ThisWeek’s 2014 Super 25 Football Team
The Captain
Work ethic
helps send
Coffman’s
Hoak to top
By SCOTT HENNEN
THISWEEKSPORTS.COM
It’s an hour before practice, and Gunnar Hoak already is on the field.
The junior quarterback for the Dublin
Coffman High School football team knows
practice and repetition will help make him
better. That work ethic also helped the 6foot-3, 190-pound Hoak put up numbers
that led to his selection as ThisWeek’s
Super 25 captain.
The Shamrocks ended an 11-1 season
by losing to Huber Heights
Wayne 44-35 on Nov. 15
in a second-round Division I playoff game. For
the season, Hoak had completed 174 of 267 passes
(65.2 percent) for 2,572
Gunnar Hoak yards with 30 touchdowns
and 10 interceptions.
“Every day, Gunnar comes ready and
spends about an hour before practice working on his footwork and things like that,”
quarterbacks coach Brian Thomas said.
“His work ethic is probably the biggest
thing.”
Hoak shared time with senior Ben Beckett last season before making the strides
needed to become the starter.
“(Hoak) wasn’t ready to step in as a
sophomore. He wasn’t mentally prepared
to take that on,” coach Mark Crabtree said.
“But with more practice time, more reps
and more game experience, he was ready
to step up and take the job.”
Last season, Hoak was 36-for-81 for
449 yards with four touchdowns and four
interceptions.
“I think that I’m more accurate (as a
passer) and have shown that I can get out
of the pocket more this year,” he said.
“Footwork might be the most important
thing to being a quarterback because if
you have a good base, you have good
throws.”
The Shamrocks also went 7-0 in the
OCC-Central Division to win the league
title.
“Gunnar had a great first year (as the
starter), but he also had good players around
him with Dre (Kendrick) at running back,
an experienced offensive line and a lot of
really good receivers,” Crabtree said. “Next
year is when we see what kind of quarterback that he can be when he will be counted
on exclusively.”
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State football
tickets on sale
The Greater Columbus Sports
Commission is leading an effort to
sell 5,000 all-session tickets for the
2014 state football finals that will
be played Dec. 4-6 at Ohio Stadium.
The tickets include priority seating locations and will allow fans to
attend the championship games for
all seven divisions. To purchase
MARKUS BAILEY
ROB DOWDY
Bailey helped Hilliard Davidson earn its
seventh consecutive playoff berth, although
the Wildcats lost a Division I first-round
game to Dublin Coffman 14-10 on Nov.
8 to finish 6-5. A senior running back
and linebacker, the 6-1, 217-pound Bailey led Davidson with 92 tackles and rushed for 385 yards
and seven touchdowns. He has committed to Purdue.
He was first-team all-district, all-OCC-Central and the
league’s Ernie Godfrey Hall of Fame Award recipient. The
award is given to a senior letterwinner with at least a 3.0 GPA.
“Markus’ football abilities are matched only by his character and intelligence,” coach Brian White said. “(We) will miss
not only his playing ability, but also the lead-by-example standards which Markus has become known for.”
STEFEN BANKS
BRIAN DYTKO
A transfer from Brookhaven, Banks
helped Beechcroft win the City LeagueNorth title and earn a playoff berth. The
6-2, 270-pound senior lineman was
named Division IV district Defensive Player
of the Year, finishing the regular season
with 25.5 tackles for loss, one interception and 5.5 sacks.
Banks also started on the offensive line, helping the Cougars
average 36.8 points during the regular season.
“He was a true two-way lineman who dominated both sides
of the ball all season,” said coach Trevor White, whose team
was 11-1 after beating Maysville 35-0 in a Region 13 semifinal Nov. 14. “(He) never missed a practice, (he) made the
honor roll and was elected as a captain all while at a new
school. I can’t say enough about him.”
CAMERON BARKER
NICK CONNER
JONATHON COOPER
The Division I district Defensive Player
of the Year and OCC-Ohio Player of the
Year, the 6-4, 285-pound senior excelled
on both the offensive and defensive lines
for Pickerington Central.
Hamilton, who has committed to Pittsburgh, had 67 tackles, including 23 for loss, through 11 games
for the Tigers, who won their ninth consecutive league title.
The Tigers had allowed an average of just 7.5 points and had
three shutouts through 11 games, including a 7-0 win over
Gahanna in the first round of the Division I playoffs Nov. 8.
“What makes him stand out is, besides being a great football player, he leads the way in the weight room,” coach Jay
Sharrett said. “He’s a great run stopper. He plays 100-plus
plays a game, and there’s nobody he can’t block.”
DRE KENDRICK
Farley rushed for 1,932 yards and 21
touchdowns on 288 carries to lead Johnstown, which won its first LCL title since
1979 before losing at Steubenville 35-22
on Nov. 7 in the first round of the Division
IV, Region 13 playoffs.
The 5-11, 205-pound senior was a three-year starter and
had career rushing totals of 5,379 yards and 59 touchdowns.
“Cody has such a big heart and he always fights for extra
yardage,” said coach Mike Carter, whose team went 8-3 overall and 4-0 in the LCL-Small School. “He has great balance
and great vision, which helps him to see the holes and make
his cuts.”
Farley was district Offensive Player of the Year and league
Back of the Year.
CLAYTON GLASCO
Conner, a middle linebacker and fullback, was a leader on both sides of the
ball for Dublin Scioto, although he missed
four regular-season games and the postseason with injuries.The 6-4, 215-pound
Ohio State recruit sustained a season-ending knee injury in a 36-31 loss to Dublin Jerome on Oct. 10.
“He was an impact player in every game he played this
season,” said coach Karl Johnson, whose team was 8-4 after
beating Worthington Kilbourne 23-0 in a Division II, Region 5
semifinal Nov. 14.
A first-team all-district and all-OCC-Cardinal selection, Conner had 53 tackles, four sacks and an interception. He also
ran for 332 yards and 13 touchdowns on 49 carries and caught
12 passes for 156 yards.
The 6-2, 225-pound senior middle linebacker led a Worthington Kilbourne
defense that had allowed an average of
15.2 points through 11 games.
Hackathorne, who made first-team alldistrict and all-OCC-Capital, had 132 tackles in the regular season, including 18 for loss.
“Luke has been a force for us in the middle of our defense
this season,” said coach Vince Trombetti, whose team finished 8-4 after losing to Dublin Scioto 23-0 in a Division II,
Region 5 semifinal Nov. 14.
“It has been difficult for opponents to have success running inside the box. His physicality is his biggest asset. He
has broken the school record for solo tackles, running back
(tackles for loss) and total tackles for loss.”
DAVON HAMILTON
Having returned to its triple-option
offense, DeSales qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2011.
A second-year starter, this 6-1, 240pound senior guard was named first-team
all-district. Dytko also has been a key
player on the defensive line, with nine tackles for loss, two
sacks and one fumble recovery through 11 games.
His season ended when he broke an ankle in a 31-14 win
over Dover in a first-round playoff game Nov. 7. DeSales was
10-2 after beating Jackson 24-14 in a Division III, Region 9
semifinal Nov. 14.
“He helped our offense rush for 3,000 yards and he’s our
starting defensive end,” coach Ryan Wiggins said. “It’s just
the toughness and how hard he plays.”
CODY FARLEY
This 6-1, 230-pound senior played a
key role in helping Whitehall go 6-4 and
win its first outright league title since 1985.
As a tight end and fullback, Barker had
26 catches for 329 yards and four touchdowns and 271 yards rushing and seven
scores on 32 carries. At linebacker, he had 82 tackles, five
sacks and three interceptions. He had 142 total yards and
three touchdowns in a 35-27 win over Madison Plains on Oct.
31 as the Rams clinched the outright MSL-Ohio title at 5-1.
He was Division III district Defensive Player of the Year.
“Cameron was the conductor on the field for our defense,”
coach Jake Kuhner said. “He knew where everyone needed
to be and he was savvy when making adjustments to the formations from the offense. He’s a special player.”
A state qualifier in track and field last
spring in the shot put, Glasco committed
to Ohio University over the summer for
football and backed it up with a standout
senior season for Pickerington Central.
The 6-1, 230-pound linebacker had 74
tackles, including 14 for loss, and an interception return for
a touchdown through 11 games and was named first-team
all-district and all-OCC-Ohio. He also had rushed for 355 yards
and seven touchdowns at running back through 11 games
for Central, which finished 11-1 after losing to Cincinnati
Moeller 21-13 in a Division I, Region 2 second-round game.
“He just plays with such a high motor,” coach Jay Sharrett
said. “He’s a guy that can stand up at outside linebacker, but
he can also be at the quarterback’s feet when he’s throwing.”
Kendrick had rushed for 1,466 yards
and 21 touchdowns on 204 carries through
11 games for Dublin Coffman, which was
11-1 after losing to Huber Heights Wayne
44-35 in a Division I, Region 2 secondround playoff game Nov. 15.
In the last two seasons, the 5-7, 174-pound senior has
rushed for 3,208 yards and 39 touchdowns.
“For being his size, Dre is very physical and tough,” said
coach Mark Crabtree, whose team also won the OCC-Central
at 7-0. “He can do everything on the field whether running
the ball, catching the ball or pass protection. I think he will be
ready to go at the next level, wherever he chooses to play.”
Kendrick was first-team all-district and league co-Player
of the Year.
HUNTER LITTLEJOHN
This 6-4, 280-pound senior has led an
offensive line that has helped Olentangy
Liberty average about 175 yards rushing per game. Littlejohn is a first-team
all-district and all-OCC-Central selection
who has committed to play for Indiana.
“He has been a four-year starter,” coach Steve Hale said.
“He is a great leader and mentor to our younger players. He
will do great things at Indiana.”
The Patriots were 9-3 overall after losing to Lakewood St.
Edward 41-12 in the second round of the Division I, Region
1 playoffs Nov. 15. They finished second (6-1) in the OCCCentral behind Dublin Coffman (7-0).
Liberty earned its first playoff victory since 2005 with a 4921 win over Toledo Whitmer on Nov. 8.
DEEB HABER
The 6-4, 215-pound junior defensive
end helped Gahanna bounce back from a
three-win season in 2013 to finish 7-4 and
earn a berth in the Division I playoffs, where
the Lions lost to Pickerington Central 7-0
in the first round Nov. 8.
Cooper had 49 solo tackles, 35 assisted tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, five quarterback hurries and two
forced fumbles. He was named first-team all-district and allOCC-Ohio, as the Lions placed second in the league.
Cooper has received offers from several major college programs, including Michigan State, Notre Dame and Ohio State.
“He’s just an outstanding person (not including) football,”
coach Bruce Ward said. “He’s got a motor and works his butt
off. He’s definitely got a unique set of skills.”
tickets, contact Brian Timm with
the GCSC at [email protected]
or
visit
go.osu.edu/OHSAAFBTix and use
the promo code GRID1.
Single-game tickets also are on
sale.
The state football finals, which
had been held in Canton and Massillon the past 24 years, will be
played in Columbus this season and
next.
LUKE HACKATHORNE
The 6-6, 305-pound senior and University of Pittsburgh recruit was one of
the top offensive linemen in central Ohio,
if not the state, racking up a team-high
35 pancake blocks for Westerville South.
Dowdy, who was named first-team allOCC-Cardinal and all-district, helped to clear running lanes
for running back Devin Wade, who rushed for 1,429 yards
and 20 touchdowns. The Wildcats, who finished 6-4, averaged 32 points and 353.6 yards per game.
“When you look at why our offense was so successful, it all
starts with our line and Rob was our best lineman,” coach Tim
Bates said. “We moved Rob from tackle to (left) guard to help
our running game. Rob has great quickness to go along with
his size, and he was an outstanding leader as a team captain.”
NICK POWERS
The 6-2, 185-pound junior quarterback
helped to lead Olentangy to its first league
title and an undefeated regular season.
Through 11 games, Haber had completed 159 of 249 passes for 19 touchdowns and six interceptions and had
rushed for 417 yards and eight touchdowns on 71 carries, as
the Braves were averaging 43.4 points, 207.4 yards passing
and 228 yards rushing through 11 games.
Haber was first-team all-OCC-Capital and all-district.
“(He has) unbelievable talent (and) a lot of natural ability,”
said coach Mark Solis, whose team was 12-0 after beating
Wooster 31-6 in a Division II, Region 5 semifinal Nov. 14. “He
has to stay humble, hungry and keep paying attention to fundamentals.”
Sports briefs
Girls soccer players
earn all-state honors
Several area high school girls
soccer players were named to the
Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches
Association all-state teams.
Selected first-team all-state were
Emma Ranalli of Olentangy Liberty, Jenna Szabo of Thomas Worthington and Marissa Wierzbicki
of Watterson in Division I, Nikki
The 6-2, 185-pound junior quarterback
carried Hilliard Darby’s spread-option
offense, rushing for 1,229 yards and 18
touchdowns on 227 carries and completing 69 of 98 passes for 1,136 yards and
10 touchdowns with only two interceptions. Powers, a first-year starter who was named OCC-Cardinal Player of the Year and second-team all-district, led the
Panthers to a 9-2 record, their third consecutive Division I playoff berth and their second outright league title in three years.
“Nick’s a great leader and he used his legs and arm to put
our offense in a position to be successful,” coach John Santagata said. “Nick broke his left (non-throwing) hand late in
the season, but he continued to play well while wearing a
large cast, which goes to show how tough and durable he is.”
Cox of Granville and McKenna
Welsh of Hartley in Division II and
Devon Jones of Worthington Christian in Division III. Cox also was
named Division II Player of the
Year.
Selected second-team all-state
were Alex Beery of Upper Arlington, Samantha Damante of New
Albany, Megan Farr of Grove City,
Adriana Johnson of Hilliard Bradley,
Hannah Lehmkuhl of Dublin Coff-
man, Payton Naylor of Olentangy,
Erica Schrader of Gahanna, Aisha
Suhaiba of Pickerington Central
and Sydney Wright of Hilliard
Davidson in Division I, Bella Shively of DeSales in Division II and
Haley Rees of Grandview and Lauren Weygandt of Worthington
Christian in Division III.
Scott Dempsey of Hartley was
named private school Coach of the
Year.
ThisWeek’s 2014 Super 25 Football Team
ABOUT THE PLAYERS – ThisWeek’s Super 25 team profiles
the top high school football players – regardless of position
– in our coverage area. The team was determined by the
sports staff and by nominations from area coaches.
Super 25
NAME
Markus Bailey
Stefen Banks
Cameron Barker
Nick Conner
Jonathon Cooper
Rob Dowdy
Brian Dytko
Cody Farley
Clayton Glasco
Deeb Haber
Luke Hackathorne
DaVon Hamilton
Gunnar Hoak
Dre Kendrick
Hunter Littlejohn
Nick Powers
Tre Roberts
Connor Slade
Benny Snell
Noah Stephens
Andre Stewart
Ethan Tucky
Grant Varner
David Wellborn
Jack Zang
SCHOOL
Hilliard Davidson
Beechcroft
Whitehall
Dublin Scioto
Gahanna
Westerville South
DeSales
Johnstown
Pickerington Central
Olentangy
Worthington Kilbourne
Pickerington Central
Dublin Coffman
Dublin Coffman
Olentangy Liberty
Hilliard Darby
Grove City Christian
Olentangy
Westerville Central
Central Crossing
Bexley
Delaware
Grandview
Marion-Franklin
Hartley
YR.
Sr.
Sr.
Sr.
Sr.
Jr.
Sr.
Sr.
Sr.
Sr.
Jr.
Sr.
Sr.
Jr.
Sr.
Sr.
Jr.
Sr.
Sr.
Jr.
Sr.
Sr.
Jr.
Sr.
Sr.
Sr.
POS.
RB/LB
OL/DL
TE/LB
LB/RB
DL
OL/DL
OL/DL
RB
RB/LB
QB
LB
OL/DL
QB
RB
OL
QB
RB/DB
DL
RB
WR
QB/DB
RB/LB
OL/DL
LB
RB/LB
TRE ROBERTS
Junior quarterback Gunnar Hoak threw for 2,572
yards and 30 touchdowns as the Shamrocks
finished 11-1. CHRIS PARKER/THISWEEKSPORTS
Past Captains
2013: Jared Drake,Westerville Central; 2012: Ja’Wuan Woodley, Hartley; 2011: Ross Franklin, Johnstown; 2010: Jayshon Jackson,Westerville South; 2009: Matt Ferguson, Pickerington North; 2008: Josh Kusan,
DeSales; 2007: Jeremy Ebert, Hilliard Darby; 2006: Kasey Wendal,Westland; 2005: Jordan Gafford,Worthington Kilbourne; 2004: Christen Haywood, Hilliard Davidson; 2003: Jack Rafferty, Dublin Coffman; 2002:
Brady Quinn, Coffman; 2001: Erick Phillips, Davidson; 2000: Maurice
Hall, Brookhaven; 1999: Nathan Poole, Grove City; 1998: Kyle Slager,
Upper Arlington; 1997: Jesse Kline, 1997; 1996: Derek Combs, Grove
City; 1995: Nick Goings, Dublin and Andy Katzenmoyer, Westerville
South; 1994: Goings, Dublin; 1993: Steve Baird, Hilliard
NAME
Drew Batt
Kyle Beemiller
Alex Cline
Trevor Cox
Abu Daramy
Vasean Davis
Josh DeLozier
Chaquez Fair
Cedric Frierson
Anthony Golden
Scott Goodwill
Jake Hinz
Cameron Johnson
Christian Johnson
Rhodes Jump
Ronnie Kuipers
Kyle Marcinick
Isaac McKinney
Robbie Moore
Brad Morris
Deric Phouthavong
Ben Reis
Nathan Rodriguez
Brennen Sawicki
Drew Snouffer
Takeyvion Simmons
A.J. Tarvin
Jake Taylor
Aidan Tuttle
Devan Wade
Tayron Washington
Isaiah Young
NOAH STEPHENS
One of the top all-purpose players in
the area, this senior running back/defensive back rushed for 1,781 yards and 23
touchdowns on 191 carries and added
three interception returns for touchdowns,
a punt return for a score and threw a
touchdown pass. The 5-11, 185-pound Roberts was Division
VII district Offensive Player of the Year and MSL-Cardinal Back
of the Year. He helped Grove City Christian finish 6-4 overall
and second (5-1) in the MSL-Cardinal.
“Tre was the best athlete on the team and was our main
source of offense all season,” coach Andrew McCampbell
said. “He was also a lockdown corner for us with eight interceptions. … I am lucky to have coached him for four years
and he will be greatly missed.”
CONNOR SLADE
BENNY SNELL
YR.
Sr.
Sr.
Sr.
Sr.
Sr.
Sr.
Sr.
Sr.
Jr.
Sr.
Sr.
Sr.
Jr.
Sr.
Jr.
Jr.
Sr.
Jr.
Sr.
Sr
Sr.
Sr.
Sr.
Sr.
Sr.
Sr.
Sr.
Sr.
Jr.
Sr.
Sr.
Jr.
POS.
WR
OL/DL
QB
WR/DB
WR/DB
RB
QB
OL/DL
WR/DB
RB
LB
RB/LB
DB
RB
RB/LB
RB
WR
LB
RB/LB
DB
WR
OL
DL
OL/DL
LB
RB/LB
LB
OL/LB
WR
RB
DL
RB
Varner has been a dominant two-way
tackle for Grandview, which finished 93 after losing to Lucasville Valley 27-21
on Nov. 14 in a Division VI regional semifinal. The 6-3, 235-pound senior had 94
tackles, 12.5 sacks, 17 tackles for loss,
three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one pass
break-up through 11 games. He was district Defensive Player
of the Year and MSL-Ohio Lineman of the Year.
“Grant is probably better as a defender, but his strength and
athleticism make him great on offense as well,” coach Jason
Peters said. “He averages 85 percent on blocking when 75
percent is considered a great game and he has 79 ‘de-cleaters.’
He’s a dominant blocker in both the run and the pass.”
Grandview tied for second (4-2) in the MSL-Ohio.
DAVID WELLBORN
Stewart led a Bexley running game that
averaged 360 yards and helped his team
earn its second consecutive playoff berth.
A 5-11, 192-pound senior, he was firstteam all-district and all-MSL-Ohio. He
rushed for 1,452 yards and 27 touchdowns on 141 carries and completed 31 of 66 passes for 563
yards with five touchdowns and four interceptions.
“He really sacrificed himself to play quarterback,” coach
John Smith said. “That’s not who he is, but he was willing to
do that for the benefit of the team. I don’t think we envisioned
him coming close to the type of player he was as a senior.”
The Lions finished 8-3 overall, losing to Beechcroft 39-20
on Nov. 7 in the first round in Division IV, Region 13. Bexley
tied for second (4-2) in the MSL-Ohio behind Whitehall (5-1).
A three-year starter, this 5-10, 175pound senior linebacker has helped Marion-Franklin win more than 30 games
over the last three seasons.Wellborn had
16 sacks through 11 games this season
and made first-team all-district.
Behind the strength of its linebacking corps, which includes
A.J. Tarvin and Thomas James, Marion-Franklin allowed an
average of 8.5 points during the regular season.The Red Devils were 10-2 after losing to Steubenville 21-14 in a Division
IV, Region 13 semifinal Nov. 14.
“David is just a real physical player who never takes a play
off,” coach Brian Haffele said. “He really has a high motor and
has been real consistent all year. (Our linebackers) are the
heart and soul of our team.”
ETHAN TUCKY
This 5-11, 208-pound junior has handled the workload in the backfield for
Westerville Central, helping to propel the
Warhawks to an 11-1 record after beating Austintown-Fitch 44-21 on Nov. 15
in the second round of the Division I,
Region 1 playoffs. Snell has rushed for 1,982 yards and 26
touchdowns on 267 carries. He had 307 yards and five touchdowns in the win over Austintown Fitch.
Snell rushed for more than 200 yards four times through 11
games. He was first-team all-district and all-OCC-Cardinal.
“Any offensive lineman would love to block for Benny,”
coach John Magistro said. “His toughness and work ethic in
practice inspires all to emulate his approach to getting ready
for the game.”
SCHOOL
Olentangy
Pickerington North
Dublin Jerome
Hilliard Darby
Westerville South
Gahanna
DeSales
Beechcroft
Westerville Central
Olentangy
Olentangy Liberty
Westerville North
Watkins Memorial
Big Walnut
Grandview
Independence
Dublin Coffman
Dublin Coffman
Licking Heights
Pickerington Central
Hamilton Township
Hartley
Westerville Central
Dublin Scioto
Upper Arlington
Beechcroft
Marion-Franklin
Johnstown
Whetstone
Westerville South
Hartley
Worthington Kilbourne
GRANT VARNER
This junior wide receiver helped lead
a breakthrough season for Central Crossing, which earned its first playoff berth
since the school opened in 2002.
The Comets finished 7-4 with a 50-13
loss at Cincinnati St. Xavier in a Division
I, Region 2 first-round game Nov. 8. The 6-4, 215-pound
Stephens had nine catches for 84 yards and a touchdown,
bringing his season totals to 60 catches for 966 yards and
eight scores. Stephens was first-team all-district and all-OCCCentral.
“In crunch time when we needed a big play, he was there
to make it,” coach Chris Harr said. “The overtime touchdown
catch against Davidson pretty much sums up how important
he is to our team.”
ANDRE STEWART
The 6-0, 225-pound senior defensive
lineman for Olentangy was named Division II district Defensive Player of the Year
for helping to lead a Braves defense that
had allowed an average of 13 points and
2.4 yards rushing per carry and had forced
32 turnovers through 11 games. Slade had 132 total tackles,
including a team-high 21 sacks and a team-high 32 tackles
for loss, as well as two forced fumbles and two pass breakups.
He shared OCC-Capital Player of the Year honors with Big
Walnut’s Christian Johnson and Kilbourne’s Isaiah Young.
“(Slade) isn’t the biggest guy, but his technique is relentless,” Olentangy linebacker Jimmy Elmurr said. “He makes
plays from everywhere. Whenever you think (a play) is a bust,
Connor just grabs a guy and throws him down.”
The Top Team
Honorable Mention
JACK ZANG
The 6-3, 220-pound junior linebacker
and running back was a key player for
Delaware on both sides of the ball.
Tucky finished with 112 tackles, including 19 for loss, and 10 sacks and rushed
for 704 yards on 111 carries, caught 18
passes for 185 yards and scored 13 touchdowns. He was
named first-team all-district in Division I and first-team allOCC-Capital for the Pacers, who finished 3-7.
Tucky already has received offers from several Mid-American Conference schools as well as Boston College.
“I’ve coached a few players who were Player of the Year in
Ohio and have had 50 Division I recruits and Ethan is as good
as anyone I’ve ever coached,” coach Mike Golden said. “He’s
got range and speed and his motor never stops.”
After missing much of last season with
injuries, the 5-10, 175-pound senior linebacker for Hartley picked up where he
left off as a sophomore in 2012, when
he helped the Hawks reach a Division IV
state semifinal.
Zang had 65 tackles, one sack and 3.5 tackles for loss during the regular season and was named Division V district
Defensive Player of the Year. As a running back, he also rushed
for 400 yards.The Hawks were 10-2 after beating St. Clairsville
42-7 in a Region 17 semifinal Nov. 15.
“He’s a prototypical defensive player,” coach Brad Burchfield said. “He’s a tackling machine with a nose for the ball.
(He is) our best football player and he has been for a long
time. We move him all over the field.”
Offensive
balance
key for
Coffman
By SCOTT HENNEN
THISWEEKSPORTS.COM
Playmakers in the backfield and in the
passing game helped the Dublin Coffman
High School football team barrel through
defenses this season.
An offense that featured a 1,600-yard
rusher and a 2,500-yard passer led the
Shamrocks to a 10-0 regular season and
OCC-Central Division title at 7-0. They
also were ThisWeek’s Super 7 poll champion ahead of Olentangy, Pickerington
Central, Hilliard Darby, Westerville Central, Hartley and Olentangy Liberty.
In the Division I, Region 2 playoffs,
fourth-seeded Coffman defeated 13thseeded Hilliard Davidson 14-10 on Nov.
8 before losing to fifth-seeded Huber
Heights Wayne 44-35 on Nov. 15 to finish 11-1. The Shamrocks were third in the
state poll behind Hudson and Centerville.
“We had a great year and lost in a heck
of a game (to Wayne),” said coach Mark
Crabtree, whose team averaged 39.5 points
a game. “I could not have any more pride
than I have in this group. They not only
are good players, but they had a lot of character and that’s what sets them apart.”
Junior quarterback Gunnar Hoak completed 174 of 267 passes for 2,572 yards
with 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions
and was named Super 25 captain.
His primary target was Kyle Marcinick,
who caught 56 passes for 1,172 yards and
14 touchdowns. The senior wide receiver
had 13 receptions for 206 yards and four
touchdowns against Wayne.
“It was amazing to be around these guys
and everything that we accomplished,”
Marcinick said.
Senior wide receivers Chase Granlund
(27 catches, 287 yards, 2 touchdowns),
Shaun Rankin (28 catches, 270 yards, 4
touchdowns) and C.J. Saunders (39 catches,
522 yards, 6 touchdowns) also gave Hoak
reliable options. Senior running back Dre
Kendrick rushed for 1,639 yards and 22
touchdowns on 232 carries and caught 11
passes for 219 yards and two scores.
“I think that we had a bunch of really
good players and it was really exciting,”
said Granlund, who also had 58 extra points
and four field goals. “We spent a lot of
time working together in the offseason and
in two-a-days. That paid off with the way
we flowed and were able to make plays.”
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Sports briefs
Arnold set for
March 5-8
The annual Arnold Sports Festival will be held March 5-8, bringing an estimated 18,000 athletes
from 80 countries to Columbus to
compete in 50 sports and events.
About 175,000 fans are expected
to attend the sports festival, which
began in 1989 as a one-day bodybuilding competition.
New events this year include the
Arnold Kids Fitness Expo, the
WWE, rowing and chess. The Kids
Fitness Expo will focus on youth
sports, demonstrations, clinics and
exhibits. Most events will be held
at the Greater Columbus Convention Center (400 N. High St.), the
Ohio Expo Center (717 E. 17th
Ave.) and Lifestyle Communities
Pavilion (405 Neil Ave.).
For more information, visit
www.arnoldsportsfestival.com.
Boys soccer players
earn all-state honors
Several area high school boys
soccer players were named to the
Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches
Association all-state teams.
Selected first-team all-state were
Donny Deep of Olentangy Liberty
and Ben Kinney of Dublin Coff-
man in Division I, Antonio
Romanelli of DeSales in Division
II and Alex Haase of Grandview,
Marcel Knopp and Columbus Academy and Jake Kress of Worthington Christian in Division III.
Selected second-team all-state
were Zach Barwick of Canal Winchester, Anthony DeNoi of Liberty,
Luke Gabbert of Olentangy Orange,
Jake Harr of Pickerington North,
Ryan Kasprzak of Hilliard Darby,
Ryan Lang of Hilliard Davidson,
Abdi Mohamed of Westerville Central, Luke Morais of Westerville
South, Cole Popelas of Gahanna
and Eric Rozsits of Dublin Jerome
in Division I, Mitchell Bergman of
Hartley, Adam Hirsch of Bexley
and Jared Pressley of DeSales in
Division II and Jon Burton of Worthington Christian and Hakim Diaw
of Columbus International in Division III.