Sunday, November 24, 2002
VINDICATOR STAFF/WIRE REPORTS
COLUMBUS -- Record-setting quarterback Benny Mauk of Kenton and sterling running back Raymond Williams of Cleveland Benedictine were among the top award winners on the 2002 Associated Press Divisions III and IV All-Ohio high school football teams announced Tuesday.
Poland senior quarterback Sean Clayton and Struthers junior lineman Justin Decker were chosen Division III first-team on offense.
No area players made first team defense in Div. III.
Also in Div. III, Hubbard junior Shaun Lane was a second-team pick. Four players from Beaver Local were named special mention -- Jordan Williams, Adam Hoppel, Bill Beebout and Jake Robinson. Also earning special mention honors were Poland's Dave Koval and Neil Harris, Salem's David Andre, Lakeview's George Washko and Kevin Rigby, West Branch's Seth Sharp, Southeast's Doug Pringle, Southeast; Hubbard's John Dominic and Gabe McKee.
Division IV
In Division IV, East Palestine's Brian Blevins was picked among the coaches of the year. In his third season, Blevins led East Palestine (9-1) to its best record ever and first league title since 1975.
Joining him as players on the division's first team offense were Ursuline's Louis Irizarry, Delbert Ferguson and Brandon Braxton; Campbell Memorial's George Malactaris and United Local's Corey Manfull.
Irizarry is a senior while Ferguson, Braxton, Malactaris and Manfull are juniors.
Girard standout receiver Dustin Helle was honored among the second-team selections as were teammate Paul Cole, Cardinal Mooney's Anthony Childs and East Palestine's Smitty Kendrew and J.D. Powers.
Among the special mention picks were Champion's Kiff Kinkade, Mooney's Larry Sammartino and Ron Stoops, Liberty's Sean Lipkin, East Palestine's Chris Clark, Girard's Nick Shirey, Brookfield's Lou Scudere and United's Jordan Phillips.
Top honors
Mauk, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound senior, was selected as offensive player of the year in Division IV after setting a national record for passing yards in a career, with 17,223 heading into this weekend's state championship game.
Williams, a 5-11, 174-pound junior, has rushed for 3,149 yards this season as Benedictine readies for the Division III state playoff final this weekend. Williams topped 4,000 career yards, with one game left in his junior season. He scored 39 touchdowns this season.
Joining Williams as Division III honorees are defensive backs Jake Butler of Newark Licking Valley and Darren Cereshko of Medina Buckeye, who shared the defensive player of the year award. The coaches of the year are Richmond Edison Local's Dave Everson, Steve Evans of Columbus Hamilton Township and Oak Harbor's Gary Quisno.
In Division IV, the top defenders were Rossford back Darren Paige, linebacker Sean Leibrock of Kettering Alter and Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph linebacker Tom Gallucci. Listed as the top coaches are Coldwater's John Reed, Bret Pearce of Milton-Union, Clinton-Massie's Dan McSurley and Belpre's Jon Bolen.
Good offense
Mauk has completed 390 of 631 passes (62 percent) for 6,228 yards and 72 touchdowns this season while setting the national career mark for yardage. He also has rushed for 1,252 yards and 15 TDs -- to give him a role in 87 scoring plays this season.
Kenton (12-2) takes on Portsmouth West (12-2) for the state title Friday morning at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium in Massillon.
Paige, a 6-1, 175-pound senior, had nine interceptions, including two he returned for touchdowns this season. On offense, he ran for 12 TDs and passed for 10 more at quarterback. Leibrock, a 6-2, 230-pound senior, was the linchpin of Alter's strong season. The 6-0, 215-pound Gallucci spent his senior season terrorizing VASJ's opponents.