Whitmer, Central put 2 on All-Ohio 1st team

Titans’ Allen, Miller join Panthers’ Holley, Linch, Irish’s Perrin, Thompson

11/27/2012

Whitmer and Central Catholic, which will both play for state football championships this weekend, each have two senior players selected to the 2012 Associated Press All-Ohio first team for for Division I and II.

Third-ranked Whitmer (14-0), which will play Cincinnati Moeller (11-3) for the Division I title Saturday at 7 p.m. in Canton, placed quarterback Nick Holley and linebacker Jack Linch on the D-I first unit.

Fourth-ranked Central (13-1), which will face defending state champion Trotwood-Madison (12-2) in the Division II final Friday at 7 p.m. in Massillon, put defensive lineman Jon Perrin and defensive back Jayme Thompson on the D-II first team.

The 6-foot, 175-pound Holley, in his first season as a varsity quarterback, rushed for 1,422 yards and 19 touchdowns during the 10-game regular season and completed 79-of-126 passes for 1,084 yards and 19 TDs while leading the Panthers to a fourth straight league title and third consecutive trip to the state semifinals.

Linch was to the Whitmer defense what Holley was to the offense. The 6-0, 210-pounder, a three-year starter, led the Panthers in tackles with 107, including nine for losses.

In his first season as Whitmer head coach, Jerry Bell shared D-I coach-of-the-year honors with Steve Channell of Miamisburg.

For Central Catholic, the 6-0, 305-pound Perrin was the anchor up front on the Irish defense, recording 41 tackles and two sacks. He was also named to the D-II All-Ohio first team last season.

The 6-1, 180-pound Thompson, who has committed to Ohio State, had 37 tackles and one interception for the Irish, who were ranked No. 1 for seven weeks before losing to Whitmer for the Three Rivers Athletic Conference championship in week-10. Thompson was a second-team All-Ohioan in 2011.

Whitmer also placed two players on the All-Ohio second team, with defensive lineman Marquise Moore (55 tackles, 8 sacks) and defensive back Marcus Elliott (seven interceptions), and three more on the third team, with offensive lineman Eric Hart, defensive lineman JoeNathan Mays (53 tackles, 13 for losses), and linebacker Nate Holley (97 tackles, 9 for losses).

Central had three second-team selections in D-II — offensive lineman Jeff Dew, quarterback DeShone Kizer (1,240 passing yards, 14 TDs), and running back Amir Edwards (1,284 rushing yards, 22 TDs).

Two St. John’s Jesuit seniors were named to the D-I first team on offense, receiver Liam Allen (66 receptions, 1,199 yards, 9 TDs), and Wisconsin-bound lineman Matt Miller.

Joining fellow TRAC members Whitmer, Central and St. John’s, Findlay (8-2) had two second-team and four third-team selections.

On the second team were Trojans running back Vance Settlemire (1,934 rushing yards, 33 TDs) and defensive back Joseph Davidson (five interceptions), while Findlay teammates Jimmy Orwick (receiver), Grant McKinniss (placekicker), Devin Dennard (linebacker) and Austin Niswander (defensive back) on the third.

Also receiving recognition were Anthony Wayne offensive lineman Grant Judson, who was named to the D-I second team, and Generals teammates Ose Omofoma (defensive back) and Jake Hartbarger (punter), who were picked to the third team.

Other player making it in D-II were St. Francis de Sales receiver Andrew Bonfiglio (71 receptions, 965 yards, 9 TDs), who made the second team, and Clay defensive lineman Jarred Gray and Perrysburg linebacker Kyle Durham, who each made the third team.

Contact Steve Junga at: sjunga@theblade.com, or 419-724-6461 or on Twitter@JungaBlade.