SOSA Staff Report
While just a handful of football programs within SOSA’s coverage area remain alive in Week 12, the area was honored time and time again as the OPSWA released its Southeast Ohio All-District teams early Friday morning.
CREDIT: Chad Siders/SOSA
Leading the way were three Offensive Players of the Year in their respective divisions: Jackson’s Jayden Spires, Waverly’s Payton Shoemaker and Southeastern’s Lane Ruby.
Spires has led the Ironmen with over 1,200 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns, Shoemaker has run wild for the Tigers, totaling 2,185 yards and 31 scores, and Ruby has looked better than ever while amassing 2,141 yards and 34 touchdowns and passing for 500-plus yards.
All three players are leading their teams into Week 12 matchups … Jackson takes on Jonathan Alder, Waverly faces Bloom-Carroll and Southeastern meets with Covington this weekend.
Two players were named co-Defensive Players of the Year. Jackson’s pair of Anthony Parks and Brice Parks shared the title in Division III after helping the Ironmen limit opponents to 10.9 points per game.
Three area coaches earned co-Coach of the Year honors as Jackson’s Andy Hall was selected in Division III, Chris Crabtree earned the right in Division IV and SE’s Evan Gallaugher earned the title in Division VI. In Division VII, Symmes Valley’s Rusty Webb won the honor outright.
Here’s a full look at the area’s all-district football selections in each division.
DIVISION II
Chillicothe had one first-team honoree in senior Cade Williams, the Cavaliers’ linebacker and leader on defense. The Cavaliers also had Patrick Rourke and Xzavier Doss earn special mention honors.
DIVISION III
Joining Spires with first-team offensive honors in Division III were teammates Treylan Davis and Ty Ruckel, the Ironmen’ tight end and best offensive lineman. Unioto’s pair of Dalton Ford and Jamarcus Carroll were also named first-team all-district, as was Miami Trace quarterback and running back Dalton Mayer and Jayden LeBeau.
On defense, Miami Trace’s Luke Henry, and both Jackson’s Grant Mastin and Jared Icenhower were given first-team honors.
Special mention honorees included Jackson’s Tristan Prater and Joey Richison, and Unioto’s Tim Diamond and Isaac Little.
DIVISION IV
Shoemaker was joined by teammates Will Futhey, a wide receiver, Andrew Welch,a lineman, Grayson Diener, a kicker, and Haydn’ Shanks, a quarterback, with first-team honors in Division IV. Washington’s Eli Lynch and Hillsboro’s Draven Stodgel joined that group on offense.
On the opposite side of the football, Washington’s Collier Brown, Chase Sluder and Garitt Leisure earned first-team honors while Hillsboro’s Mark Gallimore and Waverly’s Zeke Brown followed suit.
Special mention honorees included Washington’s Ethan Rogers-Wright and Jameson McCane, McClain’s Matt Bliss and Braden Wright, and Waverly’s Spencer Pollard and J.T. Barnett.
DIVISION V
In Division V, at the wide receiver position, Minford’s Drew Skaggs and Wheelersburg’s Hunter Ruby earned first-team honors while Northwest’s Caleb Crabtree, Minford’s Levi Warren and Wheelersburg’s Gavin Welch did the same on the offensive line.
At quarterback, Piketon’s Levi Gullion and Minford’s Elijah Vogelsong were first-team honorees while Oak Hill’s Triston Diltz, Northwest’s Brayden Campbell, Minford’s Ty Wiget and Wheelersburg’s Makya Matthews all appeared on the first-team list as running backs.
CREDIT: Jenny Campbell/SOSA
West’s William Journey and Wheelersburg’s Evan Horsley were given first-team honors as all-purpose backs.
On defense, Oak Hill’s Flint Barger and Wheelersburg’s Brady Warner made the list as linemen while Westfall’s Josey Kelly, Piketon’s Austin Henderson and Northwest’s Evan Lintz did so as linebackers. In the secondary, Westfall’s Chanston Moll, Oak Hill’s Keaton Potter, West’s Luke Bradford and Minford’s Matthew Risner were all first-team honorees.
Wheelersburg’s Braxton Sammons was also included as a punter.
Special mention honorees included Westfall’s Joey Truman, Zane Trace’s Gabe Shanton, Oak Hill’s Cameron Kearns and Austin Campbell, Piketon’s Steven Salyer and Sammy Savage, West’s Joe Igaz, Northwest’s Nathan Rivers, Minford’s Hunter Livingston and Tyler Miller, and Wheelersburg’s pair of Gage Adkins and Luke Miller.
DIVISION VI
Like Spires and Shoemaker, Ruby was also joined by multiple teammates with first-team all-district honors. Southeastern’s Tanner Chenault made the list as a tight end, Alan Meade and Nathan Howard both made it as linemen, Mikey Nusser appeared as a linebacker, and Dalton Thurston was present as a defensive back.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
Aside from Southeastern’s selections, Paint Valley’s Cruz McFadden, Brock Hill and Brayden Ison were all first-team offensive honorees while Lane Mettler and Iann Cockrell made it as defensive players.
Adena’s Logan Bennett and Valley’s Ty Perkins were both first-team receivers, Adena’s Nate Throckmorton was a first-team running back, and Adena’s Garrett Clark was a first-team kicker.
Defensively, Valley’s Mason Zaler made it as a lineman, Adena’s Eric Hurtt and Valley’s Chase Morrow did so as linebackers, and Adena’s Preston Sykes graced the list as a defensive back.
Special mention honorees included Huntington’s Seth Beeler, Southeastern’s Jerran Ford and Aarick Hill, Paint Valley’s Nick Mills and Cordell Grubb, Adena’s Max Willis and Kole Williams, and Valley’s Tre Bratchett and Kayden Mollette.
DIVISION VII
At receiver, Green’s Ethan Huffman led the Division VII area first-team honorees while teammate Seth Imes, Symmes Valley’s Gavan Yates and Eastern’s Kyle Beasley were first-team players on the offensive line. At running back, Symmes Valley’s Josh Ferguson made the first-team list as well.
Defensively, Symmes Valley’s Caleb Mullins, East’s Braidan Haney, Eastern’s Logan Clemmons and Symmes Valley’s Jack Leith were all first-team honorees.
Special mention honorees included Symmes Valley’s Tanner McComas, Eastern’s Tyler Hanshaw and Dillion Mattox, East’s Chase Coyle and Notre Dame’s Logan Emnett.
To take a look at the full team, click here.