Manchester High School senior Ethan Wright HighlightsWatch one of Ohio's most prolific scorers ever in action. Who are Ohio's top returning high school football players entering the 2019 season? The Buckeye State has a deep talent pool. These are some of the sharks. Kickoff is coming.
Manchester senior Ethan Wright has rushed for 5,420 yards and scored 91 total touchdowns.
Photo by Jeff Harwell
Key names to know Fridays this fall.
Player, School, Ht, Wt, Graduating Class
* Marquael Parks, Orrville, 5-8, 150 (2021)Named first team
OPSWA Division V All-Ohio, Northeast Inland District Co-Offensive Player of the Year,
@EFRantzMP’s 2018 Ohio Player of the Year and a first team MaxPreps Sophomore All-American last year. Rushed for 2,799 yards and had nearly 500 yards receiving while accounting for 56 total touchdowns as the Red Riders won the state title. His 56 touchdowns and 336 points scored rank second all-time in state history for a single season. Was second team OPSWA All-Ohio as a freshman when he accounted for 22 touchdowns. Holds offers from Cincinnati and Toledo.
* Ethan Wright, Manchester (Akron), 6-1, 185 (2020)One of the state’s elite offensive players holds offers from Big Ten (Northwestern, Indiana, Rutgers and Minnesota), SEC (Vanderbilt), ACC (Duke) and Big 12 (Iowa State) schools. Has rushed for over 2,400 yards each of the last two seasons and has 5,420 career rushing yards and 69 touchdowns. His 91 total touchdowns, which rank 20th all-time in Ohio history, put him within striking distance of the state record (133). First team
OPSWA Division V All-Ohio, Northeast Inland District Co-Offensive Player of the Year and second team
@EFrantzMP’s All-Ohio.* Talyn Parker, Portsmouth, 5-11, 188 (2020)Named first team
OPSWA Division V All-Ohio and Southeast District Offensive Player of the Year after rushing for 2,532 yards and 29 touchdowns on 245 carries. Also set school single-game records for rushing yards (382) and touchdowns (five) against Chesapeake. Holds offers from Bowling Green, Toledo and Kent State.
* Jaden Rayford, Eastwood (Pemberville), 6-2, 195 (2020)Toledo commit is a two-time third team
OPSWA Division V All-Ohio selection. Ran for 1,454 yards and 14 touchdowns last year. Carried the ball 352 times for 2,205 yards and 35 touchdowns as a sophomore as the Eagles finished D-V state runner-up.
* Conner Wright, Trimble (Glouster), 5-10, 185 (2020)Two-time
OPSWA Division VII All-Ohio selection is the reigning Southeast District Offensive Player of the Year.
2018 Ohio HS Football Statewide Postseason Brackets* Riley Huelskamp, Anna, 5-10, 175 (2020)First team
OPSWA Division V All-Ohio, reigning Southwest District Offensive Player of the Year and two-time first team All-Midwest Athletic Conference selection. Set school single-season records for rushing touchdowns (24) and total touchdowns (27) last year en route to helping the Rockets earn a share of their first MAC title. Ran for 1,456 yards and had 1,904 total yards.
* Patrick Blubaugh, Pleasant (Marion), 5-8, 170 (2020)Two-time
OPSWA Division V All-Ohio selection. Rushed for 1,607 yards and 21 touchdowns last year after rushing for 1,100 yards and 15 touchdowns as a sophomore.
* Keegan Wilburn, Nelsonville-York, 5-10, 190 (2020)Ohio University commit named first team
OPSWA Division VI All-Ohio, the Southeast District Offensive Player of the Year and second team
@EFrantzMP’s All-Ohio after rushing for 1,039 yards and accounting for 21 touchdowns. Looking for third straight 1,000-yard plus season. Currently has 2,674 career rushing yards and 55 touchdowns.
* Cole Porter, Bellaire, 5-10, 170 (2020)Second team
OPSWA Division V All-Ohio selection set the program record for single-season rushing yards with 1,610 and 16 touchdowns on 288 carries.
* Brier Marthey, Tuslaw (Massillon), 5-8, 170 (2020)Second team
OPSWA Division V All-Ohio. Rushed for a school record 1,855 yards and 25 touchdowns as team broke a 10-year playoff drought.
2018 Ohio HS Football Statewide Statistics* Timmy Ferguson, Meadowbrook (Byesville), 5-9, 185 (2020)Two-time
OPSWA Division V All-Ohio.
* Trevor Moran, North Union (Richwood), 6-0, 185 (2021)Named third team
OPSWA Division V All-Ohio after rushing for 1,455 yards and scoring 21 touchdowns.
* Gabe Jones, West Jefferson, 5-11, 160 (2020)Third team
OPSWA Division V All-Ohio. Rushed for 1,287 yards and scored 22 touchdowns.
* Jack Foley, Bishop Ready (Columbus), 5-7, 145 (2020)Third team
OPSWA Division V All-Ohio. Rushed for 1,640 yards on 265 carries with 18 touchdowns.
* Conor Becker, Northmor (Galion), 5-11, 170 (2020)First team
OPSWA Division VI All-Ohio. Ran for 1,931 yards and 33 touchdowns as team went 9-1 in the regular season (program record) and earned a playoff spot. Also had 85 tackles. Finished with over 2,100 yards rushing. Won an OHSAA D-III state wrestling title at 170 pounds in March.
* Tyler Fisher, Fort Frye (Beverly), 5-10, 163 (2020)Second team
OPSWA Division VI All-Ohio selection ran for 1,200 yards and 17 touchdowns.
2018 Ohio HS Football Pictures
* Iann Cockrell, Paint Valley (Bainbridge), 5-11, 170 (2020)Third team
OPSWA Division VI All-Ohio.
* Christian Lautenschleger, Grove City Christian, 6-0, 140 (2021)Ran for 1,278 yards on 185 carries and scored 13 touchdowns en route to being named third team
OPSWA Division VII All-Ohio.
* Hunter Prince, Edgerton, 6-0, 195 (2020)Named first team
OPSWA Division VII All-Ohio and Northwest District Co-Offensive Player of the Year after rushing for 2,223 yards and 33 touchdowns.
* Mason Goers, Cardington-Lincoln, 5-9, 170 (2020)Two-time
OPSWA Division VII All-Ohio selection has also rushed for over 1,4000 yards in each of the last two seasons. Last year ran for 1,456 yards on 236 carries and scored 16 TDs. Also had 12 sacks, 15.5 TFL on defense. Ran for 1,422 yards as a sophomore.
* Alec Smith, Green (Franklin Furnace), 5-9, 180 (2020)Named third team
OPSWA Division VII All-Ohio after rushing for 1,034 yards and 15 touchdowns. Averaged 12.1 yards per carry for the Bobcats who reached the playoffs for the first time since 1990.
* Mason McClellan, Wellington, 6-0, 165 (2020)Second team
OPSWA Division VI All-Ohio. Had 1,325 all-purpose yards with 10 touchdowns. Carried the ball 200 times for 799 yards and had 17 catches for 357 yards.
