Co-player of year Sanzenbacher leads Central's assault on all-district

11/23/2005
BY STEVE JUNGA
BLADE SPORTS WRITER

It has been a banner year for Central Catholic's football team, and the Fighting Irish fared well with individual honors in this year's Associated Press Northwest Ohio all-district selections.

Central (12-1), which plays in the Division II state semifinals Friday night against Dayton Carroll, placed six players on the D-II first-team, three each on offense and defense.

Junior receiver/cornerback Dane Sanzenbacher, who has starred in all three of Central's playoff victories thus far, shared offensive player of the year honors with Tiffin Columbian senior Josh Moore, also a WR/DB.

Sanzenbacher is joined on the first offensive unit by two senior teammates, lineman Mike Starkey and running back Chris Willis.

The defensive player of the year in D-II is Central senior linebacker Ryan Brown, who is joined on the first-team defense by senior teammates Anthony Oliver (lineman) and Lee Marquette (linebacker).

Irish defensive back Kevin Boyle is a second-team pick, and sixth-year head coach Greg Dempsey, who guided Central to its first City League championship since 1982, was named coach of the year.

Northern Lakes League co-champion Southview put three players on the D-II first team, including kicker Kevin Lanning, who was 9-of-10 on field goals with three game-winning kicks. Lanning was joined by teammates Chad Valdez (linebacker) and Nick Warren (defensive line).

Rogers and St. Francis de Sales each had two first-teamers, with receiver Jermaine Dykes and defensive back Peris Edwards making it for the Rams, and offensive lineman Ross Kersey and def-

ensive lineman David Stanford gaining honors for St. Francis.

The all-district teams were chosen by an eight-member media panel.

In Division I, St. John's Jesuit's junior offensive tackle Ben Burkett, shared lineman of the year honors with Findlay's Terner Acheson. Joining Burkett on the D-I first team are teammates DeAndre Ware, a senior running back, and Bill Claus, a junior punter.

Three Scott players - offensive lineman Demecus Beach, defensive lineman Pete Reese and linebacker Antoine Moore - were first-team picks in D-I, as were Northview offensive lineman Jon Templin, defensive lineman Matt Meridieth and defensive back Eric Suttie.

Fremont Ross quarterback Aaron Opelt was named offensive player of the year, Findlay defensive back Ryan Sottoway shared defensive player of the year honors with Marion Harding's Phil Shepherd, and Findlay's Cliff Hite was picked as D-I coach of the year.

Top honors in Division III went to Fostoria quarterback Marcus Hyde, who shared offensive player of the year with Bo Frye of St. Marys Memorial; Clyde fullback/defensive lineman Matt Guhn, who was named defensive player of the year, and first-year Clyde coach Marc Gibson, who shared top coaching honors with Elida's Chris Etzler.

In Divsion V, top-ranked Patrick Henry (13-0) put five players on the all-district first-team offense.

PH senior quarterback Zack George, who has thrown 38 TD passes with just two interceptions in 13 games, shared off-

ensive player of the year honors with Wynford running back Phillip Evans, and the Patriots' Bill Inselmann shared coach of the year honors with Lima Central Catholic's Jerry Cooper.

Joining George on the D-V first-team offense are receivers Marc Krauss and Brian Yarnell, running back Josh Strub and center Bill Vance. PH senior Victor Lopez made the first-team defense as a lineman.

Delta senior Aaron Mahnke shared D-V lineman of the year honors with Lima CC's Anthony Azzarello, and Liberty-Benton senior linebacker Justin Silveus was picked as defensive player of the year.

In Division VI, Hardin Northern's Jacob Wilson was chosen lineman of the year, and his coach, Pete Brunow, shared top coaching honors with Brian Colatruglio of Hopewell-Loudon (13-0).

Contact Steve Junga at:

sjunga@theblade.com

or 419-724-6461.