Mark Porter keeps an eye on high school stars

October 24, 2017 at 12:00a.m.

BEAVER TOWNSHIP

For the past 12 years, high school football has kept Canfield’s Mark Porter busy.

The founder and owner of ScoutingOhio.com, Porter can be found from Thursday through Saturday at a game and usually on the sidelines as he evaluates talent statewide for the colleges that subscribe to his service.

From Athens to Cincinnati, Columbus to Toledo and all points in between, Porter joins wife, Stephanie, a licensed physical therapist, gathering information that will be entered in their report, described once as the “recruiting bible” for coaches and recruiting coordinators.

“Things will definitely be a little different for us after this weekend, however,” Porter said as he addressed the Curbstone Coaches Monday at their weekly meeting at Avion Banquet Center.

“In the past, play-offs were played on both Friday and Saturday nights and we had a chance to canvas the state both days. Now, we lose four Saturday viewing opportunities which means we won’t be able to get second looks at players for as many as 30 or so teams.”

Current subscribers include 40 Division I programs and 90 overall when you factoring in Division II and III schools.

“The playoffs are when the stars come out and seem to shine brightest,” he said.

“I have seen most of the schools already, but we’ll continue to find you as we update our data base and reports. In the past we would save the Division I players for the play-offs, but you can’t do that now. It I going to be a jam-packed Friday night for us.”

Porter said the Mahoning Valley is usually good for sending five or six players to the Division I ranks, adding this is a down year for the area in that particular category.

“Jalen Hooks of Warren Harding already has an offer from the University of Akron while Jakari Lumsden of Austintown Fitch has a handful of offers as well, many of which happened during his sophomore year,” Porter said.

“The one thing parents don’t understand is that when the high school season is winding down, college seasons are still going strong so offers that might come usually won’t until after their seasons are completed. Those teams still have games to play and opponents they must prepare for.”

While the area might take a recruiting hit this year, Porter said this year’s junior class is stacked and there are six signal callers heading the list for 2019.

“There are six local quarterbacks to keep an eye on next season and about a dozen total players already attracting attention,” he said. “That quarterback class inlcudes Michael O’Horo of Boardman, Brannon Brungard at Springfield Local, Girard’s Mark Waid, Cole Kosco at Poland, Mitch Davidson from Salem and Parker Sherry of East Palestine.

“I might like all six quarterbacks, but numbers tell me that only three, possibly four will go Division I. The numbers game comes into play, ”

Other players Porter says to keep an eye on are Kyle Jornigan, Luke Fulton and Cheriff Jamison of Cardinal Mooney, Willie Mitchell from Struthers, Boardman’s Tino Arcuri, Jake Delgarbino of Girard and Warren Harding’s Kay’ron Adams.

Next week Bob Hannon, YSU football radio voice is the scheduled speaker.