Area players, coaches earn top awards in NW district

Coaches and athletes should love the "of the" they can find at the end of a season. It usually means they had a really, really good season. Four men were named coach "of the" year and seven athletes earned player "of the" year honors when members of the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association gathered to select the 2023 All-Northwest District football teams. Findlay's Stefan Adams, Liberty-Benton's Scott Garlock, Bluffton's Jeff Richards and Columbus Grove's Andy Schafer were selected coaches of the year in their respective divisions. Findlay's Ryan Montgomery, Liberty-Benton's Mason Modd and McComb's Braxton Althauser were offensive players of the year, Carey's Nathan Brodman and Bluffton's Landen Worcester were players of the year on defense, and Carey's Matt Allomong and McComb's Nick Bormuth were co-linemen of the year in Divisions VI and VII. In his third season as Findlay High head coach, Adams guided the Trojans to an 8-2 regular season record, a No. 11 ranking in the final Division I poll and a share of the Northern Lakes League Buckeye Division championship, the Trojans' first on-field league title since 2009. Garlock shared coach of the year honors in Division V after guiding L-B to a 9-1 record that included a 7-0 record and an outright title in Blanchard Valley Conference play. Columbus Grove started the season 1-2 after graduating a talented class that reached the 2022 state semifinals. Schafer got the Bulldogs turned around though, guiding them to seven straight wins – including a Week 10 win over Bluffton – that clinched an outright Northwest Conference championship. That Week 10 setback was Bluffton's only loss as Richards guided the Pirates (9-1) to their best record since an 11-1 finish in 2004. Some staggering statistics earned Montgomery, Modd and Althauser their offensive player of the year honors. A three-year starter, Montgomery continued to build his resume as one of the top-rated prep quarterbacks in the country. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound junior completed 258-of-376 passes (68.6 percent) for 3,377 yards and 38 touchdowns while rushing for another 10 TDs. Althauser put up some big numbers as well, rushing for a school-record 1,707 yards and scoring 30 touchdowns – 22 rushing, five receiving, three on kickoff and interception returns – in 10 regular-season games. Heading into last Friday's Region 26 semifinal against Lima Central Catholic, Althauser had increased his numbers to 2,680 yards total offense and 40 TDs. Modd earned the starting quarterback spot shortly before the season started, then backed up that decision by completing 73.2 percent of his passes (115-of-157) for 1,959 yards and 26 touchdowns. The L-B senior threw just three interceptions and added 562 yards and another 10 TDs on the ground. Brodman, a lineman, and Worcester, a linebacker, not only led their teams defensively, but both were the defensive players of the year in their league and in the Division VI all-district selections. Brodman spent as much time in opposing backfield as some of the running backs Carey faced. A 6-4, 225-pound senior, Brodman had 111 total tackles, including 32 tackles for loss as the Northern 10 Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Worcester, a junior, spearheaded a Bluffton defense that shut out seven straight opponents and allowed an average of just 4.2 points a game. The Northwest Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Worcester had 76 tackles and starred on offense as well, rushing for a team-leading 1,288 yards and 18 TDs. Carey and McComb relied primarily on their ground game and with linemen like Allomong and Bormuth up front it was easy to see why. Allomong, a 6-4, 290-pound senior, shared lineman of the Year honors in Division VI after helping Carey average 256.9 yards rushing and 373.1 yards total offense. Matched with another all-N10 lineman, 6-3, 220-pound senior Josh Peters up front and leading the way for 240-pound sophomore running back Eli Steen, Carey overcame an 0-2 start, relying on its power running game to rattle off eight straight win and claim an outright Northern 10 Conference crown. Bormuth, all-Ohio in 2022 and this year's co-lineman of the year in Division VI with Patrick Henry's Grant Smith, Marion Local's Kyle Ungruhn and Lucas lineman Brayden Spitler, worked a similar strategy at McComb. First-team all-league on both sides of the ball, Bormuth teamed with another all-BVC lineman, Owen DeWeese in an offense that averaged 330.9 yards a game rushing and led the way for an all-Northwest District offensive player of the year like Althauser. Findlay's Ja'vonte Hill, who caught 90 passes for 1,257 yards and 18 TDs, was also first-team all-district in Division I, along with the Trojans offensive lineman Ben Mueller (6-0, 192. jr,), defensive lineman Austin Yeager (31 tackles), safety Luke Weihrauch (79 tackles, 3 ints.) and linebackers Isaac Tuiloma (58 tackles, 18 tfl) and Nate Riegle (45 tackles, 10 tfl). Upper Sandusky senior quarterback Kaden Holman, the N10 Offensive Player of the Year who threw for 2,075 yards, ran for 936 and accounted for 39 total touchdowns, was first team in Division IV, along with Fostoria defensive back Lance Miller (36 tackles, 2 ints.). Upper Sandusky receiver Ethan Hill (36 recps., 494 yards, 4 TDs) and linebacker Ethan Lewis (105 tackles) were second team. Joining Modd on the Division V all-district first team were L-B teammates Seth Elchert (63 recps., 913 yards, 12 TDs), defensive lineman Jake Elchert (59 tackles, 15 tfl) and linebacker Brady Birkemeier (100 tackles, 16 tfl). L-B's Zach Elchert (907 all-purpose yards, 17 TDs), offensive lineman Brady Jolliff and defensive back Anderson Roberts (48 tackles) were second team, along with Ottawa-Glandorf receiver Grant Schroeder (52 recps., 657 yards, 5 TDs) and linebacker Alec Schroeder (127 tackles). Carey, Bluffton and Columbus Grove headed up a strong showing by area players in Division VI. Columbus Grove's Kylan Mayes (6-1, 240, jr.) and Bluffton's Jacob Granger (6-4, 260, sr.) joined Allomong on the first-team offensive line, while Grove's Kyle Lathrop (68 tackles, 13 tfl) and Bluffton's Brody Sommers (34 tackles, 3 sacks) were first-team defensive picks along with Brodman. Grove running back Trenton Bazzara (1,388 yards, 14 TDs) and quarterback Landon Best (1,267 passing, 456 rushing, 28 total TDs) were first team, long with linebacker Loudon Auchmuty (102 tackles, 10 rfl) and defensive back Zach Reynolds (46 tackles, 4 ints.). Carey linebacker Conner Norden (108 tackles, 26 tfl) and defensive back Austin Niederkohr (52 tackles, 6 ints.) were first team picks, along with Bluffton's Carson Kruse (82 tackles). Kyle Basil, who converted 53-of-55 PAT opportunities, was one of three first-team kickers. Earning second-team all-Northwest district recognition were Bluffton's Braeden Jordan (WR), Hayden Dearth (TE), Daniel Fredritz (OL) Garret Bogart (QB) and Gavin Bogart (LB), Carey's Carter Smiley (QB/Ath), Steen (RB) and Alex Putnam (LB), Van Buren's Mason Thorla-Lopez (WR) and Riverdale's Loukas Carter (LB). The Northwest District is home to 43 of Ohio's 110 Division VII football programs and players from several area schools were recognized in the all-district voting. Unbeaten and No. 3-ranked Hopewell-Loudon led the overall selections with Blake Berrier (WR), linemen Noah Kubitz (offense) and Aiden Ewald (defense), Braylon Martinez (RB), Evan Kreais (QB) and Adam Kreais (LB) receiving first-team nods. In addition to Althauser, McComb defensive lineman Wilson Grubb and defensive back Chase Woodruff were first team, while two-way lineman Owen DeWeese and linebacker Brad Miehls landed second team honors. Pandora-Gilboa's Aiden Morris, who was first team all-BVC as a receiver, defensive back and punter, was first-team all-district at receiver for the third straight year. Also on first team were P-G lineman Jake Fischer and linebacker/running back Andrew Miller. Leipsic lineman Ethan Zeisloft and defensive back Quin Schroder were first team and receiver Trent Siefker and defensive lineman Quinn Westhoven second team for the Vikings. Arlington's Wyatt Berry was first team on the offensive line in the all-district picks, while linebacker Garrett Wykes and lineman/punter Mason Cavinee were second team. Arcadia sophomore Isaac Stoner, who led the BVC with seven interceptions, was second team in the secondary as well.