Several Knights and Pirates earn All-Ohio football honors
Kyle Maltarich was one of eight West Holmes football players to earn All-Ohio honors in Division IV.
The All-Ohio football teams were announced by the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association. West Holmes and Garaway had numerous players earn honors in Divisions IV and VI, respectively.
Eight Knights earn honors
Junior quarterback Morgan Smith and senior wide receiver Kyle Maltarich were first-team picks on offense. Sophomore linebacker Lynn Cline was a first-team selection on defense.
Smith recorded the best statistical season by a WH quarterback in program history. He set single-season passing records in yards (4,101), touchdowns (45), completion percentage (70.2) and completions (261). He also threw for a single-game school-record 553 yards against Licking Valley and tied the single-game school record for touchdown passes with seven against Bryan. He also rushed for a team-high 1,175 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Despite missing time because of an injury, Maltarich still managed to haul in 77 passes for 1,205 yards and 17 touchdowns. The Yale commit finished his career as the area’s all-time receiving yards and touchdowns leader.
Cline made the most of his first year starting. He finished with a team-high 169 tackles, including 76 solo and four for loss, recovered two fumbles, forced one fumble and intercepted two passes.
Junior offensive lineman Morgan Eastep and junior defensive lineman Elijah Williams-Dixon were second-team selections.
Eastep helped pave the way for an offense that averaged 38.8 points and 411 yards per game. Williams-Dixon recorded 105 tackles, including a team-high 8 1/2 sacks and 21 tackles for loss.
Junior wide receiver Logan Zollars, junior kicker Alex Pringle and senior linebacker Gus Warner all earned honorable mention accolades.
Zollars, who also missed time because of an injury, caught 63 passes for 956 yards and four touchdowns. Pringle was reliable all season, making 53 extra points and one field goal. Warner recorded 136 tackles (three for loss) and intercepted a pass.
10 Pirates earn honors
Garaway coach Jason Wallick earned one of the top honors in Division VI, as he was named Co-Coach of the Year. Wallick led the Pirates to their first state semifinals appearance in school history while winning a school-record 14 games. They finished the season with a 14-1 record, completing their third consecutive undefeated regular season. This season marked the sixth time he’s reached double-digit wins at Garaway.
Senior wide receiver Jenson Garber was a first-team pick on offense, while senior linebacker Wyatt Wallick was a first-team selection on defense.
Garber had a historic season, setting school single-season receiving records in receptions (72), yards (1,260) and touchdowns (17) as one of the focal points of the Pirates offense. Wallick recorded a team-high 111 tackles, including 79 solo and two sacks, and scored a defensive touchdown to help anchor the defense.
Junior quarterback Brady Geibel, junior running back Dillon Soehnlen and senior defensive lineman Jackson Reifenschneider were all second-team picks.
Geibel completed 163 of 227 passes for 2,769 yards and 32 touchdowns while rushing for 193 yards and five scores. Soehnlen rushed for 1,347 yards and 25 TDs on 217 carries while catching 14 passes for 354 yards and three scores. Reifenschneider recorded 99 tackles, including 23 for loss and nine sacks, batted down five passes, forced three fumbles, recovered four fumbles, intercepted a pass and scored two defensive touchdowns.
Senior linebacker Payton Keller was a third-team pick on defense. Keller recorded 76 tackles, including 13 for loss and five sacks, intercepted three passes, broke up two passes, batted down two passes, forced a fumble and scored a defensive touchdown.
Senior offensive lineman Jake Miller, junior kicker Anderson Colon and senior defensive lineman Wyatt Hershberger all earned honorable mention accolades.
Miller helped pave the way for an offense that averaged 313 yards and 36.9 points per game. Colon made 68 of 73 extra-point attempts and 4 of 6 field-goal attempts, including a school-record 48-yarder. Hershberger recorded 75 tackles, including eight for loss and one sack, intercepted a pass and forced a fumble.