Mahoning Valley football players earn honors on All-NEO team

vindicator staff report

Friday night’s Mooney-Poland game didn’t just feature two of northeast Ohio’s best teams; it had two of its best players, too.

Cardinal senior RB Braylon Heard was named Division III district offensive player of the year, while Bulldogs senior safety Luke Wollet took home defensive honors to highlight the All-Northeast Inland district all-star teams, which were released Friday.

Heard, a 5-foot-10, 170-pound tailback, rushed for 1,161 yards on 130 attempts (8.9 average) with 15 TDs, helping Mooney go 10-0, its third undefeated regular season in the past four years. Heard is also a shutdown cornerback with four interceptions.

The West Virginia-bound Heard was one of six Cardinals on the first team.

Wollet (5-10, 165), a three-year starter and the team’s emotional leader, also had four interceptions to go with 45 tackles in the regular season. He rushed for 850 yards on offense on 148 attempts with 15 TDs.

Salem coach Mike Kopachy, who took over an 0-10 team and led the Quakers to their first playoff berth in school history, shared coach of the year honors with Akron Springfield’s Kevin Vaughn.

Ursuline senior RB Allen Jones, whose team played Cuyahoga Heights in Friday’s Division V regional final, was the top offensive player in that division. Jones (5-10, 205) carried 207 times for 1,638 yards and 20 TDs as the Irish went 6-3. He has more than 4,000 career rushing yards and needs about 150 to become the school’s all-time leading rusher.

In Div. II, Howland senior linebacker Matt Chambers was named co-defensive player of the year after helping the Tigers to a 9-1 record and a playoff berth. Chambers (5-9, 185) had 45 tackles and 60 assists with 11 sacks, four forced fumbles, two recovered fumbles and three interceptions.

Girard junior WR Landon Smith was named co-offensive player of the year in Div. IV after helping the Indians to their first undefeated season in school history. Smith (6-1, 183) caught 44 passes for 1,102 yards and 15 TDs and also had five interceptions as a defensive back.

Campbell coach Jeff Bayuk, who led the Red Devils to a 7-3 mark and their first playoff berth in a decade, shared coaching honors.

In Div. VI, two Valley players earned top honors with Western Reserve senior QB Shane Ewing taking the offensive award and McDonald senior DL Trent Clay being named on defense.

Ewing (6-2, 185) passed for 2,156 yards and 24 TDs and ran for 760 yards and 12 TDs for Reserve, which went 9-1 and qualified for the postseason.

Clay (6-3, 220) made 94 tackles (56 solo), including 12 for loss with four sacks to help the Blue Devils finish undefeated in the regular season for the second straight year.