STAFF/WIRE REPORTS



STAFF/WIRE REPORTS
COLUMBUS -- United High School senior Corey Manfull, Granville quarterback Kyle Decker and Huron quarterback Stephen West shared offensive player of the year honors on the Associated Press Division IV All-Ohio Football team.
Manfull, a 5-foot, 10-inch, 185-pound senior, had 52 catches for 1,022 yards and eight touchdowns and also ran for 790 yards and 19 touchdowns. For good measure, he returned two punts for touchdowns and one kickoff return for a score -- plus completed his only pass of the year for a 37-yard gain.
Jed Hill of Struthers was a first-team choice at end, as was teammate offensive lineman Justin Decker, while Ursuline's Branndon Braxton also made the first team as an offensive lineman.
Mooney lineman David Zidian and defensive backs Ron Stoops of the Cardinals and Liberty's Bradley Fletcher were first-team defensive picks.
Quarterback Daryll Clark of Ursuline, linebacker Anthony Childs of Mooney and quarterback Matt Zuppo of Girard were second-team selections.
Valley representation
Six area athletes were first-team selections on the Div. III team.
Making the offensive team were three Poland athletes in senior ends Dan McGarry and Dave Koval, and kicker Shawn O'Halloran.
Salem's Zac Grey made it at end, Hubbard's Shaun Lane at running back and Beaver Local's Matt Vujaklya as a defensive back.
Named on the second team were offensive lineman Will Harnar of Southeast, quarterback Jake Robinson of Beaver Local, quarterback Landon Heath of Salem and running back Kendell Davis of Alliance and defensive lineman Adam Hoppel of Beaver Local.
Div. III
Cleveland Benedictine's mercurial running back, Raymond Williams, is among the headliners on the team, which was decided based on recommendations of a media panel. He was selected as the Div. III offensive player of the year.
Williams, a 5-11, 185-pound senior who was the runner-up for the AP Mr. Football award a year ago, rushed for 2,099 yards while averaging 8.1 yards a carry. He scored 27 touchdowns this season and has rushed for more than 6,000 yards in his career.
Benedictine (13-1) plays two-time defending champion Kenton (11-3) on Friday afternoon in the Div. III championship game at Canton Fawcett Stadium.
Ravenna's Lamonte Nelms was the choice as the defensive player of the year. The 6-3, 205-pound senior had 112 tackles, intercepted one pass and recovered a fumble when he wasn't carrying 157 times for 987 yards and 10 touchdowns as a tailback.
The coaches of the year are Canal Fulton Northwest's Vic Whiting, who led his team to its first 10-0 season, and Jim Stephens, who took a Hunting Valley University School squad with just four seniors to a 9-1 record and just its second playoff appearance.
Div. IV
Upper Sandusky's Greg Micheli was tabbed as the defensive player of the year in Div. IV.
The coaches of the year were Versailles' Al Hetrick, Upper Sandusky's Dick DeWitt and Jerry Schuplinski of Garfield Heights Trinity.
Decker, a 6-2, 175-pound senior, completed 201 of 330 passes for 2,812 yards and 31 TDs with just five interceptions. He also rushed for 405 yards and six touchdowns while leading Granville to its first postseason trip.
West hit on 114 of 197 passes for 1,992 yards and 22 TDs. The 5-9, 150-pound senior also ran for 597 yards and 11 scores for a 9-1 team.
Micheli was a two-way star for the Rams. The 6-2, 185-pound junior intercepted six passes and had 69 tackles. On offense he passed for 1,689 yards and 14 touchdowns with three interceptions.
Hetrick led Versailles to the state championship game. Versailles (14-0) meets Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph (10-4) in the Div. IV title game on Saturday afternoon at Massillon Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
DeWitt guided Upper Sandusky to one of the best season's in school history. Schuplinski oversaw a turnaround from 1-9 to 5-5 and first place in a division of the North Coast League.
COPYRIGHT 2003 ASSOCIATED PRESS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN, OR REDISTRIBUTED.