FOOTBALL MARK WAID Girard offense

Mark Waid was one of the most impressive football players in the area in 2017.

He led Girard to the Division IV district semifinal and put up eye-opening numbers throughout the season.

Waid was named the All-Northeast Inland District and All-Ohio Offensive Player of the Year.

He completed 156 of 251 passes for 2,741 yards, 31 touchdowns and just three interceptions.

His best performance was in the opening round of the playoffs when he threw for 361 yards, ran for 112 yards and accounted for five touchdowns in a 33-31 win over Lakeview.

“The past few years, we really took our lumps, but we stuck together and really came together as a family,” Waid said. “We worked super hard during the offseason, we stuck together and we turned it around this year. It’s incredible to go out there with my brothers and really perform the way we did.”

Despite losing in the semifinals to Perry, Waid is confident the team will learn from its loss and adapt during the offseason.

“You learn from everything, every game you’re gonna learn new things,” Waid said. “That game is gonna help us through next year because it’s another game we got to experience and go through.”

Waid said he expects his team to perform well because the roster is full of “hungry guys” who know what it takes to win.

Although he had an award-winning season, the junior is focused on improving heading into next year.

“It’s a tremendous honor, any accolade I receive is a tremendous honor,” he said. “But now it’s about preparing for next year.”

Dan Hiner