CANTON — By the end of this week, seven Ohio high school football teams will be crowned as 2021 state champions. All seven Ohio High School Athletic Association state championship football games will be played at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.
To get ready for the games, we're taking a look at some of the top players pursuing a state championship this weekend.
We're breaking them down by when they play. So we'll start with Division II, which kicks off the state finals when Hoban meets Winton Woods on Thursday night, and go from there.
Here's a breakdown of some of the top players headed to Canton this weekend:
Division II OHSAA state final: Archbishop Hoban vs. Winton Woods
Game time: 7 p.m., Thursday
Here's who's to watch out for in this game:
Jay’Ron Gibson, Winton Woods, defensive lineman
The Southwest District Division II Defensive Player of the Year, the 6-foot-, 250-pound senior doesn't just help to control the line of scrimmage, but can also get beyond it as well. His 14 sacks are tops on the team. He’s also recorded 67 total tackles, including 38 solo stops. Gibson also has a fumble recovery, which he returned for a touchdown. His work up front helped Winton Woods allow an average of less than 200 yards per game through its first four playoff games. Green did pile up some yards on the Winton Woods defense in the state semis, but the Bulldogs only scored seven points.
Jason Martin III, Hoban, defensive lineman
The 6-foot, 280-pound Martin is the latest in a line of standout Hoban defensive linemen over the last decade. He earned first-team All-Northeast Inland District honors. Martin is the epitome of a game-changer up front. Through Hoban's first 12 games, he accounted for 20 tackles for loss, nine sacks and three forced fumbles.
Lamar Sperling, Hoban, running back
Saving his best for the games that matter the most, Sperling rushed for more than 600 yards the last two weeks alone to put him well over 2,000 yards for the season. He hit rival Walsh Jesuit for 357 yards and five TDs on 31 carries in the regional finals. He followed that up with 270 yards and two TDs on 30 carries in the state semifinal win over Avon. That type of production earned the junior a share of Northeast Inland District Offensive Player of the Year honors. And if Hoban is to win the state's ultimate prize again — the Knights are seeking a sixth state title in seven years — Sperling figures to be a huge factor.
More Ohio High School Football:Lamar Sperling, Trey Martin among stars on 2021 OPSWA Northeast Inland All-District High School Football Teams
Ty'Rek Spikes, Winton Woods, running back
The latest in a line of ultra-talented running backs for the Warriors. Spikes has been the focal point of the offense that led the Eastern Cincinnati Conference in rushing yards per game with nearly 223 yards per game as a team. Green found out just how dangerous the speedy Spikes can be, as he took a kickoff back 75 yards for a touchdown in Winton Wood's 20-7 state semifinal win, one of two TDs he scored in the game. Like Sperling, he's saving his best for the playoffs, rushing for at least 230 yards in three of the five postseason games to help Winton Woods reach its first state final since 2017. The senior's five-game playoffs total: 1,020 yards and 10 TDs. For the season, he has 1,703 yards and 18 TDs on 255 carries.
Qierstin Williams, Winton Woods, linebacker
The younger brother of Ohio State running back Miyan Williams, the 6-foot, 230-pound Qierstin is making his own mark, too. He leads the team with 77 total tackles, including 45 solos. Against Green, he made his fourth interception of the season, a clutch second-half pick to help Winton Woods preserve what was then a six-point lead. Through the Warriors’ five-game run to Canton, Williams has registered 26 total tackles.
Division IV OHSAA state final: Youngstown Ursuline vs. Clinton-Massie
Game time: Friday, 10:30 a.m.
Here's who's to watch out for in this game:
Carter Frank, Clinton-Massie, running back
Half of Clinton-Massie's one-two rushing punch. Frank has run for 929 yards and 16 touchdowns on 133 carries. While his teammate, Caron Vanhoose, may have more eye-popping numbers on a game-by-game basis, Frank has seen his per-game numbers rise over the Falcons’ run to the state championship game. That’s been especially true over the last two weeks, when he’s tied his season-best in carries with 15 in both the regional final against McNicholas and the state semifinal against Bloom-Carroll. That’s resulted in a season-best 127 yards in the former, and 119 in the latter. His only other 100-yard rushing performance came in the Week 8 win over New Richmond, when he ran for 122 yards and a score on 12 carries.
DeMarcus McElroy, Ursuline, running back
Maybe one of the state’s biggest breakout stars this playoff run for the Irish. He has put up strong numbers throughout Ursuline’s season. However, as the Irish have closed in on Canton, McElroy has seemingly found another level. In the regional final against undefeated West Branch, he ran for 266 yards and four scores on 31 carries. He topped himself the following week in the state semifinal against Port Clinton, at least in terms of finding the end zone, when he scored all five of the Irish’s touchdowns as part of a 261-yard rushing performance. That effort pushed him over the 2,000-yard plateau on the season, at 2,127 yards.
Brady Shannon, Ursuline, quarterback
A Division I talent on the baseball diamond, and not a bad quarterback on the football field, either. Shannon, a Central Florida baseball commit, isn’t necessarily asked to put up big passing numbers for the Irish. However, he is asked to be the “two Es” — effective and efficient — when throwing the ball. The perfect example of that is the last two weeks, when Shannon provided the perfect complement to Ursuline’s rushing attack. Against West Branch in the regional final, he completed 7-of-12 passes for 98 yards and a score, while last week in the state semifinal, he was 10-of-16 for 195 yards. For the season, Shannon has thrown nearly 1,600 yards. The focus on his throwing, though, ignores the threat he provides on the ground. In that same regional final, he rushed for 151 yards and two TDs on 13 carries. For the season, he’s run for roughly 800 yards.
Carson Vanhoose, Clinton-Massie, running back
The first half of a dangerous one-two punch the Falcons have leaned on offensively this year. Through 15 games, Vanhoose has rushed for 1,856 yards and 27 TDs on 201 carries. He has topped the 100-yard plateau in 13 of the 15 games this season, including a season-best 254 yards in a Week 8 rout of New Richmond. It’s not just that Vanhoose is some kind of grind-it-out back, either. He’s averaged more than 10 yards a carry in six different games, including a season-high 18.3 yards per carry in a seven-carry, 128-yard performance in Week 5 against Goshen. For the season, he’s averaging 9.2 yards per attempt.
Division III OHSAA state final: Hamilton Badin vs. Chardon
Game time: Friday, 3 p.m.
Here's who's to watch out for in this game:
Sean Carr, Chardon, running back
You don't have the success the Hilltoppers have had this season, going 15-0 and winning all but one of those games by double figures, by only relying on one standout. While quarterback Alex Henry may be the leading rusher for Chardon, he’s not the only 1,000-yard rusher on the team. That’s where Carr comes into the picture. Through the initial 14 games, the senior had run for more than 1,000 yards and scored 23 TDs. Carr was the centerpiece on offense in the state-semifinal win over West Holmes last week, rushing for 108 yards and four TDs. While a number of the players who put up stats in the Hillltoppers’ overtime win over Columbus St. Francis DeSales in last year’s state title game have departed, Carr is one of the holdovers. He ran for 22 yards on eight carries, while catching a 23-yard pass as well.
Eli Emmons, Hamilton Badin, linebacker
Ballhawking linebacker who has helped the Rams post a 14-0 record and earn their first state championship game appearance since winning it all in 1990. Emmons entered the state semifinals with a team-high 144 total tackles, which also led all Greater Catholic League Co-Ed division tacklers. Then, he helped Badin go out and post its third shutout of the playoffs and sixth overall in a 14-0 win over Granville. Emmons has more than 80 solo tackles on the season through 14 games, and nine games of double-digit total tackles. In the regional semifinals against St. Mary Memorial, he picked up a season-high 18 total stops, before recording 16 the next week in a regional final win over Bellbrook.
Alex Henry, Chardon, quarterback
While Henry’s arm isn’t the primary way the Hilltoppers matriculate the football down the field, that doesn’t minimize the role the quarterback plays in the success they have in moving the ball. The 6-3, 195-pound junior is an absolute load for opponents to bring down, which is why he’s the leading rusher for a team looking to repeat as Division III state champions. On the season, the physical Henry has rushed for 1,285 yards and 20 TDs. In the state semifinal win over West Holmes, Henry was “held” to just 75 yards and no scores. However, the week before, against Dover in a regional final, he ran for 118 yards and a TD.
Jack Walsh, Hamilton Badin, running back
The leading rusher in the GCL Co-Ed division, Walsh has left his mark throughout the season on opposing defenses. He’s run for 1,815 yards and 18 TDs on 272 carries this season. Over the playoff run for the Rams, Walsh has rushed for 738 yards and nine TDs. He’s topped the 100-yard plateau in four of the five games, and was 3 yards shy of it in the other one. His effort in the state semifinal win against Granville, a 226-yard performance on 43 carries, was the best of the postseason. It was also his second-best rushing effort of the season, behind a 230-yard effort in a win over Kettering Alter.
Division I OHSAA state final: Springfield vs. St. Edward
Game time: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Here's who's to watch out for in this game:
Zyion Freer-Brown, St. Edward, linebacker
The captain of what may be one of the best defensive units in the state of Ohio. Freer-Brown has been one of the top playmakers on the Eagles’ stifling defense. In a lot of ways, he epitomizes everything that makes St. Edward’s defense elite. He doesn’t just get his hands on the football through takeaways, with two interceptions, but also turns it into points, with both of those going for TDs. Just as important, if not more, Freer-Brown just knows how to get to the ballcarrier and put him on the ground. Through 15 games, he amassed nearly 130 total tackles and more than 45 solo stops. All of that helped to anchor a defense that only allowed four teams to score more than 14 points, and only one — Cincinnati Moeller — to score more than 18 points, and that happened in overtime.
Jaivian Norman, Springfield, linebacker
The leader of the Wildcats’ defense. The first-team Division I Southwest District selection, Norman leads a defense that allowed just seven total points over its first four playoff games, and just 28 through its entire run to the state title game. Norman has recorded 86 total tackles, with 39 of those being solo stops. He’s also wreaked havoc on opposing quarterbacks with 10 sacks. Not only that, but he’s been able to create takeaways as well. He’s forced two fumbles, recovered one and intercepted one pass.
More Springfield Wildcats Football:Moeller football comes up 1 point short to Springfield in Division I state semifinals
Christian Ramos, St. Edward, quarterback
The two-year starting quarterback has been a steadying force for the Eagles’ offense. The 6-2, 200-pound Ramos isn’t just your typical pocket passer. He also has the ability to tuck the football and run, and not just when pressured. Read-option plays are a key piece of the St. Edward offense, and Ramos is very effective in executing those plays. He rushed for 523 yards in the regular season, and has added more than 150 yards over their first five playoff games. That’s on top of nearly 2,000 passing yards through the first 10 games that helped him earn Northeast Lakes District Division I Offensive Player of the Year honors. Most notably, in the Eagles’ regional championship game against Medina, Ramos stole the show from the Bees’ Penn State-bound Drew Allar by throwing for 207 yards and three TDs in the 41-6 victory.
Te’Sean Smoot, Springfield, quarterback
Just a dynamic player at the helm of the Wildcats’ offense. Smoot’s performance this season earned him Southwest District Division I Offensive Player of the Year honors. More importantly, it’s earned Springfield its first trip to the state championship game. Through 14 games (the Wildcats had a game cancelled earlier in the season), Smoot has completed 189-of-282 passes for 2,657 yards with 20 TDs and nine interceptions. But wait, there’s more to his game than just his passing. Smoot has run for 960 yards and 22 TDs on 219 carries. In the last two weeks, Smoot has thrown for 648 yards and three TDs, while rushing for 158 yards and three scores. Smoot holds 19 Division I college offers, ranging from FCS schools such as Eastern Kentucky or Fordham to SEC schools such as Kentucky.
More Ohio High School Football:Introducing the 2021 Southwest Ohio All-District High School football team
Division VII OHSAA state final: Maria Stein Marion Local vs. Newark Catholic
Game time: Saturday, 10:30 a.m.
Here's who's to watch out for in this game:
Cole Canter, Newark Catholic, quarterback
The job of a quarterback is to help lead a team to the end zone. Canter has excelled at that this season for the Green Wave, as evidenced by his single-season school-record 32 TD passes. He’s thrown six of those in the last two weeks alone in playoff wins over Shadyside and Warren JFK. On the season, he’s thrown for 2,195 yards, including 105 last week in the snow in the state semifinals.
Darren Meier, Marion Local, running back/linebacker
The formula is simple for Marion Local, yet few have been able to duplicate its success over the recent years as it comes to Canton in its 16th title game appearance looking for its 12th championship. It’s good defense and a strong running game. Meier may epitomize both of those aspects. The linebacker has picked up more than 100 total tackles on the season to help lead a defense that has six shutouts and 11 games of the opponent scoring less than 10 points over its 15-0 start. He’s recorded more than 10 tackles for loss, too, with a pair of interceptions and a fumble recovery. Meier also is one of the backs who helps take some of the rushing load off QB Peyton Otte on offense.
Peyton Otte, Marion Local, quarterback/defensive back
Arguably the face of the latest version of the machine from Maria Stein. Otte is certainly a capable passer when he’s asked to put the ball in the air, with more than 1,200 passing yards on the season. Where he’s most effective, though, is when he’s just tucking the football under his arm and running. Otte went into the regional final against Midwest Athletic Conference rival St. Henry with 1,064 yards rushing. Since then, he’s gained nearly 300 yards in the last two games alone. Otte ran for 148 yards against St. Henry. Last week, in the state semifinal against Hopewell-Loudon, he ran for 144 yards and four TDs by halftime, before adding a fifth score in the second half. Oh, he’s not a bad defensive back, either, having earned all-district honors.
Elijah Wallace, Newark Catholic, linebacker
Wallace earned Central District Division VII Defensive Player of the Year honors. That was for a regular-season performance that included 81 tackles and 11 tackles for loss. However, in the biggest game of the Green Wave’s season to date, Wallace showed why that honor was so fitting. Locked in a defensive tussle in the snow in the state semifinal against Warren JFK at Marlington, Wallace recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass in the second half. That helped Newark Catholic to earn its 15th state championship game appearance, and first since finishing as 2012 state runners-up. The Green Wave will be looking for their ninth state title.
Division VI OHSAA state final: Coldwater vs. Carey
Game time: Saturday, 3 p.m.
Here's who's to watch out for in this game:
Reece Dellinger, Coldwater, quarterback
New quarterback, no problem for the Cavaliers. Dellinger has been exceptional as the QB for Coldwater, replacing Myles Blasingame. On the season, he’s completed 168 of 276 passes for 2,915 yards. He’s thrown 28 TD passes. In the last two games combined, Dellinger is 34-of-46 for 483 yards with five scores. He’s also a capable runner when he needs to use his legs, running for more than 300 yards on roughly 70 carries.
Isaac Fullenkamp, Coldwater, running back/linebacker
A defensive stalwart for the Cavaliers, who return to Stark County looking for a second consecutive state championship and the school’s eighth title overall. As a linebacker, he’s recorded more than 120 total tackles on the season, and more than 14 tackles for loss. Not only that, but he’s also been Coldwater’s leading rusher with more than 900 yards on the season. In the state semifinal win over West Jefferson, Fullenkamp rushed for 117 yards and two TDs on 21 carries.
Landen Kemerley, Carey, linebacker
The run the Blue Devils have been on to reach the state championship game has been predicated on two things. One is running the football. The other is defense. That second one is where Kemerley comes into the picture. The linebacker has been a tackling machine for Carey, which has won 14 in a row since opening the season with a loss to Hopewell-Loudon. He’s accumulated more than 140 total tackles on the season, including more than 30 tackles for loss.
Derek Lonsway, Carey, quarterback
The counter to the big and physical Jordan Vallejo, Lonsway adeptly pilots the Blue Devils’ old-school rushing offense. On the season, he’s run for more yards than he’s thrown for, which is par for the course when the Carey offense is operating at peak performance. Lonsway has run for 1,273 yards and 12 TDs on the season. That includes a combined 164 yards on 20 carries and two scores over the last two weeks. Lonsway has thrown for less than 1,200 yards, including a game two weeks ago when he completed just 1-of-2 passes for 37 yards in a regional final win over Liberty Center.
Tyler Schwieterman, Coldwater, receiver/safety
The top target for the Cavaliers’ passing game is also only the sixth one in program history to top 1,000 yards receiving. Schwieterman has pulled in 50 passes this season for 1,068 yards. He also has nine TDs. It was his 36-yard catch with 1:36 remaining in the fourth quarter that helped Coldwater tie New Middletown Springfield at 35-35 In last year’s Division VI state championship game. The Cavaliers went on to win it on a last-second Brady Klingshirn field goal. Schwieterman also is a key defensive standout for Coldwater, with more than 60 total tackles, a fumble recovery, a forced fumble and a pair of interceptions.
Jordan Vallejo, Carey, running back
The big, physical running back is part of a two-headed rushing attack that the Blue Devils have ridden this season to their first state title game appearance since winning the 1975 Class A title under former Massillon Tiger player and Jackson head coach Tom Geschwind. Vallejo came into the state semifinals last week against New Middletown Springfield with 1,388 rushing yards and 31 TDs. In the win over Springfield, Vallejo found the end zone three times on his 153-yard rushing night.
Division V OHSAA state final: Versailles vs. Kirtland
Game time: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Here's who's to watch out for in this game:
Carson Bey, Versailles, quarterback/linebacker
The two-way standout helped the Tigers return to the state championship game for the 10th time overall, but first since a state runner-up finish in 2004. Bey’s performance this season as a linebacker has been enough to help Versailles to a 14-1 record and just 44 points allowed over five playoff games. It’s also earned him Southwest District Division V Defensive Player of the Year. However, his offense has been where the stats have really popped. Bey’s been the definition of dual-threat quarterback, as he’s been able to hurt opponents both through the air and on the ground. The state semifinal win over Harvest Prep was just the latest example, where he was an efficient 6-of-9 passing for 80 yards, while running for 181 yards on 22 carries.
Landon Henry, Versailles, running back/linebacker
Henry is just another of a long list of two-way standouts for the Tigers, who come to Canton on the prowl for their seventh state title. Speaking of prowling, that’s what the senior does on defense, much to the chagrin of the opposition. In each of the last two weeks, Henry has come up with a critical interception to help spark Versailles. Two weeks ago in the regional final against Preble Shawnee, he had an interception in the 28-0 victory to go with 8.5 tackles and 51 rushing yards. In the 28-22 state semifinal win over Harvest Prep, he followed up another interception by him with a TD run.
Ramon Lescano, Kirtland, quarterback
It’s not easy being the new guy behind center on any team. To be the new starting quarterback on a dynasty, though, is a whole different level of pressure. For Lescano, though, that’s not been an issue as he took over for Liam Powers as the QB for the record-setting Hornets. Instead, he’s simply stepped right in and kept the machine rolling along. Lescano will quarterback a team that’s not only looking to win a 56th consecutive football game, but also one that’s eyeing its fourth state title in a row and seventh since 2011. On the season, Lescano has completed 55 of 98 passes for 1,175 yards with 20 TDs and, just as important, only three interceptions. He’s also been a nice counter to record-setting running back Mason Rus with 456 yards and seven TDs on 94 carries. He’s also returned six punts for 83 total yards, including a TD.
Mason Rus, Kirtland, running back/linebacker
The senior helps power the Hornets defense and running game, the two key components fueling the powerhouse Hornets — winners of 55 straight entering this state title game in Division V. With the Hornets destroying their first two playoff opponents, Rus didn't need to do a whole lot offensively (186 yards on just 23 carries). When the Hornets needed more, though, in the regional semis against Garrettsville Garfield, Rus delivered (31 carries, 234 yards, 2 TDs). He has 1,959 yards and 25 TDs for the season, eclipsing 100 yards in 13 of 14 games. As good as he is running the ball, it's on the other side where he earns his accolades. He was the Northeast Lake District Defensive Player of the Year after making 18 tackles for loss and 78 total tackles in nine regular-season games, despite often sitting out the entire second half of many of Kirtland's routs.
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