Ohio High Spring 2009

(Left to Right)PrincetonʼsSpencer Ware,Lakota WestʼsJordan Hicks,AndersonʼsAndrewNorwell andSt. XavierʼsMatt James

Editor in ChiefSteve Helwagen

PrintingMiami Valley Sports Magazine (MVP)

miamivalleysports.com

PhotographyStephanie Porter, Gary Housteau,Nick Falzerano, Greg Beers,

Jim Rinaldi

ContributorsMarty Gitlin, Jeff Williams,

David Gatwood

Staff WritersKirk Larrabee, Jeff Rapp,

Dave Biddle

Assistant EditorMatt Natali

Recruiting EditorsMark Porter, Bill Kurelic

Managing EditorEric Frantz

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Letters to Editor

love printed, hand-held magazines...but the state of the economy andthe direction of our society – one based on the ever-expanding technolo-gies at our disposal – dictates hard copy is falling on hard times.

Several newspapers including the Detroit Free Pressand Seattle Post-Intelligencer are going digital. And sohave we.This is the first full-fledged Ohio High Magazine ezine

dedicated and delivered solely to our subscribers. And thatis exciting.We previously released our Winter Sports State

Tournament Recap issue in the online-only format as well,but this is the initial issue of Ohio High.And it’s packed.Fans of our annual Top 100 Senior Football Prospects

will enjoy the feature even more this year. Former recruiting analyst DuaneLong has since moved on, and in his place we’ve given the reigns to arguablythe state’s top TWO recruiting analysts – Bill Kurelic and Mark Porter.Kurelic is the lead recruiting analyst for our sister site bucknuts.com and is

well-respected around the country.Porter is the founder and operator of ScoutingOhio.com – arguably the top

recruiting site in the country of it’s kind.The list that Kurelic and Porter have pieced together is the most comprehen-

sive and thorough Top 100 we’ve ever released. How do we know? The evalu-ations – which also included input from myself and assistant editor Matt Natali– were based on: personal coverage from over 100 games from the 2008 sea-son, hours of video analysis, spring camps and combine performances andscholarship offers already extended.Say that fast three times in a row.In addition to the Top 100, we also have another 300 players listed whom

you, I, opponents and colleges are going to want to keep an eye on this fall.Also included in this issue are updates on the top senior, junior, sophomore

and freshman boys and girls basketball players in the state.More? There’s plenty.Feature articles include Chillicothe shot putter Curt Smith, Indian Valley pole

vaulter Kayla Caldwell, Toledo Rogers high jumper Erik Kynard, and the base-ball programs at Walsh Jesuit, Strongsville and Canton Central Catholic. Don’tbe surprised if all six win state titles in a matter of weeks.As for coming out on top, we like to think we have by ditching paper, expand-

ing our coverage and not being afraid to take a shot.We’re glad you’re along for the ride as well.Now buckle up. It’s going to be a great one.

Eric FrantzManaging Editor

Ohio High Magazine is published online nine times a yearand also produces an online and hard copy issue in July(Football Preview/Year in Review). Ohio High is an inde-pendent source of news and features relating to Ohio highschool sports. Ohio High strives to report informationbased on fact, but assumes no responsability for any inac-curacies that may appear. Ohio High is not authorized,sponsored or sanctioned by any university, athletic confer-ence or athletic governing body. Subscriptions are avail-able and may be purchased online at jjhuddle.com.Copyright 2009, Ohio HighMagazine andMVPMagazine, LLC.

All rights reserved.COVER PHOTOS: McVey (Gary Housteau); Hicks,James, Norwell (Stephanie Porter); Ware (Submitted)

c

Volume 6 Issue 5

Eric Frantz

To Our Subscribers...Thanks

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DLE

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17Photo by Gary Housteau

Photo by Gary Housteau



Also...

Ohio well represented in the NFL Draft, 16 selected23Q&A with St. Ignatius’ Scott McVey16

Defensive backs Latwan Anderson and Christian Bryantgive the Tarblooders two of Ohio’s best

Glenville’s 1-2 Punch

A look at who the top senior-to-be football players are headinginto the summer and with the season just months away

Crunch Time: The Top 1006

Cincinnati Princeton football talent Spencer Ware isn’t surewhere colleges want him to play. He just knows they want him

“Ware” in the World?21

Football all-star game previews26

Thurgood Marshall’s Juwan Staten is one BIG reason the Cougarsmade the D-II basketball state final, now he’s headed elsewhere

Driving Force28

Ohio’s top boys basketball players end season strong,cause shift in class rankings

Finishing in Style Boys Basketball Recruiting30

Ohio continues to be one of the country’s must-stops for all elitecollege programs; updated listing of each classes top players

Talent Pool Girls Basketball Recruiting36

Chillicothe senior and current Division II state record holderCurt Smith looks to add elusive outdoor state shot put title

Ring Master44

Indian Valley pole vaulter Kayle Caldwell: 3x State Champ?40Ohio High Cup standings update38

Rogers high jumper Erik Kynard: Ohio’s New Record Setter42Walsh Jesuit Baseball: Sustained Excellence48Strongsville Baseball: Mustangs on the Stampede49

Others to watch from the Class of 201013

17

Canton Central Catholic Baseball: Dominating Duo50

J JHUDDLE .COM6 JJ Huddle ’ s Ohio High

Ohio Top 100 Senior Footbal l Recrui ts

Ohio High’s Top 100 Senior Football Prospects For 2010

State’s Top 2010 high School Football Prospects Issue Verbals, Weigh Optionsn a football-rich state like Ohio, it is never an easy task toisolate the state’s top football prospects.

With over 700 schools playing the sport and the milesthat separate schools from Cleveland to Cincinnati, it canbe a daunting task to rank the state’s very best. But inassessing Ohio’s football crop for the Class of 2010, wefound there is certainly a lot to like.

As the names and videos of the best players in Ohio roll inevery day for use on ScoutingOhio.com, one thing is for certain:Ohio has some of the top talent in the country year after year.Ohio usually produces over 150 Division I scholarship players

each year. As of May 1, 2009, over 95 players in Ohio had atleast one Division I offer already.

With films of over 500 players in Ohio evaluated, Ohio Highhas released its list of top prospects. With evaluations being more"art than science" these days, beauty is definitely in the eye of thebeholder.

When it comes to quarterbacks, arm strength has always be en

vogue. But recently quarterbacks that can run the spread offensehave become the rage in college recruiting. Cincinnati Moeller’sAndrew Hendrix may have the strongest arm in the class, whileCincinnati Princeton’s Spencer Ware, Bucyrus Wynford’s TylerBrause and Middletown’s Caleb Watkins entice college coacheswith their superior athletic ablitly.

Tight ends, who used to be an extension of your offensive lineand running game, have now become sleeker athletes groomedto handle both wide receiver and fullback duties in college. WestChester Lakota West's Alex Smith and Cincinnati Elder’s AlexWelch are the prototype at tight end with a do-it-all type mentali-ty. All you need to do is watch the first round of the NFL draft tosee they types of players that college programs are producingthese days.

In turn, these are the types of players they are trying to find inhigh school to recreate past successes.

Who will be the next Reggie Bush? Could it be Hubbard’sAndre Givens or Youngstown Mooney’s Braylon Heard?

What about the next Randy Moss? Perhaps East ClevelandShaw's 6-6 wide receiver Tyrone Williams?

Does Lakota West linebacker Jordan Hicks remind you of JuniorSeau?

Which of the Cleveland Glenville duo of Christian Bryant orLatwan Anderson will be the next Malcolm Jenkins?

Picking the stars in each class is just as important in finding thediamonds in the rough. Who will be the next Tom Brady? It verywell could be a player who does not fit the mold, make the cut,or make the top 100 and takes us all by surprise.

Without any further ado, we have bios on the state’s top 50prospects for 2010. Each bio includes a thumbnail sketch on theplayer by Bucknuts.com’s Bill Kurelic and comments on the play-er’s abilities by ScoutingOhio.com’s Mark Porter.

Those bios are followed by a list of the next best 50 prospectsas well as nearly 300 more to watch listed by position.

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Lakota West linebacker Jordan Hicks (32) moves in onPrinceton quarterback Spencer Ware (11). Both have beenoffered scholarships by Ohio State.

Submitted Photo

J JHUDDLE .COM 7JJ Huddle ’ s Ohio High

Ohio Top 100 Senior Footbal l Recrui tsSTORY BY B I L L KUREL IC & MARK PORTER

Andrew Norwell has been Anderson’s left tacklesince the beginning of his sophomore season when he ledAnderson to a state championship. Norwell had scholarshipoffers from Ohio State, Notre Dame, Illinois, Cincinnati,Stanford, Duke and Indiana before committing to theBuckeyes on Feb. 4. Norwell has a 3.5 GPA.

PPoorrtteerr oonn NNoorrwweellll:: Norwell fits the NFL prototype for anoffensive tackle and has a nasty streak to go with it. His

wingspan and footwork make him a force in pass protec-tion. Plays very physical in the run game and runs his feet todrive defenders off the ball. Has all the tools to play left tack-le in college.

SP

Andrew Norwell, offensive lineman, 6-6, 270, 5.3, Cin. Anderson 3

James helped lead St. Xavier to a 15-0 record anda state championship his sophomore season. James playsright tackle for the Bombers and can be dominating. He hasscholarship offers from Ohio State, Notre Dame, Cincinnati,Illinois, Michigan, Stanford and a host of others. The firstthree are James’ favorites. He has a 3.5 GPA.

PPoorrtteerr oonn JJaammeess:: James has a massive frame and the rareathletic ablity to go with it, two qualities that colleges covet

in offensive linemen. Has the strength to anchor against therun and gets up to the next level well enough to bury line-backers. There are only a few players that come along likethis each year on the offensive line and they are all highlysought after.

SP

Matt James, offensive lineman, 6-8, 280, 5.2, Cincinnati St. Xavier 2

Baldwin is a big guy who runs well and has all thephysical tools recruiters look for in great defensive endprospects. Baldwin has scholarship offers from Ohio State,Stanford, Illinois, West Virginia, Michigan, Michigan Stateand some others. The Buckeyes hold the lead. Baldwin hasa 4.0 plus GPA.

PPoorrtteerr oonn BBaallddwwiinn:: He has rare athletic skills for a player ofhis size. Is gifted with as much upside to him as any player

in this class to develop at the next level. With his massivesize, he can wall off and engulf defenders in the run game.Playing tight end in high school shows off his athletic ability.

SP

Darryl Baldwin, defensive end, 6-6, 245, 4.75, Solon 5

Turner is a sack machine. He had 23 his sopho-more season and over 40 in the past two seasons com-bined. Tuner helped lead Ursuline to a state championshiphis junior season. He had scholarship offers from Ohio State,Michigan, Illinois, LSU, Stanford, West Virginia and othersbefore committing to the Buckeyes in mid-December. Turnerhas a 2.9 GPA.

PPoorrtteerr oonn TTuurrnneerr:: Turner makes plays that change the out-

come of games every week. Whether it’s a tackle-for-loss ora sack, his burst off the edge demands a double team bythe opposition. Plays through traffic and sheds blocks at avery high level. Players that have the ability to get to thequarterback are at a premium in the NFL and college.

GH

Jamel Turner, linebacker, 6-2, 215, 4.6, Youngstown Ursuline 4

Hicks is one of the country’s premier prep footballplayers. After making 61 tackles his sophomore season, Hicksmade 88 tackles including 16 for loss with four sacks last season.He intercepted two passes. Hicks has over two dozen scholar-ship offers including Ohio State, Texas, Alabama, Florida, NotreDame, Michigan State and West Virginia. His decision couldcome down to OSU or Texas. Hicks has a 3.5 GPA.

PPoorrtteerr oonn HHiicckkss:: Hicks is one of the most explosive athletes in

the country. Has the speed of a cornerback packaged with thesize of a linebacker. He gets to the quarterback in a flash andcan cover running backs and tight ends with ease. Flows veryfast to the ball and strikes like a ton of bricks. Hicks ran a 4.5-sec-ond laser 40-yard dash at the Nike Camp in Cincinnati in March.

SP

Jordan Hicks, linebacker, 6-2, 210, 4.5, West Chester Lakota West 1

Undecided

Undecided

Ohio State

Ohio State

Undecided



Donnal has started at left tackle since the begin-ning of his sophomore season. He is very athletic for a bigguy, runs well and has good feet. Donnal has scholarshipoffers from Michigan State, Wiscosnin, Iowa, Illinois,Michigan, Stanford, Indiana, West Virginia, Cincinnati, NorthCarolina and a few others. He attended Ohio State’s springgame as well. Donnal has a 3.3 GPA.

PPoorrtteerr oonn DDoonnnnaall:: He plays very light on his feet and can

shuffle and slide well in pass protection. Has no problemplaying in space and hitting a moving target down the field.Will get a shot to play left tackle in college because he hasplenty of agility to handle the edge.

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Andrew Donnal, offensive lineman, 6-7, 250, 4.95, Whitehouse Anthony Wayne 8

Ware has been the Vikings starting quarterbacksince his freshman season. He threw for 2,200 yards andrushed for 982 as a sophomore. Ware threw for 1,960 yardsand rushed for 770 his junior season. He is an outstandingathlete who could play quarterback or running back in col-lege. Ware has offers from Ohio State, Wisconsin, WestVirginia, Cincinnati and a couple others. He has a 2.8 GPA.

PPoorrtteerr oonn WWaarree:: He has the arm strength to play quarter-

back and the size and speed to be a feature running back.Runs the ball with great balance and power, shows greatpatience to set up runs and gives great seconnd effort.Weighed 227 pounds and ran a 4.72 40 at the CincinnatiNike Combine in March 2009.

Sub

Spencer Ware, quarterback/running back/athlete, 5-11, 220, 4.5, Princeton 7

Smith played wide receiver in a spread offense hissophomore season before moving to tight end as a junior.He caught 33 passes last season with six touchdowns. Smithhad a dozen scholarship offers including Cincinnati andMichigan before committing to the Bearcats during the win-ter. He has a 3.0 GPA.

PPoorrtteerr oonn SSmmiitthh:: Smith is a versatile player who can lineup all over the field and create mismatches for the defense.

Has rare size and speed for his position and will continue todevelop as a dominating blocker in the run game.

SP

Alex Smith, tight end, 6-5, 225, 4.7, West Chester Lakota West 10

Bryant missed most of his sophomore season witha separated right shoulder. He came back healthy and hadan outstanding junior season at safety, intercepting twopasses and returning one for a touchdown. Bryant has closeto two dozen scholarship offers including Notre Dame,Tennessee, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Illinois, West Virginia,Stanford, and Iowa. He is interested in those schools as wellas Ohio State. Bryant has a 3.5 GPA.

PPoorrtteerr oonn BBrryyaanntt:: He shows great ball skills, explosivenessand competes every play. Very fluid athlete who can coverwide receivers and play physical versus the run. Shows greatzone coverage instincts and route recoginition.

SP

Christian Bryant, defensive back, 5-11, 175, 4.5, Cleveland Glenville 9

McVey had a great junior season which endedwith a spectacular performance in the Division I state cham-pionship game (he had four sacks). McVey made 143 tacklesincluding 18 sacks as St. Ignatius finished 14-1 last season.He had scholarship offers from Ohio State, Michigan,Michigan State, Boston College, Iowa, Stanford, WestVirginia, Illinois and others before verbaling to OSU prior tothe spring game there on April 25. He has a 3.2 GPA.

PPoorrtteerr oonn MMccVVeeyy:: McVey is competitive, a gamer, smartand instinctive. Possesses an explosive burst, excellent bodycontrol and closes on ball carriers fast. Does a good job ofwrapping up ball carriers and has excellent productionwhen lining up all over the field.

SP

Scott McVey, linebacker, 6-1, 220, 4.5, Cleveland St. Ignatius 6

Ohio State

Undecided

Undecided

Undecided

Cincinnati



* 11. J.T. Moore, defensive end, 6-3, 230, 4.9, YoungstownBoardman – Moore is a talented athlete who has been a varsitystarter on the Boardman football team since his sophomore yearand on the varsity basketball team since his freshman year. Hisfirst scholarship offer came from Ohio State and he became theBuckeyes’ first 2010 commitment last September. Moore has a 3.0GPA.

Porter on Moore: He is a natural athlete who has a great firststep getting off the ball. He is in the infancy of being a dominatingpass rusher as he develops an arsenal of pass rushing moves.Flashes everything scouts desire when it comes to upside.

* 12. Latwan Anderson, defensive back/athlete, 5-11, 185,4.35, Cleveland Glenville – Anderson transferred from LakewoodSt. Edward to Glenville in mid-April. He is one of the fastestprospects in the Midwest. He plays safety, wide receiver andreturns punts and kickoffs. Anderson intercepted four passes duringhis junior season and returned two for touchdowns. He also hadthree offensive touchdowns and added another on a punt return. Anderson has close to two dozen scholarship offers including

Michigan State, Michigan, Cincinnati, West Virginia, Maryland, Iowaand Boston College. Anderson has a 2.8 GPA.

Porter on Anderson: Anderson has an excellent size/speedratio. Shows great speed and can blanket wide receivers when playing man to man. Fillsthe alley on the run and can break down in space to make plays on ball carriers.

* 13. Erick Howard, running back, 5-10, 210, 4.55, NorthCanton Hoover – Howard was named Ohio’s Mr. Football awardwinner and the Ohio High state player of the year after rushing for2,387 yards and 31 touchdowns during his junior season. He has scholarship offers from Colorado, Cincinnati, Illinois and

several MAC schools, but Ohio State is his favorite school.Howard’s GPA is close to the 2.0 mark and must improve.

Porter on Howard: Howard runs hard, fights for extra yardage,bounces off tacklers, has vision, follows blockers, catches the ballwell, is a willing blocker and has football intelligence. Need we saymore?

* 14. Tyrone Williams, wide receiver, 6-5, 205, 4.6, EastCleveland Shaw – Williams was off to a great start last seasonhaving caught eight touchdown passes in the first four games.However, he tore the ACL in his right knee in the fifth game andmissed the rest of the season. Williams had surgery Oct. 30 andexpects to be 100 percent healthy sometime this summer. Ohio State is his favorite school. West Virginia, Cincinnati and

Akron are also in the picture. Williams has a 2.5 GPA.Porter on Williams: His size gives him a huge catching radius

and he can pluck balls out of the air with ease. Judges the ball wellin the air and can make adjustments on the run. Can dominate thegame from his position and will only get better.

* 15. Andrew Hendrix, quarterback, 6-3, 220, 4.7, CincinnatiMoeller – Hendrix had a very good junior season, completing 61percent of his passes for 1,700 yards. He connected for 11 touch-downs with seven interceptions. Hendrix also averaged five yardsper carry. His list of scholarship offers includes Illinois, Northwestern,

Indiana, Virginia, Boston College, Louisville, Cincinnati, Nebraska,Vanderbilt and Kansas. Hendrix is interested in all of those schools as well as Ohio

State. He has a 3.5 GPA.Porter on Hendrix: He has the strongest arm in Ohio. Is effi-

cient in making reads, scrambles well, and makes plays for his teammates. Can make thestick throws with his quick release or throw on the run.

* 16. Jayrone Elliott, defensive end, 6-3, 210, 4.7, ClevelandGlenville – Elliott made 50 tackles including 15 sacks during hisjunior season. He also intercepted a pass. Elliott has scholarshipoffers from Michigan State and Indiana. He is also interested inOhio State, Tennessee, Florida and Miami. Elliott has a close to a2.0 GPA.

Porter on Elliott: He played outside linebacker and defensiveend his junior season. Seems to understand leverage and uses hissize well. Diagnoses plays fast and shows quickness to the ball.Shows pass rush skills and the ablilty to shed blockers on the wayto the quarterback.

* 17. Christian Pace, offensive lineman, 6-3, 265, 5.1, Avon Lake – Pace has start-

ed at tackle since the beginning of his sophomore seasons and hasplayed on both the right and left sides. He could play either tackleor guard in college. Pace has close to two dozen scholarship offers including

Michigan, Michigan State, Pitt, Louisville, Colorado, Wake Forest,Indiana and North Carolina State. Pace has a 3.3 GPA.

Porter on Pace: He will be the number one center or guard fromOhio on most colleges’ recruiting boards. Shows great short area quickness, great punch and has a nasty

streak to finish run blocks. Is a devastating trap blocker and pullingguard on sweeps.

* 18. Skyler Schofner, offensive lineman, 6-7, 280, 5.0,Johnstown Monroe – Schofner was a starter at both offensive anddefensive tackle his sophomore and junior seasons at WashingtonCourt House. He transferred to Johnstown Monroe in January.Schofner has offers from Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Maryland,Kentucky, Vanderbilt, North Carolina State and a few others. He isalso interested in Ohio State.

Porter on Schofner: He flashes explosive power, plays physicaland dominated competition. Still raw with room to grow. Naturallyathletic, big frame and poweful punch. Has ability to latch on todefenders and drive block them.

* 19. Jibreel Black, defensive lineman, 6-2, 260, 4.9,Cincinnati Wyoming – Black played defensive tackle his sopho-more season and moved outside his junior year. He made 73 tacklesincluding seven sacks last season. Black seems best suited as aninterior lineman at the next level. He has scholarship offers fromWisconsin, Michigan, Michigan State, West Virginia, South Carolina,Cincinnati, Minnesota, Purdue and others. Black has a 3.1 GPA.

Porter on Black: He plays with natural leverage and balance andcan shed blocks. Strong enough to anchor against verses the runand explosive enough to rush the passer. Does a good job a feelingblocks and fighting pressure.

* 20. Jerald Robinson, wide receiver, 6-2, 180, 4.55, CantonSouth – Robinson has been a two-year starter at both widereceiver and free safety. He caught 25 passes for 584 yards andsix touchdowns last season. Robinson also intercepted four pass-es. He landed a scholarship offer from Michigan and committed to

the Wolverines on Feb. 9. Robinson has a 2.9 GPA.Porter on Robinson: He has good body length, tracks the ball

well and has great hands. Versatile player who can line up in mul-tiple spots. Flashes big play ability with the ball in his hands.

* 21. Alex Welch, tight end, 6-5, 225, 4.8, Cincinnati Elder –Welch caught 32 passes for over 400 yards and four touchdownsduring his junior season. Welch has good size and hands. He has scholarship offers from Wisconsin, Purdue, Illinois,

Northwestern, Boston College and a few others. Welch has a 3.4GPA.

Porter on Welch: Very nice quickness and has the ability tolatch onto defenders and drive them off the ball. Runs crisp routes, plucks the ball from the air and is a force in

the passing game.

* 22. Braylon Heard, running back/defensive back, 5-11,170, 4.5, Youngstown Mooney – Heard missed two games with asprained ankle, but still rushed for close to 1,000 yards and inter-cepted two passes during his junior season. Heard has a dozenscholarship offers including Penn State, West Virginia, MichiganState, Maryland, Nebraska, Cincinnati and North Carolina State.Heard’s favorite schools are Penn State and USC. He has a 2.0-plus GPA.

Porter on Heard: He is an explosive athlete, plays with energyand can stick his foot into the ground and burst into the openwhen running the ball. Shows great short area quickness at cornerand breaks on the ball very well.

* 23. Andre Givens, running back, 5-10, 185, 4.4, Hubbard –Givens rushed for 1,153 yards and scored 17 TDs as a junior. Heaveraged 6.6 yards per carry. Givens has close to a dozen schol-arship offers including Wisconsin, Michigan State, Indiana, Illinoisand a host of MAC schools. He has close to a 3.0 GPA.

Porter on Givens: He is very elusive, quickly locates holes,cuts across the grain and squirts through creases. Plays extreme-ly hard and finishes runs with reckless abandon. Has a nose forthe end zone and does a good job of finding cracks in shortyardage.

GH

SP

SP

SP

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SP

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Sub

SP

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Sub

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Nos. 11-50

* 31. Travis Jackson, offensive lineman, 6-5, 255, 4.9,Columbus DeSales – Jackson helped lead DeSales to a 13-1record last season as he was outstanding from his guard spot.Jackson is considering offers from Northwestern, Wisconsin,Stanford, Cincinnati, Indiana and Toledo with the Wildcats hisfavorite. Jackson has a 3.6 GPA.Porter on Jackson: He shows great short area quickness,

poweful punch, and burst out of his stance. Gives great effort on defense and flashes the ability to penetrate

and control blockers.

* 32. Tyler Brause, quarterback, 6-5, 220, 4.68, BucyrusWynford – Brause reminds some of Florida quarterback TimTebow. Brause threw for 1,795 yards and 18 touchdowns during hisjunior season. He rushed for 698 yards and 13 touchdowns. Brushcompleted 55 percent of his passes and was intercepted six times.He has a scholarship offer from Stanford. Other schools onBrause’s list include Ohio State, Michigan State, Illinois, Cincinnati,Alabama, UCLA and Kansas. Brause has a 4.0 GPA and he scoreda 23 on the ACT.

Porter on Brause: Brause is a tall quarterback with a supersmooth release. He has a thick build, reads defenses well and runsthe spread offense with authority. Gifted athlete with great upside from a small school.

* 33. D.J. Williamson, 6-0, 170, 4.5, Warren Harding –Williamson caught 30 passes for 365 yards and three touch-downs during his junior season. His first scholarship offer came from Michigan and he commit-

ted to the Wolverines on March 14. Williamson has a 2.5 GPA.Porter on Williamson: He is a very speedy deep threat who

can be dangerous after the catch. Flashes big play ability, gets inan out of breaks well and has good hands. Brings a verticalthreat to the college game immediately.

* 34. Marcus Rush, linebacker, 6-3, 225, 4.7, CincinnatiMoeller – Rush is an aggressive outside linebacker who can rushthe passer or drop into coverage. He is considering offers fromCincinnati, Minnesota, Indiana, North Carolina State, Virginia andOhio University.

Porter on Rush: He has good initial quickness and short areaburst. Uses hands well to stack and shed defenders. Plays withgreat intnesity and gives good second effort. Does a good job of collapsing the pocket and shows pass rush

skills.

* 35. Kevin Schloemer, offensive lineman, 6-7, 275, 5.1, WestChester Lakota West – Schloemer moved into the starting lineupat tackle at the beginning of his junior season. By the end of thecampaign, Schloemer had established himself as one of the toplinemen in Ohio. Schloemer committed to Cincinnati in lateFebruary over offers from Indiana, North Carolina State and Illinois.Schloemer has a 3.0 GPA.

Porter on Schloemer: His frame stands out among the crowd.He has great upside and improved all season. Added weight in theoff-season which will serve him well this fall. His long arms andquickness make him a great pass protector.

* 36. Jimmy Hall, wide receiver/defensive back, 6-2, 192, 4.5,Sylvania Southview – Hall played cornerback his sophomore sea-son and safety and wide receiver as a junior. He caught 45 passesfor close to 1,000 yards and made 85 tackles with five intercep-tions as his team won the Division II state championship. Hall isinterested in Maryland, Kansas, Toledo, Bowling Green and OhioState, and all but the Buckeyes have offered. Hall has a 3.2 GPA.

Porter on Hall: Hall is a big-framed athlete, looks the part andshows up in big games. Has a great feel for zone coverages, findsopen areas and creates separation at wide receiver. Could playoffense or defense in college.

* 37. Arryn Chenault, defensive back, 6-1, 180, 4.5, Fairfield– Chenault has good speed, excellent hands and tackles very well.He had scholarship offers from Cincinnati, Michigan State andIndiana before deciding to stay close to home and committing tothe Bearcats in mid-March. Chenault has a 3.0 plus GPA.

Porter on Chenault: He has a rangy athletic build, shows goodversatility and flashes big play making ability. Very good tacklerwho faces up ball carriers very well and can play in the box versesthe run.



* 24. Matthew Rotheram, offensive lineman, 6’6, 290, 5.25,North Olmsted – Rotheram is a dominating right tackle who had51 pancake blocks and did not allow a sack during his junior sea-son. Rotheram is considering close to a dozen scholarship offersincluding Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan State, Boston College,Minnesota, Indiana and Vanderbilt. He is also interested in OhioState. Rotheram has a 2.8 GPA and he scored a 20 on the ACT.

Porter on Rotheram: He is powerful, wide framed, tough, com-petitive, and smart. Drive blocks well, shows good punch, runs feetand takes pride in finishing defenders. Cleary has the traits andpotential to be a major Division I talent.

* 25. Derrick Bryant, defensive end, 6-4, 230, 4.55, ColumbusBrookhaven – Bryant played for Gahanna Lincoln his sophomoreseason before transferring to Brookhaven. He made 85 tacklesincluding 12 sacks for the Bearcats last season. Bryant has offersfrom Michigan and Illinois and is interested in those two as well asOhio State, LSU, South Carolina, Oregon, Florida State andCincinnati. Bryant has a 2.6 GPA.

Porter on Bryant: He is a physical specimen with outstandingupside. Has long arms to lock out and control defenders. Plays offblocks well and has the ability to rush the passer or collapse thepocket.

* 26. Antonio Kinnard, linebacker, 6-4, 200, 4.6, YoungstownLiberty – Kinnard has been a two-year starter at inside linebacker.He made 86 tackles including six sacks during his junior season. Kinnard landed a scholarship offer from Michigan and commit-

ted to the Wolverines in mid-March. He has a 2.9 GPA. Porter on Kinnard: He is a long-framed athlete with great

growth potential that could project to defensive end in college.Shows great straight line speed, sheds blockers and delivers a popon ball carriers. Plays with great effort and intensity.

* 27. Mike Dorsey, running back/defensive back/athlete, 6-2,205, 4.5, Warren Harding – Dorsey played quarterback his sopho-more season and running back and safety his junior year. Herushed for close to 800 yards and intercepted a pass last season.Dorsey has offers from Wisconsin, West Virginia, Michigan State,Akron and Toledo. He has committed to the Mountaineers. He hasa 3.5 GPA.

Porter on Dorsey: He is a great open field tackler, has abiltiy tobreak down in space and lasso ball carriers to the ground. Showsrange in coverage, reads the quarterback well and has good ballskills. Very tough and physical.

* 28. Courtney Avery, defensive back, 5-11, 170, 4.5,Lexington – Avery has been Lexington’s starting quarterback sincehis freshman year. Last season he passed for over 2,400 yards andrushed for close to 1,000. However, Avery is being recruited as adefensive back, which he also played during his junior season. Hehad scholarship offers from Stanford and a host of MAC schoolsbefore committing to Stanford. Avery has a 3.7 GPA and he scoreda 21 on the ACT.

Porter on Avery: He is a fluid athlete, has loose hips, can shad-ow and mirror in man coverage, understands coverages and reactsquickly to the ball. Best man-to-man coverage corner in the state.

* 29. Davion Rogers, defensive end/linebacker, 6-6, 200,4.65, Warren Harding – Rogers is a rangy outside linebacker whocould grow into a defensive end in college. In his first year as astarter, Rogers made 60 tackles including four sacks last season.He has offers from Michigan State, West Virginia, Toledo and OhioUniversity. He has committed to the Mountaineers. Rogers’ GPA isclose to the 2.0 mark.

Porter on Rogers: He is a tall long-armed defender that hashuge upside and growth potential. Fluid enough to drop back incoverage. Also has ability to rush the passer coming off the edge.

* 30. Kurtis Drummond, wide receiver, 6-2, 185, 4.5, Hubbard– Drummond caught close to 20 passes and scored five times dur-ing his junior season. He also intercepted three passes. Drummondhas offers from Michigan State, Indiana, Bowling Green, Toledoand Akron. He is interested in those five as well as Ohio State,Michigan State, Cincinnati and Michigan. Carries a 2.5 GPA.

Porter on Drummond: He is a tall, rangy athlete who can playmultiple spots on the field. Shows toughness versus the run andraw coverage skills at corner. Could grow into a college linebacker.

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* 38. Steve Mehrer, linebacker, 6-1, 220, 4.7, Dublin Jerome– Mehrer is an aggressive middle linebacker who made 130 tack-les during his junior season. Mehrer, who was a defensive lineman his sophomore season,

has scholarship offers from Indiana, Toledo and Central Michigan. He has a 3.2 GPA. Porter on Mehrer: Mehrer has great instincts, diagnoses plays

well and flows fast to the ball. Will be a good, hard-nosed football player who will control the

middle in the right scheme.

* 39. Clint Shepherd, offensive lineman, 6-4, 275, 5.3, Eaton– Shepherd plays left guard for Eaton. He is a very good driveblocker who is explosive off the ball. Shepherd had offers from Cincinnati, Ohio University and

Toledo before committing to the Bearcats in mid-February.Shepherd has a 3.95 GPA.

Porter on Shepherd: He is naturally strong with a thick trunkand good anchor strength. A great short area mauler who will serve the college running

game well.

* 40. Dan Schneider, tight end, 6-4, 230, 4.68, Avon Lake –Schneider caught 16 passes for 247 yards and two touchdownsduring his junior season. He averaged 15.4 yards per catch.Schneider is interested in Pittsburgh, Indiana, Louisville, Akron,Buffalo, Bowling Green, Toledo, Kent State and Air Force, and allhave offered. He is also interested in Ohio State. Schneider has a4.0 plus GPA.

Porter on Schneider: He uses great leverage, runs his feet oncontact, and understands blocking angles. The best blocking tightend in the class. Runs good routes and can find holes in cover-age.

* 41. Tim O’Conner, wide receiver, 6-4, 190, 4.6, CincinnatiElder – O’Conner had a huge junior season as he caught 71passes for 1,004 yards and 13 touchdowns. O’Conner landed ascholarship offer from Indiana in early April. He has the Hoosiersat the top of his list, but is also interested in Ohio State, MichiganState, Purdue, Vanderbilt, Cincinnati and Kentucky. O’Conner hasa 3.4 GPA.

Porter on O’Conner: He has soft natural hands, tracks the ballwell and catches it outside of his frame. Very physical blocker inthe run game. Set a record in the state championship game forcatches (15 catches for 184 yards and two touchdowns).

* 42. Taylor Miller, offensive lineman, 6-5, 300, 5.2, TrentonEdgewood – Miller has been a varsity starter since his freshmanseason when he played nose tackle. He moved to offensive guardas a sophomore and will play on that side of the ball in college.Miller is interested in Ohio State, Wisconsin, Louisville, Maryland,Michigan and several MAC schools that have offered. His GPA isabove the 2.0 mark.

Porter on Miller: He is a powerful, big-framed, wide-bodiedathlete. Pulls well and has ability to drive defenders creatingmovement. Plays physical and will work to finish blocks.

* 43. Josh Davis, defensive lineman, 6-6, 270, 5.4, PlainCity Jonathan Alder – Davis moved from Indiana to Ohio afterhis freshman year. He has started at defensive tackle forJonathan Alder the past two seasons. Davis made 74 tackles and had two sacks last season. He is interested in Indiana, Cincinnati, Notre Dame, Ohio State

and Northwestern. The Hoosiers have offered. He attended OhioState’s spring game. Davis has a 3.9 GPA.

Porter on Davis: He shows good strength to create push ver-sus the run. Has a good motor, plays will effort and runs to theball well. Flashes potential to rush the passer.

* 44. Caleb Watkins, quarterback, 6-4, 205, 4.53, Middletown– Watkins is a talented athlete with a good arm. He is a dropbacktype quarterback, but also can run when needed. Watkins has scholarship offers from Ball State, Kent State and

Ohio University.Porter on Watkins: He has a strong pocket stature, big arm

and shows the ability to escape the rush. Knows where to go withthe ball, gets rid of it quickly and plays with poise. Can run thespread offense in college.

* 45. Bobby Swigert, wide receiver/defensive back, 6-1,175, 4.47, Louisville – Swigert is fast and instinctive. He hasexcellent hands and makes plays. Swigert has scholarship offersfrom Pittsburgh, Indiana, Akron, Bowling Green, Kent State andMiami (Ohio).

Porter on Swigert: Shows good runs strength, vision and bal-ance after the catch and can make defenders miss in the openfield. Great hands and attacks the ball at its highest point.

* 46. Derek Roback, quarterback, 6-3, 210, 4.6, Waverly –Roback played wide receiver and safety his sophomore seasonwhen he caught 47 passes for 833 yards and 12 touchdowns. Healso made 36 tackles and intercepted four passes. Roback movedto quarterback his junior season and passed for 1,561 yards and21 touchdowns with close to 500 rushing yards and six touch-downs. Roback is interested in Ohio State, Ohio University, NotreDame, Michigan, Illinois, Louisville, Penn State, West Virginia,Clemson, Rutgers, UCLA and Buffalo. He has an offer from OhioUniversity and Bowling Green. Roback has a 4.0 GPA.

Porter on Roback: On films, Roback shows as a great athletewho can play on both sides of the ball. Has frame and ability to play defense in collegeif needed. Has elite skill set and will continue to develop.

* 47. Justin Favors, tight end, 6-5, 225, 4.6, Trotwood-Madison – Favors has close to wide receiver speed, the positionhe played for Dayton Meadowdale his freshman and sophomoreseasons. He transferred to Trotwood-Madison for his junior sea-son. Favors has offers from Cincinnati and Toledo and is interest-ed in those two as well as Ohio State, Florida and Kansas. Heattended Ohio State’s spring game. He has a 2.7 GPA.

Porter on Favors: Lines up at wide receiver in the spread andhas elite receiving ability. Runs routes well and creates separa-tion to get open. Could be an H-back or jack of all trades in col-lege.

* 48. Chi Chi Ariguzo, defensive back, 6-2, 200, 4.52,Columbus DeSales – Ariguzo anchored the DeSales secondarylast season as the Stallions won 13 straight games before a lossin the state semifinals. He has good size and should make an excellent strong safety

in college. Ariguzo has a scholarship offer from Minnesota.Porter on Ariguzo: He is physical, has a solid frame and

flashes the ability to strike people. His tough aggressive style may suite him well as a college line-

backer or strong safety.

* 49. Cody Byers, defensive, 6-3, 195, 4.6, Kettering Alter –Byers, who starred for last year’s Division IV state championshipteam, has excellent size and the ability to cover from his safetyspot. He made 64 tackles and intercepted four passes during his jun-

ior season. Byers has scholarship offers from West Virginia, Louisville and

Ohio University.Porter on Byers: Tough and instinctive in the box safety.

Dependable tackler and a player coaches can trust in coverage.

* 50. Dwight Macon, quarterback/athlete, 6-0, 190, 4.5,Steubenville – Macon had a great junior season. He passed for2,442 yards and 28 touchdowns with just four interceptions.Macon also rushed for 912 yards and 16 touchdowns. He playedsafety at times as well. Macon is interested in Ohio State,Michigan, Illinois, Northwestern, Iowa, West Virginia and Toledo.The Rockets have offered. Macon has a 3.0 GPA.

Porter on Macon: Might be the best all around athlete in theclass. Has great arm strength, very smart, shows poise and moxie.Colleges may try him on defense.

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RK NAME HIGH SCHOOL HT/WT/40 POS

51. Brendan Carozzoni Cleveland St. Ignatius 6-4 220 4.6 TE

52. Michael Dennis Carey 6-7 260 4.9 OL

53. Deron Brown Akron North 6-3 190 4.31 ATH

54. Terry Talbott Huber Heights Wayne 6-4 245 4.9 DT

55. Preston Brown Cincinnati Northwest 6-3 225 4.7 LB

*Note: Brown has verbaled to Cincinnati.

56. Dominique Brown Cincinnati Winton Woods 6-2 210 ATH

57. Justin Stumph Columbus St. Charles 6-4 277 5.3 OL

58. Solomon Tentman Cincinnati Roger Bacon 6-2 220 4.6 LB

*Note: Tentman has verbaled to Cincinnati.

59. Odis Prunty Lakewood St. Edward 5-11 170 4.5 DB

60. Luke Massa Cincinnati St. Xavier 6-4 180 QB

61. Anthony Ritossa Kirtland 6-5 220 4.9 TE

62. Anthony Schrock Wadsworth 6-2 185 WR

63. Zack Hitchens Canal Winchester 6-2 230 4.62 LB/DE

64. Zac Rosenbauer Lima Shawnee 6-3 235 4.59 LB

65. Eric Franklin Youngstown Mooney 6-6 310 5.47 OL

66. Jewone Snow Canton McKinley 6-1 236 4.8 MLB

67. Tyson Gulley Akron Garfield 5-9 175 4.4 ATH

68. Anthony Stryffeler Parma Padua 6-4 215 4.85 DE

69. Darius Gilbert Hamilton 6-2 250 DE

70. Chase Hoobler Orrville 6-3 220 4.6 LB

71. Terry Hasberry Cleveland Glenville 6-2 227 4.9 DE

72. Derek Orr Smithville 6-5-220 4.7 WR/TE

73. Jeff Tanner Cincinnati Moeller 6-4 260 5.1 OL

74. Marcus Penn Columbus Whetstone 6-1 195 4.53 ATH

75. Tony Foster Cleveland Glenville 5-10 175 4.57 ATH

76. Sam Miller Orrville 6-1 183 4.49 WR

77. Brandon Neal West Chester Lakota West 5-11 165 4.52 DB

78. Karson Williams New Carlisle Tecumseh 6-4 245 OL/DL

79. Aaron Craft Findlay Liberty Benton 6-4 190 QB

*Note: Craft is verbaled to Tennessee for basketball.

80. Roosevelt Nix Reynoldsburg 6-0 250 4.79 DT

81. Willie Tatum Pickerington Central 6-3 205 4.58 LB/SS

82. Gary Briggs Cleveland JFK 6-1 205 MLB

83. Nick McKnight Middletown 6-2 195 WR

84. C.J. Bryant Gahanna Lincoln 6-0 170 4.4 DB

85. Aaron Morris Cleveland Glenville 6-0 195 4.60 DB

86. Micah Robinson Cleveland John Adams 6-4 240 4.8 DL

87. Jorian Hudson Cincinnati Roger Bacon 6-3 175 4.5 ATH

88. Nick Galvin Cincinnati Moeller 6-1 220 4.6 LB

89. Chase Cochran Lebanon 6-2 175 4.43 WR

90. David Schneider Cincinnati Moeller 6-3 240 4.8 TE

91. Leveon Bell Groveport Madison 6-1 215 4.53 RB

92. Grant Pleasant Dublin Scioto 6-3 220 DL

93. Logan Hauserman Circleville Logan Elm 6-8 275 5.3 OL

94. Brett Buehler Dublin Coffman 6-1 220 4.75 MLB

95. Jonathan Ballard Austintown Fitch 6-4 199 4.7 QB

96. Danny Frate Hunting Valley Univ. School 6-2 225 4.6 OLB

97. Josh Russ Elyria Catholic 6-5 220 TE/LB

98. Caleb Southworth Piketon 6-5 210 4.8 TE/LB

99. Harrison Scott New Albany 6-3 235 DL

100. Jeff Myers Massillon Washington 6-2 289 OL

Nos. 51-100



QuarterbacksNAME HIGH SCHOOL HT WT 40-timeA.J. Zalewski Cardinal Stritch 6-0 201 4.9Adam Charles Girard 6-2 185Alec Swartz Cin.Hills Christian 6-1 200 4.7Alex Lavisky St EdwardsAnthony Westren Woodridge 6-2 180 4.8Brandon Arehart Wilmington 6-2 170 4.8Brett Tulodzieski North Canton Hoover 6-2 185 4.6Casey Pierce Normandy 6-4 195 4.8Cole Hudson Zanesville 6-3 205 4.7Curtis Watson Bellevue 6-5 220 4.8Drew Townsend Hamilton 6-3 190 EJ Tucker Rogers (Toledo) 6-3 207 Erik Wall Buckeye Valley 6-5 210 4.6Greg Tabar Colerain 6-0 170Jake Trubiano Hilliard Davidson 6-0 180 Jake Voigt Solon 6-0 185 4.8James Flowers Padua 6-4 220 4.83Jarrod Ronyak Lake Catholic (Mentor) 6-3 220Jordan Miller Warren G. Harding 6-1 210Keith Wenning Coldwater 6-4 210 4.6Kyle Snyder Barberton 6-1 207 4.58Mark Miller Cincinnati Elder 6-0 170Matt Preston Howland 6-2 200Matt Shelton Hubbard 6-3 180Mitchell Faine Ada 6-3 195 Nicola Accordino McDonald 6-1 175 4.6Riley Gualt Tecumseh 6-2 185 4.6Rob Boyd Boardman 6-2 205 4.7Sam Mayse Mentor 6-5 200 4.85Sean Flaherty Pickerington NorthShane Ewing Western Reserve 6-3 195 4.7Ty Watson Aurora 6-5 215 4.8Wesley Hunsucker Anna 6-3 195 4.83

Running BacksAlejandro Alicea Elyria Catholic 5-10 160 4.4Antoin Campbell Springboro 5-11 190 4.49BJ Watkins Beechcroft 6-0 215 Demetrus Johnson Columbus Brookhaven 6-1 220 4.6Derrell McCaleb Lakeside 5-10 170Devonte Ransom Maple Heights 5-9 165 4.45Dylon Dejane Springfield Local 6-1 225James Spencer Fremont Ross 5-11 175 4.5Jeff Aubin Moeller 5-10 180Jeremiah Goins Winton Woods 5-10 225Jimmy Tomcufcik Kenston 5-8 170 4.6Julius Cartwright University School 5-9 185 4.5Justin Keith Canton South 6-2 215 4.7Korey Ringer Northmont 5-11 200 4.5Marcus Johnston Coshocton 6-0 195Mo May Sylvania Southview 5-11 182 4.5Nick Dardy Cincinnati Northwest 6-0 225 4.6Tavion Wright Dayton Dunbar 5-11 180

Best Of The Rest...

Tight EndsAustin Plenzler Springboro 6-1 220 4.9Brandon Hall Western Reserve Academy 6-7 230 4.8Greg Taylor South Point 6-3 265 4.9Matt Schweitzer Bishop Watterson 6-3 215 4.8Ryan Morris North Royalton 6-5 200 4.9

Wide ReceiversAlex Nossaman Bryan 6-3 195Allen Tigner Port Clinton 6-1 175 4.5Anthony Bowers Brunswick 6-1 185 4.54Brad Sundstrom Beavercreek 6-5 190 4.7Chase Hammond Boardman 6-4 195 4.7Deangelo Petite Cleveland JFK 5-9 170 Devon Price Start 5-10 160 4.5Heath Jackson Ada 6-1 175 4.58Jeff Matteson Wellston 6-3 185 4.8John James John Adams (Cle) 6-0 170 4.38Kyle Blakeman Wilmington 6-3 190 4.6Luciano Luke Gavin GlenOak 6-2 196 4.38Nate Hobbs Toledo Central Catholic 5-10 180RayShawn Stevens Akron North 6-1 180 4.7Reid Adkins Northeastern 6-5 195 4.5

Ross Smith Olentangy Orange 6-3 180Sean Freeman Trotwood-Madison 6-2 178 4.50Tevin Boykin Toledo Whitmer 6-2 193 4.7Zach Cvelbar Mentor Lake Catholic 6-0 185 4.7

Offensive LinemanAlex Heidt Cuyahoga Falls 6-6 275 5.2Alex Schneider Riverside 6-4 255 5.1Alex Vance St Francis DeSales 6-4 215 5.1Andrew Sinko Strongsville 6-4 255 5.3Andrew Sinko Strongsville 6-4 255 5.3Ashton Hood Princeton 6-6 245 Ben Buzzelli Wadsworth 6-3 296Ben St. John Woodmore 6-4 280 5Bob Kukwa Mentor Lake Catholic 6-3 330 5.5Bryan Vayo Mentor 6-4 285 5.4Bryant Ausperk St Vincent - St. Mary 6-5 301Charlie Dann Liberty 6-3 277 Craig Frankford Girard 6-3 290 5.5Darion Delany Trotwood-Madison 6-5 257 4.78David Weisz Clyde 6-5 270 5.37Dejuan Calloway Glenville 6-4 290DeShawn Byrd Trotwood-Madison 6-4 278 5.23Dom Dionisio Hubbard 6-3 280Drew Hampton Badin 6-6 270 5.1Elias Sayre Lebanon 6-5 260 4.8Eric Kendrick Buchtel (Akron) 6-3 250 5.3Eric Vendemia Cardinal Mooney 6-5 285 5.37Ethan Zucal New Philadelphia 6-2 260 5.3Grant Georgic Buckeye Valley 6-2 275 Greg Mancz Anderson 6-0 185 4.48Isaiah Byler Elyria High School 6-4 278 5.23Jacob Schwertner St. Edward 6-4 282 Jacob Sosinski Firelands 6-5 270 5.2Jared Schuster Elyria Catholic 6-2 270Joe LaVelle St. Ignatius 6-5 260John Blevins Upper Arlington 6-3 270 4.9Jordan Boyd Poland Seminary 6-0 285 5.8Jordan Erbes Kettering Fairmont 6-4 260 5.4Josh Hendershot Newak Catholic 6-4 265 4.9Kevin Hetrick Anderson 6-3 260Kyle Jaeger Start 6-3 280Mark Obabashian Padua 6-3 280 5.15Michael Shope Kettering Fairmont 6-4 270 5.12Nathan Cheek Lancaster 6-2 240 4.84Nathan Islamovsky Eaton 6-2 265Phillip Huff Hilliard Davidson 6-4 250 5.1Ryan Fitzsimmons Normandy 6-3 225 4.9Simon Cvijanovic Benedictine 6-5 240 Tamron Smith Austintown Fitch 6-2 275 5.3Thomas Muir East Palestine 6-9 348 5.5Tyler Tanner Dublin Scioto 6-4 300Vincent Boden Normandy High School 6-9 310Zach Larson Cardinal Mooney 6-3 282 5.31

KickersCasey Spear Mayfield 5-11 170Adam Jenne Hilliard Darby 6-1 187 4.82Billy Fisher Canfield 6-0 175Clay Simpkins Wauseon 5-11 160 4.5Drew Basil Chillicothe High School 6-2 188 4.74JC Miller Toledo Christian 5-8 175 5.1Kody Faulkerson Maysville 6-1 190Matt Reed Wadsworth 6-0 160Nick Gundel Beavercreek 6-1 168 4.98Tony Milano Cincinnati Elder



Defensive EndsAndy Jomantas Chaminade Julienne 6-8 227 5.0Andrew Forrai Mentor Lake Catholic 6-3 210 5.0Brett Modic Poland 6-3 223 Delah Whittington Cuyahoga Falls 6-6 220Derek Reynolds Northmont 6-3 220George Thomas Austintown Fitch 6-2 225 5.0Jason Cunningham Worthington Kilbourne 6-4 215 5.0Jayme Aksterowicz Lancaster 6-3 220 4.9Landis Coulter Cincinnati Northwest 6-2 240 4.9Mitchell Knapp Aurora 6-4 200 4.8Rakeem Chandler Princeton 6-4 215 4.9Rex Bonham Tecumseh 6-3 228 4.8Ryan Conway Brunswick 6-2 235 4.95Sam Current Middletown 6-2 235Stephen Page Newton Falls 6-4 230 4.9Will Boeckman Columbus Academy 6-3 227 4.92

Outside LinebackersBrad Jones Sidney 6-4 195 4.8Brian Foster St. Vincent- St. Mary 6-1 235 4.7Calvin Blackman Maple Heights 5-11 200Cody Conley Alter 6-2 210 4.65David Hampton Winton Woods 6-1 189Doyen Harris Cin. Hills Christian Academy 6-1 200 4.7Jarrod Combs Tuslaw 6-2 218John Doncaster Alter 6-2 210 4.66Lewellyn Coker Warren Harding 6-1 210Lucien Kidd North College Hill 6-0 175 4.6Mark McClain Upper Arlington 6-2 190 Marvin Logan Warren G. Harding 6-2 220 4.5Oliver Scott Start 6-2 210 4.8O'Neal Brown Warren G. Harding 6-6 205Ryan McCollum Warren JFK 6-1 215 4.66Treg Grubb Tuslaw 6-3 202

Defensive TacklesAlex Franco St. Charles 6-2 270 5.35Brian Skura Worthington Kilbourne 6-6 220 Dan Cowdrick Mentor 6-0 265 5.0Desmond McCowan Springfield 6-2 225 Mark Pelini Cardinal Mooney 6-0 285Santiago Mason Warren G. Harding 6-4 320Scott Arnold Marysville 5-11 275 5.1

Middle LinebackersAndrew Garman GlenOak 6-0 205 4.65Austen Harrison Granville 6-3 195 4.56Billy Harmon St. Vincent St. Mary 6-0 230 4.76 Cam Hilling Woodridge 5-11 225 4.8Chuck Gruber Cardinal Mooney 6-1 200 4.59Clay Krafft North Royalton 6-1 228 4.68Dawalyn Harper Ursuline 6-0 206Eric Bayliss Benjamin Logan High School 6-2 230 4.65Jake Dwyer Springboro 6-2 210 4.75Jamar Williams Westerville South 6-0 210 4.6Kendall Peterson Youngstown East 5-10 225Kevin Smith Lexington 6-1 210 4.78Nick Ambeliotis Elder 6-0 220 4.7Nick Marinkov Avon Lake 6-1 223 4.7Nick Truesdale Lima Shawnee 6-1 220 4.75Rodnell Pierce Glenville 5-11 200 4.59Ryan Phillis Boardman 6-3 230 4.75Trevor Russell Howland 6-0 195Tyler Phillips Highland 6-2 220 4.75

CornerbacksErick Collins Springfield 6-0 180Gerry Gates Middletown 5-11 185Jerel Bryant Euclid 6-3 175 4.7

Jude Adjei-barimah Northland High 5-10 175 4.55Matthew Bova Dayton Carroll 6-1 182 4.6Ray Vinopal Cardinal Mooney 5-10 185 4.41Sam Porter Boardman 5-8 175 4.6

SaftiesBen Schneider Moeller 6-1 190Davonne Dixon Akron Garfield 5-11 175 4.5Davonte McClesky Dunbar 6-0 160 Desmond McCoy Akron Buchtel 6-1 185 4.5Donald D'Alesio Cardinal Mooney 6-1 180 4.49Duante Anderson Austintown Fitch 5-9 202 4.6James Gordon Glenville 6-2 190John Ehrensberger Centerville 6-0 185 4.42Jordan Sandidge Madison 5-11 195 4.57Luke Wollet Poland Seminary 6-1 187 4.5Matt Shannon Mayfield 6-1 170 4.6Nick Kaszei Padua 5-11 170 4.6Obie Nwanko Lakota West 5-11 210Ryland Ward Brookhaven 5-11 190 4.53Stephen Johnson Youngstown East 6-1 185Tyler Robinson Dublin Coffman 6-1 200 4.7Tyon Dixon Colerain 6-0 205 4.57Willie Ballard Trotwood-Madison 6-2 195 4.54

PuntersJohn Lloyd Cin. Hills Christian Academy 6-3 230 Billy Croom Beechcroft 6-2 185 4.5

AthletesAlvin Hall Trotwood Madison 6-2 205 4.58Andrew Perkins Cin Hills Christian Acad 5-11 160 4.5Brandon Martin GlenOak 5-10 160 4.5Christopher Gorman Chagrin Falls 6-0 195 4.65Clay Cameron Tri-Valley 5-11 206 Cody Seifert Eastwood 5-9 175 4.50Cory Young Waynesville 6-0 165 Dan Pennington Licking Heights 5-10 195 4.46Darrio Bivens Campbell Memorial 5-11 175 4.5Davonte Woods Freemont Ross 5-10 170 4.6Dillon Corbett Orrville 6-1 180 4.38Dustin Holmes Tecumseh 6-1 185 4.6Earl Cunningham Gahanna Lincoln 5-8 155 4.4Eric Phillips Pickerington North 5-11 170 4.66Evan Bach Northwest 5-10 185 4.45Geoffrey Whiteside Columbus Bishop Hartley 6-1 190 4.8Jacob Conrad Ridgewood 6-0 193 4.56Joe Balog Struthers 5-11 185 4.6John Spooney Nordonia 5-10 170 4.6Jonathon Jennings Westerville South 6-1 175 4.7Joseph Webb Mechanicsburg 6-1 190 4.5Kennron Drake Shaw 5-9 170 4.49Kenny Johnson Akron North 6-0 181 5.1Kevin Johnson St. Ignatius 5-11 180 4.65Kevin Watts Middletown 5-11 200Kyle Slater Cincinnati Anderson 6-0 195 4.6Kyle Vaclav Canfield 5-11 175 4.45Lew Holder Strongsville 5-10 190Luke George Patrick Henry 5-11 185 4.65Malcolm Pannell Pickerington Central 6-0 165 4.37Micah Hickman Eaton 6-2 185 4.63Mike Mangiarelli Warren Howland 6-0 185 4.48Mike Starkey Youngstown East 5-9 165 4.5Neil Jones Black River 5-10 178 4.69Nick Cupan McDonald 5-11 180 4.5Nick Wehby Mason 5-11 184 4.57Ralphael Allen Trotwood Madison 5-10 170 4.5Ray Ballard Northland 5-9 170 4.46Ryan Christianson Uniontown Lake 6-2 185 Seth Millar Waynesville 5-8 168 4.38Tallen Birmingham Girard 5-8 175 4.6Will MCEwan New Philadelphia 5-11 175 4.58Xavier Palacios Glenville 5-10 185 4.67


Scot t McVey Q&A

inebacker Scott McVey was one of the driving forces behind ClevelandSt. Ignatius’ Division I state championship team last fall.The 6-1, 220-pound McVey started at middle linebacker and helped

lead the Wildcats to a 14-1 season and the school’s record-setting 10thstate football playoff championship. It was the school’s first state titlesince 2001.For the year, McVey made 143 tackles including 18 sacks and inter-

cepted a pass during his junior season. McVey was a one-man wrecking crewin the state title game with eight tackles, 4-1/2 tackles-for-loss and one inter-ception as St. Ignatius defeated Cincinnati Elder 28-20.McVey had a wide range of scholarship offers this spring, including offers

from the likes of Boston College, Michigan State, Michigan, Ohio State, Iowa,Stanford, West Virginia, Illinois and others. But he visited Ohio State for itsspring game on April 25 and ended up committing to the OSU staff prior tothat game, which was attended by a national collegiate spring game recordcrowd of 95,722.McVey, who runs the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds, is also on the St.

Ignatius track team. He runs the hurdles and relays. McVey is in good shapeacademically with a 3.2 GPA.He figures to be OSU’s first signee from the talent- and tradition-rich St.

Ignatius program since wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez signed with theBuckeyes in 2003. He became OSU’s fifth commitment for 2010, joining Ohio defensive ends

J.T. Moore and Jamel Turner, Ohio offensive lineman Andrew Norwell andTexas linebacker/defensive lineman David Durham also in this class. OSU already has commitments from four of Ohio’s top 11 prospects with

Norwell ranked third, Turner fourth, McVey sixth and Moore 11th. TheBuckeyes reportedly had offers pending to more top Ohio prospects, includinglinebacker Jordan Hicks (No. 1), offensive lineman Matt James (No. 2), defen-sive end Darryl Baldwin (No. 5) and quarterback/athlete Spencer Ware (No.7).Ohio High’s Bill Kurelic had a chance recently to do a question-and-answer

session with McVey. Here’s what he had to say:Bill Kurelic: When did you decide you were going to commit to Ohio State?Scott McVey: “I decided I was going to commit to Ohio State about a week

before their spring game. When I got (to Ohio State's spring game) I toldcoach (Taver) Johnson I wanted to commit. He got me and my parents intocoach (Jim) Tressel's office. Coach Tressel was kind of expecting me to com-mit, but he was still excited.”Kurelic: Was your decision a difficult one?McVey:“Ohio State was an easy choice. They were my leader all the way.” Kurelic: What were the main reasons you selected Ohio State?McVey: “It had a lot to do with Coach Tressel and the man he is. It didn't

hurt that I grew up an Ohio State fan. The school and how many things theyhave to offer was important. They have a lot of choices. I will probably gointo business.“I’ve always watched them and I think playing for them would be awesome.

And talking to Coach Tressel is definitely a great experience. He’s definitely areally down-to-earth guy and he’s really easy to talk to. I like Ohio State a lot.“It’s just a good situation, a very good situation.” Kurelic: How many scholarship offers did you have?McVey: “Honestly, I don't know. A lot of schools said they were offering,

but nothing official. Boston College was my second choice.”Kurelic: What position will you play for the Buckeyes?McVey: “I'm not exactly sure. They recruited me as an outside linebacker,

a 'Will' backer. They also said I could play the 'Star' position or strong safety.They will figure out where they want me to play.”Kurelic: Go back to last November and the state championship game

against Cincinnati Elder. How special was it to have a game like that with thestate title on the line?McVey: “During the game I just realized that I wasn’t going to leave any-

thing back, I just put it all out there. I was pretty proud of my performance butit wasn’t just me out there. All of my teammates were helping out by freeingme up inside on some blitzes and things like that.“I knew that I could do it, it’s just actually performing that well in a state title

game is amazing. I wasn’t expecting it. I just wanted to go out there andplay, that’s all I was thinking at the time.”Kurelic: What is your goal for your senior season?McVey: “Another state title. We have a lot of guys leaving, but we still have

some talented players. We will have to work hard and do the little things. It'spossible.” — OH

LSTORY BY B I L L KUREL IC

Photo by Stephanie Porter

Glenvi l le Duo


STORY BY GARY HOUSTEAU

ven before he ever stepsone foot on any playingfield in a GlenvilleCleveland uniform,Latwan Anderson, at leastif his new uniform numberis any indication, gives theTarblooders a pretty formi-dable, albeit a tad bitundersized, one-two

punch in their defensive backfield this upcomingseason.Although neither Anderson nor his top new sec-

ondary mate at Glenville, Christian Bryant, are 6-0in height, both play much bigger and hit a lot hard-er than their physical measurables might indicate.At 5-11 and 185 pounds, Anderson has tenta-

tively settled on donning No. 1 with theTarblooders. Xavier Palacios got Mike Edwards’old No. 5 from last season – the number Andersonwore at St. Edward. Meanwhile, the 5-10, 180-

pound Bryant wears No. 2, the number madefamous by Ted Ginn Jr. when he prepped atGlenville.Both Anderson and Bryant, the quarterback of

the Tarblooders on defense this season, arenational recruits that are starting to accumulateimpressive scholarship offer lists this off-season.Bryant is ranked Ohio’s No. 9 prospect by OhioHigh in the 2010 class, while Anderson checks inat No. 12. And both Anderson and Bryant areextremely versatile athletes that can play morethan one position on both sides of the football.Of course, Anderson transferred to Glenville

from St. Edward in May after having a productivecareer there, mainly, as a safety and kick returner. Internet rumors began to spread about

Anderson’s imminent transfer across town aroundthe same time that the Eagles were searching for anew football coach. But Anderson all butsquelched the rumors back in Feb. 27 when hetold Bucknuts.com that he officially decided that he

was staying at the Cleveland-area Catholic boysschool in Lakewood.“I was in the process of maybe thinking about

leaving there, but I’m not going anywhere now,”said Anderson on that Friday afternoon in lateFebruary. “Me and my dad squared it away(Thursday, Feb. 26). I’m staying there, that’swhere I want to be. It’s a great place and I loveeverybody there.”The way Anderson told it back then, he basically

had one foot out the door at St. Edward already.“It was almost done,” he said. “My dad came up

to the school and picked me up and everythingand my locker was cleaned out. I gave all of mybooks back.”But things changed for Anderson after a family

meeting with the St. Edward administration.“We sat down and talked with my principal and

athletic director and everybody and they gave ustime to think about it and options of what we coulddo,” Anderson said. “I basically just told my dad Ididn’t really want to leave any more. That’s whereI wanted to be.”He seemed determined to want to stay at St.

Edward and help his team avenge two ratherembarrassing loses to their Holy War rival last sea-son.“As of right now I’m staying (at St. Edward). I’m

not going anywhere,” he said. “It’s my final deci-

Seniors Latwan Anderson (1) and Christian Bryant (2) are among the state’s top defensive back prospects.


Anderson, Bryant couldform tough duo at Glenville

E


Glenvi l le Duo

sion. That’s where I’m graduating from.”Even the new coaching change at St. Edward

wouldn’t effect Anderson’s decision he claimed.And on that very Friday, the Eagles administrationhired Rick Finotti away from Mayfield High Schoolto guide their football program going forward. Agraduate of VASJ, Finotti was previously thedefensive coordinator at Mayfield. “I’m settled on this. No matter who our coach is,

this is where I’ll be,” Anderson said. “I’m prettysure, whoever he is, he’ll be a good guy.”But those same rumors of Anderson leaving St.

Edward persisted until the news finally came to ahead on April 9 when The (Cleveland) Plain Dealerfirst broke the news that Anderson was indeedleaving St. Edward and he was looking into thepossibility of attending the Ginn Academy.“It was my dad’s decision really,” is the way that

Anderson explained his reasons for finally cuttinghis ties with St. Edward on March 12, some fiveweeks after he proclaimed that he would indeedreturn to St. Edward for his senior season on thegridiron. “I guess he just felt like the Ginn Academywas like a better situation for me as far as footballis concerned.”For the record, the Ginn Academy has been in

existence for two years now and they do not havea football team, nor any other sports team, of theirown. And according to a transfer rule instituted in2006 by the OHSAA and the ClevelandMetropolitan School District, if a student transfersto the Ginn Academy from a private or parochialschool, that student has to sit out a full year fromthe transfer date.So Anderson wouldn’t be eligible to participate in

football, or even track this season at Glenville,without having to sit out a year if he attended theGinn Academy. He would, however, become imme-diately eligible, once his transcripts cleared, to par-ticipate in sports if he attended Glenville. SoGlenville was actually the better situation forAnderson as far as football is concerned.But that didn’t necessarily make it any easier for

Anderson to leave St. Edward.“I think it’s a better football situation,” he admit-

ted, “but St. Ed’s is still a great school and I hatedleaving all of my friends and teammates. But I’vegot to do what’s best for me.”Although it might have seemed like a better

option for Anderson and his father, Lou Stephens,Anderson was somewhat reluctant in his desire ofactually following through with it, and leaving hisfriends behind, once his departure from St. Edwardwas official.“I’m excited to be there and play for Glenville but

at the same time it’s still kind of sad that I’m leav-ing all of my teammates behind. I’m leaving all ofmy friends basically,” said Anderson back in April.“I would rather stay but at the same time it’s notabout (St. Ed’s), it’s about me and my best chancefor getting where I want to be. And I feel I have abetter chance now at Glenville.”The bottom line now for Anderson is to make the

most of his chance at Glenville. And Bryant likes the early results with regard to

the transition that Anderson has made to Glenville.“Me and Latwan, when he first got to our school,

we talked for a little bit because I just wanted toget to know him as a person and ask what hiscapabilities were to enhance the team,” Bryantsaid. “So I just asked him a few questions but first

and foremost I welcomed him into our program.(Head Coach Ted Ginn Sr.) Ginn showed me someof his film and he told me he was a good personand I just wanted to see for myself.”And after initial inspection, Anderson was obvi-

ously deemed a good fit at Glenville, both on andoff the field.“By me talking to him,” Bryant said, “I found out

for myself that he’s a pretty nice guy and he reallycan contribute to the team this year.”It’s somewhat ironic that both Bryant and

Anderson seem to have a lot of similar skills andcan contribute a great deal to both sides of thefootball, especially in one or two areas with regardto them performing on the defensive side of theball.“Yeah I know that people say that he’s a hard

hitter and everything, we really do resemble eachother in that aspect of the game,” Bryant said. “Butwe have our different playing abilities like I canplay corner and safety. He probably could play cor-ner also but I really haven’t seen his coverageskills because he was at safety on film. But I knowthat he’s a hard-nosed guy and he’s not scared tostick his nose in there. So I’m really looking for-ward to playing with him.”Despite losing a pair of starting corners, in

Edwards and Jason Pinkston, and a starter atsafety, in Theon Dixon from last year’s team,Bryant is really excited about the potential of thenew secondary for this season.“I think our secondary should be awesome this

season,” Bryant said. “I know we have me comingback, we have Xavier Palacios, Tony Foster,Latwan, a few young guys like Davonte Morgan,Malik Moore and Johnny Robinson and all of thosetype of guys. So it’s really going to be a battle thisseason to see who’s really going to step foot onthe field for the first game. So we’re looking to seewhat’s going to happen.”A starting secondary of Palacios and Foster at

the corners and Bryant and Anderson at safety iscertainly a realistic option. It’s just one of themany ways that Anderson can contribute to hisnew team.“He can contribute in a lot of ways on offense

and defense because I’ve seen that he has somespeed on him,” Bryant said. “So as a player rightnow, I think he can really help us out a lot. Like Isaid before I’ve seen his film and he looked to be agood player in the secondary. He really didn’thave any highlights on offense so I’m just going bywhat I’ve seen of him on the track. And he’s prettyfast from what I’ve seen.“And on his film he’s shown his hitting abilities.

He’s really a hard-hitter, just like me, so we’regoing to go out there and give it our all this sea-son. Having two of the top-recruited safeties onthe same team is pretty scary.”Aaron Morris is another possible candidate to

earn playing time at the other safety position oppo-site Bryant. He played a lot as the third safety lastyear but he might have already been slated tomove up to the linebacker corps for his senior yeareven before Anderson arrived at Glenville. So it’svery possible that Anderson could be teamed withBryant at safety for the Tarblooders for this upcom-ing season.“It looks to me he can play rover, bandit, free

safety, strong safety or anything and it doesn’t mat-ter what position that I play, strong versus free, I

really don’t care, because I come up to hit too justlike a strong safety at free safety or strong safety,”Bryant said. “So it really doesn’t matter to me.”After sitting out the entire season, or for the

most part of it anyway, in his sophomore campaignwith a shoulder injury, Bryant started fulfilling thepotential that he was expected to have coming upas a younger player last season. His confidence going into his senior season is at

all-time high now.“Last year gave me a real high boost,” Bryant

said. “I finally found out that I can play on the var-sity level and contribute to my team. In my eyes Ireally didn’t have the kind of breakout season that Iwanted to as a junior but my senior year will be ashow for everybody.”Versatility is the key word for Bryant and for

Anderson. “This season I’ll probably play some of every-

thing from receiver to quarterback to running backto everything because it’s my senior and I’vealready been sold on defense in my junior seasonto the colleges,” Bryant said. “So now I’m reallyjust trying to show them what I can do on offense alot. I’m not going to give up on defense becausethat’s my first passion but I’m really going to put ona show this season, I would say right now, onoffense right now.“And Latwan, I think he can contribute to the

offense, too. He’ll probably play some runningback and probably some slot receiver. I kind ofwould like to see him at running back but it’s notmy decision. From what I’ve seen from film he’llbe a good asset to our whole team.”And according to Bryant, it’s been a seamless

endeavor in welcoming Anderson to the program.“Everyone is getting a feel for him and trying to

see if he fits in and so far he’s been fitting in prettywell,” Bryant said. “Some other guys who have transferred before

he has went into to their own little zone and didn’tinteract with the team but that’s not happening atall with Latwan. He’s fitting in pretty well so far sothat’s a good sign.”But Bryant’s not about to just anoint Anderson

an automatic starter for any position on the teamjust yet.“He’s going to have to come in and prove him-

self again, transferring over to our school,” he said. “We’re going to see if he fits in our program or

not, so we’re looking forward to seeing that. He’snot just going to get a job because his name isLatwan Anderson. I know he’s a top player in thestate and also in the country, but again he’s stillgoing to have to prove himself to us as a team.And with me being a team captain this year, I’mtrying to see what he’s all about and if he can liveup to the hype.”The opportunity is certainly there for Anderson

to excel and maybe earn some additional big-timescholarship offers now that he’s at Glenville. At thevery least, Anderson has the potential to give theTarblooders a lethel knockout combination, alongwith Bryant, in their defensive backfield.“We’re going to have a fresh start this summer

so whoever works the hardest and produces thebest in mini-camp and in summer camp is reallywho is going to be on the field in the first game,”Bryant said. “So we all have some stepping up to do. It

should be a great season.” — OH


Glenvi l le DuoPh

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Betwee

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nessee.

Pr inceton ’s Spencer Ware


ne aspect about Spencer Ware from Cincinnati Princeton that col-lege football recruiting analysts can agree on is that he is one of thetop prospects in Ohio in the 2010 class.However, no one is quite sure what position he will play at the

next level and even fewer have a gauge on what college he will endup attending.Ware (5-11, 210) is a standout quarterback for Princeton and has

been the varsity starter since his freshman year in 2006 (he also played somedefensive back as a sophomore). The vast majority of schools are recruitinghim as an “athlete” which is football lingo for “we have no clue where you fitbest.”From Ware’s perspective, he doesn’t really care what position he plays. He

just wants a chance to play majorcollege football on a full ride andhe is going to realize that dream.“I know I’ll end up at the best

position for me – the one that fitsmy skills the best,” Ware said.“Different schools are recruitingme for different positions, but itwill all work out and I have anopen mind about it.“At this point, it really doesn’t

even matter to me. I’m looking forthe right school for me and what-ever position is the right fit iswhere I’ll play.”Ware has over 15 scholarship

offers, including one from OhioState that he received lastSeptember. That’s when it finallyhit the young man that he had thechance to be big-time.“I was shocked when Ohio

State offered,” Ware said. “I hadno idea it was coming. I was

excited when it came in the mail.”As a sophomore in 2007, Ware threw for 2,200 yards and rushed for 982.

He accounted for 35 touchdowns (18 rushing, 17 passing). Ware threw just sixinterceptions and was named second-team All-Southwest District in Division I(the only sophomore on the first or second team).

As a junior in 2008, Ware threw for 1,938 yards and 13 touchdowns. Headded 741 rushing yards and scored 15 touchdowns on the ground. He wasnamed first-team all-district by the Associated Press, and honorable mentionAll-Ohio by ONN/Ohio High magazine.At a Nike-sponsored football camp in Cincinnati in mid-March, Ware had an

impressive performance. The scholarship offers were already rolling in at arapid pace, but his showing at the Nike camp caused even more schools toget interested. In fact, Ware has received so many offers recently, he’s lostcount of exactly how many he has and exactly which schools have offeredthem.“I can't name them all specifically off the top of my head,” Ware said. “I

have about 15 offers. I have Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa,Syracuse, Cincinnati, Duke, North Carolina, N.C. State and Purdue. Those aresome off the top of my head.”As of late April, Ware was not reporting a leader.“I’m just looking at everyone as equals right now and I’m just trying to take

my time and make the right decision,” he said.There is a group of schools from the Southeastern Conference that Ware

would be extremely interested in if they offer him a scholarship.“Yeah, I like Georgia, LSU and Florida,” Ware saidIn fact, Ware has been a fan of the Bulldogs for a long time and still keeps

a close eye on what is happening in Athens.“Yeah, I am, I’m still a Georgia fan,” Ware said. “There is just something

about that program that I like. I like how they get after on the field and theirwork ethic. I’ve been around their coaches and they have a good baseballprogram. I like the atmosphere.”Ah yes, baseball. Ware is also a standout baseball player – he batted

around .400 as a sophomore in 2008 -- and he has no plans of giving up thesport.“I’d like to try both sports in college – football and baseball,” Ware said.The multi-faceted athlete is not in a hurry to make a decision. In fact, it’s

just the opposite. He could be one of those recruits that keeps everyoneguessing until the last minute.“I think I might be kind of late to decide – right before singing day or around

that time,” Ware said. “I’m going to take all five of my official visits.”However, Ware is not sure which schools he will visit yet.“Not at the moment,” he said.

Transfer Rumors Proven UntrueIn December 2008, there were rampant rumors on internet message boards

that Ware was planning a transfer to Cincinnati Colerain (a move that was

STORY BY DAVE B IDDLE

“I know I’ll end up at thebest position for me – the one

that fits my skills the best.Different schools are recruitingme for different positions, but itwill all work out and I have an

open mind about it.

Princeton juniorSpencer Ware

OPh

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by S

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anie

Porte

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Pr inceton ’s Spencer Ware


supposed to be made before the 2009 baseball season). However, the rumorturned out to be nothing more than just that.“Yeah, there was nothing to that rumor, but everyone seemed to believe it

for a while,” Ware said.It is believed the rumor was started by a fan of Colerain’s program and then

took on a life of its own from there. Ware says he’s just glad that situation isbehind him and he can focus on helping the Vikings in 2009.

OSU Hot On Ware’s TrailAs for Ohio State, Ware has been to the Columbus campus multiple times

and says he always feels comfortable.“I’ve been up there for spring practice and my sophomore year I went up

there for a camp,” Ware said. “It’s pretty cool there and I know a few peoplefrom around that area. I have some family in that area and I know some of theguys that are there now on the team.”Like most schools, the Buckeyes are not sure what position Ware will play

in college. They just know they want him.“Ohio State has been talking about all over on both sides of the ball,” Ware

said. “They’re looking at me as an all-around player.”The only schools that are recruiting Ware as a quarterback and not an “ath-

lete” are Cincinnati and Duke.

Ware Selected For All-American BowlOn March 24, Ware became the second player from Ohio to accept an invi-

tation to the Army All-American Bowl, which will be played in San Antonio onJan. 9, 2010. (Cincinnati Anderson offensive lineman Andrew Norwell – whohas verbally committed to Ohio State – was the first Ohio player to agree toplay in the game.)“That’s a big honor for me and I’m excited about it,” Ware said. “It should be

fun to go down there and play with and against some of the best players in thecountry.”

ESPN.com EvaluationMost recruiting analysts feel that Ware will be a running back in college due

to his powerful running skills and his quickness in changing direction. He’salready a very thick young man and probably won’t get any taller. Here is ESPN.com’s detailed evaluation of Ware:“Ware is essentially a running back playing as a dual-threat quarterback in

the shotgun spread offense and he is actually a surprisingly productive QBthat is more than just a runner, but his build and athleticism and ability tomake plays as a RB is why he handles the ball on each play. “He possesses a live arm and is a serviceable passer for this scheme and

throws very well on the run. Creates problems for defenses because if you justattempt to stop him as a runner, he can and will hurt you through the air.Shows an aggressive style and runs with authority. Hits the hole with greatburst and is capable of sneaking through tiny creases. At quarterback, whenhe feels pressure he displays excellent initial quickness to jump-cut and avoid. “Has good lower-body strength, hits the hole quickly and is a surprising

between-the-tackles runner who excels at picking up yards after contact. Runswith good balance and bounces off arm tackles. “Shows good lateral mobility, can bounce runs outside after starting inside

and does a good job of locating cut-back lanes. Keeps head up, shows goodvision and read blocks well. Has the burst to turn the corner, shows a secondgear once in space and flashes the ability to run over defensive backs in theopen field. “He displays such a low center of gravity coupled with balance and agility to

keep his feet after first contact that he rarely goes down easily. For his buildand quickness he is a guy that looks as if he could carry the load, but he lacksgreat top end speed and against top level defensive speed he may struggle towin footraces in space. He is a lot like Ray Rice in this regard. “Overall, Ware is versatile and possesses excellent instincts as a football

player and runner. He is stout with a compact build and can be an effectiveinside and outside runner.” — OH

Ohio P layers Impact NFL Draf t


here is no denying that Ohio produces some of the top highschool football talent every year sending players to the top col-lege football programs in the country. Beyond the campus, there is no shortage of Buckeye State

natives in the NFL, either, and the league welcomed 16 more inthe annual draft conducted April 25-26.

Ohio boasted the fourth most draft picks behind Texas (39), California (28)and Florida (17).Here is a look at the players taken in the draft that got their start on the grid

iron on the fields across Ohio:

Center Of Attention The Buffalo Bills selected center Eric Wood with the 28th pick in the first

round making him the first Ohio player taken in the Draft. Wood (6-4, 310) was considered by many as the top center prospect in the

country coming out of Louisville. At Cincinnati Elder, he started all 15 games as a senior leading the

Panthers to their second straight state title in 2003. Elder went 28-2 over hislast two seasons and Wood earned honorable mention All-District honors as ajunior.

Going Back To Glendale There was little doubt that running back Chris ‘Beanie’ Wells would one day

be suiting up for an NFL team and that team is Arizona with the Cardinalsselecting Wells with 31st pick in the first round. Before becoming one of the most prolific running backs in Ohio State

Buckeyes history, Wells (6-1, 235) was an All-American at Akron Garfield. Hewas ranked as the top players in Ohio’s 2006 recruiting class by Ohio Highmagazine and was regarded by most scouting services as the top runningback in the country his senior year. Wells rushed for 2,134 yards on 223 carries and 27 touchdowns in his sen-

ior campaign and earned U.S. Army All-American Bowl MVP honors scoringthree touchdowns in the game. As a junior, Wells tallied 1,939 yards and 20touchdowns for Garfield.As a freshman at Ohio State, Wells played in the 2007 BCS National

Championship Game at Arizona's University of Phoenix Stadium, where hewill now be toting the ball as a professional. He also played his final collegiategame in that stadium as the Buckeyes dropped the Fiesta Bowl to Texas.

All In The FamilyWide receiver Brian Robiskie was destined to play football. Son of Atlanta Falcons receivers coach and NFL journeyman Terry

Robiskie, the younger Robiskie was selected in the by the Cleveland Brownswith the fourth pick of the second round. At Ohio State, Robiskie (6-3, 209) was an Academic All-American and was

a first team All-Big Ten Conference selection ranking in the top 10 in recep-tions and yards in program history. In high school, Robiskie starred at Chagrin Falls in suburban Cleveland.

There, he set career receiving records with 118 catches for 1,885 yards and34 touchdowns. He earned first team All-Ohio honors as a senior with 47catches for 754 yards and 12 touchdowns leading the Tigers to a 9-3 record

STORY BY MATT NATAL I

Beanie Wells, picked31st overall by theArizona Cardinals, was aHigh school All-Americanat Akron Garfield.


T



and a Chagrin Valley Conference title. Ohio High ranked Robiskie as the No. 27 prospect in the state for the 2005

class.The elder Robiskie was a coach for the Browns from 2001-06 including a

five-game stint as the interim head coach in 2005.

‘Big Rich’ Tight end Richard Quinn is nicknamed ‘Big Rich’ for his ability to block on

the offensive line and the Denver Broncos selected him with the 32nd pick inthe second round to do just that. Quinn (6-4, 264) only had 12 career catches for 124 yards and two touch-

downs at North Carolina being used primarily as a blocker. Quinn moved to Ohio his sophomore year of high school from Alabama and

was a two-time all-Lake Erie League and all-Northeast District selection. In2004, Maple Heights finished 10-2 qualifying for the Division II playoffs withQuinn recording 32 catches for 468 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was the No. 37 rated prospect in the 2004 class by Ohio High.

Arch Madness With the second pick in the third round, the St. Louis Rams selected Iowa

defensive back and Youngstown Liberty product Bradley Fletcher. Fletcher (6-0, 196) was an honorable mention All-Big Ten pick as a senior

with 60 tackles, three interceptions and 10 pass break-ups for the Hawkeyes. At Liberty, Fletcher had 207 tackles (81 solo), 13 pass break-ups and four

interceptions for his career. As senior for the Leopards, Fletcher had 74 tack-les (43 solo), two interceptions and six pass break-ups. On offense, he had 815 yards on 143 carries and 12 touchdowns earning

first team All-Trumbull Athletic Conference, All-Northeast Ohio, all-state andplayed in the annual North-South Classic featuring the top seniors in the statein 2004. Fletcher also starred on the hardwood for Liberty.

Big Brewster Headed to ‘Big D’ Ball State offensive tackle Robert Brewster was the first of three Ohioans

selected by the Dallas Cowboys with the 11th pick in the third round. Brewster (6-4, 325) was a three-year letter winner at Ball State and also

earned three letters in high school at Cincinnati Wyoming. Ohio High ranked Brewster as the No. 33 prospect for the 2005 recruiting

class. He was named the Cincinnati Hills League Player of the Year and wasan all-city selection. Brewster also earned first team all-state honors and wasthe Division III Co-Player of the Year.

‘Fin’-tastic Catch Ohio State wide receiver Brian Hartline joins former Buckeye pass-catcher

and Ohio high school standout Ted Ginn, Jr. in Miami as the Dolphins selectedthe former Canton GlenOak star with the eighth pick in the fourth round. Hartline (6-2, 195) opted to enter the draft after catching only 21 passes last

season with freshman Terrelle Pryor taking the snaps. But as a sophomore he

had 52 catches for 694 yards and six touchdowns and made the Big Ten all-academic team. Despite missing his senior season at GlenOak after suffering a broken leg

in the season-opener, Ohio High ranked Hartline as the No. 11 prospect in thestate’s 2005 recruiting class. As a junior, he played quarterback for the first four games before moving to

receiver catching 41 passes for 411 yards. He won state track championships in 110-meter event and the 300-meter

hurdles as a senior for GlenOak.

Irish Eyes Are Smiling Safety David Bruton was one of three captains for Notre Dame his senior

season and the Denver Broncos are hoping that leadership carries over to thenext level selecting Bruton with the 14th pick in the fourth round. Before tallying 214 career tackles, including seven tackles for loss and one

sack for the Fighting Irish, Bruton (6-2, 219) led Miamisburg’s defense in thesecondary. As a senior, he recorded 54 tackles, three interceptions and sevenpass break-ups earning all-Southwest District recognition. Bruton was rated as the No. 15 top prospect for the 2005 class by Ohio

High.

Staying Close To Home Punter Kevin Huber has the rare

opportunity to play high school, collegeand professional football all in the samecity. A Cincinnati native, Huber (6-1, 220)

was a three-time all-Greater CatholicLeague selection at McNicholas earningleague Punter of the Year honors his jun-ior and senior seasons. Huber led all of college football with

46.9 yards per punt for the CincinnatiBearcats last season earning Big EastSpecial Teams Player of the Year andwas a consensus all-American. With the sixth pick in the fifth round,

the hometown Cincinnati Bengals select-ed Huber keeping him in the Queen City.

Speaking Of Cincinnati With the very next pick, Dallas select-

ed Cincinnati Bearcats cornerback and Columbus Independence productDeAngelo Smith. Smith (5-11, 194) earned two letters at Cincinnati and was tied for the most

interceptions in the country with eight.As a senior at Independence, Smith snagged 11 interceptions returning five

for touchdowns earning first team All-Ohio honors. He also had 14 touch-downs receiving and had seven touchdowns on punt and kickoffs. Smith had 20 career interceptions in high school and was ranked as the No.

61 prospect by Ohio High for the 2004 class.

Marcus Of The Midway Linebacker Marcus Freeman has succeeded on every level of football and

is aiming to continue his success with Chicago as the Bears selected him withthe 18th pick in the fifth round. Freeman (6-0, 239) started for three seasons at Ohio State as the

Buckeyes led the nation in total defense and scoring defense in 2007 whileplacing sixth nationally in scoring defense during his senior campaign.In high school, Freeman started for four years at Huber Heights Wayne and

recorded 127 tackles, four sacks, three forced fumbles and three fumblerecoveries as a senior earning first team All-Ohio honors for he secondstraight season and was also selected as a Parade magazine All-American.Ohio High ranked Freeman as the No. 7 prospect in the 2004 class. Freeman also competed in track in the 4x100-meter relay and throwing the

shot and discus.

Number-Cruncher Quarterback Nate Davis is used to setting records on the football field.

Davis (6-1, 226) was the Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the

Photos by Gary Housteau

Ohioans Brian Hartline (left), Nate Davis (middle) and Marcus Freeman (right) were all drafted. Hartlineby the Miami Dolphins, Davis by the San Francisco 49ers and Freeman by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.



Year last season setting the Ball State single-season record with 3,667 pass-ing yards completing a record 270 attempts. He also set the mark for touch-down passes in a season with 30 and is the first Ball State player to throw formore than 3,000 yards in back-to-back seasons. Prior to his collegiate success, Davis earned three letters at Bellaire High

School leading the Big Reds to the state semifinals his senior season. He was125-of-207 passing for 2,932 yards and 42 touchdowns earning all-Ohio ValleyConference and all-state honors.Davis is the Bellaire record-holder for passing yards with 7,348 and 81

touchdowns and was rated as the No. 38 prospect by Ohio High for the 2006class. He also earned four letters with the Bellaire basketball team and holds the

career scoring record with more than 1,800 points. The San Francisco 49ers selected Davis with 35th pick in the fifth round.

Full Speed Ahead Running back Javon Ringer was ranked first in the nation last season in

scoring, touchdowns and carries in his senior campaign at Michigan State andthe Tennessee Titans thought that was good enough to take Ringer with thelast pick in the fifth round. Ringer (5-9, 205) was an Associated Press All-American in his final colle-

giate season and ended his career as Michigan State’s second-leading rusherwith 4,398 yards and set the Spartans all-time record with 5,426 all-purposeyards. He ranks second in program history with 843 carries and tied for fourth with

34 touchdown runs. Starring in the backfield for Dayton Chaminade-Julienne in high school,

Ringer was a three-time All-Ohio selection. Before being sidelined with aknee injury his senior season, Ringer rushed for 1,790 yards and 20touchdowns in seven games and was rated as the No. 2 prospect inthe 2005 class by Ohio High. As a junior, Ringer had 2,356 yards and 30 touchdowns and helped

lead C-J to the Division II state title in 2002 with 2,038 yards and 30touchdowns. Ringer was also sprinter for the C-J track team.

Say Cheese! After lettering three seasons at Ohio State, Hamilton native

and cornerback Brandon Underwood transferred to Cincinnatiand was picked by the Green Bay Packers with the 14th pick inthe sixth round. At Hamilton, Underwood had 60 tackles his senior year and

50 as a junior and was rated as one of the top cornerbackprospects in the country coming out of high school. Ohio High rated Underwood as the No. 16 prospect in the state

for the 2004 class.

Speaking of Cincinnati (Again) Mike Mickens could be the steal of the draft with the Cowboys selecting the

Cincinnati cornerback with the 18th pick in the seventh round. Mickens (6-0, 186) was an All-Big East and All-American selection as a jun-

ior with 53 tackles and six interceptions taking three back for touchdowns. Unfortunately for Mickens, he was sidelined for the last three game of his

senior season with a knee injury. Playing for Huber Heights Wayne, Mickens was a two-time All-Greater

Western Ohio Conference selection in 2004 and 2005. Wayne was 24-9 andclaimed two league titles during his three seasons as a starter. Mickensrecorded 205 tackles and 10 interceptions, blocked four field goals andreturned a kickoff for a touchdown during his career. He was also the state 300-meter hurdles champion as a junior and was also

a member of the school’s 4x400-meter relay team placing second at the statefinals as a sophomore.

Last But Not Least Trevor Canfield became the sixth player from the Cincinnati Bearcats to get

drafted when Arizona selected him with the 45th pick in the seventh round. Canfield (6-5, 307) started 25 straight games and was a second team All-

Big East selection. He was a three-year starter at Cincinnati Western Hills and was a first team

all-Southwestern Ohio Public Schools League selection as a senior and washonorable mention all-city. — OH

Brian Robiskie wastaken by theCleveland Brownswith the fourthpick in the secondround.



Al l -Star Game Previews

or the fourth year in a row, Ohio’s top two high school football all-star games will be conducted simultaneously.But a third event – an international football event set for Canton

– will also take place this summer.The Ohio North-South Classic and the Big 33 Football Classic

will each be held on Sat., June 20. Coaches from the Ohio HighSchool Football Coaches Association selected the teams for these games.The North-South game will be played at Ohio Stadium, while the Big 33 gamewill be played in Hershey, Pa.At the same time, USA Football has assembled a team to play in the eight-

nation, four-continent International Federation of American Football JuniorWorld Championship in Canton from June 27-July 5.

The results for Ohio in the Big 33 have not been pretty since the conflictbetween that game and the North-South came about three years ago. ThePennsylvania all-stars won the 2006 game 61-42, prevailed 28-10 in 2007 and31-16 in 2008.

Choosing SidesHere are details on both of these all-star games:* The Ohio North-South Classic – It will be contested 4 p.m. June 20 at

Ohio Stadium. Avon head coach Mike Elder will coach the North team. Some of his key

players include Vermilion tight end Derick Hoebing (Michigan State), NorthRoyalton offensive lineman Dan France (Michigan State), Cuyahoga FallsWalsh Jesuit offensive lineman Pat McShane (Indiana), Warren Howland line-backer Tyler Scott (Northwestern) and Youngstown Ursuline defensive backDale Peterman (Syracuse).XXXXX will coach the South squad. Notable players include West Chester

Lakota West running back Stephen Houston (Mississippi), Portsmouth offen-

sive lineman Nate Cadogan (Penn State), Steubenville linebacker BrankoBusick (West Virginia) and Cincinnati Winton Woods linebacker Maalik Bomar(Cincinnati).According to the OHSFCA, alumni of the Ohio North-South Classic have

participated in all but two of the NFL’s 43 Super Bowl games.Last year, the North squad downed the South 31-9. The North maintains a

37-23-3 lead in the all-time series.Television details for this year’s North-South Classic had not been resolved. * Big 33 Football Classic – The Big 33 game is set for 7 p.m., June 20, at

Hersheypark Stadium. It is sponsored by PNC Bank.The Ohio squad will be coached by Ada head coach Mike Fell. Ohio State

signees on the Ohio squad include Aurora defensive lineman Adam Bellamy,Garfield Heights defensive lineman Melvin Fellows, Painesville Harvey widereceiver Chris Fields, Cleveland Glenville offensive lineman Marcus Hall,Youngstown Boardman offensive lineman Corey Linsley, Bellbrook offensivelineman Sam Longo and Cleveland Glenville defensive lineman JonathanNewsome.More notables on the team include Hamilton defensive back Denicos Allen

(Michigan State), Youngstown Liberty defensive back Isaiah Bell (Michigan),Fostoria wide receiver Micah Hyde (Iowa), Canal Fulton Northwest offensivelineman Nate Klatt (Michigan State), Portsmouth offensive lineman John Prior(Florida State), Centerville defensive lineman Adam Replogle (Indiana),Sunbury Big Walnut linebacker Will Studlien (Northwestern), MassillonWashington defensive back J.T. Turner (Michigan) and Youngstown Libertyrunning back Fitzgerald Toussaint (Michigan). The Big 33 game will be televised live by the NFL Network.The Ohio-Pennsylvania series resumed in 1993. Last year’s win gave

Pennsylvania a 9-7 lead in that series.* IFAF Junior World Championship – USA Football, an independent non-

profit and the sport’s national governing body on youth and amateur levels,has built America’s first Junior National Team in the sport to compete in theeight-nation, four-continent 2009 International Federation of American Football(IFAF) Junior World Championship in Canton, Ohio, from June 27-July 5.National football teams from Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico,

New Zealand and Sweden have qualified to join the United States to pursuethe sport’s first world championship on the international junior level (19 andunder).Cleveland St. Ignatius coach Chuck Kyle will be the coach of Team USA.

That team will also include three Ohio products in Newark Licking Valley line-backer Storm Klein, Toledo St. John’s offensive lineman Jack Mewhort andCuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit offensive lineman Brian Smith. Klein andMewhort will play college football at Ohio State, while Smith is headed toNorthwestern.They are among 36 graduating high school seniors soon to enter 27 college

football programs who will play on America’s first national team in the sportcomprised of players aged 19 and under. USA Football’s Junior National Teamroster will ultimately consist of 45 student-athletes.“It will be an historic moment for American football as great athletes from

around the world come to Canton to see who will be crowned Junior WorldChampion,” Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel said. “It’s great that a coupleof Ohio guys and Buckeyes will be able to represent their country in such acompetition. I know it will be an unforgettable experience for them.” — OH

F

Phot

o by

Mar

k Por

ter

Last year theNorth beat the

South 31-9


Al l -Star Game PreviewsSTORY BY STEVE HELWAGEN

Ohio TeamHead coach: Mike Fell (Ada). Assistants: Doug Frye

(St. Marys Memorial), Bill Nees (Piqua), Mike Vicars(Genoa), Paul Yunker (Evergreen), Scott Wetzel (BigWalnut).

Players (colleges in parentheses): Denicos Allen, DB,Hamilton (Michigan State); Perez Ashford, WR, ShakerHeights (Northern Illinois); Isaiah Bell, DB, YoungstownLiberty (Michigan); Adam Bellamy, DL, Aurora (OhioState); Austin Boucher, QB, Kettering Alter (Miami, Ohio);Melvin Fellows, DL, Garfield Heights (Ohio State); ChrisFields, WR, Painesville Harvey (Ohio State); NateFreese, K, Strongsville (Boston College); Jeffvon Gill,Euclid (Buffalo); Marcus Hall, OL, Cleveland Glenville(Ohio State); Micah Hyde, WR, Fostoria (Iowa); DonovanJarrett, Hamilton (Ball State); Josh Jones, CincinnatiElder (Cincinnati); Shaun Joplin, WR, SylvaniaSouthview; Nate Klatt, OL, Canal Fulton Northwest(Michigan State); Corey Linsley, OL, YoungstownBoardman (Ohio State); Sam Longo, OL, Bellbrook (OhioState).

Darrell Mason, RB, Youngstown Ursuline (Fort ScottCC); Tim Moore, DB, Mentor (Bowling Green); JonathanNewsome, DL, Cleveland Glenville (Ohio State); PatrickNicely, QB, Willoughby South (Akron); Cody Pettit,Hamler Patrick Henry (Central Michigan); JasonPinkston, Cleveland Glenville (Ball State); John Prior, OL,Portsmouth (Florida St.); Adam Replogle, DL, Centerville(Indiana); Brian Slack, TE, Akron Hoban (Miami, Ohio);Jake Smith, OL, Columbus DeSales (St. Francis); ChrisSnook, LB, Medina Highland (West Virginia); RyanSpiker, OL, Dresden Tri-Valley (West Virginia); WillStudlien, LB, Sunbury Big Walnut (Northwestern);Fitzgerald Toussaint, RB, Youngstown Liberty (Michigan);J.T. Turner, DB, Massillon Washington (Michigan); ChrisWilliams, DB, Cincinnati Winton Woods (Cincinnati).

Pennsylvania TeamHead coach: Tim Janocko (Clearfield).Players (colleges in parentheses): Ronnie Akins, DB,

North Penn (Villanova); Mark Arcidiacono, OL, St.Josephʼs Prep (Penn State); Dana Brown, DL,McKeesport (Kent State); Josh Bucci, OL, Beaver Area(Villanova); James Capello, QB, Lebanon (Iowa State);Jaleel Clark, WR, Parkland (Missouri); Jay Colbert, DE,Neshaminy (New Hampshire); Brock Decicco, TE,Thomas Jefferson (Pittsburgh); Curtis Drake, QB, WestCatholic (Penn State); A.J. Fenton, DE, McDowell(Wisconsin); Malik Generett, WR, William Penn York(Connecticut); Brandon Heath, OL, W.C. Henderson(Delaware); Jordan Hill, DL, Steel High (Penn State);Robert Holloman, RB, West Catholic; Anthony Holmes,DB, Harrisburg; Chris Houston, DB, McDevitt (NewHampshire).

Horvin Latimer, LB, Bethlehem Liberty (Duquesne);Jermel Lee, DB, Freedom (IUP); Jack Lippert, DL,Central Dauphin (Pittsburgh); Lyle Marsh, RB, BethelPark (Pennsylvania); Dan Mason, LB, Penn Hills(Pittsburgh); Brandon McManus, K, North Penn (Temple);Billy Morgan, DB, Cardinal OʼHara (Hofstra); Dave Osei,OL, Abington (Rutgers); Mike Pinciotti, DL, St. JosephʼsPrep (Pennsylvania); Justin Pugh, OL, Council RockSouth (Syracuse); John Schademan, WR, Bethel Park(Colgate); Carson Sharbaugh, LB, Wilmington(Youngstown State); Dan Shirey, OL, Nehsanimy(Villanova); Jordan Smith, DB, Steel Hill; Devin Street,WR, Bethlehem Liberty (Pittsburgh); Rob Stupar, DE,State College (Youngstown State).

South TeamHead coach: Jay Sharrett (Pickerington Central). Players: Jordan Barbina, QB, Union Local; Taylor

Wood, QB, Delaware Hayes (Eastern Kentucky);Stephen Houston, RB, West Chester Lakota West(Mississippi); Jeremy Murray, RB, Martins Ferry; BrodyCall, RB, St. Clairsville; Travis Sherman, OL, CoalGrove Dawson Bryant; Zac Kerin, OL, Lewis CenterOlentangy (Toledo); Mike Breland, OL, St. MarysMemorial; Allen Matthews, OL, Xenia; Nate Cadogan,OL, Portsmouth (Penn State); Josh Sucheki, OL,Hilliard Davidson; Jacob Green, TE, Wyoming (BallState); Tyrell Massey, WR, Columbus Marion Franklin;Brett Wycinski, WR, New Lexington; Chase Barnes,WR, Kenton; Mark Mays, WR, Clayton Northmont(Bowling Green); Tony Harris, WR, Cincinnati Moeller.

Kyle Baker, WR, Ada; Blaine Burgess, DL,Pickerington Central (Harvard); Mike Hilty, DL,Olentangy Liberty (Cincinnati); Davon Custis, DL,Columbus DeSales; Zach Costlow, DL, SteubenvilleCatholic; Greg Cristo-Baker, DL, Newark LickingValley; Will Carter, LB, Johnstown Monroe; BrankoBusick, LB, Steubenville (West Virginia); MaalikBomar, LB, Cincinnati Winton Woods (Cincinnati); MikeLamb, LB, Ironton; Ryan Ballenger, DB, Gahanna(Harvard); Josh Miller, DB, Lima Shawnee; TylerDummermuth, DB, New Philadelphia; Terrence Glenn,DB, Dayton Dunbar; Nick Preissman, DB, CincinnatiColerain; Karlos Marshall, DB, Springfield; AdamCastin, K/P, Pickerington Central.

North TeamHead coach: Mike Elder (Avon).Players: Ryan OʼRourke, QB, Avon (Slippery Rock);

Alex Gillett, QB, Clyde (Eastern Michigan); Eric Page,WR, Akron Springfield (Toledo); Terrance Davis, WR,Fremont Ross; Brandon Mathie, WR, Louisville;Garrett Gronowski, WR, Avon (Eastern Michigan);Derick Hoebing, TE, Vermilion (Michigan State); JonPettigrew, RB, Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy(Bowling Green); Tyler Fortner, RB, Tallmadge;Monterae Williams, RB, Canton McKinley (Findlay);Zach Laird, OL, Olmsted Falls (Air Force); SchylerChappell, OL, Kirtland; Pat McShane, OL, CuyahogaFalls Walsh Jesuit (Indiana); Dan Baco, OL,Youngstown Ursuline (Walsh); Matt DeMore, OL,Twinsburg; Dan France, OL, North Royalton (MichiganState); Aaron Williams, OL, Canton GlenOak (Toledo).

Bryan Visingardi, K/P, Akron Springfield; AlexKovach, DB, Strongsville; Armand Dehaney, DB,Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit (Ball State); DalePeterman, DB, Youngstown Ursuline (Syracuse); CodyRoberts, DB, Lodi Cloverleaf (Cornell); SylvesterGibbs, DB, Austintown Fitch (Youngstown State);Ethan Kagy, DB, Tiffin Columbian; Dan Molls, LB,Parma Padua (Toledo); Tyler Scott, LB, WarrenHowland (Northwestern); Anthony King, LB, DefianceAyersville (Idaho State); Ben Pike, DL, Mentor(Toledo); Nathan Elliot, DL, Leavittsburg LaBrae; BenBertsch, DL, Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary; Frank Orteca,DL, Twinsburg (Villanova); Matt Rose, DE, MassillonWashington (Ashland); Tyler Houska, DE, MedinaHighland (Youngstown State); Pat McFall, DE,Youngstown Boardman.

USA Football Jr. National TeamHead coach: Chuck Kyle (Cleveland St. Ignatius).Players (colleges in parentheses): Oday Aboushi,

OL, Brooklyn (N.Y.) Xaverian (Virginia); Robert Bell,LB, East Grand Rapids, Mich. (Toledo); KevinCummings, WR, Culver City (Calif.) Crespi (OregonState); Zach Cutkomp, RB, West Des Moines (Iowa)Valley (Northern Iowa); Jamal Davis, WR, CoralSprings (Fla.) Charter (Florida Atlantic); Aaron Dobson,WR, South Charleston, W.Va. (Marshall); TariqEdwards, LB, Marlboro (S.C.) County (Virginia Tech);A.J. Ferguson, DE, South Brunswick, N.C. (N.C.State); Brian Fields, RB, New Castle (Del.) WilliamPenn (Western Michigan); Noel Grigsby, WR, LosAngeles Crenshaw (San Jose State); James Hall, RB,Las Cruces, N.M. (New Mexico State); ChrisHenderson, DT, Dallas Carter (Texas A&M); PatHinkel, DB, Cleveland St. Ignatius (Miami, Ohio);Storm Klein, LB, Newark (Ohio) Licking Valley (OhioState).

Corey Lillard, DB, Bealeton (Va.) Liberty (Virginia);Mike Loftus, P/K, Anaheim (Calif.) Servite (SMU); ErikLora, WR, Miami Christopher Columbus (Miami, Fla.);Jordan Lynch, DB, Chicago Mount Carmel (NorthernIllinois); J.R. McConico, CB, Venice, Calif. (SMU).

Jack Mewhort, C, Toledo (Ohio) St. Johnʼs (OhioState); Khaled Mheisen, DL, Detroit Central Catholic;Chris Norman, LB, Detroit Renaissance(MichiganState); Matthew Page, OL, East Chicago Central(BallState); Chris Payne, DB, Columbia, S.C. (SouthCarolina); Bryce Petty, QB, Midlothian, Texas (Baylor);John Plasencia, TE, Tampa Jesuit (Northwestern);Jordan Poyer, CB, Astoria, Ore. (Oregon State); TevinReese, WR,Temple, Texas (Baylor); Micajah Reynolds,G, Lansing (Mich.) Sexton (Michigan State); JordanRoussos, DE, Carlynton, Pa. (Bowling Green); BryceSchwindt, OL, Columbine, Colo. (Northern Colorado);Brian Smith, OL, Cuyahoga Falls (Ohio) Walsh Jesuit(Northwestern); Kurt Stottlemyer, DB, Bothell, Wash.(Yale); Evan Swindall, C, LaFayette, Ga. (Mississippi);David Wilson, RB, Danville (Va.) George Washington(Virginia Tech); Nick Zachery, CB, Sheridan, Ind.(Indiana).


Juwan Staten

Dayton Thurgood Marshall juniorJuwan Staten has verballed tothe University of Dayton.

Photo by Nick Falzerano

Thurgood Marshall’s Staten leadsteam to D-II final, decides totransfer to Oak Hill Academy


Juwan StatenSTORY BY MATT NATAL I

f there was one reason Dayton ThurgoodMarshall finished Division II state runners-up in boys basketball in March, it wasJuwan Staten.The junior point guard, while humble

and quick to credit his Cougars teammateswith a lion’s share of the recognition, wasthe catalyst for the successful season. Staten averaged 20.4 points per game

this season earning second team All-Ohiohonors. In the state tournament, he unloaded 24against Circleville Logan Elm in an overtime affairin the semifinals and dropped a game-high 28against Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary in the titlegame.“Throughout the (state championship) game I

wasn’t really thinking about myself,” Staten said. “Iwas thinking more about my team and winning thegame. At the time I was scoring, I was hot, so Iknew I should keep doing what I was doing inorder for us to win. “Going to the state tournament was a once and

a lifetime experience. Up until now, that has beenthe best thing that has happened to me since Ihave been playing high school basketball. Everykid dreams about going to the state championshipand it was a great experience. “Playing on the big stage, playing on TV – the

whole thing was just nice.”Staten scored 20 of his 28 points in the first half

as Marshall took a 29-23 lead into halftime. ButSVSM came out after the break and focused thedefense on Staten, which is not uncommon,according to Marshall head coach John Ralph.“We’ve got some other good players on the

team but that is not to minimize what he brings tothe table,” Ralph said. “The fact that he can go outand score 20 points like he did in the first halfagainst (SVSM), you have to recognize he is capa-ble of that. But at the same time he has come tounderstand that maybe it is not the 20 points heneeds to get but maybe its 10 assists he needs toget.”NBA superstar and SVSM alum LeBron James

was on hand for the title game and embraced anemotional Staten after the final horn in the 59-53Fighting Irish win. “Any time you get an NBA player or anyone who

knows a lot about the game and dealing with theNBA it is something good. But when it is some-body like LeBron James, it takes it to a whole newlevel,” he said. “I don’t really like moral victoriesbut after a great game and having LeBron talk tome, I knew I couldn’t hang my head and I had tobe proud of myself. “It was great. I’ve always dreamed about meet-

ing him and one day playing against him and forhim to come up to me after a loss like that helpedme pick my head up. That was just great.”Despite his scoring output this season, Ralph

said Staten did whatever he could to get Marshallwins whether it meant he scored in double figuresor not.“He is crucial from the standpoint that he recog-

nized that he had good players around him andhad to fill certain roles,” he said. “It’s not just abouthim going out and scoring points but it is about himgoing out there and doing what he needs to do tomake the team successful. He recognized that anddid a great job of doing that. “They recognize it is a team game and he has

recognized it is a team game and they have to filla particular role when he does a certain thing.” With the experience from this year’s tournament

run, Staten said he and his teammates will usethat to their advantage next season to take thenext step.“It gave us a lot of confidence and put a hunger

in us to let us know that our goals are not finishedand we’ve got something to work harder for nextyear,” he said.“Whenever you get there it means you get that

experience under your belt. In close games, wemight not get rattled as easy and for our confi-dence we know we can play at a state level.”Since the completion of the high school season,

Staten has been running the floor with his All-OhioRed AAU team after winning a national champi-onship last year. Staten is joined by ColumbusNorthland post Jared Sullinger (Ohio State),Northland power forward J.D. Weatherspoon(undecided), injured Cincinnati Princeton guardJordan Sibert (Ohio State), Findlay Liberty-Bentonguard Aaron Craft (Tennessee), Dayton Jeffersoncenter Adrien Payne (undecided) and Lexingtonguard Courtney Avery (Stanford).Staten said he enjoys playing on such a talent-

laden team. “People might say it is hard playing on a team

with such great players but I think it is kind of easybecause no team can focus on just one man,” hesaid. “They have to play us all equally. That iswhen all of our individual abilities are able to show,especially with teammates with great basketballIQ. We all kind of think alike and it makes it easierto click.”The All-Ohio Red combined for two total losses

coming into this AAU season but already droppedtwo games before May. “This AAU season has been great. I have been

playing well but it hasn’t been the great season forour team based on the last two years,” Statensaid.“When you have been good for a long time, you

have a lot of teams going after you because youhave a target on your back. It is easy to get com-placent so these two losses have reminded us westill need to come to games ready to play. No teamis going to give us anything.”

Moving OnAfter weighing his options with his family and

friends, Staten has made the decision to transferto Oak Hill (Va.) Academy. “My mind is set,” Staten said. “We talked to

(Oak Hill head coach) Steve Smith and let himknow that we’ve accepted and I let him know that Iplan on going out there this year.” Staten said he will finish his junior year at

Marshall and continue to play AAU basketball forAll-Ohio Red. He plans on taking a visit to Oak Hillover the summer and start school there whenclasses start in September. Staten mulled the decision for a few days after

Smith paid him and his family a visit in this pastweekend at the AAU tournament in Fort Wayne,Indiana All-Ohio Red was playing in.“I wanted to talk to my family about it and make

sure it was the right decision and make sure all theacademic stuff was good and make sure it wouldbe something that would benefit me in the long

run,” he said. “We decided it was a good decision and it is

something that I was interested in doing andsomething that would benefit my future so wedecided to go with it.“You know all the stuff about the basketball with

the history and the players and the coach and thetype of situation. But we really wanted to knowabout the academic part of it and the living part ofit and the stuff away from basketball.”Staten informed Smith in early May.“When we talked to (Smith) last night we

learned about all those things. It made it very easyfor us to make the decision,” he said. “I feel it willmake me be more prepared for college, not onlyfor basketball but academically.”Although the transfer presents a good opportuni-

ty for him on the court and away from it, Statenadmitted it was a tough decision. “I was talking to my friends about it and my

teammates. They all feel that it is a great move forme but they all wish I could stay too so we couldcontinue what we have going on here. But they allunderstand and they wish the best for me,” hesaid. “It’s bittersweet but it makes it better when I

know I have my family and friends behind me.” Oak Hill finished the season ranked No. 2 in the

country this season in most national polls.

Looking AheadSpeaking of college, Staten verbally committed

to the hometown University of Dayton in February.He selected the Flyers over Xavier and was alsogetting interest from Ohio State, Purdue, WestVirginia and Cincinnati. “During the recruiting process, it was getting

kind of hectic with all the phone calls, coachescoming to the AAU games and open gyms and Ijust thought it was a little too much,” he explained.“I like the recruiting process but thought if I got myverbal out of the way I could look forward to get-ting better instead of what school I was going to goto.”Staten said he feels right at home with the

Dayton program.“With the Flyers, the coaching staff made me

feel like I was already a part of the team,” he said.“I feel real comfortable around them. I can talk tothem about anything and not only basketball alongwith the players. They just make you feel like afamily and it was hard to say no.”Ralph feels Dayton is getting a smart, experi-

enced, talented player in Staten.“The first thing that sets him apart on the court

is his maturity – his maturity as a person and hismaturity as a basketball player,” Ralph said. “Ihave watched him develop from a kid started offfeeling he had to score otherwise the team can’twin to making sure he delivers what the teamneeds. “On nights that he gets a double-double, there is

no question that the outcome is going to be in ourfavor. And he is capable of doing all that and more.It wouldn’t surprise me if he came out next yearand several games where he gets triple-doubles.“I am still waiting for a player on my team to get

a quadruple-double and I don’t think that is out ofthe realm of possibility for him either.” — OH

I


Boys Basketbal l Recrui t ing

Princeton’s JordanSibert and Northland’s

Jared Sullinger are bothheaded to Ohio State.



Boys Basketbal l Recrui t ingSTORY BY JEFF RAPP

sually high school playerrankings are about as liquidas the bottom of a cooler inthe summertime.Some prospects rise while

others tumble, causing thosewho try to follow it all likeyours truly at Ohio High tosort it all out. This season,however, either we nailed thelist with better precision thanever before or most everyone

decided to play to their reputation as there wasvery little movement from midseason to now.Certainly, there was no reason to make any

alterations at the top. Kenton’s Garrick Shermandid everything necessary to remain the premiersenior in the state in our minds. In fact, Shermanwould be considered the top big man in Ohio ifwere not for the presence of Columbus Northlandpost man Jared Sullinger, who played this seasonwhile trumpeted by many services as the top play-er nationally in the class of 2010 – and still livedup to the billing.Appropriately, Sullinger, who earlier in the week

was named Ohio’s “Mr. Basketball” by TheAssociated Press, made the final, triumphant playof the season. He drew a foul in the waning sec-onds of the Division I state final and made 2 of 3free throws to provide the Vikings with a 60-58 winover Cincinnati Princeton in a Saturday nightdoozy March 28 at Value City Arena in Columbus.While star players like Sullinger, Juwan Staten

of Dayton Thurgood Marshall and Jordan Sibert ofCincinnati Princeton stayed in their lofty spotsbecause of their ability to maintain excellencethrough the end of the campaign, great postsea-son showings lifted some players like OrlandoWilliams of Cincinnati Princeton, Desmar Jacksonof Warren Harding and J.D. Weatherspoon ofColumbus Northland.And all of those players are upperclassmen.

Ohio also is blessed with a very promising class of2011 – players who just completed their sopho-more seasons – and we now can identify 10 fresh-men who are beginning to make an impact of theirown.Our resident expert, Chris Johnson, the Ohio

editor of HoopScoopOnline.com, maintains hiscontention that the 2009 class of seniors is rela-tively weak compared to the couple classes thatpreceded it and follow. Likewise, the 2012 group,while featuring some very intriguing prospects atthe top, doesn’t appear to have great depth likethe ones before it, but that certainly could change.“The freshman class doesn’t appear to have

national star power like many of the recent class-

es,” Johnson said. “There’s still time, obviously, forsome names to emerge but right now it appears tobe just an average year after very strong 2010 and’11 classes.”The following list contains pertinent recruiting

and signing information for key in-state playersand our updated rankings for each class, includingthe most recent national class rankings byESPN.com/Scouts, Inc. (ESPN) andHoopScoopOnline.com (HS) where applicable:

Seniors (Class of 2009)1. Garrick Sherman, 6-10, center, Kenton

(ESPN 99th, HS 129th) – Call him Mr.Consistency. Sherman had a breakout junior sea-son in which he averaged 23.6 points per gameand committed to Michigan State coach Tom Izzo,choosing the Spartans over other Big Ten schoolssuch as Purdue, Iowa and Penn State. He signedwith MSU, and in the process put his name in thehat for “Mr. Basketball” candidacy.Still, some skeptics may have wondered if

Sherman would be able to follow up such an out-standing junior campaign. He did. As a senior, heaveraged an eerily similar 23.4 ppg and sharedDivision II state player of the year honors with St.Paris Graham’s Josh Schuler. Along with beingfirst-team all-state, Sherman also was namedNorthwest District Player of the Year in Division II.“He had a very solid senior year and led Kenton

to one of their best-ever runs in the postseason,”Johnson said. “He’s the perfect recruit for the stylethat Michigan State likes to play under Tom Izzo.”2. Jon Smith, 6-7, power forward, Grove City

(HS 186th) – Smith holds steady in the No. 2 posi-tion after finishing up strong for the Greyhoundsand leading them all the way to a regional finalfour before losing to mighty Columbus Northland.In the postseason, he displayed hustle all over

the court, made clutch baskets, swatted shots andeven provided some difficulty for Sullinger. Evenas an outgoing player it appears his best basket-ball is ahead of him.“Smith has the most upside of any player in this

class,” Johnson said.Smith signed with St. Louis University and put

up 18.8 ppg and nearly 11 rebounds per contest.He earned appointment on the All-Ohio secondteam and also was named first-team all-CentralDistrict in Division I.3. Carl “Tay” Jones, 5-10, point guard,

Garfield Heights (HS 153rd) – A prolific scorer forone of the state’s most dynamic teams, Jonesdoesn’t mind being in the glare of the spotlight. Infact, he thrives on it. He approached last season’sscoring average of 25.7 ppg by producing 25.0ppg as a senior.

After drawing attention from major programssuch as Michigan, Penn State and Dayton, Jonessigned with St. Joe’s in the fall. With Jones at thecontrols, Heights was one of the power teams inDivision I this season.He was named to the first team on the All-Ohio

list as well as the Northeast Lakes District Playerof the Year in Division I.4. Robert Capobianco, 6-7, power forward,

Loveland (ESPN 100th, HS 178th) – An insideforce who averaged 19.5 ppg and 11.3 rpg lastseason, he is also highly skilled and shows excel-lent shooting range.Indiana scooped up Capobianco before others

could get deeply involved and he signed withcoach Tom Crean’s Hoosiers in November. He putup 17.3 ppg and was named to the SouthwestDistrict first team in Division I. Also special men-tion all-state.5. Matt Kavanaugh, 6-10, center, Centerville

(HS 193rd) – Big center continued to make strideseven by following up a second-team all-state sea-son with a terrific summer Averaged 20.3 ppg as ajunior, 17.7 as a senior and now is ticketed toattend the University of Dayton. Solid on both endsof the floor and averaged right around nine boardsper game.Kavanaugh was tabbed to the Southwest

District first team in Division I and also receivedthird-team all-state mention.6. Desmar Jackson, 6-4, shooting guard,

Warren Harding (HS 279th) – Once the No. 1player in this class, the wiry Jackson tumbleddown the list last year after transferring from near-by Warren JFK and not always asserting himself.Outstanding athlete who can take over games attimes, but tried to be more of a distributor last sea-son and averaged 14.1 ppg.Second team all-district last season to first-team

all-state as a senior after producing 16.7 ppg andleading Harding all the way to the state tourney.Had a monster showing in the regionals and alsowas the leading scorer on the floor in Columbus ina semifinal loss to eventual champ Northland.First-team All-Northeast Inland District in

Division I as well as all-state. Signed withWyoming. Moved up two spots on our list due tothe strong finish.7. Orlando Williams, 6-3, point guard,

Cincinnati Princeton – Another smooth performerwho had a big senior season, led his team to theDivision I state tournament and moved up on thislist (formerly No 10).Played in one of the most talented backcourts in

the state next to junior off-guard Jordan Sibert.With Williams running the point, Princeton wasranked second in the state poll most of the seasonand ended up there after the narrow loss toNorthland. Averaged 13.3 ppg as a junior andjumped it up five points to 18.3 ppg as a senior.Southwest District Player of the Year in Division

I and first-team all-state. Signed with Miami (Ohio).8. Bill Edwards, 6-7, wing forward,

Middletown (HS 218th) – The son of the formerWright State superstar with the same name,Edwards has been a consistent force for theMiddies.He averaged 17.5 ppg last season and received

All-Southwest District acclaim. As a senior he fin-ished with an almost identical mark of 17.6 ppg.Repeated his showing on the Southwest District

U

Ohio’s elite performersshow their wares infinal leg of season



first team in Division I and also named first-teamAll-Ohio.Edwards signed with Penn State on April 6. He

choose the Nittany Lions over a wide range ofschools including Miami (Ohio), Central Florida,Wright State and Oklahoma State.9. Drew McGhee, 6-9, center, North Ridgeville

(HS 168th) – A Miami (Ohio) signee who is lookinglike a nice get for the RedHawks. Very skilled bigman who has range out to 18 feet.Averaged 18.0 ppg and led his team all the way

to a Division I regional final yet was completelyoverlooked by all-state voters. Ended up third-team all-district (Northeast Lakes). NorthRidgeville’s state tournament bid ended with a 53-38 loss in the regional tournament to WarrenHarding.10. Reggie Keely, 6-8, power forward,

Cleveland Heights (HS 240th) – A consistent per-former with skills that should translate to the nextlevel. Signed a letter-of-intent with Ohio University.Was averaging about 23 ppg at the halfway pointof the season and finished up at 20.3 ppg.Keeley was named first-team all-district

(Northeast Lakes) and second-team all-state fol-lowing his outstanding senior campaign.11. Danny McElroy, 6-7, power forward,

Cincinnati LaSalle (HS 233rd) – McElroy’s prepcareer has had its share of peaks and valleys. Hisstock has dipped recently and he’s also changedhis mind about his future school. After committingto the University of Cincinnati, he ended up signingin the fall with Bowling Green.However, he was nothing but highly reliable

down the stretch of the season and helped powerLaSalle all the way to the regional finals beforelosing at Cintas Center to Cincinnati Princeton inan epic battle.Athletic post man averaged 16.4 ppg and was

awarded honorable mention All-Ohio. Also namedsecond-team All-Southwest District in D-1.12. Marquis Horne, 6-7, power forward,

Cincinnati Princeton (HS 256th) – Another futureBobcat who has signed with Ohio U., Horne alsoconsidered offers from Kent State, Bowling Greenand Tennessee State and also gave considerationto LSU. Athletic forward who can finish plays withpower or touch.A powerful lefty who played some of the best

basketball of his career as the Vikings movedthrough the postseason. Can run the pick-and-rollplay and finish inside. Honorable mention all-dis-trict.13. Robert Johnson, 6-6, wing forward,

Bedford (HS 252nd) – Dominant three-man whomoved up a couple pegs after a terrific senior sea-son. Had a two-game stretch this season in whichhe racked up 65 points, 23 rebounds and 10assists, earning honors as player of the week fromthe Cleveland Plain Dealer.Ended the season at 20.6 ppg and right on 10

boards per game. First-team All-Northeast LakesDistrict in Division I and also received special men-tion on the all-state list.Helped lead the King James Shooting Stars

AAU squad to the final four of their own tourna-ment in Akron in late April, which was allowablesince he appears to be headed to a prep school orjunior college to shore up his academics beforejoining Kent State.14. C.J. McCollum, 6-2, shooting guard,

Canton GlenOak – One of the most prolific scor-ers in the state and a true rising star, McCollum,who is signed with Lehigh, jumps up five spotsfrom No. 19 on this list after pouring the ball in thebasket at an even higher rate as a senior.He produced 25.1 ppg as a junior and upped

that mark to 28.9 this past season to go along withmore eight rebounds per outing.“He’s one of the best shooters in the state and

has probably seen his stock increase more thanany other player in the state from the end of lastseason until now,” Johnson said. “He is anabsolute steal for Lehigh.”The postseason awards poured in for McCollum

– first-team All-Ohio, the Gatorade Player of the

Year in the state and “Mr. Basketball” runner-up.He also was named the Northeast Inland DistrictPOY.15. Randal Holt, 5-11, point guard, Cleveland

Glenville – Second-team all-district pick afteraveraging 20.4 ppg as a sophomore and was justunder 21 ppg again as a junior, both seasons atBedford. Holt transferred to Glenville, helping theuptempo Tarblooders become a top-10 team in thestate.Averaged 24.8 ppg and was named special

mention all-state in Division I. Also first-team All-Northeast Lakes District.Holt originally committed to Cleveland State but

after receiving offers from most of the top teams inthe MAC he opted to sign an LOI with Kent State.16. Allen Roberts, 6-2, shooting guard,

Middletown – Continues to improve and meshedwell this season with Edwards. Capable of gettinghot from the outside in a moment’s notice. Robertsis signed with Miami (Ohio).Averaged an even 16.0 ppg for one of the top

teams in the state. Second-team SouthwestDistrict in Division I and honorable mention all-state.17. Luke Kraus, 6-0, point guard, Findlay –

Kraus could be on his way to stardom at BowlingGreen. He simply finds a way to get it done evenagainst quicker and bigger opponents.Averaged 21.3 ppg as a junior and earned third-

team All-Ohio honors. This past season, he uppedhis average to 24.5 ppg and jumped to the all-state first team. Also named the Northwest DistrictDivision I co-Player of the Year.18. Andre Paulk, 6-3, shooting guard, Kent

Roosevelt – Not as well known as just aboutevery other senior in the top 20 but managed toput together a very solid senior season. Stillunsigned. Averaged 23.9 ppg and made the first team of

the All-Northeast Inland District in Division I. Alsoreceived special mention All-Ohio.Due to academics, he’ll attend a junior college,

possibly the College of Southern Idaho, a JUCOpowerhouse.19. Darren Goodson, 6-4, wing forward,

Cincinnati Aiken – Has dropped some in thisrankings list but still among the better wings in thestate. Plays for a balanced team that showcasesChane Behanan inside. Still a promising prospectwith good size and a nose for the ball. He was anhonorable mention All-Southwest District pick.20. Mario Hines, 6-8, power forward, Garfield

Heights – Outstanding athlete who returned toform after missing last season due to personal rea-sons. Provided the inside muscle for one of Ohio’selite teams. Signed in the fall with Indiana/Purdue-Fort Wayne. He was an honorable mention all-dis-trict (Northeast Lakes) selection.Other Division I Signees – Phillip Beans, 6-8,

center, Toledo Ottawa Hills (Holy Cross); SheldonBrogdon, 5-11, shooting guard, Warren Harding(Youngstown State, verbal); Zach Brown, 6-1, pointguard, Mason (Lipscomb); Darian Cartharn, 6-0,point guard, Canal Winchester (Wright State);Jamel Harris, 6-8, power forward, Euclid (EasternMichigan); Lamar McKnight, 6-6, power forward,Bedford Chanel (Youngstown State); EthanMichael, 6-5, wing forward, Toledo Christian (AirForce); Brad Piehl, 6-7, power forward, NewKnoxville (Robert Morris); Devin Russell, 6-8,power forward, Toledo Start (Toledo); JoshSchuler, 6-3, shooting guard, St. Paris Graham(North Dakota); Anthony Wells, 6-1, point guard,Shaker Heights (Cleveland State); Sir ChristianWilliams, 6-2, shooting guard, Cleveland Heights(Rider); Will Felder, 6-5, wing forward, ClevelandLutheran East (St. Francis-Pa.); Jordan Crawford,5-6, point guard, Cincinnati LaSalle (BowlingGreen); Daylen Harrison, 6-6, power forward,Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary (Wyoming).Best of the Rest – Jared Porrini, 6-4, shooting

guard, Canton Timken; Cortez Howell, 5-11, pointguard, Cincinnati Lockland; D.J. Cunningham, 6-9,center, Waterford; Aaron Robinson, 6-2, pointguard, Trotwood-Madison (signed with Findlay);Justin Jamison, 6-9, center, Strongsville (signedwith Ohio State for baseball); Ryan Siggins, 6-5,wing forward, Kettering Alter; Tony Harris, 5-10,point guard, Cincinnati Moeller; Erik Stenger, 6-6,power forward, Cincinnati St. Xavier; AndrewPavloff, 6-8, power forward, Cuyahoga Falls WalshJesuit.

Princeton senior and Miami (Ohio) recruitOrlando Williams helped the Vikingsreach the Division I state championship.




Juniors (Class of 2010)1. Jared Sullinger, 6-9, power forward,

Columbus Northland (ESPN 1st, HS 3rd) – Justgo ahead and put 20 and 10 in the scorebook.Sullinger simply is the most reliable and consis-

tent big man in the state and possibly the country.His soft hands are magnets for all entry passesand he uses his powerful, wide body to wall offdefenders and score in the post. Shows an arrayof moves and a nice touch. Also adept at getting tothe free-throw line and hitting a high percentagefrom there.Sullinger was held out of a postseason game

last year due to academic concerns and theVikings were dumped out of district play byWesterville South. It’s safe to say he came backwith a vengeance as a junior, averaging 19.9points, 14.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per gamewhile shooting a hearty 67.8 percent from the field.The Vikings did not have an undefeated regular

season in 2008-09 – they lost at Canton Timken –but they earned the state’s No. 1 ranking, cruisedto another City League title, got through the dis-tricts and took down very good Grove City andDublin Scioto squads to advance to the Division Istate final four. Behind Sullinger’s post presenceand clutch play, Northland cut down the nets afterwins over Warren Harding and CincinnatiPrinceton to capture the school’s first-ever title inboys basketball.Sullinger is already committed to Ohio State and

currently headlines a four-man class that is amongthe best in the country. He has lost just twice atthe prep level.Ohio’s reigning “Mr. Basketball” and the Division

I state player of the year has been invited toAmare Stoudemire’s Nike big man’s camp and theLeBron James U.S. Skills Academy as well as theNBPA Top 100 Camp in Virginia.“If he gets in better condition and tones his

body, it’s lights-out for everyone else,” Johnsonsaid.2. Adreian Payne, 6-10, center, Dayton

Jefferson (ESPN 28th, HS 25th) – A long-armedshot blocker with a developing game, Payne didnot always look motivated this season while play-ing for D-IV Jefferson but he still managed to takeownership of the paint when necessary.He led the Broncos to the final four of the

Dayton regional and averaged 12.3 ppg and a sim-ilar number of rebounds for the season.Dayton, Xavier, West Virginia and Ohio State

are all still jockeying for position for the uncommit-ted center. Maryland and Kansas also are makinga push. While playing with Sullinger on the All-Ohio Red AAU team at a tournament in Akron,Payne said he plans to come up with a list of eightfinalists soon.Was named second-team All-Ohio last season

after averaging 15.4 ppg. First-team All-Northwest District in Division IV

and special mention all-state. With more passionand production, Payne could rise well above thatrecognition next season.“Adreian has the most upside of any player in

this class,” Johnson said. “With some addedweight and a lot more consistency he will make alot of money playing in the NBA some day.”3. Jordan Sibert, 6-4, wing forward,

Cincinnati Princeton (ESPN 42nd, HS 42nd) –Sibert blossomed to the point where he shot up

from the 10-hole to third on this list in midseasonand is now considered a top-60 prospect nationallyby virtually every reputable service. He also was atrue star in the postseason, making key play afterkey play as the Vikings moved all the way to theDivision I final.However, Sibert now is dealing with a harsh

reality as he suffered a dual fracture in his lowerleft leg while following up a shot for All-Ohio Red inthe Boo Williams Invitational on April 12. His sum-mer not only appears over, there is concern as towhether or not he can get fully healed in time forhis senior season.While Sibert mends there is much to celebrate

about his junior season. He was named second-

team All-Southwest Disitrict in Division I and alsoreceived honorable mention All-Ohio. He averaged15.1 ppg.An Ohio State commitment, he teamed up with

Sullinger, Payne and several others over the sum-mer for the dominating All-Ohio Red AAU squad.Confident player who can drive the ball and is notafraid to take big shots.4. Juwan Staten, 5-11, point guard, Oak Hill

(Va.) Academy (ESPN 55th, HS 64th) – Superquick and able to blast all the way to the bucket forpoints, Staten scored 23.8 ppg last season forDayton Thurgood Marshall and was back at it as ajunior, finishing at 20.4 ppg.Staten announced his decision to transfer to

Oak Hill on April 6 (see page 28 for story).He commited to nearby Dayton in the fall and is

considered the best PG in Ohio and also may bethe most talented player at the Division II level.Also plays in the All-Ohio Red program.May have been the most impressive player of

the entire postseason and nearly carried Marshall

to a state title before coming up just short in theDivision II finals against Akron St. Vincent-St.Mary. LeBron James consoling a teary-eyedStaten at the buzzer of that final may become themost enduring portrait of the 2009 season.First-team Southwest District in Division II as

well as second-team All-Ohio.Staten has been invited to several prestigious

summer showcases including the NBPA Top 100camp and James’ event in Akron.5. J.D. “Air Spoon” Weatherspoon, 6-6, wing

forward, Columbus Northland (HS 116th) –High-flying, energetic wing who lights up the gymwhen he is finishing off one of his patented two-handed dunks. Shot an area-best 69.0 percentfrom the field. Became a more reliable rebounderand defender this season and really came on intournament play, which is why he moved up a pegon this list.Averaged an even 15.0 ppg and named third-

team All-Central District in Division I.Weatherspoon originally committed to Xavier but

pulled out of that agreement when XU coach SeanMiller was hired away to fill the vacancy atArizona. He now has a wide-ranging list thatincludes Xavier, Missouri, Maryland, Georgia Tech,Wake Forest, Dayton and Penn State. Ohio Stateoffered him in early May.6. Aaron Craft, 6-2, point guard, Findlay

Liberty-Benton (HS 133rd) – Plays the game at afrenetic pace and also has the toughness andsavvy to run the point and play through contactand changing defenses. Outstanding outsideshooter but just as happy to set up teammates.Also the quarterback on the football team but iscommitted to playing hoops at Tennessee forBruce Pearl. Yet another All-Ohio Red standout.Craft seemed to turn up his play after commit-

ting to UT and the sport of basketball. He aver-aged 19.1 ppg and made even more plays on bothends of the court.“He’s a coach’s dream because of all the little

things he does to help you win,” Johnson said. “Hemight be as good a defender as there is in thestate of Ohio.”Northwest District Division III Player of the Year

as well as first-team all-state.Craft is expected to play in the NBPA Top 100

Camp.7. Geron Johnson, 6-3, shooting guard,

Dayton Dunbar (HS 154th) – Like Weatherspoonand Craft above him, Johnson moved up one spoton this list after a very productive junior season.He put up 18.1 ppg and was named second-teamAll-Southwest Distrcit in Division II and honorablemention all-state.The Wolverines always seem to have athleti-

cism and scoring and Johnson fits right into theprogram tradition. Was ineligible last season butcame on strong during the regular season. Missedpostseason tournament due to legal issuesIf he can overcome that difficulty he appears set

for a big senior year. However, because of thequestion marks, Johnson is not being heavilyrecruited as yet.Dayton and Kentucky were showing the most

interest, although there is no indication that newUK coach John Calipari is in pursuit.8. Cameron Wright, 6-5, shooting guard,

Cleveland Benedictine (HS 124th) – It’s been atough off-season so far for Wright, who finally

Northland junior J.D. Weatherspoonreopened his recruiting after formerXavier coach Sean Miller left for Arizona.




decided to re-open his commitment after he sur-mised that Ohio State’s staff wasn’t really keepingup on him. Also, Benedictine made a rather quickexit from the postseason, allowing others to passWright and knock him down three spots.However, he started off the spring with some

strong AAU performances for the King JamesShooting Stars 17-and-under team. Plus, his futureis still very bright as a host of major programs fig-ure to come courting very soon.And Wright turned in an outstanding junior sea-

son in which he averaged right around 20 points,seven rebounds and five assists per game. He andteammate Derek Jackson were named co-districtplayers of the year. Wright also was named first-team All-Ohio in Division II.Athletic and versatile performer who has come a

long way with his jump shot. Also a willing defend-er and passer who likes to involve teammates.9. Allen Payne, 6-6, wing forward, Cincinnati

Winton Woods (HS 163rd) – Wiry performer whorebounded nicely last season from a knee injuryand is now moving up the charts. Playing well on aregular basis against top competition in the Cincyarea.Honorable mention All-Southwest District in

Division I.Virginia, Michigan, Xavier, Ball State, Miami

(Ohio), Bowling Green, Toledo, Akron, Ohio U.,and Wright State are all still in Payne’s collegeconsiderations.10. Nick Kellogg, 6-2, point guard, Columbus

DeSales (HS 180th) – Son of former Ohio Statestar Clark Kellogg who averaged 10.0 ppg as afrosh and then shot up to 22.1 ppg last season.Kellogg’s production was down a bit this season

at 16.7 ppg, but he put the Stallions in legitimateDivision II state title contention with his leadership,ball handling and scoring. Wise and feisty with theball in his hands.First-team Division II All-Central District and sec-

ond-team all-state.Among the schools believed to be in hot pursuit

is Ohio University, where his brother Alex nowresides after transferring from Providence.11. Griffin McKenzie, 6-9 power forward,

Cincinnati Moeller (HS 204th) – One of thestate’s storied programs became stronger with themidseason return to the court from McKenzie. Heresumed practice in early January but had notplayed prior to that due to a back injury. SinceMcKenzie missed a good chunk of the season hemissed out on postseason honors, but SouthwestOhio followers and college scouts know what hecan do.So far, mostly Mid-American Conference

schools are showing interest.12. Derek Jackson, 6-0, point guard,

Cleveland Benedictine (HS 226th) – A lead guardwho also gets out on the wings and hurts teamswith his drives and jumpers. His strong bond withWright is evident on the court and gives theBengals one of the top backcourts in the state.Recently committed to Central Michigan.Jackson came through with a big season and

averaged an even 19.0 ppg. Along with beingnamed co-district POY with Wright he was second-team All-Ohio in Division II.13. Ralph Hill, 6-6, wing forward, Westerville

North (HS 265th) – Had a breakout season for theWarriors and at last check was among the central

Ohio area leaders at right around 19 points percontest. Just recently committed to Dayton, pickingthe Flyers over several MAC schools.Honorable mention All-Central District in

Division I. Moved up one spot on this list and haspotential to climb more with a big senior campaign.14. Anton Hutchins, 6-3, shooting guard,

Lima Senior (HS 241st) – Athletic scoring wingwho brings it every night. Looks natural on themove and can dish it to others.Recently joined All-Ohio Red, making the rich

even richer in 17-and-under competition.Put up 19.6 ppg for Spartans, which led to an

appointment on the all-district first team in DivisionI. Also third-team all-state.

His list of schools currently includes Penn State,Wisconsin, Dayton, West Virginia, Bowling Greenand Toledo.15. Kenny Knight, 6-7, power forward,

Cincinnati Aiken (HS 276th) – Talented performerbut has been out of the lineup due to off-the-courtdifficulties. Despite being ineligible all season andmost of his high school career mainly due to sev-eral transfers, this athletic frontliner has committedto Kent State.Best Of The Rest – Quinten Rollins, 5-11, point

guard, Wilmington; Craig Sealey, 6-7, power for-ward, Columbus Brookhaven; Mark Henniger, 6-8,power forward, Massillon Jackson; Josh Egner, 6-7, power forward, Massillon Jackson; StormStanley, 6-10, center, Toledo St. Francis; NathanTait, 5-11, point guard, Lyndhurst Brush; RyanBass, 5-9, point guard, Dayton Chaminade-Julienne; Eric Lefeld, 6-8, power forward,Coldwater; Rob Brandenberg, 6-3, shooting guard,Gahanna Lincoln; Aaron Ashley, 6-4, shootingguard, Cleveland Heights.

Sophomores (Class of 2011)1. Chane Behanan, 6-7, power forward,

Cincinnati Aiken (ESPN 23rd, HS 21st) – A big-time recruiting commodity who has already select-ed the University of Cincinnati as his future school,Behanan has been at the head of the class almostfrom the moment he splashed onto the scene atAiken last season.He averaged 20.2 points and eight rebounds

per game as a frosh but didn’t keep up the torridpace as a soph, sometimes because he floatedout to the perimeter too much and sometimesbecause he struggled in the post against physicalplayers.Behanan struggled to stay on the floor because

of foul trouble in a highly anticipated Januaryshowdown with Sullinger and also was held to justtwo points and one rebound in a 78-65 loss toCincinnati Princeton in a regional semifinal.His somewhat disappointing season netted him

only honorable mention in the Southwest District inDivision I. Clearly the gap is closing.“Behanan has been the No. 1 player in this

class for a while but there are several players onhis tail who could pass him up if he doesn’tbecome a more consistent performer,” Johnsonsaid.2. James “Zach” Price, 6-9, center,

Lakewood St. Edward (HS 59th) – Left-handedbig man who came into his own this season.Already an excellent shot blocker with advancedpost skills for a player his age. Several major pro-grams are charting and Ohio State already hasmade a scholarship offer. Other schools now afterPrice include Michigan, Wisconsin, Michigan Stateand Wake Forest.The inside anchor for a very young St. Ed’s

team, Price has a chance to become an immov-able force this upcoming season. Like most youngplayers, he needs to become tougher mentally andavoid foul trouble.Averaged right around 11 points, eight rebounds

and four blocked shots per game and helped theEagles advance all the way to the regional tourna-ment before the season ended with a loss toWarren Harding.3. Jakarr Sampson, 6-8, power forward,

Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary (HS 175th) – Long,athletic PF who played at Solon last year. One ofseveral talented young players for the FightingIrish. Very good ball handling skills for a post play-er and a versatile defender. Has a 6-11 wingspanyet is quick enough to guard out on the wing.An outstanding season and similar showing in

the playoffs for a state title team bumped him upfour spots from No. 7.With two senior post players leaving SVSM,

Sampson should put up big numbers next yearand has a chance to help the Irish return to thestate championship. He produced right aroundeight points, six rebounds and two blocks pergame while averaging 18 minutes as a soph.Those numbers could double in 2009-10.Sampson has West Virginia, Wisconsin, Ohio

State, Michigan, Michigan State, Akron andWisconsin-Green Bay on his early list.4. Anton Grady, 6-8, power forward,

Cleveland Central Catholic (HS 135th) – Blessedwith good size and frame to possibly get bigger.Athletic four-man that has elevated his play this

Northland sophomore Trey Burke has along list fo school’s he likes, includingOhio State, Dayton and Xavier.




season and projects as a wing forward.In very similar fashion to Sampson, Grady

improved his status and skills while helping histeam win a state title. Popped for 11.6 ppg andwas named third-team all-state in Division III.Was a basic unknown to most college recruiters

because he did not play AAU ball last summer.Now he’s a state champ and clearly on the radar. Grady already lists Florida, West Virginia, Ohio

State, Michigan State and Dayton among others.“He reminds me of Devin Ebanks of West

Virginia,” Johnson said. “He has a chance tobecome the best player in this class before he’sdone.”5. Paul Honigford, 6-8, power forward,

Sugarcreek Garaway (HS 117th) – Led Garawayall the way to the 2008 state title game in DivisionIII and turned in another fine season, scoring 13.9ppg.Able to score facing the basket and an improv-

ing rebounder. Very skilled PF who has the abilityto step back and stroke shots from behind the arc.Has been a top-five player in this class from dayone.First-team All-Eastern District in Division III and

received special mention all-state.Michigan State, Ohio State, Xavier and West

Virginia are his top four schools.6. Markus Crider, 6-5, wing forward, Huber

Heights Wayne (105th) – Exciting athlete who isbeginning to draw interest from major programs.Attended the Ohio State-Michigan State game inColumbus on Jan. 25 and could become a BigTen-caliber recruit.Crider dipped a bit after sitting at No. 3 in our

previous rankings. He has all the tools to becomea big-time player but has to become more consis-tent and productive.7. Trey Burke, 5-11, point guard, Columbus

Northland (HS 224th) – Burke is moving on up –he was No. 9 last time out – which is to be expect-ed for the starting point guard of the Division Istate champs. He stepped in for the departed Devon Moore

and is now one of the area’s top assist men. Alsoeffective off the ball as a driver or shooter and hasthe toughness to draw fouls and hit big freethrows.“He really came into his own as his team moved

through the playoffs and you could see him gettingmore and more comfortable quarterbacking theVikings,” Johnson said. “He gets overshadowedsometimes but he does a good job of comingthrough in the clutch.”Honorable mention All-Central District. Higher

acclaim surely is ahead.He put his name even higher on the recruiting

radar at the Boo Williams Invitational with severalhuge games for All-Ohio Red’s 16-and-underteam, including a 40-point outburst in one contest.Burke currently has a long list of schools:

Baylor, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Penn State,Xavier, Dayton, Cleveland State, Butler, OhioUniversity, Miami (Ohio), Toledo and BowlingGreen.8. Stevie Taylor, 5-9, point guard, Gahanna

Lincoln (HS 46th) – Started off hot by scoringright around 17 ppg but is also a true lead guardwho likes to run plays and dole out assists.Finished the campaign at 16.0 ppg as well as 5.0assists and 3.0 steals per contest and maintained

his status as a top-10 performer among sopho-mores in Ohio.AAU tested, competitive and cat-quick.Akron, Ohio U., James Madison, Ball State,

Dayton, Xavier, Ohio State, St. Joe’s, VirginiaTech, Clemson and Florida Atlantic compriseTaylor’s current list of schools.9. Trey Lewis, 6-0, guard, Garfield Heights

(267th) – A dangerous outside shooter on one ofthe state’s top teams. Averaged right around 16 ppg and adept at dis-

tributing the ball as well.Coach Sonny Johnson said he already has

received offers for Lewis from Ohio U., Kent State,

Akron, Miami (Ohio), Cleveland State and St.Joe’s.Even more schools could come calling soon.

Lewis will assume some of the scoring and ballhandling load from Jones, which should enhancehis production.10. Kirby Wright, 6-8, power forward,

Middletown (190th) – Newcomer via transfer whoplays on one of best Division I teams in the state.Already well known on the AAU circuit.Wright could be option No. 1 next year for the

Middies with Roberts and Edwards departed.The schools he lists most consistently are

Akron, Kentucky, Cincinnati, Dayton and Miami(Ohio).11. Aaron Thomas, 6-4, wing forward,

Cincinnati Aiken (HS 200th)12. Traevon Jackson, 6-2, combo guard,

Westerville South (314th)13. Travis Trice, 6-0, point guard, Huber

Heights Wayne (HS 110th)14. Nate Anderson, 6-9, center, Ashville

Teays Valley (344th)15. Ricky Johnson, 5-9, point guard, Akron

St. Vincent-St. Mary (327th)Best Of The Rest – Brandon Neel, 6-4, wing

forward, Cincinnati LaSalle; Jehvon Clarke, 6-0,point guard, Canton Timken; Jared Bryant, 6-8,center, Cincinnati Roger Bacon; Aaron White, 6-6,wing forward, Strongsville; Cheatham Norrils, 5-11,point guard, Toledo St. John’s; Maurice Taylor, 6-4,wing forward, Toledo Libbey; Chester McFadden,6-3, shooting guard, Holland Springfield; DaVonteBeard, 6-1, shooting guard, Akron St. Vincent-St.Mary; Shonn Miller, 6-4, shooting guard, ClevelandSt. Ignatius; Nyles Evans, 5-9, point guard, NorthCanton Hoover.

Freshmen (Class of 2012)1. Elijah Macon, 6-7, power forward,

Columbus Marion Franklin – This youngsteralready has a very bright future and soon couldmake M-F the team to beat in the City LeagueSouth, which could put the Red Devils on a colli-sion course with Columbus Northland at the end ofthe season.Macon will follow in the footsteps at a school

noted for its history of quality big men includingHerb Williams and Wiley Cross. Another year ofpositive development will open up all kinds ofdoors for him.2. Adolphus Washington, 6-5, power forward,

Cincinnati Roger Bacon – While even the mostpromising freshman usually come off the benchand don’t assert themselves right away statistical-ly, Washington turned in a debut season in whichhe averaged 12.7 ppg and was named first-teamAll-Southwest District in Division II. It’s scary to think of the steps he could take

from here.A powerfully built young player who can take

over inside with his strength. Physically matureand still learning the game.3. Dylan Kaufman, 6-3, wing, Berlin Hiland –

Kaufman fit right in at one of the most underratedprograms in the entire state. Not only is he an out-standing outside shooter, which is a Hiland staple,he has tremendous court sense, is very athleticand can finish at the rim.Thanks in part to Kaufman’s heroics as a frosh,

the Hawks advanced all the way to the regionaltournament. He’s not yet on the national radar, butconsidering his upside and natural ability he soonwill be, causing college coaches to make a raretrip to Holmes County.4. Kyle Molock, 6-1, point guard, Dublin

Coffman5. Jalen Robinson, 6-6, power forward,

Columbus Northland6. Malik London, 6-8, center, Chillicothe7. Ke’Chaun Lewis, 6-3, wing forward,

Columbus Northland8. Lorenzo Cugini, 6-5, wing forward, Akron

St. Vincent-St. Mary9. Jalean Lowe, 6-2, shooting guard,

Cincinnati North College Hill10. Jermaine Davis, 6-8, center, Garfield

Heights

For more updates on Ohio’s top prospects andthose nationally, check out Chris Johnson’s workat hoopscooponline.com

Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary sophomoreJakaar Sampson helped the Irish win theDivision II state title this season.



Gir ls Basketbal l Recrui t ing

nce again this year, college recruiters have camped out inthe state of Ohio in search of top girls basketball talent.As many as five Ohio prospects are considered among

the nation’s top 100 for the graduating class of 2009,according to the ESPN affiliate HoopGurlz.com. That samesite lists as many as six Ohio products among its list of thenation’s top 60 prospects for 2010.

Two Ohio players are ranked in the national top 50 by HoopGurlz.com.Those players are Beavercreek forward Mikaela Ruef and Shaker Heightsforward Karisma Penn. The Stanford-bound Ruef is rated as the nation’s16th-best prospect overall, while the Illinois-bound Penn is ranked 17th.That same site lists six Ohio prospects among its national top 60 list for

the 2010 class. That group is led by a pair of players in the top five,including Dayton Chaminade-Julienne 6-1 small forward Samarie Walker(No. 2 overall) and Toledo Waite 6-3 small forward Natasha Howard (No.5). Walker has already verbaled to Connecticut.Seniors in the Class of 2009 were able to sign letters-of-intent during

the early signing period in November. They were also able to sign in thespring period beginning in April.Below is a look at the state’s top seniors, juniors and sophomores as

rated by Tom Jenkins of the Ohio Girls Basketball Report. We also haveseveral freshmen to keep an eye on.

Top 10 SeniorsHere are the top 10 seniors, listed alphabetically (national rankings from

HoopGurlz.com listed in parentheses):Kari Daugherty, 6-2, small forward, Warsaw River View – Daugherty,

a Dayton signee, was a first-team All-Ohio pick in Division II. Daughertyaveraged 25.1 ppg for her team that reached the state final four.Kendall Hackney (55th overall nationally), 6-2, small forward,

Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame – Hackney, a USC signee, was the OhioHigh state player of the year and Ms. Basketball award winner. She ledMount Notre Dame to the Division I state title, averaging 13.1 points and6.3 rebounds per game.Emilee Harmon (63), 6-2, power forward, Pickerington Central –

Harmon, an Ohio State signee, earned first-team All-Ohio honors inDivision I. She averaged 19.7 points per game as a senior.Dayeesha Hollins, 5-7, point guard, Cincinnati Winton Woods –

Hollins, a Michigan signee, was a first-team All-Ohio pick in Division I. Sheaveraged 15.8 ppg.Karisma Penn (17), 6-1, power forward, Shaker Heights – Penn, an

Illinois signee, was a first-team All-Ohio honoree in Division I. She aver-aged 19.9 ppg.Alexis Rogers (82), 6-1, forward, West Chester Lakota West –

Rogers, a Duke signee, averaged 15.4 ppg in leading Lakota West to theDivision I state final four. She was a special mention All-Ohio pick.Mikaela Ruef (16), 6-3, forward, Beavercreek – Ruef, a Stanford

signee, averaged 13.9 ppg as a senior. She was a second-team All-BigTen pick in Division I.

O

Beavercreek’s MikelaRuef takes a shotover KetteringFairmont’s CassieSant. Ruef is headedto Stanford, whileSant recently ver-balled to Dayton.


Gir ls Basketbal l Recrui t ing


Brianna Sanders, 5-11, shooting guard, Cincinnati Princeton –Sanders, an Ohio State signee, was averaging nearly 16 points per gamewhen she suffered a season-ending knee injury five games into her senioryear.Gabby Smith, 5-10, shooting guard, Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame –

Smith, a Vanderbilt signee, averaged 11.7 ppg for Mount Notre Dame’sstate title team. She was a special mention All-Ohio pick.Asia Taylor, 6-1, power forward, Columbus Whetstone – Taylor, a

Louisville signee, earned second-team All-Ohio honors in Division I. Sheaveraged 27.0 ppg as a senior.

The Next 10 SeniorsHere are players ranked 11th to 20th, listed alphabetically:Jackie Cook, 5-10, small forward, South Euclid Regina – Cook, an

Old Dominion signee, averaged 19.3 ppg for Regina’s Division III statechampionship team. She was a second-team All-Ohio pick. Andola Dortch, 5-6, point guard, Akron Kenmore – Dortch, a Toledo

signee, averaged 22.0 ppg and was a special mention All-Ohio pick inDivision I.Tessa Elkins, 5-7, point guard, West Chester Lakota West – Elkins, a

Murray State signee, averaged 9.8 ppg as a senior. She helped leadLakota West to the Division I state final four. Shene Fleming, 6-0, power forward, Dayton Chaminade-Julienne –

Fleming is a St. Francis (Pa.) signee.Ashley Fowler, 5-6, point guard, Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame –

Fowler, an Ohio U. signee, averaged 7.0 ppg as a senior.Ashar Harris, 6-0, power forward, Columbus Africentric – Harris, a

Morehead State signee, earned Division IV state player of the year honorsafter averaging 16.9 ppg. She helped Africentric win the D-IV state titlewith 14 points and 16 rebounds in the title game. Breanna Jones, 6-3, center, Toledo Central Catholic – Jones, an

Illinois signee, averaged 17.6 ppg in earning special mention All-Ohio hon-ors in Division I as a senior.Samantha McKay, 5-9, shooting guard, Dublin Coffman – McKay, a

Dayton signee, averaged 13.2 ppg as a senior. She was a third-team All-Ohio pick in Division I.Yolanda Richardson, 6-3, center, Toledo Start – Richardson, a Toledo

signee, was a first-team All-Ohio pick in Division I. She averaged 13.8 ppgand helped lead Start to the state final four.Jessie Tamerlano, 5-11, small forward, North Royalton – Tamerlano,

a Bowling Green signee, was a third-team All-Ohio pick in Division I. Sheaveraged 19.7 ppg as a senior.

More Division I SigneesHere are more Ohio seniors who have signed with Ohio Division I

schools:Katie Bubna, Bedford Chanel, Akron; Riley McCormick, South Euclid

Regina, Toledo; Allison Papenfuss, Whitehouse Anthony Wayne, BowlingGreen; Yolonda Richardson, Toledo Start, Toledo; Kaitlin Rohrs, LibertyCenter, Youngstown State; Taylor Ruper, Garfield Heights Trinity, Akron;Rachel Tecca, Akron Hoban, Akron; Melissa Thompson, Solon,Youngstown State.

Top 10 JuniorsHere is a look at the state’s top 10 junior prospects for 2010, listed

alphabetically (national rankings from HoopGurlz.com listed in parenthe-ses):Shawnta` Dyer (16th overall nationally), 6-2, forward, Marion

Harding – Dyer averaged 22.9 ppg as a junior and earned special mentionAll-Ohio honors in Division I.Natasha Howard (5), 6-3, small forward, Toledo Waite – Howard

averaged 16.2 ppg in earning second-team All-Ohio honors in Division II.Tay'ler Mingo (46), 5-7, point guard, South Euclid Regina – Mingo

averaged 13.8 ppg as a junior to earn first-team All-Ohio honors inDivision III. She helped lead Regina to a state title.Darryce Moore, 6-2, center, Youngstown Boardman – Moore, who

has verbaled to Ohio State, averaged 16.8 ppg as a junior and earnedsecond-team All-Ohio honors in Division I.Cassie Sant (55), 6-2, power forward, Kettering Fairmont – Sant, a

Dayton verbal, averaged 13.6 ppg as a junior. She was an honorable men-

tion All-Ohio pick in Division I.Amy Scullion (33), 6-0, small forward, Salem – Scullion, an Ohio

State verbal, earned third-team All-Ohio honors in Division II after averag-ing 17.1 ppg as a junior.Latisha Walker, 6-2, power forward, Cleveland Heights Lutheran

East – Walker averaged 18.0 ppg as a junior to earn first-team All-Ohiohonors in Division IV.Samarie Walker (2), 6-1, small forward, Dayton Chaminade-Julienne

– Walker, who has verbaled to defending national champion Connecticut,averaged 15.5 ppg as a junior to earn third-team All-Ohio honors inDivision I.Ashley Wanninger, 5-10, shooting guard, Cincinnati Colerain –

Wanninger averaged 17.3 ppg as a junior to earn honorable mention All-Ohio honors.Mylan Woods, 5-10, shooting guard, Shaker Heights Hathaway

Brown – Woods, who has verbaled to Northwestern, was a first-team All-Ohio pick in Division II. She averaged 16.0 ppg for Hathaway Brown’sstate championship team.

More Junior VerbalsHere are more Ohio juniors who have made verbals to Division I

schools:Erica Almady, Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown, Miami (Ohio); Phylesha

Bullard, Cincinnati Walnut Hills, Syracuse; Kacie Cassell, Vandalia Butler,Akron; Jillian Halfhill, Canfield, Bowling Green; Jamonica Orton, DaytonStebbins, Mississippi; Haley Robertson, New Albany, Miami (Ohio);Hannah Robertson, New Albany, Miami (Ohio); Monica Touvelle,Youngstown Boardman, Youngstown State; Noelle Yoder, Berlin Hiland,Bowling Green.

Top 10 SophomoresHere is a look at the state’s top 10 sophomore prospects for 2011, listed

alphabeticallyKalpana Beach, 6-1, forward, Westlake – Beach averaged 16.0 ppg as

a soph, earning honorable mention All-Ohio honors in Division I.Azia Bishop, 6-3, power forward/center, Toledo Start – Bishop aver-

aged 9.0 ppg for Start’s Division I state final four team.Therany Dunnigan, 6-2, power forward/center, South Euclid Regina

– Dunnigan averaged 8.3 ppg as a sophomore for Regina’s D-III statechampionship team.Raven Ferguson, 5-10, small forward, Columbus Africentric –

Ferguson averaged 18.5 ppg as a sophomore. She was a special team All-Ohio pick in D-IV in helping Africentric claim a state title.Brenae Harris, 5-9, guard, Marion Harding – Harris averaged 13.6

ppg as a sophomore for Harding.Sarah Hunter, 5-4, point guard, Mason – Hunter averaged 7.0 ppg as

a sophomore for Mason.Maleeka Kynard, 5-6, point guard, Toledo Start – Kynard averaged

13.0 ppg for Start’s Division I state final four team.Allyson Malott, 6-2, small forward, Middletown Madison – Malott

averaged 15.3 ppg as a sophomore and was a first-team All-Ohio pick inDivision III.Kathyrn Reynolds, 5-7, guard, Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame –

Reynolds averaged 9.4 ppg as a sophomore for MND’s state title team.Dominque Singletary, 5-7, guard, Hamilton – Singletary, who has ver-

baled to Xavier, averaged 12.6 ppg as a sophomore.

Freshmen To WatchHere are five freshmen to keep an eye on:Ameryst Alston, 5-9, guard, Canton McKinley – Alston averaged 13.8

ppg as a freshman and was a third-team All-Ohio pick in Division I. Shehelped guide McKinley to the state final four.Malina Howard, 6-4, center, Twinsburg – Howard averaged 16.1 ppg

as a freshman to earn first-team All-Ohio honors in Division I.Kayla Linkous, 6-1, forward, New Madison Tri-Village – Linkous aver-

aged 21.2 ppg as a freshman.Kayla Prokopakis, 5-9, guard, Richmond Edison – Prokopakis aver-

aged 14.9 ppg as a freshman.Lauren Walker, 5-9, guard, Wooster – Walker averaged 12.4 ppg as a

freshman. — OH

STORY BY STEVE HELWAGEN

Ohio H igh Cup Standings Update


or the sixth year in a row, Ohio High will present the Ohio HighCup to the school that scores the most points in Ohio HighSchool Athletic Association-sanctioned state championshipevents.This competition is patterned after the Directors’ Cup stand-

ings for colleges and universities. In the Ohio High Cup competition,schools accumulate points by finishing in the top four at OHSAA-sanctioned state team championships.Schools that win a state title are awarded five points. Runner-up

teams receive three points, third-place teams get two points andfourth-place teams get one point. In sports where state semifinal

teams tie for third, they eachreceive 1-1/2 points.In this issue, we tabulate the sec-

ond set of standings for the 2008-09 school year. These standingsinclude points awarded for the win-ter season state championships inboys and girls basketball, girls gym-nastics, boys ice hockey, wrestling,boys and girls bowling and boysand girls swimming.With state championships in

boys swimming and ice hockey aswell as a third-place finish inwrestling, Hunting Valley UniversitySchool tallied 12 points in the win-ter season. That allowed thePreppers to vault into first place inthe overall Ohio Cup competition

with 17 points. A state title in girls basketball helped Shaker Heights Hathaway

Brown move into second place with 13-1/2 points.Cleveland St. Ignatius, the leader after the fall season, gained one

point with a fourth-place finish in wrestling. That left St. Ignatius inthird place with 13 points.Besides University School, the next biggest gainer in the winter

season was Oak Hill. That Jackson County school picked up eightpoints with a state title in boys basketball and a runner-up finish ingirls basketball.Versailles captured the first Ohio High Cup in 2003-04. In 2004-05,

Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit claimed the cup. In 2005-06, CincinnatiSt. Xavier won the Ohio High Cup competition. In 2006-07, KetteringAlter won the cup. Last year, Lakewood St. Edward took the OhioHigh Cup.

University Schooltakes lead in OhioHigh Cup Race

FPreppers make move with hockey,

swimming and wrestling performances

Ohio High Cup StandingsHHeerree iiss aa llooookk aatt tthhee OOhhiioo HHiigghh CCuupp ssttaannddiinnggss ffoorr tthhee ffaallll sseeaassoonn::

1177 ---- HHuunnttiinngg VVaalllleeyy UUnniivveerrssiittyy SScchhooooll ((DD--IIII bbooyyss ggoollff cchhaammppiioonnss,, DD--IIII bbooyyss sswwiimmmmiinngg cchhaammppiioonnss,, DD--

IIII wwrreessttlliinngg tthhiirrdd,, iiccee hhoocckkeeyy cchhaammppiioonnss)) ..

1133--11//22 –– SShhaakkeerr HHeeiigghhttss HHaatthhaawwaayy BBrroowwnn ((DD--IIII ggiirrll ss ggooll ff tthhiirrdd,, ff iieelldd hhoocckkeeyy cchhaammppiioonnss,, DD--IIII ggiirrllss

ssoocccceerr sseemmiiffiinnaall iisstt,, DD--IIII ggiirrll ss bbaasskkeettbbaallll cchhaammppiioonnss)) ..

1133 –– CClleevveellaanndd SStt.. IIggnnaattiiuuss ((DD--II ffoooottbbaallll cchhaammppiioonnss,, DD--II bbooyyss ggoollff tthhiirrdd,, DD--II bbooyyss ssoocccceerr cchhaammppiioonnss,,

DD--II wwrreessttlliinngg ffoouurrtthh)) ..

1122--11//22 –– KKeetttteerriinngg AAlltteerr ((DD--IIVV ffoooottbbaallll cchhaammppiioonnss,, DD--IIII vvoolllleeyybbaallll rruunnnneerr--uupp,, DD--IIII ggiirrllss ccrroossss ccoouunnttrryy

rruunnnneerr--uupp,, DD--IIII ggiirrllss bbaasskkeettbbaallll sseemmiiffiinnaalliisstt )) ..

1100 ---- CCiinncciinnnnaattii SStt.. XXaavviieerr ((DD--II bbooyyss ggoollff cchhaammppiioonnss,, DD--II bbooyyss sswwiimmmmiinngg cchhaammppiioonnss)) ,, CCuuyyaahhooggaa

VVaall lleeyy CChhrriissttiiaann AAccaaddeemmyy ((DD--IIII ggiirrll ss ccrroossss ccoouunnttrryy cchhaammppiioonnss,, DD--IIII bbooyyss ssoocccceerr rruunnnneerr--uupp,, DD--IIIIII

wwrreessttll iinngg tthhiirrdd)),, MMaassoonn ((DD--II bbooyyss ccrroossss ccoouunnttrryy cchhaammppiioonnss,, DD--II ggiirrllss ggoollff cchhaammppiioonnss)) ..

88--11//22 –– BBrreecckkssvviill llee--BBrrooaaddvviieeww HHeeiigghhttss ((DD--II ggiirrllss vvooll lleeyybbaallll sseemmiiffiinnaalliisstt,, DD--II wwrreessttlliinngg tthhiirrdd,, ggiirrllss ggyymm--

nnaassttiiccss cchhaammppiioonnss)) ,, UUppppeerr AArrll iinnggttoonn ((DD--II ggiirrllss ccrroossss ccoouunnttrryy ffoouurrtthh,, DD--II ggiirrllss ssoocccceerr sseemmiiffiinnaall iisstt,, DD--II

ggiirrllss sswwiimmmmiinngg cchhaammppiioonnss,, DD--II bbooyyss sswwiimmmmiinngg ffoouurrtthh)) ..

88 ---- CCiinncciinnnnaattii MMoouunntt NNoottrree DDaammee ((DD--II ggiirrllss vvoolllleeyybbaall ll sseemmiiffiinnaall iisstt,, ffiieelldd hhoocckkeeyy sseemmiiffiinnaalliisstt ,, DD--II

ggiirrllss bbaasskkeettbbaallll cchhaammppiioonnss)),, OOaakk HHii llll ((DD--IIVV bbooyyss bbaasskkeettbbaallll cchhaammppiioonnss,, DD--IIIIII ggiirrllss bbaasskkeettbbaallll rruunnnneerr--

uupp)),, RRoocckkyy RRiivveerr MMaaggnniiff iiccaatt ((DD--II ggiirrllss ccrroossss ccoouunnttrryy cchhaammppiioonnss,, ggiirrllss ggyymmnnaasstt iiccss rruunnnneerr--uupp))..

66--11//22 –– GGaatteess MMiillll ss HHaawwkkeenn ((DD--IIIIII bbooyyss ssoocccceerr sseemmiiffiinnaalliisstt ,, DD--IIII ggiirrllss sswwiimmmmiinngg cchhaammppiioonnss)) ,,

LLaakkeewwoooodd SStt.. EEddwwaarrdd ((DD--II wwrreessttlliinngg cchhaammppiioonnss,, iiccee hhoocckkeeyy sseemmiiffiinnaalliisstt)) ,, MMaarriiaa SStteeiinn MMaarriioonn LLooccaall

((DD--VV ffoooottbbaallll sseemmiiff iinnaalliisstt,, DD--IIVV ggiirrllss vvoolllleeyybbaall ll cchhaammppiioonnss))..

66 ---- CCiinncciinnnnaatt ii SStt.. UUrrssuullaa AAccaaddeemmyy ((DD--II ggiirrllss ggoollff ffoouurrtthh,, DD--II ggiirrllss ssoocccceerr cchhaammppiioonnss)) ,, CCoolluummbbuuss

AAccaaddeemmyy ((DD--IIIIII ffoooottbbaallll rruunnnneerr--uupp,, ffiieelldd hhoocckkeeyy rruunnnneerr--uupp)),, MMiinnsstteerr ((DD--IIIIII ggiirrllss ccrroossss ccoouunnttrryy cchhaammppii--

oonnss,, DD--IIIIII bbooyyss ggooll ff ffoouurrtthh)) ,, PPeenniinnssuullaa WWooooddrriiddggee ((DD--IIII bbooyyss ccrroossss ccoouunnttrryy cchhaammppiioonnss,, DD--IIII ggiirrllss ccrroossss

ccoouunnttrryy ffoouurrtthh)) ,, SStt.. PPaarriiss GGrraahhaamm ((DD--IIII ggiirrll ss ggoollff ffoouurrtthh,, DD--IIII wwrreessttlliinngg cchhaammppiioonnss)) ,, TTiipppp CCiittyy

TTiippppeeccaannooee ((DD--IIII bbooyyss ccrroossss ccoouunnttrryy sseeccoonndd,, DD--IIII ggiirrllss ggooll ff rruunnnneerr--uupp))..

55--11//22 ---- CCoolluummbbuuss WWaatttteerrssoonn ((DD--II ggiirrllss ggoollff tt iieedd ffoorr sseeccoonndd,, DD--II ggiirrllss sswwiimmmmiinngg rruunnnneerr--uupp))..

55 –– AAkkrroonn SStt.. VViinncceenntt--SStt.. MMaarryy ((DD--IIII bbooyyss bbaasskkeettbbaallll cchhaammppiioonnss)) ,, AAllbbaannyy AAlleexxaannddeerr ((DD--II IIII ggiirrllss vvooll --

lleeyybbaallll cchhaammppiioonnss)) ,, AAuurroorraa ((DD--IIIIII ffoooottbbaallll cchhaammppiioonnss)) ,, BBeellllaaiirree SStt.. JJoohhnn CCeennttrraall ((DD--IIIIII bbooyyss ccrroossss

ccoouunnttrryy cchhaammppiioonnss)) ,, CCeenntteerrvviill llee ((DD--II ggiirrllss sswwiimmmmiinngg tthhiirrdd,, DD--II ggiirrllss bbaasskkeettbbaall ll sseemmiiffiinnaall iisstt,, iiccee hhoocckkeeyy

sseemmiiff iinnaalliisstt)) ,, CCiinncciinnnnaatt ii WWyyoommiinngg ((DD--IIII bbooyyss sswwiimmmmiinngg rruunnnneerr--uupp,, DD--IIII ggiirrllss sswwiimmmmiinngg tthhiirrdd)),,

CClleevveellaanndd CCeennttrraall CCaatthhoolliicc ((DD--II IIII bbooyyss bbaasskkeettbbaallll cchhaammppiioonnss)) ,, CCoolluummbbuuss AAffrriicceennttrriicc ((DD--IIVV ggiirrllss bbaass--

kkeettbbaall ll cchhaammppiioonnss)) ,, CCoolluummbbuuss NNoorrtthhllaanndd ((DD--II bbooyyss bbaasskkeettbbaallll cchhaammppiioonnss)) ,, DDaayyttoonn CCaarrrroollll ((DD--IIII bbooyyss

ssoocccceerr cchhaammppiioonnss)) ,, DDeellpphhooss SStt.. JJoohhnn’’ss ((DD--VVII ffoooottbbaall ll cchhaammppiioonnss)) ,, GGaatteess MMiillllss GGiillmmoouurr AAccaaddeemmyy ((DD--

IIIIII ggiirrllss vvoolllleeyybbaallll rruunnnneerr--uupp,, DD--IIIIII bbooyyss ggoollff tthhiirrdd)),, MMiiddddlleettoowwnn FFeennwwiicckk ((DD--IIII ggiirrll ss ssoocccceerr cchhaammppii--

oonnss)) ,, OOllmmsstteedd FFaallllss ((DD--II ggiirrllss vvooll lleeyybbaallll cchhaammppiioonnss)) ,, PPaarrmmaa PPaadduuaa FFrraanncciissccaann ((DD--IIII ggiirrll ss vvoolllleeyybbaallll

cchhaammppiioonnss)) ,, PPeemmbbeerrvvii llllee EEaassttwwoooodd ((ggiirrll ss bboowwll iinngg cchhaammppiioonnss)) ,, PPoollaanndd SSeemmiinnaarryy ((DD--IIII ggiirrllss ggoollff cchhaamm--

ppiioonnss)) ,, SSoouutthh EEuucclliidd RReeggiinnaa ((DD--IIIIII ggiirrll ss cchhaammppiioonnss)) ,, SSpprriinnggffiieelldd KKeennttoonn RRiiddggee ((bbooyyss bboowwlliinngg cchhaammppii--

oonnss)) ,, SSttrroonnggssvvii llllee ((DD--II ggiirrllss ssoocccceerr rruunnnneerr--uupp,, ggiirrll ss ggyymmnnaassttiiccss tthhiirrdd)),, SSuuggaarrccrreeeekk GGaarraawwaayy ((DD--IIIIII

bbooyyss ggoollff cchhaammppiioonnss)) ,, SSyyllvvaanniiaa SSoouutthhvviieeww ((DD--IIII ffoooottbbaallll cchhaammppiioonnss)) ,, TToolleeddoo OOttttaawwaa HHiill llss ((DD--IIIIII bbooyyss

ssoocccceerr cchhaammppiioonnss)) ,, TTrrooyy CChhrriisstt iiaann ((DD--IIIIII wwrreesstt lliinngg cchhaammppiioonnss)) ,, VVeerrssaaii lllleess ((DD--IIIIII ggiirrll ss vvoolllleeyybbaallll sseemmiiffii --

nnaalliisstt,, DD--IIIIII ggiirrllss ccrroossss ccoouunnttrryy tthhiirrdd,, DD--IIIIII ggiirrllss bbaasskkeettbbaall ll sseemmiiffiinnaall iisstt)) ,, YYoouunnggssttoowwnn UUrrssuulliinnee ((DD--VV

ffoooottbbaall ll cchhaammppiioonnss)) ..

44--11//22 –– AAkkrroonn HHoobbaann ((DD--IIII ffoooottbbaallll sseemmiiffiinnaalliisstt,, DD--IIII ggiirrllss ssoocccceerr rruunnnneerr--uupp)),, BBeeaavveerrccrreeeekk ((DD--II bbooyyss

ssoocccceerr rruunnnneerr--uupp,, bbooyyss bboowwlliinngg sseemmiiff iinnaalliisstt)) ,, CCoolluummbbuuss DDeeSSaalleess ((DD--IIII ffoooottbbaallll sseemmiiffiinnaall iisstt,, DD--IIII bbooyyss

ssoocccceerr sseemmiiffiinnaall iisstt,, DD--IIII bbooyyss bbaasskkeettbbaallll sseemmiiff iinnaalliisstt)) ,, DDuubblliinn JJeerroommee ((DD--II bbooyyss ggoollff rruunnnneerr--uupp,, DD--II

bbooyyss ssoocccceerr sseemmiiff iinnaalliisstt)) ,, FFiinnddllaayy LLiibbeerrttyy--BBeennttoonn ((DD--VV ffoooottbbaallll rruunnnneerr--uupp,, DD--IIIIII ggiirrllss bbaasskkeettbbaallll sseemmiiffii --

nnaalliisstt)) ,, LLiimmaa CCeennttrraall CCaatthhoolliicc ((DD--II IIII ggiirrllss vvooll lleeyybbaallll sseemmiiffiinnaall iisstt,, DD--IIIIII bbooyyss ggoollff rruunnnneerr--uupp)),, NNoorrtthh

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33--11//22 ---- CCuuyyaahhooggaa FFaallllss WWaallsshh JJeessuuiitt ((DD--IIII bbooyyss ccrroossss ccoouunnttrryy ffoouurrtthh,, DD--II ggiirrllss ggoollff tt iieedd ffoorr sseeccoonndd)),,

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Previous Winners2003-04Versailles 2004-05Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit2005-06Cincinnati St. Xavier 2006-07Kettering Alter 2007-08Lakewood St. Edward


Indian Val ley ’s Kayla Caldwel l

Two-time defending DivisionII state champion KaylaCaldwell is headed to

Hillsdale College in Michigan.She’s only lost twice in high

school competition.



hen recruiting Ohio’s topfemale pole vaulter, some col-leges would strut out their toprunners to impress a possiblefuture collegiate star.Didn’t work.Maybe there was the over-

all size of the team withdozens of girls competing for the top spot on theirown team in each event.Nah. Not for this girl.How about state-of-the art facilities that offer

technology akin to things only seen on the Sci-FiChannel?Nope. Not impressive.What about getting together to watch “Grey’s

Anatomy”?That’s the ticket.The closeness of Hillsdale College’s track team

was one of the contributing factors to the decisionof Gnadenhutten Indian Valley senior KaylaCaldwell to attend the Division II school to continueher athletic career as a pole vaulter. The Division IIstate record holder at 12 feet, 9 inches, Caldwellcomes from small-town Ohio in rural TuscarawasCounty, just between Canton and Cambridge. Shevaults to near-cloud level but finds a way to staygrounded when not competing.“I went to some Division I colleges and they

were so big,” Caldwell said. “The team didn’t feellike a team. Everyone was out to get each other, toget a spot in the sprints or the relays, and then,when practice was over, they all just went theirseparate ways. I’m as competitive as anyone, but Ididn’t want to be on a team where everyone justwanted to beat each other as individuals. I wantedto be a part of a team.“At Hillsdale, everyone was so open and nice to

me. After practice me and a lot of the girls gottogether and we watched ‘Grey’s Anatomy’. That’sthe closeness I was looking for.”And Caldwell was surely what Hillsdale was

looking for. As a freshman, she was runner-up atthe state meet in Division II at 11 feet, 6 inches. Asa sophomore, she ruled the event with a statemeet record of 12 feet, 4 inches. She repeated theheight in winning the title last year as well. Shealso set a new indoor pole vault record of 12 feet,5 inches in winning the event this year after set-ting the record of 12 feet, 4 inches in her champi-

onship year as a sophomore.In her Ohio high school pole vaulting career,

Caldwell has only been beaten twice: as a fresh-man at the state meet and as a junior at the indoorstate meet when she was second at 12 feet even.“Winning all the time actually makes me more

nervous because now I have to keep that up orpeople will be disappointed,” Caldwell said. “I’vejumped so much higher than most of the people Icompete against that if I only go 11 feet or I don’tbreak a record, people wonder what’s wrong withme. But I definitely don’t want to lose, either.”Caldwell’s pole vault coach, Dave Bell, said his

protégé simply has what it takes to be a great

vaulter. His words are proven to be even more truewhen you find out that Caldwell only started vault-ing as a freshman in high school.“I think a lot of it is she has her natural ability,”

Bell said. “She has her sprint speed and she hasthe ability to jump off the ground so well. That’swhat goes into being a great pole vaulter. Youhave to be a sprinter with a long jumper in you,too.“Plus, she’s what we call a ‘track head.’ She

wants to be great and she works hard at it. She’salways thinking about track and she’s always talk-ing about her vaulting.”But it wasn’t always the case as Caldwell was

an excellent gymnast growing up as well. She hadhopes of going to the Olympics and even plannedon attending an elite training facility in Cincinnati.That was, before she realized that she could stillmake the Olympics, only, in the vault.

“I love gymnastics and I’ve done it ever since Iwas little,” Caldwell said. “Even in junior high, Iwanted to be a gymnast but I still ran track and Ihad some speed so I knew I’d stick with track.When Coach Bell asked me if I wanted to try thepole vault I acted like a stupid freshman and said,‘Yeah.’ Then I started to do well and I started to getnational recognition and I realized that I had achance to be pretty good.“There’s so many things that can happen with

gymnastics with injuries, the number of girls whoare competing against you and the fact that as agymnast, you need to do it when you’re youngbecause you can’t do it at Olympic level past acertain age. With pole vault, I can keep vaultinguntil I’m 30.”And her track career has only blossomed as the

Indian Valley record books are filled with hername. Aside from the pole vault record that sheowns at 12 feet, 9 inches, Caldwell rules the 100(12.4), 200 (25.4), 4x200 relay (1:44.09), 4x100relay (51.7) and 4x400 relay (3:58.76). In the Principals’ Athletic Conference, where her

school moved to after several years in the EastCentral Ohio League, Caldwell regretfully knowsthat many schools do not have pole vault pits soshe can try her hand at other events. She tippedthe 300-meter hurdles recently in a new schoolrecord of 46.92 seconds. She also nearly brokeher school’s long jump record in a relay meet at 17feet, 2 ¾ inches. (The top mark is 17 feet, 3 inch-es.)“I’ll get that before the end of the season,”

Caldwell said with a smile.In her career at the state meet, Caldwell hasn’t

just placed in the pole vault. She has taken eighthin the 200 twice, eighth in the 4x400 twice and fifthin the 4x400 once. She also has placed eighth andthird in the 4x200, respectively.“I really want to get top three in the 200 this

year and my times coming out this year are reallylow compared to the past few seasons,” she said.“I love sprints and relays and I want to provemyself running on top of my vaulting.”“She’s very versatile and she just pushes herself

at everything she does,” said Diane Bell, Dave’swife and girls’ coach at Indian Valley. “If she want-ed to run the 800, she’d push herself. She’ll doanything we ask. Even if she doesn’t normally do acertain event, she will come to us as coaches andtell us that she wants to step up and do what’sbest to get the team points. She’s such a teamplayer and that’s what has helped her become sosuccessful.” Maybe she became a team player from the influ-

ence of her family, which is at every meet. There isa grassy hill just across the track from the polevault pit at Indian Valley’s stadium and it’s notunheard of to see it filled at home meets with theCaldwell clan. “I couldn’t do it without my family,” said Caldwell.

“It’s almost part of life now for my family. ‘Hey, let’shop in the car and drive to North Carolina for ameet.’ My family doesn’t even blink when I saysomething like that.”And hopefully her career ends with one more

title in Columbus that first weekend of June.“I think about the state meet all the time,” she

said. “It’s great to be a two-time state championbut I want that third championship. I want it bad.”— OH

Indian Val ley ’s Kayla Caldwel lSTORY BY JEFF WI L L IAMS

“I’ve jumped so much higher than mostof the people I compete against that ifI only go 11 feet or I don’t break a

record, people wonder what’s wrongwith me.”

Gnadenhutten Indian Valley senior Kayla Caldwell

W


Toledo Rogers ’ E r ik Kynard

Kynard broke a 21-year-old state record when he cleared 7-2.75 in the high jump this spring.

Photo by David Gatwood

Toledo Rogers ’ E r ik Kynard


STORY BY DAV ID GATWOOD

n an era in which every young athleteseems to be playing some form of travelsports the development of Toledo Rogers’Erik Kynard is a truly remarkable story.Kynard never played on a travel team of

any kind in any sport. In fact, until theeighth grade, Kynard had never reallylooked at himself as an athlete and his

road to his present status as a world class highjumper began on a dare by his friend, CheyronWatkins. It seems that Kynard had reluctantly decided to

go out for his junior high track team at DeveauxJunior High in Toledo, but had no idea whatevents might interest him. His good friend,Watkins, dared him to attempt the high jump andKynard, without any experience and without ben-efit of any instruction as to proper technique,jumped 5-8 on his very first attempt. With that jump a great high school track career

began and, who knows, a possible Olympiccareer as well.Although Kynard’s competitive track career

began in junior high it was in his freshmen year atToledo Start High School that he began to openeyes. Clearing 6-6 as a freshmen, Kynard begangaining attention nationally and was encouragedto seek better coaching in order to develop hisobvious talent. His current coach, Eric Browning,was the coach at cross-town Toledo Rogers and

Kynard, in consultation with his parents, deter-mined that Browning was the one most able tohelp him succeed at the next level of competition. “It was all about coaching,” said Kynard. “I did-

n’t feel as though I was going to advance as far ifI stayed at Start. It wasn’t anything personal. Ijust wanted to get the best coaching I could andthought that I would get it at Rogers. I think I

made the right decision.”Since arriving at Toledo Rogers, Kynard’s high

jumping career has sky-rocketed. He has broken the school record, the Toledo

City League record and, recently, the staterecord, but he confidently, and politely, states thathe feels that he can do even more. Havingalready cleared 7-4 indoors, Kynard feels that hecan do the same or more outside. “I jump as high as my competition takes me,”

said Kynard. “First, I jump to win and then I jumpto entertain.”As an example of his entertaining nature,

Kynard had already won the Mehock Relayschampionship when his nearest competitor,Cleveland Heights’ Dwayne King, dropped out at6-9. But Kynard decided that the conditions wereright for an attempt at a state record. After failingtwice at 7-2.75, Kynard prepared for his finaljump. Creating some drama, he studied the bar

intently, paused, and then jumped cleanly overthe bar to the delight and excitement of those inattendance. In jumping 7-2.75 Kynard broke theold record that was established by Elyria’s MarkCannon in 1987 by a full half inch.Interestingly, Kynard’s performance in the

Mehock Relays was his first outdoor competitionthis year. “We are very careful about not overdoing it,”

Kynard said. “The outdoor season involves a lotof factors such as the weather, the condition ofthe track, the size of the take off area and mycoaches limit my attempts. I will probably onlyjump one more time before districts.” Despite his success on the track, Kynard, who

is headed for Kansas State next year, is surpris-ingly very understated regarding his accomplish-ments. He does not talk about various champi-onships, instead he focuses on his desire to keepimproving and pushing himself to the next level.He quickly credits his parents, Brandynn Adamsand Erick Kynard, Sr., for his success.“My father is always pushing me,” said Kynard.

“He is always there to help me. He was a sprinterin high school and I have always tried to do betterthan him. He is my biggest supporter.“As for my mother, she is my backbone. She

keeps me grounded and reminds me of who I am.She never lets things go to my head.”Where his athlete career might ultimately take

him, Kynard is uncertain. What he is certain of isthe fact that he wants to do well in school andkeep improving his jumping technique. “I look at attending Kansas State as a great

opportunity,” said Kynard. “I had lots of offers butI felt that Kansas State offered me the best com-bination of coaching and academics. Although Iam uncertain as to what I ultimately want to do inmy life, I am certain that Kansas State will pro-vide me a chance to do it.”In the meantime, Kynard has several chal-

lenges ahead. There is a second state champi-onship, the Junior National Championships and apossible return to the IAAF World JuniorChampionships. All present Kynard with potentialnotoriety but this is not his concern.“My only real concern is going to Kansas State

and doing the best that I can in school,” Kynardsaid. “Everything else is just extra. My educationis what really matters.” — OH

“We are very careful about not overdoing it. The outdoor season

involves a lot of factors such as theweather, the condition of the track, the

size of the take off area and mycoaches limit my attempts. I will proba-bly only jump one more time before

districts.”

Toledo Rogers seniorErik Kynarrd

I


Chi l l icothe ’s Cur t Smith

Chillicothe’s Curt Smith ownsthe Division II state shot putrecord (63-4.5). He’s headed

to Ohio State.

Photo by Jim Rinaldi



STORY BY ER IC FRANTZ

he one-day, 244 mile round-trip busride from Chillicothe to Byesville for theDivision II track and field regional meetwas over, and now, an hour after he’darrived home with the team at 6 p.m.,Chillicothe track coach Dana Cousins’phone was ringing.The vibration rippled like a shot put

hitting the pit.It was Curt Smith. He wanted to throw.Earlier that day at Byesville, Smith had won the

regional title with a stadium record heave of 59-7.The runner-up finished over 4-feet behind.Not good enough.“Work ethic,” Cousins said when asked what

Smith’s secret is. “I explained this to him: It’s whatyou do during your off days, it’s not what you doduring the week. We went to that regional meet (atByesville) last year and he threw 58-59, which isgood for most people but he called me up an hourafter the meet and he wanted to throw more. Hesaid he didn’t throw well. That’s work ethic. Wethrow every weekend. He watches continuoustapes. It’s those little things that make him as goodas he is.”When Smith was a freshman at Paint Valley

High School in rural Ross County, Cousins and thethen-raw thrower made a friendly pact in passingthat if Smith came to Chillicothe the coach wouldmake him a state champion.The two are weeks away from attaining that

goal.Now a senior at Chillicothe High, Smith is one of

the state’s top throwers ever in the shot put ring.He was an indoor state champion last season andholds the Division II all-time state record with amark of 63-4.5 set last year. The glaring omissionfrom his resume, which also includes a scholarshipfrom Ohio State, is an outdoor state title.Soon he’ll have the chance – and his last – at

standing on top of the podium.As a junior, Smith set conference, district,

regional and state records. He won every meetexcept one – the state meet. There, he finishedsecond.“It’s going to boil down to when we peak,”

Cousins said. “Last year we peaked maybe one ortwo weeks before the state finals, so this seasonI’ve been bringing him along a little slower. Peoplemay not think he’s throwing as far as he did last

year but it’s a process. To me he’s right where heneeds to be right now. “We’re back past that 60-barrier and I’m just try-

ing to hold him back so he can peak at the statemeet.”Despite the fact that he’s only been throwing for

eight years, Smith already owns a career litteredwith peaks – and valleys.

Getting ThereThanks to God, Smith is a thrower – in a round

about way.Attending the same church, Charleston Church

of the Brethren, as longtime Chillicothe track coachPhil Bobo – for whom the high school track isnamed after – Smith was turned onto the sport bythe coaching legend.“He said I had the right body-type for it,” chuck-

led Smith, who now stands 6-1, 280.Under Bobo’s guidance, Smith started throwing

in seventh grade. He loved the discus. The shot

was another story.“I hated shot put,” Smith said. “I’d always come

to Chillicothe to meet Phil and I’d always bring adiscus. I’d never bring a shot put because I hatedit.

“He said ‘One day you’re going to like shot putmore than you like discus,’ and I was like ‘Yeah,OK.’ I didn’t believe him but he turned out to beright.”That day came during Smith’s sophomore year

at Paint Valley.As a freshman, Smith showed great promise,

making the Division III state meet in both the dis-cus and shot put and finishing 10th and 12th,respectively. His personal records were 150-7 inthe discus and 50-2.5 in the shot.His sophomore year, Smith turned the corner. Consistently throwing in the 50s, Smith said he

knew then where his future lied. He set school records in the shot (56-7) and

weight (46-0), set three meet records in the shotand won a district championship in the discus(171-4). Smith was on his way to what he thought was a

real shot at a state title before disaster struck. Theweek after winning districts, Smith lost his opportu-nity to compete at the regional tournament.The reason? “This is going to sound crazy to you,” Smith

said. “The teacher started this game and the nameof the game was ‘Paranoia.’ The object of thegame was to eliminate the other players by eithershooting them or bombing them (through phonecalls and emails). I guess they were playing it atcollege campuses and someone brought it downhere. It was stupid. “Nobody was supposed to be around when you

did it, but I saw a person I was supposed to getnext to a payphone so I was like ‘I’m going to getthem.’ You couldn’t see the pay phone (from whereI was) but I called it and a girl picked up. I was get-ting a guy out so I obviously knew it wasn’t him. Icalled back a few minutes later and somebodypicked up and didn’t say anything. I said ‘If you’replaying the game Paranoia I’ve snipped you andyou’re out of the game.’ Next thing I know I wasgetting called to the office.”When the dust settled, Smith was the only per-

son related to the game who got punished for itsexistence.He was suspended for 10 days for what officials

described as “making a threat to another student”and served a sentence imposed by the schoolboard of 160 hours of community service. Theprocess even involved a polygraph test.

“It’s going to boil down to when wepeak. Last year we peaked maybe oneor two weeks before the state finals,so this season I’ve been bringing himalong a little slower. People may not

think he’s throwing as far as he did lastyear but it’s a process. To me he’s right

where he needs to be right now.

Chillicothe Track CoachDana Cousins

T



In addition to the regional meet, Smith missedstate as well.“We were very upset,” Smith said. “I was real

mad. A 57 ended up winning state that yearbecause Adam Meyer (from Minster) fouled out. Iwas so mad.”After serving his suspension, Smith was allowed

back at Paint Valley. He proceeded to transfer toChillicothe and the family moved into the district.“I got kind of, how do I say it? Screwed-over,”

Smith said. “I wanted to move and get out of there.I really felt comfortable coming to this school. Andit’s been the best thing for me. (If I would havestayed at Paint Valley) I don’t think I’d be who I amtoday. You know Dana teaches me about throwing

but he also teaches me about life and it’s definitelybeen the best move I’ve made. (Dana) is with meevery day. He’s more like a best friend to me. Iknow he’s my coach, but he’s one of my bestfriends. I wish I would have just come here all mylife.”In a way, Smith has.Growing up in the Unioto district before moving

to Paint Valley, Smith has always had friends inChillicothe. He used to play AAU basketball withfellow CHS senior and Air Force football recruitCaleb Knights. This past fall, Smith, who plays full-

back and defensive line for the Cavaliers, wasvoted team captain.Chillicothe made the state football playoffs and

won just the second postseason game in history.“My mom and dad always push me and give me

whatever I need,” Smith said. “I’m real lucky I’vegot people around me. I sometimes take it forgranted. I love my parents, my coaches and myteammates.”Said Cousins: “He’s my leader. He impacts the

other kids tremendously. He’s my son’s idol.”

Instant ImpactBobo isn’t the only track figure of significance to

have played a part inSmith’s ascent.There have been

numerous others.Smith’s uncle Chad

McAllister won a DivisionI state title in the discus atChillicothe in 1998. Hisfather Mel Smith, a 1977Bellbrook High Schoolgraduate, held the BHSschool record in the shotwhen he graduated.More recently, Vandalia

Butler High School andDivision I state recordholder Jimmie Pacifico“tutored” Smith during hisfreshman and sophomoreyears and still talks toSmith on the phone oncea week.Pacifico owns the far-

thest throw in state histo-ry at 71-6.25.“He’s really pushed me

and I looked up to him alot,” Smith said. “I alwayswanted to hang out withhim. His numbers (the70s) are something thatdefinitely push you.Whether or not I couldever get there I don’tknow, but it pushes me.”Pacifico provided Smith

another reminder as well.During his sophomore

season, Pacifico gaveSmith a USA Track andField shirt he hadreceived from U.S. throw-ing star Adam Nelson.Nelson, a two-time

Olympic silver medalist and world champion, gavePacifico two USA jerseys and told him to keep one.The other? Pacifico was to give it to another throw-er he thought had the potential and talent tobecome an elite thrower as well. That jersey now hangs on Smith’s bedroom wall.“I was kind of in shock (when Pacifico gave it to

me),” Smith said. “My freshman year he walkedaround like he was … we’ll like he was Jimmie andhe was. He just did whatever he wanted to do inthe ring and I thought man I want to be like thatsome day. We started to become friends at a

Cedarville University meet and we’ve been realgood buds ever since.”Family in Centerville and Bellbrook have allowed

Smith and Pacifico to hang with each other inDayton on occasion.Although he’s not as close with Chillicothe

throwing legend Garin Veris, Smith is just as drivenby him. Although he owns the state record, Smithdoesn’t own the Chillicothe High School record.That belongs to Veris (64-10.5) who is also the lastCHS thrower to win a state title in the shot (1981).At a recent surprise birthday party for Bobo,

Smith got the chance to talk to Veris, who went toStanford and spent eight seasons in the NFL withthe New England Patriots and San Francisco49ers. Veris is New England’s third all-time leaderin sacks (36.5) and played on the 1985 SuperBowl team.“He just keeps telling me to break (the record),”

Smith said. “He says it’s been up there too long.”

Happy EndingWhether or not he leaves with his name atop the

CHS record book, the Chillicothe community willremember Smith.Announcing his decision to attend Ohio State in

December, Smith held a signing day/press confer-ence in February to celebrate the announcement.Over 100 people attended the event in the CHScafeteria and the mayor came and spoke. Schoolofficials said it was the largest event of its kindthey can remember.“I’ve sent kids to college but not to an institution

like (Ohio State) so it is a proud moment as acoach,” Cousins said. “To able to say you had apart in it is amazing. Our kids and myself are look-ing forward to watching him continue his careerand it’s great just to have been a part of this.”Said Smith: “That’s where I’ve always wanted to

go. My best friend Randy Rue went to Kent Stateand they came after me pretty hard. I was kind ofleaning towards them. Then Ohio State came inand told me what they were going to give me. I vis-ited both places and made my choice.”Smith plans to major in construction systems

management.“(Ohio State) called at the right time because

there were some other schools that almost gotlucky,” Cousins said. “They were always aroundsubtly, but they didn’t really come on strong untilthree weeks before he was ready to make a deci-sion.”Coming on strong the next three weeks will be

key for Smith in his attempt to win that elusive out-door state title. History, however, is on his side.One state meet prophecy involving Smith has

already become reality. Now it’s time for another.“When I was in seventh grade, (Coach Bobo)

took me to the state meet and made a mark on thefence there with a key,” Smith said. “He said ‘We’regoing to be here someday watching you.’ I neverreally believed him, but freshman year I went tostate in both events and said ‘Well, I guess youwere right.’ ”Now Smith hopes Cousins is, too.“He reminded me a couple weeks ago about

what I said to him as a freshman and about com-ing to Chillicothe to become a state champion,”Cousins said. “He said, ‘Coach…here I am.’” —OH

Smith’s ResumeFFrreesshhmmaann ((aatt PPaaiinntt VVaalllleeyy HH..SS..))

Fourth place at the Ohio Indoor State Meet in Shot Put – Div lll

District Champion in Shot Put and Discus

Went to D-III State Meet in Shot Put and Discus – placed 12th -10th

P.R. in Discus 150 feet 7 inches; in shot 50 feet- 2.5 inches

Represented 5 state area in Baltimore for Junior Olympics

Ended summer season ranked 11th in shot and 22nd in Discus Nationally

SSoopphhoommoorree ((aatt PPaaiinntt VVaalllleeyy HH..SS..))

Fourth Place at the Ohio Indoor State Meet (Div. II-III)

Set School Shot Put record with throw of 56 feet 7 inches

Set school weighted throw record with a toss of 46 feet -- inches

District Champion with discus throw of 171feet 4 inches

Second at the USATF National Championship in Lyle, Illinois in shot put

Broke and set three meet records for shot put

JJuunniioorr ((aatt CChhiilllliiccootthhee HH..SS..))

State Champion in the Shot Put at the Ohio Indoor State Meet (56-4.75)

Won every outdoor meet in the shot put during regular season, including

Jesse Owens at Ohio State

Won every meet in the discus during the regular season except two meets

Southeast Ohio Athletic League champion in the shot and discus

Set SEOAL and Ohio Division II record with a toss of 63-4.5 in the shot put

SE District Champion in Shot and Discus (Holds district records)

Chillicothe High School’s MVP for the track team

Regional Champion in Shot

Regional Runner up in discus

Division II State Runner-Up in Shot

Fourth place in discus at the State Meet

Finished season with PR’s of 63-4.5 in shot and 175-2 in the discus


Walsh Jesui t Basebal l STORY BY MARTY GIT L IN

hris Kaczmar is keenly aware that whatultimately determines the fate of a highschool baseball team is how well itpitches, hits and fields in the regularseason and beyond.After all, his Walsh Jesuit players

have performed those acts as well asany in Ohio over the last decade, as

their four Division II state titles certainly attest.But Kaczmar has grown increasingly cognizant of

another factor in that success. And that’s the impor-tance of embracing the off-season program and theappreciation of playing at a baseball powerhousesuch as Walsh Jesuit.“As the years have gone by, I’ve realized how

important the strength of the community and thecommitment of the players and their families hasbeen to the program and their careers,” Kaczmarsays. “It’s a tremendous luxury knowing that theplayers are committed to the off-season program.What we do allows each and every one of them tomake themselves better for themselves and for thehealth of the program.”Yeah, the program is pretty healthy. The 2009

Warriors raced out to a 15-2 start, which is no sur-prise considering they have become a staple in vari-ous national rankings over the years and wereranked 33rd in a preseason high school poll byBaseball America. Through midseason, nationalnewspaper USA Today had the Warriors ranked 17thin the country. They peaked in that poll at No. 6 in

2006.Walsh has won four state championships in the

last 10 years, including three of the last five (2004,2006, 2008). Kaczmar has been justly rewarded,earning Midwest Coach of the Year in 1999, 2004and 2006 (he was a National Coach of the Year final-

ist in each of those years) and Ohio Division IICoach of the Year in 2007.Kaczmar understands that honors such as those

could not have been earned without brilliant perform-ances from his players. The same holds true thisseason. Among the Division I college talents are 6-foot-6 right-handed junior pitcher and University ofVirginia recruit Tyler Skulina and Ohio University-bound pitcher/outfielder Matt Keller

Skulina has been virtually unhittable. The FirstTeam Pre-Season Louisville Slugger/CollegiateBaseball All-American won all eight decisions a yearago in leading the team to a 30-3 record. He is 5-0this year and averaging nearly two strikeouts aninning.Pitching depth is critical in the postseason, but the

Warriors should have no worries. Skulina is backedin the rotation by Greg Greve and Drew Danko, bothof whom boasted ERAs of 1.50 or lower in their firstthree starts.Led by junior Johnny Fasola, who also serves as

the closer, the Walsh offense is balanced and wasaveraging 10.6 runs through 15 games. Ryan Berry,Greve, Keller, John Mastronicolas, Joe Pawlowski,Matt Pollock, Anthony Pucci and James Toland areall key contributors.And though all those players are aware of the

national recognition duly received by the Walsh pro-gram, Kaczmar doesn’t believe they are affected byit. At least he has seen no evidence of the lofty rank-ings getting in their heads.“We have very level-headed kids,” he says. “It’s

nice to be recognized, but they don’t get engulfed init. It doesn’t define who we are. All we concentrateon is how we play the game of baseball every day.Our guys are very intense and they have a philoso-phy that what they want to do is just get better everyday. All the rankings and all the talk don’t win statechampionships.”And speaking of state championships, about all

C“We have level-headed kids. It’s niceto be recognized, but they don’t get

engulfed in it. It doesn’t define who weare. All we concentrate on is how weplay the game of baseball every day”

Walsh Jesuit Head CoachChris Kaczmar

Contributed Photo

Walsh celebratesits 2008state title.

Strongsvi l le Basebal l


STORY BY MARTY GIT L IN

the Warriors haven’t achieved is winning them suc-cessively. Though Kaczmar admits that tiny deficien-cy has been discussed, he adds that he doesn’t con-sider it to be particularly motivating. What does moti-vate him is maximizing the potential of all his players,which, in turn, might lead to college scholarships oreven professional careers.Kaczmar makes no apologies for publicizing his

players. He believes, after all, that they have earnedit.“We talk about that quite a bit,” he says. “We don’t

ever shy away from our responsibility to promote ourplayers. Our goal is to have a 100 percent successrate. I believe strongly that our job as a staff is a 12-

month job and to guide our players in the process.The least we can do for the players that have helpedus so much is to help them become better in everyway we can.”He certainly hasn’t forgotten players he has

coached in the past. Kaczmar believes Patrick O’Brien, who pitched for

the Warriors in the late 1990s and whose fastballwas clocked in the low 90s, played as big a role asanyone in putting the program on the map. O’Brien,who was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates, dominat-ed high school competition during his era. The same could be said for Chris Niro, an all-Ohio

pitcher in both 2003 and 2004 before he took his

vast talents to Miami of OhioKaczmar is also appreciative of the players and

coaches who served the program before he arrived.Both he and his brother Scott, who is currently Chris’assistant coach, played for the Warriors in the late1980s.“We had a tradition before I (became coach),”

Kaczmar says. “But I was able to take the torch andrun with it and take it to a new level.”That is, a championship level. Other coaches at

other programs have achieved the same goal. But Kaczmar is one of the few that has kept his

team at that championship level for a decade. —OH

he Strongsville baseball program had been fairly typical of many insuburban Cleveland.Pretty good team, but not title caliber.Enter Josh Sorge. The moment he began gracing the field as

coach of the Mustangs, they started blossoming into a champion.They earned conference crowns in 2005, 2007 and 2008. And, quite ironi-cally, the year they fell short (2006) they snagged the Division I state title.But if one suspects that Sorge would be looking in the rear view mirror for

the reason Strongsville now boasts one of the premier baseball programs inOhio, one would suspect wrong. He believes he simply helped maximize thepotential that had been lurking in the shadows for many years.“I think it was important for our program for us to win the conference title

in 2005 because we hadn’t won one in more than a decade,” Sorgeexplains. “I think that kind of set a blueprint that we could compete in ourconference and in northeast Ohio and the next step was to win on the statelevel.“We always had some upside here. We’re a relatively big high school, so

there’s been large numbers in our talent pool. Another factor is the quality ofour community level baseball program. Our summer leagues have worked inconcert with our program in terms of camps and clinics. They’ve done agreat job preparing the younger kids from fourth grade through eighth gradeso when they get here they’re ready. That’s been very important.“As far as the kids up here are concerned, they’ve worked hard and

they’ve worked smart. I can’t imagine any program that spends more timeon getting prepared for a season than ours. We’ve been able to take kidswho are pretty athletic and make them stronger and faster and increasetheir skills and make them attractive to college recruiters.”Among the recipes for success has been a highly challenging schedule

that prepares Strongsville players for the increasingly difficult run of oppo-nents in the postseason. Sorge believes the importance of that factor can’tbe underestimated, though it took time to bear fruit.“We stuck to the idea of committing to the plan of having a much tougher

schedule,” he says. “When we first started to do that, we took our lumps.But the competition allowed us to compare ourselves with some of the betterteams in the state. That’s what the better teams do. They go out and playgood teams.”The result isn’t always a season-ending celebration or even playoff suc-

cess. The Mustangs won the Northeast Ohio Conference yet again in 2008,but were shocked in the first round of sectionals by Lorain Admiral King.Sorge blames no one in particular for the stunning defeat, but he under-

stands that such upsets are more likely in high school baseball than theyare in other sports simply because of all the variables involved.“We were really talented, but we just lost the wrong game,” he says. “We

could have put 15 guys out there on defense and the balls (Admiral King)were hitting would have found holes. They just beat us. But a major draw-back with a program like ours is that losses are so magnified.”Such disappointment has certainly proven to be the exception rather than

the rule. Two events have shown that the program has emerged as one ofthe best in Ohio. One was the opening of the new baseball/softball facility atthe school that showed a commitment to both teams. The other was thechampionship run in 2006 that proved that the plan was not only working,but it could culminate in the ultimate success.“I think winning the title showed not only the kids on the team but every-

one that we were galvanized in a belief in what we were doing,” offers thecoach. “And I think once the kids got that experience one time, they wantedto have that feeling again. There are very few things in sports as satisfyingas that.”One can only speculate if the Mustangs are destined for another strong

run at a Division I state title in 2009. But if they are to get there, it’s quitelikely they will be led by 6-8 flame-throwing righthander Justin Jameson,

whose fastball has been clocked at 94 miles anhour.

The Cleveland Benedictine transfer,who is tabbed to be selected fairlyhigh in the June major league draft,yielded just two earned runs in hisfirst 19 innings pitched this seasonfor a 0.73 ERA and struck out 19along the way.Jameson will have until Aug. 15

to decide on whether he wants toturn pro immediately or take a col-lege scholarship. But if he chooses to

spurn a professional contract, he won’tbe eligible again until after his junior year.“It’s a little early to tell what he’s going to

do, but he’s on everybody’s radar,” Sorge explains. “There are between sixand 15 pro scouts at every one of his games. They’re keeping real closetabs on him.“He gave up his first two runs of the season the other day. It was hit, hit,

hit and not one of them left the infield. He forces hitters to hit the top half ofthe ball. He has great command of his breaking ball and his ability to throwstrikes consistently has improved drastically.“I’d say about 90 percent of the time he’s going to get the out with his

fastball and until a hitter shows he can catch up with his fastball, he’s goingto keep throwing. With that kind of stuff, he has to rely on getting calledstrikes because a lot of kids are not even getting their bats off their shoul-ders against him.”Jameson is one of three Division I talents on the pitching staff. Right-han-

der Ryan Bores has already committed to Ohio University while JasonPascuzzi will be headed to the University of Cincinnati.It’s on their gifted arms that the Mustangs are banking on an extended

trip in the postseason. But the program is quite likely to thrive after theygraduate.Sorge has a track record now, so you can be sure of it. — OH

T

Horse PowerStrongsville continuesride as one of state’s

best baseball programs


Canton Central Cathol ic P i tching Duo

ne categorizes himself as fire while theother claims that he’s more like ice butthe fact remains that Canton CentralCatholic pitchers Taylore Baker and AlexMyers are both cool under pressure.

Although he says that if he’s put into a largegroup of people he’ll freeze, Myers, who is 5-1 thisyear, has had very little trouble staying hot on themound the past three years. Myers saw his school-record and state-record book eligible 19-game winstreak come to an end on April 18 in two innings ofrelief against Berlin Center Western Reserve and isnow focused on finishing his senior season off witha new streak, which he started two days later withseven complete innings in a victory over CantonMcKinley.“I was definitely mad about it,” said Myers of his

first loss in more than two years. “It was fun while itlasted and it was pretty cool while it lasted but Iwanted to keep it going. I would still like that pres-sure on me. I look at it like it could have been better,I could have won more games.“Now I’m more focused and I don’t want to lose

ever again in high school. I think Taylore and I havewhat it takes to lead us far in the tournament.”Myers finished tied for eighth in the state record

book for most consecutive wins. After breaking SamBourquin’s school record of 16, he ended tied withCory Hough of Springboro, Neil Schmitz of St.Henry and former Ohio State quarterback ToddBoeckman of St. Henry.“I think it’s pretty cool actually,” said Myers, the

self-proclaimed “control pitcher” of the two. “It’s agood thing I’m doing and I know there’s a lot ofpressure on me but I have confidence in myself andin my teammates.”Myers went 9-0 last year and 6-0 as a sopho-

more. Until his latest loss, his last loss came as afreshman against North Canton Hoover.“I can still remember that game,” said Myers. “It

was a cold, rainy day and we had a 45-minute

delay. When we started back up, my arm just wasn’tthere and they hit something like three home runsoff me. I definitely never wanted to feel that wayagain.”Canton Central Catholic coach Doug Miller, who

is in his 28th year with the Crusaders, said he feltfor Myers after his loss.“My, what a streak,” said Miller. “I felt for him

because he’s such a great kid and leader and forhim to give up an unearned run and lose a 5-4game like that – it was tough. But Alex is very confi-dent and he’s got great makeup as a pitcher. Hethrows strikes, he makes great pitches and he’s realcomposed on the mound.”Baker, the fireballer, had a fantastic three games

to end the Division III state tournament a year ago.After earning the win on the mound in the regionalchampionship game, he came in and saved theCrusaders’ 5-4 win over Coldwater in the state semi-finals, facing just three batters with one strikeout. Hethen went all seven innings in the state title game,shutting out Hamilton Badin 8-0. He struck out three,walked three and gave up just three hits while facing26 batters. In that same game, he also led the teamin hitting by going 2-for-3 with a home run, two runsscored and two RBIs.“I don’t like to take the credit for myself because

the defense we had for that state championshipgame – you can’t beat that at any point of my life. Iwas able to throw some early strikes in the countand my defense just played a terrific game,” saidBaker. “But I try not to think too much about lastyear. I don’t want to compare teams because wehad some great leaders last year and we’re a differ-ent team this year. But we still think we can make along run in the tournament this year with the guyswe have back.”Last season, Baker went 58 innings, allowing 43

hits with 25 walks and 47 strikeouts while compilinga 7-2 record with a 1.68 ERA and two no-hitters tostart his career against Akron Coventry and New

Philadelphia. He also crushed 28 RBIs at the plate.“Taylore is one of those kids who just loves the

game,” said Miller. “He loves practice, he loves talk-ing about baseball and he loves being on the field.“What amazed me last year was how Taylore

came up as a sophomore with a senior-dominatedteam and fit right in. The team accepted him and heslid so easily into a starting role. He was our No. 5in the batting order and what he did at the statetournament and the regional final was simply amaz-ing.”This year, Baker and Myers lead a young team

that features eight players who had never set footon a varsity field. So far, they have not disappointedas the Crusaders are 11-5-1. Baker sits at 3-2 onthe year with three complete games. He has sevenappearances with 41 innings pitched, 30 hits and 21runs allowed (14 earned). He has 18 walks, 41strikeouts and five batters hit by pitch. He also hasno wild pitches and has an ERA just near 3.00. At the plate, Baker is just as deft, where he’s 17

of 50 (.340) with three doubles, one stolen base,eight runs, 17 RBIs, a .450 on base percentage anda slugging percentage of .380.“Our focus with Taylore this year was to not let

him put any pressure on himself,” said Miller. “Wetalked about how he threw two no-hitters to start hisvarsity career, how he won the regional and thestate championship and saved the state semis. Wetalked about how he had a home run in the statefinals. We talked about all of those things and howthey’re in the past. We want to move forward and hehas certainly done that this year.”Myers is 5-1 on the mound in nine appearances.

He has pitched 38 innings with five complete gamesand one save. He has allowed eight runs (fourearned) on 19 hits with just nine walks and 30strikeouts. He’s only hit two batters and has had nowild pitches. He has an earned run average under1.00. Last year he had a 2.97 ERA with seven com-plete games, 59 innings pitched, 74 hits allowed, 11walks and 46 strikeouts.While he has a save to his credit this year, Myers

hopes to save lives as his future as well. While hesaid he hasn’t ruled out playing collegiately, he hasthe dream of being a fireman and may attend StarkState University of Technology in Canton for its firesafety training.“Baseball has crossed my mind and I’d like to

play again someday but being an EMT and a fire-man really interests me,” said Myers.Miller has helped fuel that fire.“Alex had expressed an interest in being a fire-

man so one day after school I took him to StarkState to check things out and he really liked it,” saidMiller. “He’s such a tremendous young man and Iknow he’ll be successful at whatever he does.”For now, Baker and Myers hope to send the

Crusaders to a second-straight state appearance.“After last year we want to go back to the highest

level and the highest platform,” said Baker. “Wehave so much confidence in ourselves and in eachother and our coach has confidence in us as ateam. I think that as the season progresses, we’reonly going to get better and raise our level of play.”Myers agreed.“There’s no feeling like winning a state champi-

onship and I want to have that feeling again,” hesaid. “I know we have what it takes and I hope I canstep up and help lead us in the tournament.” —OH

O

STORY BY JEFF WI L L IAMS

Contributed Photo

Senior Alex Meyers won19 straight gamesbefore finally droppinga decision 5-4.

COMING IN THE SPRING SPORTS STATE TOURNAMENT ISSUE... Baseball POYSoftball POY

Boys Track POYBoys Field Event POY

Girls Track POYGirls Field Event POYBoys Tennis POY*(due out in June)

Ohio High Spring 2009

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