Ohio High September 2006

Editor in Chief Lee Schear Managing Editor Steve Helwagen Recruiting Editor Duane Long Assistant Editor Matt Natali Staff Writers Dave Biddle, Gary Housteau, Kirk Larrabee, Kyle Lamb Contributors Paul Boggs, Larry Phillips, Eric Frantz

Photography Gary Housteau, Nick Falzerano, Stephanie Porter

Printing/Design Miami Valley Sports Magazine (MVP) Eric Frantz/Nick Falzerano

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Questions, comments or suggestions can be sent to jjhuddlestaff@yahoo.com. We encourage your feedback.

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 resposability 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 2006, Ohio High Magazine and MVP Magazine, LLC. All rights reserved.

COVER PHOTOS: Gary Housteau

Welcome to the 14th edition of Ohio High magazine!

Like you, we are excited that a new school year is upon us and it is time (finally) for high school football.

In the last edition, we announced some changes are in the offing for Ohio High magazine. We began a new working relationship with Miami Valley Sports Magazine (MVP) where they will design and print the magazine. We felt the first issue with MVP, our Football Preview dated July 2006, was a strong first effort and we look forward to working with them in the future.

We feel these changes will allow us to tighten our deadlines and provide much more timely coverage of high school athletics and recruiting. In years past, we have had to wait several weeks to cover state football or basketball tournaments. This new arrangement should allow us to have a much quicker turnaround. The recruiting information should also be much more up-to-date.

Our new partnership will also assist us in newsstand distribution of the magazine. That has been nonexistent over the last year or so. We have also secured a distribution deal with Meijer stores. We hope to have our magazines prominently displayed in their stores by the end of the year.

We are back here with our September 2006 issue. This issue marks the return of Duane Long’s top 100 list of prospects for the football Class of 2007. Duane introduced the 2007 top 100 in the May issue. Now, after the completion of the summer combine and camp circuit, he has had a chance to update and revise the list. It will be revised one last time for the January 2007 issue, due out in midDecember.

Duane spends literally hundreds of hours between updates watching videotape and talking with coaches and players in an effort to bring you the most accurate and up-to-date information about these players. His updated top 100 for this issue begins on page 19. It is also notable how many photos of those top 100 players we are able to provide. Staff contributors Gary Housteau and Nick Falzerano keep busy going all over the state to track down the top teams and players and you see their work here as well.

Of course, Duane also keeps an eye on the prospects in the lower classes as well. In this issue, he provides updates on the key players in the junior and sophomore classes as well. Look for those roundups beginning on page 43.

In terms of football coverage, we also have a profile from Gary on Cleveland Glenville’s Jermale Hines (page 40) and a look at the up-and-coming program at Trotwood-Madison by Matt Natali (page 48). We also have a preview of the Kirk Herbstreit Ohio vs. USA Challenge (page 14) and a roundup of the Ohio North-South Classic and the Big 33 Football Classic as well (page 52). I also interview longtime Cleveland St. Ignatius coach Chuck Kyle and discuss his program that has won a record nine state titles (page 8).

The new school year is starting, but we also have some articles looking back at the 2005-06 year.

We present the Ohio High Cup to the school that scored the most points by placing teams in the top four at OHSAA state championship events. Cincinnati St. Xavier, being an all-boys school, bucked the odds to win this year’s competition. Check out the final Ohio High Cup standings on pages 6-7.

Also, we are proud to present our Ohio High Coach of the Year award to Youngstown Ursuline’s Sean Durkin, who led his school’s girls basketball and baseball teams to the state championship game in 2005-06. That story is on pages 4-5.

And there is much more as we update the boys basketball recruiting rankings after the summer AAU and camp season (page 58) and a profile on Trotwood-Madison’s Chris Wright, who has already committed to play college basketball at Dayton (page 56).

Plus, we have the inspirational story of Dayton Colonel White’s Bobby Martin and he recent ESPY award for Best Male Athlete With A Disability (page 63).

One exciting aspect about Ohio High is the fact we are able to “bundle” it with subscriptions to our popular JJHuddle.com web site.

The best deal on the board is purchasing a one-year premium subscription to the JJHuddle.com web site for $59.95. That subscription comes with a free one-year subscription to Ohio High.

However, for a limited time, we are allowing new subscribers to purchase one-year (six-issue) subscriptions for just the magazine for the old five-issue price of $29.95.

All told, that one-year subscription for the package of JJHuddle.com and Ohio High magazine represents a savings over the course of a year of over $50 from the monthly JJHuddle.com subscription charge ($6.95 per month) and a separate charge for Ohio High.

Nobody has ever attempted to produce a magazine that contains coverage of Ohio high school athletics and recruiting. We’re pretty proud of how this magazine has grown over the past couple of years and we look forward to the year ahead.

Going forward, here are general topics that will be covered in each edition of Ohio High: * November (Due out Oct. 15) – Our football playoff preview, boys and girls basketball preview, wrestling preview. * January (Due out Dec. 15) – Fall sports recap including the football playoffs, updating the full top 100 senior football prospects, update on basketball recruit rankings. * March (Due out Feb. 15) – Basketball and wrestling tournament previews. * May (Due out April 15) – Football signing day recap, basketball and wrestling tournament recaps, new top 100 for the seniors-to-be unveiled. * July (Due out June 15) – Football preview issue, spring sports recap.

Check JJHuddle.com every day for previews and daily coverage of Ohio high school athletics.

For subscription information, check the Internet at www.jjhuddle.com or www.bucknuts.com Thanks again for your patronage of Ohio High magazine!

Steve Helwagen Managing Editor Ohio High

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Ohio High 2005-06 Coach of the Year

Youngstown Ursuline’s Sean Durkin

6

Ohio High Cup final standings

8

Cleveland St. Ignatius

14

Herbstreit Challenge

19

Duane Long’s Top 100 Seniors

40

Jermale Hines

Cincinnati St. Xavier wins Cup; Dublin Jerome finishes second

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Chuck Kyle presides over St. Ignatius football program Ohio’s best put to the test in the Herbstreit Challenge Talent doesn’t end with the Top 100 in class of 2007

40

Two-way standout leads Glenville in 2006

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Duane Long’s Top Juniors

Ohio’s junior class starting to come into its own

50 Duane Long’s Top Sophomores

Licking Valley’s Storm Klein looking for second 1,000-yard season

52

Trotwood-Madison Football

Coach Maurice Douglass instills valuable football, life lessons

60 Chris Wright

42

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Trotwood-Madison senior impressive during summer tour

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Bobby Martin

Colonel White football player wins prestigous ESPY Award

Also...

42 NELSONVILLE-YORK’S JAY EDWARDS 44 OHIO HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL NOTES 56 FOOTBALL ALL-STAR GAMES ROUND-UP 62 BOYS BASKETBALL ROUND-UP

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STORY BY GARY HOUSTEAU

Two-Sport Star

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Two state final trips earns Youngstown Ursuline’s Sean Durkin Ohio High Coach of the Year honors

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“Thereʼs no doubt about it and it certainly makes me feel good to give back something to a school that I think has given me so much,” Durkin said. “Iʼm sure what Iʼve done would be great at other places as well, but it certainly has a place in your heart when itʼs your alma mater.”

Durkin has been in coaching since he was 20 years of age in the parochial leagues in Youngstown as a boys coach in the seventh and eighth grades. Not long after that he got involved with coaching baseball as an assistant at Chaney High School and that led to him getting the baseball job at Ursuline. Then Durkin assumed the double-duty of being an assistant boys basketball coach at Ursuline before the job as the head coach of the girls basketball team came open.

Photo by Gary Housteau

t is safe to assume itʼs every high school coachʼs dream to have just one chance to play for a state title at some point during his or her career.

Well, Sean Durkin of Youngstown Ursuline had that chance twice last school year alone, taking both his girls basketball and baseball team to the state championship game. And for that, he is recognized by Ohio High magazine as the 2005-06 Coach of The Year.

“Itʼs a heck of honor,” Durkin said. “It certainly is a credit to my kids and all that theyʼve accomplished this year but it certainly is nice to be recognized from a magazine of that level.

So Iʼm very happy about it.”

Although neither of Durkinʼs teams earned a state title this time around (his girls lost to Jonathan Alder, 55-49, and his boys lost to Marion Pleasant, 2-1) it certainly didnʼt lessen the accomplishment of either team getting there.

“It certainly would have been nice to win them both or even one of them,” Durkin said. “But any time you get the opportunity to bring kids to Columbus for that kind of a venue, itʼs a great accomplishment and itʼs something that my kids should be very proud of – and they are.

“Although it does diminish it a little bit that we werenʼt able to come away with a championship, itʼs still an experience that these kids will remember for the rest of their lives.”

Durkin, an Ursuline alumnus who is no stranger to the state tournament as either a player or coach, certainly knows from that which he speaks.

“I was a member of the 1988 state baseball championship team here at Ursuline and overall in baseball, this past season was our schoolʼs fourth time getting down there,” he said. “We won the state championship in 2000 and we were the runnerup in ʻ01 and of course last year as well. And in basketball weʼve been there twice. In 2004, we won the Division III state championship and this past season we were the runner-up.”

Winning state championships or even just competing for as many as Durkin has is almost beyond the realm of comprehension for him.

“Certainly when you start coaching itʼs always a dream to possibly win a state championship. Weʼve been a little spoiled here at Ursuline and Iʼve been too,” Durkin said. “Iʼm sure there will come a time and Iʼll look back very favorably at it, but as of right now weʼre just going to try to keep plugging along and keep our programs going in the right direction. But yeah, I guess there will be a day when I look back at it and Iʼm certainly going to remember it fondly.”

For Durkin, his accomplishments are even more special considering he has achieved them at his alma mater.

Sean Durkin took both the Ursuline girls basketball and boys baseball teams to state finals in 2006.

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is a completely new team and you hope each team evolves in the way that theyʼre capable of evolving. And thatʼs something that I think has been a big part of our success. We try to tell our kids to look forward, that weʼre not the same team, that weʼre a completely different team in both sports so we have to find our own identity and hopefully we will mature at the right time of the year.”

The baseball team has a real good chance of getting back to Columbus this next school year but it could be a different story for the girls hoop team.

“We only had four seniors out of our 18 kids so we have a lot of talent coming back,” Durkin said. “But basketball is going to be a little different. Whenever you lose a player of Tyraʼs ability youʼre going to have to kind of refocus a little bit. Youʼre certainly not going to replace her so youʼre going to have to change the way that you play as a team. And weʼre really excited about it. Itʼs going to be a fun and the girls are excited about it. We just hope that weʼre playing our best ball at tournament time.”

That has become the trademark of a Sean Durkin-coached team. — OH

Also Considered

Other coaches considered for the 2005-06 Ohio High Coach of the Year award include Canton McKinley boys basketball coach Dave Hoover, Cincinnati St. Xavier football coach Steve Specht, Steubenville football coach Reno Saccoccia, Coldwater football coach John Reed, Hamler Patrick Henry football coach Bill Inselmann, Lakewood St. Edward wrestling coach Greg Urbas, Warsaw River View girls basketball coach Caroline Daugherty, Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame girls basketball coach Scott Rogers, North College Hill boys basketball coach Jamie Mahaffey and Dayton Dunbar boys basketball coach Peter Pullen.

Previous Winners

In 2003-04, Versailles football coach Al Hetrick won the first Ohio High Coach of the Year award. Last year, Lakewood baseball coach Don Thorp won the award.

Durkin coached Ohio High girls basketball player of the year Tyra Grant last season.

Photo by Gary Housteau

“To be honest with you, it took a little prodding to get me to come over to the girls side, but obviously Iʼm real happy that I did do it,” said Durkin, 36, who initially went to college at Ohio State for a year before he came back home to Youngstown to pursue his teaching certificate. “It couldnʼt have worked out any better.”

The wonderful memories over his coaching career have been plentiful to say the least and this year certainly added to that collection.

“There have certainly been a lot of them. Winning both state championships certainly are memories that Iʼll forever hold dear to my heart,” Durkin said. “But this past baseball season we really went further than we ever thought we were going to.

We were very young and itʼs always nice to bring a group of kids to Columbus who have never had that kind of experience and that was something that we got to do this year. And thatʼs something that my coaching staff and I are going to rank pretty high.

“And we had a great time with our girls team this year, as well. Obviously we had Tyra Grant who ended up being Ms. Basketball, but it takes special kids to be able to blend with a player of that level too. They allowed her to be herself and to be our primary scorer and have the ball in her hands most of the time. The other kids really accepted their roles and thatʼs the reason we were able to gel. If they didnʼt accept those roles, then we certainly wouldnʼt have gotten to where we were.”

And speaking of Grant, who averaged just over 30 points and almost 11 rebounds a game this past season, not every coach has the privilege of coaching their stateʼs Ms. Basketball like Durkin had this past year.

“It was a wonderful four years with Tyra,” said Durkin of Grant, who will continue her career on the hardwood at Penn State University. “To have a kid with that kind of passion on the basketball floor was just a joy to coach and she certainly brought our program a lot of success. And she made me a better coach. Her award was well deserved. She was the best player in the state of Ohio and Iʼm sure that sheʼll be a great success at the next level.”

But with all of those great memories from both sports and the state championships aside, thereʼs an intrinsic value to coaching thatʼs very special to Durkin that doesnʼt show up in the win-loss columns.

“Itʼs the relationships that youʼre able to forge with the kids,” Durkin said. “I see a lot of the kids that I coached in the past and I have great relationships with them now. I think that they remember their time here and look back upon it fondly, at least I hope that they do. And with some of them Iʼve actually become closer with since theyʼve graduated. So itʼs a great joy to watch the kids go on and have success in their lives and gain those great memories that they do.”

But through it all, Durkin, because of his success in both sports, has now set the coaching bar so high for himself that nothing short of getting to the state tournament every year can almost be deemed a disappointment.

“We kind of look at it like every team is going to be different and you canʼt look at who you were,” Durkin said. “Every team

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2005-06 Ohio High Cup

STORY BY STEVE HELWAGEN

CHAMPION: Cincinnati St. Xavier

Bombers fly high

Despite being an all boys school, Cincinnati St. Xavier wins third annual Ohio High Cup

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he limitation of being strictly an all boys school did not stop Cincinnati St. Xavier from winning the 2005-06 Ohio High Cup. For the third consecutive year, Ohio High magazine presents 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 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 point.

Versailles captured the first Ohio High Cup in 2003-04. Last year, Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit claimed the cup.

With this issue of Ohio High, we have added in the points for the spring championships in baseball, softball and boys and girls track.

St. Xavier had 10 points after the fall season and added five more with a boys swimming state championship. As a boys-only school with an enrollment of 1,111, St. Xavier – and all single-gender schools – is at somewhat of a disadvantage in the Ohio High Cup competition.

Dublin Jerome finished second with 11 points. Dublin Jerome captured state championships in girls golf and Division I boys golf.

Salem and Strongsville finished tied for third with 10 points. Salem won boys and girls Division II state championships in cross country.

Strongsville made the biggest jump in the spring. Its state title in baseball helped Strongsville tie Salem for third. Strongsville also won a girls soccer state title in the fall.

Upper Arlington, the Division I girls swimming champ, finished fifth at 9 points.

St. Xavier won state titles in D-I football and boys swimming. The Bombers were third in golf.

OHSAA Fall State Championships

* Golf – Division II and III boys, Oct. 14-15; Division I boys and girls, Oct. 2122; Scarlet and Gray courses, Ohio State University, Columbus. * Girls Tennis – Oct. 28-29, Stickney Tennis Center, Ohio State University. * Field Hockey – Nov. 4-5, Upper Arlington High School. * Boys and Girls Cross Country – Nov. 5, Scioto Downs, Columbus. * Boys and Girls Soccer – Nov. 8-12, Columbus Crew Stadium. * Girls Volleyball – Nov. 10-12, Nutter Center, Wright State Univ., Fairborn. * Football – Dec. 2-3, Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, Massillon, and Fawcett Stadium, Canton.

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Photo by Gary Housteau

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Ohio High Cup Standings

Here is a complete look at the final Ohio High Cup standings for 2005-06: 15 – Cincinnati St. Xavier (boys golf Division I third, boys D-I soccer runner-up, D-I football champions, boys swimming champions) 11 – Dublin Jerome (girls golf champions, boys D-I golf champions, boys D-I soccer semifinalist) 10 – Salem (boys D-II cross country champions, girls D-II cross country champions), Strongsville (girls D-I soccer champions, D-I baseball champions).

9 – Upper Arlington (boys golf D-I runner-up, hockey semifinalist, girls D-I swimming champions) 8 – Bexley (boys golf D-II third, boys D-II soccer champions, girls D-II soccer semifinalist), Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph (girls D-III volleyball champions, boys D-III basketball runner-up), Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit (girls D-II volleyball runner-up, D-II baseball champions), North Canton Hoover (boys D-I cross country runner-up, D-I softball champions).

7 – Cincinnati St. Ursula (girls golf runner-up, girls D-I soccer runner-up, girls D-I gymnastics fourth), Gates Mills Gilmour Academy (girls D-III cross country third, girls D-III track champions).

6 – Akron Buchtel (D-III football semifinalist), Anna (girls D-III volleyball semifinalist, boys D-II track champions), Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary (boys D-II cross country runner-up, boys D-II basketball semifinalist, D-II wrestling third), Brecksville-Broadview Heights (boys D-I soccer semifinalist, gymnastics champions), Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame (girls D-I volleyball semifinalist, girls D-I basketball champions), Hamler Patrick Henry (D-V football champions, girls D-IV basketball semifinalist), Lakewood St. Edward (D-I football semifinalist, D-I wrestling champions), Warsaw River View (girls D-II volleyball semifinalist, girls D-II basketball champions) 6 – Findlay Liberty-Benton (girls D-III cross country third, boys D-III track runner-up), Mantua Crestwood (girls D-II track champions, girls D-II cross country fourth), Minster (boys golf D-III fourth, girls D-III cross country champions), Trotwood-Madison (boys D-I basketball runner-up, boys D-I track runner-up), Youngstown Mooney (boys D-III soccer runner-up, D-IV football runner-up), Youngstown Ursuline (girls D-III runner-up, D-III baseball runner-up).

5 – Columbus DeSales (D-III football runner-up, boys D-II semifinalist, gymnastics fourth), Berlin Hiland (girls D-IV basketball champions), Bowling Green (girls D-I cross country champions), Canton McKinley (boys D-I basketball champions), Carroll Bloom-Carroll (D-III softball champions), Cincinnati LaSalle (boys D-I cross country champions), Cincinnati North College Hill (boys D-III basketball champions), Cincinnati Roger Bacon (girls D-II volleyball champions), Cincinnati Seton (girls D-I volleyball champions), Cleveland Glenville (boys D-I track champions), Cleveland Collinwood (girls D-I track champions), Cleveland St. Ignatius (boys D-I soccer champions), Coldwater (D-IV football champions), Columbus Eastmoor Academy (boys D-II track runner-up, girls D-II track third), Columbus Watterson (field hockey champions), Cortland Maplewood (boys D-III cross country champions), Dalton (D-IV softball champions), Dayton Dunbar (boys D-II basketball champions), Delphos St. John’s (D-VI football champions), Gates Mills Hawken (girls D-II swimming champions), Hamilton Badin (girls D-II soccer champions), Jamestown Greeneview (boys D-III soccer champions), LaGrange Keystone (D-II softball champions), Lima Bath (boys golf D-II champions), Lima Central Catholic (boys golf D-III champions), Marion Pleasant (D-III baseball champions), Newark Catholic (D-IV baseball champions), Parma Padua Franciscan (hockey champions), Plain City Jonathan Alder (girls D-III basketball champions), Sandusky St. Mary Central Catholic (D-III wrestling champions), Sidney Lehman (girls D-IV volleyball champions), South Webster (boys D-IV basketball champions), St. Paris Graham (D-II wrestling champions), Steubenville (D-III football champions), Toledo Central Catholic (D-II football champions), Waynesfield Goshen (boys D-III track champions).

4 – Bay Village Bay (boys D-II soccer runner-up, girls D-II soccer semifinalist), Mason (girls D-I cross country third, girls D-I track tied for second), Newark Catholic (girls D-IV volleyball runner-up, D-VI football semifinalist), Old Fort (boys D-III cross country runner-up, girls D-IV volleyball semifinalist), Centerville (girls golf third, girls D-I swimming third), Kettering Alter (boys D-II cross country fourth, girls D-II cross country second), Middletown (boys D-I cross country third, boys DI track third).

3 – Bedford Chanel (D-III wrestling third, girls D-III track fourth), Bellaire St. John Central (girls D-III track runner-up), Canfield (D-II football runner-up), Chardon Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin (D-II baseball runner-up), Cincinnati Hills

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2005-06 Ohio High Cup

Christian Academy (D-V football runner-up), Cincinnati Indian Hill (girls D-II swimming runner-up), Cincinnati Moeller (boys D-I golf fourth, D-I wrestling third), Cincinnati Ursuline Academy (girls D-I swimming runner-up), Cincinnati Wyoming (boys golf D-II runner-up), Circleville (D-II softball runner-up), Columbus Grove (boys D-IV basketball runner-up), Columbus St. Charles (boys swimming runnerup), Dayton Carroll (boys D-II soccer semifinalist, D-II football semifinalist), Doylestown Chippewa (girls D-II soccer runner-up), East Canton (girls D-IV basketball runner-up), Elyria (D-I softball runner-up), Gallipolis Gallia Academy (girls D-II track runner-up), Kettering Fairmont (field hockey runner-up), Lewis Center Olentangy (D-I baseball runner-up), Massillon Jackson (girls D-I cross country runner-up), Massillon Perry (D-I wrestling runner-up), Massillon Washington (D-I football runner-up), Medina (gymnastics runner-up), Mentor Lake Catholic (girls DII basketball runner-up), North Lewisburg Triad (D-IV softball runner-up), Pemberville Eastwood (D-II wrestling runner-up), Rockford Parkway (girls D-III volleyball runner-up), Solon (girls D-I basketball runner-up), Steubenville Catholic Central (D-VI football runner-up), Sylvania Northview (hockey runner-up), Tipp City Bethel (D-IV baseball runner-up), Toledo St. Ursula Academy (girls D-I volleyball runner-up), Troy Christian (D-III wrestling runner-up), Warren Champion (D-III softball runner-up), Windham (boys D-IV basketball semifinalist, D-IV baseball semifinalist), Wooster Triway (boys D-II runner-up), Zanesville Rosecrans (boys golf D-III runner-up) 2 – Clyde (D-III football semifinalist, D-II wrestling fourth), Euclid (girls D-I track tied for second), Akron Firestone (boys swimming third), Bluffton (boys D-III track third), Chagrin Falls (girls D-II cross country third), Cincinnati Seven Hills Upper School (boys golf D-III third), Collins Western Reserve (girls D-III track third), Peninsula Woodridge (boys D-II cross country third), Rocky River Magnificat (gymnastics third), Sandusky Perkins (girls D-II swimming third), Toledo Christian (boys D-III cross country third).

1 – Archbold (boys D-III basketball semifinalist), Ashtabula Edgewood (D-II softball semifinalist), Bascom Hopewell-Loudon (D-VI football semifinalist), Bellaire (D-IV football semifinalist), Bellefontaine (D-II baseball semifinalist), Brookville (DIII softball semifinalist), Canton Central Catholic (D-III baseball semifinalist), Castalia Margaretta (girls D-III basketball semifinalist), Centerburg (D-V football semifinalist), Convoy Crestview (D-IV softball semifinalist), Copley (girls D-II basketball semifinalist), Crestline (D-IV softball semifinalist), Cuyahoga Falls Christian Academy (boys D-II soccer semifinalist), Dublin Coffman (girls D-I soccer semifinalist), Fort Loramie (girls D-IV basketball semifinalist).

1 – Genoa Area (D-III softball semifinalist), Green (girls D-I soccer semifinalist), Hamilton (D-I softball semifinalist), Hilliard Davidson (D-I football semifinalist), Hunting Valley University School (hockey semifinalist), Kalida (D-IV baseball semifinalist), Kidron Central Christian (boys D-III soccer semifinalist), Lancaster (boys D-I basketball semifinalist), Lockland (boys D-IV basketball semifinalist), Miamisburg (D-I baseball semifinalist), Mogadore Field (boys D-II track tied for third), Monroe Lemon-Monroe (D-IV football semifinalist), Morrow Little Miami (girls D-II basketball semifinalist), North Lima South Range (D-V football semifinalist), Norwalk St. Paul (girls D-IV volleyball semifinalist), Pataskala Watkins Memorial (D-II baseball semifinalist), Pickerington Central (girls D-I basketball semifinalist), Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown (field hockey semifinalist), Sparta Highland (D-III baseball semifinalist), Sunbury Big Walnut (girls D-II volleyball semifinalist), Sugarcreek Garaway (girls D-III basketball semifinalist), Tallmadge (D-II football semifinalist), Thomas Worthington (field hockey semifinalist), Tipp City Tippecanoe (boys D-II track tied for third), Toledo St. John’s (boys D-I basketball semifinalist), Twinsburg (D-I baseball semifinalist), Wadsworth (girls D-I basketball semifinalist), West Chester Lakota West (D-I softball semifinalist), Wheelersburg (boys D-III basketball semifinalist), Williamsport Westfall (girls D-III volleyball semifinalist), Wooster (girls D-I volleyball semifinalist), Worthington Christian (boys D-III soccer semifinalist).

1 – Arlington (boys D-III track fourth), Beachwood (D-III wrestling fourth), Burton Berkshire (boys golf D-II fourth), Cincinnati Colerain (girls D-I cross country fourth), Cincinnati Mariemont (girls D-II swimming fourth), Cleveland JFK (boys DI track fourth), Clyde (D-II wrestling fourth), Columbus School For Girls (girls D-II track fourth), Copley (girls golf fourth), Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy (girls D-III cross country fourth), Haviland Wayne Trace (boys D-III cross country fourth), Mount Vernon (D-I wrestling fourth), Shaker Heights (girls D-I track fourth), Toledo St. Francis (boys D-I cross country fourth), Westerville North (boys swimming fourth).

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Cleveland St. Ignatius

Q&A

STORY BY STEVE HELWAGEN

Chuck Kyle presides over Cleveland St. Ignatius program, which boasts record nine state titles

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he year was 1886 and a group of German Jesuit priests relocated down the coast of Lake Erie from Buffalo, N.Y., to Cleveland.

They came to Ohio to establish a Catholic school of higher learning. Cleveland St. Ignatius was born on Lorain Avenue and there – about a mile west of the present location of Jacobs Field – is where it has remained for over a century.

Through the years, St. Ignatius was known as a high school football powerhouse. It competed for various city league championships. But the all-boys school with an enrollment of 1,350 became a statewide and national force in the late 1980s after alum Chuck Kyle took the helm. It has stood as an independent since 1979.

Prior to Kyle’s arrival in 1983, the school had just two unbeaten and untied seasons.

With him in charge, the school can claim five unbeaten and untied seasons to go with an unprecedented nine state playoff championships and three mythical national prep titles.

The Wildcats also finished as the state runner-up in 1996.

Kyle boasts a remarkable 234-49-1 mark (.826) in 23 seasons as the St. Ignatius head coach. He is set to begin his 35th year on the staff at his alma mater.

During his tenure, St. Ignatius put together winning streaks of 39 straight games (1987-90) and 37 (1991-94). The school boasts an amazing string of 18 straight playoff berths.

The school has produced a who’s who of talent, including names like Joe Pickens, Eric Gohlstin, Dan O’Leary, Jason Brooks, LeCharles Bentley, Mike Ragone, Joe Gonzalez, Anthony Gonzalez, Pat Massey, Mike Massey, John Kerr, Bryan Hoyer, John Ryan, Rob Parris and many others who have gone on to col-

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lege and/or professional careers.

The longest losing streaks have been a pair of three-game droughts – including one the Wildcats endured to cap an unsatisfying 5-5 season in 2005. The sidebar on page 13 shows all of St. Ignatius’ state championship game wins under Kyle. But the school’s current four-year drought is its longest since it won its first state title in 1988.

In addition to his duties as the head football coach, Kyle is also a full-time English teacher and also serves as the head track coach.

His track teams have claimed one state title, eight regional titles and 23 district titles.

We had a chance recently to sit down with Coach Kyle and discuss his background as well as how the St. Ignatius dynasty was built.

Ohio High: You must take great pride in what has been built here at your alma mater. Talk about what this has meant to you.

Chuck Kyle: “I went to school here.

I was the youngest of four boys who went through here. In a lot of ways, it’s

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Cleveland St. Ignatius been a part of my life for a long time. It’s a great place to teach. I teach English. I am a full-time English teacher.

“It’s a great place to coach. The kids have goals. They have a good work ethic. They realize that, in all honesty, you’re going to have two and a half to three hours of homework. You’re going to work out hard and, in a way, that type of work ethic certainly helps out in a lot of ways on the football field and in the off-season. It’s been very good for me and very good for my family. I think we’ve done some good things here at the school.”

OH: How did you come to end up back at St. Ignatius on the staff?

Kyle: “I played there for a few years and I went on to John Carroll. I injured my shoulder. As a senior at John Carroll, I started coaching as an assistant here. I graduated the following spring and there was an English opening here, and I’ve been here ever since.”

OH: At some places, the football coach has little or no teaching responsibility. Talk about the challenge of teaching a full course load and also being a head coach at a program like this.

Kyle: “There is a double-edged sword there. I do enjoy teaching, but I know that being a full-time English teacher there are only small pockets of time for me to get (football) work done.

Football is a 12 month thing and I’m also the track coach. I always feel like I am in a rush.

“But, by being in the classroom, that does give me the opportunity to see the kids every day. I see them in class and in the hall. That is a real big plus, I think. You are constantly involved with the kids and also with the other teachers.

They will tell you, ‘So and so, hey, he flunked my exam. What’s going on?’

“That let’s me get to

the kid and help him get it straightened out so we don’t have an eligibility issue.

That to me has been very good.”

OH: Can you talk about the sense of community at a school like this. I’m sure this is a tradition that is passed down through families.

Kyle: “It’s a school that’s been in existence since 1886. As a result, there are generations that have gone through here like these kids’ grandpas and great-

Under Kyle’s guidance St. Ignatius has won nine state titles and three mythical national championships.

Photo by Steve Helwagen

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Cleveland St. Ignatius grandpas and great-great“Our goal is to win the state championship. I when it happens one time, the grandpas. Besides that, it has younger kids go, ‘I want to do that, can’t walk out of this room and tell our kids it’s too,’ so that builds on it. established itself as a college prep school. Every kid who “With the first one, we also had a not.” goes to school here goes to goal-line stand at the end to win it college. It has a reputation of and beat Cincinnati Princeton. I Kyle on St. Ignatius football preparing kids properly for coloften think if we didn’t have that lege. It is so prominent in the stand, I often wonder if we would area that we still have way have made it back there and what more applications than we I’d be doing. I’d probably be selling have spots.” shoes or something else.

OH: What were the ingredi“But we did win it and we came ents for success that helped back the next year and won. USA you build this program into Today put us as national champions 8/25 at Youngstown Boardman such a perennial powerhouse? and we just started on a roll.”

9/2 Cleveland JFK Kyle: “We were blessed OH: You don’t have a home stadithere for a while. We put a lot um here on campus. You play at var9/9 at Buffalo (N.Y.) Canisius of work in. In all honesty, my ious sites and have to do a lot of wife would tell you we have traveling in general to find games.

9/16 Mentor probably never taken a vacaHow big of a challenge is that?

9/23 Mishawaka (Ind.) Penn tion. We have taken three or Kyle: “Yes, we play at various four days to go some place. I fields. But, unfortunately, as the 9/29 at Massillon Washington wouldn’t know what a week or years have gone by we have ended a two-week vacation was. I’m up playing fewer teams from the 10/7 Warren Harding also the track coach. I’m here Cleveland area. People who want to 10/14 Lakewood St. Edward for Easter. Over Christmas see us have to travel a lot of miles break, I’m here getting tapes down the road. Believe it or not, 10/21 at Cincinnati St. Xavier out and the weight room has playing a game in Columbus we’re to be open. almost like, ‘Hey, that’s close.’

“I think the kids have bought “We’ve played in Philadelphia. We Note: All home games at Parma’s Byers Field into the program. It’s no secret play in Cincinnati every year. We if you go into the successful went to South Bend, Ind., last year programs in Ohio, if you go in to play on a Friday. That was crazy. them stand out? in January, February and March you’ll That’s hopping after a bus after five Kyle: “The last one in 2001 we were find the weight room crowded. At the hours and playing a game. Fortunately, only 6-4 in the regular season and we schools that aren’t successful, you won’t we won. That’s been a bit of a distraconly got in by a few hundredths of a find anybody in there. I think we’ve tion. That takes a toll on your focus. You point. It was some miracle like that. engendered in them the idea that the off- Earlier in the day, Massillon was playing want to play 10 games and a lot of season is extremely important. We are times, being independent, there is not a Canton McKinley and I think Massillon willing to spend our time with it during lot to pick from.” had to win for us to get in and they took the winter, the spring and the summer.

OH: Your school’s rivalry with the lead with 30 seconds to go. Still, that The weight room is open from noon to 8 Lakewood St. Edward has been called night, we had to beat Glen Mills p.m. at night and a coach will cover it.

The Holy War. In your mind, has that Academy out of Philadelphia, who had “When I first became the head coach, rivalry been a healthy one for each only lost one game. But we found a way we committed to throwing the football school through the years? to win. That was an interesting one and we had some success with that.

Kyle: “I think it’s been good for both because when the playoffs began it was Everybody is throwing it now, but I think schools. I don’t know if I have the same questionable how we got in and we historically can look back and see the approach they do. I’m not one of those ended up winning it.” first state championship we won we had guys who say, ‘I can’t wait to get to OH: I’m sure the first title in 1988 still Joe Pickens, who was an all-state quarGame 8.’ I think you prepare for that by means a lot as well. terback, and we’ve had several more allplaying the first seven games and focusKyle: “Anybody who has ever had a state guys since then. We felt being coling on those. It’s a game that has always chance to win several, you always think lege prep kids, they were intelligent and been hard fought with good tackling and back to the first one because I think that could handle some sophistication. And blocking and interesting plays and athbreaks the ice a little bit for your prothen the ball bounced right a few times.” letes who have gone on to play in the gram. A lot of times, so many schools OH: Of the nine state titles, do any of Big Ten and Notre Dame. think that couldn’t happen to us. But

Cleveland St. Ignatius 2006 Schedule

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Cleveland St. Ignatius “It’s been a hard ticket to buy. good, athletic kid. He is also a “In track, I coached a kid, (1991 St. Ignatius Usually by 9 a.m. the Monday hockey player. It’s the first time before, it’s always sold out. graduate) Tim Mack, who in the last Olympics I’ve had a hockey player who is We’ve tried various venues. We also an offensive lineman. got a gold medal in the pole vault..” haven’t gone to Cleveland “We also have Ben Jurevicius Browns Stadium. But we always (6-0, 180), who is related to (NFL Kyle on coaching track, his other love have 15,000 or 20,000 people. A standout) Joe Jurevicius. He is a lot of these kids went to grade very good wide receiver and corKyle: “In all honesty, that to me is the school together as well.” nerback. He is a good athlete and a very OH: Can you talk about admissions at major reason I do this. I enjoy the game good baseball player. He may be able to of football and I coach track, too. You the school. There is a perception in go on to college in either one of those some circles that the private schools can see them come in as boys and they sports. leave as men. There is great satisfactake whoever they want.

“At linebacker, we have Patrick tion. There are guys playing pro football Kyle: “Being a college prep school, Hennessey (6-2, 210). He runs well. it’s not like we can accept any kid. I think from our program. At the end of last He’s a 4.7 guy. He’s a basketball guy. we’re different in that way. The kid has to year, there were five guys in the NFL We need to fill him out. If we can get him and possibly another one or two this take a test to get in here. The kid could up to 220, that would be good. be 6-4 and 220 pounds, but if he doesn’t year.

“At safety, we have Bryan Sylvester (6“In track, I coached a kid, (1991 St. do well on that test he’s not coming.

0, 185). He started the whole year for us Ignatius graduate) Tim Mack, who in the That’s fair because the caliber of the at safety, which is important in our classes is college prep. We get kids from last Olympics got a gold medal in the defense. Sometimes they play a linepole vault. What a thrill for me that you all over, but there is a stringent admisbacker spot and sometimes they play a helped put the pole in the kid’s hand and deep safety. We’re expecting some big sions policy that makes it interesting get something going. Those are amazing things for him.” sometimes.” things.

OH: It is no secret that St. Ignatius OH: You lose Rudy Kirbus at quarter“There are guys that come in who are has not won a state title since 2001. The back. Who are you looking at there? doctors and businessmen. There is one next championship – when and if it hapKyle: “We have a senior, Jared pens – would be a landmark 10th for the guy who is a CEO of one of the biggest Roberts, and a pair of juniors, Pat Ryan companies in America. He came by and school. Is there added pressure to end and Matt Rosinski, that we’ll be looking got an alumnus award. He remembers that drought and win that 10th title? at. playing football here. He went on to Kyle: “I think we feel if we stay the “Certainly, a senior has an advantage Brown University and has been a course, things will take care of themthere because he’s been in the program tremendous success. selves. Obviously, since we are not in a for four years. He has a nice release. He “It is great to see those people sucleague, our goal is to be in the playoffs. is an athletic kid. He doesn’t have the ceed. It is great to think that along the Our goal is to win the state champiexperience that you usually would have. way they learned some things. Sports onship. I can’t walk out of this room and Ryan and Rosinski are both good athtell our kids it’s not. Would you say there teaches a lot of things like perseverance letes. Pat is a bit taller at 6-3. Matt is and the courage to step out there and is an urgency because of that? Maybe. I about 5-9. We just have to see what take chances. You do that in a football don’t feel that from alumni or the adminhappens.” game and you do it in life.” istration here. I hear, ‘Hey, do the best OH: Last year, you played three of the OH: Talk about the prospects for the you can. We’re enjoying it.’ four Division I state semifinal teams upcoming season. I see you have nine “They’d love to win it, but the ball (Lakewood St. Edward, Massillon starters back (four on offense and five bounces strange ways. That’s why the Washington and state champion on defense). ball has points on it. You have to be Cincinnati St. Xavier). I see they are all Kyle: “We graduated some guys at healthy. I think if there is any urgency it again on your schedule for 2006. some key positions. We’ll be breaking in is within ourselves. It’s not created by Kyle: “Yes, we will play Canisius out other people. We want to get back there. a new quarterback, and for us that’s kind of Buffalo for the first time. Penn comes of important. We lost some guys with We think about how many schools have to Ohio after we went out there last year. some size. We have some good, strong never won a state championship and They are the largest public school in kids who are working hard. But we won’t Indiana. Mentor will have a good team we’ve won nine. Nobody is trying to be be the biggest Ignatius team when we greedy here, but I think every school and we play them. Then, we also play break the huddle.” should say that’s what they’re shooting Massillon and St. Ed and we play St. OH: Who are some of your key return- Xavier down there. We will play Warren for.” ing players for 2006?

OH: Talk about the satisfaction of Harding as well.

Kyle: “Well, we have Kevin Koncelik molding boys into becoming productive “It’s going to be a big challenge for (6-4, 270) on the offensive line. He is a young men in society. us.” — OH

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Cleveland St. Ignatius

Massillon – St. Ignatius (14-0) extended its winning streak to 34 straight games and clinched its second national prep championship in five years with a 38-20 win over Cincinnati * Title No. 1: Dec. 4, 1988, Ohio Stadium, Columbus – Moeller. Haddad had 141 yards and a touchdown rushing, St. Ignatius made its first playoff appearance a memorable while Mutryn threw for three touchdowns (two to Darin one. Chuck Kyle, in his sixth year as the head coach at his Kershner) and also rushed for a score. alma mater, led the Wildcats to a 10-7 * Title No. 6: Dec. 3, 1994, Paul win over defending champion Cincinnati Brown Tiger Stadium, Massillon – St. Princeton. The win gave the Wildcats Ignatius (13-1) cruised to its fourth St. Ignatius Tops The List (14-0) their first unbeaten season since straight state title with a 20-3 win over Cleveland St. Ignatius has won a record 1964. a Westerville South team that featured nine state football playoff champiThe St. Ignatius defense came up future Ohio State All-American Andy onships since the OHSAA instituted the big, holding a Princeton team that averKatzenmoyer. Ramadii Parker had a playoff format in 1972. Over that 34aged 420 yards a game to 254 and 19-yard TD run and quarterback Sean year period, 87 different schools have stopping Princeton at the 6-yard line as Grady found Drew Haddad for a 33won 166 state championships. Here is a time expired. This was a match-up of yard touchdown. A crowd of 14,849 look at the leaders in state football playtwo quarterbacks who would sign with attended the game. off titles heading into the 2005 season: Ohio State as St. Ignatiusʼ Joe Pickens * Title No. 7: Dec. 2, 1995, Paul outdueled Princetonʼs Johnny Mattress.

Brown Tiger Stadium, Massillon – St. Cleveland St. Ignatius 9 titles Pickens threw for 151 yards, including Ignatius (14-0) won its seventh overall Cincinnati Moeller 7 titles Newark Catholic 7 titles the game-winning 41-yard touchdown title in eight years and unprecedented Cleveland Benedictine 6 titles to Mike Buddie in the fourth quarter. fifth straight championship with a 41-21 Versailles 6 titles * Title No. 2: Nov. 26, 1989, Ohio win over Brunswick. Parker rushed for St. Henry 5 titles Stadium, Columbus – St. Ignatius 141 yards and scored three touchYoungstown Mooney 5 titles repeated behind the air exploits of downs. Quarterback Geoff Panteck Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary 4 titles Pickens, who threw for 311 yards and threw for a score and also rushed for Delphos St. John’s 4 titles three touchdowns in a wild 34-28 win one. St. Ignatius also blocked a punt 10 schools tied with 3 titles over Cincinnati Moeller. St. Ignatius for a touchdown against Brunswick, 15 schools tied with 2 titles (13-0) rallied from a 21-14 halftime which made the title game only after 53 schools tied with 1 title deficit to win its 29th straight game. The semifinal winner Cincinnati Colerain Helmets courtesy of the Ohio High School Helmet Project teams combined for 820 yards total was eliminated for using an ineligible offense. Mark Ruddy had a pair of TD player. catches for St. Ignatius.

The victory capped an incredible eight-year run where St. This marquee match-up drew a crowd in excess of 30,000 Ignatius went an amazing 104-4. at the Horseshoe. Moeller was denied a shot at would have * Title No. 8: Dec. 4, 1999, Fawcett Stadium, Canton – been a then-record eighth title.

The Wildcats (13-2) snapped a four-year title drought with a * Title No. 3: Dec. 1, 1991, Fawcett Stadium, Canton – 24-10 win over Huber Heights Wayne before 14,550 at St. Ignatius used some trickery to secure its third state title.

Canton. Dan Murphy rushed for 98 yards, including an 8-yard Tailback Eric Haddad threw an option pass to fullback Mike touchdown. Dave Gresky also had a TD run and quarterback Sako with 7:10 left for the winning touchdown in the Wildcatsʼ Nate Szep found Mike Foran for a 53-yard score.

24-21 win over Centerville. St. Ignatius (12-2) rallied from a * Title No. 9: Dec. 1, 2001, Fawcett Stadium, Canton – 21-9 halftime deficit and secured the win on Regan St. Ignatius won its ninth state championship with a 37-6 Fitzpatrickʼs interception with 1:30 left. pounding of Cincinnati St. Xavier before 18,478. The Wildcats * Title No. 4: Dec. 5, 1992, Fawcett Stadium, Canton – (13-1) avenged a wild Week 9 42-41 loss at the hands of St. St. Ignatius rallied again, this time from down 14-10 at halfX. The St. Ignatius defense came up big by holding St. X to time to take a 24-14 win over Cincinnati St. Xavier for its 127 yards total offense. fourth title in five years. Haddad had TD runs of 5 and 4 Szep completed 18 of 27 passes for 280 yards and three yards, while quarterback Scott Mutryn threw for 229 yards, touchdowns, including a 32-yarder to Anthony Gonzalez. including a 23-yard TD pass to Dan Ward. A crowd of 13,911 Carter Welo added 126 yards and a touchdown on the attended the game as St. Ignatius capped a 14-0 season. ground.

-- Compiled by Steve Helwagen * Title No. 5: Dec. 11, 1993, Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, Here is a year-by-year look at Cleveland St. Ignatiusʼ nine state football playoff championship game victories:

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

Herbstreit Challenge

T

STORY BY MATT NATALI

Colerain defeated Tyler (Tx.) Lee 27-12 in the inaugural Ohio vs. USA Challenge last year Photo by Gary Housteau

he Super Bowl is widely considered the single greatest event in professional sports.

On the prep level, the Kirk Herbstreit Ohio vs. USA Challenge is the Super Bowl of high school sports.

In only its second year, the Ohio vs. USA Challenge has evolved from a two-game event that included one out-of-state team, into a ninegame showcase featuring the top programs in Ohio and the elite high school football programs from across the country.

In last yearʼs event at Columbus Crew Stadium, Westerville North nipped rival Westerville South 14-10 and 2004 Division I state champion Cincinnati Colerain defeated Tyler (Texas) Lee 27-12.

This year, this extraordinary high school football event will be played September 15-16 and the nine games will be split between Cincinnatiʼs Nippert Stadium and Massillonʼs Paul Brown Stadium.

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Schedule

2006 Ohio vs USA Challenge Game Schedule

SEPTEMBER 15 NIPPERT STADIUM, CINCINNATI 6:30 p.m. - Findlay vs. Texas High (Texarkana, Texas) 8:30 p.m. - Colerain vs. Cardinal O'Hara (Philadelphia) SEPTEMBER 16 NIPPERT STADIUM, CINCINNATI 11:30 a.m. - Cincinnati Moeller vs. Byrnes (S.C.) 2:00 p.m. - Cincinnati St. Xavier vs. Lakeland (Florida) 6:00 p.m. - Centerville vs. Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) 8:30 p.m. - Cincinnati Elder vs. De La Salle (Concord, Ca.) PAUL BROWN STADIUM, MASSILLON 2:00 p.m. -Hilliard Davidson vs. St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia, Pa.) 5:00 p.m. - Lakewood St. Edward vs. Springdale (Ak.) 8:00 p.m. - Massillon vs. Hamilton High (Chandler, Az.) For more info, please visit www.ohiovsusa.com

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Herbstreit Challenge “Weʼve got players in this event that “This is something that we got a “There is no doubt that the (Ohio vs. USA have committed to Michigan, Florida, little taste of last year,” said Challenge) is the nation’s premier high school Florida State, Miami, Texas, Ohio Herbstreit, a former All-American State – you name it,” said Herbstreit. quarterback at Ohio State. “We football event. The assemblage of talent is “So, youʼre talking about some of the decided, after learning from the first staggering...” elite players in the nation and here is year, that we wanted to move into the chance for the Ohio high school venues that we thought were USA Today prep editor Chris Lawlor football fan to go out and watch hotbeds for Ohio high school footthem.” ball. Massillon – there is obviously The Challenge officially kicked off in late June with a preview party the tradition there with the birth of football – and Cincinnati with all that included a golf outing followed by the live broadcast of the prethe great programs down in that area.

“So, the goal is for the entire state to participate as it has morphed view show, which aired live on the Ohio News Network. Participating in the dayʼs events were representatives from each of the 18 schools into nine games. Youʼre going to find central Ohio in the mix with involved, including coaches and athletic directors, members of the Hilliard Davidson. Findlay is involved in the event and, obviously, the media and title sponsors.

Northeast teams and down in the Southwest.”

In addition to the golf outing and preview show, the participating With a who's who of Ohio high school football participating in the coaches and athletic directors took the field at Great American Challenge as well as national powers, this is truly a unique and Ballpark with Herbstreit to throw out the first pitch at a Cincinnati unprecedented event.

“Whatʼs different about this event that might be different from some Reds game.

Between planning the preview party and the Challenge itself, the of the other events you might hear about is it is the national elite – the traditional powers from around the country coming into our back- word “challenge” takes on a whole new meaning for event organizers. yard,” Herbstreit said. “I like to think we are very proud of Ohio high “Just putting the press conference on for two days, we had to go school football and this is going to be a barometer to find out how through great lengths organizing flights and hotel rooms,” Herbstreit some of Ohioʼs best teams stack up against the nationʼs best said. “Anytime you are bringing people from across the country, teams.” everything needs to be first class. Everything has just been flawless Programs traveling from across the country to the Buckeye State so far and hopefully it will continue to go that way. for the Challenge include Texas High (Texarkana), Cardinal OʼHara “Ken Halloy has been behind the scenes helping out; Josh (Pa.), Byrnes (S.C.), Lakeland (Fl.), Don Bosco Prep (N.J.), De La Johnston was a big part of this behind the scenes helping out with Salle (Ca.), St. Josephʼs Prep (Pa.), Springdale (Ak.) and Hamilton the match ups. Chip James, Craig Schmidt – without all them, this (Az.). event would not be possible. Between my work with College Game Ohio schools participating include Findlay, Colerain, Cincinnati Day and work with ESPN/ABC and locally on the radio with WBNS, Moeller, Cincinnati St. Xavier, Centerville, Cincinnati Elder, Hilliard I wouldnʼt have time. This is a full time commitment to pull this off.

Davidson, Lakewood St. Edward and Massillon.

Luckily we have a good crew doing it.”

“There is no doubt that the (Ohio vs. USA Challenge) is the While there has been a wealth of excitement and fanfare surnationʼs premier high school football event,” said USA Today prep rounding the 2006 Ohio vs. USA Challenge with golf outings, preeditor Chris Lawlor. “The assemblage of talent is staggering. The view parties and television shows, it will all boil down to the nationʼs nationʼs top programs all hope to get an invitation to play in this best high school football come September. event.”

“We here in Ohio feel we play the best high school football in the Coaches from both Ohio and across the country are honored to country,” Herbstreit said. “Texas feels they play the best high school be part of such an exceptional event. football. Florida thinks they play the best. California thinks they play “The opportunity to play in this game is an honor and privilege,” the best. Everybody thinks they play the best high school football. said St. Xavier head coach Steve Specht. “Some of the best teams Well, September 15th and 16th, weʼre going to start finding out who in the country are being featured and to be considered among the does play the best high school football. So, there are bragging rights elite is both humbling and exciting. This is a one-of-a-kind opportunion the line. When it is time to go out and play, weʼre going to find out ty for our kids and our school to represent our city and state of Ohio who plays the best high school football. in a nationwide high school football event.”

“I am connected always with Centerville but I am proud of the De La Salle (Ca.) head coach Bob Ladouceur said, “It is a privientire state of Ohio and the teams in the entire state. And I am really lege to play in the (Challenge). Ohio is the birthplace of football, so I proud and thankful for all the teams around the nation that have know the fans in Ohio truly appreciate and respect the game. It is a agreed to come into our state – into hostile territory – and have treat for our student-athletes to experience that level of enthusiasm.”

Of course, great teams and great players are synonymous with accepted to play. Hopefully we can reach out and make them feel welcome and make them feel at home and we can go out and play each other and there are approximately 100 players set to particisome football and have some fun.” — OH pate in the Challenge with Division I collegiate interest and offers.

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

Herbstreit Challenge

Teams

What you need to know

Byrnes (South Carolina) has won the last four consecutive South Carolina state championships going 57-2 over that span. The Rebels have claimed seven state titles in school history.

De Le Salle (California) holds the national record with 151 consecutive wins spanning a 12-year period (1992-2003). In 28 seasons under head coach Bob Ladouceur, the Spartans have lost only 19 games.

Cardinal O’Hara (Pennsylvania) head coach Dan Algeo has compiled a 20-4 record in two seasons at the helm and was named the 2004 Eastern Pennsylvania Coach of the Year.

Don Bosco Prep (New Jersey) has won six New Jersey state championships and has been ranked in the national top 20 each of the last four years. Head coach Greg Toal was named the 2003 National Coach of the Year.

Hamilton (Arizona) first fielded a football program in 1998 and has compiled a remarkable 91-11 record in the time since, including state championships in 2003 and 2004.

Lakeland (Florida) is the defending USA Today national champion and has won consecutive state titles. Head coach Bill Castle is entering his 32nd season with the Dreadnaughts and has an overall record of 284-72. Over the last 10 seasons, Lakeland is 113-15 and has never had a losing record under Castle.

Springdale (Arkansas) is the defending state champion and has won seven titles in school history. The Bulldogs finished 2005 ranked No. 4 in the USA Today national poll.

St. Joseph’s Prep (Pennsylvania) has won the prestigious Philadelphia Catholic League championship five times, including last year. In the last 10 years, the “The Prep” has only lost 22 games.

Texas High is 68-17 over the last seven year, including an 11-4 state playoff mark.

Texarkana is a unique town on the Texas/Arkansas border. The town is split in half by the state border with each having its own government and school system.

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Herbstreit Challenge

Players OHIO

Notable players participating

RB Darius Ashley (5-9, 170, Jr.), Cin. St. Xavier; DT Frank Becker (6-3, 275, Sr.), Cin. Moeller; interest from Boston College, Cincinnati, Miami (Oh), Notre Dame, Ohio State, Purdue; S Eugene Clifford (6-2, 190, Sr.), Cin. Colerain; interest from Boston College, Cincinnati, Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, West Virginia; OL Reggie Comeaux (6-4, 310, Jr.), Massillon; RB James Cravens (6-0, 210, Jr.), Centerville; LB Andrew Dailey (6-3, 215, Sr.), Massillon; committed to Penn State; RB Bo Delande (5-11, 180, Sr.), Hilliard Davidson; TE Kevin Deters (6-3, 220, Sr.), Cin. Moeller; interest from Boston College, Cincinnati, Duke, Maryland, Miami (Oh), Northwestern, Ohio; RB Frank Edmonds (5-8, 190, Sr.), Lakewood St. Edward; interest from Akron, Duke, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio State; RB Brian Gamble (5-11, 195, Sr.), Massillon; interest from Illinois, Iowa, Miami (Fl.), Ohio State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin; QB Je’Sean Godfrey (5-8, 180, Sr.), Colerain; TE Kyle Hubbard (6-3, 225, Sr.), Lakewood St. Edward; interest from Florida State, Miami (Fl.), Michigan, Ohio State, Texas; RB William Johnson (6-2, 210, Sr.), Centerville; DE Ryan Kuhlman (6-4, 235, Sr.), Findlay; LB Brad McKinley (5-8, 175, Sr.); Hilliard Davidson S Diauntae Morrow (6-0, 185, Sr.), Lakewood St. Edward; interest from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio State, Purdue, Wisconsin; LB Greg O’Dell (6-2, 200, Sr.), Centerville; S Nate Oliver (6-0, 195, Sr.), Lakewood St. Edward; committed to Ohio State.

QB/RB/DB Gary Pride (5-8, 170, Sr.), Colerain; committed to Akron.

LB Tyler Replogle (6-2, 225, Sr.), Centerville; committed to Indiana.

FS Jon Saelinger (6-0, 175, Sr.), Cin. St. Xavier; QB Chris Schneider (6-2, 235, Sr.), Findlay; LB J.B. Strahler (6-2, 215, Sr.), Hilliard Davidson; DE/OLB Andrew Wersel (6-0, 230, Sr.), Cin. Moeller; WR Jesse Wohl (6-1, 165, Sr.), Findlay;

JJ Hu d d l e ’ s O h io H i g h

NATIONAL

OL Jeff Battipagglia (6-5, 265, Sr.), St. Joseph's Prep; interest from Maryland, Penn State, Rutgers, Syracuse; CB Ahmed Black (5-10, 170, Sr.), Lakeland; committed to Florida.

LB Chad Diel (6-2, 235, Sr.), Byrnes; interest from Clemson, Duke, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest; DE Neil Doogan (6-4, 235, Sr.), St. Joseph's Prep; interest from Penn State, Rutgers, Syracuse; RB Wayne Drummond (6-0, 200, Sr.), Don Bosco Prep; interest from Boston College, Penn State, Rutgers, Syracuse; DT Ryan Haber (6-2, 270, Sr.), St. Joseph's Prep; interest from Penn State, Rutgers, Syracuse; TE Jason Hammond (6-4, 225, Sr.), Lakeland; committed to LSU. LB Stanley Hunter (6-0, 205, Sr.), Byrnes; committed to Clemson.

LB Jamie Jones (6-0, 215, Sr.), Springdale; interest from Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas; QB Willy Korn (6-2, 200, Sr.), Byrnes; committed to Clemson; 2005 South Carolina Mr. Football winner; QB Ryan Mallet (6-6, 210, Sr.), Texas High ; committed to Michigan.

TE Zach Pianalto (6-4, 212, Sr.), Springdale; committed to Texas.

OL James Pouncey (6-5, 298, Sr.), Lakeland; committed to Florida.

OL LaShawn Pouncey (6-5, 283, Sr.), Lakeland; committed to Florida.

WR Chris Rainey (5-9, 156, Sr.), Lakeland; committed to Florida.

QB Matt Simms (6-2, 200, Sr.), Don Bosco Prep; interest from Boston College, Louisville, Mississippi, Rutgers; son of former NFL quarterback Phil Simms.

RB Jamar Taylor (5-10, 205, Sr.), Lakeland; committed to Alabama.

WR Kerry Taylor (6-1, 180, Sr.), Hamilton; interest from Arizona State, California, USC, Arizona, Oregon State, San Diego State, Washington State; K Alex Tejada (6-1, 190, Sr.), Springdale; interest from Arkansas, LSU, Mississippi, Nebraska, Vanderbilt; DE Justin Trattou (6-4, 250, Sr.), Don Bosco Prep; committed to Notre Dame.

QB Chris Whitney (6-3, 215, Sr.), St. Joseph's Prep; interest from Iowa, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, Rutgers, Syracuse, Wisconsin; S Steven Wilks (6-2, 195, Sr.), Lakeland; committed to Florida.

WR Paul Wilson (6-1, 175, Sr.), Lakeland; committed to Florida.

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

Top 100 Seniors

STORY BY DUANE LONG

F

ollowing the summer camp and combine circuit, the top 100 has been reshuffled from the spring rankings.

Players have moved up, others have moved down and we welcome some new faces as well.

But pay attention to the ʻOthers to Watchʼ list.

This list might typically just get glanced over but this year it is an extra special list of players.

I recently had an e-mail conversation that went on for awhile with my friend and Scout.com associate Bob Lichtenfels.

Because our coverage areas overlap, we see a good number of the same players. He does not think Ohioʼs Class of 2007 is as strong as the Class of 2006.

If this were anyone elseʼs opinion, I would have written it off.

A lot of pride and a little bit of arrogance is involved in this job and you have to believe in your ability to find and rate talent. Bob and I tend to agree most of the time and I respect his opinion very much. So, when he said this class is not as good as the Class of 2006, I wanted to hear what he had to say.

It was one of those conversations that we ended up agreeing to disagree.

That conversation took place after the kickoff issue in May. Since then, I have seen a class that has done nothing but blossom. I have never had turnover like this before.

Sometimes the names get shuffled around.

Some players move up a little and others move up or down a lot. In the end, most of the players stay in the top 100.

Not this year.

JJ H u d d l e ’ s O h i o H i g h

I stopped counting the new names that would appear in the season opening top 100 after 15. Whether there is the same level of talent at the top of the Class of 2007 as there was with the Class of 2006 is up for debate.

The depth of this class is another matter.

Most of the players that fell out of the top 100 would not have in any other year.

Players like Marquan Davis from Youngstown Rayen came out of nowhere.

He was not a factor at all last year. At 6-5, 238 pounds he was a hurdler on the track team and ran a 4.76-second 40-yard dash over the summer.

Longtime readers will know what is going to be stated next: There is no such thing as too many big guys that can run.

Look no further than Dayton Dunbarʼs Aaron Pogue. It appeared as though he was going to give up football to pursue his basketball career. But now he is rethinking his decision. Pogue is 6-8, 300 pounds and is athletic enough to be a scholarship caliber athlete in basketball and is very similar to Orlando Pace on the gridiron. If he plays football this year, he is going to have an impressive array of schools to choose from even though he has played so little football.

If you asked me what offensive line prospect in this class has the best chance to make it to the NFL, Aaron Pogue would top the list.

Another player that has little football under his belt is Maple Heights tackle Shawn Sailor. He doesnʼt even have a highlight tape because he has played so little but he has impressed greatly at camp and will have scholarship offers after this season.

Players coming out of the blue like Davis, Pogue and Sailor have made this an unusually deep class and have bumped some really good football players out of the top 100.

Never has the ʻOthers to Watchʼ list been so important.

Safety remains the premiere position in the class but other positions are emerging.

The list of defensive tackles is impressive with Hilliard Darbyʼs Antonio Jeremiah leading the way. He is the epitome of a big kid that can run.

No player has moved up more than Lisbon David Anderson athlete Vincent Browne. He had one of the more impressive offer lists in Ohio -- which included offers as an offensive lineman, defensive tackle, defensive end and he even had an offer as a middle linebacker – before he verbaled to Northwestern in mid-July. He could grow into a great offensive tackle, but right now I am penciling him in at defensive tackle.

Some have Gahanna Lincolnʼs John Hughes as a tight end, but I think he is going to make a great defensive tackle.

Hamiltonʼs Charlie Hatcher is a player who is not getting much publicity, but is racking up a nice offer list.

This is not a bunch of kids that go looking for microphones, but they are making a lot of noise in recruiting.

One player that has been the biggest surprise of the year so far is Daniel “Boom” Herron, the outstanding running back from Warren Harding. I remember seeing his sophomore tape and thinking he was a nice looking player, but his junior tape showed

J J H U D D L E . C O M 19

Top 100 Seniors

why schools want to wait as long as possible to make offers. He was a good back as a sophomore and became an outstanding back as a junior.

In June, Herron earned offers from Michigan and Ohio State after attending their camps, and was a transcript approval away from a Notre Dame offer. But he ended his recruiting trail by verbally committing to the Buckeyes in July.

Finally, there is something that needs to be stated about quarterbacks and recruiting.

This is nothing new, but I keep at the subject because I do not see any signs that the recruiting of quarterbacks is going to change anytime soon.

Initially, I had some reservations about the emphasis on recruiting athletes over football players when I first started in the talent evaluation business.

I wanted to see players that tested well understanding the importance of those evaluations. I thought there was too much emphasis put on the athlete side of the equation.

Now, I have come around.

Ideally, a good football prospect is both a great athlete and a great player. Now, if I have to choose one I will choose the athlete to bring him in and coach him up. He will have the better upside. I am with the program concerning athletes.

On quarterbacks, I am not.

The evidence is clear on recruiting the better athletes. The template for quarterback recruiting is not.

On a national scale, we see the tall kids with big arms (players I have dubbed pitchers) and have their choice of schools. I have mentioned in the past that quarterbacks and offensive lineman are the hardest to project.

I have come around to believe that quarterback recruiting is so tough because the template is wrong.

We are seeing little evidence that the types of players that are top recruiting targets every year are the kind of players that pan out.

I donʼt want to put any kids names out there, but the lists of top rated players at each position in past years are readily available on the internet. Take a look. You will see at other positions there are players that have become household names. The quarterback lists are really lists that you could call “whatever happened to …” lists.

The template needs to change. — OH

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

Ben Martin 1. *****

Eugene Clifford 2. *****

6-5 225 DE Cincinnati LaSalle

6-2 190 S Cincinnati Colerain

Spring Profile: I can go on and on about Ben Martin, but there is really only one thing that needs to be remembered about him: This is the best defensive end prospect I have ever seen in Ohio.

Martin has the ideal body for a defensive end -- long and lean with room to grow. This is a 6-5, 225-pound kid that GH runs on the Lancers’ 4x100 relay team. That is pretty mind boggling.

His weight is still listed as 225 but he looks like he has filled out some.

Martin had 28 solo tackles, 42 assists, 10 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, three batted down passes and four caused fumbles in 2005. Those are great numbers for a 4-3 defensive end, but Martin is playing in a 3-4.

He explodes out of his stance and has that first step that is crucial for a pass rusher. Martin has the motor that I think is essential in a top defensive player and has the top end speed that makes his play to the whistle motor that much more of a weapon.

If there is a better defensive end in the country, I need to see him. I don’t think we have ever seen an Ohio defensive end rated the number one defensive end in the country, but Martin could be. He is a sure national top-100 player.

Ohio State and Notre Dame had already offered Martin, and Michigan and Florida said offers are on the way. That is just a start. Every major program in the country will be after this difference maker but I think it is going to come down to Notre Dame and Ohio State. It will be a close to call.

Martin is a good enough athlete that he has a basketball offer from Cincinnati and he carries a 3.4 GPA. Update: Martin has had a very quiet off-season.

His mailman would beg to differ. The mail coming to Martin household is probably giving the mailman back problems. It would be easier to list the schools that have not offered Martin than it would be to list the ones that have.

Ohio State, Notre Dame, Michigan, Florida and Tennessee are just a few I will note because those are the ones he has mentioned the most. He has been to Ohio State and Notre Dame on unofficial visits and plans on taking unofficial visits to Michigan, Tennessee and Florida. But Martin does not seem to be in a hurry to make a decision. He says he will decide when he feels like he has found the right place for him. But there seems to be a tone that he would like to get it over with before the season starts.

A winning program will be very important to him as well as a chance at early playing time will play a part in his decision. He has roots in Gary, Ind., and has lived in Ohio but for about 4 or 5 years. Martin has not denied that he will likely pick between Ohio State and Notre Dame.

Wherever he decides to go, Martin will have an impact early. He is a Scout.com top-100 national player and top-10 defensive end.

It must be a good year. How he could not be one of the top three is beyond me.

Spring Profile: A couple of years ago I compared Hamilton safety Adam Myers-White to Kenny Easley.

I remember how Kenny Easley came into Ohio Stadium for a game with his UCLA Bruin squad back in the late 70’s and served notice that he was on his way to being one of the college games all-time GH greats.

I wish I had saved that analogy because that is what I see with Clifford.

Easley looked like a linebacker instead of a safety and that is the case with Clifford. He has a long lean build and could fill out into a linebacker if that is where he is needed. Or, he could stay lean and remain at safety, which is what I think will ultimately happen.

Clifford is one of those players that just leap out from the game film. He has a complete game as he is equally at home in coverage or at the line of scrimmage.

Something that is never discussed is Clifford as a receiver since Colerain so rarely throws the ball. If I were asked who the best wide receiver prospect in Ohio this year is, don’t be surprised if I say Eugene Clifford. If I were a college coach, I would be salivating at the prospect of getting this special athlete in a position where he can touch the ball regularly.

I would tell any college coach to ask Colerain head coach Kerry Coombs for a tape of the Ft. Thomas (Ky.) Highlands game from last season. A punt return he makes in that game is all the evidence needed to make a case for Clifford at wide receiver.

Michigan and Ohio State were among the colleges to extend Clifford an early offer.

Update: It seems everyone is intent on Eugene Clifford not playing the one position he has spent all of his high school career -- safety.

He could be a great receiver prospect but it seems everyone wants big, athletic corners to line up against the freaks we are seeing at wide receiver these days.

Ohio State and Michigan have both offered Clifford a scholarship as a cornerback but there has been little information coming about Clifford’s college plans. He has not said when he will make a decision.

Colerain players tend to make their verbal commitments before the season but Clifford could be the one that goes against that tradition. Then again, Clifford has played it so close to the vest we really don’t know. The smart money says Ohio State or Florida, though I have no knowledge of a Florida offer, so if he decides on an early verbal, the odds are in favor of landing one of those must have players.

Last year, Clifford amassed an eye popping 147 tackles. He boasts a 4.45-second 40 and a 33-inch vertical to go along with the 6-2 and 190-pound frame.

JJ Hu ddle’ s O h io Hi gh

Top 100 Seniors

Brandon Saine 3. *****

Devon Torrence 4. *****

Clay Belton 5. *****

6-1 205 TB Piqua

6-2 195 ATH Canton South

6-6 215 QB Clayton Northmont

Spring Profile: After seeing Brandon Saine on film, I am having a hard time believing I had only heard about him as a sprinter until last fall. I did not even know that he played football.

Last year, Akron Garfield’s Chris Wells was soaking up the entire spotlight but GH he was not the only superstar running back in Ohio. Saine is the real deal.

This kid is a legit 6-1, 200 pounds, is well put together and he has excellent vision.

Saine is fast but make no mistake - this is no speed back. He is an I-formation tailback that runs between the tackles as well as he runs wide. He makes tacklers miss by running over them and running away from them. Saine is explosive and by the time he gets to the line of scrimmage he is at top speed.

As a junior, Saine rushed for over 1,300 yards and scored 21 touchdowns. He also had 300 receiving yards in 2005.

Being fully qualified academically is the topper on this package. Ohio State, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska and Northwestern were among the schools to offer Saine early in the process.

Update: Saine has done nothing but increase his stock with an amazing track season. It culminated with a 10.38 in the 32nd annual Don Mitchell Roosevelt Memorial track meet, posting the third fastest time in the country and just missing the Ohio state 100meter record.

It is just a matter of time before Saine holds that mark.

The characteristics that stand out are his size to speed. He is a big kid and it is rare to see kids this size running this fast.

Saine was rumored to be a heavy Michigan lean but he denied it and backed it up by issuing an early verbal to Ohio State.

The only thing that remains to be seen is where Saine ends up lining up. It looks like he will play a Reggie Bush (USC, New Orleans Saints) role with his speed, hands and open field ability. He could be more dangerous than Bush because I have yet to see Bush run between the tackles effectively while Saine is adept at running between the tackles. That will keep defenses playing him honest.

Saine finished out the track season repeating as the state 100-meter champion with a state record time of 10.5. He won the 400meter event, but he came up short in the sprinting dream triple falling short in the 200 meters.

Spring Profile: I have gone back and forth with where I think Torrence plays as college football player from corner to wide receiver to running back then back to wide receiver.

Torrance went through a growth spurt, so I thought he would be a running back. Now, the only thing I am sure of is he will be an outGH side player. The question is where?

He has the speed and athleticism that wide receiver is a possibility but last year he stepped up and showed a physical side. He could play safety but is a good fit for corner at his size. Everyone is looking for bigger corners to play against the huge athletic receivers that seem to dot every roster these days. Torrence is a player with the feet and hips to run with these freaky receivers yet big enough to press them at the line of scrimmage.

Some say the new rules have ended the heyday of the “lockdown” corner. I don’t believe that and as the position evolves I think we will see the freaky athletes move over to corner. Torrence is one that could be of the first.

He was a fine two-way player as a junior. He had 99 tackles and a 90-yard interception return for a touchdown on defense and scored 14 touchdowns and rushed for 639 yards on offense.

If Ohio State offers, football recruiting is over for Torrence. The only thing that keeps that from happening is baseball. He may be an even better baseball prospect. From what I am told, it is not a matter of if he is first round choice in the baseball draft; it is a matter of how high he goes. While Torrence prefers football, the money on the table could be too good to turn down.

Torrence has solid grades and is a solid citizen.

Penn State, Kentucky and Illinois were among his early offers.

Update: Torrence has quietly confirmed his lofty rankings with an offer list as impressive as anyone on the state.

He recently added Michigan and Penn State to his offer list leaving only Northwestern in the Big Ten yet to offer. His offer list would be even more impressive of he had not made his love of Ohio State public so long ago.

Torrence has never hidden the fact that he is a Buckeye at heart and will probably end up at Ohio State depending on his potential professional baseball career following high school. He could make a commitment public as soon as September.

He is now considering baseball more than he was at last report, but he is going to try and play both sports in college.

Torrence got off to a rough start on the baseball diamond this spring so it will not be known how much it has impacted his baseball draft status until next spring.

It appears as though most schools have settled on Torrence being a corner in college. He had an impressive year as a safety, but an athlete this size that can play cornerback should play cornerback.

Spring Profile: Clayton Northmont southpaw Clay Belton has really come out of nowhere.

Northmont had an outstanding senior quarterback in 2004 (Tyler Horner, Southwest Missouri State), so Belton flew under the radar.

It didn’t take him long to change that. As a junior, he threw for over 2,700 yards and 30 NF touchdowns.

Belton has size, standing in at 6-6, and has a big arm to go with pretty good athleticism. He is a pocket passer but he does run the quarterback draw. He handles himself pretty well when he needs to break the pocket.

I usually see most left-handed quarterbacks as a bit awkward in their throwing motion but I don’t see that with Belton. He is smooth and over the top with his delivery and gets rid of the ball pretty quickly for a long-armed kid. Belton has all the throws in his repertoire as he can throw 25-30 yard ropes with velocity and accuracy but can show a deft touch when he needs to.

Despite his impressive physical tools, I was most impressed with Belton’s reading and making good decisions, especially since last year was his first as a starter. For Belton to come along this quickly tells me two things: he is well-schooled in Lance Schneider’s Northmont program and the sky is the limit on his upside.

The comparison that comes to mind is current Jacksonville Jaguar quarterback Byron Leftwich; however Belton is more mobile.

Belton will have played against a higher level of competition in the Greater Western Ohio Conference, which is something he has over the other top quarterbacks in the state this year.

Belton received early offers from Bowling Green, Duke and Cincinnati.

Update: No player in Ohio has stirred as much conversation as Belton.

It seems there is no consensus on him.

I have a great deal of respect for those who are not convinced of Belton’s talent, but I think has tremendous upside.

The tools Belton brings coupled with how well he played against a high level of competition in his first year as a starter impressed me greatly. He was a very good quarterback last year and the tools he brings to the table are hard to beat.

The recruiting process is not about what a player is – it is about what he is going to be. Belton’s size and arm are impressive but what I see is a player that handles an offense that is not always easy to handle. The spread offense takes some time to grasp but he goes through his progressions and makes good decisions play after play.

Belton has as much upside as any player in this class. He participated in the Ted Ginn, Sr. Foundation bus tour of Midwest camps and received more looks there. Kansas State has also offered since the spring.

JJ Hu d d l e ’ s O h i o H i g h

J J H U D D L E . C O M 21

Top 100 Seniors

Solomon Thomas 6. *****

Jermale Hines 7. *****

Antonio Jeremiah 8. *****

6-4 215 DE West Chester Lakota West

6-2 210 LB/S Cleveland Glenville

6-5 275 DT/OL Hilliard Davidson

Spring Profile: I will never forget a statement made by Lakota West head coach Larry Cox when I spoke to him in December. We were discussing the best players in the Class of 2007 and I mentioned Ben Martin.

Cox told me he had one just as good.

That was stunning, CP but not as stunning as the film Cox sent me that showed he was not off base. Thomas is a tremendous football player and he is a perfect compliment to Ben Martin. But I see a more physical player in Thomas.

Cox plays Solomon Thomas on both the weak side and the strong side of the formation and I am certain that Thomas can play on the weak side as a primary pass rusher. He could be an ideal strong side defensive end.

While Martin is a little taller and a bit heavier, Thomas looks better put together of the two. He plays the run better and seems to be more comfortable in close quarters. In the pass rush, Thomas shows an uncanny ability to get his hands on passes. I stopped counting the number of passes broken up while watching his film. He has that relentless nature that is essential to a pass rusher.

Thomas has all the tools and has an edge to his game.

Martin is a little more advanced but I think by the time it counts it will be difficult to pick one over the other.

Thomas has offers from Cincinnati, Illinois and N.C. State.

Update: I had not spoken to Solomon Thomas when we went to press for the Class of 2007 kickoff issue. I have spoken to so many players in this class that are quality people and Solomon Thomas impressed me as much as any of them. He is a well spoken and articulate young man that does something that seems to be rare these days.

Thomas currently holds down a job works a job and I have to go back to former Xenia lineman Ben Person to find a player that worked.

That work ethic is apparent on the field as well.

He is relentless and never seems to stop running.

Many have brought up his size and what position he projects in college. Am I projecting him as a stand-up defensive end? No. He is going to fill out into a 4-3 defensive end.

Thomas is wide open in his college choice. He is looking at N.C. State quite strongly because of an entrepreneur program that school offers and I am not surprised. When I spoke to him, he was much more interested in talking about off-the-field matters and life beyond football.

This is a young man that will be a success on the football field but could be even more successful off the field.

Spring Profile: Last summer I got a call from Glenville head coach Ted Ginn, Sr. and all he could talk about is this kid that had transferred to Glenville from Georgia.

I saw the first Glenville game of 2005 and Hines made a mess of the first play he was in GH on. He came up on the ball carrier, took a bad angle then didn’t wrap up and the runner continued on down the field.

That was the last mistake Hines made in all the tape I saw of Glenville this year, which ended up being a considerable amount of tape.

I am not exaggerating when I say I did not see him miss a tackle the rest of the season.

Hines is a sure tackler in addition to being a big hitter. He reads the game well and does a good job in pass coverage.

Hines has a great frame. I listed him before as a safety that could grow into a linebacker.

Now, I think he is a linebacker that someone could try at safety. He is that athletic.

Hines runs under 4.6 in the 40 and I believe Ginn, Sr. will get him out on the track this winter and again in the spring. I suspect he will be running close to 4.5 by the time he hits the combine and camp circuit this summer.

Hines is an outstanding basketball player and was good enough to get invited to AAU events while living in Georgia.

Update: Hines has quietly gone about racking up an impressive offer list with Michigan, Wisconsin, Cincinnati, West Virginia, Purdue, Iowa, Illinois and Indiana coming in with preseason offers. He was also on the Ginn bus tour and earned scholarship offers at almost every stop.

What is generally unknown about Hines is how good of a basketball player he is. Hines was an AAU traveling team player before coming to Ohio from Georgia. Coming off his junior year on the hardwood Hines has scholarship offers for basketball from Virginia Tech, Florida A&M and Middle Tennessee State. However, he has already indicated he is going to play football in college.

This just gives an idea of what kind of tremendous athlete Hines is.

Hines played all over the field when he was in Georgia. But once he settles into one position, his development is going to accelerate.

He says he is going to wait until after the season to make a decision listing Ohio State, West Virginia, Michigan and Wisconsin as his current favorites.

Hines is carrying a 2.9 GPA.

Spring Profile: If I took a full length picture of Jeremiah and passed it around to every Division I college or university in the country, I am sure he would get offers just on how he looks on the hoof.

I saw Jeremiah for the first time when he was a freshman, and GH at the time, I couldn’t believe his size and frame. He is tall with very long arms and is a natural wide body. I don’t think he could lose weight if his life depended on it.

Jeremiah is such an athletic player that he plays defensive end. His tape shows he belongs at that position but head coach Paul Jenne is going to play him at defensive tackle this year to prepare him for college.

When I first saw Jeremiah this year, it was on a tape from another school. I always look at the other team because I can find other players and I can sometimes see a player I know already and get a different view of him.

Jeremiah leaped out at me.

The first thing that caught my attention is just how athletic this huge kid is. He is as explosive as a kid this big can be.

Jeremiah is my No. 1 “big man” in this class.

By big man, I mean defensive tackle/offensive lineman.

He is a real load, comes off the ball very well and shows a good motor.

If he does not turn into a great defensive tackle, I am absolutely sure he will be a great offensive lineman.

Update: When Antonio Jeremiah first turned up in Ohio High ranked so highly, I began to receive a lot of questions about him since he had flown under the radar up to that point.

Soon after his film appeared on the internet, the questions ended and the offers started coming in.

Big kids that can run are always in demand.

Most are projecting Antonio as a defensive tackle, and that is not a surprise to me.

Anytime there is a player this size that is this mobile, he probably most suited for defense.

Jeremiah is getting offers from all over the country, including the SEC. It is rare for schools from down south come north to add big players. Usually, it is the other way around.

He is a well-grounded kid but Jeremiah needs to get a qualifying test score. When that happens, he could get an offer from Ohio State and it highly likely recruiting ends for Jeremiah at that point.

There is no such thing as too many big kids that can run. Jeremiah fills that bill as well as any down lineman in the country.

He is also an excellent wrestler.

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

JJ Hu ddle’ s O h io Hi gh

Bucknuts.com

Top 100 Seniors

David Arnold 9. *****

10.

**** Vincent Browne

6-0 185 S/WR Copley

6-5 240 ATH Lisbon David Anderson

Spring Profile: When I first saw David Arnold, I thought he would be a safety at the next level because of his attraction to high speed collisions.

But the more I look at tape, I think he could be as good or better at receiver.

I recently learned Arnold had been a running back until Delone GH Carter transferred into Copley as a junior, so last year was just his first ever as a receiver.

He is an explosive leaper and has great hands but the only thing that keeps him from being a great receiver is he seems to have a defensive player’s mindset. He takes as much pleasure from laying someone out (and he had quite a number of those to celebrate) as he does making an interception.

Arnold had seven interceptions as a junior, including one that was as incredible a catch as I have ever seen. He fell and did not have time to get back up to make a play on the ball, so he just put his feet under him and exploded up and back to make the interception.

Arnold, who has been clocked at 4.41 in the 40, led the team in tackles last season and had over 20 receptions for more than 500 yards and three touchdowns.

Cornerback is another possibility for Arnold. He had played cornerback until his sophomore year, meaning he has just two years as a safety.

His nasty, on-the-field demeanor is the polar opposite of his off-the-field demeanor. This is one of the classiest kids it has been my pleasure to speak to in my years of evaluating players.

Arnold will play his senior year as a 17-year-old.

He is worth a scholarship just to run back kicks.

He is already qualified, carrying a 3.0 GPA. He was born in Ann Arbor and has family ties to Michigan but was raised in Ohio. Ohio State and Notre Dame are very involved in the recruiting process. They both stand as good of a chance at landing this outstanding young man as Michigan does.

Update: This is one of the most versatile players in Ohio this year. Arnold could play anywhere in the defensive backfield or at wide receiver.

Arnold is a super athletic kid with good size and outstanding speed. He is a very good student and solid citizen.

It was a good spring for Arnold as he went out for track for the first time since eighth grade. He came out very early with a 10.7 100-meter in one of the bigger meets of the early spring in Ohio and matched that time later in the season. Arnold has also run 22.2 in the 200 meters.

All the while, Arnold has been racking up football offers with Eastern Michigan, Akron, Indiana, Illinois and Syracuse at the top of the list with the likes of Ohio State, Notre Dame, Stanford, North Carolina taking interest.

Spring Profile: I am not going to forget anytime soon the first time I saw film of Vincent Browne. I chastised myself for not doing my job.

How could I possibly miss such a prospect?

Browne is every bit the listed 6-5, 240 pounds. He is one of those players that passes the look test.

GH “Specimen” is the word that comes to mind when discussing Browne. All I needed to see was three plays and I knew I had found a big time prospect.

He was playing offensive tackle on those three plays and he put all three defenders on their backs. The fact that he needs work on his technique makes his blocking all that more impressive.

He is so naturally strong and gets into defenders so quickly they can do little about it, but he does not drive through them. He simply knocks them down.

Browne gets moved around from tight end to offensive tackle at the next level. He plays middle linebacker on defense and I can’t say I have ever seen an offensive tackle/middle linebacker before, but Vincent Browne is pretty unique. He does a really good job there.

He is not necessarily out of place at the high school level at middle linebacker. Browne has a 4.75 40 and his football speed looks even better.

There are several plays on his tape in which he shows a turn of speed that left me wide-eyed. He can really run.

I list him as an athlete because I really cannot decide where he plays.

He is very raw, but his size and athleticism is something that every school in the country is looking for. Once Browne hits the camp circuit this summer, he will be one of the most talked about players in Ohio.

Update: I think if I took a poll of Scout.com recruiting editors, they would say the hottest prospect in Ohio is Vincent Browne.

Browne has been making the rounds at camps and combines and leaving with offers at almost all of them. He is getting offers every day and some head coaches are going out of their way to make sure they offer Browne in person. That is a sign of just how much they want to make an impression on this kid.

He has a couple of offers as a middle linebacker but most are saying defensive end to start. It will come down to his body but I see a kid athletic enough to be a defensive end. However, will his body allow him to stay at defensive end is the question.

It really doesn’t matter to Vincent. He is what every school wants – a team player that has to be chased out of the weight room and off the practice field.

He ran a 4.8 40 at the Ohio State senior combine in June, and impressed the assembled onlookers in all the drills.

Browne had a number of impressive offers before committing to Northwestern in mid-July.

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Numbers 11-100 and beyond

11. **** Daniel Herron 5-10 190 TB Warren Harding Spring Profile: I have to admit, I was not as impressed with Herron as many were when I first saw him. I saw outstanding running skills and vision and a tough back that ran bigger than his size.

But I did not see a special athlete. It could have just been the tape I had, but I was wrong about Herron.

Very wrong.

This kid is really something.

When I looked at the most recent tape from Harding head coach Thom McDaniels, I saw a GH kid with the best feet in this really nice running back class, even quicker than Jordan Mabin. His ability to change direction without slowing down is remarkable. He has such outstanding vision and shows the skills of a much more experienced runner – particularly patience.

I think speed is the most overrated number for a back.

I am much more interested in explosion or burst and Herron has that to spare in addition to having speed.

According to McDaniel, Herron has 4.5 speed.

Herron is also an excellent pass receiver and runs the screen pass to deadly effect. He is also a willing and effective blocker.

A top NFL back comes to mind when I think about Herron - Washington Redskin Pro Bowler Clinton Portis.

Neither are big backs and don’t try to run like big backs, but they are strong and will take on tacklers when need be.

Initially, I was wrong about Herron and I could not be happier to say so now. He received early offers from Boston College, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan State.

Update: Daniel “Boom” Herron is living up to his nickname as the recruiting process moves along. “Boom” is how he exploded onto the radar.

Herron had offers from Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Boston College, Akron, Cincinnati and Michigan State, but he ended his recruiting by issuing a verbal commitment to Ohio State in July.

He stopped by Ohio State during the state track meet where he was a member of Harding’s fourth-place 4x100 relay team. That visit with the Buckeye staff convinced Herron to come back to Columbus for the second senior camp on June 23 and he committed soon thereafter.

Last season, he had 1,500 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns against the best competition any back will run up against.

I was not as impressed with him this time last year but Herron’s junior tape was so impressive but he just keeps getting better and better.

Herron holds a 3.3 GPA. 12. ***** Kyle Hubbard 6-4 225 WR/TE Lakewood St. Edward Spring Profile: Hubbard stepped into the starting lineup in 2005 for the first time and did he ever make a splash.

In the state semifinal, Hubbard made his statement as a top recruit in this class. He ran a skinny post late in the first half and was absolutely hammered to the ground by a safety that had a good run at him. He caught the ball and held onto it.

I thought this kind of contact GH would end his afternoon but it didn’t. Hubbard got up showing the effect of the play but never looked to the sidelines.

Later on, he made a couple of catches that most kids with his limited experience would not make. On one catch, he took a wide pass and showed great athleticism to keep his feet in bounds. On another, he came back to his quarterback, who was running for his life, got

JJ Hu ddle’ s O h io Hi gh

Top 100 Seniors in his quarterback’s line of sight, caught the ball and managed to keep his feet in bounds. It is these little things that show me he has a lot of football sense.

Hubbard has only played football for two years. He is very athletic and has the best hands of the class. If he can reach it he will catch it.

Considering how little he has played, there is no limit to what he is capable of. He played wide receiver but I think he grows into a tight end. There is a great frame on this kid.

Hubbard has never run a 40 and he has never been to a camp but this ranking will be too low if he runs well this summer.

He is an outstanding basketball player and will be an easy qualifier.

Update: The offers have not come flooding in for Hubbard but that is no surprise. He is coming off only his first solid year of high school football and most schools want to wait and get a better idea of where his body is going to take him – tight end or wide receiver.

Hubbard was very impressive in drills at the Nike combine in Columbus this summer and ran a 4.7 40.

He is a silky-smooth, athletic kid with the best hands in Ohio. Hubbard is not one of that new breed of big high school receivers that are demanding to play wide receiver in college. Hubbard is fine with being a tight end. This is a raw prospect with great nature skills. He might need a couple of years in the weight room but the school that has the patience could find a tight end that can really cause problems in the middle of the field.

He has offers from Kentucky, Kent, Bowling Green, Akron, Toledo and Central Michigan. Syracuse, Purdue and Kansas are showing a great deal of interest as well.

13. **** Chris Givens 6-3 195 S/WR Chillicothe Spring Profile: Chillicothe has quietly gone about sending as many players to Division I schools as any program in central Ohio in recent years.

Givens is the best player to come out of the school in my years of following recruiting since the legendary Chuck Jones.

This is a kid with the complete package of size, speed and skills and I could list him as an athlete.

He says he would rather be a receiver. Considering he has played all over the field on offense, from quarterback to running back to wide receiver, he GH could develop into something special as a receiver when he settles in and starts getting all his reps there. He shows very quick feet and an explosive turn of speed. Also, Chillicothe has used him on slip screens a good deal.

However, I think Givens is already something special as a safety. He is an outstanding leaper with tremendous ball skills. He is a good tackler as well as a good hitter. Givens really brings it.

At this early stage, Chris has offers from Miami (Ohio) and Cincinnati. Watch out for Miami here. His brother is there and the top notch education to be had there is going to be very appealing to Givens.

He had over 500 receiving yards and five touchdowns last year and averaged 19 points and 13 rebounds a game in basketball.

Update: As expected in the spring update, Givens ended his recruiting trail in July and committed to Miami (Ohio).

It has been an impressive off-season for Givens. He had a fine year on the hardwood averaging 19 points a game and then went to a camp that was led by one of the legends in the world of recruiting, Max Emfinger, and was subsequently added to his national top 100.

Givens was not done.

He attended the Scout.com Louisville combine and showed he is nearly impossible to cover. Givens came away from the camp with Most Valuable Player honors.

In drills, he ran a 4.62-second 40, a 4.25-second shuttle, a 6.99-second cone drill and showed an impressive

JJ H u d d l e ’ s O h i o H i g h

33-inch vertical. He also confirmed his size measuring in at just under 6-3.

Givens was drawing interest from Cincinnati, Ohio, Akron and Kent with Purdue, Michigan State, Northwestern, Stanford and Vanderbilt all showing interest before committing to the RedHawks.

Despite his impressive showing as a wide receiver, I think Givens is a better safety. However, he recently stated he prefers wide receiver.

14. ***** Nate Oliver 6-0 195 S Lakewood St. Edward Spring Profile: Oliver is another of the super athletic safeties in this class.

He does not have the size Clifford has but he has a game that does not take a backseat to anyone.

Oliver is a very physical player and the comparison that comes to mind is former Buckeye Mike Doss, but Oliver is a little better in coverage than Doss at the GH same time in their careers. With the spread offenses demanding more coverage skills for a safety, that bodes well for Oliver’s future. Along with the hitting and solid tackling, he is a player with a high football I.Q. and one that is a leader. There is a future captain in Nate Oliver.

Oliver really brings it, and like Doss, Oliver is a good high school running back. When outstanding St. Edward running back Frankie Edmonds went down late in the playoff run, Oliver stepped in and played really well.

Oliver will be a three-year varsity starter in 2006 and had 70 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, two interceptions and two caused fumbles last year.

Ohio State came in with an early offer and Nate did not take long to decide giving the Buckeyes their first verbal for the class of 2007 on signing day in February.

Update: When a player commits early there is little to talk about in regards to recruiting. Most prospects do not go to camps and combines and Oliver should have been one of them.

In the early spring, he went to a combine and set off alarms with a 4.85 40-yard time. He is not linebackersized and that is not a great linebacker time, so the time has raised some questions.

Oliver says he slipped and there is other speculation that he did not take the combine that seriously. He has time to work on the speed and I feel confident that this mature and highly motivated young man realizes that is the only question about his game.

When I was thinking about this revised top 100, I had the time in my head so I popped his tape back in. On the field is where Oliver becomes an early offer player from a school like Ohio State and not in testing. He is one of those rare players that find a way to do something special when something special is needed.

It goes back to something I said in the recruiting kickoff issue – Nate Oliver plays his best in the biggest games of his career.

15. **** Andrew Dailey 6-3 215 LB/S Massillon Washington Spring Profile: Ohio High contributor Bill Greene saw more of Andrew Dailey last season than I did. Here is his take this outstanding prospect: Andrew Dailey is a player that is going to continue to get better as each year passes by. He has a great work ethic and is driven to be a successful player.

Dailey played safety as a junior, earning All-Ohio honors. He GH has great size and has surprising speed for a player his size. Dailey has been hand timed at 4.5 in the 40. He is also a great kick blocker and a decent wideout, although his future is as a defensive player. Dailey will probably play linebacker at the

next level and might play there next year for Massillon.

I’ve seen him cover wide receivers in space and do really well. This will be a huge benefit if he does play linebacker in college.

If he does move to linebacker for his senior season, look for him to be involved in stopping the running game as he is a very sure tackler. He should flourish by playing closer to the line of scrimmage.

Dailey is also a great blitzer coming off the edge. He made the play of the game in the Division I state title game stripping St. Xavier’s Darius Ashley of the football returning it 80 yards for a score. Dailey also had a huge sack against Lakewood St. Edward that saved the state semifinal game for Massillon. Overall, Dailey had 81 tackles as a junior. He also had an interception to go with six catches on offense.

He is being recruited by most schools in the Big Ten and the Midwest but favors Notre Dame and Ohio State at this time. He has been offered by Akron.

Dailey plays in a great program under Tom Stacy and he does well in the classroom.

Dailey is going to get bigger, stronger and faster and should have a great senior season for Massillon. It’s easy to see why recruiters are excited about Dailey.

Update: Dailey did what I expected him to do during the combine and camp season: He left observers greatly impressed.

Players this size and this athletic are rare. Dailey ran a 4.7-second 40 at the Scout.com combine in Louisville and added a 4.12 pro agility.

He has offers from Akron, Illinois, Indiana, Purdue, Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Nebraska before verbally committing to Penn State at the end of July.

Most schools were recruiting Dailey as a linebacker and he said Penn State sees him as a rover back, which is as a combination linebacker-strong safety.

16. **** Carlton (C.J.) Peake 6-2 207 S Trotwood-Madison Spring Profile: The running back position could be added to Carlton Peake’s byline. I was not aware until seeing tape that he played running back.

In fact, when I spoke to him, he never mentioned playing offense at all but he should have. He is a good high school running back, but I don’t think he will be a running back in college.

Peake scored 11 rushing touchdowns as a junior at Dayton Meadowdale. He also NF racked up 109 tackles and six interceptions at strong safety.

Numbers don’t lie and that is a lot of tackles for a safety and an impressive interception total.

On offense, he has a straight ahead style that shows what kind of defensive player he is.

From watching him on film, Peake is more comfortable at the line of scrimmage. He is every bit his listed 6-2 and has a long, lean body. He could fill out some more, but probably no more than 225 pounds or so.

Everyone is playing bigger safeties now and Peake has the speed to go with it. He ran a 4.46 at Ohio State camp this year and was one of two juniors moved up to work with the seniors – the other being Devon Torrence If Peake, who received an early offer from Pittsburgh, is going to be a linebacker he is in good hands. He has gone over to Trotwood-Madison to play for former Chicago Bear linebacker Maurice Douglass.

West Virginia, North Carolina and Pittsburgh have offered.

Update: Peake has a lot going for him. He recently ran a 4.61-second electronically timed 40 at 209 pounds and ran even better about a month later turning in a 4.57. He ran a 4.06-second shuttle and had a 34inch vertical. Peake added 16 reps of 185 pounds.

Scout.com has Peake rated the No. 1 player in Ohio.

His tape is very impressive and the one thing that stands out about Peake is how driven he is. After this impressive performance at the Louisville Scout.com

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Top 100 Seniors combine, Peake was disappointed when I spoke to him.

He seemed reluctant to offer those impressive numbers.

All Peake wanted to really talk about was what he believes he can be in the future. He thinks he can take off some weight and add muscle. He thinks he can be a lot faster. One thing that has always stood out to me with the top players is that never satisfied attitude. It is the one thing that seems to define who is going to be a success at the next level.

He was the one defensive back that showed he could cover camp MVP Chris Givens from Chillicothe.

Peake is racking up an impressive offer list with Wisconsin, North Carolina, Purdue, Indiana, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Michigan State, Bowling Green, Miami (Ohio), Akron, Toledo, West Virginia, Ole Miss and Cincinnati all coming in with offers. He reports a 2.65 GPA and a 16 on the ACT. An offer from the Ohio State would likely end the suspense.

17. **** Daryle Ballew 6-3 285 DT Cincinnati Withrow Spring Profile: This is the first time Ballew has been in Ohio High since he enrolled at Withrow just before last season.

Players like this in the middle of the line are hard to come by. Ballew is a load. He is nearly unblockable without a double team, and even then he splits the double team on a regular basis. He uses technique that isn’t seen in a lot of college players let alone a high school junior. Ballew uses swim moves and rips and uses his hands very well.

The best characteristic about Ballew is he plays to the whistle whether the play is in his direction or not. So many kids this size don’t run if the play is away from them and they take plays off – but not Ballew. He makes plays down the field, and he had one play last season in which he chased a quarterback from one side of the field to the other three times.

He does a great job of play recognition as well.

Ballew is a natural wide body. He carries his 285 pounds well and is nearly impossible to move with his great feet. Ballew could be a nose tackle or a one gap 3-technique. He reminds me most of is Pittsburgh Steelers nose tackle Casey Hampton.

To think this kid is this good with so little experience, this ranking could be too low when the year end rankings come out. Maryland has already offered.

Update: Simply look at Ballew’s offer list to see how highly regarded he is.

Ballew has quietly accumulated one of the best offer lists in Ohio with Cincinnati, Ball State, Connecticut, Buffalo, Indiana, Boston College, Minnesota, Illinois, West Virginia, Miami (Ohio), Marshall, Kent State, Ohio and Eastern Kentucky all offering. He is also being recruited by Michigan State, Pittsburgh, Colorado and Notre Dame and was in South Bend at the request of the Irish coaching staff in June.

He has a solid 2.9 GPA but needs to get a test score posted. That could be the hold up on even better offers.

18. **** Nick Schepis 6-4 270 OT/DT Walsh Jesuit Spring Profile: This is the most complete offensive lineman in the class of 2007.

Schepis is a high school offensive tackle and plays on both sides of the offensive line. He does not have the length that I like to see in a college tackle, but he has the rest of the package.

Schepis has superb feet and is as lean as a 270-pound player can be.

He does an excellent job in pass blocking with those great feet and has a very competitive nature. He stays with his blocks to the whistle. One characteristic GH that will give him a leg up coming into college as a pass blocker is how quickly he comes out of his stance. This kid is out of the blocks and into his pass pro like a college

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player.

As a run blocker, he gets and stays low getting good leverage. He has a natural tenacity.

This is a player athletic enough to play not only defensive tackle but defensive end for the Warriors. He does a good job but I don’t think there is a chance he plays on defense in college even though he is a pretty good high school defensive lineman.

Something I see lacking in so many high school linemen is nastiness. College line coaches are not going to have to worry about that with Schepis.

If he had the longer arms, I would project him as a college tackle. Schepis has such good feet with better technique than most high school kids and is such a competitor that he will most likely get a shot at tackle.

Update: Nick Schepis took the camp and combine season by storm earning praise for his performance at the Columbus Nike camp and making the all-combine team at the Louisville Scout.com combine. This is one of the stronger players in this year’s class. He has a 635-pound squat and did 12 reps of 445-pounds.

The one thing that continues to stand out about Schepis is his competitive nature. He battles and finds it in himself to gear up for more battle when it appears as though he cannot fight any more. At the Louisville combine, there was a nice collection of athletes at the combine for him to go up against and he was not beaten once in one-on-one drills.

Schepis ended his recruiting by issuing a verbal commitment to Boston College in July. He selected the Golden Eagles over Wisconsin, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Miami (Ohio), Marshall, Kentucky, Bowling Green, Wake Forest and Duke.

19. ***** Donnie Evege 5-11 185 CB H. Heights Wayne Spring Profile: I have known about Donnie Evege since he was a freshman. I was talking with former Xenia star offensive lineman Ben Person, now a guard at Ohio State, and he told me about him back then.

Person said he was the fastest and quickest kid he had ever seen and he was the most highly motivated kid and the hardest worker he had been around.

That is a big statement from a high school senior talking about a ninth grader.

I have learned for myself that all those things are true.

Evege is an exceptionally giftNF ed athlete but one that is extremely motivated to get better. Getting better and being the best he can be seems to be at the core of Donnie Evege. He is the kid you have to tell to take time off or to get off the field or to get out of the weight room.

He is a kid that is going to run low 4.4’s straight out of his warm-up and could probably run a 4.3. He has the hips and feet to be a great cornerback in college yet has the attitude to be a great safety and takes great pleasure in making a hit. Evege would like a shot at running back and is likely to get the opportunity this fall to show he can be a running back at the next level.

Evege is a coach’s dream come true. I spoke to him right after signing day and he was beaming with pride because the day before he had been named to the National Honor Society.

Evege has already received an offer from Ohio State.

I think Notre Dame is the one school that could talk this special young man out of a verbal to the Buckeyes. He also has offers from Purdue and Miami (Ohio).

Update: Evege has had a rather quiet off-season with the exception of issuing a verbal commitment to Ohio State in June.

He ran indoor track but decided to pass on the outdoor season to concentrate on hitting the weights.

Evege was on everyone’s want list as a cornerback but this highly motivated young man really wants to be a running back. He knows that will mean adding weight and getting stronger.

Miami (Ohio), Purdue, Indiana and West Virginia had

all offered Evege. Stanford, Virginia and Michigan were all taking interest as well.

20. ***** Mitchell Evans 6-3 200 QB West Milton Milton-Union Spring Profile: Mitchell Evans is the most dynamic of this outstanding set of quarterbacks in Ohio this year.

Last year, I overrated the Ohio quarterback class early on, but there is no mistaking this lot. All three should be getting national attention.

The athletic quarterback is what everyone is looking for now and will be in the foreseeable future. Evans is clearly the most athletic of the top quarterbacks in this class. He is as NF dangerous with his feet as he is with his arm. If that is what a school is looking for, Evans would be their No. 1 in this class.

He plays safety on defense and is so good he could get offers at that position if he were not such a great looking quarterback. As a junior, Evans threw for 1,920 yards and 20 touchdowns. He also rushed for five scores and also had five interceptions on defense.

Evans has the highest football I.Q. of the three. He puts so much pressure on the defense. He can threaten the line of scrimmage so the linebacker plays him and he can throw over him. He’ll pump fake the safety to create room to throw the post. Evans is in complete control on the field.

Both Belton and Chris Smith have stronger arms but I want to be clear about the fact that this kid has arm to spare. Evans has great mechanics.

Level of competition is going to be the question mark with Evans playing in Division IV. He should answer that question this summer at camps.

Four years ago, Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn came out of nowhere to earn offers from Ohio State, Michigan and Tennessee as well as Notre Dame.

Evans could do the same this year.

Update: Evans has offers from Indiana, Bowling Green, Ohio, Kent State, Eastern Michigan and Buffalo.

He is getting interest from Wisconsin, Michigan State, Purdue and Miami (Ohio). One of these schools will land a great quarterback.

It is unclear what the big programs are looking for out of this kid. He ran a 4.49-second 40 at camp this past summer.

Level of competition keeps coming up but the tape doesn’t lie. This is not a big fish in a small pond – this is Moby Dick in an aquarium. Evans is not just the best player on the field. He is so much better than every player on the field that it is almost unfair.

It is understandable there are questions about level of competition with smaller school players. I raise the question myself. But sometimes there are players that stand out so much that it does not a matter. This is one of those cases which an elite prospect happens to play in an area where he has little to challenge him. But he has performed so well as an athlete in camps that it is difficult to understand why he is not getting offers just as an athlete.

21. **** Zach Furlong 6-6 220 ATH Xenia Spring Profile: Zach Furlong will be one of the most interesting players to watch this year.

He played wide receiver last year and could make this list as a receiver. Furlong is an outstanding, big athlete that will likely grow into a tight end. He will be a great one, too.

That is, if he is not a quarterback.

Last year, Xenia had the outstanding and underrated Josh NF Cousins (Air Force) under center. That kept Furlong at wide receiver but he will be taking the snaps for Xenia this fall.

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Top 100 Seniors Xenia head coach Ed Mignery has been around a few big time prospects in his day. He coached both E.J. and Brandon Underwood, both Ohio State recruits, as well as his own son, who ended up at Michigan.

Mignery believes he has another Ben Roethlisberger on his hands with Furlong.

As athletic as Furlong is, there is no downside. If he isn’t the next Ben Roethlisberger, then he is odds-on to be the next Jeremy Shockey.

Update: Furlong was always a very intriguing player to me.

He does things that are not expected from a player this big. That he was a wide receiver and not a tight end is no surprise after seeing his film. Despite his size, Furlong is faster and more athletic than the defensive backs he faced. He has run a 4.6 40 and could probably run better than that.

Blocking as a tight end is different than blocking as a receiver, but he has shown to be one of the better blocking receivers in Ohio.

But all this talk of moving to tight end could be a moot point. If he has the year coach Ed Mignery thinks he will as a quarterback, we could see an entirely different list of schools for Zack Furlong come January.

He has offers from Purdue, Michigan State, Michigan, Indiana, Boston College, Maryland, Wisconsin, Syracuse, Tennessee, Akron and Toledo to name a few despite not having taken either the ACT or the SAT. He is on the 4x100, 4x200, and 4x400 relay teams and he is a high jumper.

22. **** Kyle Jefferson 6-4 175 WR Cleveland Glenville Spring Profile: Kyle Jefferson is the biggest enigma in the class.

He is a thoroughbred. Jefferson is an outstanding hurdler and sprinter but we are still waiting to see him blossom on the football field.

I saw him last year and was not impressed with his

route running and he dropped too many catchable balls.

So why do I have him rated this high?

When he is at his best, Jefferson is a unique blend of size and speed. He can run away from corners and go over the top of safeties then outrun either after the catch. Too often we did not see that out of him last year.

With Ray Small and Daven Jones as the starting Glenville receivers in 2005, he needed to make the most of his opportunities.

Right now, Jefferson is more a sprinter and hurdler than he is a football player. He will have the chance to step up this year as Small and Jones have moved on to college. If Kyle Jefferson puts it all together, he will be a top-10 player in this class and will be mentioned in GH the same conversation as Ted Ginn, Jr., Mario Manningham, Fred Davis and the best Ohio has produced in my time. He has that kind of potential.

I will go so far as to say if this kid pulls it all together, Kyle Jefferson could be the best ever in Ohio. Nobody that I have seen in this state brings the size, athleticism and this kind of speed to the field.

Jefferson received early offers from Akron, Indiana and Wisconsin.

Update: Jefferson had an impressive off season on the track helping Cleveland Glenville win its fourth consecutive state track championship. He ran the anchor leg on the 4x400 meter relay, which was the difference in a close victory over Trotwood-Madison. He was also a member of the 4x200 meter relay team that won a state championship and was second in the individual 400-meter dash to Piqua superstar Brandon Saine.

Jefferson has offers from Miami (Ohio), Bowling Green, Akron, Indiana, Minnesota, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Ball State. With a good senior year, those scholarships are a drop in the bucket.

This is a player that can be a difference maker if he puts it all together. He played a pretty mean safety on defense It looks like Jefferson has added some weight, which is something he needed to do. It is very simple – Kyle Jefferson can be as good as he wants to be.

23. **** Joey D’Andrea 6-2 245 DE/DT Upper Arlington Spring Profile: D’Andrea is one of those players that the measurable line just doesn’t tell the tale on.

He has run a 4.7-second 40, but does not show the height and the length for a prototypical defensive end.

D’Andrea’s tape tells the story.

He gets off the ball like a shot, finds the ball quickly and delivers a blow. D’Andrea is one of those slippery players that are so hard to block. I have watched stretches of tape, play after play, where the offensive lineman in front of him did not even get a good shot at him. He won’t stay blocked.

He played defensive end last year but was a nose guard the year before. His quickness was too much for the centers and guards in front of him.

As a defensive end, he reminds me of former Georgia star defensive end David GH Pollack. He is such a difficult player to block and plays with such intensity that he overcomes the lack of ideal size.

He would rather play defensive end but would accept playing tackle.

D’Andrea is hearing from Alabama, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Texas, Minnesota, Purdue, Colorado, Northwestern, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, West Virginia, Georgia Tech, UConn, Akron, Toledo, Miami (Fl.), and Miami (Ohio). He went to Ohio State for junior day and will camp there.

Update: When I ranked D’Andrea this highly as a

Top 100 Seniors four-star player, many questioned the ranking considering his size.

Watch him play -- that is all I can say. D’Andrea makes so many plays. He can be unblockable and his game speed is great.

Recently, at the first of two senior camps at Ohio State, D’Andrea impressed everyone in one-on-one drills and ran a 4.7 40 at 252 pounds while putting up 18 reps of 225 pounds.

D’Andrea is reminding me more and more of another recent player that I thought more highly of than any one else – Mike Kudla. Kudla had a good college career at Ohio State and is now with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Kent State came in with an offer for D’Andrea in June.

24. **** Diauntae Morrow 6-0 185 S/LB Lakewood St. Edward Spring Profile: There are quite a number of safeties that could end up playing linebacker in college in this class. Morrow is a high school linebacker that will end up playing safety in college.

Morrow has been a cornerback and a safety, but St. Edward needed a linebacker last year and Morrow stepped up. He is a very physical player and is not out of place at the high school level as a linebacker.

He is one of the biggest hitters in the state this year and is also a solid tackler. Morrow has the longest arms I can remember seeing on a kid this size, GH and uses them to good advantage. He runs great, plays with a high motor and has outstanding instincts.

To say Morrow is nasty is an understatement. He is absolutely fearless mixing it up against the big guys when he is called on to turn plays in from his outside linebacker spot.

His time as a high school linebacker will serve him well as a college strong safety.

Morrow received early offers from Indiana and Wisconsin.

Update: Diauntae Morrow has quietly gone about racking up an impressive offer list as well in the off-season. In addition to Indiana and Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, and Bowling Green have made preseason offers to this underrated prospect. Penn State, West Virginia, Michigan, Purdue, Eastern Michigan, Miami (Ohio) and Toledo are all showing a good deal of interest as well.

He is playing linebacker in high school because that is what his team needed from him. Morrow was a corner before he was a linebacker so he has cover skills.

Last season, he had 75 tackles with 15 tackles for loss and eight sacks. With college programs only having 85 scholarships available, versatile players are very important. This is a kid that can play safety and linebacker and could be an ideal nickel back. He is one of the most underrated players in the state of Ohio.

25. *** Skylar Jones 6-1 180 QB Middletown Spring Profile: Jones is the best athlete playing quarterback in Ohio.

He is an excellent passer, but at the same time, he will gut a defense with his ability to make plays with his feet. Jones is what I call a dynamic quarterback; he will throw the ball first and run second, always threatening a defense. He is never in a passive position. Jones is constantly probing and trying to get the defense to commit.

Last season, Jones was 155 for 299 passing for 2,135 yards and 21 touchdowns and added 760 yards rushing and nine touchdowns.

One interesting aspect of Jones is he is a power lifter. I can’t remember the last time I saw a power lifting quarterback. He has a 225-pound bench press, 345pound squat, 220-pound clean and a 360-pound dead lift. Add to that a 4.41 40, plus Jones is the top returning 300-meter hurdler in Ohio. He made the state meet in the 300-meter hurdles and the 4x400 relay in 2005.

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Most interestingly, Jones is coming off his first year in this system. Ron Johnson came to the Middletown program last summer and he is arguably the most underrated coach in Ohio. It will be interesting to see what happens with another year under the tutelage of Johnson. This is one I will keep my eye on.

Update: The last line of the spring profile says it all – I kept my eye on Jones and he produced.

At the Columbus Nike camp GH he ran a 4.3-second 40, the best time out of 552 campers.

He also chalked up a 37-inch vertical.

Jones, in my opinion, is the best athlete in the state pound-for-pound. Nobody can put together the combination of speed and strength that Jones brings to the game.

Jones now holds offers from Tennessee, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Maryland, Bowling Green, Wake Forest, Kent State, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan and Marshall. After his impressive combine showing, Ohio State started showing interest as well.

He won the state 300-meter hurdles title and was fourth in the 110-meter event. We are seeing hurdlers show a propensity to be good corners, which could be what is happening with Jones. Instead of looking at him as a size challenged quarterback, schools are looking at his athleticism.

With another year under Middies coach Ron Johnson, Jones is going to get offers as a quarterback.

26. *** Charlie Hatcher 6-4 245 DE/OL Hamilton Spring Profile: Hatcher is one of the better defensive linemen in Ohio this year. He did not get a lot of publicity on a losing team last year, but that is sure to change with former Chaminade-Julienne head coach Jim Place taking over the Big Blue.

Hatcher is an active and physical defensive end that projects as defensive tackle as a college player. He might not necessarily have the explosiveness to be a defensive end in college.

Hatcher excels at hand fighting and gets off blocks quickly. He does an excellent job of finding the ball and has the high motor that is essential to any defensive player.

I like smart football players and Hatcher has that high football I.Q. and great instincts. He has a 4.75 40 and a nice body to build on. He could fill out to 280-pounds or so with minimal impact on his speed and athleticism.

I would sum up Charlie Hatcher as, simply, a football player.

Update: This is a name to remember. The more I watch Hatcher the more impressed I am with him. He has such great instincts and makes plays effortlessly.

Hatcher has already secured offers from Cincinnati, Minnesota, Vanderbilt, Indiana, Illinois and Duke. Jim Place is now ready to take the helm at Hamilton, but that is pretty impressive list offers from Big Ten schools considering he was without a head coach to facilitate his recruitment prior to Place’s hiring. So much of the contact required by the NCAA is to be through the high school coach. Charlie Hatcher is so good, college programs found a way to make contact with him and extend the offers.

Hatcher prefers defensive end right now but he is going to grow into a tackle.

27. **** Chris Smith 6-1 220 QB South Point Spring Profile: I remember the first time I ever heard the name Chris Smith. I was talking to my associate from Scout.com, Bob Lichtenfels, about a few players that were seniors at the time. He was looking at some new film and all of a sudden Bob said, “Whoa, does this kid ever have a hose.” I asked him who he was talking about and he said the player was a sophomore from Ohio. I discovered I had my own Chris Smith DVD but had not looked at it yet. After the phone call, I

put the DVD in and I was just as impressed as Bob. It is difficult to get a good read on arm strength on tape. As a result, coaches like to get quarterbacks into camp more than players at any other position. Smith is one of those players that doesn’t need to seen in person to know how strong his arm is.

With Smith, the ball gets to the target in a hurry.

Former St. Xavier star and current Ohio State player Rob Schoenhoft is the only quarterback I have seen in Ohio in recent years with the same caliber arm that Smith possesses, and he showed that arm at the Akron combine last spring.

Smith is not a pocket passer.

He runs really well, but unlike most quarterbacks, he runs like a fullback once he breaks the pocket. Most quarterbacks, at least the ones that run well, look more like receivers in the open GH field.

As a junior, Smith passed for over 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns, and rushed for nearly 700 yards and six touchdowns.

He could play in either a pro-style offense or a spread because he possesses both the arm strength and the running ability.

Because of the questions about level of competition, the camp and combine circuit will be important but Smith is already aware of that chink in his armor and plans on making a number of appearances at camps and combines this summer.

He has offers from West Virginia, Marshall and Ohio.

He has a list that had changed over time, but Ohio State and Michigan remain constants. USC and Oklahoma recently asked for tape.

Update: Anyone who has seen Smith’s arm would be surprised at the number of scholarship offers, or lack thereof, that he has received.

Once again, the template – what I call “pitchers” – has gotten in the way. If the template had been more successful, it would be more understandable, but it has not.

Smith had offers from Cincinnati, West Virginia, Marshall, Bowling Green, Akron and Ohio before verbaling to Marshall in mid-July.

Level of competition is a question, and one that I understand and agree with, but just look at him throw the ball. There is no play in the playbook that he does not have the arm strength to execute. Smith is a gutty competitor and is as tough as nails. He is not the quickest kid but always does well when pressed and forced to run.

28. ***** Brian Gamble 5-11 175 CB/WR Massillon Washington Spring Profile: Bill Greene has become an integral contributor to Ohio High. He was the first person to identify Brian Gamble as a top prospect in this class.

Greene was at Massillon for the first day of practice in August 2005. Massillon head coach Tom Stacy told him he needed to check out a junior named Brian Gamble. Greene told Stacy he had never heard of Gamble, but Stacy smiled and said, “You will.”

Stacy was right.

In the state semifinal against Lakewood St. Edward, Gamble stunned the Eagles by turning a short pass into a first down on third-and-30, the play of the year for Massillon. Gamble also GH had big games in wins over Cleveland St. Ignatius and Cincinnati Elder.

For the year, Gamble had 90 tackles and three interceptions on defense and carried the ball 248 times for 1,512 yards and 17 touchdowns on offense.

He was an offensive force running the football for Massillon, but his future will be in the defensive secondary.

He was a terror at safety for the Tigers but also

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Top 100 Seniors showed great ball skills and coverage ability. He has the hip recovery necessary to play cornerback, and Stacy agrees. Gamble has great hands and is a dangerous kick returner.

Right now, Gamble’s favorites are Ohio State and Miami (Fl.) and he has been offered by Akron. Gamble attended the Miami camp in the summer of 2005. He will need to show well in camps to impress the big schools but he doesn’t seem to have any weaknesses.

Brian Gamble is simply a football player that makes big plays and a lot of them. Simply put, there’s nothing he can’t do on a football field.

He also starts for the Tiger basketball team.

Update: Brian Gamble has super talent but suspect grades.

Gamble has an offer from Akron and has been down to Ohio State and has heard from a who’s who of college football with Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Illinois, Penn State, Tennessee, Pittsburgh and Illinois to name a few.

However, there really isn’t anything any of these programs can do until Gamble makes some real progress in the classroom.

If he gets his grades in order, he jumps right back into the top 10.

29. ***** Morgan Williams 5-11 190 TB Canton McKinley Spring Profile: Ohio High contributor Bill Greene first told me about Morgan Williams when Williams was in the eighth grade. McKinley head coach Brian Cross is likely the only person who has seen Williams more.

Morgan Williams is another great running back from Canton McKinley. He led the Bulldogs to an undefeated regular season in 2005 rushing for over 2,400 yards and scoring 27 touchdowns earning All-Ohio honors.

GH He is a prototypical one-cut slasher at tailback. Williams has great feet and great vision to find the seam in the defense. Williams doesn’t have sprinter speed but he rarely gets caught from behind. He needs to prove he can catch the football and be an effective blocker, however.

Williams could also project as a fine defensive back but his future is on the offensive side of the ball. He plays against the top competition in the state week in and week out and always shows well. Williams never has an off night and has great work ethic and determination. He has the frame to fill out to 215 pounds and not lose any speed.

He took over for Ryan Brinson (West Virginia) and the Bulldog running game never missed a beat. He will probably find the going tougher in 2006 as his entire offensive line has graduated.

Williams is being recruited by most of the Big Ten schools as well as most of the top programs in the Midwest but has not visited many schools because of his basketball commitment. As a result, he needs to have a great summer camp season to get offers from the top programs.

Update: Williams needs to buckle down and get his grades in order. He still has a shot to make it, but he is a non-qualifier as of right now. It is up to Williams to determine what his future is going to hold but he still has time to turn his grades around.

30. ***** Hosea Simpson 5-9 210 TB Cin. Winton Woods Spring Profile: Early on, this class showed well at running back. The cast of characters has changed over time, except for Hosea Simpson.

Brandon Saine’s tape really put him on the top of the heap. Until he separated himself from the rest of this class, a strong argument for Simpson being the best in the class could have been easily made.

As a junior, Simpson tallied 1,675 yards and scored 25 touchdowns.

When I first saw tape of Simpson, I only had one concern. Would he outgrow the position? He was listed

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at 225 at the time. He played some as a fullback, and still does, but he has brought his weight down. I would have played Simpson as a tailback, regardless, but I think the weight loss ends the argument. It gave him a little more speed, not that his speed was questionable before, but he is still the same load he was at 225.

This kid is an “assassin” type back, meaning he is deadly efficient. Simpson has no wasted motion doing exactly what he needs to do to get down the SH field. He is a natural born runner that runs with great power.

Simpson has more pancakes than most of the top linemen. He has balance and quick feet and uses his blockers very well. Simpson is an excellent pass receiver out of the backfield as well and has superb vision and acceleration.

Calling Simpson a power back is selling him short.

This is, without question, the most underrated player in the class. Simpson is a back that is worth offers from the big four in the Midwest: Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame and Penn State.

Update: Simpson is another top-20 talent that needs to get his grades in order before he is going to see any offers. But he does not have to take a backseat to anyone on the football field.

Simpson still has time to get his grades turned around. If he does, this could be a late-in-the-process steal for someone.

He is a fearless, aggressive runner with all the tools to be a special back.

31. ***** Anthony “Dewey” Elliot 6-0 235 LB Fairfield Spring Profile: I usually ask coaches about players they went against that impressed them. Typically, there is a moment of hesitation as the coach thinks it over but it only took Middletown head coach Ron Johnson about a nanosecond to mention “Dewey” Elliot.

I had never heard of Elliot until that moment and don’t know how this super prospect got under my radar for this length of time. Elliot is the real deal.

He is a high school middle linebacker that could play inside GH or outside. He has such instincts that it is almost as if he is able to hear the play call in the opponent’s huddle. Elliot is a very physical kid and does not need a clean run at the ball carrier to make a play. He takes on blockers and gets off of them like a player with a lot more experience but has the speed to avoid blockers most of the time. Once Elliot finds the ball carrier, there is going to be a major collision. He really brings it coming in low and hard. He is a great tackler as well as a big hitter. So often the big hitters are so used to knocking people down that they forget to wrap. Not Elliot. His speed is the reason he could play any of the linebacker spots.

Since Elliot is so physical and has good size, he may be best suited to play inside. He seems most comfortable in the middle and a middle linebacker that can run like this is a huge advantage. He has a great frame but so many kids of this size outgrow the position. Elliot could add 15-20 pounds and stay at linebacker.

He has an early offer from Oklahoma and favors the Sooners and Buckeyes but Penn State is in the mix as well.

He has a reported 4.5 40 to go with a 315-pound bench press and a 500-pound squat.

Update: It has been quiet on the recruiting front with this impressive football player. His offer list is not what is should be and it is a direct result of his grades. He faces an uphill battle but it is one he can win. It is simply up to him. The only reason he has dropped from the top 20 is the grade issue.

Recruiting is not just about the best athletes and foot-

ball players. It is about the best athletes and football players that have the grades to get into college. Elliot’s current ranking reflects the fact that it is getting late and he is running out of time to right this ship.

Bet the farm the Midwest Big Four – Ohio State, Notre Dame, Michigan and Penn State -- get involved if Elliott gets his grades in order.

32. **** John Hughes 6-4 260 ATH Gahanna Lincoln Spring Profile: If John Hughes is not the most underrated player in Ohio, then he makes the final cut list.

I was not ready for this type of player. Hughes is right here in my backyard, so I was aware of him. But after seeing him on tape, I am surprised the chatter was not a scream.

This is an explosive, big athlete. Hughes gets into opponents quicker than any lineman in Ohio but I may be off there in calling him a lineman because he may not be a lineman in the truest sense of the word.

Hughes plays tight end in high school. Just when I was ready to move him inside, I saw a couple of clips of him catching the ball. John Hughes has great hands but he does not have the ideal body for a tight end. He is built more like a guard/center or a defensive tackle. That is probably where he ends up in college.

Hughes is a devastating run blocker. He has great feet, he is explosive and strong. So, I just don’t see using an explosive, quick and athletic lineman like John Hughes at guard or center. Also, he does not have the reach and the length you want in an offensive tackle.

I see a name jumping up the recruiting charts in Hughes once he gets to camps. There are never too many big kids that can run. This big kid can run and he is quick and explosive, too.

Update: It is all about grades for Hughes as well. He has some offers on the table because he is that talented but also because he has a shot at qualifying. Those offers include Akron, Cincinnati, Ball State, Marshall and Toledo with Ohio State and Michigan State both showing plenty of interest.

Surprisingly, his offers have come as a tight end. He has the skills but he might not have the body of a tight end. He is a great blocker and it is not often you see a tight end scoring pancakes, but Hughes does.

He has the potential to be a fine defensive tackle or a guard in college. He plays defensive end in high school and is a highly effective one.

If Hughes gets his grades straightened out, he is going to have a large number of offers to choose from.

The only reason Hughes has dropped down the rankings is the uncertainty with his academics.

33. **** Vince Harris 6-2 195 LB Cincinnati LaSalle Spring Profile: When fans talk about Cincinnati LaSalle right now, the name that immediately comes into the conversation is Ben Martin. Those that really know what they are talking about mention Ben Martin and Vince Harris.

Harris is a very special player. He can really run, and coupled with top drawer instincts, he is a player that always seems to be around the football.

His football speed is quite impressive.

GH In the LaSalle scheme, Harris is all over the place. He can be on either side of the ball or in the middle of the field. Most of the time, he is lined up outside Ben Martin. He attacks the line of scrimmage like a defensive end but is just as good as a safety in coverage and is very comfortable in that assignment. Moving back is not easy, but if any player can make the move, it is Harris.

Harris is a very good tackler and he is a playmaker plain and simple. He is one of the best linebackers in Ohio. Unfortunately, it is going to be very difficult for Vince to be a Division I college player his first year out of high school. His academics are not up to par.

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Top 100 Seniors However, someone will stay with him and will find one of the real gems in this class.

Update: There is not much to say about the off-season for Vince Harris. It is all about academics but he is working to remedy the situation. If he continues on the path he has taken, he will be one of the most talked about players in Ohio come February because nobody this talented will still be on the board.

Harris is one of the great play makers in this outstanding class.

34. **** George Tabron 6-3 215 LB Canton McKinley Spring Profile: Tabron is Ohio’s top middle linebacker. There a good crop of outside linebackers in the state this year, a good number of them at safety, but the Mike linebackers are few and far between. Actually, it has been some time since there has been a great Mike in Ohio.

Tabron reminds me a lot of current Ohio State middle linebacker Chad Hoobler. Like Hoobler, Tabron is not as big as you would expect a true middle linebacker to be, but both have SP the long, lean frames. This will allow them to put on the weight necessary to win battles against big guards and centers and still make tackles.

Tabron reads the game well and takes good attack angles. He is a knock down tackler as opposed to a drag down tackler. Tabron plays with great intensity and he chases every play to the whistle. He is really good in traffic and that is something vital for a middle linebacker.

In tight spaces with large people coming at them, too many kids fail that crucial test and this can be the difference. He is also a great blitzer.

Tabron is comfortable as an inside linebacker in the 3-4. He will fill out to 250 pounds or so in no time.

Tabron passes with flying colors. He plays big in the biggest games. The great ones always rise to the occasion.

Update: It has been a tough off-season for Tabron as off the field issues have greatly impacted his recruitment. In retrospect, the situation was blown out of proportion. But with legal issues hanging over his head, there was not much interest.

To my knowledge, he has no offers. With his off-thefield legal issues, which ended up being dropped after excessive media attention, the May contact period was interfered with. Just before press time, it was learned that Tabron would be attending Canton McKinley for his senior year.

He was getting interest from Purdue, Michigan State, Minnesota, West Virginia and Bowling Green before all this happened and interest should pick up again before it is all said and done.

This is a dynamic, physical and active linebacker that shows the frame to get bigger.

35. *** Tyler Replogle 6-2 225 LB Centerville Spring Profile: It only took about three plays for me to form an opinion of Centerville middle linebacker Tyler Replogle.

Replogle plays with such reckless abandon I remember thinking he was going to kill himself before the tape was over. His game is very simple – run as fast as possible until the whistle blows or until he hits something.

Running is something Replogle does very well.

Centerville head coach Ron Ullery gives him a 4.75 40 and that is an accurate time. What NF is on the stop-watch when a runner passes the line is what gets written down with Ullery.

Replogle’s football speed is better than that, however. He is going to impress when it is camp time. He has

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a 4.07 pro agility, 30-inch vertical, 340-pound bench press, 470-pound squat and 285-pound clean.

He had 140 tackles as a sophomore and 138 as a junior. Replogle has a great body and Ullery thinks he could grow into a defensive end by the time he is ready to step on the field as a college player. I will not argue with that – Ullery knows a little something about talent.

He coached a kid named A.J. Hawk and I think I may have heard of him before.

Replogle has and offer from Indiana with more to come.

Update: Replogle has good size, solid combine numbers and excellent tape.

He is getting a lot of interest from the likes of Ohio State, Michigan, Pittsburgh and West Virginia, but Indiana is the only school to offer Replogle and he accepted the offer in early August.

Coach Terry Hoeppner has Ohio roots with a strong stint at Miami (Ohio) and has used that to come into Ohio and land some recruits that Indiana wouldn’t necessarily land. Last year, Hoeppner and his staff took the much underrated Jarrod Smith, an offensive lineman from Fairborn, back to Bloomington. This could be another one of those players that the big programs in the region pushed to the back burner and the Indiana staff took advantage of the lack of attention.

Replogle was the Greater Western Ohio Conference defensive player of the year last year with 107 tackles including 24 behind the line of scrimmage. It is puzzling that he does not have more offers.

36. *** Sidney Glover 5-11 203 DB/RB Warren Harding Spring Profile: There was not much action around the Harding program last year on the recruiting front, which is highly unusual for this legendary program. That is going to change this year. There are at least four Division I players in this class from Harding.

Glover is a high school quarterback that projects as a running back or a defensive back in college. If the option were still a widely used offense, Glover would be a recruited player at quarterback.

The skill Glover demonstrates at quarterback is what shows the type of running back he could be. He is outstanding.

This is a well put together kid with a burst that is only believed when it is seen. He reads the game well and is at top speed in a blink of an eye. He is quite elusive in the open field.

Glover had some highlight GH reel runs on the tape Harding head coach Thom McDaniels sent. He is a starter on defense at safety and is just as impressive there if not more so than at quarterback. He shows the same skill with reading the game and the same explosiveness when it comes to stopping ball carriers in their tracks.

McDaniels gives him a 4.7 40 and that time can be taken to the bank. His football speed looks better than that, however. For a 4.7-player, he ran away from a lot of tacklers and closed on ball carriers quickly.

Running back is a possibility at the next level, but he could be a dynamite safety.

Update: This is a player to keep an eye on this fall. I find myself coming back to his tape as often as I do the higher rated prospects in this class.

Fans on the message boards ask me why he is not ranked higher and I have come around to agree with them.

One thing that has hurt Glover is the moving around from safety to linebacker. McDaniels told Scout.com that the moving around was not in the best interest of Glover, and he would find a place for him this fall and keep him there.

Indiana offered and Glover accepted late June.

Harding has its most talented team in years this season, led by running back Dan Herron.

The scouts should be thick as thieves. I would wager a lot of them come back home bringing a recommendation to offer Sidney Glover.

37. *** Frank Becker 6-3 275 DT Cincinnati Moeller I did not receive film of Frank Becker until after we went to print with the last issue. This is a tremendous prospect.

I have said many times that you learn more about leverage in one month of wrestling practice than you do in one year of football practice.

That Becker is a two-time state placer in wrestling is no surprise after seeing him play football.

No lineman in Ohio uses balance better. He stays low, keeps his elbows in tight and his GH hands inside.

Becker consistently gets penetration just by using superior technique and by showing a great motor.

Becker could be a fine guard but will probably be a defensive tackle at the next level. He is one of the most underrated and under-publicized players in Ohio.

38. *** Kendall Washington 6-4 190 WR/S Louisville St. ThomasAquinas Spring Profile: Is he a receiver? Is he a safety? Is he a linebacker? In a class full of versatile players, Kendall Washington might be the most versatile.

During the regular season, he had 30 catches for 585 yards and six touchdowns.

Everyone is looking for bigger kids to play safety but moving back is not as easy as moving down, so it doesn’t happen as much.

He is an excellent tackler and shows good instincts.

He will be a great defensive player because of his speed.

If he runs well this summer at camps, he will rocket up the boards of the top schools as a receiver. He has everything else to be an outstanding receiver.

He will be at the Scout.com combine in Louisville.

Update: When I first saw Washington, I was not sure where he would play his college ball.

He was an athletic football player looking for a position. I thought he was best as a receiver but wasn’t sold on his speed.

Washington impressed everyone in attendance at the Louisville Scout.com combine as a linebacker.

In late July, Washington accepted an offer from Michigan State. He also had offers from Cincinnati, Miami (Ohio) and Kent State with interest from Boston College, Syracuse and Illinois.

Washington is an academically motivated young man and has a great frame with 4.6 speed, making him a huge get for Michigan State.

39. **** Ryan Gillum 5-11 205 ATH Youngstown Liberty Every year, there are players that fall through the cracks. How Gillum flew so far under the radar for so long is beyond me.

Gillum plays all over the field for Liberty. He is at linebacker sometimes and safety at others. He even lines up at corner on occasion and is not out of place at any of those positions.

On offense, Gillum is a good running back. He is physical runner with outstanding balance and strength.

He lines up as a wing and runs counters very effectively. There are a number of good blocking receivers this year but Gillum pancakes linemen.

Gillum is a football player. He makes plays wherever he lines up.

He could grow into a linebacker but will probably excel at strong safety. In a class full of strong safety/weak side linebacker types, this one does not have to take a backseat to any of them. Some of his tackles could be used to demonstrate what form tackling looks like to young players.

At the same time, if I were asked to pick the best hitter in Ohio, Ryan Gillum would surely be on the final list.

He really brings it and plays really well in space.

Some of his best plays were open field tackles.

He may have been overlooked in the spring issue,

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Top 100 Seniors but Syracuse didn’t miss him. Gillum committed to the Orangemen in the spring.

40. *** Rob Reiland 6-3 230 DE/TE Massillon Jackson Reiland is a player that would have been in the top 100 in the spring issue if I had received his tape earlier.

If he were a more ideal size, he would be ranked even higher.

Reiland is a tremendously skilled player on either side of the ball. There is no consensus as to where he will fit best according to college coaches that have taken interest.

GH Likewise, I cannot decide where Reiland should play in college.

He has great football instincts doing a great job of getting off blocks as a defensive end but is just as adept blocking as a tight end and has the hands for the position.

Reiland could fit into either a 3-4 or a 4-3 defense.

He has the size to be a 3-4 outside linebacker but has good enough speed to be a 4-3 defensive end.

This is a player that will be recruited as an athlete and will find a position later.

41. *** Eric Thomas 6-5 250 OL/TE Cleveland Glenville Spring Profile: Everyone wants big kids that can run and Thomas fits that mold perfectly.

Thomas doesn’t catch the ball a lot in the Benedictine system at tight end but shows he is going to be an excellent blocker. This is a well puttogether 250-pound kid but looks more like 220.

He moves really well and doesn’t have a defensive player’s mindset. By the time he GH steps on a college football field, Thomas will be an offensive lineman, probably a tackle. He has long arms and shows good fundamentals.

Thomas is a great kid and will be easy to coach and a pleasure to coach.

Update: Thomas had 72 tackles and 13 sacks last year. Those are impressive numbers, but I do not see a defensive player’s mindset in Thomas.

All the junior tape I have of him is as an offensive player. I saw him as a defensive player as a sophomore and he is listed by some as a defensive end. He has all the physical attributes that are found in defensive players, and he passes the look test. He clocked a 4.78 40 this summer.

But motor is crucial to a defensive player and that seems to be the big question with Thomas. He seems to be going through the motions on some plays. If a fire can be lit under Thomas, there is an athlete in him that does not have to take a back seat to anyone in the class. He may be too nice to play defense, but then they said the same thing about Orlando Pace and we all know where he is now.

Thomas currently has offers from West Virginia, Michigan State, Indiana, Bowling Green, Cincinnati, Marshall, Ball State and Miami (Ohio). He picked up approximately half those offers on the Ted Ginn, Sr. bus tour.

Thomas has since transferred from Cleveland Benedictine to Glenville.

42. *** John Wells 5-9 175 CB Youngstown Liberty John Wells’ teammate Ryan Gillum needs to be put up there with the best strong safeties in Ohio. Wells is arguably the best cover corner in this class.

Everyone is looking for bigger corners these days, so players that are Wells’ size are getting overlooked.

This kid is a player. He has great, quick feet and the

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hips to turn on a dime. He is a “big” little guy in the fact that he is comfortable at the line of scrimmage in press coverage.

It is understandable wanting big corners to go up against these 21st century freaks at receiver, but there are some that can overcome it. Wells is one of them.

His leaping ability is such that he makes up for some of those inches in height. Wells goes up time after time against taller receivers and gets up there with them to make plays on the ball. His ball skills are outstanding and he will come up willing in run support.

Wells is a nice little running back but defense is where he will make his mark. Liberty has quietly gone about the business of putting players in Big Ten and Big East schools the last few years. Here is another.

Wells has already committed to Syracuse with teammate Ryan Gillum.

43. *** Derrick Sherman 6-0 170 WR Cincinnati Withrow Spring Profile: Derrick Sherman is one of those players I would hate to play against. He reminds me of players like the Indianapolis Colts wide reciever Marvin Harrison and former Ohio State wide receiver Santonio Holmes.

Sherman is not the most impressive physical specimen, but he is not small either. He is not the fastest player on the field, but there are no questions about his speed. All he does is simply make plays. ‘Wily’ would be the perfect way to describe his game. A hundred receivers could line up in his spot but Sherman would be the one that finds that one soft spot in a solid zone.

He catches everything and makes it look easy with such great hands. He can contort his body in ways that nobody else can to make catches and manages to stay on his feet. As a junior, Sherman had 40 catches for 498 yards during the regular season.

As mentioned, he is not the fastest player but his yards after the catch are as impressive as any receiver in the state. He is that elusive. He is like a back when it comes to following his blocking.

This is a player with tools, football smarts, and if there is a more competitive player, I want to see him.

Sherman has an offer from Miami (Ohio) but is undecided on summer camps. If he runs well, Miami will be the first of many offers.

Update: Last season, Derrick Sherman had 40 catches and scored six touchdowns after a breakout sophmore year in which he had an 18-yard per catch average and eight touchdowns.

Tom Landry once said consistency is the mark of a professional. Sherman had two different quarterbacks throwing him the ball in the last two years.

Timing and familiarity can be huge in the passing game. Sherman is a no excuses player. He makes plays.

At the end of June, Sherman gave his pledge to Purdue. Maryland, Cincinnati, Ball State, Buffalo, Indiana, Miami (Ohio) and Eastern Kentucky all extended offers and he was also being recruited by Michigan State, Connecticut, Wisconsin, Ohio and Iowa.

44. **** Ricardo Thompson 6-2 205 LB Cincinnati Withrow Spring Profile: I had forgotten how good Ricardo Thompson was until I saw his junior film.

This is a tremendous linebacker prospect. He is definitely a linebacker and not another one of the high school linebackers in Ohio this year that will be trying to make the tough transition to safety.

Thompson has the body to fill out to 230 or better and looks bigger than his listed 205. This kid has instincts that can’t be taught. He reads the game like a much more experienced player. Thompson makes small adjustments right before the snap and puts himself into the perfect position to make the play once the ball has snapped. Withrow head coach Doc Gamble says he has been making the calls and checks for the defense since he was a freshman.

Thompson is a physical player as well as a versatile one. He gets off blocks quickly and handles traffic well.

He is a very solid tackler with good speed.

Gamble lines him up all over the field but he seems comfortable inside or outside. Because of his size, he seems best suited outside as his size keeps him from being an inside linebacker. A smart, fast, tough linebacker like Thompson is best suited in the middle of the field. He has solid grades and good camp showings could see his stock soar.

Update: Thompson had an amazing 150 tackles last year as a junior. This is a very active and aggressive player. If not for the questions about his size, he would have even more offers but I do not share that concern. Thompson will fill out into a Division I linebacker in short time.

Minnesota, Miami (Ohio), Cincinnati, Buffalo and Kent State all came in with offers in the preseason. He is also being recruited by Pittsburgh, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Boston College and Iowa. Indiana indicated it would offer him soon.

But with all that interest, Thompson committed to Minnesota in early August.

Hoops Over Hits

Greenfield McClain’s Dante Jackson chooses Xavier and basketball over football On August 10, Greenfield McClain senior Dante Jackson held a press conference and committed to Xavier University and its men’s basketball program. The decision brought to a close a recruiting process in which Jackson also had viable football options. Jackson was ranked No. 40 in the Class of 2007 before choosing the Musketeers. Here is a sampling of his bio.

40. **** Dante Jackson 6-4 195 WR/S Greenfield-McClain Spring Profile: At first, I just assumed Dante Jackson was solely a basketball player. He did not play as a sophomore, the GH year when most prospects start to emerge.

Last fall, Jackson started talking about playing football in college. I decided to look into it and I was surprised at what I saw.

I have never seen Jackson play basketball, but I have a hard time believing he is a better basketball player than he is a football player.

Jackson played both receiver and safety as a junior and was one of the most impressive players I saw. It is safe to assume a basketball player is going to shy away from contact but Dante Jackson may be the hardest hitter in the state.

Update: It is official: Dante Jackson is keeping his options open about what sport to play in college. It paid immediate dividends with offers from Kentucky and Cincinnati for football.

In June, Jackson capped his junior year by winning the Division II state title in the 110meter high hurdles and was second in the 300 hurdles.

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Top 100 Seniors 45. ** Dane Sanzenbacher 6-0 180 WR/DB Toledo Central Catholic Spring Profile: Talk about stepping into the spotlight!

There is no better showcase than the first weekend in December when the state of Ohio has its state championship weekend.

There were some memorable performances, but Sanzenbacher put up a strong argument for the playoffs most valuable player.

In the championship game, Sanzenbacher set a state Division II record with 140 GH receiving yards and tied the record for receiving touchdowns in a championship game with two, including a 60yarder.

On defense, he intercepted a pass to seal the win for Central Catholic as Canfield was driving in the weaning moments.

Sanzenbacher is similar to former Youngstown Cardinal Mooney quarterback Kyle McCarthy, who put on a similar show in the state championship game two years ago and earned offers from Ohio State and Notre Dame after the game.

Sanzenbacher could be a receiver or a safety, but he will most likely get a look at cornerback first.

Ohio State has been showing interest.

Update: I was looking forward to seeing what kind of time Sanzenbacher ran this summer. He ran a 4.6-second 40 and had a 4.2-second shuttle. I thought he could possibly run under 4.5. Going into the summer, he had offers from Ball State, Toledo and Kent with Purdue, Michigan State and Ohio U. all showing a lot of interest.

Sanzenbacher made the rounds with Ted Ginn, Sr. on his bus tour. Iowa offered Sanzenbacher during the course of the tour. That tour ended with a stop at Ohio State, where Sanzenbacher performed for one day in the all position camp and then stayed for the senior advanced camp.

Shortly thereafter, the Buckeyes offered and Sanzenbacher committed to OSU.

46. *** William Johnson 6-2 210 RB/DB Centerville Spring Profile: Two years ago, then ChaminadeJulienne head coach Jim Place told me about William Johnson. He said he was playing him only on defense because he already had a pretty good back in Javon Ringer, now at Michigan State.

Johnson was the heir apparent to Ringer but he disappeared right before his junior year. The rumor mill had him moving to Georgia.

Late last season, Johnson resurfaced at Centerville. He did not play until the playoffs since he was not academically eligible. But this is nothing for college coaches to be worried about now, as I understand it.

Johnson had an immediate impact, rushing for over 100 GH yards in each of the Elks’ playoff games. He is a good-sized back that runs with good power and leverage. He is very strong and has excellent balance and very quick feet. I really like what I saw of him as a running back.

Ullery thinks he is going to be a safety in college. He says Johnson wants to be a receiver and thinks he has the hands to do it.

Johnson is a very hard worker. He has a 4.6 40, a 4.05 pro agility, 250-pound bench press and a 255pound clean.

With a solid year under his belt, this could be one of the fastest rising prospects in Ohio next year.

Update: It has been a long, hard road for Will Johnson but he has never complained. He just kept working.

It looked like everything was against him his sophmore year when he injured a knee in week three with

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C-J then was ruled academically ineligible for the remainder of the year after he did put the injury behind him.

Johnson came back his junior year at Centerville only to find himself ineligible again. He persevered and came back for the playoffs and played very well.

He also played basketball and made the regionals in the 100-meter event, the 4x200-meter relay and the 4x400-meter relay.

At one of the recent Nike camps he measured 6-1, 191 pounds and ran a 4.6-second 40. He had a 35-inch vertical, a 4.1 --shuttle and pushed out 17 reps of 185pounds.

The best and most important number is Johnson is now sporting a 2.8 GPA. He is getting plenty of attention from the likes of Michigan, West Virginia, Maryland, Ohio State, Pittsburgh and all the MAC schools but he is still waiting on his first offer. He needs to post a test score and he needs to show more on the football field. He has been away for awhile and has had a knee injury but this could be one of the most sought after players in Ohio after the season. Most see him as a safety.

47. *** Jordan Mabin 6-0 177 TB/CB Macedonia Nordonia Spring Profile: I first heard about Jordan Mabin as a freshman when he rushed for over 1,000 yards and he has continued to put up more and more impressive numbers as a running back.

I have never been a fan of small backs, but like former Dayton Chaminade-Julienne star Javon Ringer, Mabin runs well between the tackles. He does not have a big back’s game like so many smaller backs that are effective inside runners. Mabin is that elusive. He seems to be able to move his body in such a way that tacklers don’t get a good shot at him – a little twist here, a quick step there, and he makes people miss.

In some systems, Mabin gets a shot at running back but he is going to be a cornerback in most. That is one of the best kept secrets in Ohio. Jordan Mabin is a fine cornerback and GH has always been. He went down to the U.S. Army junior combine in Texas and made the all-combine team as a defensive player.

Mabin has run 4.4 before and did so again at the combine. In fact, some observers said he was the best defensive athlete at the combine regardless of age.

Mabin was one of the top performers of the Pittsburgh Scout.com combine. He was clocked at 4.44 and 4.47 seconds in his two 40-yard dash attempts. He was also timed at 4.16 in the pro shuttle. Those times were among the top five out of 200 participants in each event.

As a junior, Mabin carried the ball 220 times for 1,495 yards (6.8 average) and 22 touchdowns as Nordonia posted a 6-4 record. That followed a sophomore year where Mabin rushed for 1,775 yards and scored 25 touchdowns.

He shows superior feet and Donnie Evege may be the only player in this class with better hips. Size will determine where Mabin receives offers from. There will be a college that simply does not care about size.

Simply put, Jordan Mabin is one of the best football players in Ohio, and one of the fastest. He received early offers from Pittsburgh and Indiana.

Update: I remember watching a profile of Jackie Slater, a former Rams offensive tackle, who was being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame later that day. Slater said, “Don’t let anybody fool you. Football is a big man’s game.”

We are seeing proof of that with Mabin. Size does matter. If it did not matter, we would see all of the Big Four in the Midwest making offers to Mabin. If size is taken out of the equation, this is one of the top 20 football players in Ohio, and maybe top 10.

Mabin has a fine offer list with Pittsburgh, Indiana,

Marshall, Cincinnati, Akron and Kent State. Most of his offers have been as a cornerback, despite the fact that Mabin has earned his headlines as a running back.

After two great years at Nordonia, Mabin is a guy who figures to be mentioned prominently for postseason awards in Ohio in 2006.

48. ** Chris Rucker 6-1 180 WR/DB Warren Harding Spring Profile: It wouldn’t be difficult to find a more spectacular player than Chris Rucker, but it would be difficult find one more consistent.

Rucker does so many things well. He runs good routes, gets open, catches everything thrown to him, gets yardage after the catch, works the middle of the field and he will block. Long runs don’t happen unless the receivers are blocking and Harding running back GH Dan Herron had a lot of long runs last year.

As a safety, Rucker plays as well against the pass as any safety in Ohio and has such great ball skills. His leaping ability, his superb hands and the uncanny ability to get his hands on the ball when it is up for grabs stands out the most. Harding head coach Thom McDaniels reports a 4.5 40.

If I were making the call, I would play him at wide receiver.

Update: I liked Rucker when I first saw him and apparently so do many college coaching staffs as he has been busy raking in the offers. So far, Kentucky, Kansas, Cincinnati, Akron, Bowling Green and Kent State have offered. He is also hearing from Indiana, Ohio State, Arizona State and Syracuse.

The only determination left to be made as whether he will be a defensive back or a receiver. I like him better at receiver but most of his offers are as a defensive back, corner back specifically.

Rucker had six interceptions last year to go with 17 catches and five touchdowns as a receiver. He is a great looking athlete with solid grades and one of the fastest rising prospects in Ohio.

49. *** Steve Matas 6-3 250 DE/DT Mentor Usually players go to camps and they are smaller than listed. Matas was bigger than his listed 6-3, 250pounds.

It has been an active off-season for Matas. He has been to Ohio State twice, Akron, Cincinnati, Bowling Green, Miami (Ohio) and even got out to Iowa and Minnesota. He also attended the Ohio State-Illinois football game and the Ohio State-Michigan basketball game, Matas has offers from Minnesota, Cincinnati and Miami (Ohio).

The different measurables changes things for Matas.

Being taller and thinner means he has a better chance to be a 4-3 defensive end. He still could slide down into a 4-3 tackle, but at 6-5 he is going to be more appealing to more schools, and despite the fact that there are more 3-4 defenses nowadays, there are many more teams playing a base 4-3.

Matas has a reported 4.7-second 40. He squats 475pounds and benches 260-pounds. This is a player that every school should be getting out to see.

The one word that comes to mind is “relentless”.

50. **** Julian Miller 6-4 215 DE/TE Col. Beechcroft It is all about size with Julian Miller. He was listed better than 6-4 and about 215 or so but was officially measured at 6-31/2 and about 203 pounds this summer.

Those numbers can be thrown out the window just by looking at his frame. Miller is skinny but the film tells the story.He is relentless, quick and he uses his long arms well to tie up blockers then gets rid of them.

Mostly, though, he uses an athleticism that few can

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Top 100 Seniors match.

Miller has offers on the table from Illinois and Cincinnati and is hearing from Iowa, Maryland, Kentucky and Indiana. Last year was his first as a starter. There is a lot of upside here.

51. *** Jaa’Rome Williams 5-10 210 TB Elyria It has been a quiet off-season for Williams. He attended the Elite Skills Camp at Cleveland Browns Stadium in May and performed well there.

It would have helped Williams tremendously if he could have made it to more camps and combines.

This is a much underrated prospect. We are not seeing a GH lot of players come out of his area, so it is not a regular stop on the recruiting trail. Someone is going to get a steal with this kid.

52. *** Pete Rolf 6-5 220 DE Piqua Rolf is looking at offers from Eastern Michigan and Oregon right now and has a cousin that plays for Oregon. That is how the Ducks got in on him early.

Rolf’s offer list should be much more impressive come season’s end.

In addition to the offers Rolf is hearing from Iowa, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Northwestern and Michigan State. He has been to Ohio State, Northwestern and Pittsburgh to take a look around.

Rolf is athletic enough to play linebacker in high school but I think someone takes this kid, fills him out and he turns into a great player. Big kids that can run are always in demand.

Rolf is originally from Salt Lake City and is of Polynesian descent.

53. *** Sean Baker 6-0 200 S Canfield The big question about Baker has been his speed.

He went a long way toward answering that question with a 4.71-second 40 at Ohio State. He had a sparkling 4.12second shuttle time which is even more interesting considering he is not nearly done growing. He could easily grow into a linebacker and plays the game like a linebacker.

Baker took another step in mid-July with a 4.53-second 40 GH at the Akron camp, where he weighed in at a solid 198-pounds.

Baker has offers from Vanderbilt and Kent State early in the recruiting process. When word gets out about this time, that offer list will grow quickly.

54. *** Bryant Thomas 6-1 185 QB/WR Cincinnati Withrow Right now, the only offer for Thomas is from Eastern Kentucky as a wide receiver. But he has an impressive list of schools still looking at him. He is still being recruited by Penn State, Boston College, Cincinnati, Miami (Ohio), Army, Air Force, Connecticut, Indiana, Ohio, Buffalo, Iowa and Western Kentucky.

Withrow coach Doc Gamble indicated that he will likely not be a quarterback, so most of the schools have not decided yet where he will play. Until a position is decided, schools will hold off on offers. This is a smart football player and a fine athlete. He was a deserved all-league receiver as a sophomore.

55. **** Rob Trigg 6-3 245 DE/DT Chaminade-Julienne Trigg has offers from Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Toledo and Kent State. I am a bit surprised he does not have more offers considering he was one of the most talked about players coming out of the Columbus Nike camp.

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That could change in the very near future. Maryland, Michigan State, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Indiana, Toledo, Kent State and Ohio have remained in touch.

He camped at Ohio State and Michigan State over the summer. With several former teammates at Michigan State, expect him to accept an offer from the Spartans should he receive one. Trigg has never hidden the fact that Michigan State is his dream school.

was second best on the day for all participants) and a 31-inch vertical.

Cunningham is also hearing from Wisconsin, Iowa, Maryland, North Carolina and Indiana. This is a prospect to keep an eye on.

NF

56. *** Marlon Parker 6-2 216 LB Warren Harding Warren Harding is a legendary program here in Ohio. It is shaping up to be coach Thom McDaniels’ best class in years.

In early reports Parker, was given credit for a 4.8second 40. His most recent 40 is a 4.65. That result has increased his stock and his offer list confirms it.

Parker has early offers from Boston College, Indiana, Cincinnati and Akron. He is getting interest from all over the country with Georgia Tech, Florida State, Penn State, GH Pittsburgh, Ohio State, Syracuse and a host of others staying in touch. Indiana has been talking to him about playing a hybrid DE/LB position.

He has a 485-pound squat and a 245-pound clean.

57. *** Carson Byrd 6-0 230 DE Trotwood-Madison Byrd transferred into Trotwood just last year from The Stivers School for the Arts in Dayton.

Trotwood has such a collection of talent there were others on the DVD coach Maurice Douglass sent me that I wanted to see. His part of the tape started with Byrd at offensive tackle, a position he is too small to be a prospect at, so I moved on. It was not until he impressed everyone against a nice collection of offensive line talent at the Scout.com Louisville combine that I went back to look at the DVD again.

Ohio has a number of smaller DE/OLB prospects this year.

GH Byrd is as good as any of them, though he is raw with last year being his first playing football at this level. He is a long armed kid with a motor that won’t quit and he is naturally strong.

Byrd had 55 solo tackles, 13 tackles for loss, seven sacks and three caused fumbles as a junior. He had a 4.81 40, 4.48-shuttle and a 31.5-inch vertical at Louisville where he was an All-Combine selection.

Byrd has offers from Akron, Bowling Green, Toledo, Ohio and Eastern Michigan. He has family in Georgia and really likes Georgia Tech and Yellow Jacket head coach Chan Gailey has been sending handwritten letters.

58. *** B.J. Cunningham 6-1 185 WR Westerville South Cunningham is a kid whose stock is really rising.

He has offers from West Virginia, Cincinnati, Miami (Ohio), Toledo, Akron and Ball State. He has visited Cincinnati, Miami (Ohio) and Ball State, a school that is really raising its recruiting profile in Ohio. He also intends on stopping by Penn State, a school with a good relationship with Westerville South. Several players have gone on to Penn State including former first round draft choice Ki-Jana Carter.

At the Columbus Nike combine, Cunningham put up some nice numbers to go with his impressive tape. He had a 4.62-second 40, a 4.12-second shuttle (which

59. *** Frankie Edmonds 5-7 190 RB Lakewood St. Edward Despite the questions about his size, Edmonds is not going to have to worry about college money. He already has offers from Akron, Miami (Ohio), Toledo, Bowling Green, Ball State and Ohio, with Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, Purdue, Indiana, Pittsburgh and West Virginia all taking interest.

They have time.

Edmunds is wide open and in no hurry to make a decision.

He opened some eyes with a 4.44-second 40 at the Nike combine in Columbus and had 17 reps on the bench press, which was more than a good GH number of the linemen. He also had a 33.3-inch vertical.

As a junior, Edmonds had 191 carries for 1,504 yards during the regular season for St. Edward.

Edmonds is not a small back – he is a short back.

And apparently a good number of colleges are realizing that.

60. *** Ben Davis 6-4 263 OL Piqua Davis is getting plenty of attention from recruiters as he is an athletic player that has played both right tackle and left tackle showing versatility, although, some schools are interested in him at guard.

He has an offer from Eastern Michigan and is hearing from West Virginia, Ohio, Maryland and Oregon. He camped at Ohio State, Toledo, Ball State and Cincinnati.

Davis is in no hurry to make a decision either. I suspect he is going to be a surprise on someone’s commitment list at the end of the year. I know of a couple of big names schools that have said they really like him but are not ready to offer.

61. *** Chris Walder 6-5 235 DE/TE Trotwood-Madison Walder is a player to watch closely this fall. He has finally made the decision to move over to TrotwoodMadison from Dayton Jefferson after considering the move for some time.

Walder is a specimen. He will play tight end for coach Douglass this year, who has added Jeremy Beckham to his staff as offensive coordinator. Beckham will put the ball in the air in the new spread offense, so Walder will have plenty of opportunity to show what kind of football player he can be.

He is raw and needs to get stronger and needs to get his academics in order. After watching tape of him last year at Jefferson, he might be a better defensive end. He is athletic enough that he dropped into coverage on occasion.

In the end, I think he gets offered as an athlete.

62. *** Tony Jackson 6-1 230 LB/RB Galloway Westland Tony Jackson is a player that is a short list of nominees for the best player you have never heard of.

Jackson is a well-put-together linebacker who has the speed to play outside but is physical enough to play inside but will ultimately end up outside. He has a good motor and outstanding academics.

He has a 4.5-second 40 and a 4.2-second shuttle time to go with a 320-pound bench and a 630-pound squat.

Jackson was at Grove City Central Crossing last season and transfers usually have it tough since recruiters have a hard time finding them. But Jackson has offers from Bowling Green and Cincinnati and there is a lot of interest out there. He has outstanding academics, so Stanford is showing a great deal of interest.

JJ Hu ddle’ s O h io Hi gh

Top 100 Seniors Academics will play a part in Jackson’s decision and he is very high on Stanford, Boston College, Ohio State, Illinois, Iowa, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati.

He had 137 tackles against an impressive Ohio Capital Conference schedule.

63. *** Mark Wetterer 6-6 300 OT Cincinnati Anderson Wetterer has had a busy off-season taking unofficial visits to Clemson, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State. He has written offers from Maryland, Cincinnati, West Virginia, Toledo and Connecticut. Ohio State, Clemson, Minnesota, Virginia and Boston College are staying in touch but have not pulled the trigger on an offer.

GH Wetterer has said that Ohio State and Clemson are at the top of his wish list and likes Boston College a lot.

Former teammate Ty Hall is currently an offensive lineman at Boston College, so that could have some bearing on his decision. If the Buckeyes were to offer, I don’t see Wetterer turning the offer down.

He will most likely make a decision early in the fall.

64. Kendrick Bruton 6-3 215 DE/TE Miamisburg Surprisingly, Bruton has mentioned that he prefers to play tight end. I thought he would prefer defensive end or linebacker. He could still end up as a linebacker since he is not really the size most schools are looking for in a tight end.

He has had a busy off-season with trips to Notre Dame, Cincinnati and Ohio State and attended spring games Miami (Ohio) and Akron.

Bruton has offers from Purdue, Akron, Miami (Ohio), Ohio, Kent, and Eastern Michigan. The Purdue offer is as a linebacker. He will likely make a decision before the season starts.

65. *** Jerome Royal 6-2 190 WR Cleveland Heights Royal is another strong candidate for the best player you have never heard of. He only caught nine passes last year as the Cleveland Heights quarterback was out and Chaz Jones was moved in to play quarterback. It became a run-oriented offense at that point.

Royal is a raw prospect but he has great tools to work with. His size was confirmed at the Cleveland Elite Skills Camp. There are always a lot of great prospects at that relatively unknown combine, so nobody was expecting to see Royal run a 4.49-second 40.

There was a who’s who of college football represented at this camp, including Notre Dame and Michigan but Royal was not much interested in going to one of the big name schools and did not think much of the recruiting process. He was offered by the Akron Zips and accepted. Akron is doing a great job of finding these diamonds in the rough and convincing them to come on board.

66. ** Jafe Pitcock 6-3 250 DT Piqua The offers have started to roll in for Pitcock. He has offers from Miami (Ohio), Akron, Ball State, Eastern Michigan and Kent.

There is still no consensus on where Pitcock will play in college. Some of his offers are as a defensive end, which he probably prefers, and defensive tackle.

Pitcock ran a 4.89-second 40 at the first of two senior only camps at Ohio State in early June. He would grow into a defensive tackle and his forty time says defensive tackle. He GH has a nice frame and will add

JJ H u d d l e ’ s O h i o H i g h

more weight.

The Piqua program has more Division I prospects than any other program this year, so the scouts will be out in force this fall. As a result, he will add to that offer list.

There is a bit too much emphasis on the fact that Jafe is not older brother Quinn (Ohio State). Very few are the prospect Quinn was. But younger brother Jafe makes plays, goes hard every down and is a very hard worker.

When January rolls around and decisions need to be made, I think the positives will be on the minds of those that make decisions.

67. *** Chaz Jones 6-0 180 S Cleveland Glenville The biggest news for Chaz Jones is the family has moved and he will be playing his football next season at Glenville.

Jones will play quarterback for the Tarblooders, but look for him to be recruited as an athlete that can play receiver, safety and possible cornerback and running back. Jones has showed what kind of athlete he is with a 4.49-second 40 and a 4.19-second shuttle time.

GH He could be one of the fastest risers at the end of the year. Jones went on the Ginn Foundation bus tour over the summer, so schools are aware of him.

68. *** Matt Yarab 6-1 220 LB/FB Youngstown Ursuline Keep an eye out for more interest in Matt Yarab.

Whether it is at strong safety or as a linebacker, he will end up getting a lot of interest before it is all said and done. The buzz has been about him as a strong safety because his 4.5second 40 speed is legit but I see a linebacker in that body of his.

Penn State, Iowa, Syracuse GH and West Virginia have been into Ursuline.

69. *** Perci Garner 6-2 190 QB Dover This has become a familiar refrain: Small school star equals no offers, and it is especially acute with quarterbacks.

His numbers are through the roof. He led the state of Ohio with 3,545 yards during the regular season in 2005, completing 208 of 313 passes. But those numbers are not a good indicator with the offense Dover runs.

Garner’s talent is apparent in GH his arm strength. He is not a bad athlete, either.

A number of MAC schools, Maryland and Iowa have been showing interest, but Garner has no offers at this point.

70. *** Dusty Snyder 6-2 240 DE Piqua There is a lot of interest coming in for Dusty Snyder with Minnesota, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Ohio, Iowa and Syracuse all staying in touch, but Eastern Michigan is the only school to come through with an offer so far.

One issue could be schools trying to determine where Snyder fits into a defensive scheme. Is he a defensive end or a linebacker? There is some speculation at trying him as a middle linebacker but he might be best suited as a 3-4 standup defensive end.

Snyder is a perfect example of the importance of measurables. As a football player, he doesn’t have to take a back seat to anyone in Ohio.

He camped at Ohio State, Louisville, Eastern Michigan and Toledo.

71. *** Jason Williams 6-3 185 QB Miamisburg Williams has been making the rounds. He visited Cincinnati, Toledo, Vanderbilt, Miami (Ohio), Ohio State and Michigan and Ohio University.

Ohio State and Michigan are the biggest camps out there, and with so many coaches from other schools outside the Big Ten, it is a good idea to attend because there is nothing like the level of exposure the big camps NF offer.

In 2004, Brian Hartline (Canton GlenOak, Ohio State) was offered by Florida shortly after the Ohio State camp because a former Florida assistant worked the camp.

72. **** Dan Barry 6-3 280 OL Mentor Lake Catholic One of the real surprises is Dan Barry not receiving an offer yet. I know I was a bit higher on him than some, but he was one of the first names out of the mouths of observers at the camps and combines he attended.

The contact is there, however. He has been hearing from Ohio State, Iowa, Boston College, Stanford, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Indiana, Purdue, Penn State and Pittsburgh – but GH no offers. I thought I would at least see the MAC come in on him early.

He is a relentless worker, moves well and has a nice body. I would like to know what the holdup is.

73. ** LeBron Daniel 6-1 225 DE/OLB Cleveland Glenville Daniel was at Warrensville Heights but left after head coach Delvin Culliver took the job at Painesville Harvey.

Daniel has performed well enough at every camp he has been to that he has earned special merit. He is a linebacker/defensive end that has put up some nice numbers at combines. At the Columbus Nike combine, he ran 4.74-second 40, had a 4.44-second shuttle and put 26 reps of 185-pounds.

Daniel had over 100 tackles and 13 sacks last year.

He has offers from Akron, Duke and Miami (Ohio) but is getting attention from Ohio State, Penn State, Notre Dame, Boston College, Purdue, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Colorado, Michigan State and Indiana.

That is one impressive list.

74. ** Andy Wersel 6-0 229 DE/OLB Cincinnati Moeller The 3-4 defense is back in vogue. Any college running it needs to get to Ohio. There are any number of rush defensive ends/outside linebackers in the state in the class of 2007.

Andy Wersel brings the best credentials. He led the team with 77 tackles and set a record for the Cincinnati metro area with 18 sacks last year. Those numbers are even more impressive considering the competition Moeller plays against.

Wersel is a high motor kid GH that comes off the edge like a shot and is very difficult to block.

Wersel’s impressive combine showing should make his stock rise. At the Columbus Nike combine where he ran 4.7-second 40, had a 4.31-shuttle and a vertical better than 30-inches. Along with a confirmation of his height and weight, that makes him a possible linebacker in a 4-3.

This is one of the best football players and playmak-

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Top 100 Seniors ers in Ohio.

Wersel has made the rounds stopping by Miami (Ohio), Western Michigan and Cincinnati in addition to the Nike at Ohio State.

He has offers from Western Michigan and Ball State.

75. ** Marquan Davis 6-5 238 ATH Youngstown Rayen Davis missed a lot of practice time and did not play last year. He has gotten his priorities in order and has shown himself to be one of the most impressive big athletes in the state of Ohio.

He went to a combine, that is where I got the height and weight, and proceeded to run a 4.76-second 40. He could be a defensive end, a tight end or maybe grow into a defensive tackle. Davis is also a hurdler.

Ohio State has already been in to check on him.

76. ** Mike Page 6-5 265 DT/OL Trotwood-Madison Page has transferred from Dayton Meadowdale to Trotwood-Madison. He played defensive tackle last year at Meadowdale but new Trotwood offensive coordinator Jeremy Beckham sees a great guard prospect.

Considering coach Beckham has put five offensive linemen into the Division I ranks, I think he is a good judge of offensive linemen.

Page could be a great guard but having a wide body this mobile could give him a shot at defensive tackle first.

Coach Douglass thinks he is a guard in college.

This is a very raw prospect. In the right college program, he has unlimited potential. Page has a frame that is going to get college coaches very excited.

If he shows well this fall he could have an interesting January. He showed really well at Ohio State’s camp.

77. ** Shawn Sailor 6-7 300 OL Maple Heights For a player that has little film available, Sailor is getting plenty of attention. He has played little football thus far but has the perfect body for the sport and he tests so well athletically.

There are plenty of other reasons to be at Maple Heights this year. Piqua may be the only program with more prospects this year. Despite that, scouts would have been out to see him regardless.

GH If Sailor shows anything his senior year, he will have a nice selection of schools to choose from. Most high school linemen are not ready to play as freshman.

Sailor may need a little more time but you bodies like the one can’t be coached. No position is more speculative.

78. ** Patrick McClellan 6-4 190 ATH Cincinnati Moeller McCellan played mostly corner last year and he is a good enough athlete to play corner. But he has a great body and an aggressive style of play. He is at least a safety and he could grow into a linebacker.

McClellan has a great frame and is awfully lean at 190 pounds. He has a style of play more in line with a player that plays close to the line of scrimmage. It is apparent in his body language. When he finds the ball carrier, all he really wants to do is hit.

He had outstanding numbers at the Nike combine in Columbus with a 4.12-shuttle, a 37.8-inch vertical and a 4.72 electronic 40-yard time on a slow track.

79. ** Tyler Sergeant 6-4 200 QB Clinton-Massie Last year, it was Rick Stanzi (Mentor Lake Catholic, Iowa) who ended up being the quarterback everyone was talking about at season’s end.

Sergeant will be that player this year. Sergeant could end up with Big Ten offers just like Stanzi.

Sergeant is as big as Stanzi if not bigger. He has as big an arm if not bigger. He has a good motion the college staff will not have to waste time trying to get his mechanics ironed out. He also is mobile enough that he

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

is used to run quarterback draws and the occasional option.

Level of competition is always a question for small school players but especially for quarterbacks and Clinton-Massie is in Division IV. Sergeant has received 25-30 letters from the Big Ten, Conference USA, Big East and Ivy League teams.

80. ** Brian Cramb 6-3 270 OL Boardman The biggest mystery in Ohio this year is Cramb. He is arguably the best run blocker in Ohio along with Nick Schepis This kid just explodes off the ball. He stays low and keeps his excellent feet moving. Once Cramb locks up a defender, it is over. He is driving defensive linemen into the secondary and has the athleticism to get out on second level blocks.

Like Nick Schepis, Cramb has some real nasty in his game. He has the motor of a defensive lineman and has a nice body on him.

Cramb plays left tackle but I see a guard in him at the next level. How this kid does not have a box full of offers is beyond me. Maybe the college coaches just don’t know about him yet.

81. ** Derrick Henry 6-1 190 ATH Worthington Kilbourne This is the Hines Ward of Ohio high school football this year. Henry did not get an opportunity to show much last year in the Kilbourne option offense he could be a fine receiver at the next level.

It seems as though there are several receivers in Ohio this year that have shown excellent blocking skills and Henry could be the best of them.

He also plays defense and that is why he is listed as an athlete. But he belongs on offense.

Last year, Henry carried the ball as a wingback racking up 655 rushing yards, averaging 7.4 yards per carry and scoring three touchdowns. He caught 10 balls for 237 yards and three more scores.

Henry has some impressive measurables with a 4.5second 40, a 375-pound squat, 235-pound bench, a 235pound clean and a 35-inch vertical. He is one of those players that does whatever is asked and does it well.

82. *** Erique Robertson 5-11 200 S/LB Maple Heights Size is important but some players are just too good to be ignored and Erique Robertson is one of those players.

Robertson has offers from Ball State, Bowling Green and Kent State he will add to that list as he is seen more and schools determine this high school linebacker can play the pass well enough to move to strong safety.

If Robertson were 6-2, he would have Big Ten offers on the table as a linebacker and could GH get some as a strong safety by the time it matters.

Pound for pound this is one of the best football players in Ohio.

83. ** Matt Zimmerman 6-4 265 OL Warren Howland Zimmerman has really come along. He has excellent technique and comes off the ball with a punch. He bends his knees, gets his helmet into defenders chests and he moves his feet.

In one segment of his game film, he is taking on a defensive tackle that is at least 400-pounds. On several plays, he takes this kid 10 yards down the field. He is as technically sound as any offensive lineman in Ohio and has the motor of a defensive player. He does not have the body typical for tackle but what an inside player he will be. He plays guard in high school.

84. ** Charles Brown 5-10 180 WR Maple Heights Brown is a much underrated receiver. He makes so many plays and he shows toughness as he will go over the middle.

He is not the size that everyone is looking for these days in receivers. I am not really surprised to see that the offers have not come in yet because of his size but wait until after the season when what goes on between the white lines starts to matter more than measureGH ments. This kid has skills.

Brown is football smart and he has good speed. He ran 4.49-second 40 at the Columbus Nike combine, best amongst receivers.

Brown has picked up early offers from Bowling Green and Ohio University.

85. *** Marcus O’Hara 6-6 295 OT Hubbard If linemen were evaluated on looks alone, O’Hara would be at the top of the Ohio list hands down. He looks more like a power forward at 295-pounds rather than an offensive lineman.

O’Hara is raw and needs a lot of work, but in time, he could be a very good tackle. He is further along than Zack Strief at the same time in their careers and Strief was recently taken in the NFL draft. He caught some eyes at the June 3 senior camp at GH Ohio State. Some school with the depth to take a chance could reap some long term rewards by offering O’Hara.

86. ** Chazz Anderson 6-2 200 QB Pickerington Central Anderson passed for 2,200 yards and 20 touchdowns his sophomore year, then threw for 1,300 more yards during his junior season.

He has had an impressive collection of schools in to take a look at him, including Maryland, Wisconsin, Marshall and West Virginia. Cincinnati and Vanderbilt have been in touch as well.

Anderson is going to put schools that want him as a quarterback at the top of his list, but as in the case with Skylar Jones from Middletown, his combine numbers have any number of schools interested in him as an athlete. At the Nike combine in Columbus, Anderson had 28 reps of 225-pounds, a 33-inch vertical, 4.1-shuttle and 4.63-second 40. He has been to Michigan on several occasions and favors the Wolverines.

87. * Mark Wooldridge 5-10 190 TB/DB Cuy. Falls Walsh Jesuit Wooldridge is off to a good start. He has offers from Miami (Ohio), Marshall, Cincinnati, Ball State and Bowling Green, and Akron.

He ran a 4.56-second 40 at the Scout.com combine in Pittsburgh and an amazing 4.03-second shuttle, giving some indication of just how quick this kid is. He showed how explosive he is later when he put up a 38.5-inch vertical and a nine-foot standing broad GH jump. His 6.97-second threecone drill was one of the 10 best on the day. The times were on field turf, generally considered to be slower, which makes his times all the more impressive.

Running behind top offensive lineman Mark Schepis, Wooldridge could add to an already impressive offer list his senior year.

He also participated in the Ginn Foundation bus tour.

88. *** Tomaz Hilton 6-3 190 WR/S Youngstown Rayen Hilton is getting plenty of interest but has no offers yet.

Cincinnati, Akron and Louisville are staying in touch as well as West Virginia, Miami (Ohio), Toledo and Kent State. He ran well at the Columbus Nike combine with a 4.68-second 40 and a very impressive 4.2-second pro

JJ Hu ddle’ s O h io Hi gh

Top 100 Seniors shuttle and impressed in oneon-one drills.

Hilton is a very raw prospect. He plays big, uses his body well and is such an athlete. With good college coaching, he is a real diamond in the rough.

I think this is a matter of schools wanting to see more.

GH

89. *** Mike Madsen 6-5 275 OL Y’town Cardinal Mooney Madsen has been flying low under the radar but the interest is there. He has offers from Miami (Ohio) and Kent State but that is just the beginning from the looks of his contact list. Syracuse, Illinois, Pittsburgh, Northwestern, Duke and Cincinnati are all staying in touch. He took unofficial visits to Miami (Ohio) and Kent State. He came away very impressed with his Miami (Ohio) visit and committed mid-July.

90. * Garrett Celek 6-5 230 OT Cincinnati LaSalle There has been an upswing in interest for Garrett Celek after word got out that he ran a 4.65-second 40.

In the spring issue, I mentioned Celek is a tight end sized offensive tackle. Well, he is now showing a tight end 40-yard times. He already has some excellent blocking skills, something so many high school tight ends need to work on after they get to college.

GH He impressed at the Cincinnati camp as a tight end and earned an offer from the Bearcats. The offer was hard to turn down as his brother Brent is a Beracat tight end and Garrett committed in early August.

91. *** Ishmaa’ily Kitchen 6-3 310 OL Y’town Cardinal Mooney This is not really a complicated matter. Kitchen needs to get in better shape both physically and academically.

He is a powerhouse and has tremendous feet but his weight is getting out of hand and he is not near qualified. His future is in his hands.

He is at least a MAC caliber prospect and any school outside of the Midwest Big Four could come in with offers if Kitchen gets as serious about GH matters off the field as he is about matters on the field.

92. *** Alex Kaufman 6-2 220 LB West Chester Lakota West Kaufman is one of the more underrated prospects in the state this year. He shows well on tape both at the line of scrimmage and in coverage, something that has become so much more important these days.

The measurables mean so much. Kaufman didn’t disappoint with a nice showing at the Columbus Nike Combine. He had a respectable 4.78-second 40, and a 31-2 inch vertical. Most importantly he ran a 4.25-second shuttle, the all important number for linebackers. He already has an offer from Minnesota and has been to junior days at Tennessee and Cincinnati.

93. * Aaron Pogue 6-8 300 DE Dayton Dunbar Pogue is talking the talk about playing football instead of basketball. Every college coach that has seen him hopes he walks the walk.

Pogue was a part of the Dayton Dunbar Division II state championship basketball team last winter. He is not just a big guy in the middle. He can play. I am sure he will get scholarship offers in basketball but this is a

JJ H u d d l e ’ s O h i o H i g h

potential NFL player if he gives up that basketball dream and starts concentrating on football.

Kids that are this size at this age that are as mobile as Pogue are rare. He is also in very good shape. He has some fat to lose, no question about that, but this he is not a big, sloppy kid.

Pogue starts for the basketball team and plays most of the game. He runs the floor like a GH much smaller player. College coaches are looking to basketball for big athlete more and more.

Pogue would be a national recruit if he chooses football. He is a prototypical left tackle with long arms and a thick body with great feet.

94. * Justin Powell 6-1 235 DE/OLB Boardman Ohio has a couple of top players this size in the Class of 2007 – Piqua’s Dusty Snyder for instance. If not for the resurrection of the 3-4 defense, these players would probably not be in the top 100. Neither is ideal sized to be a defensive end in the 4-3, and do not have the speed to be outside linebackers in a 4-3. But both fit the 3-4 as stand-up defensive ends.

Powell is a relentless defender. He chases plays from sideline to sideline. He is so good at the point of attack that he could SP get taken at middle linebacker.

He is a good technician splitting double teams effectively. He does the little things like checking down to make sure there is no reverse coming his way before he pursues.

If Powell was 6-4, he would surely be a Big Ten player.

95. ** Dan Dario 6-2 215 LB Akron Hoban Dario has been very active this summer camping at Northwestern, Illinois, West Virginia and Indiana with Northwestern and Indiana the most likely to offer.

He is one of the more active and physical players in the state of Ohio and always finds the ball. Dario is working with a speed coach right now and an improvement there could bring a dramatic change as he is still hearing from Ohio State, Akron, Syracuse, Wisconsin, Miami (Ohio), Eastern Michigan and Ohio in addition to the schools where he camped.

This is one good looking football player that is a good 40-yard time away from some major offers.

96. * Brian Peters 6-4 185 S Pickerington Central Peters has picked up offers from Cincinnati and Miami (Ohio) and could have one from Iowa. I would not be surprised if that were true.

Peters has been flying low under the radar but he is athletic, has a big frame and is as physical as any player in the state. There is some real nasty in his game.

He probably grows into linebacker but don’t be surprised to find him grow into a 3-4 standup defensive end.

97. * Joel Younkins 6-2 220 LB Hubbard Younkins is one of the more impressive linebackers in the state this year. He has good size and is very physical. He takes good angles and shows good closing speed to the ball. He is good in traffic and gets off blocks well but is very good at keeping himself clean with his good reactions and speed. Younkins put up a 4.6-second 40 this spring.

Eastern Michigan is the only offer on the table right now but he has been to camps at West Virginia, Ohio, Pittsburgh and Youngstown State and is hearing from

the Mountaineers, Akron and Bowling Green.

A good senior year will earn him offers from some of those schools.

98. *** Dan Ifft 6-3 175 WR Dover Dan Ifft is a textbook example of just how important the measurables are with recruiting. He is a player that brings skills to the table that very few can match. If this was just about football skills, Ifft would have so many offers he would have to get a storage unit to keep them all.

He shows no signs of being shy of contact and has such tremendous ball skills and hands. So far, however, he has not shown the speed that is so important these days, and more importantly, to his position. A colGH lege program could bring him in and move him to safety if he shows he cannot create space.

During the regular season last year, Ifft led Ohio with 92 catches for 1,506 yards (16.4 average).

99. * Zak Crum 6-4 285 C Westerville South Crum was close to cracking the top 100 in the spring issue.

He does not have the ideal body that the big boys are looking for but this is one of the most effective blockers in Ohio. Look up the word tenacious in the dictionary and there will be a picture of Crum. He is tough, nasty and smart.

Crum never stops moving after the initial engagement. If his man is down, he is looking for another.

GH He may not be on every schools want list now but he is going to be on someone’s commitment list come February.

100. * Scooter Hargate 6-2 204 QB Girard Hargate started early in his career when he was at Youngstown Ursuline and it showed. He needed a lot of work.

My have times ever changed.

Hargate is now at Girard and he is one of the best quarterbacks in a class with many fine signal callers. Hargate might be the most accurate passer in Ohio this year, especially on the long ball. He has a nice arm and shows some cool when he faces pressure. He hangs tough SP and delivers the ball. Hargate can make something happen when the pocket breaks down, as he is a nice looking athlete. Grades will not be a problem.

101. **** Terrence White 6-1 180 WR/CB Pickerington Central To compete with the big boys, smaller schools offer players early. White is such a game breaker he had offers from Akron, Miami (Ohio) and Central Michigan after his sophomore year. When players get offers that early, it speaks volumes.

White appears to be completely over the injury that took away his entire junior year. He qualified for the state meet in the long jump, which is a measure of the important attribute of explosion, and had some memorable plays on the basketball court with his ability to get off the ground. He is hearing from Ohio State, Michigan, Alabama, Maryland and Cincinnati. White could be one of the hottest commodities in the state when he shows his old form this fall.

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

Top 100 Seniors

Others to watch for..

Bernie Agnew 6-0 Billy Alexander 5-10 Joshua Anderson 5-10 Robert Anderson 6-1 Charles Baab 6-0 David Beck 6-2 Matt Beggin 5-11 Clay Beeler 6-1 Pat Bellish 6-3 Wendell Blue 6-3 Zach Boedicker 6-1 Barrett Brooks 6-4 Robert Brown 6-8 Chase Burge 6-3 Ben Burkett 6-3 Lewis Buzzard 6-7 George Carpenter 5-11 Bryant Clark 5-11 Matt Clark 6-3 Zak Clark 6-4 Phil Collier 5-11 A.J. Combest 5-11 Josh Copeland 6-1 Ryan Curry 5-10 Jake Davis 5-10 DeMarco Dawkins 6-0 Pete DeCapua 6-0 Kevin Deters 6-3 Brady DeMell 6-3 Jay Edwards 6-3 Marcus English 6-2 Bryson Faggs 5-10 Joe Flading 6-4 Wendell Ford 5-11 Trey Foulkes 6-5 Bryant Fox 6-1 Joe Gilford 5-7 Matt Glove 6-3 Justin Grifits 6-3 Michael Grubenhoff 6-3 Darren Gunn 6-3 Eric Haislah 5-9 David Harsch 5-10 Patrick Hennessey 6-1 Josh Herron 5-10 Steven Hight 6-2 Frank Hokavar 6-5 Don Houser 5-11 Marcus Houston 6-4 Craig Hoying 6-3 Shadoe Joiner 6-0

180 175 175 200 185 235 170 230 215 270 190 305 290 230 270 215 195 171 225 230 175 175 190 195 190 200 205 220 250 175 185 200 265 170 330 185 170 220 280 220 255 165 210 205 185 245 225 165 315 215 225

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

WR Columbus Africentric RB New Carlisle Tecumseh CB/TB Col. Marion-Franklin QB Upper Arlington QB/S Alliance LB/FB Paulding S Lima Senior LB Huntington DE/TE Canfield OL Cincinnati Withrow S/QB Macedonia Nordonia OT Galloway Westland OL Cincinnati Winton Woods LB Lancaster Fairfield Union OL Toledo St. Johnʼs TE Col. Franklin Heights ATH Lancaster CB Dayton Meadowdale LB Cincinnati McNicholas LB/TE Grove City CB Piqua RB Clayton Northmont S Fairborn RB/DB Youngstown Ursuline RB Cincinnati Anderson RB Lockland LB Richmond Heights TE Cincinnati Moeller DT Mentor QB/ATH Nelsonville York DB Trotwood-Madison TB Marion Harding OL Cincinnati Anderson TB Troy OT Columbus East S Piqua WR Huber Heights Wayne DT/OL Canfield OL Sydney ATH Delphos St. Johnʼs DT Trotwood-Madison CB Cleveland Glenville LB Warren Harding LB Cleveland St. Ignatius RB Monroe Lemon-Monroe DE/TE Canton McKinley DE Perry DB Fairborn OT Columbus Brookhaven LB Anna LB/TB Whitehall-Yearling

Greg Jones 6-2 Maurice Jones 6-0 Ted Jones 6-2 Kevin Kawalski 6-4 Kevin Koncelik 6-4 J.P Krill 6-0 Zak Kristan 6-3 Joe Lamb 6-3 Brian Lane 6-3 Bobby LaRosa 5-11 John Lee 6-0 Caleb Lipsey 6-3 Derek Lingenfelter6-2 Mike Linger 6-2 Jeff Lucas 6-3 Nick Marino 6-2 Vince Martin 6-3 Eddie Mason 5-10 Blake McCroskey 6-5 Tim Nelloms 6-3 R.J. Peake 5-11 David Peary 6-5 Rocco Pentello 6-1 Demario Pleasant 5-10 Alex Okafor 6-2 Jahan Olyaie 6-2 Corey Pigg 6-3 Evan Pilsbury 6-5 Ernest Pitts 5-11 Andy Poe 6-2 Gary Pride 5-9 Tarik Raed 6-1 Brandon Ramsey 6-1 Makkenon Rice 5-9 Andrew Robiskie 6-1 Austin Robitzer 6-4 Chris Schneider 6-3 Nathan Sharp 6-4 Steve Slade 6-0 Spencer Smith 6-3 Jamarro Spikes 5-11 Jeff Spikes 6-7 Jason Stiel 6-3 Kendall Stinson 5-8 Geno Sturdivant 5-9 Jason Sutherland 5-11 Nathan Toney 6-5 Marcus Vaughn 6-1 Myshan Veasley-Pettis 5-9 Cameron Wade 6-3 Mike Welker 6-6 Rafit Wheeler 5-11 Freddy Williams 6-0 Patrick Williams 6-2 Anthony Wright 5-11

210 210 220 265 250 205 205 175 230 215 180 285 235 210 225 230 195 170 250 190 180 250 195 180 180 190 308 205 185 210 180 210 175 180 235 305 225 280 200 220 175 315 225 165 190 170 265 224 165 260 300 170 215 215 180

LB/DE S DE/TE C OG ATH QB QB LB S/LB S DT/OL LB/FB LB LB LB WR S TE/OL WR CB DT/OL S/QB TB WR WR OG TE/DE RB LB ATH LB WR TB C OT QB OT S LB/TE TB OL LB CB S/LB WR OL LB/DE CB/WR C/DT OG WR LB TB/LB QB

Cincinnati Moeller Youngstown Ursuline Akron Buchtel Macedonia Nordonia Cleveland St. Ignatius Vermillion Dublin Coffman Waynesville Cincinnati Moeller Avon Cincinnati Withrow Cincinnati Sycamore Lima Shawnee West Chester Lakota West Lakewood St. Edward Urbana Springfield South Cleveland Glenville Chaminade-Julienne Col. Marion-Franklin Akron Buchtel Lancaster Westerville South Cincinnati Northwest Cincinnati Finneytown Cincinnati Anderson Middletown Vandalia Butler Akron Buchtel Cincinnati Reading Cincinnati Colerain Lakewood St. Edward Middletown Toledo Woodward Chagrin Falls Lancaster Findlay Beloit West Branch Youngstown Rayen Cincinnati Colerain Ashtabula Lakeside Painesville Harvey Reynoldsburg Newark Cleveland Glenville Vandalia Butler West Chester Lakota West Dayton Meadowdale Toledo Rogers Bedford Chanel Lancaster Cincinnati Withrow Fairborn Cincinnati Elder Maple Heights

JJ Hu ddle’ s O h io Hi gh

Double Duty

Jermale Hines

STORY BY GARY HOUSTEAU

U

Two-way standout Jermale Hines leads Cleveland Glenville in 2006

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

Photos by Gary Housteau

Glenville senior Jermale Hines saw action at QB and LB last season

nlike in recent years, there isnʼt the normal blue-chip cast of players returning at Glenville High School with scholarship offers to the major college programs already in hand.

But Jermale Hines will lead a relatively young and inexperienced group of many solid football players into battle that, as a team, have been bolstered by the normal arrival of a few more solid football players from a couple of different schools throughout the Cleveland area.

“Everything is going good. Weʼre just trying to put it all together,” said Hines. “I think our defense looks very good and the offense is starting to come together. So we should be OK.” The defense will have to be the strength of the team, at least early on, because the entire offensive unit, with the lone exception of wide receiver Kyle Jefferson, was lost to graduation. Both Jefferson and Hines, who have each received numerous offers from schools in the Big Ten prior to the season, will be the cornerstones around which their respective units will be built this season.

Hines, in just his second year with the team, is more than ready to lead the Tarblooders into the season. On defense, he will man the Will linebacker position but he may play some at strong safety on defense as well this season.

“Iʼm just trying to lead my team to the promised land and help get us over that hump to week 15,” he said. “Iʼll play some at quarterback on offense this year. But my coach says the reason why I wonʼt be playing quarterback too much is that Iʼm a strong part of the defense.

But I will be playing quarterback some. Iʼll probably be playing multiple positions on offense. Youʼll probably see me play some running back and receiver too.”

Last year, Hines made a name for himself on the defensive side of the ball after transferring to Glenville from Berrien High School, which is located near Valdosta, Georgia, just in time for the start of the season.

“I lived in Cleveland, I was born and raised in Cleveland and I moved to Georgia when I was 13,” Hines said. “I was there for my seventh and eighth grade years and I went to high school down there, too, for my ninth and tenth grade years.”

Hines started at quarterback and outside linebacker in his freshman year.

“I had 97 tackles and over 1,000 yards rushing at quarterback,” he said. “We ran the option.”

He was moved from quarterback to tailback on offense in his sophomore season.

“I had over 1,000 yards rushing and I played outside linebacker,” Hines said. “I had over 100 tackles that year.”

But his mom intervened during the summer before the start of his junior season and sent the family back to Cleveland.

JJ Hu ddle’ s O h io Hi gh

Jermale Hines “My mother felt I had a better “My situation is good right now. opportunity (to get into college) I just think that I need to have a so we came back up to Cleveland and she put us in big senior season to make it Glenville. And there it was,” even better.”

Hines said. “I was happy overall down there but I felt like I Hines on his recruiting situation was one of the better players around down there and I just You have to work hard to be a Tarblooder. But wasnʼt getting any looks. But I was happy it feels really good.” overall.”

And he couldnʼt be happier playing for a He didnʼt really know what to expect when coach like Ted Ginn, Sr. he came back home Cleveland.

“Itʼs just a great experience,” Hines said.

“I really didnʼt want to move at first because “He teaches you about life, not only football.

I didnʼt know how it would be, coming into a whole new system and not having that long to Heʼs a great man.”

So as Hines prepares for the start of his get prepared,” Hines said. “I thought I wasnʼt senior season, he finds himself in a pretty really going to play a lot but when I got up here and saw how everything was, I was very good situation right now. Just prior to the start of football camp, Hines already had scholarhappy.” ship offers from Michigan, West Virginia, Hines knew about Glenville before he went Louisville, Iowa, Wisconsin, Purdue, Illinois, down to Georgia.

Indiana and Cincinnati among others. But he “I remembered watching guys like Pierre believes an offer from Ohio State is likely to Woods and Dareus Hiley and all of them,” come at some time in the future.

Hines said. “That was when they were just “My situation is good right now. I just think starting to really blow up.” that I need to have a big senior season to So he was really excited when he realized make it even better,” Hines said. “Iʼm all right that he would indeed have a chance to play now but I still need that offer from Ohio State. for Glenville.

“I have a good relationship with Ohio State.

“Yeah I was excited,” he said. “I didnʼt have I talk to all the coaches from time to time,” any family down there, so I was excited to get Hines said.

“In the future I think thereʼs a good to play in front of my family in Cleveland. I was chance Iʼll be getting an offer from Ohio excited to play for Glenville, very excited.”

State.”

Hines actually joined the program only a From what heʼs been told, Hines, at 6-2, couple of weeks before the start of his junior 210 pounds, believes that his future position at season. the next level is at the Will linebacker position.

“It was a late decision. It was like two weeks “Thatʼs what theyʼre all telling me, all of the before the first game when I got here,” he coaches recruiting me,” he said. “I like linesaid. “But things worked out very well and I backer. Iʼm very athletic, fast, quick and Iʼm was very satisfied.” very physical. And Iʼm a smart player. And I And he certainly played like he was excited work hard in the weight room. Thatʼs where it to be a Tarblooder last year. Hines recorded all starts at.”

97 tackles, eight sacks and had four intercepAssistant coach Tony Overton thinks that tions as Glenville finished the regular season Hines could be one of the best linebackers unbeaten before losing in week 13 to St. theyʼve ever had at Glenville.

Edward in the Division I regional finals.

“Heʼs like Freddie Lenix (class of 2005; “My junior year was great. I was surrounded by a whole bunch of all-star players and it was Cincinnati Bearcats) but heʼs bigger,” Overton said. “Heʼs got great size, speed, everything. great,” Hines said. “I feel that I did okay but I And heʼs the leader of the defense.” feel that I can get a whole lot better this year.”

Hines, who averaged 17 points and 6 But the way Hines tells it, itʼs just an honor rebounds on the hardwood at Glenville, realfor him to be able to play for Glenville.

“It feels great playing for Glenville. Everyone izes that he has a chance to become the next great gridiron player at Glenville and follow in knows who you are everywhere you go. It the footsteps of guys like Troy Smith, Donte feels very good,” he said. “But playing for Whitner, Ted Ginn, Jr., Curtis Terry, Jamario Glenville, youʼve got a reputation to uphold.

JJ Hu d d l e ’ s O h i o H i g h

OʼNeal, Rob Rose, Bryant Browning and Ray Small.

“It makes me prepare harder because I know that I have some big shoes to fill. But I know that it has to be done,” said Hines, who has attended numerous combines and camps, GH both on his own and as a participant in the Ted Ginn Foundation Bus Tour, during this past off-season.

“It makes me work 10 times harder.”

And Hines is very much aware of the Glenville pipeline to Ohio State that was created by the aforementioned players.

But Hines, who was clocked at 4.56 in the 40-yard dash, admittedly likes a couple of schools from the south ast well.

“Iʼm still looking at schools in the south,” he said. “I like Florida, Florida State and Tennessee. I still like schools in the south. I like schools from all over right now. Iʼll figure it all out at the end of the season. Iʼm going to take all five of my official visits during the season.”

But for the time being, Hines is really looking forward to his senior season. He thinks that this Glenville team may have the best overall collection of talent that has ever been assembled at the school.

“I really canʼt wait for the season,” he said. “I canʼt sleep at night sometimes, itʼs that exciting. Last year was disappointing but at the same time we accomplished a lot last year.

Itʼs going to make us all work harder all season and be prepared and stay focused for the whole season.”

Hines is trying to stay focused in the classroom as well. He has a 2.8 GPA but is hoping to improve his test scores.

“Iʼm doing good in the classroom now and I feel I did a lot better on my second test,” Hines said. “I tried to stay more focused during the test this time. Itʼs real easy to get unfocused taking that test. (The ACT score is) probably the reason why I havenʼt got an offer from Ohio State yet.”

But if all goes well for Hines this season, Glenville will make it to week 15 and win their schoolʼs first-ever state championship and that elusive offer from Ohio State will materialize.

Ohio State, West Virginia and Michigan are his top three schools going into the season.

“Weʼve got a lot to play for at Glenville this year,” Hines said. “And Iʼve got a lot to play for too. Weʼll just have to wait and see what happens.” — OH

J J H U D D L E . C O M 41

Jay Edwards

STORY BY PAUL BOGGS

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

Photo by Jackson County Times Journal

N

elsonville-York High School is regarded as a football factory.

With a Division IV state championship in 1981 and multiple TriValley Conference titles and state playoff appearances since, the tradition-rich program has produced many standout teams and players.

One of those is Jay Edwards, the latest fine production in Buckeye lore. And, not only is he close to choosing a college to continue his playing career, heʼs also close to a level of perfection never experienced at Nelsonville-York.

Entering his senior season, Edwards, a six-foot-one inch 205-pound quarterback, has already been offered by two major programs in Ohio with several other Division I schools showing interest.

“All I can say is that I will eventually come to a decision,” said Edwards. “Iʼm waiting on some offers and still talking to some schools.”

This fall, in the meantime, he will try to guide the Buckeyes to their fourth straight Tri-Valley Conference Ohio Division championship and fourth consecutive Division V, Region 19 playoff appearance.

“I love it around here,” said Edwards of playing for the Orange and Brown.

“Itʼs hard to believe I only have one year left. Itʼs finally hitting me that this is it. I know the season will go by fast, but I hope it slows down. Iʼve been blessed from the first game as a freshman right on through. The coaching staff has stuck right with me, too.”

In Edwardsʼ three previous seasons under center, as well as head coach Dave Boston Jr.ʼs three years, the Bucks are a perfect 15-for-15 in TVC-Ohio Division tilts. Nelsonville-York has posted three straight 7-4 campaigns and three consecutive trips to the Division V, Region 19 quarterfinals.

Edwards has started at quarterback since the fourth game of his freshman season, one in which the Buckeyes started 1-3. However, they are a remarkable 20-9 with Edwards calling the signals, as he has earned all-TVC-Ohio honors twice as well as Division V all-Southeast District Special Mention twice.

“Jay is successful and weʼre successful as a team because of his leadership, his maturity and his wanting to be the best he can be each and every year,” said Boston. “Jay is undefeated in league play, he came in his freshman year and stepped in and showed he was mature enough to handle the quarterback position. Heʼs a solid quarterback and a solid defensive player as well.

Heʼs just a fantastic athlete.”

The athletic Edwards is also a standout in basketball as well as track and field.

But, itʼs football that Edwards is eyeing at the next level.

He explained that he has already received a scholarship offer from Ohio University, which is only 15 minutes south of Nelsonville in Athens.

A three-year starter, Nelsonville-York QB Jay Edwards has scholarship offers from Ohio University and Youngstown State.

JJ H u ddle’ s O h io Hi gh

Jay Edwards Youngstown State has also offered, coming along. I still feel that I have “We want to go 10-0 every year but and he said that Bowling Green is above average strength and average especially this year. We want to win the “very interested.” He has also talked speed, and the speed of the game in to Marshall of Conference USA and college is so much faster.” league one more time and host a playoff Northwestern of the Big Ten. Last season, he recorded 88 tackgame and win a first-round game.”

“Eventually, I will come to a deciles at linebacker to supplement his sion, but I donʼt feel any added pres753 rushing yards and 1,235 passing N-Y senior QB Jay Edwards sure from colleges,” said Edwards. yards. He rushed for six touchdowns “People tell me I need to make a and threw for 10. As a sophomore, he decision, but I will do whatʼs best for rushed for eight scores and tossed for me. I go to all these combines with all the college scouts and a lot of six while racking up 297 rushing yards and 746 passing yards on 39-ofgreat high school players, but I donʼt let it pressure me. I want to get a 84. full ride and help pay my parents back for taking care of me all of these Boston expects Edwards to continue to improve as a quarterback, years. Theyʼve done everything humanly possible to help me.” but anticipates a “breakout year defensively.”

Which includes Edwardsʼ training.

“He has a lot of fine tuning to do, but Jay is the type of person that “I have a high speed treadmill that I work out on every night,” he said. has never questioned what weʼre doing. He does anything that we ask “Itʼs really done a lot to help improve my speed, strength and agility.” him to do and doesnʼt complain. Heʼs a leader and does whatever it Boston added that his seniorʼs work ethic is arguably his top attribute. takes to win.”

“His work ethic is amazing; heʼs one of the hardest workers Iʼve ever Case in point in last seasonʼs playoff game at East Knox. had,” said the coach. “He is tremendous in the weight room and on and Nelsonville-York, especially in the Boston Jr. era, emphasizes a off the field. Heʼs developed his speed over four years, he does those smashmouth power-based running attack. However, against East extra things which demonstrate that he is a tremendous leader.”

Knox, Edwards threw for what is believed to be a school record 352 During the past off-season, Edwards has been busy with combines, yards on 26-of-37 passing. He gained over 400 all-purpose yards in the including the senior camp at Ohio University as well invites from Buckeyesʼ 35-28 loss.

Bowling Green and Youngstown State.

“We really saw what he can do in that game,” said Boston. “He can At one - the prestigious Nike training camp in Columbus in May - he adapt and get the job done running or throwing. He did what needed placed second in the overall ratings out of nearly 600 athletes. done.”

The event, like many similar, tested his 40-yard dash time, shuttle And that, Boston added, is what makes Edwards a “great leader.” speed, bench press and vertical leap. His best times include a 4.46 in “He looks after the young kids and helps develop them,” said Boston. the 40, a 4.12 in the shuttle, a 32 1/2-inch vertical and a bench press of “He forgets about himself a lot and works with the younger kids. That 24 reps at 225 pounds. develops winners and a winning program.”

“I expected to be in the top 10, so I was very pleased to finish secAnd, Edwards aims to leave Nelsonville-York a winner – in the form ond,” said Edwards. “I knew I did well. I wouldʼve been really happy just of a four-time TVC-Ohio champion and four-time playoff performer. to be in the top 10. The top athletes were there.”

“The sky is the limit this year,” he said. “We want to go 10-0 every Since the Nike outing, Edwards has shown he is a jack-of-all-trades year but especially this year. We want to win the league one more time football player this summer. and host a playoff game and win a first-round game.”

In addition to testing at quarterback, Edwards has worked out as a Edwards credits much of his success to his coaches and teamrunning back, receiver, defensive back and linebacker at summer mates, both those who have moved on and those which remain in the camps. His most recent camp was at Akron. program.

But while Edwards is touted for his running, throwing and adaptability “Weʼve had a lot of great athletes here, and weʼve had the best lineas a quarterback, Boston said that he is a likely defensive player in colmen in the TVC,” he said. “Theyʼve done a great job of taking care of lege. me. When I was a freshman and took over at quarterback, they didnʼt “Heʼs either going to be a safety or a linebacker if he wants to have a dog me and they could have. Instead they picked me up and have chance at the next level,” he explained. “Heʼs a strong inside linebacker, been there all the way. The coaches have been there all three years but he needs to fine tune his techniques. He really hasnʼt played much too. I feel I can go to them at any time, even as a regular person.” defense for us until last year, his junior year. Before that, we only had But perhaps Edwards is no ordinary Jay. Heʼs the latest standout him on defense in passing situations. Being a quarterback is such a product in the Nelsonville-York football factory. mental game to begin with, then you have to turn it back over to the “We expect a big final year from him,” said Boston. “Jay has a good defensive side of the football.” head on his shoulders and heʼll make the right and best decisions in Edwards admitted that he has a lot of room to grow on defense. life. Heʼs a smart young man too, with a 3.8 grade point average. Heʼll “Agility, speed, strength and positionwise, I have to continue to work choose where his confidence lies. Heʼs matured so much since his on it,” he said. “Iʼve really worked on my speed and strength, it keeps freshman year and he keeps on maturing.” — OH

JJ Hu d d l e ’ s O h i o H i g h

J J H U D D L E . C O M 43

High School Football Notes

STORY BY STEVE HELWAGEN

Photo by Gary Housteau

A

t its May 11 meeting, the OHSAA Board of Control voted to keep the state football championships in Stark County through 2009 with options to stay there through 2011.

The board made a 7-0 vote to stay with host sites at Massillon and Canton after a recommendation from a nineperson state football finals subcommittee. Factions in Cincinnati and Columbus also bid to host the finals. The upcoming 2006 season will mark the 17th consecutive year that the Canton/Stark County Convention and Visitors Bureau has assisted the OHSAA in hosting the finals.

“The subcommittee conducted a thorough review of the proposals, and the board is in concert with the recommendation that returning to Stark County is the right choice for the state finals for the student-athletes, our member schools and their communities,” said Larry Acker, superintendent of the North Central Local Schools in Creston and president of the Board of Control.

“While weʼre pleased there is interest from other areas of the state to host the finals, the board is unanimous in believing that we currently have one of the best setups in the nation for interscholastic state football championships.”

The subcommittee was comprised of Board of Control members as

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

well as administrative staff and officers of the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association. They heard presentations from groups representing Stark County, Cincinnati and Columbus. Site surveys were also conducted during the spring.

The Cincinnati group proposed hosting all six games of the finals at Paul Brown Stadium, home of the NFLʼs Cincinnati Bengals. The Columbus group proposed hosting four games at Columbus Crew Stadium and two at Dublin Coffman High School. The games in Stark County will continue to be rotated evenly between Fawcett Stadium in Canton and Paul Brown Tiger Stadium in Massillon.

“The groups in Cincinnati and Columbus made great presentations,” said OHSAA commissioner Dan Ross. “They showed they would be capable of hosting the championship contests, and Iʼm confident that they would have helped create lifetime memories for the participants.

“But the overriding sentiments of the subcommittee members were that they are pleased with the current set-up, especially when looking at the facilities, the playing surfaces and the rotation of the finals between Canton and Massillon. That tradition and their experience in hosting the finals were also factors.”

The state championships in six divisions will be held in Stark County Dec. 1-2.

JJ Hu ddle’ s O h io Hi gh

High School Football Notes

Ohio News Network Making Plans To Cover Ohio Football

Once again this season, Ohio News Network will be a primary place to check in for high school football action on Friday nights and also throughout the playoffs.

ONN will continue to tape delay high school games on Friday nights beginning with a pregame show at 9:30 p.m.

That series is named “The Big Game.” ONN will finalize the schedule for “The Big Game” as the season nears. Look for announcements on each weekʼs scheduled game on www.jjhuddle.com ONN will also continue its popular “High School Sports Site” show with highlights and analysis on games all over the state, including a special emphasis on a game dubbed each week as the Marquee Matchup. JJ Huddle and Jerry Rudzinski will join host Dan DeCrow in breaking down all of the action each week.

Plus, ONN will continue to televise selected playoff games leading up to complete coverage of all six state championship games Dec. 1-2, including pregame and postgame coverage.

ONN is adding one more wrinkle to its high school coverage with the advent of its “Varsity Ohio” weekly series at 8 p.m. each Wednesday. This show will wrap up the previous weekʼs action and preview the upcoming weekendʼs key games.

Fox Sports Net Announces TV Schedule For Fall 2006

Fox Sports Net Ohio has announced a schedule of games that will be televised during the upcoming 2006 Ohio high school football season.

FSN Ohio, which reaches 5 million homes in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Pennsylvania and New York, will televise most of the games as part of a weekly “Northeast Ohio High School Football Game Of The Week.” It will also televise four games as part of the i-wireless Prep Classic Sept. 9 from Cincinnati.

FSN Ohio is working with Classic Teleproductions and Home Team Marketing on this series. Here is a look at the schedule: * Sat., Aug. 26 – Charity Game doubleheader from Cleveland Browns Stadium with Cleveland Glenville against Mentor (1 p.m.) and Solon tackling Strongsville (5 p.m.). * Thurs., Aug. 31 – Akron Buchtel at Austintown Fitch, 7:30 p.m. * Thurs., Sept. 7 – Cleveland Glenville at Strongsville, 7:30 p.m. * Sat., Sept. 9 – i-wireless Prep Classic from Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati with Cincinnati Taft-Cincinnati Withrow (10 a.m.), Fort Thomas (Ky.) Highlands-Louisville (Ky.) St. Xavier (1 p.m.), Cincinnati Moeller-Massillon Washington (4 p.m.), Cincinnati St. Xavier-Lakewood St. Edward (7:30 p.m.). * Sat., Sept. 16 – Youngstown Cardinal Mooney at Warren Harding, 7 p.m.

JJ H u d d l e ’ s O h i o H i g h

* Thurs., Sept. 21 – Solon at Hudson, 7:30 p.m. * Fri., Sept. 22 – Massillon Washington at Mentor, 7:30 p.m. * Thurs., Sept. 28 – North Royalton at Elyria, 7 p.m. * Thurs., Oct. 5 – Green at Wadsworth, 7:30 p.m. * Sat., Oct. 14 – Lakewood St. Edward vs. Cleveland St. Ignatius, 7 p.m. * Thurs., Oct. 19 – Macedonia Nordonia at Lyndhurst Brush, 7:30 p.m. * Thurs., Oct. 26 – Garfield Heights at Bedford, 7:30 p.m. * Sat., Nov. 11 – OHSAA regional playoffs, time TBA. Games on FSN Ohio may be preempted in some areas due to coverage of other sporting events. Check local listings for games shown in your area.

JJHuddle.com: It Works!

In July, Ohio Highʼs web site, jjhuddle.com, helped make the high school football world a much smaller place by connecting a program in need with a coach seven counties away.

Mount Gileadʼs football program was thrown for a loop in July, when Lane Warner resigned the head coaching post.

News of Warnerʼs departure was immediate fodder for the JJHuddle.com football message boards, and that is where the man who would become the schoolʼs next coach discovered the opening.

“I was just looking on JJHuddle.com and I saw Mount Gilead had a football opening, so I applied,” said Mike Tucci, a Boardman native who has worked as an assistant at East Liverpool and Lisbon Beaver, in an interview with the Mansfield News Journal.

Tucci, 35, applied for the job, got an interview at Mount Gilead and was hired July 18 to fill the vacancy.

“It's really pretty late to be taking over the program,” Tucci said. “But I'm very excited about the opportunity and I'm confident we can have the kids ready to go.”

Mount Gilead endured an 0-10 campaign last fall. Much of the staff remains in place, with Tucci absorbing four assistants from Warner's regime. This will be Tucci's first head coaching job. He attended Boardman High School and is a Youngstown State graduate.

Lakewood St. Edward’s back Nate Oliver and his teammates will appear on Fox Sports Net Ohio twice this season.

Photo by Gary Housteau

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

Top Juniors

STORY BY DUANE LONG SH

A

couple of years ago, I made the decision to move away from ranking underclassmen. There were so many players on top of the list simply because they played early.

By the time it mattered, into their senior year, too many of the players had been passed by others that had sat behind top upperclassmen. Or, there were situations in which certain programs would not allow younger players to play varsity. In other cases, a good portion of players simply developed later than others.

That is why I moved away from ranking them. The recruiting process is tough enough on young players without picking up a magazine and seeing them slide down the recruiting rankings. Since then, I have started getting more film and better information. I feel more confident that I get a good enough look to rank some of these kids. I do not do a top 100, but I think this group of kids has shown they are not going to drop more than a few spots over the next couple of years. — OH

1 2

3

4 5

Mike Adams

The Top 10

6-6 290 OL Dublin Coffman

NF

Mike Adams Dublin Coffman Brandon Moore Trotwood-Madison GH

GH

Michael Zordich Cardinal Mooney

The big debate in this class is if Adams or Zebrie Sanders is the No. 1 offensive lineman. Adams was impressive at the Ohio State camp in June.

Zebrie Sanders 6-6

Johnny Adams Akron Buchtel

265 OL Clayton Northmont

GH

Sanders is one of the top offensive linemen in what looks to be a monster offensive line class. Sanders has prototypical offensive line size and has room to add 50 pounds. He performed well against upperclassmen at camps over the summer, including the Nike Camp at Ohio State.

Brandon Moore 6-5 230 TE Trotwood-Madison

Moore has the potential to be the best tight end to come out of Ohio – even better than Louis Irrizarry (Youngstown Ursuline, 2003). Moore runs 4.61-second 40 and is as athletic as a player 50 pounds lighter. He is a 4.0 GPA student and picked up his first official offer in July from Georgia.

Shawntel Rowell

6-4 305 DT

Glenville

Rowell’s weight could be a concern. If he controls it, he could end up the No. 1 player in the class. He has entered the big-time transferring to Glenville from Warrensville Heights.

(tie) Brandon Beachum 6-2 220 LB/RB

Mooney

Beachum is a player that will be recruited by the top 20 programs in the country as both a linebacker and a running back.

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

GH

Zebrie Sanders Clayton Northmont

Brandon Beachum Cardinal Mooney

Photos by Gary Housteau, Nick Falzerano & Steve Helwagen

JJ Hu ddle’ s O h io Hi gh

5 7 8 9 10

(tie) Michael Zordich 6-1

210 LB

Mooney

It is difficult to rank Zordich or Beachum one above the other.

Nathan Williams 6-4 235 DE/LB

Top Juniors GH

Miami Trace

Of all the players in the class, Williams passes the initial look test. He is a high school linebacker. He figures to be a college defensive end.

Johnny Adams 5-11 170 CB/WR

Salvador Battles Youngstown Rayen

Akron Buchtel

NF

In a class full of linemen, this is the one special skill player. He ran back nine kicks and interceptions for touchdowns last year.

Jake Current 6-4

260 OL

Troy

Current won the best offensive lineman award at the Ohio State camp this summer for the second year in a row. First team Greater Western Ohio Conference.

Domonique Britt Trotwood-Madison GH

Justin Brown 6-4 210 DE Youngstown Ursuline Brown is an impressive physical specimen, is highly athletic and plays hard on both sides of the ball.

Dan McCarthy Cardinal Mooney

12 More to Watch Out For (in no particular order)

Salvadore Battles 6-0 205 TB/QB YĘźtown Rayen Right now, Battles is one of the top two skill players in this class. He is not ideal quarterback size but has a big arm. He is better, though, when he tucks it and runs.

Steve Yoak 6-2 210 LB Akron Hoban Yoak is a hard running high school running back. He prefers running back but really looks the part of a great inside linebacker. He has wide shoulders and long arms. He rushed for 1,688 yards on 332 carries with 21 touchdowns last year. He had a couple of sub 4.6 40 times at camps, including a 4.47 and a 4.3 shuttle.

Domonique Britt 6-5 190 QB Trotwood-Madison Britt runs and throws very well. He is similar to former Glenville quarterback and Iowa Hawkeye Arvell Nelson.

Jamiihr Williams 6-1 210 LB Lima Senior It is hard to believe this linebacker class could get any better but Williams stood out at couple of combines. He has a great body and is very athletic.

JJ H u d d l e ’ s O h i o H i g h

T.J. White 6-3 240 ATH Troy White could be a defensive end, tight end or a linebacker. This is a big kid that can run and there are never too many of those. A college should get him in and then worry about his position.

Reggie Comeaux 6-4 310 OL Mass. Washington Comeaux worked his way into the starting lineup as a sophomore late in the year for the state runner-up Tigers and is looking like a potential star.

DeVoe Torrance 6-2 215 LB Canton South If Torrence gets his grades in order, he is a sure top-10 player and may even crack the top five.

Dan McCarthy 6-0 180 S Cardinal Mooney McCarthy is one of the better athletes in the class. His brother, Kyle, led Mooney to a state title in 2004 and is now at Notre Dame.

Eric Simmons 6-3 275 OG Glenville Every school is going to have to decide if he is

a better defensive tackle or a guard. He will get offers for both.

Walt Stewart 6-5 210 DE Col. Franklin Hgts.

Stewart flashed future stardom in his first game as a sophomore with six solo tackles, five assists, two tackles-for-loss, two sacks and an interception.

Jeff White 5-9 185 RB Alliance White averaged five yards a carry last year. Has an entirely different level of speed and is winning local power lifting competitions.

D.J. Woods 6-0 175 WR Strongsville Woods came away with most observers saying he was the best receiver at the Elite Skills camp in Cleveland.

Daren Youngberg 6-1 175 S Clayton Northmont Scouts went to Northmont last year to see Kurt Coleman and came away talking about Youngberg.

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

Top Juniors

Quarterbacks

Quarterbacks and lineman come along a little slower than other positions, so it is no surprise that nobody has stepped forward yet.

For example, Clay Belton is a top five player in a monster class of 2007 but he did not even start until his junior year.

Jason Albertini 6-2 190 QB Vandalia Butler Albertini is showing poise and accuracy at this early stage.

Juandez Brown 6-3 180 QB Cincinnati Withrow Daylin Campbell 6-2 195 QB Kenton Campbell completed 167 of 323 passes for 2,921 yards in 2005.

Colton Cattani 6-2 180 QB Liberty Twp. Lakota E. 6-2 190 QB Lehman Catholic Kyle Corbin Zach Domicone 6-1 185 QB Beavercreek Ryan Hughes 6-2 200 QB Carroll Bloom-Carroll Hughes completed 239 of 388 passes for 2,788 yards in 2005.

Marc Kanetsky 6-0 175 QB Hubbard Kanetsky is lightning quick with a rifle arm and a quick release. He bears an uncanny resemblance to Doug Flutie as a player.

Russ Oltorik 6-1 185 QB Cincinnati Moeller Shane Porter 6-1 175 QB Portsmouth Porter had 1,600 yards passing and 500 yards rushing last season.

Patrick Ryan 6-2 170 QB Cleveland St. Ignatius

Running Backs

This is a running back class that is a bit short on size but there is still time for these players to fill out. Keith Herring reminds us of a Morgan Williams-type player and is having to wait his turn behind a great upperclassman in Brian Gamble. Crockett is an elusive and athletic talent. Battles is definitely head of the class.

Sir Abernathy 5-9 180 TB Cincinnati Withrow Abernathy rushed for over 1,000 yards as a freshman.

Darius Ashley 5-9 170 TB Cincinnati St. Xavier Ashley started as a sophomore and doing so in a program like St. Xavier speaks volumes. He runs a lot bigger than his size. He had 1,653 yards and 26 TDs on 253 carries for St. Xʼs 15-0 state championship team.

Dominique Chandler 6-2 210 TB/LB Franklin Hts. Chandler rushed for 700 yards last year and six touchdowns in his first year as a starter in a new offense. He has a 280-pound bench and 400pound squat and could be a linebacker in time.

Chris Crockett 5-9 180 TB Columbus Academy Larry Dawson 6-1 190 TB/DB Akron North Dominic Goodwin 5-8 180 RB Lakewood St. Edward If Frankie Edmonds wasnʼt so good, Goodwin would be the household name.

Keith Herring 5-11 185 TB Massillon Washington The only negative about Herring is he happens to be in the same backfield as top-20 senior Brian Gamble. He averaged 7 yards a carry last year when given the opportunity.

Anthony Hitchens 5-10 170 RB Chillicothe Chevis Jackson 6-0 200 RB Cincinnati Finneytown Drew Jones 5-10 180 TB Wadsworth Fred Newet TB Lyndhurst Brush Kendell Owens 5-7 165 TB Cincinnati LaSalle Ismael Pope 5-9 180 TB Cincinnati Withrow Bruce Parker 6-1 200 TB Sandusky Travis Smith 5-10 190 RB East Cleveland Shaw Eric Stoyanoff 5-10 195 RB Strongsville Stoyanoff is a punishing runner with a take-no-prisoners style. He rushed for over 1,700 yards last year, averaging 171 per game, against a high level of competition.

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

Les Tabor Damon Taylor Dwaine Thomas Dorian West Paris Wicks

5-10 5-10 5-11 5-9 5-9

220 170 185 205 175

Wide Receivers

FB/LB TB RB TB/LB RB

Niles McKinley Fairfield Warren Howland Cincinnati Princeton Akron Ellet

No player has clearly stepped up as a dominant player but there are plenty of candidates. There is size and speed and the progress of this group should be interesting. It could turn out to be a very good class. Teddy Robb and Eric Magnacca are the top kids right now.

Jordan Bell 5-11 180 WR Barberton Bakari Bussey 6-0 175 WR Lakota West Bussey is the he son of former Bengal defensive back Dexter Bussey.

He could end up being a defensive back like his dad.

Kendal Coleman 6-0 185 WR Hillsboro Jeff Davis 6-1 175 WR/QB Springfield North Will Fleming 6-4 190 WR Akron Hoban Torrieal Gibson 5-9 140 WR/CB Cleveland Glenville Eric Magnacca 5-10 172 WR Massillon Perry Magnacca could be the fastest football player in the class.

Corey Manns 6-1 185 WR Kenton Had 53 catches for 1,114 yards as a sophomore.

Isaiah Mincy 6-0 160 WR Cincinnati Withrow Joe Parris 6-1 160 WR Cleveland St. Ignatius Deveir Posey 6-3 175 WR Cincinnati LaSalle Teddy Robb 6-1 175 WR Canal Fulton Northwest Robb is the go-to receiver in a top flight program. He has track speed, great hands and is tough enough to go over the middle. He Performed well at Ohio State and Akron's camps. Robb has a great future.

Roy Roundtree 6-2 160 WR/S Dayton Belmont Antuwan Rucker 5-10 160 WR/CB Warren Harding Kordell Scott 6-3 175 ATH Cleveland Glenville Brandin Solomon 5-11 170 WR Cincinnati Withrow Clay Swigert 6-0 170 WR/DB Louisville Swigert played some varsity as a freshman and was a starter as a sophomore. He is playmaker on offense and very steady on defense. He is a smart player for someone so young.

Anthony Steplight WR Garfield Heights Jake Stoneburner 6-4 190 WR Dublin Coffman Stoneburner is a great hurdler and we are seeing hurdlers show well on the football field recently.

Matt Wakulchik 6-1 175 WR/DB North Canton Hoover Wakulchik is a nice looking athlete for Hoover coach Donny Hertler. He has good hands and great awareness at DB. He savedthe GlenOak game last year by intercepting Mike Hartline in the end zone. Wakulchik is a smart, tough football player and has 4.6-second speed in the 40. He won the best wide receiver award at Ohio State camp last summer.

Tyler Walker 5-10 145 WR/DB Hamilton Ray West 5-7 170 WR Springfield South Kendall Woodard 6-2 190 WR Dayton Dunbar

Tight Ends

Christian Hanna and T.J. White are looking like Division I collegiate talents. Whether they will be tight ends are not remains to be seen. Both are also outstanding defensive linemen.

Christian Hanna Tom Klempin Kyle Rudolph

6-2 6-7 6-6

240 190 210

TE/DE TE TE

Cleveland Benedictine Pickerington Central Cincinnati Elder

JJ Hu ddle’ s O h io High

Top Juniors

Offensive Linemen

Could we see a repeat of the Class of 2006? It is too early to tell but this class is showing very well already. Offensive linemen are usually the last to surface. That so many kids are showing this well early bodes well for the class.

Isaac Anderson 6-4 290 OG Upper Sandusky Anderson is a real powerhouse. He was a best offensive lineman award winner at the Ohio State camp.

Zach Brown 6-2 285 OG Canal Winchester Brown showed well at the U.S. Army All-American junior combine.

Vince Carter 6-4 270 OL Clayton Northmont 6-6 OL Newark Licking Valley Tim German 6-7 270 OT/DE Gilmour Academy Matt Mihalik Gabe Patten 6-4 240 OL West Chester Lakota W. Andrew Phalen 6-4 240 OL West Chester Lakota W. Chip Robinson 6-6 345 OT Middletown Robinson is a huge kid that should have trouble putting one foot in front of the other at this early stage considering his size. Coach Johnson wants to get his weight down and that should help his development.

Eric Sluszka 6-4 290 OT Westerville North Grady Spidell 6-4 305 OL Akron North Blaec Walker 6-4 310 OG Middletown

Defensive Linemen

This is a very promising crop of lineman. Rowell is already a special athlete at tackle, but defensive end is where this class is showing potential for a deep and talented class. There are a handful of long tall athletic kids that are showing well at this early stage. All the tight ends could be included here, especially White and Hanna.

Chandler Burden 6-5 250 DE Cincinnati LaSalle Nic DiLillo 6-5 220 DE/TE Madison DiLillo is athletic enough to play as a wide receiver and saw some time there last year but will play defensive end this year. He is very raw. DiLillo attended Akron, Cincinnati, Notre Dame, Michigan and Pittsburgh camps at their request. He ended up chatting with Michigan coach Lloyd Carr after the Michigan camp.

Dan Fox 6-1 205 DE/TE Cleveland St. Ignatius John Hiles 6-3 255 DE Columbus DeSales Zack Leimberger 6-2 215 DE West Chester Lakota W. Chad Maynard 6-3 290 DT Lancaster Dan McClendon 6-3 280 DT Columbus Walnut Ridge Matt Rose 6-2 215 DE/DE Canton GlenOak Matt is the son of GlenOak head coach Jack Rose.

Blake Steward 6-0 250 DT Cincinnati Withrow Steven Thomas 6-2 230 DL/OL East Cleveland Shaw Maurice Watts 6-3 235 DT Middletown Dawawn Whitner 6-2 235 DT Cleveland Glenville Dawawn has the same hard-nosed attitude as his older brother, Donte (Ohio State, Buffalo Bills), but in a bigger package.

Linebackers

With so many linemen showing so well early, this linebacker class is getting overlooked. It is looking better than the Class of 2006 at this early point. Thaddeus Gibson, Ross Homan and Tyler Moeller didnʼt even show this well this early like Zordich, Dahl, Torrence, Beachum, Craig and Williams are.

Fred Craig 6-1 190 LB Cincinnati St. Xavier Others have better measurables but this Craig finds the ball and makes

JJ H u dd l e ’ s O h i o H i g h

plays like no other.

Dominque Chandler 6-2 215 LB/RB Columbus Franklin Hts. Kevin Dahl 6-1 205 LB North Canton Hoover Dahl is a prototypical middle linebacker. He started as a freshman in a program that almost never starts freshmen on the varsity. He can run to the ball and is sure tackler. Dahl should fill out to 225 pounds. He also ran the ball well as a tailback.

Steve Hangehold 6-2 205 LB Cincinnati Elder Taylor Hill 6-2 215 LB Yʼtown Cardinal Mooney Hill is a disruptive high school defensive end. He will be fast enough to move to linebacker in college.

Mike Latessa 6-1 190 LB Cincinnati Sycamore Grant Lewis 6-1 200 LB Westerville North Kevin Moore 6-1 210 LB Clayton Northmont Moore started at fullback last year. He will be moved to linebacker to take advantage of his athleticism.

Ray Parry 6-1 225 FB/FB Maumee Durand Robinson 6-2 215 LB Fremont Ross Robinson started all 10 games as a sophomore and earned All-Greater Buckeye Conference honors.

Josh Spillman 6-1 220 LB Franklin Heights Spillman is a powerful kid with a 300-pound bench and a 400-pound squat as a sophomore.

Mike Spooner 6-2 212 LB Lakewood St. Edward Spooner is the next great one out of the outstanding St. Edward program.

Matt Vick 6-0 180 LB Massillon Perry Matt Vick played varsity for the Panthers. He is probably a linebacker, but he could surprise at quarterback. He is a great athlete. has great quickness and is as tough as nails.

Dean Walker 6-1 190 LB Cincinnati LaSalle Trevante Wallace 6-2 220 LB Columbus Brookhaven Isaac Washington 6-2 240 LB Trotwood-Madison Washington ran a 4.7-second 40 at the Ohio State camp last year. He benches 350-pounds and is a true Mike.

Kirk Wetherell 6-2 195 LB Marietta

Defensive Backs

The defensive backs position is another good looking position for the Class of 2008.

D.J. Brown 5-11 175 CB West Chester Lakota W. Brown is a super athletic kid that quietly goes about being the best cover corner in the Class of 2008.

Jimmy Ferguson 6-2 195 S/TB Barberton Berchard Hines 5-10 175 CB Cleveland Glenville Brandon Mingo 5-8 150 CB Canton McKinley Andrew Strauss 6-1 190 S West Chester Lakota W. Isaiah Thompson 5-10 165 CB Col. Bishop Hartley Matt Trissell 5-9 160 CB Massillon Perry Trissell starred on the freshman team. He is likely a corner at the next level.

Willie Seawright 5-10 160 CB Lakewood St. Edward Seawright could be a wide receiver, too.

Joshua Smith 6-3 170 S Cincinnati Withrow Ryan Smoot 5-8 176 DB Africentric

Specialists

Steve Schott 5-11 150 K Massillon Washington Schott has started since he was a sophomore. He puts kickoffs inside the 10-yard line and will get better as he gets coaching and gets stronger.

— OH

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

BY DUANE LONG

Top Sophomores Photo by Gary Housteau

I

t is rare that freshmen see much action with their varsity teams in Ohio high school football. That is why we are still working to unearth some of the key prospects in what will be this yearĘźs sophomore class, the Class of 2009.

Obviously, over the months to come, we will see a number of sophomores take that step toward becoming solid varsity players and also college prospects down the line.

Below are some of the names we have already accumulated for the 2009 class.

C.J. Barnett 5-11 165 CB Clayton Northmont Ben Birch 6-4 250 DT Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary Mike Clark 6-0 180 QB Akron Hoban Rhys Edwards 6-2 189 TE Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary Delion Freeman 5-9 190 RB Alliance Freeman has a chance to be really special. He has a body of a senior. Freeman plays linebacker but his future is as a tailback. He played fullback last year but will get more carries this year. He catches the ball well, blocks like a warrior and works hard in the weight room. Freeman ran an 11.5 100-meter as an eighth grader. He was the best freshman last year seen in Stark county since Devon Torrence.

Chris Freeman 6-7 270 OL Trotwood-Madison Victor Graham 5-10 155 CB Franklin Heights Grahm showed well at the Louisville Scout combine.

Marcus Hall 6-5 270 OL Cleveland Glenville Storm Klein 6-3 200 RB Newark Licking Valley Klein rushed for over 1,000 yards in his freshman year but may be a better linebacker. He clocked a 4.25-shuttle at Ohio State camp.

Roman Lawson 6-0 215 LB Shaker Heights David Lee 5-10 170 WR Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary Pat McShane 6-5 260 OT Walsh Jesuit Patrick Nicely 6-3 195 QB Willoughby South Nicely was a three-sport starter as a freshman.

Kevin Ringer 5-11 220 FB Clayton Northmont T. J. Rush 6-4 255 OL Levitsburg LeBrae Harvey Tuck 5-11 250 FB Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary

JJ H u d d l e ’ s O h i o H i g h

Newark Licking Valley sophomore Storm Klein

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

E

STORY BY MATT NATALI

Photo by Nick Falzerano

Trotwood-Madison Football

Trotwood-Madison head football coach and NFL alumnus Maurice Douglass.

xpectations are higher than ever this year for the TrotwoodMadison football program, both on the gridiron and off.

With a wealth of talented players riddling the roster, a new offense and defense and a brand new football stadium, postseason hopes are as high as the enthusiasm surrounding the southwest Ohio town.

“My expectations are very high, not only from ourselves, but from people around us,” said senior wide receiver/defensive back Marcus English (6-2, 190). “Weʼve been putting in a lot of work and weʼre just going to take it one game at a time. Weʼve got to get past one opponent, then the next opponent and the next opponent to get where we want to be. So, the expectations are very high.”

English is just one of several talented players on the Rams roster this season that is fueling Trotwoodʼs optimism.

Senior safety C.J. Peake (6-2, 210, 4.47-forty) headlines that roster.

A transfer from Dayton Meadowdale, Peakeʼs offer list features some of the top programs on the college football landscape and includes West Virginia, Michigan State, Purdue, Pittsburgh, Iowa, Boston College and Tennessee to name a handful.

“For me being a senior, I have never been to the playoffs but I have been to the games and the games seem exciting. So, that is one of my goals is to make it to the playoffs,” Peake said. “If we

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

make it to the playoffs, I intend on going to state.”

Junior tight end/wide receiver Brandon Moore (6-5, 230) is an up-and-coming star in the Trotwood-Madison football program having received his first official scholarship offer from the University of Georgia mid-July.

“It surprised me a lot,” Moore said. “I went down there on an unofficial visit. I had a track meet in North Carolina, so I just went there to visit because I have been talking to coach (David) Johnson.”

Johnson is the tight ends coach for Georgia.

“He showed me around the campus, the locker room and introduced me to some of the players. Then, at the end of the tour, we went to (head coach Mark) Richtʼs office and they said they were going to offer me a scholarship.

“I didnʼt really expect it to happen that early. I thought they would offer me but I didnʼt expect it to happen this early. It caught me by surprise. I was real happy about it.”

Last season, Moore had 13 catches for 195 yards and three touchdowns with a couple of two-point conversions.

Mooreʼs numbers are sure to skyrocket this season as he moves out to wide receiver with the addition of offensive coordinator Jeremy Beckham to the staff and the spread offense he brings. Beckham arrives at Trotwood-Madison by way of Franklin Heights, Springfield South, Clayton Northmont and Cincinnati

JJ H u dd le’s O h io High

Trotwood-Madison Football Trotwood-Madison finished 8-3.

LaSalle.

“The first day in the weight room we had “The first year I started, I got Other notable players highlightthe job around July 20th of that ing the roster this year include 69 kids show up. They told me that the year, so I was already in the hole. quarterback Domonique Britt (6-5, best drawing in the weight room prior to My first year, our strongest line190, Jr.), linebacker/defensive end that was 12 kids.” man could only (bench) press Carson Byrd (6-3, 245, Sr.), defen205-pounds. So, right from the sive lineman Darren Gunn (6-3, Maurice Douglass on his first year beginning we were in the hole.

285, Sr.), defensive end/tight end We had a lot of work to do.

Chris Walder (6-5, 235, Sr.) and “We knew if we could get the lineman Mike Page (6-6, 290, Sr.). kids to come out and participate Trotwood-Madison has certainly in the weight program, we could fielded some talented players in get things going in the right directhe past but head coach Maurice tion.”

Douglass, a Trotwood-Madison With that in mind, Douglass graduate, says there is a different 8/25 Dayton Meadowdale mailed letters to every boy in the element about this yearʼs team. school district from eighth grade “In the past, we have had some 9/1 at Trenton Edgewood through high school inviting them talented teams and talented play9/8 at Hamilton to the workouts. ers but they werenʼt cohesive,” he “The first day in the weight explained. “But this yearʼs group 9/15 at West Carrollton room we had 69 kids show up. is probably the best Iʼve had 9/22 Beavercreek They told me that the best drawsince I have been here as far as ing in the weight room prior to cohesiveness and working for 9/29 at Piqua* that was 12 kids. With those kids, one another and playing for each 10/6 Sidney* we got them believing in the other. Even in the summer while weight program and we tried to working out, theyʼre challenging 10/13 at Troy* work on their grades.” each other to get better every day 10/20 Clayton Northmont* In his first season as head and on every play.” coach, Douglass and the Rams Douglass attributes that cohe10/27 at Vandalia Butler* went 2-8. siveness and new-found attitude “The following year, we had to the time his players spend with * Greater Western Ohio Conference North another group come in, which each other away from football.

Division games reminds me a lot of this group.

“Weʼve been lifting since We ended up going 8-2 that year December and guys have just and made the playoffs and that gotten to know each other. There was the first time we had been to the playoffs since I was a arenʼt any big ʻIʼsʼ and small ʻYouʼsʼ with this group. Last year, senior here. So, it had been a mighty long time. we had a bunch of good seniors and everyone thought we “At that point, the kids really started believing and that was were going to go on to do these great things and they kind of attributed to the fact that we try to develop them for life.” believed it. But they didnʼt live up to it.”

While his overall record is just under .500, Douglassʼ sucThe Rams finished 5-5 last season. cess as head coach is not necessarily reflected in wins and Douglass also credits the closeness of this team to the suclosses, but rather, the difference he has made in the program cess the Trotwood-Madison basketball team experienced last and for the kids that have gone through it. year as Division I state runner-up. “(The players) going through the program know that I am “This yearʼs team has taken more of a team attitude. They going to be with them the rest of their life, regardless of watched the basketball team go out and be really successful. whether they play a lot or donʼt. If there is anything I can do for Coach (Ike) Thornton got Chris Wright, the star of the team, to you I will try to do that. build all the other guys up so they could have more of a team “Another way I try to help you is getting you through school. atmosphere. That is the same type of approach weʼre trying to If that means a kid has to go through junior college, I will try take with it with the kids. We want all the (Division I) kids and and get him into junior college. If you have they ability and the big-time kids to pull all the other ones along.” grades to get into an Ohio State, then weʼll try and get the Douglass is entering his sixth year as head coach and is exposure from that end.” hoping for his best season since the 2002 campaign when

Trotwood-Madison 2006 Schedule

JJ H u d d l e ’ s O h i o H i g h

J J H U D D L E . C O M 53

Trotwood-Madison Football Douglass experienced first hand the struggles a student-athlete experiences and admits that he underachieved in the high school classroom. In turn, he stresses he importance of excelling academically as well as athletically.

“Our number one thing here is we preach going to school. When they come to school, we ask all the football players to sit in the first two rows of the class,” Douglass explained. “Therefore, all the teachers will know who they are and they will know what our expectations are for them as a player – that you are supposed to be in class and you are supposed to do the right things. When you are sitting if the front row, there arenʼt a whole lot of things for you to do but sit in the front row and be attentive.”

In addition to his efforts to ensure his players succeed in the classroom, Douglass gives his players maximum exposure to college football programs, regardless of competition level, to give every player the opportunity to extend their academic and athletic career to the collegiate level.

“If the players are building up their GPAʼs, that will get them into position to get some scholarship opportunities because we are trying to get them out and get them as much exposure as possible,” he said. “I donʼt care how good you are – if they havenʼt seen you or heard of you, youʼre not going to get a scholarship.”

In his second year of coaching at Trotwood-Madison, Douglass took six players on a tour of eight schools in the Midwest and came home with 14 scholarship offers. One of those players, Jovanni Chappel, was a freshman at the time and earned an offer from Illinois on the trip.

Chappel will be suiting up for the Purdue Boilermakers this fall and is just one of 56 players Douglass has put into college in the last five years.

“I would love to win a state title every year, but if I can get 10 to 15 kids into school each year and it means we go 6-4 or 7-3, I can deal with that,” he said. “If we won the state title every year and only put one kid in school, I couldnʼt handle that. These kids can make it out of here, no matter what their academic circumstance is – all they have to do is get somebody to believe in them.”

Douglassʼ head coach believed in him when he was at TrotwoodMadison and it translated into a college scholarship, which led to a lengthy career in the National Football League with the Chicago Bears and New York Giants.

“With my experience when I was in high school, I wasnʼt the greatest student, but my coach (John Butler) believed in me,” Douglass said. “And a school out in Kansas – Coffeyville Community College – was taking a running back from here and my coach told them that the only way they were going to get him is if they took me. So, they ended up taking me.

“Nine times out of 10, my number one thing for you is to let you know weʼre here for you. And because coach Butler was there for me, I got the opportunity to play in the NFL for 12 years. It was all because of one person saying, ʻIʼm going to stick my neck out for this kid.ʼ So, I try and let the kids get the same feeling from me as their coach.”

With roster full of talent, new offensive and defensive systems in place and the support of an entire community behind them, talk of a deep playoff run and even a state championship is buzzing around Trotwood.

Douglassʼ goal for the Trotwood-Madison program is to raise the Division II state title trophy in December, but he has a bigger goal for these kids coming up through the program.

“We might not get the ʻWʼsʼ that we desire, but I am happy that the kids have the opportunity to go places and get an opportunity to be successful in life, and that is all you can ask,” he said. “That is what it is all about.” — OH

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

JJ Hu ddle’ s O h io Hi gh

Trotwood-Madison Football

Trotwood players: (left to right) Brandon Moore, Marcus English, C.J. Peake and Domonique Britt

Photo by Nick Falzerano

JJ H u d d l e ’ s O h i o H i g h

J J H U D D L E . C O M 55

All-Star Games Round-Up

Former Youngstown Cardinal Mooney QB Derrell Johnson was named Ohio MVP of Big 33 game.

Ohio coaches still wrestling with Big 33, North-South conundrum 56 J J H U D D L E . C O M

O

hioʼs participation in a pair of summer all-star games has become somewhat of a political football.

Because more and more top football prospects are enrolling at their college of choice in late June each year, the Hershey, Pa.-based Big 33 Football Classic moved its game from July to the third Saturday in June. But that game, which has pitted the top players in Pennsylvania against Ohioʼs best since 1993, moved into direct conflict with

Photo by Gary Housteau

STORY BY STEVE HELWAGEN

Ohioʼs own North-South Classic.

The Ohio High School Football Coaches Association, which sponsors the North-South game and also sends a team for the Big 33, dealt with the conflict this past June. The association had its coaching staffs effectively choose starters for the North-South game before players were then assigned to the Big 33 team.

Pennsylvania officials derided that process, noting that Ohio was sending its “third team” to play in the Big 33

JJ Hu ddle’ s O h io Hi gh

All-Star Games Round-Up game. Accordingly, the ““What's a better matchup than Pennsylvania team reeled off Pennsylvania-Ohio?

40 straight points to take a 61The present series is tied 7-7.

42 win over the Ohio team in the 2006 Big 33 game, held Everything's positive.”

June 17.

As this issue of Ohio High Big 33 executive director Mickey Minnich went to press, the next Big 33 game was set for June 16, The Big 33 flirted with asking Maryland 2007 – the same day the Ohio coaches to field a team for 2007. But he is glad have tentatively set the North-South Ohio is sticking with the game. game. The Big 33 and the Pennsylvania “What's a better matchup than coaches association have agreed to Pennsylvania-Ohio?” Minnich told the invite Ohio back for one more year, Patriot-News. “The present series is tied although there are rumblings that Ohio 7-7. Everything's positive.” may change the selection process next Below are recaps from the Northyear.

South and Big 33 games.

Big 33 executive director Mickey Minnich told the Harrisburg (Pa.) PatriotNorth Rides Defense to Win News the vote to retain Ohio “was close Through three quarters, the 61st annuto unanimous.” al Grange Insurance Ohio North-South Minnich told the newspaper that OHSClassic was a defensive struggle.

FCA president Steve Channell gave Big But a hail of big plays in the fourth 33 officials assusrances that the Ohio quarter helped the North side win going faction would try and work with the Big away. The North took a 34-13 win in the 33 better in 2007. all-star game before 5,910 at Columbus “He pretty much said, 'Look, give me the opportunity to work with our associa- Crew Stadium.

“Our defensive front was great all tion and our selection process,' and he week,” said North coach Vic Whiting of would almost guarantee the best 34 Canal Fulton Northwest. “They were the players from Ohio would come down to strongest part of our team. We could Pennsylvania next year,” Minnich said. hardly move the ball in practice because “We have confidence in him. He's also they were all over us. That pressure working to get the North-South game made a difference in this game, too. changed.”

“In the second half, they took over. We There has even been speculation that were able to control the football a little the OHSFCA could still change the date bit more for them and it made a big difof the North-South game. One report ference.” had the association moving the game The North was led by game MVP from June to the weekend of Ohio Ricky Stanzi, an Iowa-bound quarterStateʼs spring football game in April.

Channell told the Patriot-News that the back from Mentor Lake Catholic. He was OHSFCA is looking forward to participat- 8 of 12 passing for 178 yards and three touchdowns. ing in the 2007 Big 33 game.

“The field position helped us out a lot,” “We're looking forward to celebrating Stanzi said. “The last time I played a the 50th anniversary of the game with game was in the fall. Just to get back on Pennsylvania next year,” Channell said.

“We're looking to make things better. We the field was nice. Itʼs an honor to even continue to evaluate our association and be in this game and to win on top of it made it even better. how things are being done, and we're “Iʼm just going to go out to Iowa and looking to make improvements in all do what I have to do to help the team.” areas.”

JJ H u d d l e ’ s O h i o H i g h

The North offensive MVP was wide receiver Marc Krauss from Hamler Patrick Henry. He had four catches for 59 yards and two touchdowns.

“Both touchdown passes were beautiful,” Krauss said. “I couldnʼt have asked for anything better. I just had to make the catch. Playing on a stage like this with all of these great players, it was kind of cool.

“We really wanted to come in here and make a statement and represent northern Ohio.”

The North defensive MVP was Ohio State-bound defensive end Robert Rose of Cleveland Glenville. He was credited with two tackles-for-loss, one sack and a number of quarterback pressures throughout the game.

“This was just practice,” Rose said. “I think it was preparing me for the next level. I didnʼt have a great night like I should have. But with all of the schemes and them keeping the tight end in (to block), I thought I did good for that.”

The South offensive MVP was Reynoldsburg wide receiver Armand Robinson, who had eight catches for 111 yards and one touchdown. The defensive MVP was Boston College-bound defensive end Alex Albright of Cincinnati St. Xavier. He had eight tackles, three tackles-for-loss and two sacks.

Nate Davis of Bellaire went the distance at quarterback for the South as backup Alex Earley of Huber Heights Wayne was injured. Davis, headed to Ball State, was 21 of 47 passing for 221 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

“It was kind of hard for us,” Davis said.

“The defenses in this game are well ahead because they donʼt have to prepare for anything. On offense, you have to fix protections. Thatʼs what hurt us the most.”

Each team struggled offensively in the first quarter. The North side broke the scoreless tie when the South failed to execute a shotgun snap to quarterback Davis. The ball skitted back toward the

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

All-Star Games Round-Up goal line and North defensive tackle Skylar Constant of Bedford recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead with 47 seconds left in the first quarter.

On the play, Rose moved inside to tackle over center Matt Evans of Dayton Chaminade-Julienne. Davis had no chance to field the high snap.

“I didnʼt say anything there,” Rose said.

“They were just moving me around from end to tackle. I guess it kind of scared him a little bit.”

The North widened its lead to 14-0 as Stanzi threw a flare pass to Alex Knipp of Amherst Steele. Knipp got loose down the right sideline and was gone for a 72-yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead with 2:05 left in the first half.

The South rallied with a 10-play, 76-yard touchdown march. Davis completed 6 of 9 pass attempts on the drive. The North helped as well as they had a pass interference penalty negate an interception and also had a late hit penalty after a pass by Davis. Davis capped it with his 5-yard touchdown lob Josh Chichester, a receiver from West Chester Lakota West. The PAT kick was no good, but the South had trimmed the gap to 14-6 with 32.2 seconds left in the half.

After a scoreless third quarter, the North expanded its lead with a two-play, 49-yard scoring drive. The drive was capped by Stanziʼs 16-yard touchdown pass to Krauss that made it 20-6 with 10:32 left in the game.

The South answered with a five-play, 71yard scoring march. Davis capped it with a 29-yard pass to Robinson, cutting the lead to 20-13 with 8:21 left.

But North wide receiver Daven Jones of Cleveland Glenville ripped off a 53-yard run on a reverse, setting up Stanziʼs 22-yard touchdown pass to Krauss that put the North up 27-13 with 6:07 left.

“All week in practice, Marc showed he could catch the ball,” Stanzi said. “He ran great routes and got open.”

Finally, after a South fumble, the North tacked on the gameʼs last score as Rudy Kirbus, a quarterback from Cleveland St. Ignatius, hit Canton McKinleyʼs Joe Morgan with a 32-yard touchdown pass for a 34-13

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

Former Mentor Lake Catholic QB Ricky Stanzi was voted team offensive MVP after leading the North to victory. lead with 5:10 left.

The North now leads the all-time series 36-22-3.

Pennsylvania Run Key in Big 33 After a slow start, Pennsylvania explodes in the second half to rally past Ohio stars in a classic showdown. The 61-42 final mark the most points scored by a winning team and the most total points ever scored in the game.

Pennsylvania rode a dominant second half performance to the win, breaking a three-game losing streak in the series.

“We went up strong in the first half and then we started the second half and we had four or five turnovers and it killed us,” Ohio coach Paul Farrah said.

Pennsylvania coach Mark Schmidt summed it up more succinctly.

“In the beginning, we decided to stay in

Photo by Steve Helwagen

the locker room, and in the second half we decided to play a little football.”

As the game began, all eyes were on quarterback Pat Devlin, the Pennsylvania offensive player of the year, the state's alltime passing yards leader and a Penn State signee. After two series, Lions fans probably wanted to cover their eyes as two poorly thrown Devlin passes resulted in Ohio interceptions.

The first came on Devlin's first pass of the night and was returned 25 yards by Kyle Endicott to set Ohio up at the Pennsylvania 22.

It took just one play for Ohio to capitalize as Syracuse-bound running back Delone Carter raced around the right side and burst through the secondary into the end zone to give Ohio a 7-0 lead.

Devlin was intercepted again on Pennsylvania's second offensive series,

JJ H u ddle ’s O h io Hi gh

All-Star Games Round-Up this time on a long pass downfield intended for tight end Nate Byham that was caught over the shoulder by Ohio's Brad Brookbank.

Looking for an offensive spark, Schmidt removed Devlin in favor of Michigan Statebound Connor Dixon, but he was promptly greeted with two consecutive sacks by Thaddeus Gibson, one of the most highly touted prospects in this year's game and a future Ohio State player. Gibson capitalized on a poor shotgun snap on the next play, pouncing on a fumble to give Ohio the ball back at the Pennsylvania 15-yard line.

Three running plays produced seven yards, and Ohio was forced to settle for a 25-yard field goal by David Brewer to extend its lead to 10-0 with just over four minutes left in the first quarter.

Pennsylvania needed a big play to get back in the game, and Devlin provided it on the next series, hitting future Pittsburgh player Aaron Berry in stride for an 81-yard touchdown pass to cut the Ohio lead to 107 with 8:38 remaining in the first half.

Unfazed, Ohio went to work on offense, mixing the running of Carter with a short passing game to move the ball across midfield. Then, Mike Scherpenberg withstood a fierce pass rush to deliver a 39-yard touchdown pass to Iowa recruit Derell Johnson, who played both quarterback and wide receiver in the game, giving Ohio a 10-point lead once more with six minutes to play in the half.

Dixon worked the next series under center for Pennsylvania and kept the offense moving. First he found Anthony ParkerBoyd for an 18-yard gain to the Ohio 38.

Then he hit Williams, who will play his college football at Michigan State, on a slant for a touchdown to make it a 17-14 game with 3:51 left in the first half.

The offensive fireworks continued on the ensuing series as Johnson took a quarterback keeper 43 yards to the Pennsylvania 38. Then he found Louisville-bound Troy Pascley on a jump ball down the left sideline on fourth-and-nine to give Ohio a firstand-goal from the 8. Consecutive penalties moved the ball back to the 18, and Ohio eventually had to settle for a 35-yard field

JJ H u d d l e ’ s O h i o H i g h

goal by Brewer to take a 20-14 lead into the locker room.

Ohio caught a lucky break on the first series of the second half when Johnson was stripped of the football by Elijah Fields, but the ball bounced off the Hershey Park Stadium field turf into the arms of an Ohio player. That good fortune was quickly followed by an electrifying 42yard touchdown run by Johnson and a two-point conversion pass to give Ohio a 28-14 lead.

Instead of becoming discouraged, Pennsylvania struck twice within 20 seconds to get right back into the game. First, it answered Ohio's long touchdown run by a quarterback run of its own as Dixon found daylight around the right side and raced 56 yards to the end zone to cut the Ohio lead to 28-21 with 6:50 remaining in the third quarter.

Then, the Pennsylvania defense forced a turnover as Pittsburgh products Fields and Greg Webster combined to force and recover a fumble at the Ohio 25. On the next play, Devlin pump faked and dropped a perfect pass into the arms of Williams in the end zone to bring Pennsylvania within a point. Collin Wagner missed the extra point, leaving his team behind 28-27.

The tidal wave of momentum for Pennsylvania continued on the following series as Fields collected his second turnover of the quarter, intercepting Scherpenberg and setting Pennsylvania up at the Ohio 32-yard line. Then, Schmidt turned to trickery to give his team their first lead.

Running back Da'Rel Scott, a Maryland recruit, ran to his right, then stopped and fired a strike down the sideline to Williams for another Pennsylvania touchdown. The two-point conversion attempt failed, but Pennsylvania moved in front 33-28 with 4:21 left in the third quarter.

Two delay of game penalties and a personal foul on the next series forced Ohio into a third-and-26 that Pennsylvania turned into a third consecutive turnover as Clem Johnson intercepted Johnson near midfield. The offense quickly moved into scoring position, thanks in part to a 15-yard penalty against Gibson for taking his hel-

met off on the field of play.

Devlin continued to atone for his poor early play by scrambling for a 13-yard touchdown to give Pennsylvania a 40-28 advantage as the third quarter came to a close. The Keystone Staters exploded for 26 third quarter points and appeared to have the game in hand, but Ohio wasn't going down without a fight.

Christen Haywood ripped off a 39-yard run to begin the fourth quarter, and Carter followed with a 16-yard scamper up the right sideline to put the ball at the Pennsylvania 19. Ohio could only muster four yards on the next three plays, however, and then Brewer missed a 32-yard field goal attempt to give the ball, and momentum, back to Pennsylvania.

Dixon put the game out of reach on the ensuing series by hitting Scott for a 67yard touchdown to give Pennsylvania a commanding 47-28 advantage with 7:45 left in regulation. Scott tacked on a fiveyard rushing touchdown late to make it 5428, but Carter tried to make it interesting again by racing 78 yards for a touchdown with 4:08 remaining to cut the Pennsylvania lead to 54-34.

Due to a Big 33 rule that allows a team that is down by more than nine points in the fourth quarter to get the ball back after a score, Ohio had another chance to get closer. But the extra possession resulted in a Pennsylvania defensive touchdown as Fields intercepted another Johnson pass and took it 58 yards to pay dirt.

Ohio's Drew Kuhn capped the scoring with a 31-yard touchdown run and a twopoint conversion run.

Williams was named the Pennsylvania MVP for catching three passes for 95 yards and three touchdowns. He also returned two kickoffs for a total of 45 yards.

Johnson was voted the Ohio MVP. He rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries and threw for 118 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.

Dixon led Pennsylvania in rushing with 44 yards and a touchdown and passing with 136 yards and two touchdowns.

Devlin threw for 119 yards and two touchdowns and added a rushing touchdown. — OH

J J H U D D L E . C O M 59

Chris Wright

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

Trotwood-Madison senior Chris Wright helped the Rams to their first D-I state basketball tournament last season.

Photo by Nick Falzerano

T

he Wright name is a big deal in and around the city of Dayton.

After all, this is where the Wright brothers – Orville and Wilbur, the acknowledged “Fathers of Powered Flight” – called home. One of the areaʼs largest employers, the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, is named partially in their honor.

But there may be another guy named Wright who could help Dayton reach some pretty good heights.

Trotwood-Madison basketball standout Chris Wright is regarded as one of the nationʼs top players in the Class of 2007. It was nearly one year ago, though, when the 6-7 Wright decided he would put his own high flying style to work for the college in his hometown as he committed to the University of Dayton.

“I am from Dayton and when Iʼm at Dayton, it feels like I am at home,” Wright said during an appearance at the Nike All-American Camp in Indianapolis in July. “Thatʼs a home away from home, even though it is just up the street.

There is so much family around there for me.

“I did the pros and cons of each school and Dayton had all pros. I want to study sports management there.”

Wright is ranked as the nationʼs No. 53 prospect overall and the No. 11 small forward

by ScoutHoops.com. He also checks in as the No. 7 prospect in the state of Ohio, according to Ohio High magazine consultant Chris Johnson.

“He is an incredible athlete,” Johnson said.

“He could compete with (North College Hillʼs) Bill Walker as the best dunker – not only in the state of Ohio, but in the country.”

Recruiters have known about Wright for several years. He averaged 15 points per game as a sophomore at Trotwood-Madison. His work on the AAU circuit helped him get recognized and he was one a select group of underclassmen invited to the Nike Camp last year

STORY BY STEVE HELWAGEN

JJ H u dd le’ s O h io High

before his junior season.

He then went out and averaged 17 points per game as a junior in helping Trotwood-Madison posted a 22-6 and advance all the way to the Division I state championship game before falling to Canton McKinley.

“You always want to win a championship,” Wright said. “Thatʼs what you shoot for. But I was happy with playing on a state runnerup team. Thatʼs our schoolʼs first time to make it to the state final four. I was just happy to be a part of that.”

Wright believes that the Rams can mount another challenge this coming year. Classmates Armond Darby, a 6-2 forward, and Patric Hill, a 6-0 guard, return in the starting lineup.

“Weʼve just been working hard the whole off-season and getting ready,” Wright said. “Itʼs possible to win it. Once you get a taste of being there, you want it again. We just want to get back. A little luck has to be involved also. You just have to play hard and hope it goes your way.”

Wright was busy this summer on the camp and AAU circuit. He attended the NBA Players Association Camp in Virginia, the Nike Skills Academy in Oregon and the Nike Camp in Indianapolis.

Wright, who is appropriately nicknamed “Flyght” (Wright tweaked the spelling himself), said he took note of some of the top names ticketed for these national-caliber camps and knew he had to ramp up his game.

“Going to the camps, I was listening to the names that were going to be there and I was just thinking that I belonged there and I took it as a blessing,” he said. “I told myself that I have to belong here and that drove me to work harder. I think it was just something inside of me, I donʼt know where it came from. It was a drive to work harder than anybody there.

“When you go to a camp like that and are around those type of players and do a good job, when you come back to where youʼre from you come back with so much confidence because you came from a setting like that. You have so much confidence because of the work you just put in with some of the best players in the nation.”

Wright said he does not concern himself with what scouts or recruiting experts think about his game.

“Iʼm not into the rankings,” he said. “People were asking what I was ranked and I didnʼt even know. Something was clicking in my mind. I wasnʼt angry personally but it was something that just made me go harder.”

After getting a taste of the national scene before his junior year, Wright came back this past summer with an idea of what he wanted to do.

“Coming into this year, I just wanted to have confidence in my jump shot,” Wright said. “I know looking back at last yearʼs Nike Camp, it was still the same amount of competition. It was fun to be back there again. Last year, I didnʼt know what to expect. This year, I just wanted to go in and have fun. This is my last go-around and whatever happens happens.”

Wright talked about areas he has improved.

“My perimeter skills and my defense have gotten better, I think,”

JJ H u d d l e ’ s O h i o H i g h

Chris Wright

he said. “I have gotten a lot stronger and I think I am playing a lot harder. I try to play hard every time I step on the floor. Iʼve been working on my jump shot a lot. I know I can knock it down, but if itʼs not falling I can go back to what Iʼm used to.

“Iʼm not satisfied yet. Iʼm just going to keep working at it.”

Wright still has one more year to go at Trotwood-Madison. But he is also excited about joining the program at Dayton, which has become an Atlantic 10 contender under coach Brian Gregory.

“Brian Gregory is so down to earth,” Wright said. “He is going to keep it real with you from the start. The first conversation we had, he told me I had a lot of things to work on. A lot of coaches will try to blow your head up and sell you some dreams. But he was as real as I met.

“He told me he wants to build a championship program. Thatʼs what heʼs trying to do. He is getting the high quality players that he needs to get it done.”

Wright has also become acquainted with his fellow UD verbal commitment, forward Devin Searcy of Romulus, Mich.

“He's goofy, and I'm goofy,” Wright said. “We just laughed about any little thing. We've clicked ever since then. Weʼve been friends since last summer. We never thought weʼd be playing at the same school. We talked on the phone and we didnʼt talk about recruiting at first. He didnʼt say Dayton was recruiting him. I was trying to get him to commit when I found out they were recruiting him and had offered him. He came down for his visit and committed.”

Wright said he had a host of schools vying for his services.

Some of them included Michigan State, Michigan, Xavier, Illinois, Texas, Florida, St Johnʼs and Georgia. But he opted to stay home and take flight – the way he does best – for the Flyers.

“I'm not going anywhere (else),” he said. “Dayton is where I live.

It's my home. And that's where I'm going to stay.” — OH

“You always want to win a championship.

Thatʼs what you shoot for. But I was happy with playing on a state runner-up team.”

Wright on last season

Photo by Nick Falzerano

J J H U D D L E . C O M 61

High School Basketball

STORY BY STEVE HELWAGEN Photo by Nick Falzerano

North College Hill seniors Bill Walker and OJ Mayo led the Trojans to their second striaight D-III state title this year. Walker has since been ruled ineligable for the 2006-07 season.

Walker declared ineligible; top prospects shine at summer events

I

t was a turbulent summer for the North College Hill basketball program and, even as school begins, some questions remain unanswered for the two-time defending Division III state champions.

For starters, the OHSAA declared high flying forward Bill Walker ineligible for 2006-07.

Although Walker planned to appeal, the OHSAA ruled that he had, in fact, played a varsity season as a freshman at Rose Hill (Ky.) Academy in 2002-03. That meant he had exhausted his eight semesters of varsity eligibility.

Meanwhile, NCH guard O.J. Mayo, the nation’s top-ranked prospect, came out of a turbulent spring where he was held out of the team’s state semifinal game and also suspended for 10 days of school. Then, while appearing at the ABCD Camp in New Jersey in July, rumors were rampant that Mayo planned to commit to USC over Florida and Kansas State.

But the camp ended and Mayo never did make that expected public announcement.

Mayo and Walker then took their D-One Greyhounds AAU team to a national championship at the AAU nationals, held in late July in Florida.

As Ohio High went to press, the players maintained they would return to North College Hill.

However, there were also rumors that they may try and attend a prep school where they could play together for one more season.

Walker was considered a junior during the

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

2005-06 season, but documentation from his previous school proved that he should have been considered a senior.

The confusion began with the 2002-03 school year when Walker attended Rose Hill Christian Academy in Ashland, Ky. Walker enrolled at the school as a ninth-grader. However, when he transferred to North College Hill in early 2003, he and his family stated that he was an eighth grader.

Therefore, Walker competed at NCH in 200304 as a freshman, 2004-05 as a sophomore and this past year as a junior.

OHSAA commissioner Dan Ross discussed the situation via a media teleconference.

“It’s been a long process and it seems that every time we get to the point where we felt like we were finished reviewing this issue, another piece of information from another school district

would pop up and new questions would arise,” Ross said.

“I think the questions arise primarily from the year proceeding the 2003-04 school year. From the documentation that we have received from Rose Hill Christian School in Ashland, Ky., Bill was enrolled there as a ninth-grade student from October 2002, through January 2003.”

Ross said the OHSAA took no joy in ruling Walker ineligible.

“This is not a situation that anyone enjoys,” he said. “We certainly feel for Bill, his family, the players on his team, his coaches, the school and the fans. We would like to thank North College Hill officials who have worked diligently through this process.”

The OHSAA Board of Control was poised to possibly hear an appeal in the Walker case by mid-August.

JJ Hu ddle’ s O h io Hi gh

High School Basketball When asked if he planned to attend NCH and graduate from there, Walker told reporters at the ABCD Camp, “I’m there. Guaranteed.”

“I’m still a student there and my plan is still to go there as a student. I really don’t feel like it’s important for me to play high school basketball.

That’s not going to make or break me. I’m serious about not playing next year – for right now.

But you never know. Things can change.”

Mayo made an unofficial visit to USC over the summer and seemed comfortable with playing for the Trojans and coach Tim Floyd.

“I’m getting close to making my decision,” Mayo said at the ABCD Camp. “I’m down to my top three schools and I really want to get me and my mother on the same page. We don’t live with each other so it’s kind of hard for us to really communicate. I’m going to go home and work out with my little brother and talk to her about it.

“I didn’t get a chance to go to L.A. until the tenth grade and I feel in love with the city. I know UCLA in the past has been a basketball powerhouse. Coach Floyd is a great coach and hes dealt with NBA players and he understands what it takes to get there. I think it’s a good look for me.”

With the various summer camps and the major AAU events complete, we will update our rankings of the state’s top basketball prospects.

We will focus on the top prospects in the classes of 2007-10, featuring comments from HoopScoopOnline.com Ohio recruiting editor Chris Johnson.

Looking at the 2008 class, Johnson said it is a continuing battle for the top spot in that group.

“I think it’s going to be a great battle to see in 2008 who is the top guy,” Johnson said. “You have four or five guys there who are just so close. You hate to rate one guy first and one guy fourth or fifth. The difference is so miniscule. It could theoretically change day to day or event to event.”

The players are ranked by class by Johnson and HSO.com. We also include the most recent national rankings by ScoutHoops.com (SH) and HoopScoopOnline.com (HS).

Seniors-To-Be (Class of 2007)

* 1. O.J. Mayo, 6-4, shooting guard, North College Hill (SH, first nationally in senior class; HS, first nationally) – Mayo repeated as Ohio’s Mr. Basketball and Ohio High’s Man of the Year in boys basketball in leading NCH to a second straight Division III state championship. He averaged 28.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 5 steals

JJ H u d d l e ’ s O h i o H i g h

in earning state player of the year honors in Division III. With over 2,000 career points already, Mayo could threaten the state’s career scoring record.

As a sophomore, he helped NCH post a 27-1 record and the Division III state championship. He averaged 27.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 3.0 steals per game during the regular season. He also shot 43 percent on three-point attempts.

In addition to the AAU nationals, Mayo helped D-One win the King James Shooting Stars event in Akron. ScoutHoops.com rated him as the No. 4 player at the ABCD Camp.

“They played in fewer events this summer than in past years,” Johnson said. “People believe that O.J. may have committed to USC at one point, but he never publicly said it. He claims the final three of Kansas State, USC and Florida. That’s all you have to go on.” * 2. Bill Walker, 6-5, wing forward, North College Hill (SH, eighth; HS, third) – Walker remains in the Ohio High rankings, despite the ruling of his ineligibility. He could still prevail on appeal or transfer to an Ohio prep school that would allow him to play.

This past year, Walker joined Mayo as a state player of the year in Division III after averaging 22.4 points per game. In 2004-05, he averaged 20.1 points and 11.3 rebounds per game and shot 59 percent from the floor as Mayo’s running mate.

“Billy has publicly stated he plans to attend North College Hill,” Johnson said. “But a lot of observers feel he will eventually attend a prep school where he can play.”

Johnson said Walker is gradually improving his perimeter game. He was judged the top overall performer at the ABCD Camp.

“He is slowly showing an increased perimeter game,” Johnson said. “He still has some ways to go. He is still a human highlight film. Back around the basket, he plays taller than he is.” * 3. Kosta Koufos, 7-1, power forward, Canton GlenOak (SH, 13th; HS, 30th) – Born in Greece, Koufos has grown three inches to reach 7-1. He also finalized his college choice in May, when he selected Ohio State over Maryland, Michigan, Louisville and nearby Akron.

The verbal took some of the sting out of what has been a hard spring for Koufos, who missed the final month of the high school season with a broken foot. Before the injury, he averaged 24.1 points, 11.1 rebounds and 4.2 blocked shots per game as a junior. He was a second-team All-Ohio pick in Division I. Koufos got back into shape and was ranked as the fifth-best performer at the Nike All-American Camp.

“Early in the spring, he looked tentative,” Johnson said. “But he has gotten in better shape and improved every time out since his debut. He made a great case to be a member of the McDonald’s All-American Game

(next April in Louisville).”

As a sophomore, Koufos averaged 16.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. * 4. Alex Tyus, 6-7, wing forward, Cincinnati Harmony Community (SH, 45th; HS, 18th) – Tyus moved in from Hazelwood (Mo.) Central last year. He verbaled to Florida in July, picking the Gators over Cincinnati, Missouri, Baylor, Indiana and Purdue.

“He was the leading scorer on the team and they played some good prep school competition from all over the country,” Johnson said. “With D-One, he took over the championship game at the King James after Bill Walker went down with a leg injury.

“After that, he injured his hand in a car accident in June and that took him out of the AAU circuit. He came out like gangbusters at ABCD. Florida came back in on him and he committed immediately to them.”

Tyus was the eighth-best performer at the ABCD Camp. * 5. Jon Diebler, 6-5, wing forward, Upper Sandusky (SH, 59th; HS, 97th) – Diebler committed to Valparaiso in January 2005, but decommitted and picked Ohio State over Valpo, Michigan and N.C. State last September.

He was one of the few returnees from Upper Sandusky’s 2005 Division II state championship team. He did everything he could as a junior, averaging 34.8 points, 10.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 5.0 steals and 3.5 blocked shots per game. He was a first-team All-Ohio pick. Like Mayo, he is also in position to threaten the Ohio career scoring mark as a senior.

In a Jan. 13 win over Tiffin Columbian, Diebler scored 77 points. He was 22 of 42 from the floor and 27 of 28 at the foul line.

He also had 16 rebounds in that game.

Diebler attended the Nike Camp and played AAU ball for All-Ohio.

“He struggled some on the AAU circuit,” Johnson said. “The All-Ohio team was not as talented as it was before. But he bounced back at the NBA Players Association Camp and the Nike Camp.”

As a sophomore, he helped lead Upper Sandusky (27-0) to the Division II state title, scoring 32 points and grabbing 14 rebounds in the title game win over Wooster Triway.

Diebler was a second-team All-Ohio pick, averaging 25.9 points and six rebounds a game. * 6. Chris Wright, 6-7, power forward, Trotwood-Madison (SH, 53rd; HS, 99th) – Wright earned third-team All-Ohio honors, averaging 17.0 points per game and leading Trotwood-Madison to the Division I state final four. Wright, who averaged 15 points per game as a sophomore, verbaled to Dayton in November.

“He returned to the Nike Camp for the second year and he didn’t miss a beat,” Johnson said. “Before that, he attended the Nike Skills

J J H U D D L E . C O M 63

High School Basketball Academy in Portland, Ore., as one of the 20 most talented young players. He did a nice job there as well. “It looks like the Flyers got a steal.” * 7. Dallas Lauderdale, 6-9, center, Solon (SH, 96th; HS, 61st) – Lauderdale ended the suspense on June 1, when he verbaled to Ohio State over Louisville, North Carolina, Notre Dame and Syracuse.

He averaged 21.0 points and earned firstteam All-Ohio honors in Division I as a junior.

He averaged 17.5 points, 13 and 4.8 blocks as a sophomore.

Lauderdale was a pleasant surprise at the ABCD Camp.

“Lauderdale had a decent showing at the NBA Players camp and was much more impressive at the ABCD Camp,” Johnson said.

“He was one of the leading rebounders and leading shot blockers at the camp.” * 8. William Thomas, 6-5, point guard, East Cleveland Shaw – Thomas is considering Michigan, Cleveland State, Kent State, Bowling Green and Toledo.

“He had a dazzling performance at the Hoosier Shootout,” Johnson said. * 9. Dante Jackson, 6-4, wing forward, Greenfield McClain – Jackson again earned first-team All-Ohio honors in Division II after averaging 28.7 points per game. As a sophomore, Jackson averaged 25 points, 11.7 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game. He had 39 points in his team’s regional semifinal loss.

Jackson spent the spring concentrating on track, playing in limited AAU events with several teams. He has offers from Michigan, Kansas State, Xavier and Dayton. He was also hoping for interest from Kentucky.

“Jackson did not attend any of the shoe camps, but he showed everybody he can play at the Kentucky Hoopfest,” Johnson said. “It looks like a Xavier-Dayton battle.”

Jackson reached the state track meet in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles events.

On Aug. 10 Jackson committed to Xavier. * 10. Keenan Ellis, 6-11, center, North College Hill (SH, 94th) – Ellis was suspended from the NCH team midseason, but remained in school there. There was talk he would perhaps transfer back to a school in his native Indiana for his senior year.

“At the Nike Camp, he seemed to be maturing,” Johnson said. “It was unclear where he was headed. He probably won’t be back at North College Hill. He could stay in Cincinnati and go to another school, go back to Indiana or go to a prep school.”

As a sophomore, Ellis transferred from Indianapolis Cathedral. He became eligible in January and ended up averaging 16.7 points, 8.9 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game for the state champs. Ellis likes Kentucky, Cincinnati, Louisville and Indiana. * 11. Aaron Pogue, 6-8, center, Dayton Dunbar – Pogue joined Daequan Cook in

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

leading Dunbar to the state final four. He averaged 15.0 points per game as a junior.

“He seems to be more motivated,” Johnson said.

“He is in better condition. Some people still think football might be his best sport. He seems to know this is his last shot. He may still need to do some work academically.” * 12. Ronnie Steward, 5-10, point guard, Columbus Eastmoor – Johnson on Steward: “He proved any doubters wrong this spring with a breakout performance at the Spiece AAU event in Fort Wayne, Ind. He got a lastminute invite to the Nike Camp and played well enough there to potentially get an offer from Stanford.”

Other schools after Steward included Akron, Clemson, Holy Cross, Western Carolina, Penn State, Xavier and Bowling Green. * 13. Lonnie Hayes, 5-11, combo guard, Cincinnati Hughes – Hayes transferred from Cincinnati Princeton and averaged 19.4 points as a first-year varsity player as a junior.

“He is another guy who was able to improve his stock some,” Johnson said. “He had a lastminute invite to Nike. He led his team to the semifinals of the Triple S Harley Davidson Jam Fest in Morgantown, W.Va.” * 14. James Davis, 6-3, shooting guard, Columbus Linden McKinley – Johnson on Davis: “He is an athletic combo guard who started for the Panthers as a sophomore. He played for them in the state final four.”

Davis lists Penn State, Minnesota, Dayton, Kent State, Ball State, Xavier and Akron. * 15. Nick Winbush, 6-6, wing forward, Shaker Heights * 16. Hakim McCullar, 6-6, power forward, Cincinnati Withrow – McCullar averaged 11.2 points and 4.5 rebounds as a junior at Withrow.

“He is a bouncy power forward with long arms,” Johnson said. “He plays like a 6-8 or 69 player. He will probably be a steal for some MAC school.” * 17. Troy Tabler, 6-4, shooting guard, Cincinnati Moeller – Tabler is the son of former Cleveland Indians player Pat Tabler. He averaged 13.8 ppg as a junior. * 18. Joe Latas, 6-11, center, Bedford Chanel – Latas has verbaled to Cleveland State. * 19. Camden Miller, 6-8, wing forward, Wheelersburg – A growth spurt has helped Miller become a prospect.

He averaged 18.0 points per game and earned first-team all-district honors as a junior.

He helped lead Wheelersburg to the Division III state final four.

“Miller has grown nearly five inches in the past year and a half,” Johnson said. “He is tantalizing college coaches with his perimeter ability. He led Wheelersburg to the state final four this past year.”

* 20. Billy Allen, 6-5, guard, Hamilton – Averaged 17.4 ppg as a junior. * 21. Brett McKnight, 6-5, power forward, Lancaster * 22. Alex Kellogg, 6-7, power forward, Columbus DeSales – Kellogg is the son of former OSU and NBA star (and current CBS commentator) Clark Kellogg. He averaged 15.8 points per game in helping lead DeSales to the Division II state final four as a junior. * 23. Joe Jakubowski, 6-2, point guard, Toledo St. John’s – Jakubowski averaged 10.4 points per game in leading St. John’s to the Division I state final four. * 24. Reggie Revels, 6-4, shooting guard, Cincinnati Taft * Others To Watch – Christian Siakam, 6-6, power forward, Cincinnati Hughes (Siakam still has not played due to eligibility issues); Elijah Allen, 6-5, wing forward, Columbus DeSales (averaged 16.4 ppg as a junior); Daitwan Eppinger, 6-5, wing forward, Garfield Heights; Phillip Pearson, 6-1, point guard, Toledo Libbey; J.J. Grycko, 6-9, center, Cincinnati Moeller; Lancaster; Terry Martin, 6-5, power forward, Cincinnati Moeller; Mike Porrini, 6-1, point guard, Massillon Washington; Bobby Austin, 6-2, shooting guard, Cincinnati LaSalle; Nick Gross, 6-0, point guard, Akron Manchester; Greg Preer, 6-4, shooting guard, Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary (has grown two inches since averaging eight points a game in SVSM’s run to the Division II state final four).

Juniors-To-Be (Class of 2008)

* 1. William Buford, 6-5, wing forward, Toledo Libbey (SH, 15th nationally in junior class) – As a sophomore, Buford averaged 22.7 points per game and was a first-team alldistrict pick in Division I. Buford showed well at the ABCD Camp and then helped the D-One Greyhounds team win the 16-and-under AAU national title.

“He is one of the most polished players around right now,” Johnson said.

His top schools include Ohio State, Michigan, Arizona, Louisville and Michigan State, all of which have apparently offered. * 3. Delvon Roe, 6-8, power forward, Lakewood St. Edward (SH, 14th; HS, 17th) – Roe averaged 19.3 points per game as a sophomore, earning first-team all-district honors in Division I. He averaged 17 points as a freshman and earned Special Mention All-Ohio honors.

Roe plays alongside Koufos for the King James Shooting Stars. He tallied 39 points in a game at Spiece when Koufos was out. He was then judged the No. 3 overall player at the Nike Camp by ScoutHoops.com. And, he dropped a 34-point game in the AAU nationals in Orlando.

JJ Hu ddle’ s O h io Hi gh

High School Basketball “Of these top Ohio juniors, Delvon is probably the one who made the biggest leap from a national standpoint,” Johnson said. “He had a great showing at the NBA Camp as well as the Nike Camp.”

North Carolina and Connecticut each reportedly offered Roe after Nike. In late July, Roe listed this top 10: Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Illinois, Indiana, Virginia Tech, Miami, Florida, Kansas, and North Carolina.

He said he would cut it to seven in a few weeks. * 3. Yancy Gates, 6-8, power forward, Cincinnati Hughes (SH, 17th; HS, fourth) – Gates averaged 20.3 points per game as a sophomore, up from 13.9 points and 9.1 rebounds per game as a freshman. He lists Ohio State, Cincinnati, Xavier, Illinois, Florida and Michigan.

Gates plays for the Cleveland Basketball Club AAU team. He attended the NBA Players Association Camp as well as the adidas Superstar Camp.

“He was one of the top inside players at the NBA Camp,” Johnson said. * 4. B.J. Mullens, 7-0, center, Canal Winchester (HS, sixth) – Mullens played his first two varsity seasons at Canal Winchester World Harvest Prep before transferring to nearby Canal Winchester.

He averaged 17.6 points, 10.8 rebounds and 6.0 blocked shots per game. He was already offered and committed to Ohio State before he averaged 11.3 points per game in his varsity debut season as a freshman.

“Mullens showed a lot of flashes of ability at the Ohio State team camp in June,” Johnson said. “There, he went up against Kosta Koufos, Dallas Lauderdale and Aaron Pogue.

He displayed as much talent there as any of them. He just needs to get into tip top shape.

If he can do that, he has a chance to go far because he has all of the tools.” * 5. Kenny Frease, 6-11, center, Massillon Perry (SH, 22nd; HS, 50th) – Frease was impressive at a Nike underclassman event, earning an invitation to the Nike Camp.

“In a normal year, Frease would probably be the top post player in Ohio,” Johnson said. “He picked a bad year to be a member of this class – particularly a class with this much size.”

Xavier has offered and Ohio State has also been involved. * 6. Robert Wilson, 6-5, wing forward, Cleveland Rhodes – Johnson on Wilson: “He is a high flying wing who has surpassed his more highly touted high school teammate, Rayshawn Goins.” * 7. Devon Moore, 6-3, point guard, Columbus Northland (HS, 81st) – Johnson on Moore: “He has had a solid spring for the CBC team. He plays more off the ball for his AAU team. He plays more point guard for Northland.” * 8. Kyle Rudolph, 6-6, power forward,

JJ H u d d l e ’ s O h i o H i g h

Cincinnati Elder – Rudolph earned league player of the year honors after averaging 15.5 points and 7.9 rebounds.

“Despite his strength and power, Rudolph can also step out and hit the three,” Johnson said. * 9. Damian Eargle, 6-8, power forward, Warren Harding – Johnson on Eargle: “He is a very active, thin, young post player.” * 10. Anthony Hitchens, 5-9, point guard, Chillicothe – Hitchens averaged 17.4 ppg as a sophomore. * 11. Josh Benson, 6-8, power forward, Dayton Dunbar * 12. Rayshawn Goins, 6-5, wing forward, Cleveland Rhodes (HS, 65th) – Johnson on Goins: “He has great basketball skills and IQ, but he needs to improve on his conditioning to reach his full potential.” * 13. Walt Gibler, 6-6, power forward, Cincinnati St. Xavier – Gibler averaged 14.9 points and 6.9 rebounds as a sophomore.

“He is similar in style to Rudolph, but not as powerful,” Johnson said. “But he is probably a slightly better ballhandler.” * 14. Troy Long, 6-0, shooting guard, Cincinnati Woodward * 15. Chris Johnson, 6-4, wing forward, Columbus Brookhaven * Others To Watch -- Anthony McBride, 6-0, point guard, Cincinnati Withrow (HS, 100th); Andrew Parrish, 6-7, power forward, Clayton Northmont; Chris Hudkins, 6-7, forward, Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary; Johnie Davis, 6-0, point guard Canton McKinley; Chris Crockett, 5-9, point guard, Columbus Academy; TeAllen Price, 6-8, power forward, Cincinnati Woodward; Alex Sullivan, 5-9, point guard, Painesville Riverside; Kyle Caiola, 5-10, point guard, Parma Normandy; Damon Butler, 5-9, point guard, North College Hill; Scott Stucky, 6-2, shooting guard, Dublin Coffman; Courtney Davis, 6-3, shooting guard, North College Hill; Brandon Baker, 6-6, wing forward, Cincinnati Milford; Chris Grimes, 6-5, power forward, Cincinnati Woodward; Julius Wells, 6-5, wing forward, Toledo Libbey; Klein Davis-Harper, 67, power forward, Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph; Anthony Oden, 6-8, center, Dayton Dunbar (brother of Ohio State signee Greg Oden, transferring in from Indianapolis Lawrence North).

Sophomores-To-Be (Class of 2009)

* 1. Danny McElroy, 6-7, center, Cincinnati LaSalle – Johnson on Macalroy: “He has a great build for a freshman. To start from game one at LaSalle in the GCL, that really says something.” McElroy averaged 8.0 points and 4.7 rebounds as a freshman. He attended the adidas Superstar Camp. * 2. Bill Edwards, 6-4, forward, Middletown – Edwards was an honorable mention all-district pick in Division I as a fresh-

man, when he averaged 11.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. He attended the Adidas 150 Camp in California and was listed as one of the top players there.

“He promises to be the next strong player from tradition-rich Middletown,” Johnson said.

“He is the son of former Wright State star Bill Edwards, who is currently playing in Europe.” * 3. Desmar Jackson, 6-3, shooting guard, Warren JFK – Johnson on Jackson: “He is a great athlete. He can handle it and shoot it. He plays defense. He does everything well. He has a chance to be one of the best prospects ever out of JFK.” Jackson was the only Ohio player in the Class of 2009 invited to the Nike Hoops Jamboree underclassman event. * 4. Mike Taylor, 6-1, shooting guard, Toledo St. John’s * 5. Robert Capobianco, 6-7, power forward, Loveland * 6. Orlando Williams, 6-1, point guard, Cincinnati Woodward * 7. Garrick Sherman, 6-8, center, Kenton – Sherman suffered a foot injury and missed most of the summer. * 8. Jeremy Duncan, 6-5, wing forward, Cincinnati Moeller – Duncan is the brother of former Moeller standout and Xavier mainstay Josh Duncan. * 9. Darren Goodson, 6-4, wing forward, Cincinnati Withrow * 10. Sean Joplin, 6-1, combo guard, Sylvania Southview – Joplin is the son of Toledo coach Stan Joplin. * Others To Watch -- Stephon Johnson, 65, power forward, Cincinnati Woodward; Zach Brown, 6-2, shooting guard, Mason; Brian Wozniak, 6-5, wing forward, Loveland; Reggie Keely, 6-6, power forward, Solon.; Brandon Ham, 5-11, point guard, Toledo Central Catholic; Drew McGee, 6-8, power forward, North Ridgeville; Javon Cornley, 6-4, power forward, Columbus Northland; Dane Kopp, 68, center, Newark; Robert Johnson, 6-4, wing forward, Bedford; Bryce Barnes, 5-11, point guard, Grove City Central Crossing; Ryan Siggins, 6-4, wing forward, Kettering Alter.

Freshmen-To-Be (Class of 2010)

Here are six names to watch in the Class of 2010: Nick Kellogg, 6-3, wing forward, Columbus DeSales; Kenny Knight, 6-5, wing forward, Cincinnati Northwest; P’shon Howard, 6-2, point guard, Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary; Cody Smith, 5-11, point guard, Lima Shawnee; Jared Sullinger, 6-4, wing forward, Columbus Northland; Kevin Gray, 5-10, point guard, Groveport Madison.

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

J J H U D D L E . C O M 65

Bobby Martin

A

year ago, most people had never heard of Bobby Martin. Today, people as far away as South Korea know all about the recent Colonel White graduate.

Following a whirlwind year in which Martin became an international marvel for his courage on the gridiron as a legless football player, all the attention and accolades culminated on one special night in Hollywood when he earned an ESPY award for the Best Male Athlete with a Disability. The award from ESPN was determined by fan voting.

“The ESPY is a great deal for me,” said Martin, who was born with his condition. “(ESPN) had heard about me and put me up for a nomination. They started with 2,500 people and then rounded it down to three.

Then I got a letter in the mail from them telling me to tell people to vote for me because I had been nominated in the final three to get an ESPY. They said they were going to fly me out for the show and they would be looking forward to meeting me. It was a big shocker.”

Other nominees for the award included Arizona high school wrestler Anthony Robles, a two-time state champion who was born with one leg, and Paralympic skier Steve Cook, who lost the bottom half of his right leg in a farming accident.

While in California, Martin met some of the worldʼs top athletes, celebrities and several of his favorite football players.

“I met Serena Williams,” he said with a smile and a chuckle, “Reggie Bush, me and Vince Young had a good time, Terrell Owens, (rapper and actor) Ludacris – basically I had a good connection with everybody out there.

(Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback) Ike Taylor was great, too. T.J. Houshmandzadeh – me and him had a good time and he said he wanted to get me out to watch him a few

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

STORY BY MATT NATALI

Photo by Nick Falzerano

times, so he gave me his number and told me to call him. Vince Young wants to get me down there to Tennessee, too.

“I asked him what it was like being an NFL star with people running up to him and how many autographs he signs a day. We had a good time,” he said.

Martin first got involved in football last summer with some encouragement from coach and friend Kerry Ivy. “I wasnʼt going to play because I was nervous I was going to get hurt,” he said. “But I had (coach) Ivy on my back hassling me and saying, ʻCome on, man. Come on to practice.

I want you to play this year. I want you to play.ʼ So, that kind of got me into it. I came to practice and then he got me in practice and I just started liking it from there.

“Me playing football, I thought it was going to be a big challenge until we had the first game of the season. When they finally decided to put me in, I got in and I did what I had to do and I got the tackle. I got my first tackle

in a game and it was a warming sensation.

Then, every time I got in I tried to make a play, make a big play.”

Prior to high school, Martin wrestled and his experience as a wrestler helped him on the football field after ultimately deciding to play.

“When I wrestle, if I donʼt want to get too physical, Iʼll beat them with points. So, Iʼll take them down, let them back up and take them down again. In football, I use the same technique. When I see the person I want to tackle, I get my eyes locked on them and I am going to take that person and kind of spear him and see if I can cause him to fumble or something.”

Martin, who stands 3ʼ1”, first exploded onto the national scene last year after being benched at halftime against Cincinnati Mount Healthy for not being properly equipped.

Officials in the game claimed that players were required to wear thigh pads, knee pads and shoes. After reviewing the circumstances, the Ohio High School Athletic Association ruled that the decision was wrong and Martin was permitted to play in all of Colonel Whiteʼs games.

“When we went down to Cincinnati and they told me I couldnʼt play because I didnʼt have shoes, that really helped me out and got the whole world interested in me,” Martin said. “It is a great experience being nationally known and the world knowing your story.”

The world has definitely gotten to know Bobby Martin in the months that have followed, first making appearances on local news stations then appearing on national broadcasts and television shows. People from as far away as South Korea have visited Ohio to interview Martin.

“I love the Best Damn Sports Show interview I did. It was great,” he said. “I didnʼt know it was going to be that great but I knew

JJ H u ddle’ s O h io Hi gh

Bobby Martin after I saw it I could act and there wasnʼt a script or anything. I just went off the top of my head.”

In addition to recognition by numerous local and statewide press, Martin has also been featured in national publications USA Today and Sports Illustrated.

“I enjoyed being in Sports Illustrated,” he said. “A lot of kids have that picture of me up on their wall and it is an inspiration to little kids. They say I am their role model and that makes me feel real good that I have little kids wanting me to be their role model.”

Martin has not only been an inspiration to children worldwide, but everyone who faces any type of adversity. His story has also inspired Dayton Public Schools to create an annual award in his namesake given for courage and determination in high school sports.

“Basically, I just tell everyone to never give up,” he said. “Keep your head in the game or with whatever youʼre doing – just never give up. Donʼt ever let anyone tell you that you canʼt do something. If they tell you that you canʼt do something that is your motivation to prove them wrong.

“This stuff I have been going through this past year is a blessing. Itʼs a true blessing.

If anybody could have gone through what Iʼve gone through, I am sure they would have probably enjoyed it but I just have to take life and enjoy it day-by-day. Make it count. Make everyday count.”

Martin is a freshman this fall at Ohio State.

“I want to keep my grades up and probably major in computer science or I want to own my own business,” he said. “I havenʼt decided yet, but when I do decide, Iʼll be sure to follow my dream.” — OH

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