Ohio High May 2008

Editor in ChiefSteve Helwagen

PrintingMiami Valley Sports Magazine (MVP)

miamivalleysports.com

PhotographyGary Housteau, Nick Falzerano, Stephanie

Porter, John Ritter, Greg Beers, Carol Anderson,Brad Morris, Brian Cook, Osvaldo Figueroa

ContributorsDavid Gatwood, Ian Mara,Frank DiRenna, Marty Gitlin

Staff WritersKirk Larrabee, Jeff Rapp,

Dave Biddle

Assistant EditorMatt Natali

Recruiting EditorDuane Long

Managing EditorEric Frantz

Order online atwww.jjhuddle.com and

receive a yearʼs subscription (six issues) foronly $29.95.

Subscriptions

To advertise in Ohio HighMagazine, contact Steve

Harman at [email protected]

Questions, commentsor suggestions can be

sent to [email protected]. We encourageyour feedback.

Letters to Editor

heMiami Valley has had storied success in every high school sport the OHSAAgives a state championship trophy for. Dayton is especially deep in football, bas-ketball, soccer, wrestling and track.At the rate Miami Valley teams are going

though, bowling may be the sport that part of the state becomesmost known for.Take it for what its worth and consider that there have been just two official state tour-

naments in boys and girls bowling, but both have been dominated by teams from theMiami Valley. No joke. It’s crazy.Lets look at the girls first. From state results, one can say in

confidence that the Greater Western Ohio Conference is thestate’s toughest affiliation. No contest. Hands down. Second isirrelevant.The last two years, GWOC teams have taken seven of the top

eight places combined. Last year Beavercreek won the state title.This year Centerville did. Fairborn was second both times.Individually, GWOC girls own eight of the top 10 individual

places the last two years and captured both state titles (Fairborn’sBrandi Fulton in 2007, Fairmont’s Jennifer Grady in 2008).After a “slow” start, the boys are gaining speed fast. Last year, Dayton-area schools

placed 1-3 at state with Coldwater beating out St. Henry and Fairmont, respectively, forthe state title. Individually, the Miami Valley produced just one Top 6 bowler.This year things were dramatically different.In 2008, Miami Valley teams took five of the Top 6 team spots, with Stebbins claiming

the state title. Centerville was second and defending champ Coldwater third. Individuallyfive of the Top 6 bowlers were also from the Dayton-area with Urbana’s Brice Reamwin-ning the state title.So far Miami Valley bowlers are rolling a perfect game – as is Ohio High.In our latest issue we unveil recruiting editor Duane Long’s Top 100 football prospects

for the Class of 2009. Garfield Heights senior-to-be and defensive endMelvin Fellowsheadlines the list. Fellows is an Illinois recruit - for now. No. 2 is Licking Valley’s StormKlein, a linebacker/running back who is headed for Ohio State. Who is No. 3?Read on.Lakewood St. Edward recently wrapped an outstanding winter sports season in which

two sports (ice hockey and wrestling) won state titles and another (boys basketball) wasstate runner-up. The Eagles heroics are documented in our “winter sports recap” as isevery other school and athlete that had success on the state level recently. We’ve dedi-cated 15 pages to the boys and girls state basketball tournaments, which were each oneof the most memorable in recent memory. We’re also proud of our state wrestling cover-age, which includes a photo of every weight class winner in each division, and we com-mendAustintown Fitch senior Tony Jameson on becoming the 16th wrestler in state his-tory to win four state titles. Jameson is headed to Ohio State.Other key pieces in this issue of Ohio High include the release of the Huntington

Bank/Ohio High players of the year in all winter sports and coaches of the year in boysand girls basketball; an updated overview on Ohio’s top boys basketball prospectsthrough the Class of 2011; previews of the Ohio North-South and Big 33 all-star footballgames; and the release of our first annual Ohio HighAll-State Tournament teams for bothboys and girls basketball.Enjoy.

Eric FrantzManaging Editor

Ohio High Magazine is published bi-monthly, six times ayear. Ohio High is an independent source of news and fea-tures relating to Ohio high school sports. Ohio High strivesto report information based on fact, but assumes noresponsability for any inaccuracies that may appear withinthe pages. Ohio High is not authorized, sponsored or sanc-tioned by any university, athletic conference or athletic gov-erning body.Subscriptions are available for $29.95 andmay be purchasedonline at jjhuddle.com.Single copy price is $6.95 each.Copyright 2008, Ohio HighMagazine andMVPMagazine, LLC.

All rights reserved.COVERPHOTOS:GaryHousteau,NickFalzerano&GregBeers

c

Going forward, here are general topics that will be covered in each edition of Ohio High:* July (Due out June 15) – H.S. football preview, spring sports recap* September (Due out Aug. 15) – Top 100 senior prospect bios updated* November (Due out Oct. 15) – Basketball preview issue, football playoff preview* January (Due out Dec. 15) – Fall sports and football reecap, Top 100 seniors bios

updated* March (Due out Feb. 15) –Basketball and wrestling tournament previews.Check out JJHuddle.com every day for season previews and daily coverage of Ohio

high school athletics. For subscription information on Ohio High, check the Internet atwww.jjhuddle.com

Upcoming Issues

T

Volume 5 Issue 6

Eric Frantz

JJHUD

DLE

.CO

M

43

50

11

7Photo by Osvaldo Figueroa

Photo by Woodward Photographic

Photo by Gary Housteau


Also...

The first release of the top high school football prospects inOhio in the Class of 2009

Duane Long’s Top 100 Prospects55

Updated Ohio High Cup Rankings: Three Tied For Lead54Boys Basketball Recruiting Update30

Boys Basketball State Tournament

St. Charles Ends St. Xavier’s Swimming Reign In D-I10

Newark, Chillicothe, Ottawa-Glandorf and New Knoxville nab titles17

A look back at the state hockey, gymnastics, boy’s andgirl’s swimming and bowling state tournaments

Winter Sports Recap7

All-Star Football Game Previews: North-SouthAnd Big 3375

The Huntington Bank/Ohio High Magazine Players of theYear in hockey, gymnastics, swimming and bowling

Winter Sports Players Of the Year11

Ohio High All-Tournament Team23Huntington Bank/Ohio High Boys Players of the Year25Huntington Bank/Ohio High Boys Coach of the Year28

Girls Basketball State TournamentMount Notre Dame, Berlin Hiland add to hoops legacies;Versailles, KetteringAlter add first girls state titles to trophy cases

36

Ohio High All-Tournament Team42Huntington Bank/Ohio High Girls Player and Coach ofthe Year

43

Lakewood St. Edward. St. Paris Graham and Troy Christianall repeat as divisional state champions

State Wrestling Recap45

Huntington Bank/Ohio High Wrestler of the Year50

Garfield Heights defensive end Melvin Fellows debutsas the No. 1 football prosect in the state

72

THE

SOUR

CE

FOR

OHIO

HIG

HSC

HO

OLSP

ORT

S

J JHUDDLE .COM 7JJ Huddle ’ s Ohio High

Winter Spor ts Round UpSTORY BY OHIO HIGH STAFF

he winter sports season wasanother exciting one in Ohio. Atraditional power reclaimed theice hockey crown, while swim-ming saw one long win streakextended and another ended. Ingymnastics, another dynastyclaimed yet another title while inbowling, the Miami Valley flexed

its muscle.Below we take a look at these state champi-

onships.Recaps of boys basketball and girls basket-

balll are found on pages 17 and 36, respctive-ly. The wrestling recap is on page 45.

Ice HockeyDuring its three-day stay in Columbus, the

Lakewood St. Edward ice hockey team had tocontend with Mother Nature, the suspension oftwo of its players and finally a game opponentfrom Gates Mills Gilmour Academy.In the end, none of it was enough to keep

the Eagles from winning an 11th OHSAAcrown, the final step a 3-1 win over GilmourAcademy in the title game played March 10 infront of 684 spectators at Nationwide Arena.Both days of the tournament were pushed

back 24 hours due to the snowfall in centralOhio. St. Ed's played against GilmourAcademy without two regulars, lost because ofa fight that marred the conclusion of its semifi-nal win the day before.None of it mattered, as St. Ed's added

another championship to its state record total.The Eagles (29-11-3) took the lead in the

second period and held on down the stretch,taking advantage of outstanding penalty-killingto preserve the victory. After taking a two-goallead early in the third, three St. Ed's penaltieshad the team a man-down for more than halfof the game's final 12 minutes.The championship was the first for St. Ed's

coach Rob Whidden, who took over the pro-gram from his father Bob three years ago.Junior T.J. Colvin broke the scoreless tie just

over two minutes into what would become adominant 15 minutes for the Eagles.The St. Ed's forward ripped a slap-shot from

center ice, just above the circles. Gilmourgoalie Austin Severson deflected the shot withhis glove, but the puck fell behind him into thenet at the 2:08 mark of the second.St. Ed's outshot Gimour 26-4 in the period.But Gilmour (23-18-1) appeared to level the

score midway through the period when ZachBuehner hit a slap shot high and left of the St.Ed's goal. The puck bounced off the boards,diagonally backwards to the rear of Eaglesgoalie Robby Ginsburg.Reaching back to cover the puck, Ginsburg

inadvertently hit it into his own net just as a

T

xx

Photograph Courtesy of Visual Image Photography, Inc. www.vipis.com. All rights reserved.

J JHUDDLE .COM8 JJ Huddle ’ s Ohio High

Winter Spor ts Round Up

group of players knocked the goal off its moor-ings.Though television replay clearly showed the

puck in the St. Ed's net before the goal wasdisturbed, the ruling on the ice was to waive itoff.Having dodged the bullet, St. Ed's added to

its lead seconds before the end of the periodvia the power play. With four seconds on theclock, John Plagens beat Severson with a top-shelf wrister from the right face-off spot.Each team scored in what was an even

third period. Gilmour pulled to within 2-1 at1:48 when Alex Moss got the puck off theface-off and fired a wrist-shot through trafficfrom above the left circle. Less than two min-utes later Danny Geiger of St. Ed's drovedown the left boards from center ice, eventual-

ly flipping the puck over Severson's rightshoulder at 3:10.Neither team found the net in the first,

despite three penalties and more than fiveminutes of power play hockey.The closest either team came was Colvin,

who hit the left post on a point-blank slap-shotat the 9:32 mark. Each team was credited withfive shots in the period.

– Ian Mara

Girls BowlingCenterville captured the team state champi-

onship at Tiki Lanes in Lancaster when itdefeated Fairborn in an all-Greater WesternOhio Conferecne final. The Elks handled theSkyhawks 210-164, 176-220, 205-159 and203-145.

"It’s just such a great feeling,” saidCenterville junior Kate Slanker. “We were allpretty confident coming in that we could winit.”Centerville had defeated McDonald (3-0)

and Kettering Fairmont (3-1) earlier in thechampionship rounds. Fairborn, state runner-up for a second consecutive year, knocked offStruthers and Troy to reach the final.The final four teams were all members of

the 17-team GWOC, and the five highest teamscores in the three-game morning sessionwere from the Southwest District.Slanker, who finished 13th in the state in the

individual competition, bowled No.1 forCenterville in the team tournament. All eight ofher frames against Fairborn were closed andshe led-off three of the four games with

strikes.Jennifer Grady, a senior from Fairmont, was

the girls medalist after bowling a 730-series.The score placed her 65 pins ahead of thesecond place finisher."It's really a nice thing," Grady said of being

able to call herself state champion.Grady's three games were highlighted by an

opening score of 276. The highest game ofthe day rolled in the individual competition;Grady followed a spare with nine consecutivestrikes, and then ended with another spare. Itwas the second-highest competitive game ofthe season for Grady.

– Ian Mara

Boys BowlingRiverside Stebbins won the team champi-

onship when it defeated Centerville in thefinals of eight-team championship round, 3-1,at Tiki Lanes in Lancaster.The Indians defeated Westerville Central (3-

2) and Kettering Fairmont (3-0) to make thefinals, while Centerville, seeded sixth after thepreliminaries, knocked off Austintown-Fitch (3-1) and defending state champion Coldwater(3-2)."It was meant to be for us," said Stebbins

coach Don Brown, whose team placed 10th inthe state last year. "This time we weren't con-tent with just being here. We thought we hada shot at winning it."Stebbins, which used a lineup of three

sophomores and two seniors, defeatedCenterville by scores of 176-139, 190-213,219-208 and 217-206.

"We were preparing for this all season," saidStebbins' Johnathon Miller, who placed fourthin the individual competition and was the criti-cal No. 5 bowler during the baker rounds."We knew we wanted to come here and win

this."Urbana senior Brice Ream captured the

individual state championship with a three-game score of 763. Ream beat WestervilleCentral's Jay Foote by a 48-pin margin."It's awesome," Ream said. "It feels amaz-

ing."Ream's state title came in his first appear-

ance at the state event. He had not qualifiedeven beyond the sectional tournament thepast two winters.The 763-series was the second-highest of

Ream's bowling career.– Ian Mara

Photo by Greg Beers Photo by Greg Beers

Riverside Stebbins won the boys bowlingteam state title by edging Centerville inthe finals.

Centerville captured the girls bowling teamtitle with a win over fellow Greater WesternOhio Conference member Fairborn.

Urbana senior Brice Ream (right) won theindividual state bowling title, whileWesterville Central’s Jay Foote was second.

Photo by Greg Beers



Girls Swimmingand DivingDivision I: Upper Arlington won its fourth

consecutive state championship and fifth in sixyears when it had a state record 419 points.Cincinnati Ursuline Academy was runner-upfor the sixth straight year with 222 points.UA was led by junior Darcy Fishback, who

won her third straight 100-meter butterfly withstate and tournament records (53.85) and wason the winning 200 medley and 200 freestylerelay teams that both set state and tourna-ment records (1:44.47 in the 200 medleyrelay; 1:35.08 in the 200 freestyle relay).Another standout for the Golden Bears wassenior Beth Loe, who won the 500 freestyleand was on the winning 400 freestyle relay,

while senior Katie Chin, junior MaddieArmiage and freshman Kayla Hammerberg allswam on two of the winning relay teams.Also in the division, Columbus Bishop

Watterson sophomore Gracie Finnegan wonboth the 50 and 100 freestyles; WestervilleNorth senior Lindsay Lash defended her titlein the 100 backstroke with a tournamentrecord (55.29); Cincinnati Ursuline Academysenior Sarah Tanner defended her champi-onship in the 200 individual medley, andPowell Olentangy Liberty junior Ashley Spechtdefended her title in the 100 breaststroke.Division II: Gates Mills Hawken won its

ninth straight Division II title, captured its 12thstate title in 13 years and raised its all-timelead in girls state swimming and diving cham-pionships to 18 when it had 358 points. Lima

Shawnee was the runner-up with 142.Hawken was led by senior Brittany

Strumbel, who won her third straight champi-onship in the 200 freestyle, won her secondconsecutive 500 freestyle and swam on thewinning 200 and 400 freestyle relays.Other Hawks standouts were junior Brittany

Rospierski, who won the 100 breaststrokewith state and tournament records (1:04.04)and was on the winning 200 medley and 200freestyle relays; freshman Alana Arnold, whowon the 100 butterfly and was on the winning200 medley and 400 freestyle relays, and sen-ior Jennifer Aronoff, who was on the winning200 medley and 200 freestyle relays.Other highlights of the tournament saw

Milford Center Fairbanks sophomore MargoGeer defend her championships in the 50 and

100 freestyles, setting state and tournamentrecords in both events (23.25 in the 50, 50.30in the 100), and Cincinnati Indian Hill seniorMargaret Fish defend her championship in the200 individual medley with state and tourna-ment records (2:02.98).

– OHSAA Reports

Boys Swimmingand DivingCincinnati St. Xavier’s streak of nine con-

secutive state titles came to an end whenColumbus St. Charles edged the Bombers,266 to 246. It was the first state championshipfor the Cardinals, who finished second thepast two years (see story on page 10).St. Charles’ championships came in the 200

and 400 freestyle relays, where seniorsMarshall Sherman and Scott Martin participat-ed on both. The school also was second inthe 200 medley relay; Martin was second inboth the 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly(where the Cardinals also posted a third andfourth), and Sherman was third in both the 50freestyle and 100 backstroke.Other standouts were St. Xavier senior Jim

Barbiere, who won his third straight title in the100 backstroke and was on the winning 200medley relay team; Toledo St. John’s Jesuitsenior Jake Epperson, who won both the 200individual medley and 100 breaststroke, andUpper Arlington junior Eric Huffman, who wonboth the 50 and 100 freestyles.

– OHSAA Reports

GymnasticsBrecksville-Broadview Heights won its fifth

consecutive championship, its seventh in eightyears and its eighth overall. But the meetcame down to the final performer in the finalevent, and senior Andrea Kinzer’s 9.725 in thevault gave the Bees 147.400 points, edgingRocky River Magnificat, which had 147.050.The margin of victory was the second clos-

est in tournament history, and Brecksville-Broadview Heights tied Worthington ThomasWorthington’s record for most consecutivestate titles.Magnicat senior Kayla Kmiecik not only won

her third straight uneven parallel bars title butwon the all around as well with 37.825 points.Freshman teammate Kelly Nortz was secondwith 37.625. Kmiecik also took top honors inthe floor exercise, while Nortz won the vaultand Columbus St. Francis DeSales seniorMorgan Spellacy won the balance beam.

Team Scores:1. Brecksville-Broadview Heights 147.400;

2. Rocky River Magnificat 147.050; 3.Strongsville 138.675; 4. Columbus St. FrancisDeSales 137.725; 5. Painesville Riverside137.600; 6. Solon 136.000; 7. Dublin Coffman135.975; 8. Hilliard Davidson 135.800; 9.Clayton Northmont 133.925; 10. Perrysburg132.650; 11. Liberty Twp. Lakota East131.175; 12. Napoleon 129.575.

Individual Champions:All Around – Kayla Kmiecik (Sr., Rocky

River Magnificat) 37.825Vault – Kelly Nortz (Fr., Rocky River

Magnificat) 9.500Uneven Parallel Bars – Kayla Kmiecik (Sr.,

Rocky River Magnificat) 9.475Balance Beam – Morgan Spellacy (Sr.,

Columbus St. Francis DeSales) 9.550Floor Exercise – Kayla Kmiecik (Sr., Rocky

River Magnificat) 9.500– OHSAA Reports

Upper Arlington won its fourth straightD-I girls swimming title and fifth in sixyears with a state record 419 points.

Gates Mills Hawken captured its ninthstraight D-II swimming state title and 12thin 13 years. Hawken has 18 titles total.

Photo by Osvaldo FigueroaPhoto by Osvaldo Figueroa



t. Charles swim coach Kyle Goodrichknows a new challenge will await theCardinals next winter when they enterthe season as defending state champi-

ons.But, he is optimistic the talent from the

2007-08 squad should carryover when itreturns to high school competition later thisyear.“We’ll definitely be in a bit of a rebuilding

mode, even though we’ll still have severalvery fast swimmers,” Goodrich said. “That’snot to say that we’ll be weak next year.Rather, it’s a testament to the strength of the’08 class.”That class helped the Cardinals unseat

Cincinnati St. Xavier as state champions whenit won 266-246 at C.T. Branin Natatorium inCanton Feb. 23.Coming into this winter’s state meet, St.

Xavier had won nine consecutive state titleswhile St. Charles was runner-up the past twoseasons.Among the seniors from this year’s squad

are Marshall Sherman, who was second in the50 freestyle (20.82 seconds) and part of thewinning 200- and 400 freestyle relay teams atstate.Sherman, who has committed to swim at

Notre Dame, said he won’t soon forget thefeeling of standing at the top of the podium asa state champion with the other dozen sen-iors.“Winning state was our goal all season

long,” Sherman said. “Having this season-longgoal come true is the ultimate victory. Also,beating such a great state powerhouse like St.Xavier is very rewarding knowing that wewere the team that upset such a dominantforce in the swimming world.”Scott Martin was second in the 100 free

(45.79), second in the 100 butterfly (49.51)and tied for third in the 100 backstroke(51.44). Martin was also part of the statechampion relay teams.Alex Schaffer was third in the 100 fly

(50.34) and part of the 200 free relay and thesecond-place 200 medley relay team(1:34.43).Andrew Clancey had a team-best time of

58.15 in the 100 breaststroke at state.Andrew Birnbrich and Neil O’Kelly were

also on state champion relay teams.At this writing, several of these seniors are

considering college programs, according toGoodrich.“I couldn’t be prouder of the ’08 class,”

Goodrich said. “The exciting thing about thisyear’s senior class is that, outside of MarshallSherman, they weren’t very highly toutedcoming into high school.”Goodrich said the program has taken a

great deal of pride in the swimmers’ develop-ment. There are several examples, includingsenior Kyle Jennings, who swam the back-stroke leg of the second-place medley relay,placed 12th in the 100 back and qualified inthe 500 free.“However, as a freshman, Kyle swam at our

JV championships and finished with times of1:04.14 in the back and 5:32.31 in the 500free,” Goodrich said. “That’s amazing improve-ment.”Though much attention has been placed on

the way the program competed against St.Xavier, Goodrich, who has been the Cardinals’head coach the past six years, said therewasn’t a great deal of pressure for theCardinals to challenge for state supremacy.“Quite frankly, we put the pressure on our-

selves – we embraced the opportunity andchallenge of competing against one of thebest teams in the country,” said Goodrich, a1995 St. Charles graduate. “I felt it was myresponsibility to challenge our team and makethe swimmers realize how good they couldbe.”At a team picnic before the season,

Goodrich said he told his team that if eachswam to his potential, the Cardinals would

have a chance to challenge the Bombers for astate title.“The boys responded well and improved

dramatically throughout the season,” Goodrichsaid.That legacy left by the seniors should have

a very positive effect for the future.“I think the fact that all of these seniors have

worked together in the pool and the weightroom makes this achievement so muchsweeter,” Goodrich said. “All of them canremember their freshmen seasons and theyrealize how much they’ve improved over thelast four years. Their work ethic is contagiousand they’ve been excellent leaders for myyounger swimmers.”Goodrich said the top swimmers next sea-

son for the Cardinals will be seniors-to-be ErikMai, Justin Shotwell and Eric Grunden. Othersto watch will include juniors Nick Schuttinger,Sam Kocher, Sandy Whitaker, Corey Taylorand Jay Schuh along with sophomore OrionSwanson.Mai was sixth in the 100 breaststroke

(58.71) at state this winter and finished eighthin the 200 IM (1:59.94).Whitaker was 13th in the 100 backstroke at

state.“I think it will be difficult to move in front of

St. Xavier or University (School) next yearbased on returning points, but I believe that ifour current juniors and sophomores continueto improve as our swimmers historically do,then we’ll have a good chance to finish as oneof the top three teams in Ohio,” Goodrich said.A lot will depend on the current sophomores

as they will have a significant role in theteam’s success next season, according toGoodrich.“My junior class has a lot of talent, but their

class is much smaller,” Goodrich said. “If the’09 and ’10 classes perform as we hope andlead our younger swimmers, we’ll have eightto nine individual state qualifiers next year andsome more banners to hang.”Schaffer, who is considering some Division I

college programs, went a step further.“I think with the coaching staff (St. Charles)

has and the tradition that is being established,I believe they can reach new heights in thefuture,” Schaffer said. “I think that they reallycan have a dynasty like Upper Arlington andToledo St. Francis did and like St. Xavier doescurrently.” – OH

Pool Sharks: Columbus St. Charles

Columbus St. Charles ends Cincinnati St.Xavier’s state swim title streak at nine

S

Photo by Osvaldo Figueroa

OHIO HIGH STAFF


Winter Spor ts Players of the Year

oledo St. John’s senior Jake Epperson put himself in some rarecompany recently.At the Ohio High School state swimming championships held

Feb. 23 in Canton, Epperson accomplished something that has-n’t been done by a Northwest Ohio athlete since 1999 when he

captured not one, but two state swimming titles. Epperson, who wonboth the 100-yard breaststroke and the 200-yard individual medley, wasnot a favorite in either event. It didn’t matter.Now Epperson can also add the Huntington Bank/Ohio High

Magazine Boys Swimmer of the Year award to his haul.Since last year’s state finals, winning a state championship had con-

sumed Epperson’s mind.“I thought about it all summer,”

Epperson said. “Just because I finishedsecond in both of my events last year Ithought I had a good chance, but, head-ing into this year’s tournament, I reallydidn’t think I would because other peo-

ple were posting a lot better times than I was.”Despite not possessing the best times, Epperson managed to touch

the wall first in both of his events and, by doing so, he placed a hugeexclamation point on an outstanding senior season.Swimming is, by and large, and individual sport but there aspects of it

that are team oriented as well. For the past forty-two years, the boys’high school swimming scene in northwest Ohio has been dominated bySt. John’s arch-rival, Toledo St. Francis. In those forty-two years, noother team has ever captured a district swimming title but this year theEpperson led St. John’s team dethroned the Knights. As noted, by Titanswimming coach, Joe Carroll, Epperson’s role in this accomplishmentwas immeasurable.“Jake is a leader in the water,” Carroll said. “He’s not really the vocal

guy and doesn’t really like to talk, but Jake goes into the water and heleads by example. Sometimes I think that is really more important in aleader than anything. For all four years we could count on Jake.”Winning two state swimming championships may be enough for

some athletes but for Epperson it is only the beginning. Having alreadysigned a national letter of intent at the University of Tennessee,

Epperson presentlyhas his eyes set onqualifying for theOlympic trials.If Epperson doesn’t

qualify for the Olympictrials, it won’t be forlack of effort. His work-out schedule is tough.During the off-sea-

son, Epperson liftstwice a week andswims two and halfhours. During the com-petitive summer sea-son, however, his timein the pool increasesto three hours in themorning and an addi-tional two and a halfhours in the evening.“It’s a love-hate

thing,” Epperson said.According to Carroll,Epperson has tremen-dous potetnial.“I absolutely think

that he can make theOlympic trial cut,” Carroll said. “I think Tennessee will be a great pro-gram for him and the coaches there have a lot of expectations for himas well. If Jake continues to work and drive himself his potential is end-less.”Epperson’s ability was not always so obvious.“I was scared of the water when I was little,” Epperson said. “When I

first started swimming, I didn’t do good. I got DQ (disqualified) in everysingle event that I swam in the first meet. I was pretty awful when I waslittle. When I was thirteen, I started to drop a lot of time. That’s when Igot a lot better.”What the future holds for Epperson is difficult to say. Iinjuries, opportu-

nities and timing are vitally important and no one has complete controlover any of them. However, Epperson has worked hard to place himselfin position to excel and future success should not be a surprise.“It is easy because of his natural ability,” Carroll said. “He’s good

because of his personal desire to get better.”– David Gatwood

Boys Swimming

Girls Swimming

Gymnastics

Girls Bowling

Boys Bowling

Ice Hockey

JakeEpperson

Toledo St. John’s

St. John’s Senior EppersonWins Two State Titles

Boys Swimming

T

Toledo St. John’s senior JakeEpperson is headed to the Universityof Tennessee.

Photoby

DavidGatwood

t was another great winter season inOhio high school athletics and OhioHigh is proud to partner withHuntington Banks to present player of

the year awards in all nine winter sports.

The boys basketball player of the yearaward is revealed on page 25, while thegirls basketball player of the year is onpage 43. The boys and girls basketballcoaches of the year are honored on

pages 28 and 43, respectively. Thewrestler of the year is named on page 50.Here is a look at the six other player of

the year award winners for the winter sea-son.

I

STORY BY OHIO HIGH STAFF



f Gates Mills Hawken School swimmer Brittany Strumbel was soinclined after finishing a typical race, she could jump out of thepool, towel off and take a swig of bottled water.Then, she could watch the competition come in.

Certainly, the polite senior is far too considerate for such a displayof arrogance. But she does quite oftenwin the 500-meter freestyle by 10 sec-onds or more.Such was the case against premier

competition at the 2008 state swim-ming and diving championships.Strumbel captured the 500-meterfreestyle with a torrid time of 4:50,nearly 10 seconds ahead of the sec-ond-place finisher. She snagged the200-meter freestyle by clocking in at1:50.25 and also anchored the winning200 and 400 relay teams as the Hawksran away with their 10th consecutiveDivision II title.Thanks to her exploits, Strumbel has

been named the Huntington Bank/Ohio High Magazine GirlsSwimmer of the Year.And to think that Strumbel was disappointed in her performance.“I’m not upset at the times, but I do wish I could have done a little

better,” Strumbel said. “I can’t complain because I had an opportunityto win both events and I did. Plus, I didn’t taper fully for state, so Iwasn’t completely rested.”One might consider the blazing pace Strumbel would have set had

she not maintained a full competitive schedule heading into the statemeet. But her dominance comes as no surprise. The University ofIndiana recruit took first in both the 200 and 500 freestyle last yearand snagged the 200 freestyle crown as a sophomore.“She has always been pretty dominant,” understates Hawks coach

Jerry Holtrey. “She has to race against the clock most of the timebecause the competition isn’t anywhere near her.”That’s for sure. But who woulda thunk it about 10 years ago, when

Strumbel had to be taken to the YMCA pool kicking and screaming?OK, she was at least not smiling as a kid when parents Mike and

Karin dragged her to swim practice. But they believed it would begood for her in the long run.They believed right.Strumbel began enjoying the sport as she developed an emotional

bond to her fellow swimmers. She also realized well before herteenage years that she was quite gifted.“I remember when I was 12 years old and I made the YMCA nation-

al cut, which is when it kind of hit me that I really enjoyed doing thisand I was kind of good at it,” Strumbel explains. “I got used to it andfell in love with it.”Strumbel worked hard as well, particularly in her transformation

from strict sprinting to longer distances. She excelled solely in the 50and 100 until Holtrey trained her in the 200 and 500. Three yearsago, the Hawks needed a swimmer to replace 200 and 500 specialistand perennial state champion Alyssa Keil, who has since taken hertalents to the University of Georgia. Holtrey considered Strumbel theideal candidate.

Shorter-distanceevents require speedand an ability to startquickly. Strumbelboasts both of thoseattributes, but she hadto work on herendurance for theHawks to replace Keilwithout missing abeat.“I realized that I

could compete inthose events by hold-ing a fast time for alonger period of time,”Strumbel says. “I did-n’t know that I hadsuch a capability for alot of endurance.”She did know, how-

ever, that she had thepassion. That hasn’tbeen a problem sincethose childhood daysat the YMCA, but shestill thanks her parentsfor their persistence.

“My parents obviously got me into the pool and really focused meon swimming,” Strumbel said. “But there’s a difference between myparents and others I’ve seen. Most parents get really involved, but myparents are so supportive and I thank them for that. If I do well, that’sfine. If I don’t do well, they support me. They understand that it’s mylife and I love them for that.”That’s one reason Strumbel changed her thinking about college.

Her initial feeling was to accept one of many scholarship offers from aschool as distant from Ohio as possible, not to escape, but rather toexplore a new area of the country.Strumbel finally chose Indiana after having visited Tennessee,

Southern Methodist and Florida State. Her flights to those other desti-nations brought into stark reality just how far away from home shewould be. And anyway, the Hoosiers are defending Big Ten champi-ons.“Being six hours from home is far enough away,” she says. “And it’s

still close enough to Ohio that I’ll still be able to remain in contact witha lot of Ohio swimmers.”Yeah, Ohio swimmers don’t mind being close to Strumbel. They just

prefer not compete against her.– Marty Gitlin

BrittanyStrumbelGates MillsHawken

Strumbel Leads Hawken ToTenth Straight Swimming Title

Girls Swimming

I

Strumbel choose Indiana over

Tennessee, Florida State and

Southern Methodist.Phot

oby

Osva

ldoFi

guer

oa

Ice Hockey

t 5-8 and 135 pounds, Dublin Coffman High School's AnthonyRogers doesn't appear to be a prototypical hockey player.However, what Rogers may lack in stature, he makes up

for with dedication, heart and desire. Rogers, a senior, turnedin a record-setting performance this past season in leading theShamrocks to success.

Coffman’s Rogers Stands TallAs Ohio’s Top Hockey Player

A





For his efforts, hehas been named theHuntington Bank/OhioHigh Magazine IceHockey Player of theYear.“I worked as hard as

I could,” Rogers said.“I had a lot of goodlinemates who werehelping me score.“I never really

thought I would havethis much success. Iwas never really thatstrong. Usually hockeyplayers are big andstrong, so it was kindof surprising, but I'mglad I'm being recog-nized.”Led by Rogers,

Coffman captured theCapital HockeyConference regularseason title with an 11-2 mark, good for 22points. It was the

Shamrocks' first conference title since Rogers' freshman season.The Shamrocks finished 23-10-2 overall, with other highlights

including winning the Adam Allgeyer Memorial Tournament andrecording a pair of long winning streaks. After beginning the seasonwith two losses and a tie, Coffman went on a 10-game winningstreak.The Shamrocks won their final six games of the regular season to

wrap up the coveted conference title.Coffman finished ahead of St. Charles (10-2-1, 21 points), Dublin

Jerome (10-3, 20), Olentangy Liberty(8-5, 16), Gahanna (7-5-0-1, 15),Upper Arlington (7-6, 14), ThomasWorthington (6-6-0-1, 13), WorthingtonKilbourne (4-9, 8), DeSales (1-10-1-1,4) and Dublin Scioto (0-13, 0).Cincinnati Sycamore eliminatedCoffman from postseason action 7-2 ina district semifinal game.“It was kind of upsetting just thinking

about that that was the last time Iwould ever play with those guysagain,” Rogers said of his finalscholastic game. “It was a little sadand disappointing.”

The Shamrocks opened district play with a 3-0 win overBeavercreek. Rogers scored a goal in the victory.Rogers, a forward, played a key role in the team's success as he

netted a team-high 64 goals and 38 assists. Rogers, who was plus-72, earned first-team all-league honors and was named the team'smost valuable player.“It was a nice accomplishment at the end of the year, but really I

just wanted my team to do well,” Rogers said.Rogers shattered the school record for points in a season with 102

and also topped the conference mark for goals in a season with 22.Rogers displayed steady improvement throughout his scholastic

hockey career. The four-year letterwinner earned honorable mentionrecognition his sophomore and junior seasons before his breakoutsenior campaign. He helped the Shamrocks reach the district final hissophomore season before falling to top-seeded Upper Arlington 5-2.“He quietly improved every year,” Coffman coach Perry Pooley

said.“He's not big and strong or fast. He doesn't possess a huge shot,

but he was quick to the holes, he was good around the net, he wasvery smart getting open. He played with some good guys on the ice,too. That helped him out, but he was a thinker. He's instinctive. Youcan't teach that.”Rogers also earned respect off the ice from coaches, teammates

and opponents.“He doesn't get in any trouble,” Pooley said. “He does very well in

school. He's not real vocal, but he does the right things off the ice.You never had to worry about him in the classroom. He always gotgreat grades, which is nice to see.”The 2007-08 Coffman edition had a family flavor, as Rogers' broth-

er, Alex, was the team's starting goaltender.The younger Rogers, a sophomore, started every game in goal and

recorded 760 saves for a .891 save percentage with a 2.58 goals-against average. He earned second-team recognition.“I liked playing on the same team with my brother,” the older

Rogers said. “He's a really good goalie. Knowing the goalie that well,I knew what to expect from him.”Anthony Rogers began skating at age three and turned to hockey a

year later. He played travel hockey throughout elementary school andmiddle school before joining the Shamrocks.He will continue his education and hopefully his hockey career at

Ohio State, where he plans on pursuing a business major and willalso play club hockey.The future looks bright for the Shamrocks as Rogers was the lone

senior on the team at season's end.Junior Chris Ridgway, who was second on the team in scoring with

39 goals and 46 assists for 85 points, is expected to help fill the voidleft by Rogers' graduation.“We've had a lot of success since I've been there,” Rogers said.

“We've always had winning seasons. We've been about 10 gamesover .500 every year, so we've had some pretty good runs.”Said Pooley, “We've had some pretty good hockey players. It's

going to be a void -- his ice time and points -- for next year. He gotthe most valuable player this year.“Anthony Rogers is somebody people should remember at

Coffman.”– Frank DiRenna

Rogers scored64 goals andhad 34 assiststhis season.

Kmiecik Claims Two Events,All-Around State Title

Gymnastics

Photoby

CarolAnderson

AnthonyRogers

Dublin Coffman

ayla Kmiecik carried on the Rocky River Magnificat gymnas-tics tradition in February becoming the 12th Blue Streaksgymnast to win the all-around state championship.Kmiecik won gold medals in the uneven parallel bars and

the floor exercise and placed second in the balance beam and fourthplace in the vault to score 37.825 points to claim the all-around titleas well as Huntington Bank/Ohio High Gymnast of the Year honors.“To win three gold medals in my senior year, I couldn’t have asked

for a better ending,” Kmiecik told The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer.

K



our years ago, it would have been hard to imagine KetteringFairmont senior Jennifer Grady as the top girls bowler in Ohio.But through hard work and dedication, she became just that

as she rolled her way to an individual state championship inMarch and the Huntington Bank/Ohio High Girls Bowler of the

Year honors.“When she first came to me asking

for lessons, I couldn’t help herbecause her bowling ball was sopoorly drilled,” said Fairmont bowlingcoach Andy Parker. “So, she hascome a long way from then. She’sworked hard on her game and islearning every time she goes out.”In the state tournament, Grady

bowled a 730 series (276-237-217) –65 pins better than second-place fin-isher Kelsey Zumfelde of Napoleon.“I didn’t think it was going to hap-

pen,” she said. “I just went out thereand bowled. It’s amazing.“I knew I wanted it for the team and I knew I had to step up. I

found my mark all day and I was on it.”While Grady may have not expected to win the state champi-

onship, Parkerthought otherwise.“I could just see it

in her eyes at state. Iknew she was goingto have a good day.She was totallyfocused,” he said.Grady led

Fairmont (13-2) witha 204.7 average thisseason, which wassecond in theGreater WesternOhio Conferencebehind Troy’s AliciaSimpson (205.2) andwas named theGWOC Bowler of theYear.“I think when you

look at this past year,for her, she was justdetermined,” saidParker. “She wasdetermined thewhole year to have agreat year. She’sworked hard on her game.”And Grady has dedicated herself to the game since slipping on

her first pair of bowling shoes as a freshman when her average was

Kmiecik previouslywon two state titles inthe uneven barsbefore claiming theelusive all-around titlethis year.“At the end of last

year, if anyone hadasked who I thoughtthe state all-aroundtitle would go to Iwould have saidKayla,” Magnificathead coach Joe Gurasaid. “She was goingto win or someonewas going to have tobeat her to win it.“She knew that also

and handled the pres-sure of being the onethat everyone pointedthe finger to.”Kmieck has worked

hard since her fresh-man year to follow inthe long line greatgymnasts that have

gone through Magnificat, according to Gura.“Our slogan is ‘Tradition Never Graduates’ and when she was a

freshman there were juniors and seniors that did the same thing forher. They were role models for her.“I think a lot of (her success) comes from watching other girls that

have been successful. She was handed the torch her sophomoreyear and she’s moved on from there. It has been apparent each yearsince that she has shown great leadership qualities.”

And Kmiecik’s leadership was obvi-ous this year as freshman teammateKelly Notz finished second in the all-around category at the state tourna-ment with a 37.625 score.“(Kmiecik) tried to pull (Notz) along-

side her and tried to get her to bemore consistent, which she ended updoing,” said Gura. “She filled her rolethat way as far as being a leader andbeing a role model.He added, “She’s somewhat of a

quiet individual but she does lead byexample. She always tells the girlsthat they are doing well and givesthem pointers to fix things or increase

their difficulty. She’s always in a positive state.”Kmiecik, a 4.1 GPA student, has accepted a scholarship to Ball

State and will be competing for the Cardinals. She spends 50 weeksa year training and has since she was six years old.“I expect her to do very well and to be a successful young lady

down the road,” Gura said.Said Kayla’s father Tom Kmiecik: “Our family is pretty athletic. Her

brother plays golf (in college) and I played basketball, but no one inthe fiamly has the drive and passion Kayla does. She’s above every-one else.”

– Matt Natali

Grady Caps High SchoolCareer With State Title

Girls Bowling

F

MagnificatseniorKaylaKmiecik isheaded toBall State

PhotobyW

oodardPhotographic

KaylaKmiecikRocky RiverMagnificat

PhotobyGreg

Beers

JenniferGrady

KetteringFairmont

Grady rolledthe highest

individual gameat the statemeet (276).

onathan Miller is known by his Riverside Stebbins bowling team-mates as “Big Money” and the Indians cashed in on their firststate championship in March behind the talented sophomore.Miller bowled a 694 series (226, 246, 222) as Stebbins rolled

past perennial power Centervillefor the team state championship thusearning Huntington Bank/Ohio HighBoys Bowler of the Year honors.“We just had fun with it,” Miller said.

“We didn’t bowl as well as we could atthe beginning of the season. But weall bowled well at the right time and(head coach Don Brown) told us thathe knew we could do it.Stebbins (14-2) finished 10th in the

state tournament last year beforeMiller and his 225 average claimed theCentral Buckeye Conference co-cham-pionship and the state title.“(Finishing tenth last year) told us that we were pretty good but we

were just a little bit too young and not really good enough to get thelevel where we wanted to be,” Brown said.Miller finished No. 56 in the state tournament his freshman season.

He finished fourth in individual competition this year at states.

“The reasonJonathan is so good –you’ve heard of bas-ketball players beinggym rats – these guysare alley rats,” saidBrown. “They live inbowling centers. Theyconstantly bowl.“Jonathan just loves

to bowl. Sometimeshe’ll bowl left-handedjust to break themonotony of it. That’swhat keeps him sogood. He loves it.”Miller is part of a trio

of sophomores, whichBrown has coined ashis “SuperSophomores.” ChaseDolozi and ChaseCarter were bothnamed the CBC firstteam and finished No.19 and No. 43,respectively, in thestate tournament.

“We are all really good friends and we’ve always bowled together,”said Miller.Brown added, “(Miller) gets a lot of the credit – and deservingly so.

I think what makes him better are the people that surround him, espe-cially seniors (Jesse Beal and Chris Lutz). They were the leaders andthe veterans of the team and he was surrounded by (Dolozi andCarter) so it really was a team effort.“The entire team made him better. He is elite by himself, though,

because he is a very good bowler. I think he could easily bowl at thenext level as well.”Before he even starts to think about bowling in college, Miller and

his teammates are aiming to defend their state champions – a goalbrown think could easily be achieved.“It’s hard not to say we would like to defend our state championship

next year,” said brown. “With Jonathan’s average, it’s hard to getmuch better than that but I think he could even improve on that. And Ithink he thinks in his mind he could get better.“We have great team chemistry here right now and we plan on

keeping it that way next year.”– Matt Natali



in the 120s.“It was all (Coach Parker),” said Grady. “He helped me through it

all. He was the one who told me what to change and how to do it.”Said Parker, “A lot of times when I get a player in the developmen-

tal stage, I put together a plan for them and we worked towards thatplan. With her, we had to work on some mechanics to get her startedand we just kept building on that every year.”Grady followed her mentor’s guidance and was even tweaking her

game up to the state tournament.“A week before state we were still making changes to her game

and she carried that over to state,” Parker said. “So, it sets the tonefor everyone else when someone with a high average is willing tokeep learning. It sets a good example for the team to see that.“Each year’s team has set the standard and set the bar higher,

which has been a great thing to watch.”Having left her mark on the Fairmont bowling program, Grady is

focused on her collegiate career at Morehouse State, which is one ofthe top bowling programs in the country.“It is a really good school and they have a really good bowling pro-

gram,” she said of Morehouse. “I want to get better and improve myaverage.”“I think she will make the adjustment well,” said Parker, who is a

Morehouse alum. “I think it will be a little bit of a shock to her at firstbut she’ll do fine. She’s got the determination.”Parker has recently resigned as Fairmont’s coach to start a family

but he is looking forward to following Grady’s collegiate career at hisalma mater.“I am very proud of her,” he said. “She’s a good kid.”

– Matt Natali

JonathanMiller

Riverside Stebbins

Super Sophomore Miller LeadsStebbins To State Bowling Title

Boys Bowling

J

Miller carrieda 225 averagethis season.

Photoby

GregBeers


Boys Basketbal l State Tournament

Photos by Nick Falzerano, Gary Housteau & John Ritter

STORY BY ER IC FRANTZ & MATT NATAL I


The 65-year drought is over and Newarkhad a performance for the ages to thank for it.Senior Greg Avery had a feeling March 15

would be one of those special nights, but hisperformance in the Division I state finalagainst Lakewood St. Edward likely toppedeven his expectations.His 33 points and 11 rebounds over-

whelmed Lakewood St. Edward, and the restof Newark followed suit, winning the Division Istate title in convincing fashion, 65-52, in frontof 12,465 fans, who were left amazed withAvery’s captivating night.“Avery had one of the best games I’ve ever

seen a Newark player have and I’ve been toa lot of games,” Newark coach JeffQuackenbush said. “At this stage, to score 33points and shoot 14-of-18, that’s a big-timegame.“This is one kids will be talking about. My

nephew is 9 years old and I guarantee he’llbe talking about this game for a long time. Heplayed an unbelievable game.”Thanks to Avery’s night, Newark won its

fourth state title in the program’s illustrioushistory. The win was the Wildcats’ 14thstraight – and number 1,418 in their recordhistory – and it will have the basketball-crazycommunity talking for years.Playing in the program’s first state final

since 1953, Newark (24-4) controlled the out-set and led 33-25 at halftime. The Wildcatsweathered a third-quarter storm from theEagles (22-5) and clearly dominated the finishto win its first state title since 1943.In the midst of everything, there wasn’t

much St. Edward could do stop the 6-4 sen-

ior, who scored on 78 percent of his shots innearly every way imaginable.“This is amazing,” Avery said. “Once we got

to the district championship, we knew we hada chance. We took that chance and ran withit. It feels great.”Rahlin Watson finished with 10 points and

four assists and Cody Dennison added eightpoints and six assists for Newark. Dane Kopphad seven points and 11 rebounds, but hiscontribution was again felt on defense.Kopp and post players Will McCoy and

Taylor Huffman negated Indiana-bound TomPritchard.The standout finished with just nine points

and six rebounds, fouling out in the fourthquarter. Newark also shot 50 percent overalland held a 36-29 rebounding advantage.The Eagles closed to 38-34 in the third

quarter, but Newark controlled the final 13minutes.“We knew they were capable of making a

run in the second half,” Dennison said. “Theyhad been down before. We just made surewe ran our offense – reversed the ball and

took good shots.”Avery had 19 first half points, scoring six

straight to give Newark a 31-16 lead in thesecond after a 10-2 run.St. Edward followed with a 9-0 spurt, but

Avery’s pull-up jumper made it 33-25 at half-time. The Eagles’ last gasp came in the thirdon a 3-pointer from Frankie Dobbs, who ledthe Eagles with 15 points. That made it 38-34, but it would be nearly four minutes beforeSt. Edward scored again.Avery, meanwhile, scored six points to end

the quarter – one on an alley-oop fromWatson – to give Newark a 48-36 lead. Bythen, it was clear St. Edward was too fatiguedto keep up with the quicker and more aggres-

sive Wildcats.“I told them that their guards couldn’t keep

(Dennison, Avery and Watson) in front,”Quackenbush said. “You have to keep attack-ing and when you have the luxury of havingthese guys, it makes us look pretty smart.”St. Edward coach Eric Flannery said his

team just ran out of steam.“We got down four and I felt like we were

right back in the game,” Flannery said. “Butthey just kept making shots.”St. Edward closed to nine early in the

fourth, but Avery had six more points, the laston a dunk to make it 58-43 to sum up anincredible performance.“He was very good,” St. Edward coach Eric

Flannery said. “We knew he was good, buteverything we tried to do, he overcame. Theydid a lot of different things to get him openand he responded.”

State Semifinal ResultsNewark 63, Toledo Whitmer 44Newark had runs of 8-1 and 13-3 to go

ahead 36-22 at halftime and another spurt in

Division I State Championship

65 52Newark Claims FourthState Basketball Title,First In 65 Years

he 86th Annual OHSAA State Boys Basketball Tournament took place March13-15 at Ohio State’s Value City Arena and it featured the end of a nearly70-year drought, exciting buzzer-beaters, a two-time champion and the firststate title in a school’s history.The following is a look at the 2008 state tournament:

Newark Senior GregAvery had 33 pointsand 11 rebounds inthe state final.

PhotobyGaryHousteau

TBoys Basketbal l State Tournament

Newark coach Jeff Quackenbush’swife delivered the couple’s first childearly in the a.m. the same day as theWildcats semifnal win over Whitmer.

What You Need To Know



the second half, this time a 7-0 burst, toadvance to the state title game with a 63-44win over Toledo Whitmer.Whitmer (20-6) closed to nine points early

in the fourth, but Newark’s poise wouldn’t letthe lead dissipate any further.Dennison had a huge game, finishing with

a season-high 22 points. He also shut downWhitmer’s standout Ryne Smith, a Purduesignee. Smith was just 4-of-12 for 12 points,and he also had eight turnovers.The Wildcats’ defense was the deciding

factor. Whitmer was held to its fourth-lowestpoint total of the season, shooting just 33 per-cent for the game.Kopp controlled the inside as well, grabbing

10 rebounds, blocking seven shots and alter-ing several more. Watson added 13 points forNewark.Antwan Willis finished with 16 points for

Whitmer.

Lakewood St. Edward 68,Cincinnati St. Xavier 59Despite holding a 10-point lead at halftime,

St. Xavier couldn’t hold on as St. Edwardoutscored the Bombers 43-24 after the breakto advance to the state championship gamewith a 68-59 win in front of 12,391 fans.St. Edward had four players score in dou-

ble digits led by first team All-Ohio selectionTom Pritchard with 26 points and 14rebounds post.He scored 11 points in the first half and 15

points in the second half as the Eagles cameout after halftime more aggressive and play-ing with more intensity than the first half.Senior guard Frankie Dobbs added 16

points while senior forward Conor Tilow net-ted 15 points and pulled down four boardsand senior guard Mike Harnett had 11 points.No. 4 ranked St. Xavier (23-3) shot an

astounding 66.7 percent in the first half sink-ing 14-of-21 attempts from the floor but shot adismal 9-of-30 from the floor in the second.Unranked St. Edward went on a 13-0 run in

the third quarter and outscored St. Xavier 18-7 in the third frame. The Eagles shot 70 per-cent in the second half shooting 14-of-20 onfield goal attempts.Senior forward Walt Gibler paced the

Bombers with 24 points and senior guardBrad Loesing tallied 17 points.With 6-9 Pritchard and 6-6 Tilow in the

paint, St. Edward out-rebounded St. Xavier34-21, respectively."We just kept looking in each other’s eyes

knowing that we were going to do it," St.Edward head coach Eric Flannery said. "It’sall about having that confidence, that faith ineach other and that belief that no matter whoyour opponent is we’re going to win thegame."

In a thrilling finish and a match-up of first-time state finalists, Chillicothe defeatedToledo Libbey 70-69 in overtime in theDivision II state championship on March 15.With 5.1 seconds remaining in the extra

session and Libbey leading 69-68,Chillicothe’s 5-9 lightning-quick point guardAnthony Hitchens took the inbounds pass,dribbled the length of the floor and dished toRay Chambers for the game-winner as timeexpired. It was a crushing loss for Libbey (24-3), but Chillicothe (25-2) was able to makethe key plays in the second half and overtime.“We knew going in it was going to be a

great game,” said Chillicothe head coachGary Kellough. “They are a great basketballteam and we were blessed when we gotdown big we made some big plays and thenwere able to make the plays at the end.”

Hitchens (who finished with 24 points) andChambers (23 points) also discussed thestate-winning final play.“I saw he was open and I passed it,”

Hitchens said. “I didn’t think he got it off intime. Coach told me in the huddle that I wouldhave time to get in the lane. I thought I wouldhave to shoot a runner or something.”Added Chambers: “It was crazy, man, I just

threw it up there and it went in. I thought Imissed it though. I was shocked he passed itto me. He’s a smart point guard and I lovehim.”Libbey’s players won’t soon get over the

loss. But William Buford – who won the Mr.Basketball award and is off to Ohio State inthe fall – was gracious in defeat.“It’s tough and this isn’t the way you want

to go out,” Buford said. “But credit goes tothem for playing a great game.”Buford led all scorers with 29 points.It was a high-spirited first quarter with

Chillicothe coming out with a 2-3 zone andLibbey applying man defense. The teamseach did a good job of being patient in thefirst period. But in the second quarter, theoffensive intensity was ratcheted up a fewnotches.A thunderous dunk from Chambers tied the

score at 14 at the 6:01 mark and brought theChillicothe fans to their feet. Buford respond-ed with a strong drive to the hole and a 16-14Libbey lead. Following a basket fromChillicothe’s Caleb Knights, Wells threw adunk down for Libbey and an 18-16 lead in

this athletic affair.The play of the first half came on a dunk

from Libbey’s Jones at the 1:40 mark of thehalf that almost brought the house down.Jones took the feed from Buford on a fast-break and jammed the ball down following ashort baseline drive. That play gave theCowboys their largest lead of the game at 29-20.Hitchens did his best to keep the Cavaliers

in the game with a pair of late baskets in thesecond quarter. However, due to a basketfrom Sandridge and two free throws fromWells, Libbey retained its nine-point advan-tage (33-24) heading into the halftime break.

Division II State Championship

70 69Last-Second Shot LeadsChillicothe Over ToledoLibbey For D-II crown

Chillicothe overcame a 16-point third quarter deficit toclaim the D-II state title.

PhotobyGaryHousteau

No team in Ohio history has had alonger drought between state appear-ances than Chillicothe, which waited 78years between tournament berths.




Buford led all scorers with 11 points at thehalf. Hitchens led Chillicothe with eight mark-ers at the break.Chillicothe was the team that needed to

come out in the third quarter with a sense ofurgency. Instead, it was Toledo Libbey thatcame out of the locker room on fire and wenton a 7-0 run to begin the half and extend itsadvantage.Suddenly, the Cowboys’ lead was up to 16

(40-24) with 6:20 remaining in the third quar-ter and the Cavaliers called a timeout to tryand slow down the momentum.Hitchens picked up his third foul early in

the third quarter, but was able to play throughit. Chambers then made his presence felt forChillicothe. He floated to the rim for a lay-up,and the next time down the court he convert-ed a three-point play which cut Libbey’s leadto single-digits (44-35) at the 4:15 mark. ABeverly jumper then brought the Cavalierseven closer at 44-37.Following a free throw from Libbey,

Chambers made a nice post move to makethe score 45-39 as the comeback continuedfor Chillicothe.Buford responded with a drive to the bas-

ket and lay-up for Libbey to make the count47-39. However, two three-pointers fromHitchens, sandwiched around two free throwsfrom Beverly and a post-up basket fromBuford, brought the Cavaliers within just twopoints at 49-47.What was looking like a game that might

get away from Chillicothe was suddenly abarnburner again. A Wells tip-in off a Bufordmiss gave Libbey a 51-47 lead as the thirdquarter expired.To open the fourth quarter, Hitchens fol-

lowed his own miss to make the score 51-49.Chillicothe’s man defense in the second halfwas intense and aggressive. It’s one of thereasons the Cavaliers were able to cut thedeficit from 14 to two so quickly.A Buford put-back made the count 53-49,

but right back came Seth Dawes with twofree throws for Chillicothe (53-51).Buford then went 1-of-2 from the free throw

line, but Chambers sunk two foul shots at theother end to make the score 54-53 Libbey. ABuford put-back off a Wells miss gave theCowboys a little bit of breathing room at 56-53 with 4:20 remaining. However, Hitchenswas fouled as players dived for a loose ball atthe 3:53 mark and made both throws to makethe score 56-55 Libbey.Hitchens then was fouled on a drive and hit

one out of two free throws at the 2:18 markfor a 58-56 CHS lead. Hitchens fed junior for-ward Ron Smith for a reverse lay-up at the1:10 mark, giving Chillicothe a 60-58 lead.Then, Buford missed a short jumper at theother end and Chambers was fouled for

Chillicothe. He made both attempts and theCavaliers had a commanding 62-58 lead withunder a minute remaining.However, Buford would not let his team die.

He buried a long three-pointer from the top ofthe key with 26.4 seconds left to make it aone-point game (62-61).With 19.5 seconds remaining, Knights

stepped to the line in the double bonus andmissed the first one but made the second(63-61).Then, with all the pressure on him, Jones

made a 17-foot jumper just before the buzzerto knot the score at 63 and send the game toovertime.In the extra session, Hitchens made one of

two free throws at the 3:44 mark to giveChillicothe a 64-63 lead.On the Cavaliers’ next possession,

Hitchens was once again fouled making ahard drive to the basket. Once again hemade one of two. At the 2:36 mark,Chambers dropped in a basket after a nicepost feed. Buford responded at the other endwith a quick basket, making the score 67-65Chillicothe.Following a free throw from Chillicothe, a

Buford drive and basket made the count 68-67 with 1:57 remaining. With 31.9 secondsleft and Chillicothe trying to milk the clock,Buford drew a charge on Hitchens to get theball back for Libbey.Buford missed a jumper, but Libbey’s

Bradley Burton grabbed the rebound. ThenBuford drove, found Wells who was fouled byChambers with 5.1 seconds remaining.Following a timeout, and with ice waterapparently running through his veins, Wellsmade both free throws to give Libbey a 69-68lead.Chillicothe then called a timeout to set up

its final play. Hitchens took the pass roughly90 feet from the basket and the lightning-quick guard drove the length of the floor anddished to Chambers who dropped in thegame-winner as time expired. The ball almostlooked like it was going to bounce out, but itfell through and the celebration was on forthe Cavaliers.

State Semifinals ResultsChillicothe 78, Poland Seminary 70Facing the state’s No. 1-ranked team in

undefeated Poland Seminary, Chillicothehanded the Bulldogs a convincing 78-70 lossin a Division II state semifinal.Defense was the overriding factor.

Chillicothe clamped down on the potentPoland offense and held the Bulldogs, whowere averaging a numbing 88.8 points pergame, to their second lowest output of theseason. Poland’s previous low was 67 pointsagainst Perry in the regional semifinals. Only

What They SaidA look at some memorable quotes from theboys state basketball tournament

"With all the talk of cutbacks andstuff, weʼre just trying to give them

a reason to keep us open."Toledo Libbey head coach Leroy Bates

addressing talk of Toledo City Schools closingsome schools due to declinging enrollment.

“Itʼs a tough one to do what we didall year and come back here and

not accomplish what we hadplanned. They are a very nice bas-ketball team and I think you could

ask (our guys) and they wouldagree – we havenʼt seen anything

like Hitchens all year.Heʼs the real deal.”

Poland head coach Ken Grisdale on Chillicotheguard Anhtony Hitchens after the Bulldogs lostin the semifinals for the second straight year.

“That is the best team weʼve runup against this year – no doubt.”Veteran Wayne Trace head coach Al Welch

whose team lost to New Knoxvillle in the semis.

“(Winning the state title) means agreat deal. Especially if youʼre in

a conference like weʼre in. Inthe MAC you go to St. Henry,

Marion Local, Minster, Coldwaterand weʼre kind of the little dogin there. Now we can hold our

heads a little higher.”New Knoxville head coach Dan Hegemier after

the Rangers won the D-IV state final.

“Avery had one of the bestgames Iʼve ever seen a Newarkplayer have and Iʼve been to alot of games...This is one kids

will be talking about. My nephewis nine years old and I guaranteeheʼll be talking about this game

for a long time. (Avery) played anunbelievable game.”

Newark head coach and alumnus JeffQuakenbush describing the game turned in byPurdue-bound senior Greg Avery, who had 33points and 11 rebounds in the state final.



four times in 26 games did the Bulldogs regis-ter less than 80.Poland had just 40 points through three

quarters. Poland witnessed another first aswell – Hitchens mastery against its pressure.An Akron recruit and Chillicothe’s career

scoring leader, Hitchens played like a finalistfor Ohio’s Mr. Basketball, which he was. The5-9 point guard scored 24 points and had sixrebounds and three assists. He also had fiveturnovers, but they weren’t crucial – unlike therest of his game.Chillicothe was powered by the post game

of 6-7 senior Chambers as well. Chambersended with 31 points and 17 rebounds,including 18 and 12, respectively, in the firsthalf.Chambers and Hitchens combined shot 24-

of-36 from the floor. Junior Seth Daweschipped in 14 points, hitting 10-of-11 freethrows.Umbel strung together the contest’s most

impressive state line with 28 points, eightrebounds, six steals and five assists. He alsohad six turnovers. Umbel set the single sea-son state record with 175 steals this winter.Poland wrapped the season 25-1 after

advancing to its second straight state tourna-ment.

Tol. Libbey 51, St. Paris Graham 44Behind Buford’s game highs of 21 points

and 10 rebounds, Libbey took out previouslyundefeated St. Paris Graham 51-44.The 6-5 Buford – an Ohio State signee who

was playing on his future college floor –scored 14 points in the first half, including ago-ahead dunk late in the second period anda lay-in with a couple ticks left before halftimethat provided the Cowboys a 22-20 lead atthe break. At one point in the third quarter, hehad 19 of his team’s 27 points. Still, Bufordfinished 9-of-24 from the field, 0-of-4 fromthree-point range and missed 4-of-7 attemptsat the free-throw line including two front endsof a one-and-one in the final minutes.Graham (26-1), which advanced to the

state semifinals for the first time in school his-tory, hit just 15-of-40 shots (37.5 percent) andcommitted an uncharacteristic 19 turnovers.Lance Jones, who contributed 10 points,

five rebounds, three assists, three steals andplayed shutdown defense on Graham sharp-shooter Josh Shuler, who was just 2-of-13.Shuler was 1-of-9 from deep but Ethan

Ward and Ben Rosenberger each hit 2-of-3behind the arc."I thought Toledo Libbey did a good job of

attacking the basket and obviously they hurtus on the boards, which was a concern goinginto the game," Graham coach Brook Cuppssaid. "They outplayed us. They deserved towin.

Ottawa-Glandorf may not have boasted anyAll-Ohio players, but senior forward JakeMeyer certainly played like he deserved suchprestigious recognition in the Division III bas-ketball state championship.Scoring 21 points off the bench, Meyer led

the Titans to a 62-44 win over SugarcreekGaraway on Sat., March 15.A crowd of 13,371 saw O-G win its second

state title in school history and first since2004.“I’m overwhelmed right now,” Meyer said.

“It’s everything I dreamed. You dream it as alittle kid. I can’t even describe it.”While Meyer may not start for O-G, he

plays a key role for the Titans and saw 22minutes in the championship game.“I think it says a lot about him as one of our

seniors,” O-G head coach Josh Leslie said.

“He plays starter minutes. We catch (oppo-nents) subbing in guys just trying to getthrough the first few minutes and we’re sub-bing in to score.”Garaway’s only lead in the game came in

the opening minutes on a Paul Honigford freethrow but O-G went on a 13-0 run and thePirates quickly found themselves down 13-1.“We obviously got off to a good start and

we feel if we can get up on teams early andplay the way we want to play, that’s a big keyfor us,” Leslie said. “If we make teams playfrom behind the entire time like that, we’retough to beat.”O-G (23-5) led 18-12 after the first frame

and continued to add to its lead by disruptingGaraway’s game plan with full court pressureand trapping in the half court.“If you let (Garaway’s) guys catch and

shoot, they’ll kill you,” said Leslie. “We usedour length and athleticism to push them outon the floor and have them catch it wherethey aren’t comfortable shooting in it. Wewere fortunate enough turn them over early inthe game and actually build a lead.”Garaway (24-4) committed 13 turnovers in

the first half and had 19 for the game.“I think their pressure early bothered us and

it took us a while to adjust,” Garaway headcoach Dave Shutt said. “Hats off to them.They’re athletic, they’re great athletes andtheir depth kind of bothered us a little bit.”Garaway netted just eight points in the third

quarter as O-G took a 49-31 lead into thefourth.

Both teams scored 13 points in the fourthquarter – O-G’s lowest scoring quarter on thenight and Garaway’s highest – as the Titansplayers and fans began to celebrate thechampionship with about two minutes left inthe game.“The expectation is up there and (O-G) is a

great basketball town,” said Leslie. “You can’timagine what its going to be like when we getback home.”Forward Justin Schomaeker added 15

points and four assists for O-G.“I was an eighth grader when (O-G won the

2004 state title) and I remember comingdown and watching,” Schomaeker said. “Thatis what you look up to when you’re younger.

Division III State Championship

62 44Ottawa-Glandorf RoutsSugarcreek Garaway InDivision III State Final

Ottawa-Glandorf’s state title was thesecond in school history. The Titanswon the D-II championship in 2004.

Photoby

GaryHousteau

In addition to the boys teamfinishing runner-up, Sugarcreek

Garaway’s girls team was alsostate runner-up in Division III.




You want to emulate them. Its amazing to saywe’re state champs just like they were.”Honigford had a double-double with 12

points and 12 rebounds for Garaway andguard Tyler Gerber tallied 15 points.“I didn’t’ think we adjusted real well early

and we panicked,” said Gerber, the DivisionIII co-player of the year. “We never got intothe flow until the second half and against agood team like that you can’t take that long toadjust to the pressure.”O-G shot 56 percent from the floor and

held Garaway to just 34 percent, including adismal eight percent from 3-point land on 1-of-13 shooting.“I think (O-G) knew we could shoot the

three pretty well as a team and they tried tolimit me to as little touches as possible,”Gerber said.Garaway's 44 points was the Pirates lowest

scoring output of the season and the losssnapped a 10-game winning streak.

State Semifinal ResultsOttawa-Glandorf 65, Anna 57O-G advanced to its third state champi-

onship game in history with a 65-57 win overAnna.Schomaeker and Meyer led the O-G attack

with 26 and 15 points, respectively.Schomaeker received most of O-G’s passes.The 6-1 forward scored 12 points in the firsthalf and ended the game shooting 13-of-18from the field. His only weakness – and O-G’s– was free throws.Schomaeker was 0-for-3 from the line and

the Titans made just 5-of-14 as a team (36-percent).O-G blistered the nets in the first half

shooting 14-of-29 from the floor for a clip of48-percent. Anna on the other hand strug-gled. The Rockets shot 36-percent from thefield (10-of-28) and 25-percent (3-of-12) from3-point range. Anna also committed 14turnovers to O-G’s eight.In the second half O-G held a 45-38 lead

after three quarters. Then Anna went to work.The Rockets cut the deficit to six points or

less seven times in the final eight minutes butnever clawed any closer then three (55-52with 3:39 to go). Each time O-G answeredwith a basket of its own.The Titans shot 51-percent from the floor

for the game (28-of-55); while Anna hit just36-percent (22-of-62). The Rockets also hitjust 19-percent from beyond the three-pointarc (5-of-26). Anna’s 20 turnovers did it nofavors either.O-G cycled 10 players through the scorers

table and all played at least five minutes.Schomaeker and Meyer were the only onesin double-figures, but eight Titans scored.Anna was led by Joel Naseman’s 14

points. Derek Billing added nine and ZachClark chipped in eight off the bench.“That was a tough, tough game,” Leslie

said. “We just kept battling. We were able tohang on and beat a very, very solid team.They were as good as anyone we’ve playedthis year.”

Sugarcreek Garaway 50,Clev. Villa Angela-St. Joseph 47Sugarcreek Garaway senior Chase Stingel

sunk a three-pointer from the corner with lessthan one second left to upend Cleveland VA-SJ 50-47 in thrilling fashion to advance to thestate championship game."When I was younger, I’d be out in my

backyard taking last-second shots," Stingelsaid. "I never imagined I would be taking thelast-second shot in the state tournament. It’samazing."VASJ (21-5) led 47-44 with 1:33 left in the

game following a couple of Nate Barnes freethrows. But on Garaway’s next possession,Stingel hit a 3 with 1:09 remaining to tie thegame.On VASJ’s ensuing possession, guard

Brian Jenkins played keep-away dribbling theball about half court to wind the clock downfor the chance to give the Vikings the lastshot in the game.Jenkins lost the handle and he tried to get it

to Ashen Ward in the corner on the recoverybut the ball went out-of-bounds and Garawaytook over with 13 seconds remaining.The Pirates took a timeout out to set up

Stingel’s late game heroics."We thought if we had a chance to get the

ball back and give us one possession left, itwould give us a pretty good chance," saidGaraway head coach Dave Shutt.Garaway (24-3) was phenomenal beyond

the arc shooting 58 percent from 3 on 7-of-12shooting. Stingel was 4-of-6 from three andguard Gerber went 3-of-5 from downtown.Stingel finished with 16 points Gerber net-

ted 16 points of his own.Gerber went down with an ankle injury late

in the third quarter with Garaway clinging to a40-37 lead. The Pirates committed fourstraight turnovers in that stretch after cough-ing up the ball only twice in the first half.The game was knotted at 42-42 going into

the fourth quarter and Garaway had a fewopportunities to pull away in the final framebut went 0-for-5 on foul shot attempts.VASJ shot a dismal 37 percent from the

floor making 17-of-42 attempts. The Vikingswere 5-of-21 on 3-point attempts.Division III co-player of the year Barmes

scored eight points for VASJ. Harper double-doubled with 10 points and 12 rebounds andthird team All-Ohio selection Ashen Wardadded eight points.

New Knoxville accomplished a first for itsschool March 15, but for its coach and con-ference the accomplishment was old-hat.Behind smothering defense and balanced

scoring, the Rangers capped the state’s onlyperfect season (27-0) and captured their firststate title with a dominating 74-52 win overWorthington Christian.The win was head coach Dan Hegemier’s

third state championship overall, coupledwith titles at Fort Loramie (1987 and 1993).As for the Midwest Athletic Conference, the

state title is its sixth this school year. Theconference’s previous championships includeVersailles in D-III girls basketball and D-IIIgirls cross country, Maria Stein Marion Localin D-V football and D-IV volleyball andColdwater in D-IV football.The win also marked the MAC’s fourth

Division IV State Championship

74 52New Knoxville Wins

Division IV title, DominatesWorthington Christian

PhotobyNickFalzerano

Senior Tony Meyerhit four 3s in the

state final.



boys’ basketball title this decade and firstsince St. Henry beat Versailles for the D-IIIchampionship in an all-MAC final in 2004.New Knoxville, which has won 52 of its

last 53 games, flexed its muscle and depthearly and often. The Rangers never trailedand were never challenged.“(Winning the state title) means a great

deal,” New Knoxville coach Dan Hegemiersaid. “Especially if you’re in a conference likewe’re in. In the MAC you go to St. Henry,Marion Local, Minster, Coldwater and we’rekind of the little dog in there. Now we canhold our heads a little higher.”New Knoxville showed its balance and

shooting touch early with three players com-bining to go 5-of-6 (83-percent) from three-

point range in the first quarter. The Rangersled 23-13 after eight minutes.In the second quarter Worthington

Christian rallied to pull within five pointsthree times, but the Rangers respondedeach time with a bucket. At the end of twoquarters New Knoxville led 38-29.The Rangers shot better from three-point

range (7-of-12; 58-percent) than they didfrom the floor (15-of-29; 52-percent) in thefirst half and committed only two turnovers.Things got worse for Worthington Christian

in the second half. The Warriors pulled within40-30 with 6:33 left to go in the third quarterbut never cut the lead to single digits. NewKnoxville poured it on after that.The Rangers led 50-37 after three quar-

ters and never looked back.All five New Knoxville starters entered the

game averaging double-figures and allreached double-digits in the final.Junior center Brad Piehl led the Rangers

with 16 points, while sophomore guard RyanVanderHorst added 13. Senior Tony Meyerand junior Caleb Allen each netted 12 points,while junior Adam Arnett chipped in 11.VanderHorst had the best stat line, addingnine rebounds, seven assists and threesteals. He did not turn the ball over.“We don’t really care who shoots the ball,”

Hegemier said. “(The kids) just want to shareit and they do a great job of that.”Meyer, the MAC player of the year, was

especially hot early on, draining three 3s in

Ohio High Magazine All-Tournament Team

New Knoxville’s state title was thefirst in school history and marked theRangers first trip to state since 1947

when they finished runner-up.


Ray ChambersChi l l i co the

Senior forward scored54 points and grabbed25 rebounds in twostate games, inlcuding31 and 17, respective-ly in the semis. Also hitthe game-winning shotin OT in state final.

Anthony HitchensChi l l i co the

Senior point guard had24 points, eight assists,six rebounds and foursteals in D-II state final.Also drove length offloor and dished toChambers for winningbucket in OT.

William BufordTo ledo L ibbey

Mr. Basketball win-ner led Libbey to D-IIstate final. Had 50points, 16 reboundsand eight assists intwo state games.Senior had 29 pointsin state final.

Greg AveryNewark

Senior guard andWestern Carolinarecruit had 33 pointsand 11 rebounds in D-I state final. In thesemifinals, he had 16points and ninerebounds.

Ryan VanderHorstNew Knoxv i l le

Sophomore sensationhad 13 points, ninerebounds, sevenassists and three stealsin D-IV state final. Alsohad 16 points, 11rebounds and threeassists in semis.

Tom PritchardS t . Edward

Indiana recruit had 26points and 14rebounds in D-I semifi-nal win. Added ninepoints and six boardsin state final.

Justin SchomaekerOttawa-Glandor f

Senior was unstop-pable in semis with 26points in D-III semiswhen he shot 13-of-18 from the floor. Had15 points in final.

Tyler JosephWorth ington Chr .

Senior canned nine3s in two D-IVgames. Overall had33 points, 14rebounds and fiveassists.

Jake MeyerOttawa-Glandor f

Only non-starter onall-tourney team, sen-ior rose to occasionwith 15 points in D-IIsemis and 21 pointsin final.

Brad PiehlNew Knoxv i l le

Junior post had 29points, 13 rebounds, sixassists and five stealsin pair of D-IV wins.Was 11-of-13 from thefree throw line.

GH GH GH NF GH

GH NF GH NF GH



the first quarter and four total in the half.“He earned the right to drop it and he did,”

Hegemier said. “That’s Tony. He told me hewas going to do it.”Said Meyer: “I don’t know if its confidence

or me being crazy. That first one went in andI thought it was going to be a good night.When the next one went in I thought OK, thismight be a special night.”It was. For the game, New Knoxville shot

50-percent from behind the three-point arc(8-of-16), 53-percent from the floor (26-of-50)and 87.5-percent from the free throw line(14-of-16). The Rangers had seventurnovers.Offensively the Warriors found everything

tough. Junior and Ohio D-III player of theyear Brian Hecker scored a season-low fourpoints and had four turnovers. He managedjust eight shots to go along with six reboundsand four blocks.Sophomore Zack Joseph led the Warriors

with 18 points, while his brother Tyler, a sen-ior, dropped in 16.“They had really strong defenders and

we’re used to that in the (Central CatholicLeague) but all five of their guys were reallystrong,” Tyler Joseph said. “We never gotinto a rhythm and we got panicky.”Said Piehl: “It was just one on one. You

had to stop your man.”Worthington Christian’s 52 points were its

lowest output of the season, topping the pre-vious low of 59 in a win over ColumbusDeSales the fifth game of the season. Sincethen the Warriors had failed to score lessthan 61.Worthington Christian shot a respectable

42-percent from the floor (21-of-51) but wentjust 9-of-25 from behind the three-point arc.The Warriors managed just four free throws.“I thought New Knoxville played tremen-

dous in every phase of the game,”Worthington Christian coach Kevin Weakleysaid. “They took us out of what we wanted todo and I think they just have five guys thatflat out understand both ends of the floor.“I think they are a great basketball team.

They had our number today.”New Knoxville’s trip to state was its second

ever and first in 61 years. The 1947 squadfinished runner-up in Class B.The title bears even more significance for

a community of 891 people, all of whom itappeared were in the Schott. The only ones

left in town March 15 were two cops.New Knoxville will graduate 34 students in

June.“We’re from the MAC and there are a lot of

state championships around there,”Hegemier said. “When I grew up peopletalked a lot about the 1947 team. Now theycan talk about another.”

State Semifinal ResultsNew Knoxville 62,Haviland Wayne Trace 41New Knoxville improved to 26-0 and

escaped a harrowing day for undefeatedteams at the state tournament on March 13with a 62-41 win over Haviland Wayne Tracebefore 11,733 fans.The Rangers, whose average margin of

victory entering Columbus was a staggering27 points per game, showed why they wereranked No. 1 in the state for all but one weekof the season.Wayne Trace (21-5) never led. The

Rangers opened up a 16-6 lead after the firstquarter and extended it to 25-14 after two.In the first 16 minutes the Rangers, whose

starters all average double-figures, hadseven players in the scoring column.Defensively New Knoxville forced WayneTrace into 10 first half turnovers and limitedthe Raiders shooting to 32-percent (6-of-19)from the field. The Rangers shot 48-percent(11-of-23) in the first half.In the third quarter Wayne Trace fought

back to climb within 33-25 on a three-pointplay by Aaron Hockenberry with 3:35 to go.Those were the last points the Raidersscored in the quarter as the Rangers closedon a 13-0 run to open a 46-25 lead.Things didn’t get better for Wayne Trace in

the fourth quarter as the Rangers opened upa 57-32 lead with 3:32 left to play.Wayne Trace finished the game shooting

34-percent from the field (15-of-44) and 15percent from three-point range (2-of-13).Hockenberry, a senior, led the Raiders with14 points, while senior Alex LaBounty added10 points and a team-high eight rebounds.VanderHorst paced New Knoxville with

team highs of 16 points and 11 rebounds.Piehl chipped in 13 points and seven boards,while junior Adam Arnett added 11 points.The defeat brought to a close the out-

standing career of Wayne Trace head coachAl Welch, who finished his 33-year stay with

the Raiders with an overall record of 540-211. He led four teams to the state tourna-ment and the Raiders captured the D-III statetitle in 2001.

Worthington Christian 66,Bedford Chanel 58Behind four starters scoring in double dig-

its, Worthington Christian defeated BedfordSt. Peter Chanel 66-58 in the Division IVstate semifinals in front of 11,020 fans toadvance to the state championship game.Guards Tyler Joseph, Zack Joseph and

Bobby Condon netted 17, 14 and 13 points,respectively, and forward Hecker added 15as the Warriors shot 44 percent from the fieldon 20-of-45 attempts.No. 3 ranked Worthington Christian was

down 6-2 early in the game but went on an11-0 run as Chanel suffered a 3:42 scoringdrought in the first quarter. The Warriors runwas sparked by a Taylor Joseph three-point-er and Worthington Christian sunk threes onits next two possessions to give them someearly momentum.The Warriors shot 39 percent from down-

town on 9-of-23 shooting.Worthington Christian carried a 19-13 lead

into the second quarter and defensivelyChanel put on the full court pressure. Chanel(17-9) got within one point midway throughthe second frame but was outscored 15-12 inthe quarter with Worthington Christian lead-ing 34-25 at the break. The first half endedon a Hecker 45-foot bucket as the hornsounded giving the Warriors the nine pointlead.Both teams netted 17 points in the third

period with Worthington Christian leading 51-42 going in to the final quarter.Chanel pulled within four points early in the

fourth quarter and scored 16 points in thefinal period but Worthington Christian went11-of-14 from the free throw line to stretchthe lead.The Warriors shot 59 percent from the

charity stripe sinking 17-of-29 attempts.Forward Lamar McKnight led Chanel with

21 points and eight rebounds and forwardArthur Jordan tallied a double-double with 13points and 13 boards.McKnight was double-teamed most of the

game standing in at 6-foot-5 and the tallestplayer in the game. Worthington Christianout-rebounded Chanel 39-34. – OH


ntil this winter, Ohio High magazine had prided itself onalways naming one athlete as the state player of theyear in each OHSAA-sanctioned sport.But, our editorial staff learned when it came time to

select this year’s boys basketball player of the year,sometimes there must be exceptions to the rule.Accordingly, we have decided to name Toledo

Libbey’s William Buford and Canal Winchester’s B.J.Mullens as co-winners of the Huntington Bank/OhioHigh Magazine Boys Basketball Player of the Yearaward.Buford and Mullens have each signed with Ohio State

and will be teammates with the Buckeyes next season.They each played in the McDonald’s All-American Gamein Milwaukee in March with Mullens tallying 12 points

and Buford scoring six. They were set to play together in the JordanBrand Classic April 19 at New York’s Madison Square Garden.They join the list of past winners of the award which include Lima

Shawnee’s Jamar Butler (2004), North College Hill’s O.J. Mayo (2005-06) and Upper Sandusky’s Jon Diebler (2007).Below are profiles on this year’s co-winners.

Mr. Basketball Buford GuidedToledo Libbey To State Title GameBuford knew the hard work would pay off some day. He knew that

his prep team, Toledo Libbey, could win and win big, and that individualkudos would come with that winning.He just never knew that the four-day stretch of March 12-15 would

be so dramatic or so momentous in his life.A silky smooth 6-5 wing who signed with Ohio State back in

November, Buford played like the co-headliner of that four-man classthroughout his senior season. He matched fellow signee Mullensaccomplishment for accomplishment, big basket for big basket, andthen, very late in the season he one-upped him.While the 7-1 Mullens and Canal Winchester had their season end in

the Division II regional playoffs with a loss to St. Paris Graham, Bufordled the Cowboys directly over the regional hump that had stonewalledthem in previous years.On his way down to Columbus with his team as they headed off to

the state final four, Buford found out from a reporter that he had justbeen named by The Associated Press as the winner of the coveted Mr.Basketball award that signifies the top player in the state.

U

STORY BY STEVE HELWAGEN & JEFF RAPP Boys Basketbal l P layers of the Year

PhotobyGaryHousteau

Buford averaged 22.9points, 11.1 reboundsand 5.6 assists this

season.

PhotobySteve

Helwagen

Mullens averaged27.6 points, 14.1rebounds and 4.4blocks this season.


Boys Basketbal l P layers of the Year

The honor immediately cast Buford, Libbey’s all-time leading scorer,in elite company along with past winners such as Mayo, LeBron Jamesand fellow Toledo product Jim Jackson, his idol.“Man, that’s crazy,” he said and then repeated. “How do I feel? I can’t

even explain it. That’s crazy.”Buford edged out his future teammate Mullens in the voting. Other

top candidates included 6-9 power forward Yancy Gates of CincinnatiWithrow, 7-0 center Kenny Frease of Massillon Perry and 5-10 pointguard Anthony Hitchens of Chillicothe.“It’s such an accomplishment, being the best player in Ohio,” he said.

“I don’t know what put it over the top – maybe that we’re still playing.It’s a guess because I don’t know how they voted. I really don’t care toomuch because now I got it.”Buford and Mullens figured to be neck-and-neck for the award given

their fantastic senior seasons and already well-earned national reputa-tions as topflight recruits. Mullens ranked No. 6 nationally in the Class

of 2008 according to the ESPN 150;Buford was just behind at No. 11.Buford averaged 22.9 points, 11.1

rebounds and 5.6 assists a game duringthe regular season while collecting histhird consecutive Toledo City Leagueplayer of the year award from The ToledoBlade. He shot 62 percent from the field,46 percent from three-point range and 77percent at the free-throw line.Earlier in the week, Buford and

Mullens were named co-Division II play-ers of the year. They were on a collisioncourse to face each other in the statesemifinals in Columbus until Canal wasderailed.

“For William, the opportunity to get to the Schott and you’re 64 min-utes away from a state championship, I couldn’t be happier for him,”Ohio State head coach Thad Matta said heading into the week. “Welike those guys who come from winning programs and hopefully he’llcome down here and have a great tournament.”Despite being a newly marked man, Buford did just that. He posted

game highs of 21 points and 10 rebounds in a very unselfish perform-ance against Graham as Libbey won the first Division II semi, 51-44.The Cowboys ended Graham’s previously unbeaten season and setthemselves up for a date with Hitchens and Chillicothe in he Division IIstate final March 15.Buford and classmates Julius Wells and Brad Sandridge vowed

before the season that they would make winning the state title theirdestiny. They came up one basket short, though, as Hitchens zippedthrough traffic and dished to Ray Chambers for a layup just before thefinal buzzer as Chillicothe won one of the most memorable games inthe history of the tournament, 70-69.Libbey had reached just one other state final in school history, losing

to Dayton Chaminade-Julienne in 1966. Coming up a hair short of thegoal seemed like a cruel outcome to a competitor like Buford.“I don’t like second place; nobody remembers second place,” he told

a handful of reporters afterward.Hitchens and Chambers celebrated their heroic stats after scoring 24

and 23 points, respectively. Buford, though, was not outshone. He pro-duced a game-high 29 points and added six rebounds and five assistsand set up what appeared at the time to be the winning play as hedrew defenders and passed to Wells, who was fouled with 5.1 secondsto play.Libbey ended its fantastic season at 24-3 and Buford, who carries a

cumulative grade-point average of 3.2, ended his career with 2,059points. Jackson, the former Toledo Macomber and Ohio State super

PhotobyGaryHousteau

Buford is the Toledo City League’s

second career leading scorer

(2,059 points). He trails only Jim

Jackson.

WilliamBufordToledoLibbey

Photoby

BradM

orris

In just two years, Mullens set the

Canal Winchester career scoring

record with 1,868 points.

Boys Basketbal l P layers of the Year


star, is the Toledo City League’s all-time leading scorer with 2,328points and Buford’s total ranks second.Buford averaged 28.4 points per game as a junior but took fewer

shots this past season with the intent of getting everyone elseinvolved.“I feel like I’m doing real good with that this season,” he said. “I’m

just trying to be much more of a leader. I’ve been working on distribut-ing the ball more, playing better defense. It’s paid off.”Libbey coach Leroy Bates is among the impressed.“What I’m going to miss the most after he’s gone is his work ethic

and the example he’s set for the rest of the kids,” the coach said. “Inthese four years I don’t think he’s missed one practice. And he makesthe players around him better. William is just smooth. He’s a proficientscorer, and it’s not likes he’s taking 20 shots a game.”Still, there’s no doubt he can light it up when needed. Sinewy yet

strong, quick yet fluid, Buford can do it all with the ball in his handsand can score from anywhere on the hardwood.“William is a very gifted offensive player, can score in a variety of

ways, can shoot the ball, can handle the ball, drives it and has a step-back (shot),” Matta said when Buford signed with OSU in November.“It’s good because of his size. He’s 6-5, long, just really has a greatscorer’s mind. He’s very productive.”

Mullens Head And ShouldersAbove The Rest In OhioMullens’ story has been told many times: He committed to Ohio

State in October 2004, prior to his freshman season at CanalWinchester World Harvest Prep. He played two seasons at WorldHarvest before transferring to Canal Winchester for his junior andsenior years.In just two years with the Indians, Mullens set the school’s career

scoring record with 1,868 points. As a junior, he averaged 26.4 points,14.1 rebounds and 4.4 blocks per game. This year, he averaged 27.6points, 15.3 rebounds and 3.1 blocksper contest in leading CanalWinchester to a 21-3 season and aDivision II district championship.“It was a great season,” Mullens

said. “We came up short of our goal.We didn’t make it as far as we wantedto go. But we came along and had agreat experience.”In terms of improvement, Mullens

boosted his field goal percentage from60 percent as a junior to 71 percentas a senior.“My shooting percentage improved,”

he said. “I think I did a better job withmy shot selection and decisionmakingon the floor. I worked on posting up deeper and not leaking out asmuch so I would have a harder shot.”Of course, it helped that Mullens was 28 of 34 from the floor in a

62-point outburst in a game against Centereach (N.Y.) Our SaviorNew American. The point total represents a new Canal Winchestersingle-game school record. In that Jan. 22 game played at the Flyin’to the Hoop event in Kettering, Ohio, Mullens also had 21 rebounds ina 79-69 win. He had 36 of his team’s 38 points in the first half.“I have to thank my teammates for that game,” Mullens said. “They

did a good job of breaking the pressure. They were playing us man-to-man. My teammates saw that and they knew we had to go here toget the W and go home. I had unselfish teammates who knew whatwe had to do.”

It was a regular occurrence for Mullens to be double- and triple-teamed by opposing teams – lest they leave an open path to the bas-ket and get dunked upon. In most cases, Mullens just took the extraattention in stride.“I knew I was going to be going against a lot of double- and triple-

teams,” said Mullens, who was named first-team All-USA and as afirst-team Parade All-American. “I needed my teammates to step upand hit their shots. If they weren’t hitting, I knew they’d keep triple-teaming me.”It was two years ago this spring when Mullens showed up at Canal

Winchester after the transfer from World Harvest. Longtime CWHScoach Kent Riggs and his staff saw that Mullens’ academic profileneeded help. They went to work with him – both on and off the floor.“I think he’s obviously matured quite a bit, as all our kids do,” Riggs

said. “People look at B.J. and see a 7-1, 260-pound man and reallyhe is just a high school student. He has those high expectations onand off the court.“But I am proud of his academic work and the way he carries him-

self here at school.”Mullens spent his spring and summer on the AAU and camp circuit.

He participated in events with the adidas Nation program as well. Oneweb site declared that Mullens, because of his size and skill, was theearly favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft. Butthrough it all, Riggs has been glad to see that Mullens has kept theacclaim in perspective.“You always worry about kids when everybody in the public tells

them how good they are and what’s ahead of them,” Riggs said. “Buthe is here every day and acts like any other student. That’s hardwhen you have been exposed to some of the things he has beenexposed to. He has tried to be a normal high school walking aroundthe halls, but that can be hard when people come up to you once in awhile and ask for an autograph.”Riggs reflected on his team’s season.“We had a great year and one bad night,” he said. “But that’s the

beauty of the tournament. That’s why people like it. It’s one (loss) andyou’re out. It makes it very interesting. Graham had a very goodteam. I like to think that if we played our best game the outcomewould have been different.“What I liked about our kids was they had fun playing together.

They enjoyed each other. The disappointment has started to fade andas you look back we had a pretty good year. Not everybody wins adistrict championship or two league titles back to back.”The next stop for Mullens will be Ohio State, where he could be the

latest big man to go one-and-done before heading off to the NBA.“Since I first committed to Ohio State three years ago, I have

always been a Buckeye,” Mullens said. “I am proud to be a Buckeye.”He and Buford will be joined in the incoming class by guards

Anthony Crater and Walter Offutt. All four of them have been consid-ered national top-100 prospects at points in their career.“I have played with all of them before,” he said. “Crater is a great

point guard. He is really unselfish. Walter is a leader. He is also astrong shooter. William is just an all around basketball player. It is agreat class coming in. I am excited about it.“I can’t wait. I am enrolling this summer to get in there for condition-

ing and open gyms. I have talked to Evan (Turner) about it a lot. Hesaid we’re going to have a great time.”Mullens talked about areas where he needs to continue to improve.“I know I need to work on my strength and conditioning,” he said. “I

have been playing against college guys ever since I committed. Ihave a good feel for their strength and they are strong. That is thenext level.“I think I am ready for the college level. I know Coach Matta will get

me in shape for what he wants me to do.” — OH

B.J.MullensCanal

Winchester


Boys Basketbal l Coach Of The Year

DanHegemierNew Knoxville

Hegemier won 298 games and twostate titles during a 16-year stint atnearby Fort Loramie High School. Infour years at New Knoxville he’s 79-18, including 52-1 the last two years. Photo by Nick Falzerano

Boys Basketbal l Coach Of The Year


STORY BY ER IC FRANTZ

This season,Hegemier didn’t lose

a game as his New Knoxville squad finished27-0 with a convincing win over WorthingtonChristian in the Division IV state champi-onship at Ohio State’s Value City Arena onMarch 15. The Rangers were the state’s onlyundefeated boys team and had an averagemargin of victory of 27 points per game.The title was New Knoxville’s first in any

sport and marked the program’s first trip tothe state tournament since a runner-up finish61 years ago in 1947.As a result, Hegemier earns the nod as the

Ohio High Magazine/Huntington Bank OhioBoys Basketball Coach of the Year.Hegemier, a 1970 New Knoxville grad,

knows the significance of state champi-onships in rural Ohio.“When I grew up, people talked a lot about

the 1947 team,” Hegemier said. “Now theycan talk about another.”Hegemier’s teams are usually hard to for-

get. The state title may have been NewKnoxville’s first, but it wasHegemier’s third.A seasoned coach with a career

record of 444-169 after stops atWaynesfield, Spencerville, FortLoramie and New Knoxville,Hegemier made a name for himselfat Fort Loramie, where he still servesas the guidance counselor.Hegemier led the Redskins to statetitles in 1987 (Class A) and 1993 (D-IV). Fort Loramie also made thestate tournament in 1988.After Waynesfield, Hegemier spent

four seasons at Spencerville andthen came to Fort Loramie beforethe 1984-85 season. Over the next16 years, he compiled 298 victoriesand turned the Redskins into one ofthe state’s top small school pro-grams. Loramie was fueled by for-mer Ohio State player TomBrandewie during their tournamentruns in the 1980s.Eventually, Hegemier moved on.

Citing that it was “time to do some-thing different,” the coach found thatoutlet at Wright State University’sLake Campus in Celina.Hegemier led the Lakers program

for four years, going 71-50.“It was definitely different and I

worked with a lot of great people and kids,”Hegemier said. “But the thing that I reallymissed was the high school tournament.That’s one reason why I got back into it.”Another was timing. Although Hegemier

said he never gave coaching New Knoxvillemuch thought, his brother had. The girlscoach at New Knoxville, Tim Hegemier, Dan’syounger brother by two years, called his oldersibling to inform him of the boys opening in2004.Tim Hegemier, himself, is a coach of note,

having led the Rangers girls team to the statefinal last season.“(Tim) said the job opened up at New

Knoxville and that I had to take it,” Hegemiersaid. “So that’s where I’m at.”Where New Knoxville is at now is a better

place.Saying the hardest part of the process was

teaching the kids how to win, Hegemier andthe Rangers went 10-12 his first year (2004-05).“We’d have everybody beat for three quar-

ters and we could not finish games,”Hegemier said. “We had to learn how to com-pete.”The Rangers learned quickly. After a 17-5

campaign in 2005-06, New Knoxville went 25-1 last season, losing in the regional finals.This year there was no bump in the road.New Knoxville won only one game by less

than double-digits and defended its MidwestAthletic Conference championship. TheRangers are the smallest school in the MACand will graduate 34 students in June.“We have a bunch of kids that all know how

to play,” Hegemier said. “They all have highskill, they are athletic and they can run andcatch the ball. They can shoot and put theball on the floor when they have to and theyare very unselfish. They are always lookingfor the next pass and the easy shot. None ofour kids have to force a shot.”Although Hegemier said he doesn’t

“preach” unselfishness, his kids get it andeverything else he teaches. All five NewKnoxville starters averaged double-figures.

“My basic philosophy is to get theball inside,” Hegemier said. “Once itgoes inside then you figure out whatto do with it, but get it inside first.“And I don’t care who shoots it. If

you’re going to shoot though, you bet-ter make some. If you’re going toshoot and not make any, don’t shoot.About three-quarters of the waythrough the season our top six guyshad taken about the same amount ofshots according to the stats. Theyweren’t off by any more than 10 to 15.That’s when you know you havesomething special. There’s no preach-ing about it. It’s just hit the open manand move, move, move.”Moving on isn’t something

Hegemier sees himself doing in thenear future and more than likely this isthe last stop on his coaching carousel.New Knoxville faithful couldn’t be

more content. And actually, neithercould the coach.“You can’t rank the state titles,

because all the kids and all the titlesare very, very special,” Hegemier said.“But this (latest) one is special to mepersonally because it’s the first statetitle at New Knoxville.“We brought one back to the home-

town.”— OH

an Hegemier has come a long way since his first season as a varsity boys basketball coach.Hegemier currently owns more state titles than he had wins that first year.“My first job was the junior varsity job at Waynesfield-Goshen,” Hegemier said. “I led the reserves fora couple years and then took over the varsity. That first year, we went 1-18.”D

New Knoxville’s trip to state was its second in history and firstin 61 years. The Rangers finished state runner-up in 1947.

Photo by Nick Falzerano


Boys Basketbal l Recrui t ing Update

ven with Lakewood St. Edward star Delvon Roe having tosit out the season with an unfortunate knee injury, the2007-08 boys basketball campaign in Ohio will be remem-bered for a plethora of shining stars, formidable teams andclassic games, including one for the ages in the state finals.Roe’s fellow preseason “Mr. Basketball” candidates –

OSU signees B.J. Mullens and William Buford, future CincinnatiBearcat Yancy Gates and others – played up to and beyond expecta-tions and headlined a particularly strong senior class. Meanwhile, manyplayers a grade or two below that group put together breakthrough sea-sons. In fact, several freshmen exploded onto the scene, most notablyCincinnati Aiken newcomer Chane Behanan, who was, get this, a sev-enth-grader the previous year.Even without the highly talented 6-8 Roe, St. Ed stunningly advanced

all the way to the Division I state title game. But the emerging story atOhio State’s Value City Arena was the championship won in impressivefashion by Newark, which was led by somewhat overlooked seniorGreg Avery.The funneling of the Division II field was even more compelling. The

7-1 Mullens of Canal Winchester and the 6-5 Buford of Toledo Libbeyappeared to be on a collision course to meet in the state semifinals. Butafter Canal was ousted by undefeated St. Paris Graham in regionalplay, Libbey took out Graham in the state semis to set up an epic finalwith Chillicothe.The Cavaliers won by a single point in overtime, 70-69, when star

point guard Anthony Hitchens knifed through the defense and thelength of the court in less than five seconds and connected with centerRay Chambers for a layup just before the final horn. Onlookers immedi-ately labeled it as one of the best state finals in many years.In Divisions III and IV, respectively, Ottawa-Glandorf and New

Knoxville each won state titles in blowout fashion. However, Division IIIrunner-up Sugarcreek Garaway showcased a building block for thefuture in the form of 6-8 freshman Paul Honigford.While youngsters like Behanan and Honigford were bursting onto the

scene, sophomores Jared Sullinger of Columbus Northland and JuwanStaten of Dayton Thurgood Marshall proved already polished enough toreceive several offers from major programs before committing. The 6-8Sullinger actually verbaled to Ohio State in the summer and went on tobecome a force inside for one of the state’s top teams. Staten, a slip-pery 5-10 point guard, rained baskets on all comers and excelled to thepoint where several Midwestern programs courted him heavily. Hedecided to end his recruitment and opted to commit to the nearbyUniversity of Dayton.In short, there were quality players in all parts of the state and in all

classes, although the 2009 group paled in comparison to the others.“There are a several juniors who had good seasons, but that class

just doesn’t stack up player for player with 2008 and 2010 in terms ofdepth and the number of elite prospects,” said Chris Johnson, the Ohioeditor for HoopScoopOnline.com and our resident expert at Ohio High.Once again, we have enlisted Johnson to rate the top players in all

four classes and offer comments where appropriate. Johnson offers hisopinions on the very tight race for senior player of the year and alsocrowns a new top junior and reshuffles some of the rankings since welast checked in with this list in January.The following list contains pertinent recruiting information, statistics

and postseason plaudits for key in-state players and our updated rank-ings for each class, including the most recent national class rankings byESPN.com (ES) and HoopScoopOnline.com (HS) where applicable:

Seniors (Class of 2008)T-1. William Buford, 6-5, wing forward, Toledo Libbey (ES, 8th;

HS, 21st) –We tagged Buford, Mullens and Roe as co-holders of theNo. 1 ranking before the season and Roe, who is signed with Michigan

E

Lakewood St. Edward senior Tom Pritchard averaged 16 points andwas named first team All-Ohio. He’s headed to Indiana.



Boys Basketbal l Recrui t ing UpdateSTORY BY JEFF RAPP

State, had to be moved below his future Big Ten combatants after suf-fering his injury right at the beginning of the season.Buford and Mullens, meanwhile, were neck and neck throughout the

season with one fantastic outing after another. Buford, though, was ableto guide his team to the state tournament in Columbus in mid-March.Upon his arrival there, he was hailed as “Mr. Basketball” by TheAssociated Press, putting him in the same company with his idol andthe original winner, former Toledo Macomber star Jim Jackson.After producing 28.4 points and 10.0 rebounds per game as a junior,

Buford averaged 22.9 points, 11.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists as a seniorand shouldered the Cowboys’ run to a 24-3 season that came up abucket short of a state championship. He showed he could do it all onthe court by pulling down timely rebounds, splashing jumpers, slashingto the hoop and getting teammates involved with his outstanding lead-ership and passing.“He had a great season and showed why his game is so effective,”

Johnson said. “The thing that he probably needs to work on is being alittle bit more aggressive and assertive. Sometimes he’s unselfish to afault.”Buford signed with OSU on the first possible day, joining Mullens and

out-of-state guards Anthony “Noopy” Crater and Walter Offutt in theclass He went on to be named co-Ohio player of the year in Division IIalong with Mullens and was first-team all-state, all-district and the areaPOY. He ended his brilliant career with 2,059 points, second all-time toJackson in Toledo City league history.T-1. B.J. Mullens, 7-1, center, Canal Winchester (ES, 12th; HS,

25th) – Mullens averaged 26.4 points, 14.1 rebounds and 4.4 blockedshots a game as a junior and he picked up right where he left off withsome monster games during Canal’s hot start. That included a 62-pointoutburst in January in the Flyin’ To The Hoop Classic. Agile in the openfloor and dominating in the paint, Mullens was unstoppable at times thisseason. He ended the year with averages of 26.2 points, 14.5 reboundsand 2.7 blocks per game. He also ignited many Indians fast breaks withperfect outlet passes, especially to teammate Remon Nelson.Somehow left off the first-team All-Ohio list in Division II last season,

Mullens ended up finishing second – narrowly – in the voting for “Mr.Basketball.”“B.J. had a great year and just missed out on Mr. Basketball and lost

in the regional semis,” Johnson said. “He was as good as any player inthe state and a real consistent force.”Mullens was named co-POY in Division II and also earned district

and area honors as player of the year. His field-goal percentage of 70.0was tops in central Ohio as was his rebounding average.After the season, Mullens joined Buford in Milwaukee as a

McDonald’s All-American. He played well there against the top seniorsin the nation and he’s expected to hold his own in the Big Ten rightaway for the Buckeyes, who plan to plug him into the pivot immediatelyas a starter and game-changer.“He just needs to make sure he stays focused on the game and

learns to play hard the whole game, not take off parts where his mindwanders sometimes,” Johnson said.3. Delvon Roe, 6-8, power forward, Lakewood St. Edward (ES,

5th; HS, 4th) – A consistent top-five recruit according to all the majorservices, Roe entered his final year with the Eagles on top of his gameand seemingly looking down at the competition. But he fell from thatpedestal after suffering an injury in the nationally televised tilt with NorthHollywood (Calif.) Campbell Hall at the beginning of the season.After consulting with doctors, Roe opted for the microfrature surgery

in hopes of regenerating cartilage in the joint. He underwent that proce-dure Dec. 17 and now is making a full and speedy recovery.“Everything is going well with the knee,” Johnson said. “There are no

complications and they expect him to make a full recovery.”When he is full-go, Roe is one of the most energetic and effective

players in the state if not the country. He runs the floor extremely welland excels at slipping through opponents for driving baskets andrebounds. The versatile lefty also has worked to become a dangerousoutside shooter, which makes him a perfect fit as a combo forward incoach Tom Izzo’s system at Michigan State. Roe signed with theSpartans in the fall and is expecting to be back to his old form this sum-mer.As a junior, Roe guided the Eagles to a 25-1 mark and averaged

22.0 points and eight rebounds a game in earning Division I All-Ohiohonors.4. Yancy Gates, 6-9, power forward, Cincinnati Withrow (ES,

26th; HS, 14th) – Hulking and multiskilled, Gates was a true superstarin his final prep season. He was effective inside and out for the Tigers,who lost in the final seconds to rival Cincinnati St. Xavier in the regionalfinals for the second straight year.Gates finished the campaign with an average of 21.2 ppg and he

was among the area’s leading rebounders at 10.9 per contest. Hesigned with the University of Cincinnati in a move that was hailed asperhaps the most significant recruiting coup so far for UC coach MickCronin.“He’s the guy they’re counting on to lead them back to the Huggins

era, when they were a perennial top-20 team,” Johnson said.Gates averaged 19.4 points and eight rebounds a game in earning

second-team All-Ohio honors in Division I as a junior. As a senior, heearned first-team All-Ohio honors in Division I and was named player ofthe year by The Associated Press. He also was dubbed the Southwestdistrict POY in an area rife with talent.“He had a great senior season,” Johnson said. “And his skills should

translate to the point where he’s an immediate impact in college.”5. Kenny Frease, 7-0, center, Massillon Perry (ES, 37st; HS, 79th)

– Frease was named first-team All-Ohio in D-I after putting in anadmirable senior season in which he averaged 20.5 ppg. He continuedto play with a high motor and teams’ only recourse was to double-teamhim whenever he tried to set up shop in the post.Frease dealt with various nagging injuries last season, but still man-

aged to average right on 15 points and 11 rebounds per game and wasnamed third-team All-Ohio in Division I. After a terrific and healthy sen-ior season, he’s set up to provide immediate help inside at Xavier. Hesigned with the Musketeers in November.“He’s always been a good prospect and now he gets to join a great

program,” Johnson said.6. Josh Benson, 6-10, power forward, Dayton Dunbar (ES, 117th)

– Benson averaged 10.1 ppg as a junior and nearly doubled that thispast season, posting 18.9 ppg. He was up over 20 points an outing formuch of the season after popping for 48 in his first game.After carrying Dunbar, one of the top Division II teams in the state, to

another huge season, Benson was named the D-II Southwest districtplayer of the year. He also made first-team All-Ohio.Next up for Benson is to lift off for the Dayton Flyers.“He’s an exciting prospect who should do very well at UD,” Johnson

said. “He’ll fit in right away and provide much-needed size for that pro-gram.”7. Tom Pritchard, 6-8, power forward, Lakewood St. Edward (ES,

121st) – Pritchard not only provided his usual yeoman work inside forthe Eagles, he became a consistent threat shooting from 15 feet onpick-and-roll plays and developed into a leader for a team that was rid-dled with injuries and also lost point guard Pe’Shon Howard in the off-season.An Indiana signee, Pritchard averaged 16.0 ppg, up three points from

his junior season, and earned Northeast Lakes district POY honorsafter St. Ed marched all the way to the Division I final. He also wasnamed to the All-Ohio first team in Division I.“He basically carried that team on his shoulders with injuries to two



starters and the transfer of another starter,” Johnson said. “Of all theguys in the top 10, he improved more than anybody.”8. Bud Mackey, 6-3, shooting guard, Cincinnati Harmony

Community – Orginally from Scott County in Kentucky, Mackey trans-ferred from there after his well-publicized arrest for drug charges. Hesigned originally with Indiana but was let out of his scholarship becauseof the legal troubles.Still, Mackey is worth listing because of his natural ability and colle-

giate potential. Very athletic and quick, Mackey is an adept ball handlerand excellent scorer.“He’s in a serious legal situation, but if he gets cleared of the charges

he will be an outstanding recruit for someone,” Johnson said.9. Chris Johnson, 6-5, wing forward, Columbus Brookhaven –

It’s possible no one was more important to their team this year thanJohnson. Simply put, he makes the Bearcats’ offense function and healso often ignites their defensive pres-sure with his long arms and athleti-cism. With the ball in his hands,Johnson is a triple threat to eitherpass, drive or shoot – and he canlaunch his picturesque left-handedjumper over any defender at any time.Johnson averaged 24.4 ppg, 13.2

rpg and 3.0 blocks per game as a jun-ior and was a second-team All-Ohiopick in Division I. He took anotherstep as a senior, averaging 26.2 ppgand being named first team All-Ohioand the Central district player of theyear in Division I.Johnson popped for 28 points in the

season-opening win at Chillicothe, theeventual D-II state champs, and henever let up.“He really lived up to billing with a

great senior year,” said his namesake.“He carried Brookhaven to anotherregional final four.”Johnson will join Benson and a

team loaded with mined in-state talentwhen he enrolls at Dayton in time fornext season.10. Anthony Hitchens, 5-9, point

guard, Chillicothe – One of thestate’s most exciting and charismaticplayers because of his special flair onthe hardwood, Hitchens did more thanjust entertain in his senior season –he won a state title.His signature play which led to the basket by Chambers will go down

in state tournament lore and Chilly fans will remember his accomplish-ments for a long, long time. In that title game, he produced 24 points,six rebounds and eight assists, the last one the most memorable of hiscareer. The Cavaliers had not captured the crown since 1930.Hitchens produced 21.6 ppg and was among the top vote-getters for

“Mr. Basketball.” He was first-team all-state in D-II and also was tabbedas the Southeast district POY.Last season, he averaged 18.5 ppg and earned second-team All-

Ohio honors. An Akron signee, Hitchens will take his show northeastnext season.11. Devon Moore, 6-4, point guard, Columbus Northland (HS,

81st) – Moore’s scoring average dipped from 16.5 ppg as a junior to14.2 this past season but analysts and Northland coach Satch Sullinger

believe that he took major strides forward as a senior in terms of lead-ership, ball distribution, recognition and clutch play. Moore made theVikings a winner, and the team’s 45-2 combined record the last twoseasons with him at the controls amplifies the point more than anything.“I told Devon before the season that this was his team and he did

everything I asked of him,” Sullinger said. “He’s a terrific kid and a greatpoint guard.”Moore dished out nearly eight assists per game and guided

Northland to a 24-1 record as a senior. He was named second-teamAll-Ohio in Division I and first-team all-district.Moore was still uncommitted heading into the late signing period and

was considering attending a postgraduate school with designs onimproving his academic standing and earning a scholarship from OhioState or another major program. He has offers from most of the MACschools, James Madison and possibly Penn State.

12. Johnie Davis, 6-1, pointguard, Canton Timken – Unsignedlike Moore, Davis played like someonewho was intent on proving his worth.He jumped all the way up from No. 19on this list just a few months earlier.Davis transferred from Canton

McKinley to become a leader on ayoung and talented Timken team thatposted an undefeated regular seasonand kept rolling all the way to theregional final, losing to ToledoWhitmer. He came through with 19.4ppg and earned a spot on the All-Ohiofirst team in Division I. He also wasnamed the Stark County player of theyear by the Canton Repository andthe Northeast Inland District co-POY,sharing that award with Frease andRumel Mitchell of Akron FirestoneA very talented and explosive play-

er, Davis could be a combo guard onthe next level.13. Ryne Smith, 6-3, shooting

guard, Toledo Whitmer – One of thearea’s top marksmen, Smith is a reli-able outside shooter who logged 18.0ppg a year after putting up 17.0 perouting. He committed to Purdue inmidsummer and is signed with theBoilermakers.Smith led Whitmer to the state final

four, where the squad lost to eventualDivision I champ Newark. He was named all-district and second-teamall-state.14. Greg Avery, 6-3, shooting guard, Newark – Perhaps the only

player who had a more life-changing final week of the season thanBuford was Avery, who verbaled to longtime suitor Western Carolinadays before playing in the state tournament then led Newark to animprobable Division I title. It was the fourth crown for the school but firstsince 1943.Moments after Avery’s performance in the Wildcats’ 65-52 win over

Lakewood St. Edward, historians were referencing it among the bestefforts in school and tournament finals history. He clipped the Eagleswith 33 points, hit 14 of 18 shots from the floor, and added 11 reboundsand three assists.“That was one of the best games I’ve seen a Newark player have,

and I’ve seen a lot of Newark games,” coach and former player Jeff

Toledo Whitmer sen-ior Ryne Smith is

headed to Purdue.




Quackenbush told reporters afterward.Avery quickly received more offers after his impressive finale but at

last check he was still committed to Western Carolina. He finished theseason averaging 18.6 ppg and was third-team all-state.15. Chris Henderson, 6-7, power forward, Warren Harding – Agile

big man is hearing from several MAC schools but is still unsigned.Moved up two spots on this list and figures to keep getting better at thenext level. Averaged 12.4 ppg. Honorable mention all-state.16. Robert Wilson, 6-5, wing forward, Garfield Heights – Transfer

from Cleveland Rhodes has helped GH become one of the most bal-anced teams in the state. Highly athletic wing who has signed withWisconsin. Drops from No. 9 on this list but still had his share of biggames. Averaged 18.0 ppg and was named second-team All-Ohio.17. Kyle Rudolph, 6-6, power forward, Cincinnati Elder – Signed

a football letter-of-intent with Notre Dame as a tight end but still one ofthe area’s top hoopsters. A two timeGreater Catholic League player of theyear, Rudolph averaged 14.8 ppg and8.6 rpg as a senior. A first-team all-dis-trict player.18. Damian Eargle, 6-8, power

forward, Warren Harding – Shotblocker and rebounding machine whois signed with UNC-Greensboro.Averaged 13.6 ppg and was namedfirst-team all-district. Eargle combinedwith Henderson to give Harding oneof the top frontcourts in the state.19. Scott Thomas, 6-6, wing for-

ward, Delaware Buckeye Valley –Consistent and sometimes unstop-pable performer who is signed withBowling Green. Had a huge seniorseason with 26.6 ppg. One of the bestaround at using screens and shootingwith a hand in his face. A first-teamall-Central district recipient in DivisionII.20. Ashen Ward, 6-3, shooting

guard, Cleveland Villa-St. Joseph –Signed with Youngstown State. Put up11.2 ppg for one of the top teams inthe state in Division III.Best Of The Rest: Signed – Logan

Aronholt, 6-4, wing forward, Zanesville(Albany); Anthony McBride, 6-1, pointguard, Cincinnati Withrow (WalshUniversity); Brad Loesing, 5-9, pointguard, Cincinnati St. Xavier (Wofford); Alex Sullivan, 5-10, point guard,Painesville Riverside (Akron); Quinn McDowell, 6-4, wing forward,Cincinnati Moeller (William & Mary); Andrew Spradlin, 6-3, shootingguard, Wheelersburg (Elon College); Travis Kelce, 6-5, wing forward,Cleveland Heights (Cincinnati, on football scholarship); Julius Wells, 6-5, wing forward, Toledo Libbey (Marist); J.R. Weston, 6-4, wing forward,Morral Ridgedale (Stetson); Walt Gibler, 6-6, power forward, CincinnatiSt. Xavier (Loyola of Chicago); Zac Taylor, 6-8, power forward, OregonClay (Toledo); Brandon Baker, 6-6, power forward, Milford (Belmont);Andrew Parrish, 6-7, power forward, Claymont Northmont (Akron); KyleJazwiecki, 6-7, power forward, Whitehouse Anthony Wayne(Presbyterian); Eric Coggins, 6-8, center, Canton Central Catholic(Quinnipiac); TeAllen Price, 6-8, center, Cincinnati Woodward(Centenary); Matt Roberts, 6-8, center, Cincinnati Moeller (The Citadel);Chris Crockett, 5-10, point guard, Columbus Academy (Columbia); Kyle

Caiola, 5-9, point guard, Parma Normandy (Massachusetts-Lowell);Robbie Taylor, 5-9, shooting guard, Gahanna Lincoln (Mt. VernonNazarene).Unsigned – Rayshawn Goins, 6-5, wing forward, Cleveland Glenville;

Damon Butler, 5-9, point guard, Cincinnati North College Hill; CourtneyDavis, 6-3, shooting guard, Cincinnati Taft; Troy Long, 6-0, shootingguard, Cincinnati Withrow; Tyrone Lindsay, 6-2, shooting guard,Mansfield Senior; Charles Winkfield, 6-2, shooting guard, HuberHeights Wayne; Antonio Bumpus, 6-2 shooting guard, ColumbusEastmoor Academy; Scott Stucky, 6-2, shooting guard, Dublin Coffman;Eric Armstrong, 6-7, power forward, Fairfield; Cameron Johnson, 6-7,power forward, Cincinnati Aiken; Deonta Johnson, 6-7, power forward,Cincinnati Sycamore; Sean Hobbs, 7-0, center, Columbus DeSales;Kyle Smith, 6-10, center, Norwalk; Andre Harris, 6-4, wing forward,Zanesville; Taylor Hobbs, 6-4, wing forward, Worthington Thomas

Worthington; Ray Chambers, 6-6,power forward, Chillicothe; FrankieDobbs, 6-1, point guard, Lakewood St.Edward; Remon Nelson, 5-9, pointguard, Canal Winchester

Juniors (Class of2009)1. Garrick Sherman, 6-10, center,

Kenton – There’s a new sheriff intown.Sherman moves all the way up from

the No. 7 slot after a breakout juniorseason and his recent commitment toMichigan State. He was outstandingfrom beginning to end and was namedsecond-team all-state in Division IIafter racking up 23.6 ppg and addingright around 15 rebounds and fiveblocks per contest.“He’s a physical, aggressive pivot

man with great hands,” Johnson said.“He can be effective on the pick-and-roll and can shoot the little face-upjumper, kind of in the mold of a JasonAndreas and some of the other bigmen who have played for Tom Izzoover the years.”Sherman picked the Spartans over

Purdue and Notre Dame. He washailed as the area POY by the LimaNews and was first-team all-district.

2. Carl Jones, 5-11, point guard, Garfield Heights – Another juniorwho made a huge leap, Jones moved up 10 spots from No. 13 in mid-season and now has inched his way to No. 2.“He reached star status this season,” Johnson said. “He’s just super

quick, a great ball handler and a real dangerous scoring point guard.”Jones was a standout on one of the state’s best teams and exploded

with 25.7 ppg as a junior. First-team all-district and special mention all-state.Michigan, Penn State, Oregon and virtually all of the MAC schools

are courting.3. Desmar Jackson, 6-4, shooting guard, Warren Harding (HS,

63rd) – Jackson has dropped a couple pegs after a fairly mediocrecampaign by his standards. He averaged 14.1 ppg and was a secondteamer on the Northeast Inland all-district list after pumping in 20.2 ppglast year and receiving special mention for All-Ohio.

Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph senior Ashen Ward is head-ed to Youngstown State.




Jackson is still considering a college career in football, but basketballcould be his meal ticket.“There’s still time for him to get back up to the top,” Johnson said.

“He’s got the talent. Next year will be interesting. He and SheldonBrogdon will need to carry the load with the loss of inside playersEargle and Henderson.”4. Matt Kavanaugh, 6-10, center, Centerville – Big center who’s

already committed to the University of Dayton. Averaged 20.3 ppg andwas named first-team All-Southwest district.5. Robert Capobianco, 6-7, power forward, Loveland – Johnson

rated him at No. 5 going into the season, moved him up to No. 1 mid-winter and now has him back at his original spot. Wherever Capobiancofits in the equation, it’s safe to say he’s a major college prospect. Theforward committed to Indiana and new coach Tom Crean on April 16.He also had interest from West Virginia, Marquette and St. Louis.How loaded is southwest Ohio with

talent? Consider that Capobiancoscored 21.2 ppg and was among thearea leaders in rebounds at 11.8 pergame and still couldn’t crack first teamin the district. He was named to thesecond team. As as sophomore theversatile forward averaged 19.5 ppgand 11.3 rpg.6. Darren Goodson, 6-4, wing for-

ward, Cincinnati Aiken – Teamedwith fellow BG commitment CortezHowell in the backcourt as well asBehanan to make Aiken a formidablesquad. Savvy performer and scorerwho was honorable mention all-dis-trict.7. Reggie Keely, 6-7, power for-

ward, Cleveland Heights – Third-team All-Southwest District.Transferred after the season fromBedford, where he averaged 15.3ppg.8. Bill Edwards, 6-5, wing for-

ward, Middletown (HS, 56th) – Theson of the former Wright State super-star with the same name, Edwards isreceiving overtures from his dad’salma mater, Cincinnati, Dayton, St.Louis and several MAC schools. Wasnamed first-team All-SouthwestDistrict after scoring 17.5 ppg.9. Danny McElroy, 6-7, power for-

ward, Cincinnati LaSalle (HS, 46th) –Will join Gates at UC after com-mitting to the Bearcats. Averaged 10.3 ppg and 5.1 rpg as a soph andimproved on those figures this season at right around 14 points andseven boards per outing. Honorable mention all-district.10. Robert Johnson, 6-6, wing forward, Garfield Heights –

Meshed well with Keely and began opening the eyes of college coach-es. Like Keely and Randall Holt, bolted from Bedford after the season.Honorable mention in Northeast Lakes District. Could be poised for big-ger things at thriving D-I program.11. Allen Roberts, 6-2, shooting guard, Middletown – A teammate

of Edwards who continues to show improvement. Powerful, explosivetwo-guard who also can play the point. Honorable mention all-district inDivision I.12. Marquis Horne, 6-7, power forward, Cincinnati Princeton –

Big-time athlete who is currently considering offers from MAC schools.

Will combine with classmate Orlando Williams, a talented 6-3 shootingguard, and Jordan Sibert, a 6-4 sophomore wing, to make the Vikingsone of top teams in southwestern Ohio next season. Also made honor-able mention all-district in D-I.13. Dane Kopp, 6-9, center, Newark – Still-improving big man who

can now call himself a state champion. Kopp had seven points and 11rebounds in the state title game win.“He kind of had a disappointing regular season but much like Greg

Avery he came on like gangbusters in the state tournament,” Johnsonsaid. “He basically outplayed Tom Pritchard in the state championshipgame.”Great defender and good rebounder who needs to continue to work

on his offensive skills. Honorable mention all-state in Division I.14. Drew McGhee, 6-9, center, North Ridgeville – Improved greatly

this past season. Skilled big man who can hit consistently from theelbow. Honorable mention all-districtbut could shoot up the charts.15. Randal Holt, 5-11, point

guard, Cleveland Glenville –Second-team all-district pick afteraveraging 20.4 ppg as a sophomoreat Bedford. Followed up this past sea-son with 19.8 ppg and was namedhonorable mention all-state but thenparticipated in the exodus fromBedford and chose Glenville, whichwould be closer to his college home.Orginially committed to ClevelandState but claims he is now openagain.Best Of The Rest: Committed –

Anthony Wells, 6-0, point guard,Shaker Heights (Cleveland State);Zach Brown, 6-1, shooting guard,Mason (Lipscomb), Cortez Howell, 6-1, point guard, Cincinnati Aiken(Bowling Green).Uncommitted – Sheldon Brogdon,

6-1 shooting guard, Warren Harding;Orlando Williams, 6-3, shooting guard,Cincinnati Princeton; Jon Smith, 6-7,power forward, Grove City; JaredPorrini, 6-3, shooting guard, NorthCanton Hoover; Daylen Harrison, 6-6,wing forward, Akron St. Vincent-St.Mary; Aaron Robinson, 6-2, shootingguard, Trotwood-Madison; RyanSiggins, 6-5, wing forward Kettering

Alter; Justin Jamison, 6-8, center, Cleveland Benedictine; LamarMcKnight, 6-6, power forward, Bedford Chanel; Luke Kraus, 6-1, pointguard, Findlay; D.J. Cunningham, 6-10, center, Waterford.

Sophomores (Class of 2010)1. Jared Sullinger, 6-8, power forward, Columbus Northland (HS,

17th) – Sullinger holds firm at the top of this list and continues to showwhy he was good enough to accept a scholarship offer from Ohio State.After coming off the bench last season he became a true force insidewith his versatility, soft hands and rebounding prowess.Sullinger contributed mightily in all 24 of Northland’s wins this past

season. However, his father sat him out of a district semifinal gamebecause of academic concerns and the Vikings were ousted from thepostseason by Westerville North.“Lesson learned,” Sullinger said recently. “I know what I have to do

Newark juniorDane Kopp helpedthe Wildcats claimthe D-I state title.




now and I can’t let something like that ever happen again.”Sullinger averaged 20.5 ppg and right around 12 rpg. He was named

first-team all-Central district and third team all-state, the only sopho-more to make any of the first three teams in Division I. He will spendthe summer as a standout for the highly accomplished All-Ohio RedAAU program.2. Adreian Payne, 6-9, center, Dayton Jefferson – A long-armed

shot blocker with a developing game, Payne has vast potential andcontinues to excel.Dayton, Xavier, Ohio State and Indiana continue to show interest as

well as Cincinnati and West Virginia.A star at the Division IV level, Payne put 15.4 ppg and was named

first-team All-Southwest District. He teams up with Sullinger on the AAUcircuit for All-Ohio Red.3. Juwan Staten, 5-10, point guard, Dayton Thurgood Marshall

(HS, 79th) – Enjoyed an eye-openingsophomore season by scoring 23.6ppg and being named first-team all-district in Division II. A confident leadguard who knows how to run histeam.Now committed to Dayton, choosing

the Flyers over Xavier and others. Yetanother standout for All-Ohio Red.4. Cameron Wright, 6-3, shooting

guard, Cleveland Benedictine –Wanted to show he was deserving ofa scholarship offer that he acceptedfrom Ohio State and did so with a verysolid campaign.A versatile and dynamic athlete with

good size and all-around skill, Wrightalready has been compared to ayoung David Lighty at the same stageof development. He averaged 18.5ppg and earned first-team honors All-Northeast Lakes District.Will again team with classmate

Derek Jackson, a talented pointguard, to give Benedictine a chance tomove far into next year’s postseason.5. Allen Payne, 6-5, wing forward,

Cincinnati Winton Woods – Movedinto the top five prior to the seasonand lived up to the billing. Sinewywing who appears fully recoveredfrom a knee injury suffered last year.Averaged 12.9 ppg. Third-team all-dis-trict.6. Jordan Sibert, 6-4, wing forward, Cincinnati Princeton –

Continues to flourish and already is off to a hot start on the AAU circuitthis offseason with All-Ohio Red. Fearless wing with a consistent stroke.Could climb on this list next season. Honorable mention in theSouthwest District.7. Nick Kellogg, 6-2, point guard, Columbus DeSales (HS, 43rd) –

Son of former Ohio State star Clark Kellogg who averaged 10.0 ppg asa frosh and more than doubled that total this past season by producing22.1 ppg for the Stallions. Strong and highly competitive lead guard.Second-team all-state in Division II.8. J.D. Weatherspoon, 6-6, wing forward, Columbus Northland –

High-flying, energetic wing who specializes in crowd-pleasing dunks butalso manages to make lots of clutch plays. Honorable mention all-dis-trict performer who is beginning to attract lots of attention from schools.

So far, Baylor is among those making an early push.9. Anton Hutchens, 6-3, shooting guard, Lima Senior – Another in

a long line of athletic scoring guards from Lima. Produced 18.5 ppg asa soph and was named second-team all-Northwest district in Division I.10. Griffin McKenzie, 6-8, center, Cincinnati Moeller – Next in line

to play a huge role inside for one of the state’s best programsBest Of The Rest: Uncommitted – Kenny Knight, 6-6, power for-

ward, Cincinnati Winton Woods; Jordan Hicks, 6-2, shooting guard,Westchester Lakota West; Aaron Craft, 6-2, point guard, Findlay LibertyBenton; Greg Gainey, 6-4, wing forward, Trotwood-Madison; DerekJackson, 6-0, point guard, Cleveland Benedictine.

Freshmen (Class of 2011)1. Chane Behanan, 6-6, power forward, Cincinnati Aiken –

Powerful, spring-legged post playerwho will be dominant once he fine-tunes his footwork on turn moves.Averaged a whopping 20.2 ppg. Aplayer to follow this summer for theCleveland Basketball Club AAUsquad. All the top programs in theMidwest, including Ohio State, alreadyare hot on the trail of this supremelytalented youngster.2. Stevie Taylor, 5-8, point guard,

Gahanna Lincoln – Cat-quick pointwho gained major experience by gar-nering quality playing time for theLions. Already well-regarded nationallydespite his diminutive frame.Honorable mention all-district in D-I.3. Paul Honigford, 6-8, power for-

ward, Sugarcreek Garaway – Put up10.4 ppg in his debut season, includ-ing 12 points in the Division II statefinal. Also yanked down a dozenrebounds in that loss to Ottawa-Glandorf. Face-up player who’s learn-ing how to play inside as well. Couldproject as a wing forward at the colle-giate level.4. Jehvon Clark, 6-0, shooting

guard, Canton Timken – One ofthree talented freshmen on theTimken team, which will make Trojansthe team to beat in the Canton areafor the foreseeable future.

5. James Price, 6-9, center, Lakewood St. Edward – Played spar-ingly as a frosh but has the size and ability to be the next great insideplayer for the tradition-rich Eagles.Best Of The Rest: Uncommitted – Richard Johnson, 5-7, point guard

Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary; Kirby Wright, 6-7, wing forward, LibertyTownship Lakota East; Vinnie Zollo, 6-7, power forward, GreenfieldMcClain; Traevon Jackson, 6-2, shooting guard, Westerville South; WillWeeks, 6-4, wing forward, Richfield Revere; Anton Grady, 6-6, powerforward, Cleveland Central Catholic; Chauncey Orr, 6-3, wing forward,Bowling Green; Cheatum Norrils, 5-10, point guard, Toledo St. John’s;Brandon Neel, 6-3, wing forward, Cincinnati LaSalle; Trey Burke, 5-9,point guard, Columbus Northland; Markus Crider, 6-5, wing forward,Huber Heights Wayne.

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

Dayton Jefferson sopho-more Adreian Payne isbeing courted by OhioState, Indiana, Daytonand Xavier among others.



Gir ls Basketbal l State Tournament

Photos by Nick Falzerano, Gary Housteau & John Ritter



It is a shot that every high school basket-ball player dreams of making – a buzzer-beat-er to win a state championship.That dream came true for Cincinnati Mount

Notre Dame freshman Kathryn Reynolds asshe laid in a bucket at the horn giving theCougars a 69-67 win over West ChesterLakota West and a third straight Division Istate championship.MND’s three consecutive titles are a

Division I record and it is the Cougars’ fourthchampionship in five years.“I was thinking about (pulling up for a

jumper) but I could miss that and a layup ismore of a shot you can make so I went forthe easy shot,” Reynolds said. “It just went inand I couldn’t even believe it.”“I saw her look up at the clock and I

believed that she was going to get it off,”MND head coach Dante Harlan said. “I justhad my fingers crossed and I am in disbeliefright now. That was probably the best girlsgame I’ve ever seen.”Knotted at 67-67 following a Lakota West

timeout and with 11 seconds left in the game,Firebirds guard Quinessa Johnson tried tofeed the ball into the post from the top of thekey to Tessa Elkins but MND’s Gabby Smith

knocked the pass away and Cougars forwardTia McBride came up with the loose ball.McBride pushed it out to guard Ashley

Fowler who found a fast-breaking Reynolds –and as they say – the rest was history.The thrilling finish wasn’t without a bit of

controversy, though, as it appeared Reynoldsmay not have gotten the shot off before theend of regulation. But the official at centercourt signaled that the basket counted andthe call stood with no video review allowed inhigh school basketball.“It’s so close, it’s humanly impossible to

tell,” said OHSAA assistant commissionerHank Zaborniak. “It was a well-officiatedgame. The shot stands as good.”

In an up-tempo, fast-paced game, MNDjumped out to a quick 4-0 lead as the openingframe saw three ties and four lead changes.MND went in to the half clinging to a 29-28lead and led 54-48 after three quarters.With less than two minutes left in the game,

MND led 65-59 but Lakota West’ AlexisRogers ripped off eight straight points, includ-ing two late free throws, to put the Firebirdsup 67-65.MND’s Tia McBride then tied the game on

a lay up with less than 30 seconds left to setup the Cougars late-game heroics.MND ended Lakota West’s season last

year in the regional finals but the Firebirdsplayed in the Columbus bracket in the post-

season this year setting up the Division I finalbetween the two Cincinnati powers.MND (26-2) avenged a 61-55 season-

opening loss to Lakota West (26-2) with thestate championship victory.“(Lakota West) is a great team and I hope

everybody gives them credit,” Harlan said.It was the first state final four appearance

for Lakota West.“I hope (my players) take pride in the fact

they made it to the Final Four, won a finalfour semifinal game and played for a statechampionship,” Lakota West head coachAndy Fishman said. “We were a little unluckytonight that we did not come out on top.Smith tallied 14 points for MND with Fowler

Division I State Championship

69 67Controversial Shot LiftsMount Notre Dame To

Third Straight Division I Title

he 33rd annual OHSAA State Girls Basketball Tournament took place March7-10 and it was quite a memorable event – not only for the action on thecourt but also the full court press Mother Nature put on Ohio’s state capital.The tournament was hampered by one of the worst blizzards Columbushas ever seen as the Capital City collected over 20 inches of snow in a 36-

hour period.But after some postponing and rescheduling, two traditional girls basketball powersescaped with state titles once again, while two other schools hoisted state champi-onship trophies for the first time.The following is a look at the 2008 state girls basketball tournament:

Mount Notre Dame made its fifthstraight trip to the Division I final.

PhotobyJohn

Ritter

T

West Chester Lakota West andCincinnati Mount Notre Dame alsomet in the season opener, which

West won 61-55.


STORY BY ER IC FRANTZ & MATT NATAL I



adding eight. Reynolds netted seven.Rogers had a double-double with 24 points

and 11 rebounds. All-American forward andTennessee recruit Amber Gray also double-doubled with 23 points and 11 rebounds.

State Semifinal ResultsMount Notre Dame 66,Toledo Central Catholic 51Neither rain, nor sleet – nor blizzard –

could stop Mount Notre Dame in the statesemifinal game against Toledo CentralCatholic.With much of Ohio blanketed under snow

and Columbus under a blizzard warning,MND got hot with a 19-0 third quarter run enroute to a 66-51 win over the Lady Irish.Leading 30-25 at halftime in a fast-paced,

up-and-down the court contest, MND beganto execute its game plan to catch stride andfrustrated both the Lady Irish and their loyalfans.The Cougars had four starters score in

double digits with junior Gabby Smith netting20 points going 9-of-13 from the floor. JuniorKendall Hackney tallied a double-double with19 points and 11 rebounds. Senior wingChanning Hillman added 10 points and seniorforward McBride registered 11 points.TCC (24-4) was paced by senior guard

Shariese Calhoun with 17 points and seniorcenter Brianna Jones with 12 points and 10boards.

Lakota West 62,Youngstown Boardman 42No disrespect to Youngstown Boardman,

but the biggest obstacle Lakota West facedon March 7 was getting to its game with theSpartans. Once there, the Firebirds rolled to a62-42 win in a Division I girls basketball statesemifinal tilt. Despite taking nearly two hoursto get to the Schott from their Reynoldsburghotel, the Firebirds added to their lofty cre-dentials once inside.Gray had a game-high 20 points and led a

Lakota West attack that had 10 players regis-ter points, including junior post Rogers, whologged 13. The Firebirds shot 50-percent inthe first half as they opened up a 34-24 leadat the break.In the third quarter things worsened for

Boardman. The Spartans went nearly fiveminutes without scoring, before EmilyAbraham hit a three-pointer with 3:02 to playin the period. It was the only points Boardmanscored in the quarter.Lakota West had no such problem putting

the ball in the basket. The Firebirds openedup their largest lead, 54-32, with 4:10 to go.Michigan State recruit Courtney Schiffauer

was the Spartans lone player in double-digitswith 15 points.

The exploits of Kettering Alter’s boys bas-ketball program are well known across Ohio.Time for the state to take notice of theKnights’ girls program, too.Using suffocating defensive pressure and

the scoring punch of the Christie sisters,Nicole and Ashley, Alter claimed its first girlsbasketball state title with a convincing 60-46win over Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown inthe Division II final on March 10.The Knights forced 24 turnovers and

scored 26 points off of them en route to thevictory. The Christie sisters, Nicole (senior)and Ashley (sophomore) combined for 32points. A 21-6 run to end the game iced theoutcome.Alter, which has 10 district titles and five

regional final appearances, can now add agirls trophy to a case filled with boys laurels.

Under the direction of Joe Petrocelli, Alter’sboys program has three state titles and over800 wins. The Knights’ district title countverges on lunacy with 25-plus.“It’s an accomplishment for our whole team.

They can never forget us now,” Alter seniorCourtney Chihil said. “We’ve always beenclose but this year we pulled it out. It was ourturn.”Said Alter co-coach Chris Hart: “It’s won-

derful. What a great accomplishment for ourprogram.”Great defense was the overriding factor.

Alter slapped on the defensive pressure fromthe tip and opened up a 9-0 lead. The Knightsled 16-10 after the first quarter as HathawayBrown had eight turnovers in the first eightminutes.In the second quarter four straight three-

pointers, one by Nicole and three by AshleyChristie gave the Knights a 28-14 lead with5:52 left before the half. After that Alter’sdefense worked to Hathaway Brown’s advan-tage.Continuing to pressure, the Knights were

whistled for 12 first half fouls. In the secondquarter the Blazers translated the double-bonus into nine points at the line during a 13-2 run that closed the gap to 30-27 at halftime.In the third quarter, the teams traded blows

with Hathaway Brown taking its first lead, 37-35 on an Alexis Dobbs three-pointer with 2:25to go. Alter regrouped to take the lead 39-37heading into the fourth.In the final eight minutes Hathaway Brown

again fought back to take a 40-39 lead on abucket by Mylan Woods with 7:16 to go. Fromthat point on it was all Alter.The Knights regained the lead on a basket

by Ali Mygrants (41-40) and then got thesnowball rolling with another three-pointerfrom Nicole Christie. In the final seven min-utes, Hathaway Brown scored six points,again faltering against Alter’s defense. TheKnights scored 11 points off turnovers in thefinal frame.“That’s up there (with most turnovers we’ve

had in a game this year),” Hathaway Brownhead coach Paul Barlow said. “We did nothandle their pressure like we needed to. That

Division II State Championship

60 46Kettering Alter RidesDefense To First GirlsBasketball State Title


Alter’s title was the second by theKnights this year (also won D-II statecross country). Alter was also the D-II

volleyball state champ last year.


SophomoreAshley Christiescored agame-high 20points in thestate final.



was certainly a big factor. They played agreat defensive ballgame.”“I think it is one thing to see it and another

to experience it,” said Hart of Alter’s pressure.“Honestly. To have it right up on top of you isa whole other story. Until you experience thatfirst hand I think it’s different.”Alter used its defense to bookend a memo-

rable ride. Despite being outscored 27-23 inthe second and third quarters, the Knightsowned the first and fourth, outscoring theBlazers 37-19.“It’s hard to prepare for (Alter’s defense) in

practice,” Barlow said. “They are very longand athletic. They get their hands on a lot ofballs and obscure the passing lane very well.They really pressure the ball and take the ballout of your playmakers’ hands. It’s very hardto simulate.”Dobbs ended with 11 points and four

assists, while fellow super sophomore MylanWoods scored 14 points and grabbed eightrebounds. Senior Angela Groves registered asolid all-around game with eight points, sevenrebounds and eight blocks.Alter was led by Ashley Christie who netted

20 points, 12 higher than her season aver-age. Nicole Christie and Mary Bruner eachchipped in 12 points. Alter’s leading scorerCourtney Chihil and third leading scorerMegan Waterman combined for just ninepoints.Said Hart: “We’re a team and on any given

night a number of our kids step up. That’sone of the things that makes us difficult toprepare for and guard. Courtney has beenthe one through the tournament who hasbeen in the double figures, so you canassume that it’s going to be her, but we haveother kids that can score and that showedtonight.”Something else that was evident is that

Alter has another hoops program to contendwith.

State Semifinal ResultsKettering Alter 45, Col. Mifflin 31This stat line won’t win a state title: 16 min-

utes, 15 turnovers and nine points. ColumbusMifflin found that out in the Division II statesemifinals.Despite being tied 26-26 with Kettering

Alter two minutes into the third quarter, thePunchers registered just five points the rest ofthe second half en route to a 45-31 loss.The Knights used their customary defense

to stifle Mifflin (20-5) after the Punchers over-came a sluggish start to remain in contention.Down 24-22 at halftime, Mifflin tied the

game with 6:35 to go. After that it was allAlter. The Knights closed the contest on a 19-5 run.In the second quarter the Punchers took

their only lead, 22-21, on a basket by DeashaTally with 1:29 to go. Alter regained the edgewith three free throws.The Knights held Mifflin to six points in the

third and three points in the fourth quarter,respectively.Offensively Chihil led all scorers with 18

points, while Waterman chipped in 11. Mifflin,which had no scores in double-figures, waspaced by Amber Arter’s eight points. Overall,the Punchers had 26 turnovers.

Hathaway Brown 68,Lima Bath 58, OTFor the second straight season, Shaker

Heights Hathaway Brown advanced to battlefor a Division II girls basketball championship.But getting there wasn’t easy. The Blazers

led by as many as 16 points over Lima Bathin the first half in the state semifinal game butthe Wildkittens clawed back in the secondhalf to force overtime.Lima Bath netted just two points in the

extra period and Dobbs was 8-of-8 on throwattempts to lead the Blazers past theWildkittens 68-58. Dobbs finished the gamewith 12 points and seven reboundsHathaway Brown took a quick 10-0 lead in

the game as the Blazers fed the ball into thepost with ease to senior forward Groves. Shedropped 10 of her game high 25 points in thefirst quarter. Groves also pulled down 12boards in the game.The Blazers led 29-13 with six minutes left

in the first half but Bath found its rythm.The Wildkittens hit four straight three-point-

ers in a span of three minutes in the fourthquarter and took a 49-48 lead with 4:49 left inregulation. That was Bath’s only lead of thegame, tough, as HB took the lead severalmore times and the Wildkittens kept battlingjust to tie.With HB up 56-54 with 1:23 left in regula-

tion, Bath tied the game on a Rachael Mauklayup. HB took a timeout with 42 seconds leftbut Groves was whistled for a foul coming outof the break turning the ball over to Bath with31 seconds left.Coming out of a Bath timeout with 25 sec-

onds remaining, HB’s Alanna Guy pulleddown a rebound, fell hard to floor and waswhistled for traveling with 2.6 second left.Bath called a timeout on the first inbounds

attempt under its own basket to set a play.On the second attempt, Nicki Hopkinsinbounded the ball to Stefanie Mauk but heroff-balance shot fell short as the horn blew ona 56-56 tie.It was all HB in overtime.Rachel Mauk led Bath with 18 points and

five rebounds with twin sister Stefanie regis-tering a double-double with 12 points and 11rebounds.

What They SaidA look at some memorable quotes from thegirls state basketball tournament

“The issue here is that weʼve set abar thatʼs impossibly high. Andweʼve set the bar ourselves, no

question about it. When we lose agame itʼs man bites dog but wehave to come to expect that andlive with that and thatʼs ok. The

kids understand that to a degreebut theyʼre still 14, 15, 16 and 17year old kids and I canʼt expect

them to fully understand that. Thisreputation preceded them. Iʼm

sure today will give them an illus-tration of what thatʼs all about.”Regina head coach Pat Diulus after the Royalslost their first state game in 11 tries to Versailles.

Regina was 10-0 with five titles prior.

“My two top schools were OhioState and Tennessee. I took mytrip to Tennessee and fell in love

with it. When you walk ontocampus and itʼs all about the

womenʼs basketball program itkind of gets to you. Unlike (Ohio

State) where itʼs all about thefootball team or the menʼs

program. And who wouldnʼt wantto play for coach Summitt if you

had the opportunity to.”Lakota West senior Amber Gray on why she

choose Tennessee for college.

"Yes. There is no way to sugarcoatthat. Thereʼs no shame in two

straight runner-up finishes and Ibet there are a bunch of teams

who would love to be in ourposition and have those trophies.

But I think it is doubly-painfulthis year because we felt wewere in a really good place totake home a state title and we

didnʼt get it done today."Hathaway Brown head coach Paul Barlowwhen asked if the defeat in the state champi-onship game this year hurts more than last

year’s state final loss.



The Versailles girls basketball team playedthe entire season with a bulls-eye on its back.Fittingly, every team the Tigers faced left theirencounter with a mark on their backside aswell. The last team to wear an orange andblack tread was Sugarcreek Garaway.The Pirates got roughed up to the tune of

51-33 in the Division III girls basketball statefinal.Versailles, which claimed its first state title

in four trips to Columbus, became the sixthMidwest Athletic Conference school to win astate championship and first since 2004(Minster). Overall, the MAC has 10 titles.Versailles also became Ohio’s lone unbeat-

en girls basketball team. The Tigers finished28-0.“One word – unbelievable,” Versailles head

coach Jacki Stonebraker said. “This entireseason has been a dream come true. Thesegirls have had a mark on their back all sea-son, ever since the polls came out with theNo. 1 ranking and they’ve played with pres-sure, played with poise and played with thedetermination that they weren’t going to beknocked from the No. 1 ranking. They provedtoday why they’re the No. 1 team in thestate.”Garaway (25-3) entered the contest with

some solid credentials of its own. The Pirateswere making their fourth trip to state and sec-ond in three years. Defensively, no team atstate was stingier than Garaway, whichentered allowing a measly 23.8 points pergame. Versailles was the first team to put 50on the Pirates. And it did it in a variety ofways.After taking the first eight minutes to figure

out Garaway’s defense, the Tigers attacked inthe second. Down 7-6 after one, Versaillestook the lead for good when Megan Campbellcompleted a three-point play with 5:50 to gobefore the half. Versailles led 19-13 at thebreak.“The first quarter is always a little crazy,

because you have to figure out what the otherteam is going to do and how they are going to

play,” Versailles senior Justine Ratermansaid. “We found pretty quickly that we weregoing to have to go inside.”In the third quarter Garaway’s Laura

Bardell hit a three-pointer to bring the Pirateswithin 19-16. After a Mallory Barga jumperextended the lead to 21-16, Versailles neverlead by less than five points.After three quarters the Tigers held a 35-19

advantage.Garaway scored just six points in each the

second and third quarters, while Versaillesrolled up 29.“We felt like we were okay at halftime, but

what they did in the second half is what achampionship team needs to do,” Garawaycoach Scott Bardell said. “We took away asbest we could the paint and they hit us fromthe perimeter. The one thing they hadn’t donein the semi was shoot anything long or mid-range, it had just been pound you to death in

the paint. You can’t take away everything, youhave to concede something so we concededthe perimeter and they stuck it in our ear.”Versailles’ main cog was again Raterman,

the 6-1 senior became the school’s all-timeleading scorer when she hit a free throw withone-second left in the third quarter. Ratermanended the game with 17 points and 1,672 forher career. She also tallied 10 rebounds, foursteals and two assists and hit 11-of-13 freethrows. Laura Bardell led Garaway with agame-high 18 points.“Everybody stepped up,” Stonebraker said.

“It just seemed like we had a lot of girls in thescoring column, a lot of girls rebounding thebasketball and a lot of girls doing the littlethings that makes a state championshipteam.”Said Bardell: “At the beginning of the sea-

son you pray that when you lose, if you lose,you lose to a team that on that day was betterthan you. Today Versailles was better than wewere. They just had answers to questions wedidn’t have.”

State Semifinal ResultsVersailles 75,South Euclid Regina 60Both Versailles and South Euclid Regina

accomplished feats at the girls basketballstate tournament that neither had experi-enced before. Unfortunately for the latter, it’snot something the Royals wanted to record.Versailles chalked up another memorable

Midwest Athletic Conference victory in statecompetition with a shockingly dominant 75-60victory over Regina in a Division III semifinal.Regina (24-3) entered the contest 10-0 in

state games with five state titles. The Tigerswere 0-3 in state semifinals.The main catalysts for Versailles were sen-

iors Raterman and Bohman, who tied forgame-high honors with 27 points apiece. Itwas just the second time in state tournamenthistory that teammates scored 27 or morepoints in the same game.Raterman also added a D-III semifinal

record 19 rebounds and six assists.Bohman’s tally pushed her past 1,000 for hercareer.The duo, which exited to a chorus of

cheers and a standing ovation with 13 sec-onds left, single-handedly outscored Reginauntil the Royals erupted for six three-pointersin the final 1:24 to cushion the score.The outcome was decided long before.

Versailles led 26-22 at halftime and 42-33after three quarters. The Tigers opened thefourth quarter with a 5-0 run and never led byless than 12 points the rest of the way. With1:34 to go, a Raterman three-point playpushed the advantage to 63-42.Regina’s last lead, 20-18, came with 4:06

left in the second quarter.


The title was Versailles second thisschool year. The Tigers also won theD-III cross country state title and made

the D-III volleyball regional finals.


Division III State Championship

51 33Versailles Completes State’sOnly Undefeated Season With

Division III State Title

Versailles celebrates the firstbasketball title in school history.



Regina standout Shay Selby scored 16points, which included two three-pointers inthe final 28 seconds. The Duke recruit washampered by an ankle injury and foul troublefor much of the game.

Sugarcreek Garaway 45Mt. Blanchard Riverdale 28Garaway girls basketball fans were sporting

t-shirts at the Division III state semifinal gameagainst Mt. Blanchard Riverdale that read,“Excellence is not an act, but a habit,” quotingthe philosopher Aristotle.And the Lady Pirates were excellent in the

match up pulling away from Riverdale 45-28for their 10th straight win and a berth in thestate championship game.In an up tempo, physical, back-and-forth

match up, the game was a lot closer than thescore might indicate.Garaway clung to a 15-14 lead at halftime

and a 24-21 lead after three quarters butpulled away in the final frame outscoringRiverdale 21-7.The Lady Falcons (23-3) went just 2-for-10

from the field in the fourth quarter.Bardall paced Garaway with 18 points and

eight rebounds. Hershberger added 10points.Riverdale junior wing Kayla Brown led the

Lady Falcons with 13 points but only two ofthose came in the second half.

The Division IV girls state basketball cham-pionship between Berlin Hiland andColumbus Africentric was a battle of old-school vs. new-school.And it was the old-school that prevailed as

Hiland knocked off defending D-IV champand No. 1-ranked Africentric 44-37.The 2008 championship is the fourth state

title for the small Holmes County school andits third in four years.“We just want our kids to experience this,

so its not about how many state champi-onships we win but the next group and get-ting them to play to their potential,” said

Hiland head coach David Schlabach, who hasled the Lady Hawks to a 370-55 record in 17seasons and all four championships.The Lady Hawks had to earn their fourth

title in come-from-behind fashion.Africentric (25-2) jumped out to a quick 6-0

lead in the game before Hiland sophomoreguard Hilary Weaver drained a three-pointerto cut the lead in half putting a temporary stopto the early bleeding.“Hilary plays with a lot of confidence,” said

Schlabach. “She played some great minutesfor us today. She will gladly take the big shotwhen she can and if she misses one she’sready to go again.”No. 2 Hiland (27-1) got within one point on

a Mykelia Mast lay-up off a fast break butAfricentric went on a 9-0 run to go up 15-5early in the second quarter.Hiland was just 2-of-8 shooting in the first

quarter and committed six turnovers.“That wasn’t the ideal start we were looking

for,” Schlabach said. “But we have been inthat situation before and against good teamswe might fall behind. The kids have been inthis before. You have seniors who don’t panicand stick to the game plan.”And Hiland found its game plan for the next

two quarters as the Lady Hawks went on a24-0 scoring run as Africentric suffered adeflating 13:07 scoring drought.The Lady Nubians shot just 32 percent on

16-of-50 shooting for the game.“During that stretch, (Hiland) just started

knocking down shots and we couldn’t get theball in the basket,” Africentric head coach Will

McKinney said. “We were hitting some shotsearly on but then we just got flat.”The Lady Nubians totaled just four points in

the second and third quarters combined andwent into the final frame down 32-17.Senior guard and Division IV player of the

year Tyeasha Moss got hot in the fourth quar-ter netting 10 of her team high 15 points in alast ditch effort for the Lady Nubians.But Africentric’s 20 fourth quarter points

were too little too late.Hiland committed just eight turnovers after

making six in the first quarter.Senior guard Jena Stutzman paced the

Hawks with 14 points, including 11 in Hiland’s24-0 run. Weaver had eight points.

Starters Kristi Yoder and Katelyn Stuckeycombined for 13 points and 10 rebounds inthe post for the Lady Hawks.Junior forward Asher Harris had seven

points and 11 rebounds for the Lady Nubians.Africentric out-rebounded Hiland 34-30,

including 14 offensive boards, but consistentlyfailed to convert on second chance points.For Africentric, it was their second straight

Division IV state final four in the school’sshort five year history.This marked the fourth straight year Hiland

and Africentric have met in the postseasontournament. Hiland cruised past Africentric64-40 in the regional semifinals in 2005 onthe way to a state championship. In 2006, theLady Hawks edged the Lady Nubians 40-36en route to back-to-back state titles.Africentric exacted its revenge last season,

though, with a 52-36 win over the LadyHawks in the regional finals before takinghome the state championship.“Losing last year stunk,” Stutzman said. “It

just gave us a lot of motivation. Every yearour goal is to win a state championship. Wejust worked hard no matter who we playedand we knew defense and rebounding wouldwin us a state championship and we did that.”Said McKinney, “I love the rivalry. The

Berlin Hiland-Africentric rivalry is really goodfor girls basketball, in particular, Division IV.Whenever you have two really good basket-ball teams and guaranteed excitement in thegame, I think that’s fantastic for the game ofgirls basketball.”

Division IV State Championship

44 37Berlin Hiland Overcomes EarlyDeficit, Claims Third D-IV State

Title In Four Years

PhotobyGaryHousteau

Hiland sen-ior JenaStutzmanplayed inher fifth andsixth stategame andwon herthird statetitle.

Berlin Hiland and ColumbusAfricentric have met in thetournament four straight years,

with the Hawks holding a 3-1 edge.




State Semifinal ResultsBerlin Hiland 58, New Riegel 38It is not how you start, but rather, how you

finish. And for Hiland a strong finish erased aslow start in the Division IV basketball statesemifinals resulting in a 58-38 win over NewRiegel.New Riegel (22-4) scored seven straight

points out of the tip and led Hiland by asmuch as eight in the first quarter. But Hilandjunior Karli Mast turned up the heat scoringnine straight points to cut New Riegel’s leadto 12-11 just over halfway though the open-ing frame.New Reigel went up 18-13 with 16 sec-

onds left in the first quarter on a Kaiti Hughesjump shot but that is where the Blue Jackets’offensive production came to a grinding halt.Hiland went on a 14-0 run to open up the

second quarter as New Riegel went on a5:25 scoring drought finally getting a bucketon a Lauren Hutton layup with 2:51 left in thehalf.New Riegel had 18 turnovers in the game.Hiland took a 32-20 lead into the half and

put it on cruise control in the second.New Riegel shot a dismal 6-of-23 in the

second half and only 33.3 percent for thegame, including 1-of-7 from three-point land.Mast led all stat-getters with 16 points

while teammates Weaver (10) and Stuckey(11) were also in double digits.Junior forward Lauren Hutton had 15

points for New Riegel, including nine in thefirst half.

Africentric 47, Convoy Crestview 42Despite leading at halftime and having

possession of the ball down two points withless than 24 seconds to go, Crestview fellshort in its bid to unseat Ohio’s No. 1 rankedD-IV squad and defending state championAfricentric.The Nubians hit enough free throws, made

enough plays and grabbed just enoughrebounds to secure a 47-42 win.Intensity has a funny way of keeping teams

in games and that’s what it did for Crestview,a team making its third appearance at thestate tournament, but first since 1985.Africentric took the lead, 26-24, on a pair of

Howard free throws at the 4:36 mark of thethird quarter. The Nubians, who never led bymore than seven, never trailed againalthough they had chances to fold. Threetimes in the final three minutes the Knightstrimmed the deficit to three or less.Howard and Moss tied for game-high hon-

ors with 14 points each, while junior AsharHarris chipped in 11.Kelsey Nedderman led Crestview with 12

points, while Carly Lichtensteiger added 11.— OH

Ohio High Magazine All-Tournament Team

Angela GrovesHathaway Brown

Senior post had 33points, 19 reboundsand an impressive 12blocks, including eightin the D-II state final.She had 25 points and12 rebounds in semif-nal victory.

Justine RatermanVersa i l les

Senior put togetherstateʼs top perform-ance with 54 points,29 rebounds, eightassists and six stealsin two games. Had D-II record 19 reboundsin semifinal win.

Jena StutzmanBer l in Hi land

Senior improved to6-0 in state games.Scored 14 points inD-IV state final andhad seven points, sixsteals, five assistsand four rebounds insemis.

Tia McBrideMount Notre Dame

Senior post startedthird and fourth stategames. Had 24 pointsand five boards in D-Istate final after regis-tering 11 points, fourrebounds and twoblocks in semifinals.

Amber GrayLakota West

Tennessee recruitand Ms. Basketballwinner had 23 pointsand 11 rebounds inD-I state final. Thateffort followed 20-point performance insemfiinals.

Emily BohmanVersa i l les

Senior tallied 27 pointsand six rebounds insemi win over Regina.Had six points, threeboards and four stealsin D-III final.

Alexis RogersLakota West

Junior post had dou-ble-double in D-I statefinal (24 points, 10rebounds). Had 13points and fourboards in semifinals.

Laura BardellGaraway

Senior combined for26 points and 15rebounds in twostate games. Alsoadded five steals inD-III state final.

Courtney ChihilAl ter

Senior had 18 points,four rebounds andtwo steals in D-IIsemis. Added sixrebounds, five assistsand two steals in final.

Tyeasha MossAfr icent r i c

Senior forwardscored 15 points andhad six rebounds inD-IV final after scor-ing 14 points in semi-finals.

NF NF GH JR GH

NF GH GH GH NF


Gir ls Basketbal l P layer and Coach Of The YearSTORY BY ER IC FRANTZ

acki Stonebraker’s first trip to the girls basketball state tourna-ment yielded an air-balled free throw. Justine Raterman’s firsttrip to state ended in missed opportunity.This season, the sisters got even.Completing Ohio’s only undefeated girls basketball season,

Versailles captured the Division III state title on March 10 witha 51-33 win over Sugarcreek Garaway at Ohio State’s

Schottenstein Center.Raterman, the team’s 6-1 senior centerpiece, had 44 points, 29

rebounds, eight assists and six steals in the title game and a semifinal winover vaunted South Euclid Regina.The performance capped a season in which the University of Dayton

recruit was named Division III first-teamAll-Ohio for the second time and becameVersailles career scoring leader (1,672points).Stonebraker, a head coach in just her

fifth season, delivered a second straightstate tournament berth and the first bas-ketball title – boys or girls – to her almamater. The Tigers also secured the pro-gram’s first Midwest Athletic Conferencechampionship.As a result of their heroics, Raterman

and Stonebraker have been named theOhio High Magazine/Huntington BankOhio Girls Basketball player and coach ofthe year, respectively.Before ending up at the popular Versailles establishment Sideliners the

night of the state championship, there was still enough time for the duo torecord one more memory.Exiting the bus, Stonebraker and Raterman descended one final time

as player and coach.“I had that little twitch in my eye that this was the last time we were

going to get off the bus together,” Stonebraker said. “It hit me that that wasthe last time she was going to put that uniform on. I knew it was probablyone of the last times we’d be together in basketball.”The two will always be family.

Big SisThe oldest of four Raterman siblings, Stonebraker was the first to have

basketball success. All the others followed.Stonebraker was a freshman the first time Versailles made the state

tournament in 1992. The trip ended in a 61-48 loss to Loudonville.“I was like a deer caught in the headlights my freshman year,”

Stonebraker said. “It was a big blur. We didn’t know what to expect. I doremember that at the end of the game I had a chance to make some freethrows and I air-balled the first one. We were down by 15 or something soit didn’t really matter, but it was quite embarrassing. I made the second.”By the end of her high school career, Stonebraker earned a scholarship

to Bowling Green. She played forward for four years for the Falcons andearned All-Mid-American Conference hon-ors as a junior and senior.Upon graduation Stonebraker landed a

job as a math teacher at Versailles andgot married. Coaching came next.“In high school I knew I wanted to be a

teacher, but it never crossed my mind thatI’d be a head coach and coach at myalma mater,” Stonebraker said. “I justknew I wanted to be a teacher at a smallschool – like here or St. Henry or MarionLocal – and help out as much as I could. Ireally liked sports and always felt like theyhad been important in making me the per-son I am today so I wanted to help outonce I started teaching.”

Helping out her varsity coach Tim Barga, Stonebraker started with thefreshman team. She says she coached reserve one year, but that’sbecause “we didn’t have a freshman team and he moved the JV coach upto a varsity assistant.”When Barga resigned following the 2002-03 season, Stonebraker made

a play for the head coaching gig – and got it.“I figured if I was going to do it now was the time,” Stonebraker said. “I

had no idea what this job entailed.”Stonebraker’s first year the Tigers finished 5-16. She admits, though,

that she never felt overwhelmed or that she was in over her head.“We were 5-16, but it didn’t feel like that,” Stonebraker said. “We may

JJacki

Stonebraker

Versailles

JustineRaterman

Versailles

PhotosbyNickFalzerano


Gir ls Basketbal l P layer and Coach Of The Year

have gotten destroyed once by Fort Loramie by like 20 or something, butwe were in every game other than that. We just didn’t know how to win. Isat there trying to figure out how we were going to teach them to win andthat was the only problem.”The next year Stonebraker started Raterman as a freshman and also

brought fellow frosh Emily Bohman off the bench as the sixth man.Things improved rapidly.“Once Justine and Emily and the other freshmen that year came

things started to change,” Stonebraker said.“They were undefeated in junior high and they knew how to win. They

brought a different mind-set.”Indeed, Versailles is 83-18 since the start of the 2004-05 season.

The YoungestRaterman’s recollection of basketball begins with trips to practices and

games of her older brothers and sisters.In addition to Jacki, older sister Julie was on Versailles’ 1998 state final

four team and played in college at West Liberty (W.Va.) State. Olderbrother Joe played football, basketball and baseball for the Tigers and iscurrently an assistant coach on the girls staff.“(Justine) was a gym rat from Day One,” Stonebraker said. “She was

watching my junior high games at the age of 1.”“I can remember being in kindergarten and

writing about how Jacki was at Bowling Greenand how cool that was,” Raterman said. “Thatwas kind of the first big impact they had on mewhen I was that young.”Raterman’s impact on Versailles has been

enormous. A standout in both volleyball andbasketball and a four-year starter in each,Raterman has left her mark on Tigers lore.In volleyball, she was named Division III All-

Ohio three times, including first team twice,and recorded over 1,000 career kills. WithRaterman in the rotation, the Tigers went 93-16the last four years with three regional final(2004, 2006, 2007) appearances. Versailleswas a regional semifinalist in 2005.“Now I can definitely say that basketball is my true love,” Raterman

said. “It is the first sport I played. I really loved volleyball too and it cameeasier to me. I was really a natural at it.”Raterman had visions of trying to play both sports in college but refo-

cused on one heading into last winter. She chose hoops.“I sat down and thought about it hard,” Raterman said. “I finally knew I

was only going to play one and I basically realized I couldn’t imaginegoing to college for four years and not playing basketball. Although vol-leyball is a part of my life, basketball is a part of my family’s life. It’salways been there.”Family is what led Raterman to Dayton. Despite receiving feelers from

higher-profile programs, Raterman choose to stay close to home andplay for the Flyers. Her impact should be immediate.“The people I’m going to be surrounded by the next four years are sec-

ond to none and I’m excited about that,” Raterman said. “UD was theschool that recruited me first and they were always there. The one thing Iliked about coach (Jim) Jabir compared to the other coaches was thateveryone else tried to sell me their program and Coach Jabir sold me tomyself. He made me believe in myself and in how much he thinks I canimprove. It was different to look my growth individually.”“Family is huge for her,” Stonebraker said. “She had looks at bigger

schools but she never had that offer. She never had that Ohio State orthat Notre Dame that committed to her. I think she just felt more at homeat UD.”As a basketball player, Raterman’s versatility is her biggest strength.

The team’s leading scorer (17.7 points per game) and rebounder (9.5rpg), Raterman also ranked near the team lead in assists and steals. Shecan play anywhere.“Justine was one of the shorter girls in junior high and played point

guard,” Stonebraker said. “She was 5-7 in eighth grade. That reallyhelped her ball handling skills a lot and that’s why she can face the bas-ket and do so many things with the ball.“She still has areas to improve in. She doesn’t shoot the three real

consistently, but if a post player wants to guard her she’s going to pull herout and go right around. If a smaller player wants to guard her we’ll justpost her up and there’s not much you can do against that.”In the Tigers’ impressive semifinal win over Regina, Raterman played

the point and was effective when Versailles needed her to be.“I think when you look at me sometimes you don’t expect a lot of great

things,” Raterman said. “It’s a lot of fun to be able to prove someonewrong, especially all the critics who say you might be a step too slow oran inch too short. It’s fun to step up your game to meet a challenge.”

Strong CredentialsBoth Stonebraker and Raterman solidified their resumes this winter

with the state championship.For Stonebraker, the title was a cornerstone in what’s fast becoming a

career of note. In addition to the past two statetournaments, Versailles was a regional finalistin 2006.The semifinal victory over Regina also

marked the first time in 11 state games thatthe Royals had not come out on top. In fiveprevious trips to state, head coach Pat Diulusand Regina were 10-0 with five state titles.Many expected them to get No. 6 this season.“I had watched (Regina) a couple times on

tape and I was in awe,” Stonebraker said. “Iwas like, ‘Holy Cow, what are we going to do… they can do everything.’ I told the girls justlike I told the girls last year against Anna andCleveland Central Catholic that we could beat

this team because I felt we were the better team. Were we going to haveto have a pretty good night? Yeah, but I still believe we were a betterteam than Cleveland Central Catholic or Regina was.“You have to play defense. That’s the key and our defense was strong.

We made them work for every shot. (Duke recruit) Shay (Selby) had towork for everything she got. And our offense was on. It was just on. Myassistant told me that if we were within 10 points at halftime that was agood night for us. We were up by four.”Had a spectator who didn’t know already been asked after the Regina-

Versailles game which player was a Duke recruit, many would have likelyanswered “Raterman” instead of Regina’s Selby. That’s not a knock onthe Royals senior, regarded by many as one of the top players in thecountry; it’s a testament to the performance Raterman recorded.It also led one media member along press row to utter the challenge of

“finding five better girls basketball players in the state than Raterman.”That’s a challenge the Associated Press unknowingly accepted by nothaving Raterman among the finalists for the agency’s prestigious Ms.Basketball award.Raterman was unfazed – unlike the Tigers competition.“I wasn’t worried about (Ms. Basketball) at all,” Raterman said. “I was

only worried about the state championship and that’s what I got. I’m notsure those other five girls can say that. I have a state championship andthat’s what’s important to me.”Said Stonebraker: “Awards are nice for individuals, but the sweetest

award you can get is the ring we have for being state champions.“Nothing can top that.”— OH

“Awards are nice for individuals, butthe sweetest award you can get isthe ring we have for being statechampions. Nothing can top that.”

Versailles head coachJacki Raterman


State Wrest l ing TournamentSTORY BY ER IC FRANTZ

Lakewood St. Edward jun-ior Collin Palmer won his

third state title and helpedthe Eagles win their 12th

straight state title.

Photos by Nick Falzerano

hen Steve Goudy tookover the fledgling TroyChristian wrestling pro-gram seven years ago, thecoach joked that he had“six kids on the team andtwo wrestlers.”

After the 71st annual State WrestlingChampionships on March 1, the Eagles nowhave two state titles.Everyone expected Lakewood St. Edward

and St. Paris Graham to repeat as statewrestling champions, but there were ques-tions about Troy Christian’s ability to defendits small-school title.The Eagles answered all comers.Putting together an impressive 4-1 record

in finals and placing all eight qualifiers, TroyChristian defended its Division III team titleand became the 22nd school in history towin multiple crowns.The Eagles, who broke their D-III record of

154 points set last year, scored 162 this timearound to fend off challenges from old foeMarion Pleasant (123) and upstartMonroeville (115).

W


State Wrest l ing Tournament

Last year, the Eagles had three individualchampions and edged Pleasant by just 2-1/2 points. This year, it was not nearly asclose.“Breaking the team point total was one of

our goals,” Goudy said. “We talk aboutbonus points all the time, especially in theearly rounds and we were able to scoresome. We were blessed with a good drawand we had to take advantage of that earlyand we did. We were able to get pins andtechs. When (Pleasant) brings 11 and youbring eight you have to make it up some-where.”Winning titles for the Eagles were senior

Ben Sergent (125), junior Zac Hancock(130), junior Zach Toal (145) and seniorNathan Jones (189). Junior Jordan Thomewas the runner-up at 135.Sergent, the 112 champion last year,

trailed Sandusky St. Marys senior TroyOpfer 1-0 with less then 10 seconds to gobefore pulling out a pin with seven ticks left.Toal’s title was also his second after win-

ning at 140 last year.Troy Christian has only had a wrestling

program for eight years, and Goudy, whocame from Milton-Union, has been in chargefor all but one. He’s built a program thatdoesn’t show signs of slowing down.The Eagles lose two seniors – Sergent

and Jones – but have a solid nucleus back.Rest assured all eyes will be on a three-peat.“The kids put a lot of stock in that

Brakeman Report and he does a great job,but he had us second last year and the kidswanted to prove him wrong and they did,”Goudy said. “And he had us second thisyear and the kids wanted to prove himwrong and they did. So I told Brian ‘Thankyou for making us second.’ I told him to putMonroeville first next year.”

Falcons Soar (Again)Graham came to Columbus looking for its

eighth straight Division II state title andsome state records. The Falcons accom-plished both. In addition to winning its 10thtitle overall and moving into a second placetie with Maple Heights for the most everregardless of division, the Falcons alsobroke their own D-II points record with 221-1/2. The old standard of 208-1/2 lasted justone year.Graham entered the finals with 202 points

and six wrestlers vying for first place. FourFalcons captured crowns as Graham outdis-tanced second place Oak Harbor by 140-1/2points.Two Falcons won their third titles with jun-

ior David Taylor taking the 112-pound cham-

pionship and senior Ben Jordan winning at145.The victory for Taylor improved him to 46-

0 this year and 132-2 in three years. Lastyear, Taylor outscored his state opponents68-6 en route to the title. This year hepinned two opponents (1:15 and 2:31) andoutscored the other two 33-3, including a15-0 tech fall in the second period of thefinal.Jordan also won state titles as a freshman

(119 pounds) and sophomore (125) and wasrunner-up last year (135).Other champions for Graham included

junior Zach Neibert (119) and sophomoreTucker Armstrong (125). Senior Coby Boyd(152) and junior Adam Walls (285) were run-ners-up.Neibert’s title came via a second-period

pin of Cody Garbrandt of UrichsvilleClaymont. Garbrandt won the 112 state titlelast year.

Energizer EaglesJust like the Energizer Rabbit, the St.

Edward wrestling squad keeps on going,and going and going. The Eagles claimedtheir 12th straight Division I title and 24thoverall. Both are state records. St. Ed tallied147-1/2 points to runner-up MassillonPerry’s 90.

Gus SakoS t . Edward

103 112 119 125 130 135 140

145 152 160 171 189 215 285

Jamie ClarkS t . Edward

Garrett HenrySo lon

Tommy PrettyE lder

Seth HornerMass i l lon Per ry

Collin PalmerS t . Edward

Richie SpicelBrunswick

Tony JamesonAust in town Fi tch

Jesse DongWesterv i l l e Nor th

Chris KlineWesterv i l l e Nor th

Brian RoddyS t . Edward

Matt AlexanderF ind lay

Orlando ScalesE lder

Josh KlineMason

ChampionsIndiv idual




At 171 pounds, senior Brian Roddybecame a rare four-time state placer at thesame weight and defended his title with a21-6 tech fall of Amherst Steele’s AaronWinemiller. Junior Collin Palmer alsodefended his title and won his third champi-onship with a 5-0 decision over MansfieldMadison’s Josh Speelman at 135. Palmerfinished the season 30-0.Other victors for the Eagles were sopho-

mores Gus Sako (103 pounds) and JamieClark (112).Clark’s 2-1 overtime win over Massillon

Perry’s Sam White in the final was especial-ly gratifying considering Clark lost the 103final last year to White 3-2 in overtime. Clarkwas awarded the win after White was calledfor stalling in the extra stanza.

STATE MEET NOTABLESAnother Four-Time WinnerAustintown-Fitch senior Tony Jameson

added his name to a short list of four-timestate winners, becoming just the 16th with ahard fought 8-4 win over New CarlisleTecumseh’s T.J. Rigel in the Division I 145finale. Jameson trailed 4-2 entering the thirdperiod.Jameson is only the fourth wrestler to win

four titles in D-I and his championships spaneight weight classes, which is the most of

any four-time champ (103, 119, 135 and145). Jameson’s final high school record is168-6.Jameson, who is going to Ohio State,

received a standing ovation after his winand ran around the mat with an OSU flagheld overhead, much to the delight of thecrowd. Jameson also received an ovationafter the medal ceremony.In the 1990s, only three wrestlers won

four titles. So far this decade, sevenwrestlers have done it. Next year, Graham’sTaylor and St. Ed’s Palmer will try tobecome the 17th and 18th to accomplish thefeat.

Double DutyThe Westerville North duo of Jesse Dong

and Chris Kline captured their school’s firststate titles in history with back-to-back winsin the D-I 152 and 160 title bouts, respec-tively. Dong finished 40-1, while Kline wentunbeaten at 43-0.

Three-Time ChampsIn addition to Taylor, Jordan and Palmer,

two other wrestlers captured their third statetitles.Oak Harbor’s Cody Magrum won the D-II

189 title to go along with past titles at 171.Magrum, trailed Pemberville Eastwood’s

Jeremy Foster 2-1 heading into the thirdperiod, but rallied for the 4-3 victory.Miami East’s Ryan Gambill also added

title No. 3 with a pin of TC’s Thome in the135 finale. Gambill, the only wrestler in Easthistory with a state title, won his previouschampionships at 112 and 130.Daniel Kolodzik, the only wrestler on the

Miami Valley School team, failed in hisattempt to add a third title, falling to TC’sHancock in the D-III 130 final. Kolodzik pre-viously claimed crowns at 103 and 125.There have now been 49 three-time win-

ners in state history.

BookendsBrunswick senior Richie Spicel capped his

career the same way he started it – with astate title. Spicel won the D-I 140 crownafter claiming the 130 championship as afrosh. Spicel was also a state runner-up lastyear, suffering his only loss to Jameson inthe state final at 135. Spicel finished thisseason 43-0.Spicel’s title didn’t come easy though. He

had to rally for a 4-2 win in overtime againstBrecksville Broadview Heights junior KyleLang.

Tough EndingWest Chester Lakota West senior Ryan

Ty MitchAurora

103 112 119 125 130 135 140

145 152 160 171 189 215 285

David TaylorGraham

Zach NeibertGraham

Tucker ArmstrongGraham

Harrison HightowerUnivers i ty School

Chase SkoniecznyWalsh Jesu i t

Dawson RiedyBe l levue

Ben JordanGraham

Kirk TankOak Harbor

Eric CubberlyEas twood

Keith WittOak Harbor

Cody MagrumOak Harbor

Matt FisherSandusky Perk ins

Tyler HawkinsWest Holmes





Fields finished runner-up the last threeyears and was trying not to become the firstwrestler in state history to finish second fouryears in a row. He accomplished that featbut not the way he wanted to. Fieldsdropped his semifinal match at 130 and thenfell in the third-place bout in overtime toplace fourth.

Remember The NameIt was a weekend of firsts for Worthington

Christian senior Colin Heasley. Wrestling at160 in D-III, Heasley became the first WCwrestler to make the state semifinals wherehe upset defending state champ SteveWilson of Marion Pleasant to become thefirst wrestler in program history to make astate final. There he beat Delta’s DerrickYant 3-1 to become the school’s first statechamp.Heading into state, Heasley was 0-9

against Wilson and Yant combined. He alsofinished fourth at the Heath district.

Four For FourMonoreville’s spectacular line-up of under-

classmen did not disappoint. Qualifying allfour wrestlers to the D-III finals, the Eaglesfinished third in the team race thanks togoing 4-0 in finals.Sophomore Logan Stieber, the state

champion at 103 last year, captured the 119title and finished the season 51-0. His fresh-man brother Hunter also finished 51-0 afterclaiming the 103 crown.Two other freshman captured titles with

Chris Phillips winning at 171 and CamTessari winning at 112. Phillips, who pinnedhis first round opponent (2:44) and beat thenext three by the combined score of 56-16,ended the season 51-0 as well.

Moore Is GoodMarion Pleasant senior Jedd Moore

defended his D-III 152 title with a 9-2 winover Sandusky St. Marys senior ChristianOrtolani. Moore’s victory helped salvagewhat was a disappointing run for theSpartans at state.Despite visions of challenging Troy

Christian for the team title and leading theteam race 75-70 after two sessions, theSpartans went 1-5 in semifinal bouts.

Ending The DroughtGreenwich South Central sophomore

Payton Oney became his school’s first stateplacer with a sixth place finish in D-III at125.In addition to Oney, other wrestlers ended

notable droughts for their schools as well.Defiance sophomore B. J. Miller became

the first wrestler from his school to place atthe state meet since 1997 when he finishedeighth in the D-II 112 bracket.Norwood junior Tyler Alsip finished eighth

in the D-II 119 bracket to become hisschool’s first state placer since 1986.Athens junior Steven McLaughlin placed

sixth at 145 in D-II to become his school’sfirst state placer since 1997.Spencerville senior Zac Clum became his

school’s highest placer ever when he fin-ished sixth in D-III at 135.West Carrollton junior Jordan Beverly

placed third in D-I at 285 to become hisschool’s first state placer since 1995.Toledo Libbey senior James Reynolds fin-

ished eighth in D-II at 285 to secure theschool’s first spot on the podium since 1988.Wilmington senior Chris Holcomb was the

Hurricane’s first state placer since 1996. Hefinished sixth in D-II at 285.

Eight Is EnoughDespite facing undefeated Coshocton

senior Sean Collin in the D-II 130 final,University School sophomore HarrisonHightower – who entered with eight losses –claimed the win with a 7-2 decision.

Bellevue BelieversFor the second year in a row, a wrestler

Hunter StieberMonroev i l le

103 112 119 125 130 135 140

145 152 160 171 189 215 285

Cam TessariMonroev i l le

Logan StieberMonroev i l le

Ben SergentTroy Chr i s t ian

Zac HancockTroy Chr i s t ian

Ryan GambillMiam i Eas t

Robert PajestkaCuyahoga Heights

Zach ToalTroy Chr i s t ian

Jedd MooreMar ion P leasant

Colin HeasleyWorthington Christian

Chris PhillipsMonroev i l le

Nathan JonesTroy Chr i s t ian

Travis PorterBur ton Berksh i re

Don StocumK i r t land





from Bellevue defeated a defending statechampion in the finals.Last year, Jeffrey Pelton handed

Graham’s Jordan a loss in the D-II 135 final.This year, it was senior Dawson Riedy beat-ing Parma Heights Holy Name senior AaronSulzer 3-0 in the 140 finale. Sulzer won the130 title last year.

PaybackOak Harbor senior Kirk Tank got some

revenge on Graham’s Coby Boyd in the D-II152 final. Last year, Boyd pinned Tank in3:27 in the 145 state final. This year, it wasTank who scored the win with a dramatic 3-1decision in overtime.The win was also Tank’s 50th this season

against four losses.

Two-TimerPemberville Eastwood senior Eric

Cubberly captured his second straight statetitle with a convincing 18-3 tech fall overLisbon Beaver’s Jon Bittinger to win at 160in D-II. Cubberly, who finished the season50-1, won the 152 championship last year.

Perfect SeasonBurton Berkshire senior Travis Porter

entered the state tournament with an unde-feated record and exited the same way.

Handling Wooster Triway’s Cory Aiken 10-2in the D-III 215 final, Porter finished the sea-son 42-0.

Battle Of UnbeatensIn the only state final meeting of two

undefeated wrestlers, Barberton’s AdamCogar and Cincinnati Elder’s OrlandoScales both entered the D-I 215 finale withidentical 47-0 records. Scales picked up winNo. 48. After a scoreless first period, Scalestook a 3-2 lead late into the third andescaped a Cogar takedown bid to hold onfor the win.

Outstanding Wrestler AwardsThe Ohio High School Wrestling Coaches

Association handed out hardware to themost outstanding wrestlers in each division.Jameson won the honor in D-I, while Jordanand Gambill took home the award in D-IIand III, respectively.

Attendance FiguresAccording to the OHSAA, the attendance

for the finals was 14,924 and the reportedfive session total of 65,835 is the lowestsince the championships moved to ValueCity Arena from Wright State’s Nutter Centerin 1999. Last year’s figures were 15,685and 69,746, respectively. — OH

Hillsboro senior Dustin Carter achievedhis dream and completed an unlikelyjourney by qualifying for the Division IIstate meet. Carter, born with the rareblood disease known as meningococ-cemia, which is from the same bacteriathat causes a severe form of meningitis,lost both arms and legs to amputation atage 5.Despite his handicap, Carter showed

he was anything but.Able to get around with the help of

prosthetic legs, Carter sheds those andthe competition when he gets on awrestling mat.This season, Carter went 40-2 and

earned a berth in the D-II 103 champi-onship bracket by finishing runner-up atthe Goshen district. Carter won theChillicothe sectional.At state, Carter won his first round

match 2-1 in overtime over Cambridge’sAndrew Bertubin. He lost his next twomatches and was eliminated.Carter was introduced to the crowd

once more prior to the championshipsemifinals on Feb. 29 as his story wasretold on the video screen at Ohio State’sValue City Arena.Carter received the largest cheers of

the weekend and a standing ovation thatlasted several minutes.Carter’s story made national news and

was told on the Today Show as well asbroadcast on other news outlets. His pic-ture recently appeared in SportsIllustrated.

---- OOhhiioo HHiigghh SSttaaffff

Hillsboro’s CarterCompletes DreamSeason, Journey

Photo by Brian Cook

Photos by Nick Falzerano

Wrest ler O f The Year

J JHUDDLE .COM JJ Huddle ’ s Ohio High50

Austintown Fitch seniorTony Jameson becamejust the 16th wrestler instate history to win fourindividual state titles.

Photo by Nick Falzerano



STORY BY GARY HOUSTEAU

t might not have been pretty, butthat’s pretty much his wrestling style.

After surviving somewhat of acontroversial first-round match at thestate wrestling tournament at OhioState’s Value City Arena, Tony

Jameson of Austintown Fitch High School went on toadvance to the final round at 145 pounds and win his

fourth state title in four different weight classifications. “I had a bad tournament, a horrible tournament, but I still

came through and I did what I had to do and I did it with my styleeven,” Jameson said. “Just to come back and win like that, for me,

was awesome.”And with the championship match victory over T.J. Rigel, a junior

from Tecumseh High School, Jameson became just the 16th wrestlerto ever accomplish such a feat in the state of Ohio and only the thirdone to ever do it at the Division I level. Accordingly, Jameson wasnamed as the Huntington Bank/Ohio High Wrestler of the Year.“It was sweet but then again it was humbling I guess you can say

to think just like that, it can be over and just like that, my run couldend,” Jameson said. “So it felt good. Especially because on Fridaynight you weren’t expecting that match, but it happened and I adjust-ed and I came out a winner like I should be and like I’ve been practic-ing to be all year.”A chorus of boos rained down on Jameson from the crowd at the

Value Center Arena. They thought the future Buckeye might havebeen pinned in his opening match of the tournament.“People are going to think what they think and they’re always going

to want the underdog to win but I wasn’t pinned and everyonethought I was pinned,” Jameson said. “And that’s fine. They can thinkwhat they want. He had me on my back and he did what he had to doand I think that if I had a ref that hated me, he might have even calledme pinned. But I came through and did what I had to do.”Despite the way it might have looked, Jameson never felt he was in

danger of losing the match but he was concerned.“I wasn’t worried about me being pinned, but I was worried about a

bad ref that might want the underdog to win,” he said. “That’s theonly thing I was worried about.”Jameson, after all, has never been pinned in his competitive

wrestling career and, although it might not have looked like it, he feltthat he was still in control during the very time that he may haveindeed been in the most danger during that match.“I know in that situation, I’m not ever on my back in practice, there’s

just something inside of me that says ‘You’re not going to pin me,’ ”said Jameson, who claimed the last time he can even can remember

being pinned was when he was 5 years old. “I don’t care if you’re500 pounds or 1,000 pounds. It doesn’t matter. You’re not going topin me.”There were as many as three close calls during that first-round

match but Rudy Hendon of Bowling Green High School wasn’t able toearn the pin and lost a 23-20 decision. “The referee that did the match was very solid and very fair,” said

Brett Powell, the 23-year Fitch head coach who was inducted into theOHSAA High School Wrestling Hall Of Fame this year. “Unless youwere down there and you saw the boy’s arm position underneath hisshoulder, he wasn’t pinned, he couldn’t be pinned and that was theamazement of the officials and myself. The guy that was wrestlinghim was the guy that kept him from really getting pinned. He proba-bly could have been pinned but I know Tony and if that would have

happened, that would have left a gapfor something else for him to counter.“Tony wrestles in very dangerous

waters. He likes that challenge, helikes being on the edge and he putspeople on the edge of their seats whenhe wrestles. But he was fine there.The coaches on the other side knewwhat was going on. There was a matjudge right there that had the ability tocall the pin just as well as the official onthe match and nobody ever thought thathe was close to even being pinned.”And after surviving that close call with

Hendon, Jameson came back andeventually redeemed himself with a vic-

tory in that final match against Rigel to win it all.“The whole final match was surreal because I was on my game,”

said Jameson as he described what it was like for him to be in thatproverbial zone against Rigel. “It just feels like I can lay on my backand still win. It almost feels like that. That’s why, when he wasahead in the third period, I was calm, I was fine. I just felt like I knewI was going to win no matter what he did and no matter what hap-pened. I don’t want to sound cocky but that just was my mind-set,how I felt.”And when the championship match was over and Jameson earned

the decision, he experienced an almost overwhelming feeling of relief.In his four-year high school grappling career, Jameson won titles atthe 103-, 119-, 135- and finally the 145-pound classifications.“There was just a tremendous weight off of my mind and shoul-

ders,” he said. “That’s the best way I can explain it. It was more of a

TonyJamesonAustintown

Fitch

I



physical feeling than anything. Icould just feel it physically, theweight actually coming off of myshoulders.”And that was followed by an

extreme sense of pride. Jamesonaccomplished something that only aselect few prep wrestlers in Ohiohave ever done before him.“I was very proud of myself,” he

said. “No matter how I wrestled thatweek I was a four-time state champi-on. When I look at some of the othernames that are on that list, it’s amaz-ing to be a part of that group.”With the victory in the final match

secured, Jameson knew that his highschool career was all but over and,for all intents and purposes, he wasa Buckeye. He’ll officially be a fresh-man member of the Ohio Statewrestling team in the fall. And sinceJameson had a captive audience hewanted everyone there to know thathe was proud that he was going tobe a Buckeye.“At the beginning of the tourna-

ment, I wasn’t really liked too much,”Jameson said. “I guess you couldsay that was because of what hap-pened.”But Jameson credited Powell for

coming up with what he thought was a brilliant idea. “My biggest concern, and I think he knew it, was how was I going

to leave that arena and what was everyone going to think,” Jamesonsaid. “So he got this bright idea to get out the OSU flag and walkaround with it. And if they don’t like that then at least I’m supportingmy college you know.”The response from the crowd when he did just that was something

he won’t soon forget.“When I heard how everyone reacted to that, I never really under-

stood the word breathtaking until that happened, honestly,” Jamesonsaid. “I couldn’t breathe. I wanted to cry and I couldn’t cry. Therewas too much emotion at once. I didn’t know what to do.”Jameson finished 16-0 in his career at the state tournament with

every one one of those wins coming at the Schott. The fact that sucha fairy-tale career came to an end where it did only made it evenmore special.“It can only make it so much more special than it already was,” he

said. “(Winning it there) made it feel really good and it felt awesometo know that all of my future (Ohio State) teammates were there sup-porting me as well. But when you win your fourth state title there’sonly so much more you can do to make it that much better.”Finding himself in the arms of his head coach was as spontaneous

as some of the moves he comes up with during one of his matches.“That just happened,” Jameson said. “I didn’t plan that. Just the

way that (the flag) was his idea and the crowd loved me for that andfor all the stuff that we’ve been through together … that definitelywasn’t planned and I think it made it even better.”Jameson couldn’t have written a better script for the way his stellar

high school wrestling career came to a conclusion. “I think it’s every wrestler’s dream and every wrestler’s passion but

I never imagined it happening this way,” he said. “Every day, I think, I

thought in the back of my head thereis no way you can be a four-timer.There’s no way. But at the end of theday you still got to chase your dream.You still got to go after what you wantto get out of it.”And now Jameson’s place is forev-

er cemented in the annals of Ohiohigh school wrestling. Just like those15 others who accomplished thesame thing before him.“I would have lost a lot of sleep

over not being a four-timer, but do Ithink that’s all there is to wrestling?No. There’s always the next level,”Jameson said. “But I definitely thinkit’s great. No matter what, no onecan take it from me. For the rest ofmy life I’m going to be a four-timestate champion. That’s how it’salways going to be.”But as he said, there is always the

next level. Winning four state titles isnot the be all and end all forJameson at this stage in his wrestlingcareer.“Look at J Jaggers. He was a four-

time state champ (St. Peter/Chanel)and I think he’s the best wrestler inthe world,” said Jameson, referring tothe current 141-pound NCAA champi-on and future OSU teammate. “But it

took him until his junior year to win an NCAA title. So there’s alwaysthe next level of greatness you can achieve and he experienced thatthis year.”Jaggers and Mike Pucillo (Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit), the NCAA

champion at 184 pounds, are wrestlers that Jameson hopes to emu-late when he joins them at Ohio State.“Pucillo is a role model just because he won a national title and

he’s a very tough kid,” Jameson said. “I don’t know him quite as per-sonally as I do Jaggers but he’s still a great kid and I like him. ButJaggers is just a bigger role model just because of how he wrestles.He’s kind of similar to me and came up the same way. He gets a lotof rap about how he wrestles, but he still succeeds kind of like I do.So that’s a significant thing there.”Winning a team national title is first and foremost on the mind of

Jameson as he prepares for his next career as a Buckeye.“I’m happy that I committed before they took second (nationally)

because I was already on the wagon whether they were taking 20thor 100th this year,” he said. “With them taking second, it’s saying‘Yeah we can do it now.’ Well, I knew we could do it before I commit-ted. I knew we could do it, win a national title, they explained that tome and they told me that. I knew the kids on the team, I knew who Iwould be working out with every day, I knew the coaches and I knew(OSU head coach) Tommy Ryan before I knew everyone else.”When it came right down to it, it was an easy decision for Jameson

to opt for Ohio State.“With stuff like that and the fact that it was in my back yard made it

real easy,” Jameson said. “I couldn’t be happier about it.”The oldest of seven boys whose father worked hard just to provide

the basic necessities for the family as he was growing up, Jamesonknows what he wants out of Ohio State and he plans on going for itfull throttle.

Jameson will continue hiswrestling and academiccareers at Ohio State.




“What I want is a college degree,” Jameson said. “If I don’t win amatch in college, I hope that doesn’t happen but so be it, at least Iwon’t be a knucklehead without a job. I don’t mean this to be disre-spectful but my dad had me when he was 18 and he couldn’t be akid, he didn’t have this opportunity. And for me to have this opportu-nity and not maybe do better than him but succeed further than himwould be a wasted opportunity. Like I said, if I don’t win a match, Istill have a life and I still have my degree. I can start my family theway I want it to be. Maybe not go do the same things he did or makethe same mistakes.”And if he just happens to win an individual wrestling championship

along the way, then so be it.“You train to be a wrestler, you don’t train to be a champion,”

Jameson said. “Everyone trains. You train for track, you train forfootball and you train for wrestling. But training for wrestling is differ-ent than everything else. But when you want to be the best you haveto push yourself to the next limit. What you have to do to win is dis-gusting.“It’s not bad, it’s just the time and the energy and the focus and the

preparation and the heart and the sweat and all of that that you haveto put in to be number one is amazing. That’s why it’s the best sport.Win or lose, it’s still the best sport.”And Jameson intends to win a lot, eventually, at Ohio State. But at

141 pounds Jameson might have to redshirt a year before he evenhas an opportunity to wrestle for the Buckeyes. “Jaggers is going to be a senior next year so after next year he’s

gone,” Jameson said. “And Jaggers is going to be my workout partner so what a better

way for two kids that wrestle almost exactly alike to win it back-to-back-to-back.” He’s definitely excited about his grappling future. He only lost five

matches in four years at the high school level.“I get excited but then again I don’t know what to do about it,”

Jameson said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. I prepare forthe best but you have to keep that open mind in case maybe I’m notgoing to be the best as soon as I step on the mat in college or maybeI’m not going to win every single match in college or maybe I mightget my butt whipped until I graduate. You just have to keep all of thatin mind.”He’s confident about his wrestling career at Ohio State and yet

apprehensive at the same time.“There are kids like Jaggers, a four-time state champion that

smoked everyone (in high school) but it took him until his junior yearto win a national title,” Jameson said. “But I’ve prepared myself forhow it’s going to be and I’m ready to take it to the next level training-wise. So we’ll see what happens.”But no matter how his career shakes out at the next level, Jameson

is all set to be a Buckeye now.“That’s the most special thing because in 100 years I’ll still be a

Buckeye and no one can take that away from me,” Jameson said.“Once you’re a Buckeye, you’re always a Buckeye.”And once you’re a Falcon you’re always a Falcon. Jameson put

the already proud Fitch wrestling program under Powell on the map.To say it was a privilege for Powell to coach him is a glaring under-statement.“Guys like Tony Jameson are like comets,” Powell said. “You’re

very lucky to see a comet in your lifetime that will shine as bright asthis kid shined for Austintown, the state of Ohio and now for theBuckeyes. He’s a once-in-a-lifetime wrestler and you’re pretty damnlucky to get to sit in the corner for him. I just love the kid.”And there’s a really good chance Ohio State wrestling fans are

going to fall in love with Jameson, too. — OH


Ohio H igh Cup Update STORY BY STEVE HELWAGEN

or the fifth year in a row, Ohio High will present the Ohio High Cup to the school thatscores the most points in Ohio High School Athletic Association-sanctioned statechampionship events.This competition is patterned after the Directors’ Cup standings for colleges and

universities. In the Ohio High Cup competition, schools accumulate points by finishingin the top four at OHSAA-sanctioned state team championships.Schools that win a state title are awarded five points. Runner-up teams receive three

points, third-place teams get two points and fourth-place teams get one point. In sportswhere state semifinal teams tie for third, they each receive 1-1/2 points.In this issue, we tabulate the standings for the 2007-08 school year after the winter

sports season. That season saw points awarded for fin-ishes in boys and girls basketball, boys and girls bowling,boys and girls swimming, gymnastics, hockey andwrestling.At the end of the fall season, Maria Stein Marion Local

led the competition with 10 points. Cuyahoga Falls WalshJesuit was in second at 9-1/2. Defending Ohio High Cupchampion Kettering Alter was tied for third with eightpoints, sharing that spot in the standings with CuyahogaFalls Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy.But, while Marion Local stood pat and did not gain any

more Ohio High Cup points in the winter season, sevenschools moved in front of the fall season leader with threeof them now tied for the top spot.The biggest gainer was Lakewood St. Edward. St. Ed

was shut out in the fall but gained 13 points in the winterbehind state titles in wrestling and hockey and a runner-up finish in boys basketball.Likewise, Centerville enjoyed a 10-point jump to tie St.

Ed for the top spot with 13. Centerville won a state title in girls bowling, finished second inboys bowling and was third in girls swimming.Kettering Alter moved into position to defend the Ohio High Cup by going from eight to

13 points with a state title in girls basketball.Cincinnati St. Xavier vaulted from six points to 12 and sits alone in fourth place.

Brecksville-Broadview Heights, Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown and Sugarcreek Garawayare all tied for fifth at 11.Last year, Kettering Alter grabbed a commanding lead in the fall with three state runner-

up team performances and a state championship in Division II volleyball. The Dayton-areaschool added one more point in the spring with a fourth-place finish in Division II girls trackto end up with 15 points to win the 2006-07 Ohio High Cup competition.Versailles captured the first Ohio High Cup in 2003-04. In 2004-05, Cuyahoga Falls

Walsh Jesuit claimed the cup. In 2005-06, Cincinnati St. Xavier won the Ohio High Cupcompetition. — OH

Three Schools TiedAtop 2007-08 OhioHigh Cup Standings

F

Defending champion Kettering Altertied with Centerville and LakewoodSt. Edward after winter season

Ohio High Cup Standings

1133 ---- CCeenntteerrvviillllee ((DD--II bbooyyss ccrroossss ccoouunnttrryy rruunnnneerr--uupp,, bbooyyss bboowwlliinngg rruunnnneerr--uupp,,ggiirrllss bboowwlliinngg cchhaammppiioonnss,, DD--II ggiirrllss sswwiimmmmiinngg tthhiirrdd)),, LLaakkeewwoooodd SStt.. EEddwwaarrdd((DD--II bbooyyss bbaasskkeettbbaallll rruunnnneerr--uupp,, hhoocckkeeyy cchhaammppiioonnss,, DD--II wwrreessttlliinngg cchhaammppiioonnss)),,KKeetttteerriinngg AAlltteerr ((DD--IIII bbooyyss ssoocccceerr rruunnnneerr--uupp,, DD--IIII ggiirrllss ccrroossss ccoouunnttrryy cchhaammppii--oonnss,, DD--IIII ggiirrllss bbaasskkeettbbaallll cchhaammppiioonnss)) ..1122 ---- CCiinncciinnnnaattii SStt.. XXaavviieerr ((DD--II ffoooottbbaallll cchhaammppiioonnss,, DD--II bbooyyss ggoollff ffoouurrtthh,, DD--IIbbooyyss bbaasskkeettbbaallll sseemmiiffiinnaalliisstt,, hhoocckkeeyy sseemmiiffiinnaalliisstt,, bbooyyss sswwiimmmmiinngg rruunnnneerr--uupp))..1111 ---- BBrreecckkssvviillllee--BBrrooaaddvviieeww HHeeiigghhttss ((DD--II ggiirrllss ccrroossss ccoouunnttrryy cchhaammppiioonnss,, DD--IIbbooyyss ccrroossss ccoouunnttrryy ffoouurrtthh,, ggyymmnnaassttiiccss cchhaammppiioonnss)) ,, SShhaakkeerr HHeeiigghhttss HHaatthhaawwaayyBBrroowwnn ((DD--IIII ggiirrllss ssoocccceerr cchhaammppiioonnss,, ffiieelldd hhoocckkeeyy sseemmiiffiinnaalliisstt,, DD--IIII ggiirrllss bbaass--kkeettbbaallll rruunnnneerr--uupp,, DD--IIII ggiirrllss sswwiimmmmiinngg tthhiirrdd)),, SSuuggaarrccrreeeekk GGaarraawwaayy ((DD--IIIIIIbbooyyss ggoollff cchhaammppiioonnss,, DD--IIIIII bbooyyss bbaasskkeettbbaallll rruunnnneerr--uupp,, DD--IIIIII ggiirrllss bbaasskkeettbbaallllrruunnnneerr--uupp))..1100 ---- MMaarriiaa SStteeiinn MMaarriioonn LLooccaall ((DD--VV ffoooottbbaallll cchhaammppiioonnss,, DD--IIVV vvoolllleeyybbaallllcchhaammppiioonnss)),, VVeerrssaaiilllleess ((DD--IIIIII ccrroossss ccoouunnttrryy cchhaammppiioonnss,, DD--IIIIII ggiirrllss bbaasskkeettbbaallllcchhaammppiioonnss))..99--11//22 ---- CCuuyyaahhooggaa FFaallllss WWaallsshh JJeessuuiitt ((DD--II ggiirrllss ssoocccceerr sseemmiiffiinnaalliisstt,, DD--IIII bbooyyssccrroossss ccoouunnttrryy rruunnnneerr--uupp,, ggiirrllss ggoollff cchhaammppiioonnss))..99 ---- CCuuyyaahhooggaa FFaallllss CCuuyyaahhooggaa VVaalllleeyy CChhrriissttiiaann AAccaaddeemmyy ((DD--IIII bbooyyss ssoocccceerrcchhaammppiioonnss,, DD--IIII ggiirrllss ccrroossss ccoouunnttrryy rruunnnneerr--uupp,, DD--IIII wwrreessttlliinngg ffoouurrtthh))..88--11//22 ---- RRoocckkyy RRiivveerr MMaaggnniiffiiccaatt ((DD--II vvoolllleeyybbaallll sseemmiiffiinnaalliisstt,, DD--II ggiirrllss ccrroossssccoouunnttrryy rruunnnneerr--uupp,, ggiirrllss ggoollff ffoouurrtthh,, ggyymmnnaassttiiccss rruunnnneerr--uupp))..88 ---- CCiinncciinnnnaattii MMoouunntt NNoottrree DDaammee ((DD--II vvoolllleeyybbaallll rruunnnneerr--uupp,, DD--II ggiirrllss bbaass--kkeettbbaallll cchhaammppiioonnss)) ,, GGaatteess MMiillllss HHaawwkkeenn ((DD--IIIIII bbooyyss ssoocccceerr rruunnnneerr--uupp,, DD--IIIIggiirrllss sswwiimmmmiinngg cchhaammppiioonnss))..77--11//22 ---- GGaatteess MMiillllss GGiillmmoouurr AAccaaddeemmyy ((DD--IIIIII vvoolllleeyybbaallll sseemmiiffiinnaalliisstt,, DD--IIIIIIggiirrllss ccrroossss ccoouunnttrryy rruunnnneerr--uupp,, hhoocckkeeyy rruunnnneerr--uupp))..77 –– CCoolluummbbuuss SStt.. CChhaarrlleess ((DD--II bbooyyss ggoollff tthhiirrdd,, bbooyyss sswwiimmmmiinngg cchhaammppiioonnss)),,HHuunnttiinngg VVaalllleeyy UUnniivveerrssiittyy SScchhooooll ((DD--IIII bbooyyss ggoollff cchhaammppiioonnss,, bbooyyss sswwiimmmmiinnggtthhiirrdd))..66--11//22 ---- CCoollddwwaatteerr ((DD--IIVV ffoooottbbaallll cchhaammppiioonnss,, bbooyyss bboowwlliinngg sseemmiiffiinnaalliisstt)),,NNeewwaarrkk CCaatthhoolliicc ((DD--VVII ffoooottbbaallll cchhaammppiioonnss,, DD--IIVV vvoolllleeyybbaallll sseemmiiffiinnaalliisstt)),,SSpprriinnggffiieelldd CCaatthhoolliicc CCeennttrraall ((DD--VVII ffoooottbbaallll sseemmiiffiinnaalliisstt,, DD--IIIIII bbooyyss ssoocccceerrcchhaammppiioonnss)),, SStt.. PPaarriiss GGrraahhaamm ((DD--IIII bbooyyss bbaasskkeettbbaallll sseemmiiffiinnaalliisstt,, DD--IIIIwwrreessttlliinngg cchhaammppiioonnss)),, TToolleeddoo CCeennttrraall CCaatthhoolliicc ((DD--IIII vvoolllleeyybbaallll cchhaammppiioonnss,, DD--II ggiirrllss bbaasskkeettbbaallll sseemmiiffiinnaalliisstt)) ..66 –– UUppppeerr AArrlliinnggttoonn ((DD--II ggiirrllss sswwiimmmmiinngg cchhaammppiioonnss,, bbooyyss sswwiimmmmiinngg ffoouurrtthh)) ..55 –– BBeerrlliinn HHiillaanndd ((DD--IIVV ggiirrllss bbaasskkeettbbaallll cchhaammppiioonnss)),, CChhiilllliiccootthhee ((DD--IIII bbooyyssbbaasskkeettbbaallll cchhaammppiioonnss)) ,, CCiinncciinnnnaattii AAnnddeerrssoonn ((DD--IIII ffoooottbbaallll cchhaammppiioonnss)) ,,CCiinncciinnnnaattii MMootthheerr ooff MMeerrccyy ((DD--II vvoolllleeyybbaallll cchhaammppiioonnss)) ,, CCiinncciinnnnaattii SStt.. UUrrssuullaaAAccaaddeemmyy ((DD--II ggiirrllss ssoocccceerr cchhaammppiioonnss)),, DDuubblliinn JJeerroommee ((DD--II bbooyyss ggoollff cchhaammppii--oonnss)),, HHiilllliiaarrdd DDaavviiddssoonn ((DD--II bbooyyss ssoocccceerr cchhaammppiioonnss)),, LLiimmaa CCeennttrraall CCaatthhoolliicc((DD--IIIIII vvoolllleeyybbaallll cchhaammppiioonnss)),, LLoouuiissvviillllee SStt.. TThhoommaass AAqquuiinnaass ((DD--IIIIII bbooyyss ccrroossssccoouunnttrryy cchhaammppiioonnss)),, MMaassssiilllloonn JJaacckkssoonn ((DD--II bbooyyss ssoocccceerr rruunnnneerr--uupp,, DD--II ggiirrllssccrroossss ccoouunnttrryy tthhiirrdd)),, MMeeddiinnaa ((DD--II bbooyyss ccrroossss ccoouunnttrryy cchhaammppiioonnss)) ,, NNeewwaarrkk((DD--II bbooyyss bbaasskkeettbbaallll cchhaammppiioonnss)),, NNeeww KKnnooxxvviillllee ((DD--IIVV bbooyyss bbaasskkeettbbaallll cchhaamm--ppiioonnss)),, OOttttaawwaa--GGllaannddoorrff ((DD--IIIIII bbooyyss bbaasskkeettbbaallll cchhaammppiioonnss)) ,, PPeenniinnssuullaaWWooooddrriiddggee ((DD--IIII bbooyyss ccrroossss ccoouunnttrryy cchhaammppiioonnss)) ,, RRiivveerrssiiddee SStteebbbbiinnss ((bbooyyssbboowwlliinngg cchhaammppiioonnss)) ,, SSttrroonnggssvviillllee ((DD--II ggiirrllss ssoocccceerr rruunnnneerr--uupp,, ggyymmnnaassttiiccsstthhiirrdd)),, SSuunnbbuurryy BBiigg WWaallnnuutt ((DD--IIIIII ffoooottbbaallll cchhaammppiioonnss)) ,, TTrrooyy CChhrriissttiiaann ((DD--IIIIIIwwrreessttlliinngg cchhaammppiioonnss)),, WWeesstt CChheesstteerr LLaakkoottaa WWeesstt ((ggiirrllss ggoollff tthhiirrdd,, DD--II ggiirrllssbbaasskkeettbbaallll rruunnnneerr--uupp)),, WWoorrtthhiinnggttoonn TThhoommaass WWoorrtthhiinnggttoonn ((ffiieelldd hhoocckkeeyy cchhaamm--ppiioonnss)).. 44--11//22 ---- KKeetttteerriinngg FFaaiirrmmoonntt ((ffiieelldd hhoocckkeeyy sseemmiiffiinnaalliisstt,, bbooyyss bboowwlliinngg sseemmiiffiinnaall--iisstt,, ggiirrllss bboowwlliinngg sseemmiiffiinnaalliisstt)),, MMaarriioonn PPlleeaassaanntt ((DD--IIVV ffoooottbbaallll sseemmiiffiinnaalliisstt,, DD--IIIIII wwrreessttlliinngg rruunnnneerr--uupp)),, MMeennttoorr ((DD--II ffoooottbbaallll rruunnnneerr--uupp,, DD--II vvoolllleeyybbaallll sseemmiiffii--nnaalliisstt))..

SScchhoooollss tthhaatt hhaavvee eeaarrnneedd aatt lleeaasstt 44 ppooiinnttss


Duane Long ’s Top 100STORY BY DUANE LONG

s we look toward Ohio’s Class of2009, I am going on another quar-terback harangue.I have such a problem with this

issue. I received new fuel the lasttwo years. First, Mitchell Evans isas good a quarterback as I have

seen in Ohio in the last few years. He got alate offer from Indiana and could start therethis coming season, based on what I ambeing told.I didn't say anything about his lack of offers

from any of the top teams in the Big Ten. Hewas not template size and played at a smallschool. I disagreed but I let it go. I acceptedthe parameters of the template.Then comes Trevor Walls. He was 6-5 or

6-6. He was no Terrelle Pryor with his feet,but he moved around just fine. He movesbetter than Ryan Mallett, a recent transferfrom Michigan to Arkansas who was one ofthe top three quarterbacks nationally from theClass of 2007.Walls did play at Waverly, a smaller school,

but he went to camps and all the reportswere that he performed well. Right beforesigning day he got his one and only offerfrom New Mexico State.So I am back up on my soapbox. How long

do we continue to see the "QuarterbackRecruiting Template" fail before there is achange in the thinking? We see it at the prolevel, too. For every No. 1 overall like JohnElway there is a ninth rounder like JohnUnitas, and a No. 2 overall like Ryan Leaf.For every Peyton Manning there is anundrafted like Tony Romo, and a No. 1 over-all like David Carr.What do the high ranking failures have in

common? Size and big arms. What do thelowly rated success stories have in common?They are quarterbacks. I doubt you will find acoach that will tell you he can teach a run-ning back vision, or that he can teach himwhen to cut or when to slow down or speedup. It is something they are born with. We

accept that.But for some reason the idea of being able

to teach the instincts to play quarterback willnot die despite the lack of success with thetemplate. I have said it before and I will say itagain. I like tall big armed quarterbacks. Armstrength and size are important. Havingenough arm strength to deliver the ball andthe height to see what is going on down thefield matter. But the instincts and field visionmean more. The one thing I think the tem-plate has done is teach us what is importantin a quarterback. Now if those making thedecisions will just look at the results. Oh well, on to Ohio’s Class of 2009.The one thing about this class that has

been there from the beginning is the diversi-ty. I think the classes of 2007 and 2008 weredeeper but they were very limited in the factthat most of the players were lined up at thesame positions. This year, there are nationalplayers at every position but tight end, andthere are those that would argue I need to goback and look at tape of a few players again.There is even an elite quarterback inCleveland South’s Devontae Payne.The one position that stands out is defen-

sive end. I said back when Ben Martin andSolomon Thomas came out in 2007 that I

only hoped to see a defensive end class likethat one again. This 2009 class is even bet-ter with three national players. Back then, Isaid Martin was the best defensive end I hadseen in Ohio and Thomas the next best. Bythe time he is done, I expect Garfield HeightsMelvin Fellows to be better. Cincinnati Taft’sCornelius “Tank” Carradine and ClevelandGlenville’s Jonathan Newsome are both bet-ter than Thomas.Ohio just doesn’t produce these kinds of

linemen, the long lean edge players. All ofthe Big Ten schools will be in here as muchas the NCAA will allow.I think this class at cornerback offers an

argument for the best ever. ClaytonNorthmont’s C.J. Barnett is the prototype forthe position these days with safety size andthe tackling you get from that but he cancover like a smaller guy. I considerMiddletown’s D.J. Hunter a corner simplybecause if a player can play corner you playhim there. He plays the run like a linebacker.Poor old Mike Edwards from Glenville was

born at the wrong time. Any other year he isthe talk of Ohio, but he happens to havecome along in the same year as a couple ofbigger and faster players in Barnett andHunter. Lakota West’s Ricky Steele canempathize with Edwards.At safety I think we are looking at an

underrated lot with Massillon Washington’sEric Turner and Ohio State commit JamieWood from Pickerington Central the onlyplayers getting the attention they deserve.Youngstown Liberty safety Isaiah Bellbelongs in the conversation about the bestsafeties the Midwest has to offer.Another that I am very much impressed

with is Hamilton’s Denicos Allen. He might bea linebacker before it is all said and done butwhat a player he is. Patrick Tucker fromCincinnati Princeton has the best body of thelot. The hybrid linebacker/strong safeties arenow in demand. Any school looking for play-ers to fill that role needs to get to Ohio. Goodones are in every part of the state.Ohio was so lacking in offensive line talent

for so many years I had gotten used to it.Now we have seen a string of good offensiveline classes. I am not going to say this classis as good as the last two, which werestronger at tackle while this class is guardheavy. But it does have one top tackle andseveral top drawer inside linemen.Glenville’s Marcus Hall is one of the best

tackles I have seen in my time of followingOhio high school talent. I think Mike Adamsand Orlando Pace are in a class by them-selves. After those two all-timers, MarcusHall belongs in the conversation about nextbest.Several linemen received big early offers,

Diversity defines Class of 2009; Ohio deep at all positions

A


Duane Long ’s Top 100

Storm Klein is a year older than the first time I saw him and I havegotten a better look at him.

I thought he could end up as a defensive lineman eventually but now I think hewill be a linebacker. Klein played more at linebacker his junior year than as afreshman and sophomore but still has not played a lot at his projected collegeposition. He is so important to his team as a running back and they don’t want towear him out. As a linebacker, he has great closing speed and is an explosive hitter. I don’t

want to compare him to Andy Katzenmoyer – the best linebacker I have seen inOhio – but as a hitter that is who Klein reminds me of. Klein does not allow yardsafter contact and is a very solid tackler. He is a very physical player whether he isplaying linebacker or running back. For as little as Klein has played as a linebacker he shows such great instincts

and is a natural for the position. He shoots gaps to make plays in the backfieldand he takes on blockers like he has been playing the position his entire highschool career. He is such a natural football player. Klein showed a great deal of toughness in the Division III state championship

game, when he was injured late in a tight game. He toughed out that game andhad 155 yards and a touchdown on 33 carries. Afterwards, he had to be hospital-ized after the game with a kidney injury. Despite being a starter since he was afreshman, Klein may have the best upside of any player in the class, certainly anyhighly ranked player, because he has so little time in high school at his collegeposition. As a junior, he had over 100 tackles on defense. Offensively, he had 221carries for 1,514 yards (6.9 average) and 30 touchdowns.His performance at Ohio State camp last summer earned him an offer as a

linebacker and he accepted last October. GH

***** Storm Klein (6-3, 225, ATH; Newark Licking Valley)2

Melvin Fellows is one of those “five play” prospects: All you need tosee is five plays and you can move on to the next player.

He has a great looking body – something that is so key to this process as pro-jecting where a player is going to be three years from. Fellows is the prototype strong side defensive end, but he could end up at

tackle before he hits a college football field. For now, he is everything you wouldwant in a strong side defensive end and has the frame to carry more weight andstay as a defensive end. With a player this size, it is hard not to think that he willmove inside to defensive tackle. Fellows is looking like one of the unique players like the best lineman the class

of 2008, Da’Quan Bowers from South Carolina, who is so fast and athletic at 265pounds that it is not going to surprise anyone if he stays a strong side defensiveend in college. Fellows speed and his burst to the ball carrier is something to see.

On the first play I ever saw of Fellows, he swam over top of the blocker andran down the quarterback who was running away from him and got to him beforehe crossed the line of scrimmage. It is not just size that makes Fellows a strong side player. He is tough against

the run and has some nasty in his game. You don’t often talk about hitters whenyou talk about defensive linemen but Fellows is a punishing tackler. He has thewingspan that I think is so important to an edge player. Fellows committed to Illinois early on but Illini head coach Ron Zook and his

staff will have a hard time fighting off Ohio State, which came in a little later withan offer as did Michigan. Fellows is the best strong side defensive end prospect I have seen in Ohio

and will challenge Cincinnati LaSalle grad and current Tennessee Volunteer BenMartin for the best ever with a strong senior year. He boasts a 3.0 GPA

GH

***** Melvin Fellows (6-4, 255, DE/DT; Garfield Heights)1

For the longest time I have heard about Cornelius Carradine. Inever could lay my hands on any tape. I have begun to believe he

was an urban legend. Just when I was about to give up, I asked formerCincinnati Withrow coach Doc Gamble if he had seen him. He told meCarradine gave them fits. Carradine had 25 sacks as a sophomore and should have had 35. He reminds me of a young Jevon Kearse. He has a great body for a

defensive end and has the wingspan of a 747 airplane. Carradine can fill out more and it will have no impact on his speed and

athleticism. I can see a 265-pound weak side defensive end in his future. Heis such a natural pass rusher but he plays the run very tough. There is anedge to his game. He is not out there dragging ball carriers and quarter-backs down – he runs through them. I think motor is the thing that completes

the package for any lineman and there is no question about that withCarradine. Taft head coach Mike Martin, a former Cincinnati Bengal, lines him up all

over the place. He has played both end spots in the 4-3. He has playeddefensive tackle and he has played end in a 3-4 alignment. Carradine always finds a way to the quarterback. He uses that imposing

wingspan to great effect and does a great job of keeping blockers off hisbody. He has a reported 4.65-second 40-yard time and runs the hurdles for Taft.

He looks solid in the classroom and just needs to get a test score before wesee the offers come pouring through the door. I suspect we will see OhioState and Illinois come in on him as soon as he shows a qualifying testscore and I think those will be the schools to beat for his signature.

GH

***** John Simon (6-2, 250, DT; Youngstown Mooney)4

For the longest time I have heard about Cornelius Carradine. Inever could lay my hands on any tape. I have begun to believe he

was an urban legend. Just when I was about to give up, I asked formerCincinnati Withrow coach Doc Gamble if he had seen him. He told meCarradine gave them fits. Carradine had 25 sacks as a sophomore and should have had 35. He reminds me of a young Jevon Kearse. He has a great body for a

defensive end and has the wingspan of a 747 airplane. Carradine can fill out more and it will have no impact on his speed and

athleticism. I can see a 265-pound weak side defensive end in his future.He is such a natural pass rusher but he plays the run very tough. There isan edge to his game. He is not out there dragging ball carriers and quarter-backs down – he runs through them. I think motor is the thing that com-

pletes the package for any lineman and there is no question about that withCarradine. Taft head coach Mike Martin, a former Cincinnati Bengal, lines him up all

over the place. He has played both end spots in the 4-3. He has playeddefensive tackle and he has played end in a 3-4 alignment. Carradine always finds a way to the quarterback. He uses that imposing

wingspan to great effect and does a great job of keeping blockers off hisbody. He has a reported 4.65-second 40-yard time and runs the hurdles for

Taft. He looks solid in the classroom and just needs to get a test scorebefore we see the offers come pouring through the door. I suspect we willsee Ohio State and Illinois come in on him as soon as he shows a qualify-ing test score and I think those will be the schools to beat for his signature.

***** Cornellius Carradine (6-4, 230, DE; Cincinnati Taft)3

including Toledo St. John’s center JackMewhort and Youngstown Boardman’s CoreyLinsley. Mewhort accepted an Ohio Stateoffer and Linsley is likely to be a verbal soon-er rather than later. Just how deep this offen-sive line class is going to be will be deter-mined this summer.I think that despite the presence of the

defensive ends what will define this classwhen we look back five years from now is theinside linemen. What I mean by inside line-

men are the defensive tackles and offensivelinemen. There is a collection of those bigathletes that can run the likes of which I havenever seen.Some are high school defensive ends like

Aurora’s Adam Bellamy, who will slide downto defensive tackle or be a fine offensivetackle. Others are high school defensivetackles and offensive guards like DresdenTri-Valley wrecking machine Ryan Spiker.There are a number of others -- including

Cody Pettit from Patrick Henry, Jake Brandtfrom Bexley and Mike Hilty from OlentangyLiberty -- that will either join YoungstownMooney’s John Simon at defensive tackle orMarcus Hall on the offensive line. But eitherway they will make it a memorable line class.Here we go with bios of the top 106

prospects in Ohio’s Class of 2009, fol-lowed by a list of more players to watch. Thislist will be updated in our September 2008and January 2009 editions.

57


A few years ago there was an athlete at Cleveland Glenvillenamed Dareus Hiley that was such a great player that he earned the

nickname “Superman.” It was beyond the fact that he was such a great ath-lete. He was so good at so many different positions that he could play anyof them. Most players that earn the athlete label are best at one positionbut could play one or two others. I would put Turner in that same category. I really do not know what to do

with him. I saw Turner first as a running back and still like him as a runningback but he has played cornerback, wide receiver and even some quarter-back. The only position he has played that I do not think he can play at thecollege level is quarterback. I would like to see him at receiver with a really good quarterback. He has

the size and athleticism that is the hallmark of the top receivers these days.

I like a player that can make plays on offense but he is such a tough andphysical defender that I want him on defense, too. He is an excellent tacklerand has outstanding ball skills. He has a long lean frame that is going to fillout a lot more so I think safety is in his future but I suspect he will be givean look at corner. He is very much like former Colerain star and current Ohio state safety

Eugene Clifford. As a junior, Turner tallied 40 tackles, seven tackles-for-lossand three interceptions.Turner verbally committed to Michigan in late March, selecting the

Wolverines over Ohio State.

SP

***** Justin Turner (6-3, 190, ATH; Massillon Washington)7

Whenever there is a game breaker in the state of Ohio, he will becompared to former Glenville standout and current Miami Dolphin Ted

Ginn, Jr. It is even worse for Chris Fields who happens to be from the Clevelandarea like Ginn. That both are play makers is not in question and neither is speed. Fields has

racked up a string of 4.4-second 40-yard times and sub-4.4 40 times over the lastcouple of years. I don’t know if he is as elusive as Ginn, but I don’t know if I willever have the pleasure of seeing another player in this state as elusive as Ginn. Fields makes tacklers miss as often as any player I have seen other than

Ginn. One thing stands out to me about Fields that I did not see in Ginn. He isvery strong and a very determined runner after the catch. He regularly breakstackles and you don’t often see receivers this size with yards after contact. It hap-pens more often than not with Fields.

I also like the fact that he runs slants. He is not afraid of the middle of the fieldand does not shy away from contact. I have been watching Fields since his soph-omore year and I have seen him run out of bounds twice. Both times, I am sureHarvey head coach Delvin Culliver would have pulled him off the field and askedhim what he was thinking taking a shot like that if he would have done anythingbut get out of bounds. I would compare Fields more to Carolina Panther Pro Bowler Steve Smith

than I would to Ginn because of the tough minded nature of his game. Any otheryear this is the No.1 player in the class.As a junior, Fields had 51 catches for 879 yards and scored 20 touchdowns.

He had 22 catches for over 700 yards as a sophomore. Fields was offered a scholarship by Ohio State in February and accepted

immediately.GH

***** Chris Fields (6-0, 180, WR/CB; Painesville Harvey)6

This is a very interesting class of defensive ends. This time lastyear, Fellows was a name I was familiar with. I had heard about

Carradine, but I had also heard about Big Foot. I had not seen either.Newsome was a player I was completely unfamiliar with. Now, all three are in the Ohio High top 10. Linemen usually come along later as it takes time for coordination to

catch up with the big bodies but we are usually talking about offensive line-men. “Upside” is the key word with Newsome. His body is nowhere near filled

out. He has a long body and very long limbs. There are few programs with a higher profile than Glenville in the state

of Ohio but nobody was talking about Newsome until season’s end, so he isjust now coming into his own. The one thing that I think about when I watch

his film is just how good he is going to be when he fills out. There is talk of him possibly paying linebacker but I just don’t see it. He

is nowhere near filled out. I have seen him listed at 215 pounds and I have seen him listed at 230

pounds. I don’t think it matters. He is a 265-pound kid by the time he fillsout and could be bigger than that. Newsome makes plays all over the field. “Relentless” is the word I would

use. He uses that amazing wingspan to keep blockers off his body and heruns like a receiver. Newsome is both quick and fast. He comes off the balllike you want an edge player to come off the ball. He has early offers from Ohio State and Illinois. I am sure there will be more offers but his decision will likely come down

to those two schools.GH

***** Jonathan Newsome (6-4, 230; DE/LB; Cleveland Glenville)9

We have seen runs recently here in the state of Ohio on a num-ber of positions. Linebacker, wide receiver and offensive line have

been the positions catching the most attention but every year it seems thereis one elite cornerback in the state of Ohio. This year is no exception. Barnett, in particular, belongs up there in the

same conversation with the likes of E.J. Underwood, Donte Whitner and for-mer Northmont Thunderbolt Kurt Coleman. Barnett has the size that every college, as well as every pro franchise, is

looking for in corners these days to offset the size we are seeing in widereceivers. Barnett is every bit his listed 6-1. He has the feet and hips that arenecessary to be a good corner and has the ball skills and the confidence toplay man to man, but also seems at home in zone coverage. The only question that remains about Barnett is whether he will follow in

the footsteps of the other recent elite corner prospects that have come out ofOhio and move to safety. He has the size, and the first thing I noticed abouthim when I saw him as a sophomore was his tackling. He is both a solid tack-ler and a big hitter. I think he is better in coverage than either Whitner orColeman and plays with a little more control so I think he will likely stay atcorner. Barnett made 59 tackles and intercepted three passes during his sopho-

more season. Barnett had over 60 tackles and intercepted three more pass-es during his junior season.Barnett is odds on to be a national top-20 corner in the Class of 2009. I

think he is that good. He is also a 4.0 student. Barnett was one of the first players from the Class of 2009 to be offered by

Ohio State and committed soon after.Sub

***** C.J. Barnett (6-1, 175, CB; Clayton Northmont)8

Marcus Hall first got my attention when he was a sophomore.At the time he was just a “body.” You just don’t see kids this big that

are as well conditioned and well put together as Hall. Not at that age. Helooked like a senior. I did not see him again until I saw film of a scrimmage against the

loaded Youngstown Mooney defense. I had Mooney’s Taylor Hill, who isheaded to Michigan, rated higher than anyone. Watching Hall stone himgave me some idea of what kind of player he was going to be. Taylorshould have been too quick for Hall, but I did not see him beat Hall once. I got to see Hall quite a bit as last season wore on. He played against a

level of competition that cannot be questioned and he dominated in everygame. He followed up his stellar junior campaign with a performance in theU.S. Army All-American junior combine in San Antonio that had everyone in

attendance buzzing. I think Hall is a right tackle, born to play the position. But his perform-

ance in Texas has left me wondering if he does not get a shot at playing lefttackle. He handled the top junior pass rushers in the country. I see a player bet-

ter at going forward. He dominates at the point of attack but if he can han-dle the best pass rusher lined up on the other side of the ball, having a lefttackle that is also a great run blocker is nothing but a plus. He is holding offers at this early stage from Ohio State, USC and Illinois.

The Buckeyes are going to be hard to beat here.

GH

***** Marcus Hall (6-6, 300, OL; Cleveland Glenville)5

J JHUDDLE .COMJJ Huddle ’ s Ohio High



11. **** Jamie Wood (6-1, 190, ATH; Pickerington Central)Wood is one of the elite athletes in the state of Ohio in the Class of 2009. He jumped out at me on film right away with his playmaking. He was lined up on the

line of scrimmage from his safety position and just reeking havoc coming off the edge.Wood has that knack for timing the snap and is an excellent tack-ler. Later, he was in the defensive backfield disrupting the passinggame. Finding players that are comfortable in both roles is some-thing every school in the country is looking for. On offense, he lines up at tight end and gives defensive coordi-

nators headaches running down the middle of the field. No line-backer can come close to covering him. He had 65 tackles on theyear and broke up 15 pass attempts. On offense, Wood caught 25passes. He turned eight of those receptions into touchdowns. Speed is important, but for receivers and defensive backs it is

the thing that makes or breaks their recruitment. I was not sureabout Wood’s speed so I had him down the list in my first top 100.I have since learned he has a 4.5-second 40 and a 33-inch verti-cal. I did not have any questions about him as a player. I wanted to see him run this sum-

mer before I moved him up. The offer list he had in front of him before committing to the Buckeyes in February was

all I needed to see to go ahead and move him up. In addition to Ohio State, Penn State,Stanford, Illinois, Northwestern, Kentucky, Indiana, Akron and Miami (Ohio) came in withoffers. The Stanford and Northwestern offers are all the evidence necessary to show aca-demics are not going to be a problem. Wood will be a safety at Ohio State and has accepted a nomination to participate in

the prestigious U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

12. **** Will Studlien (6-2, 220, LB; Sunbury Big Walnut)With Studlien, I see the next in the “Hawk” line. A.J. Hawk to James Laurinaitis to Ross Homan to Andrew Sweat and Studlien is the

next player in that line. He has the same game and the same body. What I see when I look at his film is my kind of linebacker. He makes plays at the line

of scrimmage and he makes plays in the opponent’s backfield. It seems like the desire toadd speed at linebacker has left some forgetting what a great line-backer does. I am getting a lot of tape of linebackers with a lot ofspeed but they show no ability to read the game. Studlien has made over 350 tackles in the last two years. He

led his team to the Division III state championship over StormKlein’s Licking Valley squad in the game of the weekend at thestate championships. Studlien tallied 22 tackles in that state titlegame. He has the frame to add another 20 pounds to his body and it

will not impact his speed and athleticism. He reminds me of Hawk in so many ways. Both are a step

ahead because they read the game so well. Both have that“stealth” ability. What I mean by stealth is they seemed to be able to disappear on thefield. They keep themselves clean of blockers and run free. Studlien also has outstandingclosing speed. Some players seem to find another gear when they get a ball carrier linedup. That is another attribute Studlien has in abundance. Play after play, I see other play-ers closer to the ball carrier but Studlien makes first contact. I have watched full games ofStudlien and not seen him miss a tackle yet. Another area where he reminds me of Hawk is the lack of attention. Before he camped

at Ohio State, Penn State was the only major school that had offered Hawk. Illinois wasthe first big school to offer Studlien with Northwestern and Cincinnati following suit. I sus-pect that will change as he gets to camps this spring and summer. Ohio State has beenshowing interest recently.

13. **** Denicos Allen (6-0, 205, ATH; Hamilton)I bet back in the Pony League days many a mother pulled her kid off the field because

of Allen. Does this kid ever bring it!

He ends up playing a lot of what looks like middle linebacker. I don’t know if that iswhat Hamilton head coach Jim Place calls it when he has a strong safety-sized player lin-ing up there but that is surely what it looks like. What I am sure of is the defense isdesigned to put Allen in the middle of the field where he can just run to the ball. His instincts are second to none. Allen reads and reacts to plays before they develop

and has the speed to get there and make the play - and does he ever make plays. Allen’s is one of the longest highlight tapes of the year. He is such a great tackler. You

could make “How-To” tapes with Allen as the demonstrator. He had 132 tackles for theBig Blue. Allen ran a 10.9-second time in the 100-meter event as a freshman and was an All-

Greater Miami Conference selection on the grid iron as a freshman. I suspect everyschool in the region will try to get him to camp and get a better idea about where he willplay in college. He is more a strong safety in size but is so dynamic at the line of scrim-mage. If he shows ball skills, his stock will go up. But a lot of schools are looking forsmaller, faster linebackers that can be every-down players in this pass happy age. Allen boasts a 3.2 GPA and Place said he is a great character kid, a player every col-

lege coach wants in his locker room. He reminds me a great deal of former OSU All-American Mike Doss. Allen was a regu-

lar at Buckeye games this past season and says the Buckeyes are his favorite school.Cincinnati, Northwestern and Iowa had made early offers.

14. **** Chris Freeman (6-8, 285, OL; Trotwood-Madison)Freeman finally made it back to the football field and he impressed enough in his

short time to get an early offers from LSU, Florida, Kentucky, Miami (Fla.), Michigan,Penn State, Nebraska and North Carolina State as well as offers from the Mid-AmericanConference. He is a basketball player at this size. Some think in time he

could be a scholarship player in that sport. That speaks volumes.The most impressive thing about him is that he did not even playfootball until the playoffs. That amounted to one football game asTrotwood was knocked out in the first round of the playoffs. Just take a look at the names on that offer list. It is a who’s who

of college football, and they came in on him after one varsity foot-ball game. That is correct. It isn’t that Freeman was out with injury.He has never played in a live football game before as his mothergreatly feared he would get injured. All he had ever done was prac-tice before. Ohio State brought him in for a junior day and he has three teammates that committed

to Michigan out of the 2008 class. Grades are not going to be a problem. Upside is a keyword in recruiting. When you consider that Freeman has played one football game in hislife but has the offer list that he has, you have to say he is the all-time upside king.

15. **** D.J. Hunter (5-11, 190, ATH; Middletown)All it takes to see where the top cornerbacks are coming from in Ohio is a glance at

the Ohio State depth chart. We think about skill players coming out of northeast Ohio butright now there is not a single cornerback on the Buckeyes roster from that traditionalrecruiting hot bed. The Ohio born cornerbacks are all from southwest Ohio. Hunter is looking like yet another cornerback from that part of the state to have the top

colleges in the country lining up to get his signature on a letter of intent. Hunter has great cover skills. He has a good feel for the position. Sometimes it looks

like he is just trying to bait the quarterback into throwing the ball. He can turn and run withreceivers and has ball skills that any receiver would love to have. Hunter is a completecorner as he has a linebacker mentality against the run. In fact, I could see him as a safe-ty. The way he hits I think he would relish the opportunity. If not for C.J. Barnett, Hunter would be the top corner in the state. He is faster than

Barnett but the biggest advantage Barnett has is the size. Hunter is worth a scholarshipas special teams player. I have said in the past that other players were worth a scholar-ship as a kick returner but with Hunter it is about covering kicks as much as it is aboutreturning kicks. He is an outstanding gunner. Many a freshman gets on the field becausehe is a good special teams player. Michigan, Indiana and Kentucky have already offered.

GH

Payne is the best looking quarterback prospect I have seen inOhio since Justin Zwick and Troy Smith back in 2001. He reminds me

a lot of Byron Leftwich but is a better athlete. He is good enough that shouldhe end up buried on a depth chart in college, he could accept a move to tightend. You see a lot of players getting credit for being bigger than they actually

are, especially quarterbacks, a position where height is a make or break issue.That is not the case with Payne. He is every bit his listed 6-6 and looks thin at220 pounds. Payne has a big arm and throws over the top. I saw him running to his left

and throw a ball 35 yards in the air with a flick of the wrist. As I watch him playI think I have never really seen him cut it loose. Another thing that makes me believe that Payne is special is the fact that

he has not thrown the ball but 250 times in his entire high school career. Weare seeing high school quarterbacks throw the ball twice that many times in ayear all over the state of Ohio. He has thrown 29 touchdowns in that time andonly six interceptions. That tells me he is an excellent decision maker despitehis lack of reps. He had 35 dropped passes in his junior year alone. Payne is such a competitor that he went to South head coach Jarvis

Gibson and volunteered to play on the offensive line because he thought theteam had a better chance of winning if a bigger player was up there. I think intelligence is the most underrated aspect of player evaluation.

Payne has a 3.25 GPA and has had at least one 4.0 grading period. He has been to Ohio State several times and over to Notre Dame. Illinois is

showing a lot of interest. Bowling Green was the first to offer Payne.Payne is a big time player whose best is still in front of him.

GH

**** Devontae Payne (6-6, 220, QB; Cleveland South)10

The Next 96...

GH

BK



16. **** Darrell Mason (6-1, 210, ATH; Youngstown Ursuline)Most of the talk about Mason has been focused on whether he will be a safety or grow

into a linebacker. If you want to make it about his athleticism then he is probably a line-backer but if you want to play him where he is best at then he should be a running back. He played most of the season with a torn MCL in his knee and I

think he will likely need to get to camps to show colleges that hisknee is sound. He will need to show he has regained the speedthat made him the top player in the class as a sophomore. Another thing that came from the knee injury is there is so little

film of Mason as a junior on defense. He did manage to rack up 58tackles and three interceptions. On offense he had over 500 yardsrushing and scored five touchdowns. Mason is a physical player and does everything going downhill,

whether it is carrying the ball or tackling. On one memorable play,he took the handoff, got hit the first time at the line of scrimmage,bounced off that tackler and the next, got hit clean but kept movingand took on two more defenders before finally being dragged down when a third tacklerjumped on him. But he Mason has already carried them all into the end zone. He is the kind of big back that excels because he runs with his eyes and has good

feet. He uses his blocking very well. I think his size says he will play linebacker if he stays on defense. He is up to right

around 215 pounds and I do not see the kind of ball skills that would make a coachingstaff want to keep him as a safety. Mason is already getting national attention and hasbeen to Ohio State several times. He has an offer from Illinois.

17. **** Bud Golden (6-0, 190, ATH; Cincinnati Sycamore)When I first saw Bud Golden it was in a game that Sycamore dominated. He

impressed me enough in that game to make my initial top 20 for the year but it was notuntil I saw him later in a more extensive film that I saw why he has the early offers fromOhio State and Illinois. Golden reminds me a great deal of former Akron Buchtel star Antonio Pittman who

went on to a career at Ohio State that was impressive enough to get him to the NFL. Ineeded to see more of Pittman back then, too. Golden has the same efficient style – aneconomy of motion. Other runners might be more dazzling but runners like Golden andPittman beat you. He rushed for 1,200 yards last year and added 15 touchdowns. Golden has a better body and is faster. He is credited with a 4.5 40 and he looks that

fast or faster on film. He has a better body and looks to be a better athlete. In fact, when Ifirst saw him I thought he might project on defense or maybe as a receiver, he has shownreally good hands as a receiver coming our of the backfield, but after seeing him more Itry him as a running back first. To my knowledge, he does not play any defense in high school. His offer list includes Ohio State, Illinois, Indiana, Cincinnati and Bowling Green. He is

likely to add more offers as he has not named a favorite and is not close to making adecision. Golden also runs track and is looking like he will not have any problems qualifying.

18. **** Adam Bellamy (6-4, 275, DT/OT; Aurora)On the first play of Bellamy’s video, he comes from the far side of the line and runs

down a small, quick back outside the numbers. He does not blow by and get him beforehe gets outside. He literally runs him down. Bellamy weighs about 270 pounds when he does this. It was not the only time I saw

him do this. Bellamy is so explosive off the ball. He is making plays in the

backfield before they get started. On one play, he is on the quar-terback so quickly he has to move the lineman who is pulling outof the way so he can tackle the quarterback. He shows a goodburst and finds the ball very well. Motor is such a kid with the big kids. You take it for granted with

the top skill kids but it is not a given with linemen. He may growinto an offensive lineman but for now he is a great looking defen-sive tackle prospect. He had a great performance at the Cleveland combine. He ran

a 5.0 40 on a track that most were knocking anywhere from atenth to two tenths off the times. The importance of 40 times for lineman is not as impor-tant as it used to be but a good one is a plus. A bad one is not really a negative and a 5.0is a solid time. Those in attendance were impressed with his body. That Cincinnati, Indiana, Akron

and Miami (Ohio) are the only schools that have seen fit to offer this talented playerleaves me scratching my head. It comes down to this: if he is not a great defensive tack-le, I am sure he is going to be a great offensive tackle. He showed the wingspan of a 6-7 player at the combine. I am really happy to see

someone checking that measurable.

19. **** John Prior (6-6½, 280, OL; Portsmouth)I saw No. 20 Ryan Spiker before I saw John Prior. That is the only reason I gave

Spiker the title of the most physical player in the class. But Prior is just as destructive aplayer as Spiker and maybe more so. The biggest hole I have seen this year was on a short yardage play for Portsmouth.

He blew his man completely out of the play then peeled off and pancaked a linebacker. Itwas no question one of the most impressive blocks I have seen on film this year.

Prior comes off the ball with such explosion that he has already won most of his trenchbattles before he has touched his man. He is huge and gets so much thrust that his targetis just overwhelmed. He scores more knockdowns than Mike Tyson. The only reason we are not hearing as much as we are hearing out of his teammate

Nate Cadogan is because Prior missed a lot of time with injury. He missed all of two-a-days where fundamentals are taught, something that is especially important with linemenat this stage of development. He didn’t have a full practice until midseason. When camps roll around this is a player that is going to shave an offer list that any

player in Ohio would be proud of. Prior is just scratching the surface of what he is goingto be in time. He is a high school tackle and likely will stay there in college. He is whatyou want to see in a right tackle. Prior is currently 6-6½ with a 330 bench press and a 480 squat.

20. **** Ryan Spiker (6-3, 290, OG; Dresden Tri-Valley)Every Monday during football season there is always a buzz about one segment on

ESPN SportsCenter. The title of the segment has become a part of the sports vocabulary.He got “jacked up” has become a catch phrase in our language. Spiker’s highlight film is one long “he got jacked up” tape. He plays the game with

such violence. He has a motor that never stops running and an explosive first step. I takea player like that and at least take a look at him as a defensive player first. There is nosuch thing as too many good defensive tackles. Spiker does not have the kind of frame you want in an offensive tackle so he will be a

guard on offense. That makes it all the more a good idea to take a look at him as adefensive tackle. He is very disruptive. He plays with good leverage and pad level. Youdon’t see him get moved out of the hole. That is especially impressive when you considerhe is just now getting into the weight room. I don’t have a total for the number of tackles for loss he racked up last season but

there is an impressive number of them on his highlight film. I know this – I can’t remem-ber the last time I saw a defensive tackle have more. He is also solid in pass protection,not allowing a sack last year. Indiana and West Virginia have offered, while Purdue, Michigan, Michigan State,

Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Minnesota and Georgia Tech are all giving him a hard look.Spiker has been down to Ohio State at the invitation of the Buckeyes and will camp here.An offer likely ends his recruitment.

21. **** Jake Brandt (6-6, 260, DT/OL; Bexley)I just saw this kid recently and that is a big surprise. It is unusual for a player of this

caliber to be out there and I do not find him until this late in the process. The only question about Brandt is where is he going to play in college. He is a high

school defensive end but I don’t see the explosion or athleticism to play there in college –and he is going to get a lot bigger. He is a lanky 260 pounds and has the frame to goover 300 pounds. I think he could be a defensive tackle but where he stands out to me is as an offensive

lineman. He moves very well. He is a fluid athlete for such a big kid and has great feet.He shows an impressive punch, sometimes taking players off their feet with it. In runblocking he uses it to knock his man off balance, get lower and drive him off the ball. One of the defining things about this class is the number of two-way tackles – players

that could line up on either side of the ball in college. Brandt falls into that category but heis such a good looking tackle, he plays left tackle in high school, that I would not wastetime messing around with him on defense. Let him get as many reps as possible as a lefttackle. Of the two-way tackles, Adam Bellamy is the only other one that would be a college

offensive tackle. Bexley is off the beaten recruiting path so schools have not found theirway to Jake Brandt but that will change very soon.

22. **** Corey Linsley (6-4, 275, OG; Youngstown Boardman)Linsley comes off the ball as well as any lineman in the state. With his first step explo-

sion he is moving at a rate of speed that overwhelms most high school linemen. He lockshis guy up and it is over. He shows good pad level and uses lever-age very well. Linsley shows what kind of athlete he is very early in his film. He

is downfield throwing second level blocks. On one play he is sentto block a safety, and he does get his man. He is in a run dominated offense so we have not seen as much

out of him as I would like as a pass blocker. What little I have seenof him gives me confidence that he is not going to have problemsgetting up to speed. He has excellent feet and hips. I love histenacity. He stays after it until his man goes down or until the whis-tle. He is a very physical player. If not for Ryan Spiker, I would betalking about Linsley as the most physical player in the class. He isso athletic and quick I might give him a day or two in practice atdefensive tackle. To my knowledge he has not played defense in high school. He is ahigh school offensive tackle but projects as a guard. Ohio State offered in early April. He also had offers from Michigan State, Stanford,

Illinois, Pitt, Miami (Fla.), Akron and Connecticut.

23. **** Jack Mewhort (6-6, 285, C; Toledo St. John’s)If I could only use one word to describe the offensive line class in Ohio this year it

would be “nasty.” Positions run the gamut. There is someone top drawer for every posi-tion on the line and they are from all over the state of Ohio. The one thing that unitesthem all is they bring it. Mewhort is no exception.

GH

GH

GH



He may be the strongest of the lot. He has a punch that looks like a George Foremanjab. On his film there is a play early on where he punches anopposing defensive tackle, a good sized kid, and literally lifts himoff his feet. He is athletic enough to pull and you don’t see thatfrom a center. That is a lot to ask of a player at the college or prolevel, let alone high school. I am unsure what is going to happenwith Mewhort at the next level. He has the height and frame of anoffensive tackle and has very long arms. I have never seen a 6-6center at any level of football, but natural centers are hard to find.He has been a center since the beginning of his sophomore year. Despite his long arms Mewhort is benching 365 pounds.He did not want to wait around, committing to Ohio State a

week after getting his offer. Mewhort also had scholarship offersfrom Michigan State, Northwestern, Toledo and Bowling Green.

24. **** Mike Edwards (6-0, 185, CB; Cleveland Glenville)Edwards is a name fans are not familiar with but that is going to change as he heads

into his second season as Glenville’s starting cornerback. Edwards transferred in lastyear and immediately grabbed one of the starting spots. He put himself on the recruiting map with a solid season where he racked up over 40

tackles and had three interceptions. He took his recruitment to another level with an eyecatching performance at the Cleveland combine where he ran a 4.4-second 40 on a slowtrack and put up an impressive 34-inch vertical. Edwards had 13reps on the bench press and pound-for-pound is as impressive anumber as any of his speed and athletic numbers. So often fresh-men do not play because of little things, one of them is not beingstrong enough. Edwards is a solidly built corner. With his strength and college ready body he may be a candi-

date for early playing time. On the field he shows he is capable ofplaying on an island. He is aggressive and utterly fearless. He is awilling run support player and chases the ball until the whistle. One play on his film defines Edwards. He shows the speed as

well as the tenacity when he chases a back down who has bustedthrough the middle of the line. The ball is on the right hash, at the45 yard line. Edwards is lined up one-on-one outside the opposite hash. It looks likeGlenville can just go get ready for the kickoff. Edwards won’t quit on the play and has thespeed to do something about it. It defines what kind of player he is. Has an offer from Indiana but Ohio State has had him down and could offer. That

would end his recruitment.

25. **** Dan Fox (6-4, 215, LB/DE; Cleveland St Ignatius)Fox is one of the most intriguing players in the Class of 2009. All you need to do is see the Glenville game from his junior year. Year in and year out,

no school puts more skill and speed on the field than Ted Ginn’s Tarblooders. Last yearwas no exception. In this game, Fox may have been the best player on the field,

as well as the fastest. Keep in mind that Illinois recruit CordaleScott was on that field. Fox intercepted a pass and outran everyone for a touchdown

and ran down one of the Glenville receivers from behind. Maybe he grows into a defensive end eventually but right now

he is a great looking linebacker who is fast enough and athleticenough to cover slot receivers. He has the wingspan of a bird ofprey and has plenty of room to fill out into a defensive end but itdoesn’t really matter if he doesn’t. He has everything you wouldwant in a linebacker. He currently has offers from Virginia, Illinois, Michigan State, Maryland and

Northwestern. Penn State and Ohio State has inquired about him. Fox is an excellent hurdler with a best of 14.9 seconds in the 110-meter event. If he

goes as far as his times indicate, he could be busy this summer.

26. *** Chris Snook (6-2, 220, LB; Medina Highland)Snook put himself on the radar as a big back. If he was not going to get much bigger I

think someone would offer him as a back. He is a fine back. He shows vision, a goodburst and is a very physical runner. But I look at the body and see a player that is not done growing. I see 240 pounds in

his future. There is such a great looking frame on this kid. Snook can really run and is so athletic that he lines up at safety sometimes. He is

arguably the best striker in the class. It should be illegal for him to play safety. He playsvery well in space on defense at both linebacker and safety. No matter where he lines uphe makes plays. He is off to a really good start in the athlete season, catching the eye ofmany observers at the Cleveland combine. Last summer he ran a 4.6-second 40 at the Ohio State camp and had a 4.25 shuttle.

He went up to the Michigan camp and benched 225 for 14 reps. He bested that atCleveland with 23 reps. He also put up an 8-foot-10 broad jump. I am not going to be sur-prised if this kid is a top-15 player by season’s end, and has Big Four (Ohio State,Michigan, Penn State and Notre Dame) offers. Snook gets it done in the classroom with a 3.1 GPA.

27. **** Branko Busick (6-1, 220, LB; Steubenville)Don’t forget the name. Busick is a small school superstar that hits a ton and has great

instincts. He is a great blitzer and reads the game as well as any linebacker I have seenin the past few years. I marveled at how many times I saw this kidstep into the right hole pre-snap. He sometimes appears to havebeen in the opponents huddle. On one memorable play, he ran over the guard and the fullback

who tried to pick him up and still managed a tackle for loss. That ishow quickly this kid diagnosed the play and was in the backfield.He is reading and reacting to plays so quickly blockers are havinga hard time finding him. On another play, he grabs both the quar-terback and the running back because he has gotten there so fasthe is not sure who has the ball so he grabs both until he figures itout. A couple of plays later in the film against a different team hedoes it again. The most impressive play is on an end around. He ismoving before anyone else on the defense knows what is going on. The receiver getsabout three steps before Busick lines him up. He is as football smart as any player in the class and Busick is one of the best blitzers

I’ve ever seen. Busick has committed to West Virginia.

28. **** Patrick White (6-0, 175, CB/WR; Pickerington Central)This son of former OSU and West Virginia defensive back Terry White is one of the

elite athletes in the class. Where he plays is the question. A lot of schools, including Ohio State are in contact and he has offers from Akron and

Cincinnati at this early stage. He has the best hands I have seen this year, and that is saying something. White

could be even better as a cornerback. Some players seem to havean almost unnatural attraction to the football. We call it instinct andWhite is one of those players. No matter where the ball is on thefield, White is there. He attacks the ball in the air no matter if he ison offense or defense. The best skill players have that mentality -the ball is theirs. That is especially the case with White, who hasan explosive leaping ability and catches anything he can reach. Heis a very combative player. White had an impressive 27 passes defended and three inter-

ceptions, but the most telling stat might be his 49 tackles. That iswhy I see him on defense. He has a solid body and can get biggerand he comes up in run support like a safety. In my first rough draftI had White a top ten player but I need to see him run. He has the skills of a top ten play-er but he needs to show he can run like a top ten player this spring and summer in theathlete season. If he does that, he is going to have his pick of schools.

29. **** Isaiah Bell (6-2, 200, S; Youngstown Liberty)Simply put, Bell is the best safety nobody is talking. He has the instincts of a linebacker against the run and is a very good sized safety.

The 6-2, 200 pounds seems a bit on the small side. He looks to be a bigger kid butLiberty head coach Jeff Whitaker reports accurate heights and weights. Bell has the wingspan of a lineman. In fact, I would not be sur-

prised if he ends up growing into a linebacker. He has a nice frameand I have noticed these long limbed kids tend to fill out a good bit.He is big enough to take on blockers and still make plays, but he isfast enough to make plays in the open field. Once he finds the ball,he closes like nobody’s business. But Bell has such tremendous ball skills that he could just as

easily be a free safety. He has the best ball skills I have seen froma projected safety in this class. He returned two interceptions forscores, including one for 102 yards, and one punt. He has morereturn yards off of interception, punt and kickoff returns than anyplayer in this top 100. Getting to camps could put this underrated kid on everyone’s want list. I can see Big

Four offers in Bell’s future.

30. **** Aaron Mershman (6-3, 200, QB; Bowling Green)I had not heard anything about Mershman until right before we went to press. You see

that sometimes at other positions but a quarterback this good coming in this late is reallyrare. Mershman is a joy to watch. There is very little to be critical about. He is as mechanically as sound as any quarter-

back I have seen in Ohio. He sets his feet and delivers the ball over the top and has areally good arm. He can make every throw in the book. Outs, ins, slants, posts, fades –you name it and I can pull up a clip where Mershman throws it. He sees the field so welland does not just sit on certain routes. He sprays the ball all over the field. He showsreally good mobility throws on the run about as well as he does sitting in the pocket andthrowing. Mershman put up nice numbers as a junior, completing 109 of 208 passes for1,466 yards and 13 touchdowns. His 370 rushing yards and six touchdowns are testa-ment to that. That I have not heard about this kid until now is as strong a piece of evi-dence as I have seen about the mess quarterback recruiting has become. That nobody istalking about such a fine looking quarterback shows just how bad it has gotten. A coupleon inches taller and I would have likely heard about him two years ago. Camps will be crucial for Mershman.

31. *** Patrick Tucker (6-4, 200, ATH; Cincinnati Princeton)This is a name that only the most hard core recruiting fanatics and high school football

GH

GH

GH

GH

GH

GH



fans will know. He is the other four-star sleeper in this class along with Jake Brandt fromBexley. Whether it is as a safety or a linebacker, this is a player with the potential to be a star.

He is a big hitting free safety with outstanding range. He has a great frame and is verylong limbed. In addition he is highly athletic. I don’t know where he is going to end up in college. He is so lean but weighs 200

pounds. He could fill out into a linebacker and I would not be surprised if that were tohappen. In fact, I would say that is what is going to happen with Tucker. He is a free safety but his tape says he is more comfortable in a strong safety role.

There is not a lot of film of him on pass defense. In run support he is in his element so Idon’t think he will have a problem moving closer to the line of scrimmage. He is a veryphysical player. No word on schools showing interest but I think once the athlete season gets started

we will see his name everywhere as schools get to see what a special athlete he is andwhat kind of body he has

32. ** Pat Muldoon (6-4, 240, DE; Cincinnati St. Xavier) Aaron Kampman, Aaron Schobel, Jared Allen, Kyle Vanden Bosch – not exactly a

bunch of household names. They were all unheard of coming out of college, but are nowmembers of an elite handful of players that are the best pass rush-ers on the NFL. They were not high draft picks and none werefirst-rounders. I bring them up because Pat Muldoon has a lot in common with

them. They are all high motor guys and workers. Others are goingto have better combine numbers but nobody is going to be moreeffective. That is what I see with Muldoon. He did not stand out physically when I saw him but he was

always around the football. He has played against a level of com-petition second to none and he racked up double digits in sacksand tackles for loss in both his sophomore and junior years. Hehad 10 sacks and 13 tackles-for-loss in 2006 and 12 sacks and 16tackles-for-loss in 2007. I think he likely grows into a defensive tackle. Muldoon has an impressive offer list at this early stage with Cincinnati, Ohio State,

Louisville, Wake Forest, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Iowa, Pittsburgh, Purdue, NorthCarolina State and Northwestern leading the way.

33. *** Dan France (6-6, 260, ATH; North Royalton)I remember the first glimpse I got of Dan France. He was playing standing up as an

outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. “Are you kidding me?” was the thought in my mind. He is every bit his listed 6-6 and 260 pounds. That is a decent sized defensive end in

a 4-3 at the NFL level. I got my next surprise when he ran down a quarterback when I hitthe play button again. The next play he chased a quarterback down from across the field.This went on for the rest of the film. I saw every type of blocking scheme tried againsthim and none of them worked. As impressed as I am with France as a defensive player, I think his future is on

offense. He is the one tight end in the class that shows he could be a national player.France fits the kind of tight ends that the Big Ten offenses are looking for. He is an out-standing inline blocker with the frame to add the kind of size to be just as good at thenext level. He catches everything thrown to him and knows what to do with it after hecatches it. He reminds me a lot of Springboro tight end Jake Ballard from a few years agowho ended up at Ohio State. France has a great frame and a really fine athlete for hissize. France is one of the best players nobody is talking about but once he gets to camps

that will change.

34. *** Adam Homan (6-3, 233, ATH; Coldwater)I am going to make a big statement here and one I am sure someone would challenge

me on. Adam Homan is as good a linebacker as older brother Ross, an Ohio State line-backer. Adam has the same kind of instincts and reads the game as

well as his older brother. He dominates the game to the samedegree as Ross. He is as physical, or even more physical, thanRoss was at the same age. I know I saw more memorable hits outof Adam yet he shows his football I.Q. to be as good as Ross. Then why is he not a Buckeye linebacker recruit like Ross? So much of this is about bodies and I have more arguments

about that with fans on the than any other subject. These twobrothers are a text book example. Adam was likely going to outgrow linebacker but was not going

to be quite big enough to be a defensive line recruit. The otherthing he shared with Ross was both were excellent high schoolrunning backs but Adam was very smart to accept that fullback was the ideal position forhim. I think it is such a wasted position in today’s offenses. I can’t believe that coacheshave voluntarily given up a skill player. Adam Homan is big enough to be the battering ram everyone wants in a fullback but

he can make something happen when he has the ball. He is committed to Ohio State andthe Buckeyes may have rediscovered the back part of fullback.

35. *** Dannell Smith (6-4, 290, OT; Newark) Smith is a raw and athletic prospect with a great frame. He is about 290 right now but I

can see 320 in his future with no impact on his athleticism and quickness. He is a better defensive tackle right now and plays hard all the time. He comes off the

ball really well and stays after it to the whistle. The very first play I see out of him sets the tone for the rest of the film. He chases a

back that is running wide but doesn’t get there. He continues to chase and gets him 20five yards downfield. As an offensive lineman he can be a dominating player. He blows people off the line

and regularly gets more than one block because he stays after it to the whistle. He is veryfluid and athletic and has quick feet. As a pass blocker he is a work in progress but doesit very well. He is tenacious and uses his hands well. Smith plays both guard and tackle in high school but I think he will be a guard at the

college level. I would call him the most underrated lineman in Ohio. Grades are why he isnot higher on this list.

36. *** Terrence Davis (6-4, 205, WR; Fremont Ross) I ended up seeing three full games from Fremont Ross. The one thing I came away

saying was they have a pretty good sophomore quarterback and he needs to throw theball to Terrence Davis on every play. It doesn’t matter that if the defense knows if he isgoing to get the ball. They still have to stop him from catching it and tackle him after hegets it. When I first saw Davis, I thought I was looking at a linebacker – a linebacker who may

be headed to defensive end. He is that big. After the catch, Davis is so difficult to corral because he is so strong. I have not been

able to confirm a 40 time, but I am told he has run a 4.55. His size is the reason he isdown the list a bit for a player who reminds me of NFL veteran Terrell Davis. This is a high school kid and he is going to get bigger. If he holds his speed as he gets

bigger he is an NFL player himself. Last year, Davis had 15 touchdowns and had over 600 yards receiving averaging over

20 yards a catch. Michigan, Notre Dame, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Purdue and Cincinnati are all

showing interest. If he runs well in the athlete season, that interest will turn into offers andhe will be in the top 20 on this list.

37. *** Cody Pettit (6-4, 230, DL/OL; Hamler Patrick Henry)This is the year of the two-way tackles in Ohio and Pettit does not have to take a back-

seat to any of them. There are so many things he does well that I do not know where to start. There is no

question about his motor. He plays the game like his life depends on the outcome. Acoach is going to have to work on calming him down instead of trying to light a fire underhim. Pettit runs very well and I see a defensive tackle in his future but where you see it best

at is when he pulls as an offensive lineman. The first play I saw of him as a tackle onoffense, he got downfield faster than the receiver on that side of the field. He is very fluidand athletic. Pettit is a high school defensive end whose body will likely take him down to tackle.

You don’t often see high school lineman whose jerseys flap around in the breeze at thewaist but you do with Pettit. He is in that kind of shape. He comes off the ball as well as any lineman in Ohio. He is winning so many battles

just with his first step. Pettit get by them before they get out of their stance. This is a play-er who could be a summer rising star. Pettit’s level of competition is going to be the big question with Patrick Henry compet-

ing in Division V. How he does in drills against big school kids will tell the tale about theschools he has to choose from. Pettit is the most underrated of the two-way tackles this year.

38. *** Chris Williams (5-11, 175, DB/WR; Cincinnati Winton Woods)The first two plays I saw from Williams made me think what a great decathlete he

would make. On the first play, he lines up at receiver and leaps out of the stadium to make a one

handed grab. The next play, he gets down in a sprinters stance and shoots through theline and makes a sack. Williams is one of the most explosive players I have seen this year. He shows it when

he goes up to make a play on the ball and when he lines up a ball carrier for a hit. Mostof the defensive film is of Williams making plays at the line of scrimmage but he showshis ball skills on the offensive plays. I think it is premature to say he is a safety at the next level. He shows such great

hands and play making ability that I think someone is going to get the idea to give him ashot at wide receiver. Williams is a very physical player on both sides of the ball, as he isone of the better blocking receivers in the state this year. As a defensive player he bringsit. This is one of the most underrated players in the Class of 2009. I suspect after the ath-

lete season we are going to hear more about him. The camps and combines are so muchabout checking these players as athletes and Williams will make an impression.

39. *** Nate Cadogan (6-6, 265, DE/OL; Portsmouth)When I first heard about Cadogan, Portsmouth head coach Curt Clifford said he was

going to be a special one. It looked as though he was going to be a defensive end but he has undergone a

growth spurt and is now mostly being recruited as an offensive lineman. He plays tightend on offense so he is pretty raw as far as playing the offensive line is concerned at thispoint, but it does give an idea of what kind of athlete Cadogan is.

SP

GH



He is a fine defensive player, and more and more we are seeing tall defensive tackles,but the build I see on Cadogan tells me he is going to get a lot bigger – more along thelines of his older brother, Penn State’s All-Big Ten offensive tackle Gerald Cadogan. Natehas the long arms that are important to an offensive tackle. Penn State has already offered and Northwestern has come in on this outstanding stu-

dent. He is hearing from Ohio State, Purdue, Nebraska, Michigan State and Illinois. He was one of the most impressive physical specimens at a combine in Cincinnati late

in February and I suspect his offer list will improve when he gets to camps this spring andsummer where schools can get a better idea where they think his best position is. Like his brother Gerald, he is a student-athlete in the truest sense of the word, and will

be an asset to any locker room whether or not he ever plays a down.

40. *** Brian Slack (6-5, 215, TE; Akron Hoban) The first thing that leaps off the film about Slack is his size. He has a huge frame and

it is hard to believe he is only in the 215- to 220-pound range. He looks gangly and isgoing to get so much bigger. He will get into the 260-pound range by the time he is fin-ished filling out. Slack brings a lot to the table. He can do the classic things in the receiving game that

you want out of the tight end. He moves the chains and understands making himselfavailable – getting where the quarterback can find a big target when he is in trouble. Ialso see a player that can stretch the field. He is not the kind of elite athlete we are see-ing in that role but apparently Slack did not get the memo. If the safeties roll wide he willhead to the house. I think that has everything to do with his football mentality. He is oneof those receivers that looks for the soft spots and shows soft hands. The icing on the cake is Slack is an outstanding blocker. He is so good that he is on

the front side of Hoban running plays. I don’t remember seeing a tight end racking uppancakes until I saw Slack’s film. He is one of the real sleepers in this class and I player I will be keeping my eye on.

41. *** Fitzgerald Toussaint (5-10, 180, RB; Youngstown Liberty)Sometimes I watch a player and I see another level of speed. That is what I saw the

first time I took a look at Toussaint. Speed is something top-100 skill players have in common but there are some players

that sets themselves apart from the others. He ran a 10.7-second100-meter time as a freshman. Last year he ran a 10.59 100-meterand cloked a 21.79 200-meter time. That is an entirely differentlevel of speed. Toussaint rushed for 1,100 yards and 15 touchdowns as a

sophomore. He came back with 1,400 yards and racked up 24touchdowns as a junior. I don’t know if Toussaint fits in every offense as a back – and I

don’t know how much bigger he is going to get – but his speed fitsany system. If he shows he can catch the ball I think his stock willsoar. Toussaint is about the same size as Buckeye recruit and No. 6

ranked Chris Fields. If he shows he has the hands to play wide receiver in college he willbe a top 20 player like Fields. He is as elusive as he is fast. Some of his runs look likesomething staged, they are so incredible. Toussaint has committed to Michigan. He also had offers from from Michigan State,

Illinois, Akron, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.

42. *** Bradley McDougal (6-1, 190, ATH; Dublin Scioto)The first thing that hit my mind after seeing a few plays from McDougal was how was

this kid running under the radar? He is playing at a major Division I high school programin Columbus and it is a program that has put players in major college programs – anddone so recently. In just a few plays, I could see this was at least a top fifty player in this class. He is so

good at so many things I really cannot pencil him in to one spot. His regular position onoffense is running back but the Scioto coaching staff lines him up receiver sometimes. Hehas good hands and is elusive after the catch so they want to get him out in space. As a running back, McDougal impresses me greatly. He makes use of his elusiveness

there but he runs tough and shows excellent balance and a good burst. He has reallygood vision and if I was looking at him as an offensive player I would put him at runningback. As a defensive back he plays corner but I think he projects better as a safety. He is

very aggressive on the ball and on the ball carrier and is a solid tackler. McDougal is an excellent return man and a good gunner. I think need is going to deter-

mine where he plays. I like him best as a running back and he has the body to fill outsome more. McDougal is one of the best players you have never heard of.

43. *** Jeff Walker (6-4, 200, WR; Akron Coventry)I have gone back and forth on Walker more than I have any player this year. When I first watched his tape I could not be more impressed. He has a skill level sec-

ond to none. He can go up and over defenders and is a beautiful, smooth athlete. Hemakes playing the game look effortless. Walker gets open against press coverage andzone coverage and has outstanding hands and is elusive after the catch. The one thing that I could not resolve was his speed. He is a long kid that will probably

fill out a good bit more. All my questions were resolved when he ran a 4.58 40 on a slowtrack at the Cleveland combine. He also put up an impressive 9-3 broad jump, a numberthat gives a good indication of explosion. Those are the kinds of numbers that can draw the major college football programs into

his school. Walker is just as impressive, if not more so, as a defensive player. He had over 100

tackles as a free safety and I would be very interested to see a player with this kind offrame and athleticism as a defensive player. Right now, it is Louisville and the MAC schools showing the most attention. If he gets

to camps this summer he could add some schools to that mix.

44. *** Tyler Scott (6-3, 230, LB; Warren Howland)The first thing that I noticed about Scott is how big he is. I was surprised to hear he is

6-3. If I had been told he was 6-5, I would have believed it. The second thing is he is deceptively fast. He runs down backs

outside the numbers and closes on quarterbacks that think theyhave time to throw but learn the hard way that they don’t. One play on his film shows what kind of athlete Scott is. He

tries a “Lavar Arrington” and dives over the top of the line and triesto make a tackle. Unlike Arrington, he missed, but the play speaksvolumes about his athleticism. Scott has the frame to get a lot bigger. One thing that you don’t see a lot with high school linebackers

is good pass defense. Scott is one of the really good ones. A highschool coach told me Scott drove his quarterback to distractionbecause he was such a good pass defender. He impressed those in attendance at the Cleveland Combine. He has no offers right now but I think we see that change once he gets to camp during

the athlete season. Scott is one of the more underrated players in Ohio. He is a pretty good high school

tight end but will be a linebacker in college.

45. *** Brian Underwood (5-10, 175, WR; Cleveland Heights) That I am not fan of small backs is not news but my attitude about smaller receivers is

different. I prefer big receivers but there is an old expression that “speed kills’. There is a place

in the game for the smaller players if they bring speed to the game. Brian Underwood isone of those players that can change the game with one touch. I don’t know if he is really 5-10 but for what he brings to the game it really doesn’t mat-

ter. He gets open, he catches really well and then he hits the clutch and finds a gear thatvery few players can. And the best thing about it is, he knows it. Some players that have speed do not have confidence in it. Underwood kicks in that

gear and knows he is going to run by everyone chasing him. He has run 4.31 40 and thattime was recorded independently, not at school. I am going to hear he is too small until about January. That is always the case.

Schools find reasons not to offer a player and they are focused on what is wrong with aplayer. The closer we get to signing day, the more they will remember why he is on theboard in the first place. Some schools have already realized it with Underwood getting offers from North

Carolina, Colorado and Cincinnati.He is also a great kick returner.

46. *** Dale Peterman (5-11, 175, CB/WR; Youngstown Ursuline)Peterman first came to my attention as a receiver. He is a playmaker and can take a slant and turn it into a score, or he can go over the

top and take a ball away from a defender. He is a player that can change a game withone touch as a receiver but where I think he is special is at cornerback. Sometimes size doesn’t matter. Dale Peterman plays bigger

than his size. Take a look at this kid as a cornerback. He is rightthere with No. 8-ranked C.J. Barnett and No. 15-ranked D.J.Hunter – the top two corners in the class as a run defender. Bothhave the kind of bodies that make them good against the run.Peterman has great hands and can leap out of the building. There is no question about the level of competition Peterman

compiled his ten minute highlight film against as Ursuline playedDivision I legends like Massillon and Warren Harding as well asYoungstown Cardinal Mooney. When I first saw him, I had Peterman in the top 20. He has that

kind of skill and playmaking ability. His first time of the year at theCleveland combine was good but not what I expected. Peterman is a tough, smart, highlyskilled player. If he puts up a speed number that I think he can, he will be back in the top20. South Carolina is already convinced. Steve Spurrier’s Gamecocks put an offer on the

table.

47. *** Aunre Davis (6-0, 180, ATH; Warren Harding)Davis plays quarterback but will get a look at receiver in college. He is one of the great

playmakers in Ohio this year. I think he could get a look as a safety or possibly at cornerback but he has that ability

to change a game with one touch of the ball on offense. His film speaks for itself. Someone is going to get him to camp this summer and see if

he can catch the ball. Being a quarterback in high school will help him in moving toreceiver as he has a feel for the timing involved in running patterns. He is off to a goodstart in the athlete season as he was one of the standouts at the Cleveland combine. He

GH

GH

SP



ran a 4.62 on a slow track and broke off an impressive 9-11 in thebroad jump. It is no surprise that his explosiveness was somethingeveryone in attendance noted when he can post a broad jump likethat. It is apparent on film, too. When he decides to tuck the ball and

run, he is at top speed in a couple of steps and can change direc-tion at speed. Davis is a smart football player and a crafty one. Heis not making mistakes and despite not being a great passer, hemakes great decisions. Whether at receiver or somewhere on defense, Davis is a big

time football player.

48. *** Perez Ashford (5-11, 175, WR; Shaker Heights) I saw Perez Ashford as a sophomore and received his junior film early in the process. I

put it away and did not think about it again for awhile. I pulled it out again when it wastime to put together the Ohio High top 100 for the Class of 2009 and I had forgotten howgood he is. The first four plays on the film should be enough to land him

scholarship offers. He makes a leaping touchdown catch on theright side of the end zone, follows that with a one handed stab thatwould have been enough but sidesteps a tackler and takes it tothe house. On the third catch, he leaps up between two defendersto take what should have been an interception away then fights offboth to dive into the end zone. On the fourth, he beats a corner ona fade, makes the catch, then times a stiff arm perfectly to throwthe defender off balance and waltzes into the end zone. He is a well put together receiver and has a big receiver’s game

but he has better speed than most big receivers. He goes over thetop and takes passes away from defenders. Ashford is a good cornerback, too. Some may like a player his size better there but I

see a receiver. He has such big play ability. He is a good kick returner, too. Running wellin the athlete season will put him higher on this list come the preseason issue in July.

49. *** Sean McClellan (6-4, 241, DE; Cincinnati Moeller) McClellan is the younger brother of a former Ohio High top 100 member Patrick

McClellan. Patrick was a safety/linebacker two years ago and Sean has the same longbody but he is just a little bigger than Patrick. He is a 3-4 down lineman that would really find a home as a 4-3 defensive end. I think

he fits best as an strong side end as he is strong against the run, despite a build thatlooks like it belongs on a weak side rush end. That is not out of the question. Sean is a relentless player with a 4.7 40 time to his credit. He does a good job of

shedding blockers and is adept at splitting double teams. He is showing some impressivenumbers in the weightroom with a 470-pound squat, a 500-pound dead lift and a 255-pound clean. He has a frame that you could hang a lot of weight on. Moeller has had a coaching change so McClellan is flying low on the radar but that will

change once the athlete season gets going and schools get a look at his body. If he runsunder 4.7 he could be a player that sees Big Ten offers by seasons end. He falls into that category of big kids that can run and my mantra is there are never

too many of those players.

50. *** Tyler Arend (6-5, 290, OL; Paulding)Arend has a good base and uses his hips well. That is what makes him a good drive

blocker. He regularly drives his opponent completely out of the play and gets his share ofpancakes. Arend plays tackle in high school, but I think he projects as a guard at the next level

despite good feet and long arms. Right tackle is another possibility. He needs to work onhis pass blocking. He tends to want to stand in one spot and reach but that is somethingwe see regularly with high school lineman who are used to dominating just because oftheir size. He shows good tenacity against an opponent that will not back down from him. Arend looks his listed 290 pounds but is in no way sloppy and can add some more

weight to his frame. Level of competition is going to be an issue playing for Division IV Paulding, so getting

out on the camp and combine circuit will be crucial for him.

51. *** Ricky Steele (5-11, 175, CB; Cincinnati LaSalle)Steele is one of the most underrated players in the state and certainly the most under-

rated cornerback. He just happens to come along in the same year as a couple of playersthat have Ohio State and Michigan offers in Barnett and Hunter, as well as a top corner inone of the most high profile programs in the country in Glenville’s Mike Edwards. The very first play on his video shows a textbook example of corner play. One thing

Steele brings to the table is more experience at one-on-one coverage. LaSalle asked himto do a lot of that, but he is also very tough against the run and is an outstanding tackler.He got his hands on more passes than any corner I have seen this year. Steele played against Josh Jones from Elder, Connor Ryan and Joey Paris from St.

Ignatius, Tony Harris from Moeller and Kenny Stafford from DeSales, not to mention liningup every day in practice against superstar DeVier Posey every day in practice. No defen-sive back in the state can say they went up against better competition. Any other year this is the top corner in the state of Ohio.

52. *** Kevan Westenbarger (6-4, 190, QB; McComb) There are some things I have learned to question over the years in this business. One

is getting a film where the receiver runs a 4.4-second 40. The other is quarterbacks thatare 6-4. The former are usually nowhere close to 4.4 and the latter are usually closer to6-1. That is not the case with Westenberger. He looks every bit of 6-4, has given a 4.75

and looks at least that fast on tape. Westenbarger ends up running around quite a bit in this offense and he throws on the

run very well. His release is the best in the class. It is hard to get a look at arm strength inthe offense McComb runs but the few plays where he does show it off it looks like he hasa really big time arm. I would love to see him just set up in the pocket and throw the ball. Westenberger will need to get to camps. Last year, that point was driven home when

outstanding small school quarterback Trevor Walls of Waverly ended up with an offer fromNew Mexico State late in the process.

53. *** Jowan Peterson (6-2, 180, S; Cincinnati Withrow)The very first play on Peterson’s tape sums up what kind of player he is. His read and reaction to a long handoff is what you want to see from all defensive

players. The run part of the read-react-run equation is superb. He gets there just after theball arrives. He was ten yards from the receiver as the ball is thrown and when he arriveshe drives the receiver two yards backward with a picture perfect tackle. That is strongsafety play at its best. Peterson is one of the better strong safeties in the state but I have to think he is on his

way to linebacker. He is so long and lean and is going to add a good deal of weight. Heplays at the line of scrimmage a lot so the transition will be a smooth one. He does agood job of dealing with blockers and is a great blitzer. Peterson is one of the most underrated players in the state.

54. *** Brad Rogers (5-10, 220, RB; Toledo Central Catholic)When I first heard about Rogers, it was for his play as a linebacker. I got a look at him

just before deadline. I was impressed with what I saw of him as a linebacker. He showsgood instincts and a great read, react, run. He is a sure tackler and a good hitter. Hedoes not have an ideal body for the position but he is a talent and at some level he couldbe a linebacker.The reason I have Rogers ranked this high in the Ohio High top 100 is because he is

an even better running back. Talk about instincts. Rogers offers a strong argument forbeing the best back in the class. He has very quick feet for his size. He is a very decisiverunner because he has such great vision and is a powerhouse runner, so if someoneshows up that he missed on his read, he is not really worried about it.Rogers is going to win most one-on-one battles. I did not see him tackled one-on-one.

He is one of those backs that always falls forward. Do not assume because of his sizeand running style that he is purely a power back. One of the things that makes Rogers soadept at winning battles against the first tackler is his subtle elusiveness. The best bigbacks learn that never giving a tackler a clean shot is the best way to beat them. Rogersis an excellent receiver too. A little quicker and Rogers would be at least 20 places higheron this list.

55. *** Jake Feldmeyer (6-2, 260, OL; Centerville)Feldmeyer is the next great player to come out of this storied program. The Centerville offense did a lot of damage last year running behind this outstanding

lineman. Like so many linemen in the Class of 2009, Feldmeyer is a very physical player.He gets a good punch and shows great lower body strength. He locks up his man and itis over. Feldmeyer is an adept run blocker but will need to work on pass blocking as

Centerville rarely throws the ball. He is a very lean 260 pounds and h moves really well. His technique is quite good for a high school player. He gets his pads underneath and

moves his feet. I see a player that can get to the 290-300-pound range and still be thesame kind of football player. He plays tackle in high school and has some length to his body but I think Feldmeyer

will be a guard in college. He is one of the more underrated linemen in the state this year. There is no word on offers yet and he carries a 3.82 GPA.

56. *** Ricky Harris (6-3, 320, OL; Westerville South)If I was asked to pick one player on this top 100 list that has the potential to make me

look like an idiot, it is Harris. On film he is a powerhouse. He runs over top of whoever is in front of him and packs a

punch that often leaves opponents out of the play before it gets started. Harris shows aburst that is surprising for his size and is relentless in pursuit. I have seen him make tack-les 20 yards downfield. He played offense only until his junior year and he was just as

dominating there. The question now is does he end up on theoffensive side of the ball or on the defensive side? I think he is bet-ter on offense. Or, I should say his body fits better on offense. When I look at Harris on film I see a top-20 talent. When I look

at his body I see a player that has maxed out his frame. He cannot get much bigger without impacting the speed and burst thatmade him a top-20 player when I first looked at him. The first num-ber I heard was 280 pounds. I was told right after the season thathe played last year at 300-305 pounds. The last report I receivedwas he is now 320 pounds. At 280 pounds, Ricky Harris is back inthe top-20 as a defensive lineman. Harris has an offer from Illinois and how many more he gets will likely have everything

to do with how close he gets to that 280-pound mark.

SP

SP

GH



57. *** Dan Molls (6-1½, 215, LB; Padua Franciscan)Football is an ever evolving thing. Innovation is part and parcel of the game. Offenses

are always looking for ways to move the ball and score. Defenses have to adapt to thatand force the offensive masterminds to come up with something new. The spread offense has become a part of everyone’s offense. It is the base offense for

many teams and the counter to that is the hybrid strong safety/outside linebacker. Theyneed to be fast enough to cover but sturdy enough to play the run. I doubt many colleges know where Padua Franciscan is but they will want to get there

because here is a player that fits the role perfectly. Dan Molls is as good in pass cover-age as any linebacker in the class but he plays the run like a linebacker, too. He is com-fortable in zone and shows he can play man coverage as well. Molls has a very good frame and I see 225-230 pounds in his future with no impact on

his speed and athleticism. Like with any small school athlete, Molls will have to show wellin the athlete season. If he confirms his reported 4.57 40, he will have his choice ofschools. He ran a 4.68-second 40 on the slow Cleveland combine track. He carries 3.9 GPA and good genetics -- his dad and two of his uncles played Division

I college football.

58. *** Zac Costlow (6-3½, 235, DE/DT; Steubenville Central Catholic)Costlow is a perfect example of how level of competition plays a role in recruiting and

how important the camps and combines are. I am hearing negative things about the com-bines in particular these days but I am also seeing the names of players that are not asgood as this kid getting kicked around. They are in high profile programs and Costlow isnot playing for Division VI Steubenville Central Catholic. He is a high motor defensive end whose body likely will take him to tackle. He has the

square build that is a good indicator of a player that is going to add weight and he will beable to handle it. He plays smart and is relentless and shows the speed to chase playsdown outside the hash mark. Costlow’s athletic numbers are as good as any lineman in Ohio. He has a 4.72-second

40, a 28½-inch vertical and a very impressive 10-5 long jump. He is benching 330 poundsand has a 555-pound squat. Last season, Costlow had 12 tackles for loss and 10 sacks with 68 total tackles. He is

already qualified with a 4.2 GPA in honors classes and a 27 on his first ACT attempt. Costlow is already planning a busy schedule in the athlete season and I think we hear

a lot more about him after he has been to a few camps. He goes to a small school but abig-time player.

59. *** Henry Conway (6-7, 320, OL; Shaker Heights)Conway has raw talent and he is a late bloomer. But what an

upside!He does not know how to use his hands very well and needs

time in the weight room but what he can be makes him a veryintriguing prospect. He has a body you can’t coach. He weighed320 pounds at the Cleveland combine but that does not mean heis carrying too much weight. He ran a 5.29 40 at that weight. Helooks just fine at whatever weight he is playing at on his film. Conway has the wingspan of an aircraft carrier. He is so raw

because he has played so little football with last year his first year.He may be a right tackle but I think by the time he is ready to playhe will be a guard. Someone with the depth could secure a realfind in Conway.

60. *** Lamar Passmore (6-3, 190, WR; Cincinnati Sycamore) Passmore is another super athlete with size in this class. I have seen him listed as

between 6-2 and 6-4 but it does not matter which number is accurate. He is the kind ofbig receiver with a big receiver’s game that everyone is looking to add to their lineups. Passmore has great hands and knows how to use his body. When he gets a defensive

back one-on-one, it is over. He has excellent body control and field awareness. He makesthe sideline catches and the fades look routine. I have not seen speed numbers for Passmore but his football speed looks to be just

fine. The lack of offers tells me schools are waiting to see him up close and get a stop-watch on him before making a decision. If he runs well he will be one of the hottest com-modities in Ohio this summer.

61. *** Travis Freeman (6-1, 190, LB/SS; Cleveland Glenville)When we talk about these linebacker/strong safety hybrids, we are usually talking

about athletic kids – usually lined up at linebacker – that can run. They make plays withtheir speed. Not Travis Freeman. He definitely has the speed to play the hybrid position but he is

more of a true linebacker because he is so physical taking onblockers. One of his best plays is when he takes on a lineman andstuffs him, forcing the back wider, then defeats the fullback andmakes the tackle. That is a great play by a 220-pound linebackerlet alone a 190-pound player. Freeman is so tough and physical that he plays fullback on

offense. That might not be a big deal at lower levels but Glenvilleplays at the highest levels of Division I. Their regular fullback was230-pound Jermil Martin, a Buckeye recruit. If he gets a little big-ger, Freeman will shed the hybrid position and just be an outsidelinebacker. I suspect when more schools see him we will see an impressive offer list from this out-

standing football player. Michigan State and Indiana have already offered.

62. *** Patrick Nicely (6-4, 210, QB; Willoughby South) Nicely was a starter as a freshman at quarterback and a varsity baseball pitcher. It was

a tough year for him as a junior with a number of new starters at key positions. There is no question about his physical tools. His numbers from the Cleveland com-

bine definitely got my attention. He came in a legit 6-4 and ran a 4.67-second 40. Thoseare the kinds of numbers that are going to get him a look just as an athlete. He added a29-inch vertical and an impressive 4.56 shuttle. I got this from an opposing coach, “Pat Nicely is a big, strong, physical kid who has

lots of the attributes that you look for in a big time quarterback. He is just about 6-5 andhas a very smooth over the top throwing motion. “It is difficult to block his passes or disrupt him as a passer because of his good

mechanics and the fact that he moves very well from within the pocket and outside of it.(Nicely) throws a very catchable ball, with great touch on the deep ball and the ability toput some smoke on a 20-yard dig route. “He struggled some during his junior year but so much of it had to do with a young and

inexperienced offensive line. Some of it may have also been being under center a gooddeal more than he has in the past.” If he performs like this coach thinks he can in camps this athlete season, this ranking

is way too low.

63. *** Pat McFall (6-3, 225, OLB/DE; Youngstown Boardman)McFall came to my attention first as a tight end. I don’t know McFall did not play any

defense that night or if my associate was just not paying attentionthat night but how he could not have noticed how good a line-backer McFall is beyond me. He is a good tight end but he is on this list as a linebacker. We

see middle linebackers in this class and we see a good number ofthe hybrid linebacker/strong safeties. But the true 4-3 outside line-backers are scarce. McFall is one of them. I think he is the onlytrue strong side linebacker in the class. He plays a lot of strongside in high school and it is obvious why he does. McFall is strong at the point of attack but he can play in space.

He is asked to cover slot receivers at times and is at his best whenhe attacks off the edge. He could be an ideal 3-4 stand-up defen-sive end or with his frame he could possibility grow into a 4-3 defensive end.

64. *** Jamaal Ali (6-1, 220, OLB/DE; Garfield Heights) When you take a look at the film of No. 1 ranked player Melvin Fellows, look at the

other end of the line. You will see an awfully fine player in his own right in Jamaal Ali. Any other year, Ali is the player recruiters are coming to Garfield Heights to talk about.

Ali is the one playing the glamour position of weak side defensive end. He has a greatfirst step and is relentless in pursuit. He gets off blockers well and shows outstandingclosing speed. Ali is not just a rush end. He is strong against the run and shows good football sense.

He is a great looking athlete and if Ali were just a little taller he would be about 20 placeshigher on this list. Outside linebacker is a possibility but his best position would be as astandup defensive end in a 3-4 scheme. If he runs well in the athlete season he could open up his recruiting options as most

schools run a 4-3.

65. *** Roman Lawson (6-0, 215, LB; Shaker Heights)Lawson has grown on me. I knew he was going to be a top-100 player but when I first

looked at him I did not think he was going to be a player just outside the top 50 like Ihave him right now. On first blush, I said Lawson was a player with good straight ahead speed and could

be a better fullback prospect. When I took time to break it down, I see a really smart play-er. He makes really good reads as a linebacker and is very physical. He attacks the holelike a linebacker should and is one of the better linebackers in the state as a passdefender. Lawson shows more agility and a better burst as a running back than I first thought.

He changes direction very well and is tough to bring down. If he can run his listed 4.55-second 40 this is ranking is way too low.

66. *** Ben Moody (6-2, 175, ATH; Cortland Lakeview)Ben Moody is a long lean high school running back with an explosive turn of speed.

But I can see him making a move to receiver. He ran a 14.72-second in the 110-meter high hurdles as a soph-

omore. Let’s keep in mind that the last couple of elite hurdlers fromOhio are now household names – including a pair of Ohio Statereceivers in Ted Ginn Jr. and Brian Hartline. Moody put up a 9-10 broad jump at the Cleveland combine and

that is a good measure of explosion. There is no question Moodybrings that to the table. If he shows he can catch the ball he is going to be a hot com-

modity this summer. There is no such thing as too much speedand Moody has a great body. Defense is always a possibility with a player who has good size

and outstanding speed but this kid is something with the ball in his hands. Moody is notjust fast – he is also quick and elusive.

SP

GH

SP

SP



67. *** Maalik Bomar (6-2, 185, LB; Cincinnati Winton Woods)When I first took a look at Bomar’s film I thought I was looking at another undersized

linebacker that looks good because he is athletic and being put in a position to make playwhere he is running around with no blocker in front of himEveryone has a package for players like that at the high school and college level but

that all changed when I got to a section of film where Bomar was not running free. Thedownside of the undersized outside linebackers is they are vulnerable to being run at.Bomar showed he is not so vulnerable to that strategy. I saw him stand up a number ofblockers and I am not just talking about backs. He was stepping in and taking on linemen.He showed no hesitation and really stood up some really big players and then made theplay. Bomar can fill out some more but is not going to get a lot bigger. From what I can see

it is not going to matter. He brings it on every play. Bomar is a high motor player withgood instincts and outstanding speed. Size is going to be the only question. He has an offer from Toledo.

68. ** Luke Kuechly (6-3, 215, LB; Cincinnati St. Xavier)I was looking at a St. Xavier game tape from 2008 because I wanted to get a good

look at outstanding St. Xavier linebacker who was a senior in the 2008 class, Fred Craig.I was really impressed with the player I was looking at and I did not recall that he was astall and rangy as I remembered from 2007. I remembered that Craig was a single digitnumber playing linebacker and so is Kuechly. He was the player I was looking at. Kuechly is a bigger player and more athletic but his game is very similar to Craig’s, a

Stanford recruit. Both have top drawer instincts. Both can run really well and both playwith good discipline. Kuechly had an impressive 143 tackles and six sacks against a level of competition

that nobody can question. He has offers from Stanford, North Carolina State, Miami (Ohio), Louisville and

Cincinnati at this early stage.

69. ** Jamon Wagner (6-2, 190, S/LB; Youngstown Liberty)Despite having to share the spotlight with a stacked lineup, Wagner stands out. The

more I look at Wagner the better I like him. He has a great frame. I can see another 20pounds on him. He is physical enough to play at the line of scrimmage but quick enoughto play corner. He lines up on slot receivers and seems very comfortable there. He sits inthe zone and plays disciplined football but does not look out of place when asked to playman coverage. One of the more impressive plays on his film is when he drops into hisassigned zone and leaves his man to get in the passing lane and gets a hand on a passintended for the receiver that stayed in his zone.Everyone is looking for the hybrid linebacker/strong safeties these days. The ability to

cover and a comfort level in coverage is usually the litmus test. Here is one that looks likehe is going to pass the test.

70. ** John Taylor (6-5, 260, ATH; North Olmsted)When I have presented Taylor to others the response is always the same – needs a lot

of work but what a specimen to work with. Taylor is a work in progress with one of the best bodies in the Class of 2009. He has

the kind of frame that is going to draw everyone’s attention. I don’t know if there is oneposition where he stands out but if the call was given to me I say tight end. He carries his 260 pounds very well. I think he can add 20 more and still be a tight

end, especially in the Big Ten region where there are bigger tight ends. I think Taylorcould be an excellent in-line blocker. He plays tight end in high school so I get an oppor-tunity to see him play there. He can catch the ball and with more reps I think he could bea very effective classic tight end. Taylor also plays defensive end but I don’t think he can be a college defensive end. If

he is a defensive player I think he will be a tackle. The good thing about him is the worstcase scenario is he adds enough weight that he needs to move down to the offensiveline.

71. ** Zakee Bashir (6-2; 210; OLB/DE; Columbus Walnut Ridge) When I first saw Bashir, I thought I was looking at a much bigger player. He looks so

long. I don’t know if I have ever seen a player with this kind oflength. I am certain I have not seen it on a player that was in the6-1 to 6-2 range. Bashir plays as a defensive end in the Walnut Ridge scheme.

Usually defensive ends in a 4-3 are taller than Bashir but lengthhas everything to do with the desire for tall players, not to mentiontaller usually means more athletic. There is no question aboutBashir’s athleticism and can he ever run. His teammate, Brandon Rice, is one of the fastest football play-

ers in the state. He breaks a long run and he player running rightbeside him stride for stride is Zakee Bashir. He has room to add more weight. Maybe with his reach he

could be a 4-3 defensive end but I think his best position would be as a 3-4 standupdefensive end.

72. ** Victor Rodriguez (6-2, 220, LB/DE; Columbus Eastmoor Academy)To my disappointment, it is not a great time for the Columbus City League as far as

football is concerned. We are not seeing the number of players coming out of there likewe were just five years or so ago. But Rodriguez is one that really stands out. He has a great frame and looks more like 6-4. Rodriguez looks more like a defensive

end. When I first heard about him, that position is where my associate projected him. But I don’t see a defensive end in Rodriguez. I see an old fashioned middle linebacker,

his current position. He has good range and is a solid tackler. He seems comfortable in apass defense role – something that is a really big plus in this day and age. He gets agood drop, locates possible receivers in his zone and reads the field well.

73. ** RonCarlos Hilton (5-11, 185, SS; Youngstown East) Hilton is one of my favorite players in this class. He is an under-

sized playmaker at safety but Hilton plays the ball and the runequally well. He definitely belongs in the conversation about thebest hitters in the class. He is a natural strong safety, and I knowhe is not the size everyone is looking for in this day and age ofsmall linebacker sized strong safeties, but when I watch Hilton oneword comes to mind – “playmaker.” Against the run and against thepass, not to mention on special teams, Hilton makes plays. He is a playmaker on offense as a receiver, but defense is why

he is in this top 100. If I were on a college coaching staff, I wouldbring Hilton in and see if he can cover. I know he has ball skills andhe makes plays on the ball as a safety and catches everythingthrown his way as a receiver. Hilton could be a real steal for someone.

74. ** Sylvestry Gibbs (6-0, 170, RB; Austintown-Fitch)Gibbs is one of my mystery players this year. I am surprised we

are not hearing more about him. He is an explosive player and has that “suddenness.” He hits

the hole like he has been shot out of a cannon. He shows goodvision and has a slashing style and runs with reckless abandon. When I speak with others that have seen him, one thing they

point out is size. He is legit 6-0 and I need to see the scale tobelieve he is only his listed 170 pounds. If he told me he was 190, Iwould believe him. If he isn’t big enough to be a running back he is big enough to

be a corner. He catches the ball as well as any back in the class,so a move to receiver is not out of the question. I think he can getbigger.

75. ** Sam Longo (6-5 260, OL/DT; Bellbrook) I would put a star or something beside Longo’s name if I could – something to note

that this is a player to watch during the athlete season. If you want to talk about great frames, Longo is one of the first

names out of my mouth when the subject comes up. He has a longbody and long limbs. He will weigh 300 pounds even if he was nottrying to weigh 300 pounds. He has really good feet and playsnasty. The athlete season is so crucial to him. Longo showed tough-

ness playing with his hand in a cast for a number of games thisyear. He also plays defensive end but he will outgrow that position but

a player this athletic might get a look at defensive tackle. His fatherwas an Ohio State linebacker. He has early offers on the table from Florida State, Cincinnati, Miami (Ohio) and

Bowling Green. That list could get a lot longer if he does what I think he is can when thecombines and camps start.

76. ** Ryan O’Rourke (6-2, 190, QB; Avon) O’Rourke is my nominee for the player who will not get the offers he deserves. Lack of

ideal size is the only thing keeping him out of the top 50. I have railed against the quarterback recruiting template for years and I have no inten-

tion of stopping until someone offers an argument as to why quarterbacks have to be tall. One big advantage for him is the offense Avon runs. He is in a basic pro set most of

the time. O’Rourke has had to learn to read defenses and he spreads the ball all over thefield. He can make any throw, has great touch and his accuracy is uncanny. He showspoise, a Division I arm and good mechanics. O’Rourke is mobile enough to be a problemonce he breaks the pocket. Simply put, Ryan O’Rourke is the most ready to play quarterback in the class.

Someone is going to get a steal as so many are not going to give him the good look hedeserves.

77. ** Brandon Rice (5-9, 180, RB; Columbus Walnut Ridge) We have discussions about small backs regularly. Which side of that argument I am on

is not in question but the definition of a small back is. I do not have a problem with a back’s size but I do have a prob-

lem with backs that cannot run between the tackles. Small back isthe term we use because the backs that cannot run between thetackles are the smaller. That is why Rice is on this top 100 – he is a between the tackles

runner. I counted a grand total of four plays where Rice went out-side the tackles on his entire film. Three were designed and theother he ran to daylight. He is like the last smaller back that I really liked, Michigan

State’s Javon Ringer, in the fact that he is so elusive in tight quar-

GH

SP

SP

NF

GH



ters. He never gives the defense a clean shot at him. Rice is a tough runner, too. He runs over his share of tacklers and breaks tackles.

78. ** Dillon Voss (6-1, 220, LB; Garfield Heights)Under head coach Charles Reisland, Garfield Heights has regularly put out Division I

talent but this year is the mother-load with three top 100 players. Voss runs very well and does a great job of keeping himself clean. The importance of

that cannot be emphasized enough. It means a linebacker is reading and reacting atanother level and that allows him to not be slowed down by blockers. He has very good range and does not look out of place in pass coverage. When I first

saw Voss, I thought he might not be big enough to play inside as a college player but Ithink it is his best position. Now that I get a better look at his body, I think he can carryanother 20 pounds. Voss is an outstanding student, too. Smarts are a much underappreciated aspect of

recruiting as far as I’m concerned. The NFL has the Wunderlich test and colleges tend tofollow the lead of the NFL in most things but have not done so with this kind of testing.

79. ** Dante Marsh (5-11, 185, RB, Warren Howland) Marsh is a tremendously skilled runner. I would argue that he brings runner skills to the

table that are the equal of any back in the class. He has great vision, elusive and so smooth he makes running

look effortless. It even looks like he is not running hard, but rather,it looks like he is gliding. He is not a powerful runner but his quickfeet and superior balance have him stepping out of a lot of tackles.Tacklers have to hit him square and solid to bring him down. Marsh is an absolutely fearless runner. He is as effective inside

as he is outside and uses his off hand well to fend off tacklers. Heslaps hands away that are reaching for him. It is such an effectivebut not often used technique that can throw a tackler off balance. He has a reported 4.5 40 and I cannot confirm that but his foot-

ball speed is not something I have a question about – but his sizeis. He is 5-11 to 6-0 but has a slight build. It may force a move to receiver in college.

80. ** Blake Fraley (6-3, 205, LB; Hilliard Darby)It used to be that we saw the Division I talent coming out of Hilliard Davidson. Now, it

seems that Hilliard Darby under head coach Paul Jenne is putting a player in the OhioHigh top 100 every year. Watching outstanding 2008 linebacker prospect B.J. Machen last year, it was easy to

see he was not alone. He teamed with outstanding junior Blake Fraley to form one of thebetter linebacker corps in the state. Fraley reminds me a lot of Cincinnati St. Xavier linebacker Fred Craig from last year,

who will play at Stanford next year. Fraley finds the ball quickly and gets there quickly. Healways seems to be around the ball. I see a better frame on Fraley than Craig, though.He will fill out into a 230-pound player by the time he is ready to hit a college footballfield. .How well he runs this athlete season will say who comes in with offers.

81. ** Mark Hilty (6-4, 235, DT; Olentangy Liberty)It is beyond me how this kid is not on the radar. He leaps off the film. Hilty has a body that is as close to perfection as you can get for a defensive tackle. He

is a high school defensive end but will move down at the college level. He is square andlean as he could be. Any leaner and he would need to add weight. He is so raw and does not use any moves. He bull rushes every play. When I say he

bull rushes, I mean bull in a china shop. There is no subtlety to his game. He plays thegame with such intensity. Instead of lighting a fire like coaches have to do with so manybig kids, Hilty may have to be calmed down. He is so quick and explosive out of hisstance that once he learns to hit gaps he will beat opposing linemen off the snap. Hisclosing speed is something opposing ball carriers are not ready for. Hilty has the length of a defensive end and has very long arms, but I think he will fill

out into a defensive tackle in college. Playing in a 3-4 as a down lineman is another pos-sibility. That is what he plays in high school. He could fit nicely into that position in col-lege. Level of competition is not in question. There is a class full of big kids with greatbodies. Line them up without name tags and Hilty is the one you would probably pick.Hilty is already qualified academically.

82. ** Dwayne Woods (6-0, 200, LB; Cincinnati Princeton)Here is the leading candidate for best hitter in the Class of 2009. Woods just punishes ball carriers and blockers alike. He is clearly the best pass

defense linebacker in the class. He drops into coverage as naturally as a good defensiveback does. He steps into passing lanes and makes interceptions. That is what puts him inthis top 100. Woods” natural position is middle linebacker. He was born to play the position. He

reads quickly then attacks the hole with the recklessness you want to see in a middlelinebacker. He is just not close to being Division I middle linebacker size. His pass coverage ability

means he has a chance to make it as an outside linebacker. Purely on football skills,Dwayne Woods is one of the best football players in Ohio. Two inches taller and 20pounds heavier, Woods would be a top 20 player.

83. ** Lamar Ross (6-1, 190, SS/OLB; Columbus Walnut Ridge)It is a great year to visit Ohio for any college coach looking for the hybrid players. Ross

is another than fits the profile. He plays in the box a lot and covers enough. He plays at linebacker but he is shows

good coverage skills. He has really good instincts and gets in the passing lanes.Sometimes he is asked to line up over a slot receiver. He does a good job in press cover-age when asked to do so. Where Ross really excels is attacking off the edge. He doesn’t just use his speed.

Ross is a tough minded kid and will stand in there and take on blockers. He shows thekind of speed that makes him viable as a true safety but he has a long lean build thatsuggests he might fill out into a true outside linebacker. As impressed with him as I am with his play at the line of scrimmage, I think his natu-

ral pass defense skills make him a safety in college.

84. ** Jason Pinkston (6-2, 170, DB; Cleveland Benedictine)There are a number of other good high school football players

on the Benedictine roster and they are getting more publicity. ButPinkston is the best college prospect of the lot. This team has the kind of talent that a coach like Art Bortnick

can make a run at the state title again with. He can take Pinkstonand line him up one-on-one against the opponent’s best receiverand not have to worry about him. He is one of those players thatalways seems to be around the ball. He doesn’t have to take abackseat to any defensive back in the state on ball skills. He getshis hands on the football a lot. He also has that uncanny ability tofind the ball when it is on the ground. His body will tell where he plays in college. He is likely to get

bigger and could end up at free safety.

85. ** Randy Greenwood (5-11, 175, ATH; Mentor Lake Catholic)Greenwood is a poor man’s Danny McCarthy of Youngstown Cardinal Mooney. In fact,

Greenwood first came to my attention from running down the NotreDame recruit from behind in a game last year. He is a good running back but where Greenwood gets his offers

will be as a defensive back. He is a good offensive player but agreat defensive player. If he runs well this spring and summer, and I think he will,

Greenwood becomes a rising star. He is off to a good start with a4.51-second 40, a 9-5 broad jump and 34-inch vertical at theCleveland combine. Those are really good numbers. He will need to do more of that as most of his film is as a run-

ning back. What we do see of him as a defensive back shows aplayer with good cover skills and one that can really run. Gettinginto the athlete season and drilling as a cornerback is really going to help his stock.

86. ** Anthony Talbert (6-5, 220, TE/DE; Cincinnati Winton Woods) Talbert was not what I expected but that is not a bad thing. I did not see him until

recently. I thought he was going to be a defensive end. There is, in fact, no defensive line play on the film. Not one play. It is all Talbert as a

tight end. I do not even know if he played any defense. An athlete of this caliber wouldhave made some impact plays on defense if he played. As a tight end, I like what I see very much. He is an old school tight end. Everyone

wants the field stretchers, the tight ends like NFL ends Kellen Winslow and JeremyShockey. Talbert is more like Ohio State recruit Nic DiLillo from last year. He is a chainmover and a safety valve. Talbert sits in the underneath zones and helps his quarterbackget out of trouble. He looks athletic enough that he could create problems for the defenseif he were called on to do so. Talbert is also an outstanding blocker. I thought DiLillo was the best blocker of the out-

standing tight end class of 2008 and Talbert is at least that good. A good showing in the athlete season moves him up this list in the next issue. Talbert

is also an outstanding student.

87. ** Julius Ferrell (6-1, 245, LB/DE; Youngstown Liberty) Sometimes I think about putting together a list of the best play-

ers in the state just for the fun of it. Take the bodies and the athleti-cism out of it and just look at what they do on the football field. If I did that Julius Ferrell would be one of the top five players in

the state. He is a highly skilled football player. He is as complete a linebacker as there is in the state. He is as

good in coverage as he is at the line of scrimmage. Ferrell is asphysical as any player in the class. He is just an outstanding foot-ball player. Ferrell’s body is going to tell how heavily he is recruited. Right

now, he reminds me of a former Ohio State player Darrion Scott,who arrived at Ohio State as a linebacker but entered the NFL as adefensive tackle. I think Ferrell follows a similar path. If he were 6-4 and 220 pounds, he would be a top-20 player, at least.

88. ** Mordecai Cargill (6-1, 210, RB; Hunting Valley University School)It would not be the Ohio High top 100 without a player from University School. It has

been an annual occurrence under University head coach Jim Stephens. I just saw this big back right before we went to press. I am sure Cargill is his listed 6-1

but he actually looks taller than that, and he is the leanest 210 pounds you will ever see.

GH

SP

SP

GH



He is going to be a 225-230-pound kid by the time he hits a college football field. Heruns like a big back should but also shows agility in tight spaces and makes himself diffi-cult to get a square hit on. He has that one instinct that is most important to a big back –he gets north and south quickly. He is really fast for a big guy, so fast that he returns kicks. He is still raw and I think he

has one of the better upsides in this class. Level of competition is always a question withUniversity School athletes, as is publicity. They don’t always appear on the radar as earlyas some but after camps they usually come up with nice offer lists. I suspect it will be thatway with Cargill. This is a player I will be keeping a close eye on. I would not be surprised to see him

be a rising star this summer.

89. ** Jack Dawson (6-2, 200, QB; North Lima South Range)Jack Dawson is the most athletic of the top quarterbacks in Ohio. As a runner with

4.55-second 40 speed, he is a weapon. The quarterback draw is part of the offense andpart of any defensive game plan against North Lima South Range would have to includesome plan to keep him in the pocket. One play early in his highlight film says it all about Dawson. He pitches out to his run-

ning back, who then turns the corner. Dawson chases the play, catches up with the backand eventually passes him and throws the block that leads him into the end zone. I think Dawson can be a Division I quarterback. He has a good arm and is in charge

back there but I think he could play as a safety or even a receiver should he not pan outas a quarterback. Dawson will need to camp to make a name for himself, as small school quarterbacks

always seem to.

90. ** Nate Klatt (6-4, 270, C; Canal Fulton Northwest) Klatt is a brutally effective brawler in tight spaces. You will find more athletic linemen

but I doubt you will find one that grades higher. We talk about athleticism with lineman and we talk about frames. What stands out

about Klatt is the number of battles that he wins. When you get right to the heart of thematter – that is what this is all about. Klatt does have a good frame and he can add some weight. We talk about football

being a game of inches. A lineman holding his block for that extra split second can meanthe difference between no gain and a touchdown, so tenacity from a lineman is a big plus.Klatt has tenacity to spare. Natural centers are hard to find, especially ones like Klatt thathave experience snapping both from under center and from the shotgun. He has offers from Akron, Indiana and Bowling Green and Ohio State has been in to

take a look at him.

91. ** Tommie McBride (6-1, 205, LB; Cincinnati Taft)McBride is the best kept secret in Ohio and the reason is his size. He is not going to be Division I defensive lineman sized in college. The reason he is in

this top 100 despite not passing the size test is he is not going to be a defensive linemannext year. He is going to be at his natural linebacker position. Taft head coach Michael Martin says McBride can run a 4.5 40 and after seeing him

on tape I would not be surprised if he can run a 4.5. He comes off the ball like someonehas shot him out of a cannon. He runs down ball carriers like they are standing still andhas a motor that won’t quit. McBride has a body that can carry 235-240 pounds, unlike most of the other lineback-

ers his size in the state this year. College coaches will be stopping by to take a look at Carridine but they need to watch

out for Tommy McBride. He could be one of the hottest players in Ohio for the Class of2009 if he shows what I think he is capable of as a linebacker. If he makes the transitionto linebacker smoothly he will be ranked a lot higher in the season ending issue of OhioHigh.

92. ** Ryan Cheek (6-1, 225, LB; Lancaster)I was not sure about Cheek when I first saw him. I went back and took another look

and just focused on the defensive side of the ball. That is when the light came on. Cheek is a really good inside linebacker. He is one of the few in the Class of 2009 with

the tools and the size to play inside at the Division I level. He attacks downhill, gets offblocks well and is a very good tackler. His numbers for his junior year tell the story on that with over 90 tackles and a very

impressive 21 tackles for loss. He is a player that shows the ability to stay on the fieldduring passing downs. Maryland and Cincinnati have already offered and if he runs anywhere close to his list-

ed 4.51-second 40 this summer, those offers will be the first of many.

93. ** Zach Murray (6-2, 230, LB; Avon Lake)Murray is one of my favorite players in this class and I think he is getting overlooked

because of his success. He is one of the best defensive ends in Ohio regardless of class but lacks the size to

be a college defensive end. Because he is such a good pass rusher, I think he has beenlocked into his high school position which is a down end in a 4-3. I am looking at Murray as a linebacker having the size to play any linebacker position.

He is very strong at the point of attack and stones blockers with his strength and explo-sion. He gets off blockers very well and then you see the one thing that makes me thinkhe could be a great linebacker – his closing speed is top drawer. I noticed how many run-ners checked up when Murray was chasing them. They knew they were not going to beathim to the corner.

Relentless is another attribute Murray has to spare. He could be a standup defensiveend in a 3-4, too.

94.* Danny Gress (6-0, 205, LB; Clayton Northmont) I have watched Danny Gress film more than any player outside of the top 50. He is

arguably the best linebacker in the class. Nobody has better instincts. He is fast, has amotor that won’t quit, is a great tackler and no linebacker in Ohio makes more plays inthe backfield and at the line of scrimmage than Danny Gress. If he were bigger he would be a top-25 player. He is just not the kind of athlete that we

are seeing in the hybrid players. I don’t see a player that can play anywhere but wherethe position he plays in high school – middle linebacker – and I don’t see a player thatcan get much bigger than about 225 pounds. A name comes to my mind, Zac Thomas. I hope someone gives Gress the opportunity

to fail.

95. * Trae Tiller (6-2, 235, DE/DT; Canal Winchester Harvest Prep)Tiller only played four games due to injury but racked up an amazing 11 sacks, includ-

ing a seven-sack game. He is as good a pass rusher as there is in the state. He is more technically sound than

most, as he uses moves instead of just raw physical tools and he uses an inside move todeadly effect. Tiller’s body is why he is not ranked higher. I think he will be a tackle by the time he

takes the field in college. He does have the square build that will allow him to make thetransition more effectively than most high school defensive ends that are forced to moveinside to tackle. Tiller runs really well and has the motor. I suspect that he will adjust well to the move

down. Size is the only reason he is not in the top 50. Grades should not be a problem.

96. * Andrew Holland (6-1, 190, QB; Cleveland St. Ignatius)Level of competition means a great deal in recruiting and at no position is it more

important than at quarterback. The vast majority of quarterbacksrecruited in Ohio are from Division I and Division II. Holland takesthat to another level. He will be a two year starter at St. Ignatius. That does not hap-

pen but once in a while at this quarterback factory. Considering St.Ignatius’ schedule, I doubt we have seen a quarterback play inmore big games and at a higher level of competition than Hollandwill have played by the time he is finished. Holland has a riverboat gambler style of play. He is going to

take risks but his accuracy is impressive. He had 14 touchdownpasses to four interceptions last year. He missed some time due toinjury. He is not athletic enough to play anywhere else but is agood enough runner to be a major headache to defensive coordi-nators and will take off whenever he sees the opportunity. His size keeps him from beingfurther up this list.

97. * Jeremy Johnson (6-4, 310, OL; Springfield)I have been a fan of Johnson’s for a couple of years now. He is a natural wide body. You are not going to see a lot of kids that can carry 310

pounds as well as Johnson and he can get bigger. He has really good feet and does agood job with pass blocking.

He is playing left tackle now but I think he will be a guard in college. Johnson is a dia-mond in the rough. He needs time in the weight room, needs to work on his techniqueand needs to learn to use his hands better. A school that has the depth to take a chance on a player that needs a couple of years

to find his game would do themselves a favor by getting over to the new Springfield highschool and taking a look at Johnson.

98. * Ben Bertsch (6-3, 250, DT; Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary) About a third of the way through Bertsch’s tape, I saw the most amazing play. Bertsch was left unblocked, and considering how often he was

running around in the backfield leading up to that point, it was justastounding that it would seem he was deliberately unblocked. He plays as much defensive end as he does tackle in the St.

Vincent-St. Mary defense but his body says he will be a defensivetackle in college. Size is the only reason he is not higher on this listand I don’t know how much bigger he will get. He does a great job of beating blocks before they get to him,

and even when they do, Bertsch does a great job of getting offthose blocks. He is a rock at the point of attack but also is a relent-less pursuer. He is a very good pass rusher from either defensivetackle or defense end.

99. * Steve Hull (6-1, 190, S; Cincinnati Sycamore)I had the opportunity to see a lot of Cincinnati Sycamore tape this year with running

back Bud Golden and receiver Lamar Passmore being top players in the class but anoth-er player always seemed to catch my attention. In game films, Steve Hull was always doing something. He is a playmaker on both

sides of the ball. As a receiver he reminds me of Ohio State wide receiver Brain Hartline. He has the

SP

SP



same build – maybe not as tall but close enough – and very lean. Like Hartline, he hasgreat hands and will go up and make plays on the ball over top of defenders. Hull is agreat leaper, he is fearless making plays in traffic and he is a great blocking receiver. I don’t know if he is going to light up the stopwatches but his speed with a helmet and

shoulder pads on looks good. As good as Hull is as a receiver I think he is even better as a free safety. No safety in

the class reads the game as well as Hull does. It is easy to get focused on Golden andPassmore but this Sycamore kid is a Division I player, too.

100. * Kyle Stadelmyer (6-2, 200, LB; Girard)Stadelmyer was a feature back and that is what Stadelmyer is better known for but

defense is where he is going to play in college. His numbers speak for themselves. He had over 60 tackles,

including 19 tackles for loss, and seven sacks. Stadelmyer is one of those players that is going to need to get

to camps to start drawing the attention he needs to get offers. Heshould do very well. His numbers from a combine in Pittsburghshow an athlete worth taking a look at. He ran a 4.4 40 to go witha 4.2 shuttle and a 33-inch vertical. He also put up 12 reps of 185.Stadelmyer also participated in the U.S. Army All-AmericanCombine in San Antonio in January.Athleticism is so important to this process. There are players

higher on this list that would like to put that athlete resume on thetable. Girard is just not a regular stop on the recruiting trail. Zack Domicone of Beavercreek

ended up with offers from Ohio State and Oklahoma. I see the same kind of player inStadelmyer.

101. * Terrence Owens (6-2, 160, QB; Cleveland Glenville)Owens is a long lean southpaw. He is a raw talent, a lot like Arvelle Nelson from

Glenville a few years agoOwens will likely be a higher rated quarterback after his senior

year seeing as how his junior year was his first as a starter. Mostquarterbacks see their biggest improvement from their first year asa starter and their second. Owens moves well and throws on the run awfully well. He does

a great job with the underneath game. He delivers the ball accu-rately, with good touch and enough velocity. Owens is reed thin.He will likely need to redshirt to add weight. He will not make itthrough his first season intact with his current body. We will seewhat kind of leader he is and how tough he is as the Glenvillereceiving corps will be a young lot and his go-to guy, CordaleScott, was a senior. Also, there is no big time back to hand the ball off to. Owens will becounted on to make it the Glenville offense go.

102. * Adam Schneid (6-4, 265, OL; Avon Lake)Avon Lake had a tell this year. Look for No. 73. They were going to do a lot of running

behind Schneid. He is one of the better offensive linemen in the state this year. He plays left tackle and

his forte is run-blocking and he has the kind of body that will take him down to guard atthe college level. Schneid has a great looking body. He is a well put together 265 pounds and will not

have a problem carrying 300 pounds without impacting his athleticism and quickness. Hehas some respectable numbers with a 315-pound bench and 22 reps of 185 but needstime in the weight room. But that is the last thing college coaches worry about. They

know they can make players bigger and they would rather have a leaner body likeSchneid’s to build on. His agility numbers are what stands out. He has a solid 5.2 40 and a 4.81 shuttle to go

with a 25-inch vertical and an 8-5 broad jump.

103. * Tyler Johns (6-5, 250, OL; Waynesfield-Goshen)Right now, Johns is a better defensive tackle than he is an offensive tackle but he is in

this top 100 because of what he can be in time. He can be a fine offensive tackle 50 pounds from now. He moves so well that he looks

almost graceful. He has such a great frame, is a solid 250 pounds and is V-shaped. Heplays offense right now, too, but he is just better on defense. I think he can be a reallyfine pass protector with his agility and good hands. He has a lot to learn but most highschool linemen need to anyway. He will need someone that can sit him for a few years to add weight and strength but

the frame and the good feet are things that you can’t coach. Level of competition is going to be suspect playing in Division VI, so he needs to have

a busy schedule in the spring and summer at camps and combines.

104. * Jamil Jarvey (5-9, 160, WR; Painesville Harvey)Despite the presence of one of the elite prospects in the state for the Class of 2009 in

No. 6 ranked Chris Fields, Jamil Jarvey does not have a problem grabbing your attention. Opposing defensive coordinators cannot focus on superstar Chris Fields over on the

other side of the field. If they do, Jarvey will gut the defense. He amazes me in the factthat despite his size, he could not be more at home in the middle of the field. He catcheseverything thrown his way, and after the catch tracking him down is just about as difficultas getting a hand on Fields. Size is a big question mark. He is listed at 5-9 but I think he is probably 5-8 or less. I

will always prefer size in a receiver but for the role a player like Jarvey would be asked toplay, I don’t think it is a must. I see it as an extra. He is already adept at the underneath game where slot receivers make their living,

and he can return kicks.

105.* Alex Jones (6-9, 325, OL; Sandusky)I have been doing this for awhile now and seeing players that are legitimately 6-6 and

300 pounds has become old hat. Every now and then there is a player that just leaps outat me with his size and Alex Jones is just a massive kid. He is one of the biggest footballplayers I have ever seen. He is every bit his listed 6-9, 325 pounds but he is not fat at all.I doubt he could under 300-310 pounds no matter how hard he tried. He looks like he plays high but he has no choice but to play high. He is a pretty nimble

kid. I saw him have to jump over a fallen opponent and he did it pretty gracefully. He plays right tackle but will move inside at the college level. Pittsburgh took a shot at Chase Clowser, another player that just leaped off the screen

at me a few years ago, and Jones is more athletic than Clowser.

106. * Josh Jones (6-3, 200, WR; Cincinnati Elder)I have not seen as much of Jones as I would like as tape has been hard to come by

but from what little I have seen I was impressed enough to include him in the top 100. Ithink if I had seen more he would be higher on this list. Jones is a very athletic receiver with good size. He had 38 catches for 601 yards and

six touchdowns on the season. The teams Jones put those numbers up against is notgoing to be in question. That is quite an accomplishment with a starting quarterbackinjured and not being the go to receiver. Jones has an early offer from Cincinnati and is getting attention from Boston College

but I think a good athlete season, one where he puts up a good 40-yard time, will addany number of additional offers to his list.

GH

GH

QUARTERBACKS

Zach Toerner (6-4, 210lbs; Badin)Good size and a great touch passer.

Bo Cordell (6-2, 200lbs; Cincinnati Indian Hills)One of the most productive quarterbacks in Ohio.

Neal Seaman (6-1, 190; Louisville)One of a number of quality quarterbacks in Ohio who

will get overlooked because he lacks ideal measurables.Led team to D-II state final last year.

Jon Mason (6-4, 200; West Milton Milton-Union)Haven’t seen enough to say yet but from what I am

hearing I want to see more. Led Bulldogs back to playoffsafter loss of standout QB Mitchell Evans (Indiana).

Alexander Pidcock (6-2, 216; Sylvania Southview)Tough, strong, a real gamer and throws a most catch-

able ball.

RUNNING BACKS

Marquis Harrell (6-0, 200; Avon)No player has a chance to move up more than Marquis

Harrell. Shows great vision and good instincts. Makesquick decisions and is explosive to the hole.

Marquel Smith (5-9, 205; Youngstown Chaney)Short, not small. Can run between the tackles well.

Breaks tackles and has excellent feet. Shows excellentvision and reads his blocking well. Father played RB atYoungstown State.

Kevin Ringer (5-10, 185; Clayton Northmont)More people that I respect have asked me why Ringer

is not in the top 100 than any player on this list. Nephewof Michigahn State stadnotu Javon Ringer.

Damien Jarrett (5-9, 175; Boardman)Size is the only thing keeping this talented and polished

runner out of the top 100.

Kevin Obye (5-10, 185; Watterson)Quick footed back with excellent acceleration, who runs

well between the tackles and is an excellent receiver.

Monterae Williams (5-9, 175; Canton McKinley)Quick footed tough minded back who runs bigger than

his size.

Harvey Tuck (5-10, 220; Akron St.-Vincent St. Mary)Big back that could get a look as a FB.

Joe Nagle (6-0, 180; Newbury)Speed and great runner instincts.

Allen Owens (6-0, 185; Cleveland Heights)Missed a lot of time due to injury. Gets north-south

quickly. Very good receiver.

Eric Jordan (6-0, 190; Sandusky)A step quicker or a little bigger and he is a top 100

player.

The Next Wave...



Josh Slemker (6-1, 195 Eaton)Quick as well as fast and always seems to make the

first tackler miss.

Jelani Alford ( 5-9, 165; Cincinnati Withrow)Has great speed and can hurt a defense from all over

the field with the ball. Colleges will have to figure outwhere to play him.

Allen Eggleston (5-9, 180; Olentangy Liberty)Skillset and speed second to none. Absolutely fearless.

Size keeps him out of the top 100.

Mark Mays (5-8, 175; Clayton Northmont) Can run with the best of them. Could be a better cor-

ner. Could have a break-out year defensively oopposteOhio State commit C.J. Barnett.

Zach Boren (6-0, 240; Pickerington Central)Boren is impressive with the ball in his hands. He could

be the next great fullback out of Ohio. Powerful linebackerwith good instincts but I think he fits best as a fullback.Has been offered by Ohio State.

Dan Banna (5-10, 220; Canfield)Puts on a show with the ball in his hands and is also a

great lead blocker. Will get a chance to show scouts hisstuff as a middle linebacker this season.

Luke Franken (5-10, 220; Canfield)If you are looking for a blue collar fullback, this may be

your pick.

Mike Marrow (6-2, 230; New Albany)Marrow played well as a junior and looks like he could

be a FB at the next level.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Zach Burks (6-3, 175; Springfield)Super athletic player forced to play quarterback. He

could make someone a fine receiver in time.

Justin Chappell (5-11, 185; University School)If he shows speed this summer his stock will improve.

Very skilled player, especially as a receiver.

Tony Harris (5-11, 165; Cincinnati Moeller)Highly skilled player that could make a name with him-

self with a strong athlete season. A good forty time couldmake him a hot commodity.

Dee Brizzolara (6-0, 170; Aurora)Two inches taller and a step quicker, Brizzolara would

be getting Brian Hartline comparisons. Makes difficultcatches look routine.

Jeff Duckworth (6-0, 195; Princeton)A good forty time from being a top 100 player. Makes a

lot of plays.

Joey Parris (6-1, 175; Cleveland St. Ignatius)Good possession receiver with hands.

Connor Ryan (6-0, 165; Cleveland St. Ignatius)Picked up and early offer from Ball State. With a big

senior year more offers will be on the way.

Brandon Mathie (6-2, 175; Louisville)Good size, great hands, athletic and a playmaker on

both sides of the ball. A good speed number does won-ders for his stock.

Jordan Gelhaus (5-11, 180; Watterson)Quick footed high school running back that should han-

dle the transition to WR easily. Great in the open field.

Adam Alderman (6-0, 180; West Carrollton)Decent size, gets open and catches anything.

Robert Carmona (6-0, 185; Dublin Jerome)Only saw a handful of plays but I am not going to be

surprised if he is a top 100 player when I get to see moretape.

Mandella Sheaffer (6-0, 180; Findlay)Good size, good balls skills, great hands. Speed will tell

what kind of offer list he has.

TIGHT ENDS

Brian Wozniak (6-5, 225; Cincinnati Loveland) Very athletic. Likely a tight end but any player this ath-

letic is going to get a look on defense.

Mike Levandowski (6-5, 215; Stow Munroe Falls)Athletic big kid with great hands. High school receiver.

Will be a college tight end.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN

John Anevski (6-4, 280; Cincinnati Elder)Solid wide body with good technique and a level of

competition second to none. Brother is a starting OL atBoston College.

Alvin Waller (6-4, 320; Cincinnati Winton Woods)Natural wide body with long arms and a good punch.

Craig Stan (6-5, 220; Howland)A body and athleticism you just can’t coach. Needs

time in the weightroom but could be a gem.

Pat McShane (6-5, 285; Walsh Jesuit)An invitee to the regions best programs junior days.

Clay Cooper (6-4, 260; Howland)Good center/guard that is just not ideal sized.

Zach Laird (6-4, 270; Olmstead Falls)Run oriented teams will like this small space brawler

who has a good punch. Very physical.

Allen Matthews (6-5, 280; Xenia)Coach Mignery believes he is the best from Xenia

since Ben Person.

Matt Cash (6-1, 285lbs; Howland)Very feet and athletic for his size. Shows some pop.

Austin Buitt (6-4, 280; Strongsville)Moves really well and comes off the ball like you want a

lineman to. Needs to get to camps where they can checkhis measurables and see his frame.

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN

DeJuan Hill (6-5, 210; Cleveland Benedictine)A player with a long frame, could play DE or OLB in

college. If he fills out a bit he could be a player to watchlate in the process.

Vince German (6-2, 230; Licking Valley)Physical gringer with a good motor.

Alex Wilking (6-5, 210; Lakota West)Long lean and athletic.

Jimmy Apke (6-5, 200; Mason)Tough and moves well. Has the frame to add a good

deal of weight.

John Steele (6-4, 255; Cleveland South)Active defensive end with the frame to move down.

Gabe Robinson (6-4, 240; Hilliard Darby)Coach Jenne is excited about Robinsons potential

when he gets to his natural DE position.

Chauncey Clemons (6-4, 275; Akron Garfield)If anyone can light a fire under him he has outstanding

measurables.

Colton Griffis (6-5, 305; Big Walnut)A good reason why Will Studlien is running free a lot.

Nearly impossible to move and splits double teams like amuch more experienced player. 4.81 shuttle.

Blaine Burgess (6-3, 255; Pickerington Central)Great looking football player that just doesn’t have a

position. Very physical.

LINEBACKERS

Jacob Green (6-2, 225; Cincinnati Wyoming)Great looking football player that could jump into the

top 100 with a good athlete season.

Austin Moore (6-0, 215; Springfield)Proof of how important bodies and athleticism is to

recruiting. No linebacker in Ohio has a better skillset.

Matthew Robinson (6-3, 190; Cleveland South)Active, quick, athletic and intense. Could be a steal as

a stand-up defensive end in the 3-4.

Cody Kilar (6-2, 215; Hubbard)One of those players I may regret leaving out of the top

100. Quick, instinctive and makes a lot of plays.

Kendal Peterson (6-0, 180; Youngstown East)Undersized edge playmaker that needs to show he can

cover and play in space.

Matt Rose (6-2, 247; Massillon)Great looking high school middle linebacker that will

likely outgrow the position.

Nick Snoad (6-1, 230, LB, Gahanna Lincoln)Great instincts and reads the game well. Good motor.

Better speed and he would be top 100.

Zach Toerner

NF

Neal Seaman

GH

Jon Mason

NF

Kevin Ringer

NF

Damien Jarrett

SP

Kevin Obye

SP

Montrae Williams

SP

Harvey Tuck

SP

CORNERBACKS

David Lee (5-10, 170; Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary)Size is the only thing holding back this elite little player.

Micah Hyde (6-0, 160; Fostoria)Size is going to be a major issue with this big armed

kid. May find a home at cornerback for a Division 1 pro-gram.

Justin Kollie (6-0, 190; Cleveland Benedictine) One of the best athletes in the state of Ohio. He can

play any number of positions. Lines up at running backand receiver on offense. I think he could make a greatsafety.

Armand Dehaney (5-8, 180; Walsh Jesuit)One of the best football players in Ohio. He is just not

big enough. Might be one of the quickest players in thisclass, every time he touches the ball he can take it thedistance.

Seth White (5-10, 185; Columbus Bexley)High school quarterback that should make an easy

transition to defense in college, or could be a receiver.

SAFETIES

Pat Hinkle (6-1, 205; Cleveland St. Ignatius)If I were to pick a handful of players who I think are

most likely to crack the top 100 next issue Hinkle wouldbe one of them.

DeShawn Harris (5-10, 165; Cincinnati Wyoming)A poster child for why size matters. There is no more

talented safety in Ohio. Two inches taller and twenty

pounds heavier, Harris is at least a top 50 player.

Aric Jones (5-10, 175; Cleveland Heights)One of the best all-around athletes in the class. Good

athlete numbers will greatly improve his stock.

Bernard Pinkney (6-2, 170; Sylvania Southview)Skilled enough to be a receiver but speed and tackling

say safety.

Tahj Dent (6-0, 185; Akron Buchtel)Great looking athlete I saw very late. Likely a top 100

player next issue.

Dom Rich (6-0, 195; Canfield)Athletic kid with speed who is coming off a season

where he missed a lot of playing time.

Storm Timson (5-9, 175; Pataskala Licking Heights)Corner size but a safeties game. Great hitter. Good

instincts. Has a 4.28-second time in the pro shuttle and34-inch vertical jump.

Anthony Urbania (6-0, 195; Cleveland Benedictine) Has drawn major interest from Notre Dame early in the

recruiting process. He stars at RB in high school butcould play defense in college, very versatile.

Gannon Hulea (6-2, 210; Poland Seminary)Plays QB in High school but could play defense in col-

lege.

KICKERS

Jonathan Simmons (6-1, 205; Eaton)

Sklyer Roberts (5-11, 175; Findlay)



QuarterbacksAustin Boucher (6-1, 190; Kettering Alter)Mike Clark (6-1, 180; Massillon Washington)Kurt Hess (6-3, 225; Chaminade-Julienne)Orlando Spikes (6-1, 175; Cin. Woodward)

Running BacksDelion Freeman (5-9, 190; Alliance)Nicholas Gramke (5-11, 185; Cin. Elder)Dominic Goodwin (5-9, 180; Lakewood St. Edward)Erik Finklea (6-1, 185; Cin. Woodward)John Pettigrew (5-9, 180; Cuy. Valley Chr. Acd.)

Wide ReceiversTyler Dummermuth (6-2, 190; New Philadelphia)Jordan Hopgood (6-0, 170; Cincinnati Princeton)Logan McCormick (6-2, 180; Clinton-Massie)

LinebackersDwayne Woods (6-0, 200; Cincinnati Princeton)Rhys Edwards (6-2, 189; St. Vincent-St. Mary)Tyler Houska (6-3, 210; Medina Highland)Rob McEvoy (6-1, 225; Clev. St. Ignatius)Mike McKinney (6-0, 210; Canton South)

CornerbacksStephen Houston (5-11, 170; Lakota West)Victor Graham (5-10, 155; Co. Africentric)DeShawn Harris (5-11, 165; Cincinnati Wyoming)Willie Seawright (5-10, 160; Lakewood St. Edward)Ryan Ballenger (6-3, 198; Gahanna Lincoln)

Michael Robinson (6-0, 170; Cincinnati Princeton)Justin Austin (5-11, 180; Youngs. Ursuline)Paris Bruner (5-11,180; Warren Harding)Doug McCowan (5-10, 195; Springfield South)Trent Vallinger (5-11, 185, ATH; Poland)

Safeties

Best Of The Rest...

Offensive LinemanRob Yakimow (6-5, 280; Cincinnati LaSalle)

Defensive EndsXavier Hines (6-3, 240; Cleveland Glenville)Javon Cornley (6-5, 210; Columbus Northland)Davon Custis (6-5, 210; Col. DeSales)

Defensive TacklesBen Birch (6-4, 250; St. Vincent-St. Mary)Theo Traczyk (6-3, 255; Strongsville)

Josh Slemker

NF

Dan Bana

SP

Mike Marrow

GH

Pat McShane

GH

Clay Cooper

GH

Anthony Urbania

GH

Austin Boucher

NF

Kurt Hess

NF

Mark Mays, Clayton NorthmontPhoto by Nick Falzerano


Gar f ie ld Heights Senior Melv in Fe l lows

f the many impressive physical attributes that Melvin Fellows comes equipped to battle with on the grid-iron, his 85-inch wingspan is probably the one asset, more than any other, that an opponent can’t nec-essarily game plan against or account for.“He’s very hard to block because his arms are so long,” said Garfield Heights head coach Chuck

Reisland. “He keeps people off of his feet. I’ve never seen a guy that can move around out there andkeep so many people off of his feet like that. He just doesn’t get knocked down very much. He’salways on his feet and he always runs to the ball.”

And because of his unique ability to shed blockers and stuff the running play coming directly at him as well aschase down ball carriers from behind, Fellows was recognized as the top prospect in the state of Ohio by OhioHigh recruiting editor Duane Long for the class of 2009.“It means a lot and it’s a privilege to be ranked No. 1,” Fellows said. “But I just want to be consistent and I want

to come out and play hard every game. It’s a pretty big honor and I don’t want to make it seem like it’s nothing. Itmeans a lot, but I don’t let all of that stuff to get to my head.”Reisland is obviously a big fan of some of the things that his stellar defensive end is able to do on the gridiron

on Friday nights in the fall. “He’s just hard to block because he’s just so long and lanky and he’s just all over you. It’s hard to explain,”

Reisland said. “You think you have a piece of him and he goes right around you. But what really impressesme is watching a big tackle try and block him and (Fellows) uses his hands on him. You just don’t get tohim. You can’t get to his body.”At 6-5 and 245 pounds, and still growing, Fellows already has many of the requisite skills as well as the

desired measurables that any college football team in the country would be looking for in a defensive endon their own team. But Fellows, who won’t turn 17 until July 3, still has his entire senior season yet toplay at Garfield Heights High School in front of him.“Melvin plays every play,” said Reisland as he described the type of player that Fellows is when he’s

out on the football field. “He’s incredible. He never takes a play off. He’s a tremendous physical pres-ence and he dominates games. Even on a team that was playing a lot of sophomores and juniorswithout many seniors last year. He just dominates the game. He’s a big-time athlete with great size,great speed and he’s keeps getting stronger. He’s got the whole package.” And he’s been the virtual backbone of the Bulldog program over the past two seasons through both

good times and bad. And it was pretty bad last season, Fellows’ junior campaign, coming off of his

O



STORY BY GARY HOUSTEAU

sophomore season where the football program at Garfield Heights was at one time on the endangered species list. Itwas nearly extinct.“It was pay-to-play and we had to fundraise to run our program. And it was real tough,” said Reisland, who steered

his team to the LEL championship that year. “It worked out and we were able to do it but it was hard on the kids. Nowour program is to the point where each kid has to pay $100 and our kids have been able to handle that pretty well. Buta couple of years ago when we had to actually support the whole program, it was real tough. If we didn’t have themoney, then we weren’t going to have a program. So we had to come up with the money. And we didn’t have themoney so we had to fundraise for it.”Fellows saw his first action with the varsity that season at Garfield Heights and he began to make a name for himself.“He had a big impact for us as a sophomore,” said Reisland, whose team finished 6-4 that year. “And in his last game

that year against Bedford he was the player of the game on (FSN Ohio) and Gary Jeter (the color commentator) justraved about him. Gary Jeter is a USC grad and played in the NFL and all of that.”The picture started looking brighter for Fellows and the Bulldogs during the ensuing winter and into the spring as theybegan to prepare for the start of last season. But then the bottom fell out during the summer.“We had an off-the-field issue where we had to suspend three of our really good and really important players,”Reisland said. “And after that, the one kid that took over at quarterback broke his hand so we had to go to our thirdquarterback. And then we lost Anthony Steplight, one of our best receivers. So it was a very tough year for thekids.”Prior to that adversity occurring, Reisland thought his team really had a good chance to get back into the play-

offs last season. Fellows was in the eighth grade the last time the Bulldogs (9-2, Division II qualifier) were in thepostseason.“It was very disappointing to have something happen like that because we had worked so hard last winter,” the

veteran coach explained. “And this didn’t happen during our season, this happened in July. I think more thaneven physically, it really crushed the kids mentally. Everybody was reeling. We had to change our offense, wehad to change our defense and it was just like we had to start practice all over again after the third game of theyear.”

The suspended players didn’t play in the first two games but they did get the go-ahead from theschool’s administration to play in week three.

“They played in the third game and then we had to suspend them for the rest of the year,” Reislandsaid. “The third game we won of course when we had them. We had about 600 yards of offense and these three



kids actually made up almost all of that total.”But there was so much public pressure when

they played in week three that the school had tosuspend them all for the remainder of the season.Needless to say, the Bulldogs finished 2-8 lastyear.“And that was on a team that we thought might

go undefeated,” Reisland said. “But Melvin and allof the younger kids really played well. It’s not likewe lost every game 50-0. We lost to Stow 21-13.We played everybody fairly tough except for thelast one (34-0 loss to Nordonia). By the 10thweek of the season, the kids were just shot.”Fellows and all of the younger guys had to step

it up last year and according to Reisland they cer-tainly did.“Guys like Melvin stepped it up and, because

we lost the core of our offense, he actually playeda lot of offense for us as a tight end,” the coachsaid. “Everybody had to step it up. Melvin andthe rest of the juniors and sophomores steppedup and it’s going to make them better for nextyear. But it didn’t help for last year.”Fellows was forced to grow up even quicker

than he might have without the adversity his teamwent through last season. “Melvin just got better and better every game

and he became very dominant,” Reisland said.“And I really expect him to be dominant this fall.When we start our season he’s going to be readyto play. He’s going to be a force out there nextyear.”The expectations couldn’t be any higher for the

top-rated prospect in Ohio and he’s OK with that.“I’m not afraid to fail,” he said. “It just makes me

want to work harder but it doesn’t really changeanything. I’ll already know I’m working hard sobeing number one doesn’t make me work harder.I’ve been working harder so it doesn’t really mat-ter.”He’s actually more concerned with being a

great teammate more than he is about beingregarded as the state’s top-rated prospect.“I’m proud to be a part of this program and be a

leader and I’m going to lead my team,” Fellowssaid. “Last year was real tough. It was really,really tough. It kind of got to me mentally butyou’ve got to pick your teammates up and helpthem and that’s what we’re doing this year and I’mvery excited about this year.”Making the playoffs is something very important

to Fellows in his senior season at GarfieldHeights.“I’ve never been in the playoffs. Never,” he

said. “I would love to be.”And if the Bulldogs do indeed make it back to

the postseason, it would mean the program hascome full circle since the 2004 season when theylost 7-0 to Nordonia in the first round of the play-offs. He would be thrilled if that happened. He’s already thrilled and he feels very fortunate

and blessed to be in the position that he’s in, asan individual, at this time as well.

“I’m real excited,” said Fellows referring to thesituation he’s currently in with regards to the wholerecruiting process. “Sometimes it kind of gets like,‘Man I can’t wait until this is all over with.’ But I’mjust enjoying it and taking it all in.”Getting to play college football at the school of

his choice is almost like a bonus for Fellows.“Getting an education is the main part of it,” he

insisted. “I’m going to college for free and I’mgoing to have a great education. I’m not thinkingabout the NFL or anything. I just want to get awell-paying job because I know it’s hard to get agood job if you don’t have a college degree. Sothat’s what I’m thinking about -- education first.”His priorities obviously seem to be in their prop-

er order. But that’s the kind of young man thatFellows is.“As good of a football player he is, he’s an even

better kid,” Reisland said. “When I first met Melvinas a freshman I was amazed. I said, ‘Man he’sreally a great kid.’ And you know he’s neverchanged. Even with all of this hype. He doesn’teven talk about it. Here’s a guy that can go toMichigan, Ohio State, and Notre Dame and he’llnever tell you that. His main focus right now isbeing a leader and helping us to get our programback to where it was before last year’s fiasco.”It’s what he dreams about when he goes to bed

at night.“Nothing is more important to me right now than

my team,” Fellows said. “Nothing at all. All I careabout is my team. I’m a team player. That’s all Icare about.”Reisland thinks the rest will take care of itself.

He’s that good.“He’s very good now but I don’t think Melvin

has even touched the surface of how good he canbe,” the coach said. “I think there’s a day downthe road that he will be a dominant defensive endat the next level. He’s going to be a very domi-nant defensive end at the high school level thisyear but I can see him even dominating in collegedown the road. He’s still raw but he’s very talent-ed. I just really see good things out of him thisyear. I really do.”He’ll certainly make some university extremely

proud when he gives a final commitment to themsometime this spring. Fellows is currently commit-ted to Illinois but he is still “open” to other schoolslike Ohio State and USC. He’ll likely issue a firm and final commitment

sometime after all of the college coaches havegone through his school one last time this spring.At least that is his plan.Ohio State is obviously one of the schools he’s

very much interested it. And he clearly hasn’t hidhis fondness for the Buckeyes in any way. Heeven attended one of OSU’s junior days inFebruary. But Fellows has continued to remaincommitted to the Illini. “I knew I was going to get more offers and right

now that’s where I want to be,” Fellows said. “Iwant to be at Illinois. I was seeing on the comput-

er where everybody was saying that ‘he wanted tocommit because they offered him first.’ I say no. Icommitted to Illinois because that’s where I want-ed to.”For the record then, his official status at the

beginning of spring was what?“I’m going to make (my final decision) public

where I want to go and let everybody know that’swhere I want to go,” Fellows said on March 20,the day after Terrelle Pryor officially signed his let-ter of intent to Ohio State. “Up to this point I said Iwas open with all of the other schools so I’m justgoing to name a school and tell everybody that’swhere I’m going. Whatever I decide at that pointwill be my school. That’s final.”Fellows got texted by a couple of his recruiting

friends shortly after Pryor made his decision.“I knew about that at noon,” Fellows said. “A

couple of the recruits text me and told me aboutthat. That’s awesome. It’s a great place.”But then he put things right back in their proper

perspective. At least the way that he believesthey are.“I’m happy about that but it really doesn’t have

nothing to do with me,” he said. “I’m going to gowhere it best suits me and my family.”Fellows, however, did text (OSU verbal) Chris

Fields about the Pryor decision that same day.“I text him and told him, ‘Yeah you got Pryor

throwing you the rock,’ ” he said. “So I was happyfor him.”Texting seems to be the preferred mode of

information for this year’s group of recruits.Fellows really only talks with one of his fellowrecruits, for the most part, on the phone.“The person I really talk to regularly is

(Cleveland Glenville offensive lineman) MarcusHall,” said Fellows of his friend that also has OhioState, USC and Illinois at the top of his list also.“But with a lot of the other Ohio State recruits, wereally don’t talk that much. We text each otheronce in a while but we really don’t talk that much.”Fellows already considers guys like Fields,

Storm Klein, Johnny Simon and JonathanNewsome his friends. Some people believe thatbodes really well for him changing his commit-ment from Illinois to Ohio State later in the spring.It seems to be the school that most people seemto think he’ll end up in the end. But Fellows is the kind of kid that you’ll root for

no matter what school he ultimately commits to.He’s a good kid and a pretty good football playeras well.“Because of what kind of kid he is makes him

even more of a special player because he’s thekind of guy you want to see do well,” Reislandsaid. “Because he deserves to do well. I don’tknow if he’s too good to be true, but I’m glad heplays for me and doesn’t play for someone else.” Reisland can’t hide the affection he feels for

Fellows and he doesn't try to. “He’s a pretty special guy,” he said. “I’m glad he

plays for us. It’s a privilege to coach him.” — OH

Footbal l A l l -S tar Game Previews


STORY BY STEVE HELWAGEN

or the third year in a row, Ohio’stop two high school football all-stargames will be conducted simulta-neously.But a movement is afoot to pos-

sibly change that scheduling con-flict in the years to come.

The scheduling conflict first came about in2006, when the Big 33 Football Classicmoved its game up one month from July tothe third Saturday in June. But that is whenthe Ohio North-South Classic has alwaysconducted its game.The Big 33, based in Hershey, Pa., moved

its game up a month so it could continue tofeature signees who are headed to top

Division I schools. In recent years, many ofthose signees have opted to enroll at theircollege choice for summer school. Oncesignees enroll in those summer sessions,which usually begin in late June, theybecome ineligible for all-star game competi-tion.As a result, Ohio’s top players – who used

to be able to play in both games – are “draft-ed” by coaches onto one of the three all-starteams. The North and South squads will gohead to head in the North-South ClassicJune 14, while the Ohio all-stars will play aPennsylvania squad at Hersheypark Stadiumlater the same night. This marks the 16thstraight year Ohio will participate in the Big

33.The results for Ohio in the Big 33 have not

been pretty since the conflict came about twoyears ago. The Pennsylvania all-stars wonthe 2006 game 61-42 and followed with a 28-10 win a year ago.The Ohio High School Football Coaches

Association sets up the selection process forboth games and sponsors the North-Southgame. This year, though, the Big 33 coach,Olmsted Falls’ Jim Ryan, was given a bettershot at some of the state’s top available play-ers.“We wanted to have the most representa-

tive team go to Pennsylvania,” said AvonLake coach Dave Dlugosz, current presidentof the OHSFCA. “That is without denigratingthe people in the North-South game, which isthe longest running high school football all-star game in the U.S.“But the fact is with the North-South game,

Ohio is always going to win that. The Big 33is an interstate rivalry. A lot of credence isgiven to the result of that game. We tookaway a couple of the restrictions on the Big33 coach in the selection process to give hima little bit more leeway.”As a result, Ryan’s Big 33 team will have

at least 21 players who signed letters-of-intent in February for Bowl ChampionshipSeries schools. Last year’s Ohio Big 33 teamfeatured just 15 BCS signees.Dlugosz said the OHSFCA is being proac-

tive in protecting its own game as well. Therewill be two big changes to the Ohio North-South Classic this year. The game will beplayed at 4 p.m. on June 14, followed by theBig 33 game at 7 p.m. from Hershey. Theother big change is the venue. The North-South game will move from Columbus CrewStadium, where it has been held every yearsince 2001, to venerable Ohio Stadium onthe Ohio State campus.“A lot of kids never get the opportunity to

get into the Horseshoe,” Dlugosz said. “Wethink it is the St. Peter’s Basilica of football inOhio. By moving our game there, we thinkwe’ll give the kids and their families and eventhe population of Columbus a chance to seea football game there.“Some people, because of the cost of tick-

ets, never get a chance to go there for OhioState games. Plus, it will give our kids achance to experience that field.”Those changes could be the first in what

could be a major shift for the North-Southgame. Dlugosz confirmed that OHSFCA offi-cers have discussed moving their game, nowin its 63rd year, to April to avoid a conflictwith the Big 33 altogether.“We are in the discussion phase with our

organization and Ohio State and we maymove our all-star game to the weekend of

FChillicothe’s Chris Givens

was MVP of the North-South game last season.Ph

oto

by G

ary H

ouste

au



Ohio State’s spring game in April,” Dlugoszsaid. “It would create a big weekend for football

in Ohio with our game and their game. Wecould also do some things with the Brownsand Bengals and even tie it all in with PaulBrown.“That is only in the talking stages. The

drawback there is the spring sports. Someathletes may have to miss some time fromtheir baseball or track teams in order to com-pete in the game. We are empathetic to that.We’re just trying to figure out a solution.”Attendance at the North-South game has

hovered around the 5,000 mark in recentyears. In fact, last year’s game drew 5,070at Crew Stadium. By aligning itself with OhioState and possibly moving out of June,North-South game organizers are looking tosolidify their game. “We were thinking about this and Ohio

State was thinking about it and we just kindof came together on it,” Dlugosz said.It is also clear that, by sending a more

representative team to the Big 33, the OHS-FCA is committed to staying a part of thatgame, now in its 51st year, for years tocome.The Big 33 Football Classic typically

draws between 15,000-20,000 fans and isregionally televised between the two states.The 2006 game drew a crowd of 14,043 toHersheypark Stadium. Moreover, the Big 33and its sponsors have raised nearly$500,000 for scholarships for Ohio students.

Choosing SidesHere are details on both games:

The Ohio North-South ClassicIt will be contested 4 p.m. June 14 at Ohio

Stadium. Sherwood Fairview head coach Bob Olwin

will coach the North team. Some of his keyplayers include Youngstown East runningback/defensive back Salvadore Battles (KentState signee), Hunting Valley UniversitySchool defensive tackle Jake Stoller (Yalesignee) and Solon linebacker Steve Greer(Virginia signee).“I coached as an assistant in this game in

2002,” Olwin said. “It is a great honor to getnominated to be a head coach in this game.This is something a lot of guys don’t get thechance to do. For our team to be able toplay this game in Ohio Stadium, that alsomakes it very intriguing.”According to the OHSFCA, alumni of the

Ohio North-South Classic have participatedin all but two of the NFL’s 42 Super Bowlgames.“That is enough said right there about the

quality and tradition of this game,” Olwinsaid.Groveport-Madison’s Tim Brown will coach

the South squad. Notable players includeDublin Coffman quarterback Zach Stoudt(Louisville signee), Cincinnati St. Xavierdefensive lineman Greg Scruggs (Louisvillesignee), Lewis Center Olentangy defensiveend Kenny Anunike (Duke signee) andHilliard Darby wide receiver/defensive backJeremy Ebert (Northwestern).Last year, the South squad blasted the

North 50-7. But the North maintains a 36-23-3 lead in the all-time series.Television details for this year’s North-

South Classic had not been resolved. ONNtelevised the game last year.

Big 33 Football ClassicThe Big 33 game is set for 7 p.m., June

17, at Hersheypark Stadium. It is sponsoredby PNC Bank.Ohio State signees on the Ohio squad

include Beavercreek defensive back ZachDomicone, Westerville Central kicker BenBuchanan, Madison tight end Nic DiLillo,Cleveland Glenville lineman ShawntelRowell and Washington C.H. Miami Tracelinebacker Nathan Williams.More notables on the team include Dublin

Coffman linebacker Steve Gardiner(Michigan State signee), Wauseon linemanElliot Mealer (Michigan), Trotwood-Madisonwide receiver Roy Roundtree (Michigan),Clayton Northmont lineman Zebrie Sanders(Florida State) and Youngstown CardinalMooney linebacker Mike Zordich (PennState). Mentor quarterback Bart Tanski, theOhio Mr. Football award winner headed toBowling Green, is also on the squad.The initial Pennsylvania Big 33 roster list-

ed Jeannette quarterback Terrelle Pryor, oneof the nation’s top five prospects, accordingto ESPN.com, on that squad. But the updat-ed roster does not include Pryor. It does,however, include 21 players headed to BCSschools, however.OSU football coach Jim Tressel appeared

at an Ohio Big 33 team event held at OhioStadium. He addressed the team and theirparents.“You will enjoy that experience of meeting

new people,” Tressel said. “You will enjoycompeting on a higher level against faster,more developed athletes. The buddies youwill meet, you will remember for the rest ofyour life.“The families you live with, they will

become some of your greatest fans for therest of your career. This is just one of thosespecial events. You need to take advantageof every second. Enjoy the experience in

Hershey, Pa. No one does it better. No onedoes a better job of giving you a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”Olmsted Falls’ Ryan, the Ohio head

coach, previously served as a Big 33 assis-tant.“I knew before I was there that it was a

prestigious all-star game,” Ryan said. “I was-n’t aware, though, of how much every daywhen you are there that you’re winning. It islike a bowl week with all of the charitableappearances. Your goal is to win the game,certainly. But your goal is also to win everysingle day while you are over there.“The Big 33 is more than just a game.”Ryan said he and his coaching staff

accepted nominations for players fromaround the state. They pored over video-tapes in making their selections.“It was pretty drawn out,” he said. “We

spent time over Christmas break and on intoJanuary. I know when we started makingcalls (to players), the excitement of the peo-ple we talked to on the phone wasunmatched.“I think we’ve got some pretty nice players.

The majority of them are going to BCSschools. We thought it was nice to get theMr. Football award winner, Bart Tanski fromMentor, because he has played in a lot ofbig games there.“We have five guys from Ohio State. We

have almost all of the guys from their recruit-ing class who weren’t injured or alreadyenrolled in school.”Ryan wants to see his Ohio team end its

two-game losing skid in the series.“Ohio has not won this game since 2005,”

he said. “Our main goal is to go over andwin the football game.”From the players’ perspective, represent-

ing Ohio is a big honor.“One thing about being an Ohio boy,

everybody wants to play in the Big 33 or theNorth-South game,” DiLillo said. “I know theBig 33 has gotten a lot bigger and I knowPennsylvania beat us pretty good last year.If we can get after it, hopefully we can winthis game.”Williams said he is excited about the com-

petition he will see in the Big 33 game.“I am just looking forward to getting out

there and competing with guys at my level,particularly against guys who are going on tobig-time colleges like Ohio State andMichigan,” he said.The Big 33 game will be televised live by

CN8 in Pennsylvania. Other TV plans will beannounced as the game nears.The Ohio-Pennsylvania series resumed in

1993. Last year’s win gave Pennsylvania an8-7 lead in that series. — OH



June 14, 20084 p.m.

Ohio StadiumColumbus, Ohio

June 14, 20087 p.m.

Hersheypark StadiumHershey, Pennsylvania

Head coach: Bob Olwin(Versailles). Assistant coaches:Mark Gibson (Clyde), B.J. Payne(Lexington), Nick Ciulli (NorthRoyalton), Tom Pavlansky(Cortland Fairview), Jason Hall(Macedonia Nordonia).Players: Ryan Radcliff, QB,Sherwood Fairview; AaronPankratz, QB, MacedoniaNordonia; Jordan Gribble, WR-CB, Brunswick; Isaiah Ballard,RB-DB, Toledo Rogers; RichieBaker, WR-DB, Elyria Catholic;Salvadore Battles, RB-DB,Youngstown East; Brian Vollmer,WR-DB, Macedonia Nordonia;Matt Wakulchik, WR-DB, NorthCanton Hoover; Chase Munoz,WR-DB, Fostoria; Joe Gaglione,OL-DL, Mentor Lake Catholic;Eric Herman, OL-DL, ToledoCentral Catholic; Sean Whited,OL-DL, Canton McKinley; MarcStevens, OL, Lexington; Kevin

Harper, P-K, Mentor; JakeStoller, DL-OL, Hunting ValleyUniversity School; KurtHanenkrath, DL-OL, Ayersville;Andrew Schaetzke, DL, ToledoSt. Johnʼs. Kevin Koger, DL-WR,Toledo Whitmer; Jacob Andrews,LB-RB, Clyde; Derrick Vicars,LB-RB, Genoa; Steve Greer, LB,Solon; Steve Yoak, LB-RB,Akron Hoban; Mike Haddad, LB-RB, Avon Lake; Nick Tuminello,LB-DL, Youngstown Boardman;Andrew Illig, OL, Cuyahoga FallsWalsh Jesuit; Patrick Pakan, DB-WR, Tallmadge; Tony Stover,DB-WR, Canal Fulton Northwest;Kyle Smedi, LB-RB, LakeviewCortland; Karson Bodnovich, OL-DL, Mayfield; Devon Jennings,DB, Euclid; Harold Coates, OL-DL, Youngstown Ursuline; TeddyRobb, WR-DB, Canal FultonNorthwest; Jon Biehl, WR-DB,Lakeview Cortland.

North

Head coach: Tim Brown(Groveport-Madison). Assistantcoaches: Doug Shilot (SouthPoint), Luke Beal (Fredericktown),John Enoch (Washington C.H.),John Cooke (Cincinnati Colerain),Justin Kropka (Cadiz HarrisonCentral).Players: David Rolf, LB-WR,Piqua; Justin Hemm, S-WR,Piqua; Keith Morgam, S-WR,Bellefontaine; Zach Stoudt, QB,Dublin Coffman; Andre Dawson,CB-WR, Lewis Center Olentangy;Zach Brown, DL-C, CanalWinchester; Kenny Anunike, DE-TE, Lewis Center Olentangy;Jeremy Ebert, WR-DB, HilliardDarby; B.J. Camden, LB-TE,Groveport-Madison; Tim German,OL-DL, Newark Licking Valley;Joe Pachuta, OL-DL, NewConcord John Glenn; BryanGaiters, RB, Zanesville; MarkNichols, Newark Catholic, RB-DB;Taylor Hitzfield, TE-DE,Fredericktown; Andrew

Radakovich, OL-DL, Steubenville;Robbie Davia, QB, Cadiz HarrisonCentral; Nick Stevens, K,Gallipolis Gallia Academy.Alex Wallace, DT-OT, Logan;Dustin Harmon, DT-OL, CoalGrove Dawson Bryant; ZachHutchins, DE-LB, Sugar GroveBerne Union; AnthonyWashington, DB, Fairborn; ZachFree, DB, Washington C.H.; AstonJackson, RB-CB, Xenia; JonIngerman, OL-DL, SpringfieldNortheastern; Phillip Manley, OL,Hamilton; Zach Kauth, WR,Dayton Chaminade-Julienne;Mike Kindel, CB-WR, Springboro;Johnathan Kendrick, CB-WR,Kettering Fairmont; J.K. Schaffer,LB-DE, Cincinnati LaSalle; NickSchneider, LB, Cincinnati St.Xavier; Evan Davis, OL,Cincinnati Colerain; GregScruggs, DE, Cincinnati St.Xavier; Larry Black, NG-OL,Cincinnati Wyoming; DomSheerer, RB, Cincinnati Colerain.

South

Head coach: Jim Ryan (OlmstedFalls). Assistant coaches: EdMiley (Alliance Marlington), JayMinton (Huber Heights Wayne), DanReardon (Youngstown Ursuline),Mike Fell (Ada), Matt Rosati (Perry).Players (colleges in parentheses):Phillip Barnett, WR, Middletown(Toledo); Matt Betz, DT, AllianceMarlington; D.J. Brown, DB, WestChester Lakota West (Miami, Ohio);Justin Brown, OL, YoungstownUrsuline; Ben Buchanan, K-P,Westerville Central (Ohio State);Andy Cruse, WR, Cincinnati Turpin(Miami, Ohio); Nic DiLillo, TE,Madison (Ohio State); ZachDomicone, DB, Beavercreek (OhioState); Zac Dysert, QB, Ada (Miami,Ohio); Steve Gardiner, LB, DublinCoffman (Michigan State); Taylor Hill,DE, Youngstown Mooney (Michigan);William Lowe Jr., DB, ClevelandGlenville (Iowa); B.J. Machen, LB,Hilliard Darby (Georgia Tech); ElliotMealer, OL, Wauseon (Michigan);Matt Mihalik, OL, Gates MillsGilmour Academy (Virginia); DanMilligan, DB, Cincinnati St. Xavier

(Cincinnati); Brandon Mills, DT,Cincinnati Colerain (Cincinnati).Briggs Orsbon, WR, ConvoyCrestview (Ball State); Isaiah Pead,RB, Columbus Eastmoor(Cincinnati); Andrew Phelan, OL,West Chester Lakota West (Miami,Ohio); Dave Plungas, OL, MentorLake Catholic (Albany); Taylor Rice,WR-DB, Dublin Scioto; RoyRoundtree, WR, Trotwood-Madison(Michigan); Shawntel Rowell, OL-DT,Cleveland Glenville (Ohio State);Zebrie Sanders, OL, ClaytonNorthmont (Florida State); MichaelShaw II, RB, Trotwood-Madison(Michigan); Bart Tanski, QB, Mentor(Bowling Green); Nick Truesdell,WR-DE, Cincinnati Anderson(Cincinnati); Kenny Veal, DB,Hamilton (Toledo); Dawawn Whitner,DT-OL, Cleveland Glenville; NathanWilliams, DE, Washington C.H.Miami Trace (Ohio State); D.J.Woods, WR-DB, Strongsville(Cincinnati); Jerel Worthy, DT, HuberHeights Wayne (Michigan State);Michael Zordich, LB, YoungstownMooney (Penn State).

Ohio

Head coach: Jim Morgans(Parkland). Assistant coaches:Mike Milano (Downington West),Rick Pennypacker (Pottsgrove), ArtWalker Jr. (North Allegheny), SamLeedy (Gettysburg), Phil Riccio(Altoona).Players (colleges in parenthe-ses): A.J. Alexander, ATH, AltoonaArea (Florida State); JonathanBaldwin, WR, Aliquippa (Pittsburgh);Vaughn Carraway, WR, Muhlenberg(Temple); R.J. Dill, OL-DL, Trinity(Maryland); Nate Eachus, LB,Hazleton (Colgate); Austin Fedell,OL-DL, North Allegheny (SlipperyRock); Robbie Gumbita, OL-DL, Mt.Pleasant (William & Mary); JaredHolley, DB, Easton (Pittsburgh);John Jackson, TE, Central BucksSouth (Villanova); Chris Johnson,DB, Roman Catholic (Villanova);Mike Jones, RB, Bishop McDevitt(Syracuse); John Laub, QB,Parkland (Richmond); Phillip Long,DT, Souderton (Indiana U., Pa.);Pete Massaro, DE, MarpleNewtown (Penn State); Lucas Nix,

OL-DL, Thomas Jefferson(Pittsburgh); Joshua Potts, DB,Harrisburg (Temple); CameronSaddler, ATH, Monroeville Gateway(Pittsburgh).Mike Shanahan, WR, Norwin(Pittsburgh); David Soldner, K,Manheim Twp. (Penn State); MattStankiewitch, OL-DL, Blue Mountain(Penn State); Tino Sunseri, QB,Pittsburgh Central Catholic(Pittsburgh); Andrew Taglianetti, DB,Pittsburgh Central Catholic(Pittsburgh); Wayne Luis Tribue,OL-DL, Central York (Temple); DanVaughan, FB-DE, Pittsburgh CentralCatholic (Syracuse); BrandonWare, OL-DL, Harrisburg (PennState); Corey Watts, LB, NorthAllegheny (Lafayette); BrandonWeaver, DE, Pittsburgh Trinity(Ohio U.); Mark Wedderburn, DE,Cardinal OʼHara (Penn State);Quentin Williams, TE, PittsburghCentral Catholic (Northwestern);Christian Wilson, RB, Montour(North Carolina); Mike Yancich, LB,Trinity (Penn State).

Pennsylvania

Date post:	22-Mar-2016
Category:	Documents
Upload:	eric-frantz
View:	265 times
Download:	8 times

Ohio High May 2008

Documents