HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL Martins Ferry players head up Eastern All-District selections
COLUMBUS (AP) -- Quarterback Ryan Church, linebacker Chas Yoder and coach Dave Bruney -- all from Martins Ferry -- each received individual awards on the 2004 Associated Press Eastern All-District high school football teams announced Monday.
Church shared the offensive player of the year award in Division IV with Bellaire's Nate Davis, while Yoder was the top defender in the district. Bruney was selected as the coach of the year by a media panel from the district.
Martins Ferry went undefeated in the regular season and was ranked No. 3 in the final AP poll.
Other offensive honorees on the list included: quarterback Matt Velain of Carrollton in Division II; back Derek Bragg of McConnelsville Morgan and Dover receiver Corey Colaner (III); Sarahsville Shenandoah back Jacob Zerkle (V); and quarterbacks Anthony Mossburg of New Matamoras Frontier and Erik Cwalinski of Shadyside (VI).
The rest of the defensive players of the year were: linebacker Mark Sexton of New Philadelphia (II); back Dan Kinsey of Beaver Local, Lisbon, and Wintersville Indian Creek linebacker Bruce Palmer (III); linebacker Bryan Tolliver of West Lafayette Ridgewood (V); and linebacker D.C. Walter of Malvern (VI).
Joining Bruney as the coaches of the year were: New Philadelphia's Matt Dennison (II); Rick Goodrich of Cambridge and Wintersville Indian Creek's Andrew Conner (III); Kevin Foster of West Lafayette Ridgewood (V); and Russ Morris of New Matamoras Frontier and Zanesville Rosecrans' Don Bush (VI).
There are no Division I teams in the Eastern District.