Division I regional track finals
Fenwick graduation 2012
Ponitz graduation 2012
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Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Notre Dame coach seeks out area star on signing day
On arguably the most important day for Notre Dame football coach Brian Kelly since taking the job in South Bend, he’s seeking out one of the area’s top football talents.
Maneuvering through his first signing day as coach, Kelly found time to schedule a phone conversation with Wayne High School junior quarterback Braxton Miller today, Feb. 3, said Wayne coach Jay Minton. Miller is considered by many to be the state’s top recruit in the Class of 2011.
Miller was supposed to make contact with Kelly today as many of the country’s top programs continue to come after him.
Kelly is busy enough trying to impress Notre Dame fans and media with his first recruiting class as head coach, but that doesn’t mean he’s not looking toward the future. Miller seems to be on Kelly’s mind as a possibility for that future.
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TweetTrotwood’s Paschal taking (super) speed to Louisville
To put it plainly, Trotwood-Madison defensive back Jordon Paschal is fast.
“He’s like a heat-seeking missile,” said Trotwood football coach Maurice Douglass.
A member of the Rams’ consecutive state record-setting 1,600-meter relay teams, Paschal will take that significant speed to the University of Louisville football team, where he’s expected to sign his national letter of intent today. He’s one of four Trotwood players who will play for Division I colleges, including linebacker Willie Ballard (Buffalo), lineman Darion Delaney (Bowling Green) and tight end Justin Favors (Colorado).
Now that he’s already helped Trotwood advance to the Division II regional final and finished his football recruiting, Paschal can look forward to the track season, where he’s also made his mark.
In 2008, Paschal was part of the Trotwood 1,600-meter relay team that set a state record and won the title in a time of 3:13.46.
Last year, with two new members of the relay team, Trotwood broke its own state record and won the championship again, this time in 3:13.32. The 800-meter relay team, of which Paschal was a member, also made the state final and finished third.
“He has that closing speed,” Douglass said. “He’s a low 4.4 guy.”
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TweetXenia’s versatile Anderson adds to area Ball State line
A tight end for much of his Xenia High School career, Dakota Anderson made a transition to playing more offensive line this season.
That caused a problem for coach Bob DeLong, who sometimes needed Anderson - like his teammate Michael Vollmer - to switch between positions in the same game. That required different jersey numbers.
Turns out that DeLong’s mother is crafty, and she created Velcro-on jerseys that the players could quickly put on or take off to change numbers during a game.
Not only that, but the 6-5 Anderson was one of the best punters in the area this season, and he’s also a member of the Buccaneers’ basketball team.
With that versatility, one could expect Anderson to find a way to contribute quickly to the Ball State football team, to which he’ll officially bind himself today by signing a letter of intent. Anderson is one of three local players, along with Coldwater quarterback Keith Wenning and Northmont defensive back Quintin Cooper, expected to sign with Ball State.
That means that BSU, despite the departure last year of coach Brady Hoke (a Kettering native) to San Diego State, is still collecting talent from the Miami Valley. The Cardinals’ roster includes seven players from the area: Tight end Ryan Hartke (St. Henry), safety Kyle Kuntz (Vandalia Butler), long snapper Cody Muhlenkamp (Coldwater), defensive tackle Jafe Pitcock (Piqua), defensive end Andrew Puthoff (St. Henry), defensive tackle Pete Rolf (Piqua) and linebacker Lorren Womack (Wayne).
Anderson, Wenning and Cooper will add to that line.
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TweetAlter’s Byers continues Knights line to Wisconsin
Cody Byers, the Alter High School safety, isn’t focusing solely on binding himself to the Wisconsin football team today. He’ll spend a majority of the school day on a senior retreat instead.
Then, Byers will sign his letter of intent and continue Alter’s line of Badgers recruits. The senior will give the Knights two consecutive years with a Wisconsin recruit, as he’ll join Chris Borland in Madison.
Wisconsin fans might be pleased to see Alter listed again among the team’s recruits. Well-known by now, Borland became a starter part way through his freshman season and was named the Big Ten’s freshman of the year after he finished fifth on the team with 54 tackles and collected five sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss. He also caused five fumbles, recovered three and grabbed an interception.
Byers, at 6-3, was the tallest player on a Knights defense that was one of the best in recent area memory. That defense required versatility, so Byers learned to play in multiple places.
There could be even another Alter player in Madison. Knights coach Ed Domsitz said the Badgers have invited receiver Connor Cummins to be a “preferred walk-on” with the program, and Cummins is weighing his options.
Two other Alter players - running back Cody Taulbee (Brown) and offensive lineman Ryan Cronin (Dayton) - are expected to play in college after helping the Knights to two consecutive Division IV state championships.
The Knights have done it the same way they play games, without much drama. That’s how Borland remembers his recruiting process:
“I’m sure like a lot of guys here, my recruiting process was a lot more low-key with not as much publicity, but it worked out and I’m really glad it did.”
If Byers produces, Wisconsin fans might demand an Alter player each season.
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TweetWayne’s Talbott ends drama, signs with Michigan
Terry Talbott, the Wayne High School defensive lineman rated as the area’s top senior recruit, signed his national letter of intent with Michigan this morning, ending a few weeks of indecision that followed a late visit to the University of North Carolina.
Talbott, rated No. 16 in the state by Rivals.com, committed to Michigan before his senior season along with brother Terrence, a cornerback.
Last month, he visited North Carolina and coach Butch Davis and began considering both schools. Wayne coach Jay Minton said he didn’t even know which Talbott would choose when he arrived at the school this morning for the 8 a.m. ceremony.
“Sure didn’t,” Minton said.
Minton then proceeded to the rest of his phone messages, many from reporters who were wondering what Talbott would do. Earlier in the week, Minton described what makes Talbott such a desired recruit.
“He’s very explosive,” Minton said. “That D-lineman position is one of the toughest to find, which got him a lot of interest. He has good size (6-3, 255) and good speed, so he has that combination.”
Talbott will have a chance to explain the reasons for his decision later today when the Greater Western Ohio Conference holds a ceremony for its signees.
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TweetMassive Fairmont tackles both heading to D-I scholarships
Fairmont coach Brian Blevins joked that the only real problem with his massive tackles who will both play Division I college football is that they were almost too tall.
“The tough thing was they’re both 6-4, and our quarterback was 5-11,” Blevins said of right tackle Jordan Erbes and left tackle Michael Shope. “It was tough for him to see over them sometimes.”
Varsity teammates since coaches elevated them from the JV squad during their freshman seasons, Erbes (6-4, 280, Eastern Michigan) and Shope (6-4, 270, Youngstown State) are expected to sign letters of intent to their respective college choices today, the first day allowed for senior football recruits.
They nearly remained teammates. Eastern Michigan also offered Shope a scholarship, and he gained some interest from Northwestern and Stanford because of his impressive academics, but Shope chose Youngstown State instead.
Blevins said that Youngstown State could make a stronger push into the area in coming years, with a young and energetic coaching staff. That staff includes Shane Montgomery, the former Miami University head coach, who is YSU’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
“They were really key players for us,” Blevins said. “They led us to the playoffs as juniors, and they’re both outstanding players and outstanding students.”
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TweetPowerful Lebanon offense sends three to college programs
From 2007 until 2009, the Lebanon High School football offense improved from 13th in the GWOC at 255.1 yards per game (‘07) to first at 417.1 yards per game (‘09).
Several key components of that success will continue their careers at college programs, and another had the opportunity even though he chose a different path.
Today, receiver Chase Cochran (Ohio University) and lineman Elias Sayre (Kent State) are expected to sign letters of intent to play for Division I colleges. Cochran led the GWOC with 39 catches for 1,070 yards, and Sayre helped the Lebanon running game rank fourth in the conference at 215.2 rushing yards per game.
“He has a great ability to accelerate and go to catch passes,” Lebanon coach Shawn Lamb said of Cochran. “You’re not going to overthrow Chase.”
Trey Bonny, the Lebanon running back who gained 1,341 yards, is expected to play at Georgetown College in Georgetown, Ky., after closing his senior season with 677 yards in his final four games, Lamb said.
The league’s leading passer, quarterback Dusty Isaacs, gained some interest from recruiters after throwing for 2,019 yards and rushing for 521 last season. Lamb said Cincinnati and Minnesota showed interest in Isaacs, but he had already committed to play baseball for Georgia Tech as a pitcher with a fastball at better than 90 mph.
The recruiting interest is a nod to Lebanon’s offensive strength, which helped the Warriors finish 8-2 and 4-0 in the GWOC South. Now those players will get their chance at the next level.
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