbon is a player that belongs in this top 100. Orsbon reminds me a lot of Buckeye Dane Sanzenbacher from last year. He is so quick and can change direction on a dime and at speed. Watching him play is like watching a grown-up playing tag with children. He also reminds me of another Buckeye recruit from last year: Rocco Pentello. Orsbon is a quarterback who will not play quarterback in college but he is thinking like Pentello who was playing chess out there while everyone else was playing checkers. Orsbon has speed that neither Sanzenbacher nor Pentello can match. He passed for about 1,000 yards and rushed for about 1500. He is a great return man. Orsbon committed to Ball State in November and the Cardinals recruited him as a wide receiver. 99. ** Luther Nicholas (6-0, 200, RB, Columbus Independence) Luther Nicholas could change his name to Rodney Dangerfield because he gets so little respect. All this young man does is do his job very effectively. This year, he went over 1,000 yards again, averaging 5.9 yards per carry. Independence did not make the playoffs so his chance to get some time in the spotlight ended. There was little spotlight to be had during the season as fellow City League star Isaiah Pead sucked up all the attention – what little there was in the this year with the Columbus City League going through a year where the talent level was not at its usual levels. Luther Nicholas is just not a highlight reel guy. He is a player that gets first downs. He is a player that always falls forward. He is consistent. Others get on ESPN. Nicholas is the quiet but brutally effective back that championships are built around.

46 J J H U D D L E . C O M

100. ** Chris Brown (6-3, 285, DT, Canal Winchester) I have always liked Chris Brown. He is an active player who didnʼt need to be taught to stay low. He has quick feet and a good base. He missed all of last year due to injury but I see a player that came back better than ever. His body looks different. He looks taller and he is bigger but leaner. Motor for a lineman is so crucial. If Brown played with any more intensity they would have to drag him off the field. He really packs a punch. Regularly he hits his man and they drop like they have been punched. He showed such leadership with his team voting him captain despite the injury. Boston College has always seemed to like Brown and has stayed in touch. Akron, Kent State and Ohio continue to stay in touch. I would start him out of defense but I think he ends up at guard or center.

101. ** Ross Oltorick (6-2, 210, QB, Cincinnati Moeller) Ohio High Assistant Editor Matt Natali offers this evaluation of Oltorick having covered several Moeller games the past two seasons: A two-year starting signal caller for traditional power Moeller, Oltorick finished second in the Greater Catholic League in passing completing 170-of-268 attempts for 2,320 yards with 20 TDs and nine INTs in the regular season for the Crusaders. Oltorick is an athlete that happens to play football and is a pitcher who happens to play QB. But that should not take away from his talent and ability on the gridiron by any means. With a fastball in the low to midGH nineties, Oltorick showcases his strong arm on the football field with the ability to thread passes in traffic as well as air it out down field. As a smart, heady player he is able to read defenses well and will not force plays if they are not there. Tallying 306 yards and five TDs on the ground in the regular season, Oltorick showed the ability to tuck the ball and run to hurt teams with his legs. Oltorick verbally committed to play baseball for Ohio State in September and is planning on walking on the football team.

Ross Oltorick

102. ** David Fleming (5-11, 200, DB, Centerville) Fleming was not going to draw a lot of attention. He is not a flashy player. He is a defensive player that played offense because that is where he is needed. Fleming is not going to leap out as an athlete at camps and combines because he does not have exceptional size and speed. What Fleming is, is a football player and a gamer. I first noticed him as I was looking at one of his teammates. I could not help but notice how many good decisions he made as an option quarterback, a very difficult thing to do while wearing a soft cast. He would be a much sought after player if the option was en vogue. NF He ran well at camps with a 4.55 40. but it is just not going to turn any heads. If a college coach asked me to give him names of players nobody is talking about, David Fleming would be one of the first names out of my mouth. He is a fine athlete and a great football player. He will make a great safety for someone.

David Fleming

103. ** Kendall Owens (5-7, 172, RB/DB, Cincinnati LaSalle) Ohio High Assistant Editor Matt Natali offers this evaluation of Owens after seeing LaSalle play several times this season: Owens led the formidable Greater Catholic League in rushing in the regular season with 1,307 yards on 161 carries (8.1 avg.) and 20 TDs and had 14 catches for 210 yards. He also lead the GCL in all purpose yards tallying 114 punt return yards with a TD and 287 kick return yards to add to his offensive stats. These numbers are remarkable considering Owens missed his junior year as a result of injury and put them up against arguably the toughest league in the state. If Owens were 3-4 inches taller, he would be on every coachʼs recruiting list in the Big Ten. Owens has a nose to find the hole and JR hit it quickly. When the hole closes on him, he has a burst to get through for an extra 3-4 yards. Like a true RB, he never stops moving his feet. Few people will catch Owens when he breaks lose in the open field. He has a 4.47 40 and appears to have equally fast game

Kendall Owens

speed. He clocked a 10.7 in the 100-meter event last year for the LaSalle track team and competes in the 200-meter event as well. Some smaller backs have done well at the collegiate level in recent years, such as Northern Illinoisʼ Garrett Wolfe and Ohio Stateʼs Maurice Wells, and Owens could be the next successful small back for whichever school decides to take a chance on him. There has had some interest from Marshall, Cincinnati, Akron and Bowling Green.

104. ** J.K. Schaffer (6-2, 207, LB, Cincinnati LaSalle) Ohio High Assistant Editor Matt Natali offers this evaluation of Schaffer after seeing LaSalle play several times this season: Schaffer got his college recruiting out of the way in August committing to Cincinnati and proceeded to lead LaSalleʼs defense in his senior campaign with 44 tackles, 7½ sacks, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and a 95-yard INT return for a TD. He played weak side OLB for LaSalle and will most likely remain at that position at the next level. Considering his 12 career sacks in two seasons for the Lancers, Schaffer seems best suited for the Will position as capable pass rusher. Schaffer was recruited by Cincinnati DB coach and former Colerain head coach Kerry Coombs so it might not be out of the question he could move to the safety position. This scenario will be more likely if he stays the same size, but with his tenacity as a defender and room to bulk up, he will most likely stay at LB. Schaffer could be described as a Big East version of former Colerain LB and current Ohio State Buckeye Tyler Moeller. Indications are he will red shirt his first year at Cincinnati.

105. ** Dominique Sherrer (5-10, 193, RB, Cincinnati Colerain) Ohio High Assistant Editor Matt Natali has his thoughts on Sherrer after covering Colerain a few times this season: All Sherrer did this season was lead the Greater Miami Conference in rushing with 1,313 yards on 161 carries and an astounding 26 TDs as Colerain cruised to a perfect regular season and into the playoffs for the eighth consecutive year. The Eastern Michigan recruit is a powerful back in Colerainʼs triple-option offense but has the hips and field vision to hit the quickly developing holes. Although JR he is not slow by any means, his game speed leaves a little to be desired. But he is such a powerful runner that he is difficult to bring down and it makes up for not being as fast as the top backs in this class. He can drop his shoulder and run over defenders in the secondary and he is difficult to drag down from behind with a low center of gravity. Eastern Michigan is getting a strong, workhorse back in Dominique Sherrer.

Dom Sherrer

106. ** Steve Schott (6-1, 165, K, Massillon Washington) Most schools try to get kickers to walk-on so a scholarship to a kicker is a strong indication of what kind of talent a he is when he is offered. Steve Schott is one of those kickers. He accepted a scholarship offer from Ball State in late October. I do not recall ranking a kicker before and this year I have two. Any other year, Schott would have been the first ever and the highest rated. It just happens he comes along in the same year as Ben Buchanan, an Ohio State verbal. GH One thing that I like about Schott is the 4.8 40. More schools are looking to have 11 football players on the field after the ball is kicked and with that speed Schott has a chance to help his football team once the ball has left his foot.

Steve Schott

107. ** Danny Milligan (5-9, 160, K/WR/DB, Cincinnati St. Xavier) Ohio Highʼs Matt Natali is doing a great job staying on top of high school football in southwest Ohio. He gives this report of Milligan: At first glance, Milligan might be the last player you would expect to be the Most Valuable Player for one of the top teams in the country – but he is exactly that. Starring on the offensive side of the ball as well as special teams, Milliganʼs constant presence on the field is a major reason why the Bombers were ranked in SP the top five in the country in every national poll. Milligan had 35 catches for 555 yards and seven TDs in the regular season as well as 129 rushing yards on 17 carries and two TDs. But Milliganʼs future on the collegiate level will be as a kicker. He

Danny Milligan

JJ H u dd le’s O h io High

O h i o H i g h / O N N A l l - O h i o Te a m was 36-for-37 in point-after attempts, 7-for-12 on field goals (long 42) and averaged 38.9 yards on 11 punts in the regular season. Where Milligan shined, though, was on kickoffs averaging 57.5 yards on 51 kicks for 2,931 yards and 35 touchbacks. Milligan committed to Cincinnati in mid-December.

108. **** Harold Coates (6-3, 315, OL, Youngstown Ursuline) Nothing has changed my opinion of Harold Coates – I see a player that can dominate the line of scrimmage. I see a guard in Coates. He has quick feet and good straight ahead speed. He plays with good pad level and once he locks up his man it is over. He is a battler who comes off the ball hard and plays to the whistle. I think Coates is giving up a bit athletically to the top offensive linemen in the nation – the Michael Brewsterʼs and Josh Jenkinsʼ of the class of 2008 – but as a run blocker Coates needs to be in the same conversation. What those players have over him are the things that will make them capable of playing tackle. GH Last I checked, he is still taking care of business with his grades. That has been a big hold-up with offers for Coates but everything I am hearing says he is going to make it. He is definitely a college capable student but just waited too long to get motivated in the classroom. I suspect when the first of the year rolls around there will be a clearer picture about Harold Coates and his academics. He could be a hot commodity as schools see players they thought they had go elsewhere and others not pass academic muster. Patience and hard work are the tools Coates most needs right now. Coates has some offers right now with Illinois, North Carolina State, Indiana, Marshall and Ohio already offering him. That speaks volumes about what kind of talent Coates is that even though he is not qualified yet has some nice programs ready to take him anyway. One of them could snatch up one of the most underrated players in the country. Coates is a top 20 player in this class with the grade issue aside.

Harold Coates

109. *** Tito Toles (6-0, 180, SS/RB, Youngstown East) Because of Ohio High School Athletic Association age restrictions, Toles was not allowed to play football this year. Obviously, that will impact his recruitment but I think he still needs to be in this top 100. He would have made my all-underrated team as a junior and he would still be on there this year. I had to drop him some because he is missing a year of development but this is a safety prospect that brings a lot to the table. He is a hitter and a play maker and has good size. GH Because of the year off, he is going to get pushed down the recruiting boards of the schools that were interested but I suspect someone will sneak in late and steal a really outstanding player.

Tito Toles

Best of the Rest

Jason Albertini (6-3, 200, QB, Vandalia Butler) Albertini ranked No. 2 in the Greater Western Ohio Conference in passing with 1,798 yards on 115-of-206 passing with 10 TDs and nine INTs. He is a kid with good size and a good arm. Someone will take a chance on him. Nathan Bame (5-10, 175, ATH, Dola Hardin Northern) Bame is a super little athlete for a small-school traditional power. If nothing else he can be a return man and utility player.

always played well. Also a member of Canfieldʼs Division II state championship baseball team last year. Dominique Chandler (6-2, 210, ATH, Cols. Franklin Heights) No show on the camp circuit last year hurt his stock.

Cody Connare (6-3, 235, OL/DL, Olmsted Falls) Tough, physical high school defensive end that will be a good tackle in college.

Chris Crockett (5-10, 185, RB, Cols. Academy) Still no decision on football or basketball but the latter is more likely.

Ryan Fleck (6-2, 180, WR, Napoleon) Tall, athletic playmaker that someone has to take. He is worth a scholarship as a punter. Josh Fitzpatrick (6-3, 210, LB, Cols. DeSales) Fitzpatrick had 10 sacks on the year.

Chris Harvey (5-11, 185, S, Cols. Walnut Ridge) Reckless and a hard hitter that always seems to find his way to the ball.

Keith Herring (5-11, 200, TB, Massillon Washington) Level of competition in his own backfield never gave him a chance to shine.

Taylor Housewright (6-4, 200, QB, Ashland) Big and athletic QB that is worth a look just by the measureables.

Ryan Hughes (6-2, 200, QB, Carroll Bloom-Carroll) I think he is going to be a name we hear kicked around a lot before signing day.

MNJ

Taylor Housewright

Jason Albertini

Larry Black (6-3, 285, OL, Cin. Wyoming) Black is a quick-footed, explosive guard that needs to watch his weight. Had 33 tackles on the season on defense. Aaron Breitfeller (6-0, 180, S, Gahanna Lincoln) A much underrated safety prospect that is a good tackler and has good ball skills.

Darrion Brown (6-1, 175, WR, Cin. Withrow) A transfer from Idaho, Brown has won best receiver awards at several camps last summer. He is definitely one to watch. Mark Carrocce (5-11, 180, DB, Canfield) Has been asked to play just about every skill position and

JJ H u d d l e ’ s O h i o H i g h

Jared Suvak (6-2, 225, LB, Sunbury Big Walnut) One of the real head scratchers as to why no offers. Plays his position so well.

Mason Takacs (6-2, 190, QB, Cols. Watterson) Some may not be surprised to see him here but not as a QB. I think he is. Justin Thompson (6-2½, 225, TE, Cols. DeSales) Has completely disappeared at the worst time. Camps could have changed his life.

Gary Thornton (5-9, 200, RB, Youngs. East) Speed was always more of a question than size. Instincts second to none.

Mark Turnbull (6-0, 220, LB, Poland) Lacks ideal size for the middle – his best position – but does he ever bring it.

Sam Valiquette (5-10, 210, RB, Youngs. Struthers) Powerful runner with quick feet and good vision. Football field fast. Darren Youngberg (6-2, 190, S, Clayton Northmont) If his grades were better he would be at least in the top 50. Great player.

Nate Gaynard (6-1, 220, LB, Niles McKinley) Lack of camps hurt this small school talent. A coaching change didnʼt help him either.

Anthony Mullen (6-2, 200, ATH, Niles McKinley) Too good a football player and athlete not to play college football.

Troy Gilmer (6-1, 200, RB, Huber Heights Wayne) If he were the focal point of the running attack he will be back in the top 100.

Troy Gilmer

Matt Greiser (6-5, 305, OL, Cols. Watterson) Good body and technically sound. He comes off the ball with some pop.

Nick Scott (6-5, 265, OL, Bedford) Ran a 4.8 48 at 265 pounds but no word on how he did at camps, or even if he went to any.

Jordan Miller (6-3, 215, QB, New Philadelphia) Underrated player player with good size and arm. Committed to Akron.

Darren Youngberg

Dave Nehlen (6-2, 185, QB/S, Brookfield) Reminds me a lot of Milton-Unionʼs Mitchell Evans from last year, now at Indiana. Athletic and smart. Connor Pain (5-11, 185, ATH, Napoleon) The fastest player not to make the top 100.

Marquis Powell (6-5, 185, WR, Hamilton) Had 236 yards on 15 catches and six TDs in seven games.

Teddy Robb (6-1, 175, WR, Canal Fulton Northwest) A poor manʼs Dane Sanzenbacher (Toledo Central Catholic, Ohio State). We have not heard the last of Teddy Robb.

Cameron Kimbrough (5-10, 210, LB, Cols. Walnut Ridge) Hard-nosed, instinctive and fast. Size is scaring them away now but we will see later.

Dave Rolf (6-5, 225, LB, Piqua) Long and lean with a lot of growth potential and upside. Had 443 yards receiving on 26 catches and three TDs.

Antoine Rucker (6-0, 170, CB/WR, Warren G. Harding) Speed and a playmaker. More camps would have helped a great deal.

Gary Thornton

Brandon Williams (6-1, 185, WR, Cincinnati Withrow) The next good one from a school making a habit of producing great receivers.

Matt Mihalik (6-7, 270, OT, Gates Mills Gilmour Acad.) One of the biggest kids that I have ever seen that was also in good shape.

Seamus Garvey (6-7, 240, OL, Gahanna Lincoln) Very raw but moves well and you canʼt coach bodies like this one.

Cameron West (5-11, 180, ATH, Dresden Tri-Valley) Fast enough to play receiver, quick enough to play corner and tough enough for LB.

Bradley Gallick (6-1, 190, S/RB, Lexington) Underrated athlete. More camps would have really helped him.

Luke Kelly (6-4, 220, LB/DE, Cin. Turpin) Linebacker now but projects as a defensive end. Verballed to Miami (Oh.).

recovered four fumbles.

Dave Rolf

Shea Selsor (6-3, 226, DL, Piqua) Big body and mobile with a lot of upside.

Eric Stoyanoff (5-9, 200, RB, Strongsville) Effective and a workhorse who does not have the measurables everyone wants to see but is worth an offer.

Andrew Strauss (6-1, 190, S, West Chester Lakota West) Had four INTs including one for a TD for the Firebirds. Also

Tim Kamczyc (6-5, 190, QB, Strongsville) Missed a lot of time to impress last summer concentrating on basketball. Effective dual-threat QB.

Chaz King (6-1, 228, LB, Cin. Winton Woods) If his academics were in order King is a top 50 candidate. Great football player.

Tim Kamczyc

Jason Lude (5-10, 185, SS, Berlin Center Western Reserve) Strongly built, physical high school running back and could be a fine strong safety. Jermil Martin (5-11, 220, DE/FB, Cleveland Glenville) First-team All-Ohio selection in D-I that makes a strong argument for the best edge rusher in the class but he lacks size. Great blocker.

J J H U D D L E . C O M 47

Duane Long’s Updated Top 100 Wide Receivers

Others To Watch Quarterbacks

Sean Bedevelsky Devon Bertram Andy Breidgigam Tom Busch Colton Cattani Kyle Corbin Ryan Cypret Brock Davis Zach Domicone Donnie Dottei Zach Free Kory Hartinger Gene Goering Pat Kane Marc Kanetsky Matt Krumpak Ryan Martin Steve McNeely Lamar McQueen Billy Merryman Mickey Mohner Shane Porter Ryan Radcliff Cody Reardon Joey Rhoads Cody Schuster McConnell Smith Drew Spradlin Marvin Stewart Chris Stucke Bill Sutton Anthony Vincent Kevin Woods Merrit Zollars

6-0 6-2 6-2 6-0 6-2 6-2 5-10 6-0 6-1 6-1 6-0 6-2 6-3 6-1 6-0 6-1 6-2 6-1 5-9 5-10 6-3 6-1 6-1½ 6-2 5-10 6-2 6-0 6-5 6-1 6-0 6-3 6-0 5-11 6-0

Running Backs

Sir Abernathy Tyler Amendola Buddy Barnes Patrick Berning Cameron Brant Adam Brickner Cory Brown Larry Dawson James Cravens Cody Destro Bryan Gaiters Brad Gallick Anthony Goodwin Dominic Goodwin Stephen Curtis Jared Ferguson Jeremy Foster Justin Frye Koby Frye John Gipson Cody Griffin Tom Hallal Chris Hardy Taylor Harris Ryan Hathaway Anthony Hitchens Derek Hoge Dan Jacob Brain Jackson Chevis Jackson Dru Jones Kyle Kordich Drew Kuesel Zach Lemmon William Lowe Trevor Luckenbill Jon McDaniel Tim Miker Joe Moran Mark Nichols Carter Paul Ismael Pope Trent Reynolds Aaron Roberson Luca Romeo Jake Simon Anthony Smith Travis Smith Steve Spillman Rodney Stewart Elijah Storey Clay Swigert Les Tabor Damon Taylor Derrick Vicars Conner Warye Dorian W. Joey Wheeler Jeff White Paris Wicks Marcus Wright

5-9 5-11 5-11 5-9 6-0 5-10 5-10 6-1 6-0 6-3 5-9 6-1 5-8 5-8 5-9 6-2 5-11 5-11 5-10 5-9 5-9 5-11 6-2 5-11 6-0 5-10 6-3 6-0 5-10 6-0 5-10 5-11 6-0 6-1 5-10 5-10 5-10 5-10 5-10 5-10 6-0 5-10 6-0 5-11 6-2 5-11 5-9 5-10 6-1 5-8 6-0 6-0 5-10 5-10 6-2 5-11 5-9 5-10 5-9 5-9 5-10

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QB QB QB QB QB QB QB QB QB QB QB QB QB QB QB QB QB QB QB QB QB QB QB QB QB QB QB QB QB/ATH QB QB QB QB QB

Brunswick Richmond Hts. Rocky River Hamler Patrick Henry Liberty Twp. Lakota E. Sidney Lehman Cath. Powell Olentangy Liberty Old Wash. Buckeye Trail Beavercreek Tol. Whitmer Washington Court House Circleville Archbold Zoarville Tuscarawas Valley Hubbard McDonald Cin. Turpin Beloit W. Branch Youngs. Ursuline Shadyside Painesville Harvey Portsmouth Sherwood Fairview New Richmond Can. Cent. Cath. Elyria Cath. Hunting Valley Univ. School Wheelersburg Cols. Beechcroft Maria Stein Marion Local Brooklyn St. Clairsville E. Cle. Shaw Fredericktown

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TB RB RB RB RB RB RB TB/DB FB/RB RB RB RB RB RB RB RB RB RB RB RB RB RB RB RB RB RB RB RB RB RB TB RB RB RB RB RB RB RB RB RB RB TB RB RB RB RB RB RB RB RB RB RB/DB FB/LB TB RB RB/LB TB/LB RB RB RB RB

Cin. Withrow Youngs. Boardman Frankfort Adena Cin. St. Xavier Ashland Mapleton Bascom Hopewell-Loudon Troy Akr. N. Centerville Mogadore Zanesville Lexington Cle. Rhoads Lakewood St. Edward Huber Hts. Wayne Monroe Lemon-Monroe Pemberville E.wood Logan St. Marys Memorial Rocky River Circleville Gates Mills Gilmour Acad. Day. Oakwood Sparta Highland Fredericktown Chillicothe Waterford Sidney Lehman Cath. Cle. S. Cin. Finneytown Wadsworth N. Royalton Hamler Patrick Henry Granville Cle. Glenville W. Milton Milton-Union Bucyrus Wynford Parma Garfield Hts. Trinity Newark Cath. Philo Cin. Withrow Minford Bedford Chanel Cin. St. Xavier Parma Hts. Holy Name Can. GlenOak E. Cle. Shaw Zoarville Tuscarawas Valley Cols. Brookhaven Cin. Anderson Louisville Niles McKinley Fairfield Genoa Area Kings Mills Kings Cin. Princeton Sarahsville Shenandoah Alliance Akr. Ellet Day. Dunbar

48 J J H U D D L E . C O M

Jordan Bell Patrick Bennett Brandon Boyd Nate Caudill Kendal Coleman Jeff Davis Steve Davis Judd Ellinger Pat Fening Torieal Gibson Corey Gilbert NaRonn Goddard Jack Gose Jordan Gribble Daniel Haddix Corey Hill Rob Hoagland James Howard Matt James Devon Jennings Nick Kekeiakes Eric Magnacca Paul McKelvey Bryant McKnight Josh McLoud Isaiah Mincy Nick Olthaus Andy Park Patrick Ryan Anthony Steplight Matt Wakulchik Tyler Walker Ray W. Zach Williams Stephan Wilson Lucas Wright Corey Manns

Tight Ends

Andrew Colosimo Christian Hanna Tom Klempin Josh Kloepfer Josh Lott Von Wise

5-11 5-11 6-4 6-1 6-0 6-1 5-10 6-2 5-11 5-9 6-1 6-0 6-4 5-10 6-0 6-0 6-2 6-0 6-3 6-0 6-1 5-10 6-2 5-11 6-0 6-1 6-1 6-2 6-2 5-10 6-1 6-1 5-7 6-0 6-3 5-10 6-1

180 185 200 170 185 175 175 225 180 140 180 160 187 160 190 178 175 170 190 190 170 190 190 180 170 160 170 187 170 170 175 175 170 185 168 195 185

WR WR WR WR WR WR/QB WR WR ATH WR/CB WR WR/DB WR WR WR WR WR WR WR WR WR WR WR WR WR WR WR WR QB WR WR/DB WR WR WR WR WR WR

Barberton Cle. S. Spring. S. Clyde Hillsboro Spring. N. Steubenville Amanda-Clearcreek Canfield Cle. Glenville Sandusky Day. Dunbar Williamsport Westfall Brunswick Urbana Col. Crestview Can. Cent. Cath. Warren JFK Day. Jefferson Euclid Cin. Indian Hill Massillon Perry Hunting Valley Univ. Sch. New Phila. W. Carrollton Cin. Withrow Cin. Elder Bryan Cle. St. Ignatius Garfield Hts. N. Can. Hoover Hamilton Spring. S. W. Jefferson Cuyahoga Hts. Logan Kenton

6-5 6-3 6-7 6-4 6-2 6-4

245 237 190 220 240 205

TE TE/DE TE TE/WR TE TE/WR

Upper Arlington Shaker Hts. Pickerington Cent. Vanlue Warren Howland Finneytown

OL/DL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL/DL OL OL OL OL OL/DL OL/DL G OL OL OL OL OL OL/DL OL OL OL/DT OL/DL OL/DT OL OL/DL OL/DL OL OL/DL OL OL/DL OL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DT OL/DL OL OL OL/DL OL OL OL OL/DL OL OL/DL OL OL/DT OL/DL OG

Marion Pleasant Upper Sandusky Cin. St. Xavier Centerville Rayland Buckeye Local W. Milton Milton-Union New Albany Wellsville Clayton Northmont Tipp City Tippecanoe Massillon Washington New Lexington Delta Cols. Bishop Ready Colerain Akr. SVSM Day. Chaminade-Julienne Genoa Area Poland Seminary Youngs. Cardinal Mooney Uniontown Lake Coshocton Newark Licking Valley Copley Lutheran E. Defiance Ayersville Youngs. E. Tol. Cent. Cath. Lima Cent. Cath. Howard E. Knox Kettering Alter Lutheran E. Gates Mills Gilmour Acad. Louisville Tol. St. Johnʼs Youngs. Boardman Findlay Liberty-Benton Tol. St. Francis DeSales Tol. St. Johnʼs Spring. Cath. Cent. Creston Norwayne Lakewood St. Edward Rocky River W. Chester Lakota W. Leetonia Mayfield W. Chester Lakota W. Warrensville Hts. Louisville St. Thomas Aquinas Monroe Lemon-Monroe Bascom Hopewell-Loudon Pickerington Cent. Cin. Anderson Strongsville Cle. Glenville

Offensive Lineman

Christian Anderson Isaac Anderson Max Baumann Rob Bicknell Shane Bishop Frank Busse Jay Campbell Nate Carman Vince Carter Matt Catron Reggie Comeaux Josh Conrad Kent Corthell Guy Cullison Evan Davis Andrew Destephano David Dick Nate Diekman Bill Dugan Brandon Ericsson Colin Everett Mitchell Fehrman Tim German Tim Goodman Anthony Graham Kurt Hanenkrath Maurice Harris Eric Herman Jake Hyland Andy Johnson Evan Johnson Imari Jonson Larry Kramer Tyler Kwasnicka Justin Leahey Corey Linsly Brandon Lott Sean McCarthy Jack Mewhort Chris Morman Jeremy Oller Tom Orlosky Kevin Orris Gabe Patten Alex Perkins Billy Petraiuolo Andrew Phalen Rayshaun Pope Justin Ray Brett Richter Anthony Reinhart Aaron Rittgers Nick Schirmann Josh Scott Eric Simmons

6-1 6-4 6-3 6-1 6-2 6-3 6-5 6-4 6-3 6-2 6-4 6-1 6-3 6-3 6-4 6-1 6-3 6-4 6-5 6-1 6-3 6-4 6-6 6-6 5-11 6-7 6-5 6-4 6-4 6-2 6-4 6-2 6-2 6-1 6-3 6-4 6-2 6-3 6-6 6-2 6-4 6-3 6-2 6-4 6-3 6-2 6-5 6-3 6-5 6-0 6-0 6-3 6-1 6-2 6-3

225 290 275 265 220 225 280 275 270 223 310 240 292 280 260 235 280 315 280 261 237 255 280 290 275 265 270 265 220 245 253 227 225 250 318 275 212 265 285 200 255 285 255 240 250 250 270 275 290 305 235 225 240 215 275

JJ H u ddle ’s O h io Hi gh

Duane Long’s Updated Top 100 Eric Sluszka Cory Sorice Grady Spidell Marc Stevens Alex Subler Zach Trainer Sean Whited

6-4 6-4 6-4 6-6 6-3 6-4 6-2

290 320 305 295 250 300 250

OT OL OL OL OL/DL OL OL

Westerville N. Day. Carroll Akr. N. Lexington Maria Stein Marion Local Mogadore Can. McKinley

190 250 225 215 230 270 220 220 255 220 225 240 242 225 255 230 225 265 275 232 270 260 275 200 215 235 285 290 280 255 245 215 260 230 235 221 240 215 230 238 225 190 240 245 250 255 230 265 220 245 255

DL DL DL DE/LB DL DL DL DL DL DL DL DL DL DL DE DE DL DT DL DL DL DL DL DL DE DL DT DT DT DL DL DL DL DL DL DL MLB/DE DL DE/LB DL DE/OLB DL DL DL DT DL DL/OL DL DL DL DT

Williamsport Westfall Alliance Marlington Mayfield Girard W. Milton Milton-Union Wellsville Spring. Cent. Cath. Zanesville Parma Hts. Holy Name Cle. Hts. Mentor Lake Cath. N. Can. Hoover Colerain Cin. NW Cols. DeSales Poland Seminary Waynesville Trotwood-Madison Cuya. Falls Walsh Jesuit Oak Harbor Parma Normandy Olmsted Falls Vienna Matthews Sparta Highland W. Chester Lakota W. Warren Howland Clayton Northmont Lancaster Cols. Walnut Ridge Bedford Chanel Clarksville Clinton-Massie Monroe Lemon-Monroe Colerain Warrensville Hts. Cin. St. Xavier Canal Winchester Napoleon Lancaster Fisher Cath. Massillon Washington Tol. St. Johnʼs Louisville Cortland Lakeview Franklin Hts. Day. Chaminade-Julienne Cin. Withrow Medina E. Cle. Shaw Covington Napoleon Cols. DeSales Massillon Washington

200 210 224 223 225 214 215 200 201 220 200 215 215 225 220 225 215 230 260 225 226 230 215 225 210 190 200 215 205 220 200 200 205 220 235 225 220 225 215 205 190 220 230

LB LB LB LB LB LB LB LB LB LB LB LB LB LB LB LB LB LB LB LB LB LB LB LB LB LB LB LB LB LB LB LB LB LB LB LB/FB LB LB LB LB LB LB LB

Clyde N. Royalton Tol. St. Johnʼs Cle. St. Ignatius Lockland Cle. Benedictine Lucas Tipp City Tippecanoe Cols. Watterson N. Can. Hoover Ravenna Parma Normandy Cin. Sycamore Parma Normandy Marion Harding Tallmadge W. Chester Lakota W. Huber Hts. Wayne Sylvania Northview Cin. Elder Tiffin Columbian Dublin Jerome Day. Chaminade-Julienne Euclid Mentor Cin. Sycamore Westerville N. Cle. St. Ignatius Hamilton Millersburg W. Holmes Alliance Arlington Can. Cent. Cath. Hudson Bascom Hopewell-Loudon Maumee Mentor Lake Cath. Youngs. Boardman Logan Louisville Wheelersburg Cin. St. Xavier Day. Carroll

Defensive Lineman

Zane Bailey Matt Betz Carson Bodnovich Craig Brooks Zack Byrkett Nate Carman A.J. Catanzaro Greg Clayton Dale English Corey Freeman Joe Gaglione James Georgiades Gary Goines Brandon Halas John Hiles Jake Hochendoner Dustin Hogan Corey Holt Andrew Illig Wade Ishmael Andy Kowicki Zach Laird Carmen Lamancusa Wayne Lanum Zack Leimberger Josh Lott Aaron Lowe Chad Maynard Dan McClendon Mike McElligott Greg Miller Mike Miller Brandon Mills Chris Moore Patrick Muldoon Anthony Nixon Matthew Niese Luke Roesch Matt Rose Andrew Schaetzke Matt Schooley Kyle Smedi Josh Spillman Justin Sprague Blake Steward Richard Sumlin Steven Thomas J.J. Thompson Nick Wagner Joe Whitehead Steve Yoder

6-1 6-1 6-0 6-2 6-3 6-4 6-0 6-0 6-1 6-3 6-4 6-1 6-0 6-2 6-3 6-2 6-0 6-3 6-2 6-0 6-5 6-4 6-3 6-4 6-2 6-2 6-0 6-3 6-3 6-2 6-0 6-2 6-0 6-0 6-4 6-1 6-2 6-7 6-2 6-4 6-3 6-1 6-1 6-3 6-0 6-2 6-2 6-2 6-2 6-0 6-5

Linebackers

Jacob Andrews Gus Armbruster Ryan Ball Steve Bigach Ken Booker Vince Calvillo Tyler Clark Dustin Colbert Drew Dabbelt Kevin Dahl Roy Davis Josh Ebinger Dwight Evans Russ Galeti Brady Greenwood Colin Haben Miles Harp Dustin Harrison Brian Hehl Steve Hengehold Eric Hufford Ricky Kovatch Teddy Jennings Damon Lambert J.J. Laseak Mike Latessa Grant Lewis Emmitt Lydon Damien Macintosh Justin Mast Eddie Metcalf Payden Morehart Marcello Natale Mike Niam Ryan Oldaker Ray Parry Dave Plungas Eric Polen Mark Potter Marcus Poyser John Ripenhoff Nick Schneider Scott Shear

6-1 6-0 6-0 6-3 6-3 6-0 6-2 6-2 6-1 6-0 6-3 6-6 6-0 6-2 6-3 6-1 5-10 6-0 6-3 6-2 6-2 6-2 6-6 6-1 6-2 6-1 6-1 6-0 6-3 6-0 6-1 6-4 6-1 6-2 6-0 6-1 6-3 6-3 6-0 6-0 6-2 6-3 6-4

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Mike Spooner Dan Starr Matt Stoinoff J.T. Stone Jordan Thompson Jordan Valente Dean Walker Brian Wagner Trevante Wallace Kirk Wetherell

6-0 6-0 6-0 6-4 6-3 6-1 6-1 6-2 6-2 6-2

210 220 225 235 225 220 190 220 220 210

LB LB LB LB/RB LB LB LB LB LB LB

Lakewood St. Edward Old Wash. Buckeye Trail Colerain W. Alexandria Twin Valley S. Rockford Parkaway Brooklyn Cin. LaSalle Spring. Cath. Cent. Cols. Brookhaven Cambridge

5-11 6-0 6-0 5-10 6-0 5-8 5-9 5-11 5-8 5-11 5-10 5-9 5-8 5-10 5-11 5-8 6-1 6-1 5-10 6-2 5-10 6-0 6-0 6-0 5-10 6-1 5-10 6-2 6-0 5-10

195 170 190 175 165 170 170 175 170 170 175 175 170 175 170 150 195 170 175 195 180 200 175 175 190 185 165 160 170 175

CB CB CB CB CB CB CB CB CB CB CB CB CB CB CB CB CB CB CB SS/LB CB CB CB CB LB CB CB CB CB CB

Tol. Rogers Fremont Ross Hamilton Kettering Alter W. Chester Lakota W. Groveport-Madison Can. Cent. Cath. Cols. Beechcroft Steubenville Spring. Cath. Cent. Cols. Walnut Ridge Cuya. Falls Walsh jesuit Copley Cle. Glenville Youngs. Cardinal Mooney Can. McKinley Bellefontaine St. Henry Youngs. Ursuline Fremont Ross Colerain Akr. SVSM Day. Carroll Cle. St. Ignatius Cols. Africentric Danville Cols. Bishop Hartley S. Point Miamisburg E. Cle. Shaw

6-1 6-5 6-2 5-10 6-2 6-3 6-2 6-1 6-1 6-2 6-1 6-3 6-1 6-2 6-0 6-1

200 195 195 200 220 215 185 162 200 210 175 200 185 200 200 185

S/CB S/LB S/TB S S/LB S/LB S/LB CB CB S/LB S/LB S/LB S/LB S/CB S/CB S/CB

Newark Cath. Waynesville Barberton W. Chester Lakota W. Hudson Milan Edison Plain City Jonathan Alder New Carlisle Tecumseh Tallmadge Trotwood-Madison Ontario Canal Fulton NW Reading Sunbury Big Walnut Columbiana W. Liberty-Salem

5-11 6-0 5-9 5-11

185 180 185 170

ATH ATH ATH ATH

Cols. DeSales Piqua New Albany Uniontown Lake

Cornerbacks

Isaiah Ballard Deondray Brown Patrick Bourne Tony Boyle D.J. Brown Kevin Castle Max Colaner Darrian Cordell Steve Davis Kyle DeWitt Thomas Douglas Alex Ferrara Cole Hanlin Berchard Hines Tim Marlowe Brandon Mingo Keith Morgan Corey Puthoff Ross Ravella Duran Robinson Ravelle Sadler Kevin Saunders Nate Scheidt Matt Shurtleff Ryan Smoot Logan Snell Isaiah Thompson Beau Weed Mike Wiley Marshon Williamson

Safeties

Marcus Baker Zane Carter Jimmy Ferguson Matt Foor Alex Gedeon Noah Hill Alex Knowles Josh McKee Patrick Pakan Dominique Sams Caleb Stewart Tony Stover Michael Welling Ethan Wetzel Ryan Williams Daniel Wirick

Athletes

Ryan Clark Justin Hemm Gerald Nixon T.J. Viscuso

Rockford Parkway senior linebacker Jordan Thompson earned his second straight Midwest Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year award this season en route to the state D-V Defensive POY honor.

Photo by Nick Falzerano

J J H U D D L E . C O M 49

Cincinnati St. Xavier’s Greg Scruggs Photo by Gary Housteau

St. Xavier senior Greg Scruggs gives up music for football, excels on the gridiron

rior to the 2007 football season, the only time Cincinnati St. Xavier senior Greg Scruggs stepped onto the football field was during halftime at Bombers home games as a drummer in the marching band. This year, Scruggs stepped onto the gridiron like he had his three previous years of high school – only this time he was speed rushing quarterbacks as a defensive end for the Division I state champion Bombers. Scruggs, who stands in at 6-5 and 230 pounds, was a mainstay on the basketball court for St. Xavier but never played a snap of football before his senior year. With his size, though, he was an obvious target for St. Xavier head football coach Steve Specht and the Bombers staff since he began high school. “Since he was a freshman we talked to him about playing and he just wanted to play basketball and play in the band,” Specht recalled. “It wasn’t like he wasn’t already involved. As a coach, I was hard-pressed to put the hammer on him and really try to hard-sell him because he was already doing a lot. He was already involved.

50 J J H U D D L E . C O M

“Every once in a while I would see him and tell him to think about playing football. As he got older, his best friends played football and he would come to workouts with us. He’d run and lift and do the (plyometrics) with us. It was almost like he was teasing us in the off-season,” Specht joked. Scruggs was close to taking the field for the Bombers his junior year, but he decided to stick with his band commitment. “I thought we had him junior year. He was really thinking about it but when push came to shove he just wasn’t ready,” Specht said. Through his high school career, Scruggs and Specht developed a close relationship as the fourth-year head coach courted him. “I am here all the time and when Greg would see my car he would come over and sit in the office and talk,” Specht described. “He and I developed a real good friendship and a real good relationship and this year he decided he wanted to play and give it a shot.” The decision to play football was tough for Scruggs because it meant he would have to put his love of music on hold for the time being. Drumming since he was in grade school, music had been a year-round commitment for

Scruggs since a very young age. “I got my (interest in music) mainly from my older brother Craig. He started drumming first and I picked it up after him,” Scruggs said. “When I was in fourth grade, we did a talent show with buckets at our school and from then we just stuck with it. We were always going to local drum line competitions and watching them on TV.” In middle school, Scruggs honed in on his musical talent joining an organized drum line. “About sixth grade I joined a drum line called Queen City Sound and I played the bass drum. It was a southern style band,” he said. “We would perform in competitions and sometimes do two or three parades a day.” Once at St. Xavier, Scruggs tackled a big challenge in regard to his musical ability. “I didn’t read music until high school. It was all by ear – my brother and I only knew how to play by ear,” he said. But Scruggs quickly learned how to read music and was soon marching with the Bombers band at the football games. “I enjoyed playing with some great people at the home games. It was a great time and a great experience,” he said. “We had the support

JJ H u ddle’ s O h io Hi gh

STORY BY MATT NATALI of the students, faculty, staff and fans whether we were having a good performance or not, they always supported us. That kept me going and kept me into it.” With the time constraints of playing in two bands, playing basketball and keeping up with his academics, Scruggs soon grew weary. “After doing it for so long, I just kind of got worn out. I would go to band practice at school, do some homework then go to practice at Queen City Sound. I was getting pretty tired and burnt out on it,” he said. Scruggs soon decided he wanted strap on pads and a helmet for St. Xavier and consulted with Specht about it. “I asked him why (he wanted to play football) and he said there were a few reasons,” Specht recalled. “The first reason was he needed a scholarship to attend college. I told him that wasn’t enough and he said he wanted to play with all his friends. I told him that was a better answer. Then finally he told me he wanted to play for me. So, that is how we got started.” Scruggs dedicated himself in the off-season to working out with the team and learning as much as he could about the game before taking the field this past fall. “Once I decided to commit myself to (football) I wasn’t going to quit and I was determined to go the whole season,” Scruggs said. “There was just something in me that said, ‘This is your year,’ and it was my last year to try it and I had nothing to lose.” Scruggs attended some camps over the summer as a tight end prospect and was even offered a scholarship at the Miami (Ohio) camp on the spot based on his size and athleticism despite having never played a snap of football in his life. “He is a quick learner. He is a very intelligent young man and picks things up quickly as an athlete. When you’re that athletic, you’re going to be able to pick things up quickly so there is a lot of upside,” Specht said. Scruggs attended Nebraska’s camp over the summer and on the trip home he knew for sure he was ready to play for Specht and the Bombers. “In late July, I went to Nebraska and I knew when I came back that I was going to either play or not play. I was either going to show up the next day at 6 (in the morning) or not. It was my choice and the very next day I was at twoa-days bright and early,” he recalled. The first few weeks of practice were tough for Scruggs getting acclimated to the game, even just how to wear his equipment. “If you would have watched him the first day walking out on that field trying to figure out how to put shoulder pads on for the first time and trying to understand the game and learn defenses, he was pretty lost early on,” Specht said.

JJ Hu d d l e ’ s O h i o H i g h

Cincinnati St. Xavier’s Greg Scruggs Added Scruggs: “The first couple of practices were probably the most challenging. There were some adjustments I had to make physically with the conditioning, the strength of the people you go against, getting used to the helmets hitting and hitting the right way. “It was a big difference from playing in the band, but it was something I was willing to do. I

“It was a big difference from playing in the band, but it was something I was willing to do. I had no fear in going out there and doing what I had to do to be a part of the team or make the team better. It was challenging but at the same time it was fun. I was learning the game and had fun with it and each day I loved it more.”

Cincinnati St. Xavier Senior Greg Scruggs had no fear in going out there and doing what I had to do to be a part of the team or make the team better. “It was challenging but at the same time it was fun. I was learning the game and had fun with it and each day I loved it more.” Scruggs noted some similarities between playing in the marching band and playing football after he got in the full swing on the gridiron. “One thing that doesn’t change is commitment and whatever I do I am always committed to it,” he said. “I’ve never quit any sport I’ve ever played. There is always going to be commitment with everything I do. “Secondly, is just the work ethic. The work ethic for band, basketball and football is different but the fact is I am still going to work as hard as I can at whatever I was participating in.” Specht and the St. Xavier staff started Scruggs out on offense at tight end but soon figured he would be more effective at defensive end with the amount of talent the Bombers boasted on offense. “We started him off as a tight end in camp and he looked tremendous. But as we got further and further into camp, we noticed (the offensive personnel that we had) and it doesn’t take you long to figure out only one guy can

touch the ball on every play,” Specht said. “So, we moved Greg over to defense – we were going to try and package him offensively and defensively but that was when the learning curve hit a wall. He just couldn’t do both. So, I made the decision early in the season that he was going to be a fulltime defensive end it paid off for us. “He is just so athletic and he is so agile and fast that he’d do things 100 miles an hour but didn’t really know what he was doing,” Specht added. “It was just a matter of time and we knew by the middle towards the end of the season that he was going to be pretty explosive. He just needed to learn the techniques. Greg would study film for hours – after practices, on weekends and he would sit down and talk to us while we were game-planning about the next game.” On the season, Scruggs tallied 23 tackles and a forced fumble as a starter for the 15-0 Bombers. Fittingly, St. Xavier raised the state championship trophy for the second time in three seasons. “I will always have time – for as long as I live – to reflect on the season,” Scruggs said. “It will always remain that we won state and nothing is going to change that. I did take a couple days to relax and enjoy everything that was going on. It was a great season. Everybody worked hard and everybody got what they deserved.” For his efforts in the off-season and on the field this year, some of the top football programs have extended scholarship offers to Scruggs, including Tennessee, Louisville, Wake Forest, North Carolina State, Michigan State and Virginia. “(The recruiting process) has been great. When you’re starting to get recruited, the attention is great but then there is a point where it starts to get stressful – especially during the free period was coaches can visit and call as much as they want,” Scruggs said. “If you’re not disciplined about the schools you’re talking to, things can get out of control and hectic and I wasn’t real disciplined. Coach Specht stayed on my back and helped me out a lot. Had it been up to me, I would probably still be stressed out right now.” Scruggs said he will most likely make his college decision close to national signing day on Feb. 6 after he has taken all his official visits. “I am still learning. I am playing with guys that played nine years before me,” Scruggs said. “I still have a lot of things to learn and a lot of things to adjust to.” Added Specht: “He has come a long way – and he still doesn’t know what he is doing. That is the beauty of the whole thing. He has come light years and is one of the best defensive linemen we have had here in a while but his potential is off the charts. He is going to continue to grow and learn and there are going to be some

J J H U D D L E . C O M 51

Duane Long’s Top Juniors Youngstown Ursuline junior Dale Peterman is one of 2009’s top receivers.

Photo by Nick Falzerano

52 J J H U D D L E . C O M

JJ H u ddle ’s O h io Hi gh

STORY BY DUANE LONG

he run of outstanding recruiting classes continues in Ohio with the Class of 2009. What I really like about this class is the diversity. The last two classes have been outstanding but they have been narrowly focused on a few positions. This class only has a couple of positions where there are no elite players. We do not see an elite tight end at this early point, a major contrast to the Class of 2008 with its class for the ages. The jury is still out on the defensive ends. There are a number of very intriguing possibilities but no sure fire four or five-star player. The class is again linebacker heavy with two top-10 players in Ohio State verbal Storm Klein of Newark Licking Valley and Sunbury Big Walnut’s Will Studlien. We are seeing a fine defensive tackle class with John Simon from Youngstown Mooney standing at the top of the heap and the under-publicized Melvin Fellows of Garfield Heights sure to see early offers from the big boys. Westerville South’s Ricky Harris another player who could join them as he played mostly defensive tackle last year after gaining notoriety as an offensive lineman in his freshman and sophomore years. The offensive line is solid again with Glenville tackle Marcus Hall leading the class. It looks like another great receiver class with Painesville Harvey’s Chris Fields being a sure five-star recruit. It has been awhile since Ohio has produced an elite quarterback. I think Cleveland South star Devontae Payne breaks that string. He has been to Ohio State and Notre Dame already. The instate schools are likely to save a lot of money on travel with this class. Ohio State has a full boatload of scholarships to offer and the talent is that good, and at so many different positions. Under former head coach Mark Dantonio, I saw Cincinnati take advantage of their Big East status and start to get players that used to leave the state. New head coach Brian Kelly has taken that to another level. He hauled in a class that was better than half the Big Ten schools. I can see both staffs looking at this class like kids in a candy store. We will introduce our first top 100 list with bios in the May 2008 issue, due out in mid-April. Here is a cursory look at the top 50 prospects in the Class of 2009, followed by more prospects to keep an eye on. 1. John Simon (6-3, 266, DT; Youngstown Mooney) Despite not being 100 percent and missing a lot of practice he still managed several tackles for loss in the first game of the year against Mentor then followed that performance with a dominating outing in game two against Monroeville (Pa.) Gateway. He improved dramatically as the year went on and healed from an injury that looked at first like it was going to cost him the year. Simon logged 87 tackles and 8-1/2 sacks for 14-1 Mooney. He is one of the top juniors in Midwest and verbally committed to Ohio State in December.

2. Storm Klein (6-3, 225, ATH; Newark Licking Valley) His performance at Ohio State camp earned him an offer. He ran very well even though he was wearing shoes that worked against him. He was offered as a linebacker by Ohio State and accepted mid-October. Klein is a year older than the first time I saw him and I have gotten a better look at him. I thought he could end up as a defensive lineman eventually but now I think he will be a linebacker. Klein played a lot more at linebacker his junior year than as a freshman and sophomore. He has great closing speed and is an explosive hitter. He is such a natural. As a junior, Klein led Licking Valley to a 13-2 record and a berth in the Division III state title game. He had 155 yards rushing and a touchdown in that game, giving him 221 carries for 1,514 yards (6.9 average) and 30 touchdowns on the year. He had over 100 tackles on defense. 3. Chris Fields (6-0, 180, WR/CB; Painesville Harvey) Any other year this is the No. 1 player. He is very Ted Ginn-like but is

JJ Hu d d l e ’ s O h i o H i g h

Duane Long’s Top Juniors stronger and shows better hands. Ran a 4.35-second 40-yard twice at Akron last summer.

4. Darrell Mason (6-1, 210, ATH; Youngstown Ursuline) Most of the talk about Mason has been focused on whether he will be a safety or grow into a linebacker. If you want to make it about his athleticism, then he is probably a linebacker. But if you want to play him where he is best at then he should be a running back. He is already getting national attention and has been one of the few juniors that Ohio State has brought down for games. He was hampered by injuries as a junior, but still helped Ursuline reach the Division V state title game.

5. Justin Turner (6-3, 190, Ath; Massillon Washington) I saw him first as a running back and still like him as a running back but he has played cornerback, wide receiver and even some quarterback. He is very much like Eugene Clifford, Cincinnati Colerain’s super athlete from two years ago. I would like to see him at receiver with a really good quarterback. 6. Marcus Hall (6-5, 280, OL; Cleveland Glenville) Hall is beginning to look like the next great Glenville lineman. He looked good at the Cleveland combine last spring and in a preseason scrimmage against the loaded Mooney defense. He only got better as the regular season got under way and through Glenville’s playoff run.

7. Will Studlien (6-2, 220, LB; Big Walnut) I see the next in the “Hawk” line, A.J. Hawk to James Laurinaitis to Ross Homan to Andrew Sweat. Studlien has the same game and the same body. Here is the next player in that line. He had 22 tackles in Big Walnut’s 17-10 state championship game win over Licking Valley. 8. Devontae Payne (6-6, 220, QB; Cleveland South) Payne is the best looking quarterback prospect I have seen in Ohio since Justin Zwick and Troy Smith back in 2001.

9. Ricky Harris (6-4, 280, OL; Westerville South) The question now is does he end up on the offensive side of the ball or defensive side after playing most of the year as a defensive tackle. 10. Melvin Fellows (6-4, 245, DT; Garfield Heights) Fellows is a high school defensive end that will be a highly sought after recruit as a defensive tackle. He has a great defensive body. 11. C.J. Barnett (6-1, 175, CB; Clayton Northmont) Barnett continues the line of outstanding defensive backs coming out of the Northmont program.

12. Denicos Allen (6-0, 185, ATH; Hamilton) Allen ran a 10.9-second time in the 100-meter event as a freshman and was an All-GMC selection on the gridiron as a freshman. He boasts a 3.4 GPA and is a great character kid. He reminds me a great deal of former OSU All-American Mike Doss.

13. Julius Ferrell (6-1, 245, LB/DE; Youngstown Liberty) Ferrell is the most physical kid in the class. He may be the most physical in the state regardless of class. Ferrell will make a strong argument for number one when it really matters. How his body develops will say everything about who will recruit and for what position.

14. Patrick White (6-0, 175, CB/WR; Pickerington Central) This son of former Buckeye Terry White is one of the elite athletes in the class. Where he plays is the question. A lot of schools, including Ohio

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Duane Long’s Top Juniors State, are in contact.

15. Dale Peterman (5-11, 175, WR; Youngstown Ursuline) Chris Fields gets all the headlines, but Peterman just might be his equal.

16. Jeff Walker (6-4, 190, WR; Akron Coventry) Walker is another big receiver that could put himself into the argument for best in the class with good speed times.

17. Adam Homan (6-3, 233, ATH; Coldwater) Homan is the brother of Buckeye linebacker Ross Homan. He looks to get bigger than Ross and projects as a lineman. 18. Josh Jones (6-3, 200, WR; Cincinnati Elder) Jones good 40-yard time away from offering an argument for the best receiver in the class. He had 38 catches for 601 yards and 6 TDs on the season. 19. Chris Freeman (6-8, 285, OL; Trotwood-Madison) Freeman finally made it back to the football field and he is even better than I thought he would be. He could be as good as Marcus Hall is. We could see Freeman at the top of this list. 20. Pat Muldoon (6-4, 240, DE; Cincinnati St. Xavier) High motor with a great frame that has played against great competition.

21. Perez Ashford (5-11, 175, WR; Shaker Heights) Another elite slot receiver in Ohio in the Class of 2009. The only bad thing about him is he is coming along in the same year as Chris Fields and Derrell Peterman. 22. Henry Conway (6-6, 300, OL; Shaker Heights) A raw talent and a late bloomer but what an upside.

23. Chris Snook (6-2, 215, LB; Medina Highland) The athlete season will tell the tale since he mostly plays running back in high school. 24. Tyler Scott (6-3, 210, LB; Warren Howland) Athletic and tough with an outstanding frame.

25. Branko Busick (6-1, 210, LB; Steubenville) Don’t forget the name. Busik is a small school superstar that hits a ton and has great instincts.

26. Nate Cadogan (6-6, 235, DE; Portsmouth) The younger brother of Penn State offensive lineman Gerald Cadogan, coach Curt Clifford thinks he can be special.

27. Sylvestry Gibbs (6-0, 170, RB; Austintown-Fitch) Gibbs has a great looking body; he is explosive and has good vision.

28. Pat McShane (6-5, 285, OL; Walsh Jesuit) McShane is athletic enough to play defensive end in high school, but projects as an OL in college.

29. Dante Marsch (5-11, 185, RB, Warren Howland) Marsch is a tremendously skilled runner. His size may force a move to another position in college. 30. RonCarlos Hilton (5-11, 185, SS; Youngstown East)

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Definitely belongs in the conversation about the best hitters in the class.

31. Jack Dawson (6-2, 200, QB; North Lima South Range) Dawson has a good arm and is a great athlete. He will need to camp to make a name for himself, as small school quarterbacks always seem to.

32. Stephen Houston (5-11, 170, CB; West Chester Lakota West) I can’t remember the last time I heard Lakota West head coach Larry Cox as excited about a player’s potential at such a young age. Only 16 years old right now, Cox calls Houston the best he has seen at this age.

33. Jacob Green (6-3, 225, LB; Cincinnati Wyoming) Green is looking like one of the more natural middle linebackers I have seen at this early stage. 34. Trae Tiller (6-2, 235, DE/DT; Canal Winchester Harvest Prep) Tiller only played four games due to injury but racked up an amazing 11 sacks including a seven-sack game. His body may take him to the tackle position. 35. Tyler Houska (6-3, 210, LB; Medina Highland) Some argue he is as good as his much more ballyhooed teammate.

36. Fitzgerald Toussiant (5-10, 175, RB; Youngstown Liberty) Toussiant ran a 10.7 100-meter as a freshman. His size will determine how highly he is recruited. He reminds me a lot of former Columbus Brookhaven and Ohio State Buckeye Maurice Hall.

37. Zach Boren (6-0, 240, FB; Pickerington Central) Boren is impressive with the ball in his hands. He could be the next great fullback.

38. Cornelius Carradine (6-5, 215, DE; Cincinnati Taft) Coach Mike Martin says he had 25 sacks as a sophomore and should have had 35. He runs a 4.65-second 40 and is looking to run the hurdles this year. 39. Dannell Smith (6-4, 290, OT; Newark) Raw and athletic with a great frame. The most underrated lineman in Ohio.

40. Jack Mewhort (6-5, 275, C; Toledo St. John’s) Impressed enough to be an invitee by the best programs in the region. 41. Anthony Tolbert (6-5, 220, TE/DE; Cincinnati Winton Woods) Maybe the best upside in the class. 42. Bud Golden (6-0, 190, Ath; Cincinnati Sycamore) Sprinters speed on a good frame.

43. John Anevski (6-4, 280, OT; Cincinnati Elder) Solid wide body with good technique and great level of competition. 44. Ryan Spiker (6-3, 265, OG; Dresden Tri-Valley) Coach says he is the equal of top senior teammate Adam Bice.

45. Corey Linsley (6-4, 275, OG; Youngstown Boardman)

46. Brian Wozniak (6-5, 225, TE/LB; Cincinnati Loveland) Very athletic. Likely a tight end but any player this athletic is going to get a look on defense.

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Duane Long’s Top Juniors 47. Storm Timson (5-9, 175, S; Pataskala Licking Heights) Corner size but a safety’s game. Great hitter. Good instincts. 48. Vince German (6-2, 230, DE; Newark Licking Valley) Nasty physical player with good instincts.

49. Nate Klatt (6-4, 270, C; Canal Fulton Northwest) Natural centers are hard to find.

50. Victor Rodriguez, (6-2, 220, DE; Eastmoor Academy) Great frame and runs well. The athlete season will tell us a lot. — OH

Other Juniors To Watch son. Connor Ryan

Quarterbacks

Austin Boucher (6-1, 190, QB; Kettering Alter) Mike Clark (6-1, 180, QB; Mass. Washington) (6-1, 185, QB; Cin. Indian Hill) Bo Cordell Kurt Hess (6-3, 225, QB; Day. Cham.-Jul.) (6-1, 190, QB; Cle. St. Ignatius) Andrew Holland (6-4, 202, QB; Hamilton Badin) Zach Toerner (6-0, 160, QB; Fostoria) Micah Hyde Size is going to be a major issue with this big armed kid. (6-4, 200, QB; Milton-Union) Jon Mason Patrick Nicely (6-3, 200, QB; Willoughby South) Nicely was a starter as a freshman at quarterback and a varsity baseball pitcher.

Offensive Lineman

(6-1, 300, OL; Warren Howland) Matt Cash (6-2, 260, OL; Warren Howland) Clay Cooper Jake Feldmeyer (6-2, 255, OL; Centerville) (6-4, 300, OL; Spring. South) Jeremy Johnson Johnson has a big body and is a hard worker in the classroom and in the weight room. He is better than the Middletown tackles at the same stage and they have Big Ten offers. (6-4, 280, OL; Xenia) Allen Matthews (6-5, 280, OT; Cincinnati LaSalle) Rob Yakimow

Running Backs

Dan Banna (5-11, 215, FB; Canfield) Banna is just a great football player. I see a great lead blocker in his future. Delion Freeman (5-9, 190, RB; Alliance) Nicholas Gramke (5-11, 185, RB; Cin. Elder) Tallied 924 yards on 176 carries and 11 TDs in 10 games as Elderʼs go-to back this season. Dominic Goodwin (5-9, 180, RB/CB; St. Edward) Goodwin is the possibly the fastest player in the class. Roman Lawson (6-0, 215, LB; Shaker Heights) Lawson is a player with good straight ahead speed and could be a better FB prospect. Mike Marrow (6-2, 230, FB; New Albany) Marrow played well this season and looks like he could be a FB at the next level. Kevin Ringer (5-10, 185, FB; Northmont) Ringer had 524 yards on 126 carries and 10 TDs splitting carries in Northmontʼs spread offense. Harvey Tuck (5-11, 250, FB; St. Vincent.-St. Mary)

Wide Receivers

Deron Brown (6-3, 180, WR; Akron Garfield) Zack Burks (6-3, 175, ATH; Spring. South) Burks is a good looking receiver prospect with hands and good athleticism but played QB this past fall. He went 98-of-271 passing for 1,270 yards with 6 TDs and 18 INTs. Jeff Duckworth (6-1, 170, WR; Cin. Princeton) Duckworth reeled in 62 catches for 900 yards and 7 TDs in the regular season for the Vikings. Tyler Dummermuth (6-2, 190, WR; New Philadelphia) Dummermuth won a best receiver award at the Ohio State camp last summer. Jordan Hopgood (6-0, 170, WR; Cin. Princeton) Hopgood had 432 yards on 25 catches and 4 TDs for Princeton. He also saw time at QB and RB but his future at WR. Desmar Jackson (6-3, 185, WR; Warren Harding) Jackson gave up football to concentrate on basketball. Last I heard he is likely to play football again next year. If he does so, he will be in the top five in the class. Jackson has transferred to Warren Harding this year from Warren JFK. David Lee (5-10, 170, WR; St. Vincent-St. Mary) Logan McCormick (6-2, 180, WR/DB; ClintonMassie) Joey Parris (6-1, 175, WR; Clev. St. Ignatius) If Parris keeps growing, he will be a carbon copy of older brother Rob – now at Notre Dame – but with better speed. Josh Richardson (6-4, 180, WR; Dublin Scioto)

JJ H u d d l e ’ s O h i o H i g h

(6-0, 165, WR; Clev. St. Ignatius)

Defensive Ends

DeJuan Hill Xavier Hines

(6-5, 210, DE; Clev. Benedictine) (6-3, 240, DE; Clev. Glenville)

Defensive Tackles

Ben Birch Chauncey Clemons John Taylor Theo Traczyk

(6-4, 250, DT; St. Vincent-St. Mary) (6-4, 275, DT; Akron Garfield) (6-4, 280, DT; North Olmsted) (6-3, 255, DT; Strongsville)

Linebackers

Photo by Nick Falzerano

Chaminade-Julienne’s Kurt Hess (above), Hamilton Badin’s Zach Toerner (below) and Alter’s Austin Boucher should make life in the GCL North and Central interesting in 2008.

Maalik Bomar (6-2, 185, LB; Cin. Winton Woods) Rhys Edwards (6-2, 189, LB/TE; St. Vincent-St. Mary) Dan Fox (6-1, 205, DE/TE; Clev. St. Ignatius) Fox is a high motor player with good edge speed. If he fills out he is going to be a good one. Rob McEvoy (6-1, 225, LB; Clev. St. Ignatius) Mike McKinney (6-0, 210, LB; Canton South) McKinney is a play maker and impact player.

Cornerbacks

Travis Freeman (5-11, 185, DB; Clev. Glenville) Victor Graham (5-10, 155, CB; Col. Africentric) Graham showed well at the Louisville Scout combine after his freshman year. Mark Mays (5-10, 170, CB; Northmont) Mays ran a 4.37-second 40, has a 31-inch vertical, 9-0 broad jump and 4.16 shuttle and are numbers you canʼt ignore. Willie Seawright (5-10, 160, CB; St. Edward) Seawright could be a wide receiver, too.

Safeties

Photo by Nick Falzerano

Gannon Hulea (6-1, 190, S; Poland Seminary) Hulea is a poor manʼs Danny McCarthy. He is not the same kind of athlete but a better hitter. Doug McCowan (5-10, 195, SS; Springfield South) Dominic Rich (5-11, 185, DB; Canfield) Rich is a great looking athlete and tough as nails. He is an explosive leaper and good tackler. He missed a lot of time this past year due to illness. Kyle Stadelmeyer (6-0, 200, ATH; Girard) Stadelmeyer rushed for 1,600 yards and 24 touchdowns as a sophomore. Anthony Urbania (6-0, 195, S; Clev. Benedictine) Trent Vallinger (5-11, 185, ATH; Poland) Chris Williams (5-11, 175, DB; Cin. Winton Woods)

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Boys Basketball Recruits

Dayton Dunbar senior Josh Benson scored 48 points in a win over Columbus Brookhaven in December. Daequan Cook’s high-game under Dunbar coach Peter Pullen was 41 points.

State’s top basketball prospects sign letters-of-intent Photo by Nick Falzerano

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JJ H u dd le’ s O h io High

Boys Basketball Recruits

STORY BY JEFF RAPP

he 2007-08 boys basketball season is just getting started but much has occurred in the opening weeks. First of all, the early signing period arrived in midNovember and, as expected, many top Ohio stars put ink to paper and signed letters-of-intent with their schools of choice. Other prospects not as well known also ended up pulling the trigger and made written commitments to schools. Ohio State secured another nationally ranked class and grabbed headlines for locking down in-state standouts B.J. Mullens of Canal Winchester and William Buford of Toledo Libbey, who remain tied with Lakewood St. Edward’s Delvon Roe atop our list of elite seniors in Ohio. Roe (Michigan State) and his teammate, Tom Pritchard (Indiana), are among the other players to sign with a Big Ten school, and many others did so with other programs from around the Midwest and elsewhere. Speaking of Roe, his senior season ended as soon as it began as he injured his right knee in the season opener and recently underwent microfracture surgery in order to repair the damage, thereby ending his chances at Ohio “Mr. Basketball” honors or another run in the state tournament. Our resident expert, Chris Johnson, the Ohio editor of HoopScoopOnline.com, is not yet prepared to drop Roe from the three-way tie atop Ohio High’s rankings but concedes that we may now be looking at a two-horse, Scarlet-and-Gray race for player of the year. Johnson also labels a new kingpin among juniors and we have added several new names to the rankings as some players have gotten off to eye-opening starts this season. The following contains pertinent recruiting and signing information for key in-state players and our updated rankings for each class, including the most recent national class rankings by ESPN.com (ES) and HoopScoopOnline.com (HS) where applicable:

Seniors (Class of 2008)

T-1. William Buford, 6-5, wing forward, Toledo Libbey (ES, 8th ; HS, 21st) – The door is now even more cracked for the highscoring Buford to be recognized as the top senior and player in the state. He has shown improvement every year of his brilliant prep career and is doing so again this season. After verbally committing to Ohio State last fall, Buford went on to post a fantastic junior year, averaging 28.4 points and 10 rebounds a game for Libbey and earning first-team AllOhio honors in D-1.

JJ H u d d l e ’ s O h i o H i g h

He signed with OSU on the first possible day, joining Mullens and out-of-state guards Anthony “Noopy” Crater and Walter Offutt in the class. T-1. B.J. Mullens, 7-1, center, Canal Winchester (ES, 12th; HS, 25th) – Mullens averaged 26.4 points, 14.1 rebounds and 4.4 blocked shots a game as a junior and he’s picked up right where he left off with some monster games during Canal’s undefeated start. Somehow left off the first-team All-Ohio list in Division II last season, Mullens is now as viable candidate as any to be crowned “Mr. Basketball.” Mullens transferred from nearby World Harvest Prep after his sophomore season and has been dominant ever since for the Indians. T-1. Delvon Roe, 6-8, power forward, Lakewood St. Edward (ES, 5th; HS, 4th) – A consistent top-five recruit according to all the major services, Roe entered his final year with the Eagles on top of his game and seemingly looking down at the competition. But he fell from that pedestal after suffering an injury in the nationally televised Dec. opener with North Hollywood (Calif.) Campbell Hall. After consulting with doctors, Roe opted for the microfrature surgery in hopes of regenerating cartilage in the joint. He underwent that procedure Dec. 17 and, as of press time, was hoping he could bear enough weight on his right leg to join the team behind the bench for home games this season. “He’s a little down right now as you might imagine; we all are,” said St. Ed coach Eric Flannery. “But we still have a chance to have a good season and he still can go on and do great things in the game of basketball.” A versatile and highly effective lefty, Roe brings a wealth of effort and skill to the court. He signed with Michigan State and is hoping to be full-go upon reporting to the Spartans this summer. As a junior, Roe guided the Eagles to a 25-1 mark and averaged 22.0 points and eight rebounds a game in earning Division I All-Ohio honors. 4. Yancy Gates, 6-8, power forward, Cincinnati Withrow (ES, 26th; HS, 14th) – Gates signed with the University of Cincinnati in a move that was hailed as perhaps the most significant recruiting coup for UC in the Mick Cronin era. Early in the season, the powerful and versatile forward upheld his reputation with several dominant showings, including a recent 38point effort. Gates averaged 19.4 points and eight rebounds a game in earning second-team AllOhio honors in Division I as a junior. He chose the Bearcats over Georgetown, Indiana, Xavier, Michigan and others.

5. Kenny Frease, 7-0, center, Massillon Perry (ES, 37st; HS, 79th) – Frease dealt with various nagging injuries last season, but still managed to average right on 15 points and 11 rebounds per game and was named third-team All-Ohio in Division I. His size and gumption make him a great catch for Xavier, where he’ll play beginning next year. He signed with XU in the early period. 6. Josh Benson, 6-10, power forward, Dayton Dunbar (ES, 117th) – Benson has gotten off to a sizzling start, including an areahigh 48-point effort in one contest. He has signed with nearby Dayton. “He’s an absolute steal for UD,” Johnson said. Benson averaged 10.1 points per game last season but was stellar as Dunbar marched to a 24-4 mark and a second straight Division II state title. 7. Tom Pritchard, 6-8, power forward, Lakewood St. Edward (ES, 121st) – Featured in this edition of Ohio High (see story, page 60), Pritchard has picked up his workload just in time. During the St. Ed’s 4-0 start he was producing close to 19 ppg and 11 rpg. Last season, Pritchard averaged 13.0 pppg in helping the Eagles advance to the Division I state final four. A solid summer for the AAU squad King of the Court helped him land a scholarship to Indiana and he has signed with the Hooisers. 8. Chris Johnson, 6-5, wing forward, Columbus Brookhaven – Another Dayton Flyer who is signed and sealed. Averaged 24.4 ppg, 13.2 rpg and 3.0 blocks per game as a junior and was a second-team All-Ohio pick in Division I. Johnson popped for 28 points in the season-opening win at Chillicothe. 9. Robert Wilson, 6-5, wing forward, Garfield Heights – Transfer from Cleveland Rhodes has helped GH become one of the most balanced teams in the state. Highly athletic wing who has signed with Wisconsin. 10. Ryne Smith, 6-3, shooting guard, Toledo Whitmer – Supreme outside shooter who averaged 17 ppg last year. Committed to Purdue in midsummer and is signed with the Boilermakers. 11. Devon Moore, 6-4, point guard, Columbus Northland (HS, 81st) -- Averaged 16.5 points per game as a junior and is a playmaker on one of the state’s deepest teams. Still considering offers from Kent State and several other MAC schools. 12. Anthony Hitchens, 5-9, point guard, Chillicothe – One of the state’s most exciting players. Has signed with Akron. Averaged 18.5 ppg and earned second-team All-Ohio honors in Division II as a junior. 13. Damian Eargle, 6-8, power forward,

J J H U D D L E . C O M 57

Boys Basketball Recruits ing machine who is signed with UNCGreensboro. 14. Kyle Rudolph, 6-6, power forward, Cincinnati Elder – Will sign a football letterof-intent with Notre Dame as a tight end but hasn’t let up on the hardwood. Averaged 17.3 ppg and 10.5 rpg and repeated as the GCL South player of the year. 15. Scott Thomas, 6-6, wing forward, Delaware Buckeye Valley – Very athletic, wiry performer who recently signed with Bowling Green. 16. Rayshawn Goins, 6-5, wing forward, Cleveland Glenville – Former Cleveland Rhodes star whose stock has shot back up after a transfer to Glenville. Has produced several 30-point games and is one of the top scorers in Cleveland area. Currently being courted by West Virginia, Oregon State, St. Bonaventure, Duquesne and most of the MAC. 17. Chris Henderson, 6-7, power forward, Warren Harding – Agile big man is hearing from several MAC schools but is still unsigned. 18. Logan Aronholt, 6-4, wing forward, Zanesville – Recently signed with Albany College. Powerful wing and coach’s son with high basketball IQ. 19. Johnie Davis, 6-1, point guard, Canton Timken – Unsigned. Transferred from Canton McKinley and is now a leader on a young and talented Timken team. 20. Ashen Ward, 6-3, shooting guard, Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Jospeh – Signed with Youngstown State. Top player on the team to beat in Division III. Best of the rest: Brad Loesing, 5-9, point guard, Cincinnati St. Xavier (Wofford); Alex Sullivan, 5-10, point guard, Painesville Riverside (Akron); Quinn McDowell, 6-4, wing forward, Cincinnati Moeller (William & Mary); Andrew Spradlin, 6-3, shooting guard, Wheelersburg (Elon College); Travis Kelce, 65, wing forward, Cleveland Heights (Cincinnati, on football scholarship); Julius Wells, 6-5, wing forward, Toledo Libbey (Marist); J.R. Weston, 6-4, wing forward, Morral Ridgedale (Stetson); Walt Gibler, 6-6, power forward, Cincinnati St. Xavier (Loyola of Chicago). Zac Taylor, 6-8, power forward, Oregon Clay (Toledo); Brandon Baker, 6-6, power forward, Milford (Belmont); Andrew Parrish, 6-7, power forward, Claymont Northmont (Akron); Kyle Jazwiecki, 6-7, power forward, Whitehouse Anthony Wayne (Presbyterian); Eric Coggins, 6-8, center, Canton Central Catholic (Quinnipiac); TeAllen Price, 6-8, center, Cincinnati Woodward (Centenary); Matt Roberts, 6-8, center, Cincinnati Moeller (Citadel). Unsigned: Damon Butler, 5-9, point guard,

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Cincinnati North College Hill; Greg Avery, 6-3, shooting guard, Newark; Courtney Davis, 6-3, shooting guard, Cincinnati Taft; Troy Long, 60, shooting guard, Cincinnati Withrow; Tyrone Lindsay, 6-2, shooting guard, Mansfield Senior. Charles Winkfield, 6-2, shooting guard, Huber Heights Wayne; Antonio Bumpus, 6-2 shooting guard, Columbus Eastmoor Academy; Scott Stucky, 6-2, shooting guard, Dublin Coffman; Lee Tabb, 6-8, power forward, Toledo Rogers; Eric Armstrong, 6-7, power forward, Fairfield; Cameron Johnson, 6-7, power forward, Cincinnati Aiken; Deonta Johnson, 6-7, power forward, Cincinnati Sycamore; Sean Hobbs, 7-0, center, Columbus DeSales; Kyle Smith, 6-10, center, Norwalk.

Juniors (Class of 2009)

1. Robert Capobianco, 6-7, power forward, Loveland – Rated at No. 5 going into the season, Capobianco is the new sheriff in town by our measure. An inside force who averaged 19.5 ppg and 11.3 rpg last season, he is also highly skilled and shows excellent shooting range. Two schools have vaulted into the recruiting lead: West Virginia and Vanderbilt. 2. Desmar Jackson, 6-4, shooting guard, Warren Harding (HS, 63rd) – Jackson has lived up to billing but is still getting used to new teammates after transferring from nearby Warren JFK. He earned Special Mention All-Ohio honors in Division III after averaging 20.2 ppg as a sophomore. 3. Carl Jones, 5-10, point guard, Garfield Heights – Had Heights off to a 7-0 start and was drawing attention from major programs. Michigan, Penn State, Dayton and virtually the entire Mid-American Conference is in pursuit. Has moved up 10 spots from No. 13. 4. Bill Edwards, 6-5, wing forward, Middletown (HS, 56th) – The son of the former Wright State superstar with the same name, Edwards is receiving overtures from WSU, Ohio State, Cincinnati, Dayton and several MAC schools. 5. Danny McElroy, 6-7, power forward, Cincinnati LaSalle (HS, 46th) – Will join Gates at UC after signing with the Bearcats. Averaged 10.3 ppg and 5.1 rpg as a soph. 6. Matt Kavanaugh, 6-9, center, Centerville – Big center won’t go travel far when he goes to college; he’s committed to the University of Dayton. 7. Garrick Sherman, 6-9, center, Kenton – Physical pivot continues to get looks from Big Ten schools such as Purdue, Iowa and Penn State. 8. Darren Goodson, 6-4, wing forward, Cincinnati Aiken – Recent Bowling Green

verbal. Led Aiken with 22 ppg last season. 9. Reggie Keely, 6-7, power forward, Bedford – A second-team all-district performer last season after averaging 16.3 ppg. His recruiting remains open. 10. Robert Johnson, 6-6, wing forward, Bedford – Has meshed well with Keely and is beginning to open the eyes of college coaches. 11. Mario Hines, 6-8, power forward, Garfield Heights (HS, 80th) – Has not played this season due to off-the-court issues but is expected to return to the team in January, giving GH a much-needed boost inside. 12. Allen Roberts, 6-2, shooting guard, Middletown – A recent addition to our top 15. 13. Randal Holt, 5-11, point guard, Bedford – Second-team all-district pick after averaging 20.4 ppg as a sophomore. Committed to Cleveland State. 14. Marquis Horne, 6-7, power forward, Cincinnati Winton Woods – Big-time athlete who is currently considering offers from MAC schools. 15. Dane Kopp, 6-8, center, Newark – Crafty big man on one of the state’s top teams. Committed – Anthony Wells, 6-0, point guard, Shaker Heights (Cleveland State); Zach Brown, 6-1, shooting guard, Mason (Lipscomb), Cortez Howell, 6-1, point guard, Cincinnati Aiken (Bowling Green).

Sophomores (Class of 2010)

1. Jared Sullinger, 6-8, power forward, Columbus Northland (HS, 17th) – Sullinger holds firm at the top of this list and continues to show why he was good enough to accept a scholarship offer from Ohio State. After coming off the bench last season he is now a force from the get-go inside with his versatility, soft hands and rebounding prowess. As a freshman, Sullinger earned Honorable Mention All-Ohio honors in Division I. He averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds in leading Northland to a 24-1 mark and its first district title since 1985. This year, he has led Northland to the top ranking in central Ohio and an undefeated start. 2. Adreian Payne, 6-9, center, Dayton Jefferson – A long-armed shot blocker with a developing game, Payne has vast potential and continues to excel. Dayton, Xavier, Ohio State and Indiana continue to show interest as well as Cincinnati and West Virginia. 3. Juwan Staten, 5-10, point guard, Dayton Thurgood Marshall (HS, 79th) – Scoring lead guard who knows how to run his team. Xavier, Dayton and Ohio State are following his progress.

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Boys Basketball Recruits

Canal Winchester senior B.J. Mullens was averaging 25.5 points through seven games for the Indians.

4. Cameron Wright, 6-3, shooting guard, Cleveland Benedictine – Explosive athlete who needs to refine his outside game. Has been tough to slow down this season and already has a game-winning shot to his credit. Also committed to Ohio State. 5. Allen Payne, 6-5, wing forward, Cincinnati Winton Woods – With former Lakewood St. Edward point guard Pe’Shon Howard transferred to Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill Academy, Payne moves up into the top five. Wiry performer coming off a knee injury and apparently completely recovered. 6. Nick Kellogg, 6-2, point guard, Columbus DeSales (HS, 43rd) – Son of former Ohio State star Clark Kellogg who averaged 10.0 ppg as a frosh. Strong and highly competitive lead guard. 7. Kenny Knight, 6-6, power forward, Cincinnati Northwest – Talented but has been in and out of the lineup due to off-thecourt difficulties. 8. Griffin McKenzie, 6-8 power forward, Cincinnati Moeller – Continues to rise. 9. J.D. Weatherspoon, 6-6, wing forward, Columbus Northland – High-flying, energetic wing who has come through in the clutch early this season for the Vikings. 10. Jordan Sivert, 6-4, wing forward, Cincinnati Princeton – New to this list but not to highly competitive basketball.

Freshmen (Class of 2011)

Several freshmen have emerged already this season, enough for us to come up with a full top 10. At the top is Chane Behanan, a 6-6 power forward at Cincinnati Aiken who has emerged as most recruited first-year player in the state. Just a seventh-grader last year, Behanan jumped up a class and has shown he belongs on the court with the area’s most talented big men. He was averaging more than 20 ppg including a career-high 27 in a 108-79 win over Cincinnati Mt. Healthy in mid-December. Here are the other nine names to watch in Ohio’s Class of 2011: Stevie Taylor, 5-8, point guard, Gahanna Lincoln; Paul Honigford, 6-8, power forward, Sugarcreek Garaway; Jehvon Clarke, 5-10, guard, Canton Timken; Marcus Graham, 6-1, shooting guard, Dayton Jefferson; Brandon Neel, 6-3, wing forward, Cincinnati LaSalle; Trey Burke, 5-9, point guard, Columbus Northland; Traevon Jackson, 6-2, shooting guard, Westerville South (son of former Ohio State All-American Jim Jackson); Vince Zollo, 6-7, power forward, Greenfield McClain; Richard Johnson, 5-7, point guard Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary. — OH

Photo by Brad Morris

JJ Hu d d l e ’ s O h i o H i g h

For more updates on Ohio’s top prospects and those nationally, check out Chris Johnson’s work at hoopscooponline.com

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Lakewood St. Edward’s Tom Pritchard

very time Tom Pritchard climbs a stairway at school or In the season opener with North Hollywood (Calif.) Campbell Hall, runs up the gymnasium stands during conditioning it’s however, Roe wrenched his right knee and the team’s other starting fora metaphor for the responsibilities that await him on the ward, Alex Sterba, limped off with a left knee injury in his first game back basketball court. from an ACL tear in his right knee. Stepping out and stepping up, that is what Pritchard St. Edward still managed to post a 78-73 victory in overtime over their is being asked to do this season for the Lakewood St. California visitors and super recruit Jrue Holiday with Pritchard leading Edward boys basketball team. the way. He logged team highs with 23 points, 14 rebounds and five A versatile 6-8 center who plays more like a shooting blocked shots. forward at times, Pritchard, just a few weeks into his Afterward, though, the news wasn’t good. Roe suffered ligament damsenior campaign, suddenly finds himself the focal point of one of the age in his right knee and doctors suggested microfracture surgery to state’s top teams. And in order to guide the Eagles through the recent repair it. Roe underwent the season-ending procedure Dec. 17. Pritchard turmoil and back to the state tournament he’ll need to shoot more often said later the team learned that Sterba’s left knee appeared to be severeand from more areas of the floor. ly damaged and initial tests revealed that he likely tore his ACL, the “He’s got to learn to score more and do more things for us, and I think same injury he suffered in the opposite leg last season. that can be good for him,” St. Edward coach Eric Flannery said. “Tom is “That makes it even stranger, knowing Alex could be out again,” a very unselfish player, but I think he’s realized there were more good Pritchard said. “That was hard to see. Obviously, guys are down about players around him early on and now he needs to what’s happened, but we have a very mature be more in the middle of things. He’s a kid who’s team and we can’t just put the season away going to have to average about 25 a game for us because of what’s happened. We have to keep “He’s a kid who’s going to have to fighting and move on.” to be competitive. And when I tell him that he needs to be more aggressive out there, he’s OK The Eagles also lost promising point guard average about 25 a game for us to Pe’Shon with that because he’s about winning.” Howard in the off-season when the sophPritchard, who signed a letter-of-intent with omore-to-be decided to transfer to Oak Hill be competitive.” Indiana during the early signing period in Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., leaving them Lakewood St. Edward Head Coach November, earned a reputation for being one of without a playmaker who helped them advance to the top players in Ohio’s Class of 2008 last year the state final four. They already planned to be Eric Flannery when he averaged right around 13 points and nine more inside-oriented even before the recent setrebounds per game. Scouts, coaches and analysts backs. who flocked to St. Edward games to watch superFlannery knows that Pritchard is about to see star forward Delvon Roe in action also came away impressed with the defenders in waves now that other key players are out of the equation quiet, fundamentally sound post player who had a knack for finding open and one way he wants him to counteract that is by harming teams outteammates, hitting key shots and grabbing crucial rebounds. side the paint. Now, with the Michigan State-bound Roe out with a knee injury, “Believe it or not, he’s a solid three-point shooter,” said the coach. “I’d Pritchard is the attraction as he tries to carry one of the state’s most recreally like to see him look for that shot when it was there because I know ognizable prep programs. he can hit it. Teams are going to sag in to cut him off and he’s got to hit “With guys out, I am seeing that we’re running more plays with me some threes for us. They see a guy who’s 260 pounds and they aren’t involved,” he said. “We’ve been running more pick-and-roll plays with me going to let him have his way inside. So it’s important we counter that.” and Frankie (Dobbs, a 6-2 guard). If I need to score more, that’s what I’ll Pritchard and the Eagles will get plenty of tests this season while facdo but mostly I’m just trying to lead this team. I want to be a guy leading ing a relentless schedule. Along with the game with Campbell Hall, they out there and creating for teammates.” already had defeated Berlin Center Western Reserve Academy, Pritchard is not yet at his coach’s goal line of 25 points per game, but Lakewood and Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary, and at time of press were he’s showing he can pick up the slack. During St. Ed’s 4-0 start he was about to take on Cleveland Benedictine and Ohio State commitment averaging 18.5 points per game and that includes sitting out virtually the Cameron Wright. entire second half of a blowout in the second game. Pritchard also was Over the holiday break St. Edward will face tough competition at the shooting 66.7 percent from the field and adding 11 rebounds per contest, Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and will battle powerful proving he indeed can be a consistent force. Elizabeth (N.J.) St. Patrick and possibly New York City Brother Rice at The Eagles won their first 25 games a year ago before a Division I the McDonald’s Classic in Erie, Pa. state semifinal loss to eventual champion Cincinnati Moeller. They began Upcoming in-state games include clashes with Cleveland Villa Angelathis new season with loads of promise and 11 seniors, one of them being St. Joseph and rival Cleveland St. Ignatius as well as a date with the 6-8 Roe, a top-five prospect nationally and the preseason favorite for Massillon Perry Jan. 5 and one with Toledo Libbey a week later. The the 2008 “Mr. Basketball” award. game with Perry will pit Pritchard against his former King of the Court

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STORY BY JEFF RAPP AAU teammate Kenny Frease, a 6-11 center who is signed with Xavier. Libbey features OSU signee William Buford, who should have the crowd behind him as that contest will be staged at Value City Arena in Columbus. Somehow the Eagles are supposed to get through those land mines and be in one piece by the end of the season. “There are always high expectations for us wherever we go, so I’m pretty used to that,” Pritchard said. “Obviously last year we were expected to win the (state) championship and we didn’t quite do that. But I don’t feel any pressure right now. I’m sure I will feel some during the playoffs. “Honestly, I never have been nervous about any game beforehand. I’m waiting for that game to come, but hopefully it never will. I guess you could say I’m kind of laid-back. I don’t know where I got it. My dad (Dan) is kind of laid-back, too, but he still gets more nervous than I do.” Some onlookers mistake Pritchard’s demeanor for a lack of competitive spirit. Flannery, who’s been known to be boisterous on the sideline during games, actually likes the approach. “In my experience, veteran guys who are level-headed and evenkeeled give you more of a calm and a confidence from a coaching standpoint, so I think it’s a good thing,” Flannery said. “I don’t have any concern about Tom’s desire or that he can come through and do what we need him to do because he’s a kid who’s a competitor. He’s a senior and he understands he needs to step up. It’s definitely a new role for him, but it’s one he can handle.” Pritchard actually was a promising baseball prospect, a towering lefthanded pitcher with good stuff, but he gave up that sport after his sophomore season after experiencing shoulder and elbow problems. “That wasn’t the main reason, though,” he said. “I just felt basketball was my sport. It wasn’t that close in my mind.” It looks like he made a wise decision. As Pritchard continued to develop on the hardwood, major college coaches took notice. He was considering offers from the likes of Dayton, Virginia and Virginia Tech but eventually narrowed down to three schools – Miami (Ohio), Penn State and Indiana. After checking out IU in the late summer and returning for an official visit Sept. 15, Pritchard knew where he wanted to go. “I think the first thing that stuck out was that Coach (Kelvin) Sampson has all those championship rings from his days at Oklahoma,” Pritchard said. “And also, of course, you’ve got the tradition of Indiana basketball. I felt like it was the best place for me to be for four years. “I haven’t decided on a major yet, but my mom is really pushing me,” he added with a laugh. Pritchard, though, will figure it out, just like he processes things well on the court. “I think one of the things Indiana liked about me is they believe I have a high basketball IQ, that I know what’s open and what to do with the ball and without it.” Flannery agreed, calling Pritchard “a very heady player.” “At a school like Indiana he’s a perfect piece to a puzzle,” he said. “He can carry various roles for you and he’s unselfish and understands the game. His skill level is so high. He has great hands and good moves down low. But he also passes the ball well and he can pass out of the high post. He just really fits from what I can tell because it seems like Indiana has always had players like that and they run the type of system offense that Tom is so good in.” Flannery expects Pritchard to excel and prosper in the Big Ten just as he has at St. Edward. “I’ve said this before and I really mean it: He may go down as one of biggest success stories at St. Ed’s. He came in a little fragile and maybe was a low D-1, mid-major prospect at best. He really developed over the years physically and mentally. “He probably has made more strides as a player than anyone I’ve had in my 12 years as coach here.” — OH

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Lakewood St. Edward’s Tom Pritchard St. Edward senior and Indiana recruit Tom Pritchard will have to step up his production with the loss of Michigan State-bound Delvon Roe.

Photo by Gary Housteau

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Middletown Madison’s Nathanael Harney

or opponents faced with the task of stopping Middletown Madison senior Nathanael Harney on the basketball court, it might seem like they’re trying to guard two players at once. In some regards, they are. Harney only wears one uniform, but he plays for two people. A four-year starter at Madison who’s on pace to become the school’s all-time leading scorer, Harney had the name of his brother Aaron stitched onto his basketball shoes this season. Aaron, Harney’s identical twin, died of brain cancer at age 3. “I can remember him and I remember asking questions about where he went,” Harney said. “(His memory) is

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Photo by Nick Falzerano

Harney, a two-time AllOhioan, wears the name of his deceased brother Aaron on his basketball shoes.

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STORY BY ERIC FRANTZ

Middletown Madison’s Nathanael Harney

always there. I don’t really get down on it that much. I just think about him being in heaven and how I’m going to see him again some day. “Obviously, I didn’t get to play basketball with him but I always think about that in the back of my mind. I wonder what it would be like and how fun it would be. I think he’d be really good. I miss that.” On the basketball court, Harney doesn’t miss much.

“We see a lot of combination and junk defenses,” Smith said. “We see a lot of man, but it’s peculiar “In D-III, you don’t get many guys man because they have someone they’re not going to guard so there’s always someone to help out on with D-I college athleticism and Nathanael. He’s faced that since his sophomore (Harney) has that. You don’t see that year, though, and as tough as that’s been it’s made him better. He’s had to work hard to get his points come through here that often.” and I think that will make him better at the next level.” Madison Basketball Coach Madison hasn’t been ignored when it comes to college recruiters, but the boys basketball program Standing Alone Jeff Smith hasn’t produced the kind of players Division I coachBy the time his career at Madison wraps, Harney es get excited about in over a decade. Harney has will be the most prolific scorer in school history and ended that drought. arguably the most complete player to don the Red “In D-III, you don’t get many guys with D-I college athleticism and he and Black. He entered this season with 906 points, needing just 140 for has that,” Smith said. “You don’t see that come through here that often. the top spot. Harney also needs just 39 field goals and 53 free throws to Since Shay graduated, we haven’t had any Division I coaches come become the school’s leader in those categories. He’s on pace to rank through here but they’re back.” No. 3 in career rebounds (419 heading into the season). According to Smith, the most aggressive suitors have been Morehead Harney’s high-games have been 31 points, 21 rebounds, eight State, Liberty and Miami (Ohio). The University of Dayton has also been assists, eight steals and six blocks. in steady contact and Indiana University has shown interest. His heroics rival those of past Madison greats Shay Hensley and “He was in front of Kelvin Sampson at the Indiana team camp and Shay Richardson, the duo he’s chasing in most statistical lists. Hensley Kelvin talked to me about a possibly guaranteed walk-on spot, which in graduated from Madison in 1993, while Richardson, the Ohio Division III the Big Ten, if you get one of those it’s pretty precious,” Smith said. player of the year as a senior, graduated in 1995. “When Kelvin talked to me he asked ‘How tough is this kid’ and then “I certainly don’t want to rank guys because they are different eras ‘Can he play here?’ My answer was ‘Yes, he can.’” and different guys, but Nathanael is a great combination of those two,”

Madison head coach Jeff Smith said. “Hensley was a real quick, scoring guard and Richardson was more of a big guard that could rebound. Nathanael is not as big as Richardson, but he’s as quick as Hensley and he’s a better perimeter shooter than both. He has a lot of those guys attributes and they were both great players.” Defensively, Harney’s no slouch. “He’s probably the best defender I’ve ever coached and I’ve coached some good ones,” Smith said. “His on-the-ball defense is good and he can block shots. When people think about Nathanael they think about his scoring. I think about his defense.” Harney’s versatility has helped him establish his own identity. Standing 6-2, he’s listed as a guard on the roster but can excel anywhere. “He may guard the other team’s point guard or their center,” Smith said. “Offensively, he’s played point, he’s played the two and just about everywhere else. He also jumps the center jump for us instead of our 68 kid. He’s versatile. He’s all over the floor.” Harney started playing basketball in first grade and joined the Madison youth traveling team in fourth. Since then, he’s been key to the success of every team he’s dressed for. Following a standout junior high career, Harney made varsity as a freshman and started near the end of the season. He hasn’t been out of the line up since. “We knew we had a pretty special player in junior high,” Smith said. “And he’s still becoming special.” After a senior-laden team won a share of the Southwestern Buckeye League Buckeye Division title his freshman year, Harney was just one of a few players back with varsity experience the following winter. With no true scorer other than himself, Harney accepted the role and blossomed. He averaged 21 points per game en route to honorable mention All-Ohio honors in D-III. Last year, with Fenwick transfer Spencer Jared sharing the scoring load, Harney averaged 19 points and earned All-Ohio honors again as the Mohawks finished 15-6 and earned another SWBL Buckeye crown. This year, Harney is one of two players back with varsity experience. Needless to say he’s getting a ton of attention from both the opposition and colleges.

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No Doubt

No matter where he lands at the next level, Harney will be prepared to face any task. Call it the culmination of a childhood spent without his brother that toughened him mentally, physically and spiritually. “I don’t say a whole lot about it,” said Smith in regards to Aaron’s death. “I lost a brother, too, but he passed when he was 29. I got to have him while we were growing up, but that was still traumatic. I have great empathy for Nathanael and what he’s had to deal with. His family is a great example of great faith with how they got through this.” Duane Harney, Nathanael’s father, was a part-time minister when Aaron was diagnosed with brain cancer at age 2. Since Aaron’s death a year later, Duane has become a full-time pastor and leads a congregation at the Community Harvest Church located just off state Route 4 in Germantown. Nathanael and his family – including mom Joyce – are regulars. “This story actually gets a lot of people to come to our church,” Nathanael said. “They hear our story and they see how we’ve come out of a difficult time. It’s been a great witnessing tool for others.” So, too, has Nathanael’s dedication to his sibling. Every morning Harney wakes up to an image of Aaron that accompanies the alarm on his cell phone. The picture is there every minute of every day, tucked inside his pocket, available any time he needs a reminder. “That (image) helps me stay focused throughout the day,” Harney said. “I look at it and it motivates me to work hard. It motivates me to push on.” As for the shoes, that’s a tribute Harney thought of recently. Consider it a graduation gift for both brothers. “I think the way he’s honoring Aaron and what he’s done with his shoes is unique, but Nathanael plays so hard I think he honors his brother with his effort,” Smith said. “Even if Nathanael didn’t have anything on his shoes, his brother would still be with him. But honestly, he’s always guarded by two people so I think its only fair that Aaron’s out there with him to share some of the load.” “Yeah,” joked Nathanael. “He sets me some screens.” — MVP

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Girls Basketball Recruits number of Ohio’s top girls basketball prospects signed with their colleges of choice during the early signing period in November. According to Tom Jenkins of the Ohio Girls Basketball Report, there are 63 seniors who have signed with NCAA Division I schools. Some 43 of those signees will to school outside the state. “Ohio is a hotbed of girls basketball for college recruiters,” Jenkins said. “Year in year out, Ohio is one of the top three states in terms of number of Division I signees. Over the nine years I have been involved with girls basketball in this state, I have seen the number of colleges that recruit Ohio increase from 43 to 198. “Ohio averages 65 to 80 NCAA D-I sgnees a year. This year to date we have had 63 D-I signees which is on track for an average year. The most I have seen in my nine years is 2003 when there were 103 NCAA D-I signees out of Ohio.” Jenkins gathers his information by attending games and off-season tournaments and camps. He also helps put together the annual Classic In The Country event at Berlin Hiland. This year’s event, which will feature a number of the top teams in the state and across the country, is set for Jan. 19-21. Below, Jenkins has supplied us with lists of the top 10 players in each of the next four classes (2008-11) in Ohio. He has further broken them down to the top five and second five with each group listed alphabetically. Plus, he also provided a list of other seniors who have signed college letters-of-intent.

Photo by Nick Falzerano

Dayton ChaminadeJulienne senior Tiera Stephen is headed to Louisville.

Class Of 2008: Top 5

* Cierra Bravard, 6-5, post, Sandusky Perkins – Bravard was chosen as a first-team All-Ohio pick in Division II after averaging 22.3 points per game. She led Perkins to a 21-4 season and a state final four berth, tallying 19 points in a state semifinal game. Bravard, who also averaged 22.2 ppg as a sophomore, is rated as the nation’s No. 26 senior by HoopGurlz.com. Bravard signed with Florida State in November. * Ayana Dunning, 6-3, post, Columbus Eastmoor – Dunning was a first-team All-Ohio pick in Division II after averaging 18.1 points and 13.6 rebounds per game. She led Eastmoor to a 19-5 mark and a state semifinal berth. Dunning, who averaged 19 ppg as a sophomore, is pegged as the nation’s No. 6 senior prospect by HoopGurlz.com. Dunning signed with LSU over a long list of schools, including USC, Illinois, Boston College, Texas, Penn State, Ohio State, Rutgers and Maryland.

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* Amber Gray, 6-1, wing/post, West Chester Lakota West – Gray averaged 20.9 points per game as a junior on her way to firstteam All-Ohio honors in Division I. Gray, rated as the nation’s No. 4 senior by HoopGurlz.com, signed with Tennessee. Gray, who averaged 20.7 ppg as a sophomore, is the daughter of former UCLA and NFL football player Carlton Gray. * Tyeasha Moss, 5-9, wing, Columbus

Africentric – Moss earned first-team All-Ohio honors in Division IV after averaging 16.7 points, six rebounds and five assists per game. She helped lead Africentric to a 27-1 record and the D-IV state title. Moss averaged 17.9 ppg as a sophomore. She signed with Xavier in November. * Shay Selby, 5-7, point guard/wing, South Euclid Regina – Selby, ranked as the nation’s No. 15 senior by HoopGurlz.com, averaged 23

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STORY BY STEVE HELWAGEN points per game on her way to first-team All-Ohio honors in Division III as a junior. Selby averaged 22.1 ppg as a sophomore after averaging 15.4 ppg as a freshman. Selby committed to Duke over the likes of Connecticut, Michigan State, Ohio State and Tennessee.

Class Of 2008: Next 5

* Brittany Orban, 6-0, forward, North Canton Hoover – Orban averaged 21.6 ppg and earned first-team All-Ohio honors in Division I. She is signed with Northwestern. Orban averaged 22.7 ppg as a sophomore. * Jessie Pachko, 6-1, power forward, Cincinnati Oak Hills – Pachko signed a letter-of-intent with Marquette. * Katie Popovec, 6-3, post, Canfield -- Popovec signed with Pittsburgh. * Tiera Stephen, 5-7, point guard/wing, Dayton ChaminadeJulienne – Stephen signed with Louisville. * Amber Stokes, 5-8, point guard/wing, Gahanna Lincoln – Stokes averaged 18.1 ppg as a junior. Stokes will follow in her father’s footsteps at Ohio State. Her father, Ron, was a guard for the Buckeyes in the early 1980s.

Class of 2008: More Signees

Here is a look at more of the Division I signees from Ohio: Clare Aubry, Upper Sandusky High School, Toledo signee; Kyle Baumgartner, North Canton Hoover, Akron; Maria Bennett, Anderson, Wright State; Brogan Berry, Dayton Carroll, Harvard; Macie Blinn, Greenville, Illinois; Ariana Bowles, Eastern Brown, Ohio U.; Sharise Calhoun, Toledo Central Catholic, Oakland U.; Rachel Chandler, Dayton Chaminade-Julienne, Central Connecticut State; Amy Clapper, Newark Catholic, UNC-Greensboro; Jayne Cox, Cincinnati Princeton, Northeastern; Paige Faine, Van Buren, Niagara; Brandy Gang, Uniontown Lake, Marist. Maribeth Giese, Cincinnati Mother of Mercy, Bowling Green; Angela Groves, Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown, Princeton; Cierra Harris, Akron Firestone, Dayton; Channing Hillman, Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame, UTEP; Sakara House, Springfield Kenton Ridge, St. Peter’s; Alesia Howard, Columbus Africentric, Massachusetts; Courtney Ingersoll, Perry, Toledo; Jessica Jenkins, Marion Harding, St. Bonaventure; Kaneesha Johnson, Grove City, Morehead State; Quinessa Johnson, West Chester Lakota West, St. Francis (Pa.); Shante Jones, Dayton Carroll, Iowa. Amanda Keehan, Cincinnati Oak Hills, West Virginia; Trisha Krewson, Sandusky Perkins, Bucknell; Patrice Lalor, Toledo Notre Dame Academy, Dayton; Courtney Lumpkin, Cincinnati Winton Woods, Morehead State; Tia McBride, Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame, Georgetown; Casey Nance, Richfield Revere, Dayton; Keyona Neel, Cincinnati Taft, Chicago State; Maxine Ohakim, Westerville Central, Ohio U.; Lillian Potts, Shaker Heights, Miami (Ohio); Porshe Poole, Canton McKinley, Michigan State; Justin Raterman, Versailles, Dayton; Kaelin Reid, Cincinnati Taft, St. Louis. Carmen Reynolds, Hilliard Davidson, Michigan; Courtney Schiffauer, Youngstown Boardman, Michigan State; Jessica Slagle, Sidney Lehman, Bowling Green; Tracy Snider, Lancaster, Ohio U; Ta’mikka Snoody, Cambridge, Wright State; Jena Stutzman, Berlin Hiland, Kent State; Emily Teuscher, Miamisburg, Massachusetts; Ariel Thomas, Cincinnati Princeton, Miami (Ohio); Shannon Thomas, Springboro, Indiana State; India Warfield, Dayton Chaminade-Julienne, St. Louis; Meghan Waterman, Kettering Alter, Niagara; Alexis Williams, Warren Howland, Lehigh; Erin Wisner, Solon, Miami (Ohio).

Class Of 2009: Top 5

* Kendall Hackney, 6-1, wing/post, Cincinnati Mt. Notre Dame –

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Girls Basketball Recruits Hackney averaged 11.5 ppg as a sophomore. But she stepped forward and had 21 points and 14 rebounds in her team’s Division I state championship game win over Stow-Munroe Falls. MND ended up 23-4 on the year. “The top five in this junior class is just so close,” Jenkins said. * Emilee Harmon, 6-2, power forward, Pickerington Central – Harmon averaged 20.3 points and 8.9 rebounds per game in earning first-team All-Ohio honors in Division I as a sophomore. * Dayeesha Hollins, 5-7, point guard/wing, Cincinnati Winton Woods * Alexis Rogers, 6-1, wing/post, West Chester Lakota West * Brianna Sanders, 5-11, wing, Cincinnati Princeton

Class Of 2009: Next 5

* Kari Daugherty, 6-2, wing/post, Warsaw River View – Daughterty averaged 12.0 points per game and was a first-team all-district pick in Division II as a sophomore. She had 16 points in her team’s D-II state title game win over Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown. River View ended up 26-1. Daughterty’s sister, Kristin, was the Ohio High player of the year last year and is now a freshman at Dayton. Kari Daugherty recently followed in her sister’s footsteps by verbaling to Dayton as well. * Shardai Morrison-Fountain, 5-6, point guard, Columbus Africentric – Morrison-Fountain averaged 12.0 ppg as a sophomore in helping Africentric claim the D-IV state title. * Karisma Penn, 6-1, power forward, Shaker Heights * Mikaela Ruef, 6-3, wing/post, Beavercreek * Gabby Smith, 5-10, wing, Cincinnati Mt. Notre Dame

Class Of 2010: Top 5

* Natasha Howard, 6-3, wing/post, Toledo Waite * T'Sheara Lucas, 5-10, wing, Reynoldsburg * Tay'ler Mingo, 5-6, point guard, South Euclid Regina * Samarie Walker, 6-1, power forward, Dayton ChaminadeJulienne * Mylan Woods, 5-9, wing, Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown – Woods was a second-team All-Ohio pick in Division II after averaging 14.1 ppg as a freshman. She had 15 points in her team’s D-II state semifinal win over Sandusky Perkins. Hathaway Brown ended the year 22-5.

Class Of 2010: Next 5

* Tiffani Blackman, 5-10, wing/power forward, Toledo Bowsher * Darryce Moore, 6-2, post, Youngstown Boardman * Amy Scullion, 6-0, wing/post, Salem * Latasha Walker, 6-2, post, Cleveland Heights Lutheran East * Noelle Yoder, 5-7, point guard/wing, Millersburg West Holmes

Class Of 2011: Top 5

* Therany Dunnigan, 6-2, post, South Euclid Regina * Raven Ferguson, 5-9, wing/power forward, Columbus Africentric * Allyson Malott, 6-1, wing/post, Middletown * Dominque Singletary, 5-6, point guard, Hamilton * Shaquia Stokes, 6-0, post, Columbus Africentric

Class Of 2011: Next 5

* Alexandris Azeez, 5-7, wing, West Chester Lakota West * Brinae Harris, 5-9, wing, Marion Harding * Brianna Holmes, 5-5, point guard, Columbus Brookhaven * Tanisha Lawler, 5-7, wing/point guard, Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown * Kathyrn Reynolds, 5-6, wing/point guard, Cincinnati Mt. Notre Dame — O H

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