L-B dominates top awards in all-BVC selections

ALL-BVC FOOTBALLLeague champion Liberty-Benton swept the top awards when coaches met to select the all-Blanchard Valley Conference football teams following the 2024 season.L-B's Scott Garlock earned BVC Coach of the Year honors after leading the Eagles, 9-1 during the regular season, to an unblemished 8-0 run in league games.Austin Collert was named the BVC Defensive Player of the Year, Will Granger (offense) and CJ Barbara (defense) were the Linemen of the Year and Zach Elchert shared Offensive Player of the Year honors with Ada quarterback Levi Green.Collert, a 5-foot-11, 165-pound junior linebacker, was among the BVC leaders in tackles (82) and tackles for loss (17). Barbara, a 6-foot, 200-pound junior, had 26 tackles for loss and 64 total stops, and Granger, a 6-3, 265-pound junior, was a first-team pick on offense and a second-teamer on the defensive (55 tackles, 15 tfl) fronts.Elchert did a little bit of everything and put up impressive numbers doing it for L-B. The 6-3, 195-pound junior rushed for 991 yards and 17 touchdowns, had 206 yards and three TDs catching the ball and was the first-team all-BVC punter after averaging 47.4 yards per kick. Elchert also starred on defense as a first-team all-league linebacker (78 tackles, 13 tfl). His 20 TDs and 120 total points led the BVC.L-B's Seth Elchert doubled up in the all-BVC selections as well. Seth Elchert, a 6-3, 185-pound junior who has made an early commitment to the University of Toledo, led the BVC in receiving (58 recps., 840 yards, 9 TDs) and interceptions (8) and was first team at both receiver and defensive back.L-B's Trevin Libe was the first-team quarterback after throwing for 1,826 yards and 22 TDs with just six interceptions in 179 passing attempts. Garret Nealis, an all-Ohio soccer player for Liberty-Benton, was first-team all-BVC as a kicker, connecting on 49-of-49 PAT attempts and 8-of-11 field goals for 73 points.Green was a dual-threat weapon for an Ada team that was 8-2 during the regular season and finished third (6-2) in the standings in its first year in the BVC, The 5-8, 160-pound senior led the BVC in rushing yards (1,417), added over 1,000 yards throwing the football, and accounted for 28 total touchdowns.Dalton Amos, a 6-0, 265-pound senior, was a two-way first-team all-BVC lineman for the Bulldogs.Pandora-Gilboa's Andrew Miller (6-0, 215, sr.) and McComb's Elijah Gibbs (5-11, 265, sr.) were also first-team all-BVC on both offense and defense. Miller was selected first team at running back (996 yards, 14 TDs) and linebacker (49 t6ackles, 9 tfl), while Gibbs was first team on the offensive and defensive (64 tackles, 17 tfl) lines.Leipsic had a pair of all-BVC linemen in offensive tackle Lyzaya Berg (6-1, 195, sr.) and defensive end Quinn Westhoven (69 tackles, 26 tfl). Jayce Brecht (49 receptions, 741 yards, 6 TDs) as a receiver and defensive back Ty Lammers (58 tackles, 3 ints) were also first team for the Vikings.P-G lineman Eli Luginbill (6-2, 245, sr.) and defensive back Chase Meyer (47 tackles, 3 ints) were first-team for the Rockets. Van Buren's Mason Thorla-Lopez at receiver (39 recps., 616 yards, 6 TDs), McComb linebacker Brayden Shoop (52 tackles) and Arlington's Ayden Cavinee at defensive back (5 ints) completed the all-BVC first team.ALL-BVC FOOTBALLFIRST TEAM OFFENSELINE – Dalton Amos, sr., Ada; Lyzaya Berg, sr., Leipsic; Elijah Gibbs, sr., McComb; Eli Luginbill, sr., Pandora-Gilboa; Will Granger, sr., Liberty-Benton. RECEIVERS – Seth Elchert, jr., Liberty-Benton; Jayce Brecht, sr., Leipsic; Mason Thorla-Lopez, sr., Van Buren. RUNNING BACKS – Zach Elchert, jr., Liberty-Benton; Andrew Miller, sr., Pandora-Gilboa. ATHLETE – Levi Green, sr., Ada. QUARTERBACK – Trevin Lieb, sr., Liberty-Benton. KICKER – Garrett Nealis, sr., Liberty-Benton.FIRST TEAM DEFENSELINE – CJ Barbara, jr., Liberty-Benton; Quinn Westhoven, sr., Leipsic; Gibbs, McComb; Amos, Ada. LINEBACKERS – Austin Collert, jr., Liberty-Benton; Z. Elchert, Liberty-Benton; Brayden Shoop, sr., McComb; DEFENSIVE BACKS – S. Elchert, Liberty-Benton; Ayden Cavinee, jr., Arlington; Tyler Lammers, sr., Leipsic; Chase Meyer, jr., Pandora-Gilboa. PUNTER – Z. Elchert, Liberty-Benton.BVC OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR – Zach Elchert, Liberty-Benton; Levi Green, Ada.BVC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Austin Collert, Liberty-Benton.BVC OFFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE YEAR – Will Granger, Liberty-Benton.BVC DEFENSIVE LINEMEN OF THE YEAR – CJ Barbara, Liberty-Benton.BVC COACH OF THE YEAR – Scott Garlock, Liberty-Benton. SECOND TEAM OFFENSELINE – Isaac Schworm, Liberty-Benton; Parker Gallaspie, Pandora-Gilboa; Madden Amador, McComb; Barbara, Liberty-Benton; Colin Foreman, Leipsic. RECEIVERS – Brayden Lemire, Liberty-Benton; Kayleb Hickman, Ada; Lammers, Leipsic. RUNNING BACKS – Shoop, McComb; Cavinee, Arlington. ATHLETE – Grady Mason, Van Buren. QUARTERBACK – Cory Gerten, Pandora-Gilboa. KICKER – Andrew Allen, Ada.SECOND TEAM DEFENSELINE – Granger, Liberty-Benton; Landon Simon, Ada; Luginbill, Pandora-Gilboa; Brooks Hill, Van Buren. LINEBACKERS – Loukas Carter, Riverdale; Lucas Harrington, Van Buren; Ben Burkholder, Pandora-Gilboa; Zack Zimmerman, Ada. DEFENSIVE BACKS – Hickman, Ada; Thorla-Lopez, Van Buren; Reid Irwin, Liberty-Benton; Donavin Hepperly, McComb. PUNTER – James Patton, Van Buren.THIRD TEAM OFFENSELINE – Blaine Coleman, Arcadia; Parker Wright, Liberty-Benton; Jose Garcia, Leipsic; Caleb Robinett, McComb. Tommy Basinger, Van Buren. RECEIVERS – Octavian Gonzales, McComb; Meyer, Pandora-Gilboa; Brady Griggs, Arlington. RUNNING BACKS – Kaine Fisher, Ada; Burkholder, Pandora-Gilboa. ATHLETE – Trenton Heacock, Arlington. QUARTERBACK – Marc Kirkendall, Leipsic. THIRD TEAM DEFENSELINE –. Amador, McComb; Alex Rutschilling, Pandora-Gilboa; Austin Berger, Liberty-Benton; Schworm, Liberty-Benton. LINEBACKERS – Heacock, Arlington; Colin Niese, Leipsic; Trace Bryan, McComb; Lane Lee, Pandora-Gilboa. DEFENSIVE BACKS – Griggs, Arlington; Tommy Offenbacher, Leipsic; Connor Barbara, Liberty-Benton; Will Rampe, Van Buren.HONORABLE MENTIONADA – Broday Erickson, Trevor McGue, Blake Zoladz, Gavin Olfield.ARCADIA – Nick Myers, Kale Price, Owen Smith.ARLINGTON – Drew Metzger, Dawson Weihrauch; Lukas McIlroy, Mitch Hartzell.ELMWOOD – Javie Almaraz, Peyton Schafer, Garrett Harrison, Owen Traxler.LEIPSIC – Aaron Hazelton, Grant David, Marquise Williams, Kadin Schroeder.LIBERTY-BENTON – Maguire Hohman, Carson Griffin, Maddyx Vermillion, Asher Norman.MCCOMB – Grady Schroeder, Gracin Romero, Griffin Amador, Haiden Ebright.PANDORA-GILBOA – Landon Moore, Logan Moser, Caleb Doty, Landon Siefker.RIVERDALE – Kaleb Risner, Kydin Reed, Cale Young, Landon Bailey.VAN BUREN – Alex Homan, Brady Lance, Drew Phillips, Josiah Chapin. BOWLING UNITED METHODIST LEAGUE Men's high game: Jay Bowen 234Men's high series: Jay Bowen 667 Women's high game: Karen Wisner 189Women's high series: Samantha DeMuth 487