The Licking County recently announced its standout football players for the 2023 season.
Granville completed an unbeaten run through the regular season, which included a perfect 4-0 mark in the Buckeye Division. The Blue Aces had three members of the program each special recognition.
Junior Beckett Long was named Offensive Back of the Year, senior Dante Varrasso Defensive Back of the Year and Wes Schroeder Coach of the Year.
Licking Valley senior Matthew Lehman was named Offensive Lineman of the Year and senior Jacob Wheeler Special Teams Player of the Year. Licking Heights junior Jake Lopinto was named Defensive Player of the Year and Watkins Memorial senior Andrew Kirk the John McConnell Award winner.
Heath finished a perfect 5-0 in Cardinal Division play. The Bulldogs earned all but one notable award.
Senior Brayden Bayles was named Offensive Back of the Year, senior Chase Armstead Offensive Lineman of the Year, senior Daylen McIntyre Defensive Lineman of the Year and junior Tannar Patterson Defensive Back of the Year. Senior Reece Shriner was given the John McConnell Award, and Tim Ward was named Coach of the Year.
Utica senior Logen Fisher was named Special Teams Player of the Year.
Named to the Buckeye first team were Granville’s Long, Varrasso, Kyle Kirby, Jackson Pelzer, Ian Rutherford and Cooper Phillips, Valley’s Trenton Markus, Hayden Rodgers, Luke Conaway and Titan Priest, Watkins’ John Banks Jr., Rocco Paschal and Gerald Banks, Heights’ Lopinto and D’Angelo Goodrich and Zanesville’s Drew Doyle.
Named to the Cardinal first team were Heath’s Bayles, McIntyre, Patterson, Armstead and Connor Corbett, Johnstown’s Kaynen Lindsey, Brody Thompson, Jacob Myers and Ben Rader, Utica’s Fisher, Hayden Piper, Gavin Chinn and Dylan Cooperider, Newark Catholic’s Nate Willis and Mikey Hess, Northridge’s Drew Bingham and Lakewood’s Keegan Jacks.
Named to the Buckeye second team were Granville’s Jakob Culver, Noah Musick, Caden Rosendahl and Jack Yeager, Valley’s Ty Hufford, Trent Clark, Logan Workman and Kam Walker, Watkins’ Drew Samsal, Jaeden Ricketts and Sean Sheehan, Heights’ Ethan Whitt and Reggie Crawford and Zanesville’s Drake Tabler.
Named to the Cardinal second team were Heath’s Shriner, Kaden Green, Conner Toomey and Paul Gould, Johnstown’s Sam Marasek, Jacob Hochanadel, Levi Osborne and Landon Smith, Utica’s Justin Giffin and Tyler Collura, NC’s Kelly Wendt and Theo Talbott, Northridge’s Ben Aamodt and Lakewood’s Isaiah Mitchell.
Named to the Buckeye honorable mention list were Granville’s Drew Vahalik, Maxton Messner and Leelan Durham, Valley’s Caiden Rhodes, Carter Hartman and Evan Lohr, Watkins’ Ralph Merz, Colton Rhoades and John Apel, Heights’ Josiah Ayers, Michael Landry and Dalton Pond and Zanesville’s Canon Mercer, Roquel Cornell and Vaughn Pouncy.
Named to the Cardinal honorable mention list were Heath’s J.J. Holloway, Ian Miller and Noah Sprague, Johnstown’s Nana Owusu, Camren Davis and McKaden Thomas, Utica’s Gavin Tussey, Grayson Tyo and Tyson McElroy, NC’s Joey Couzins, Connor McKenna and Matthew Spearman, Northridge’s Christian Ulrey, Riley Wheeler and Dylan Chambers and Lakewood’s Nate Lee, Adam Crawford and Hunter Crawford.
2023-11-16 11:13:35
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