2019 Top 25 High School Football Rankings (Midwest Region)
#1
East St. Louis (IL) 14-0
East St. Louis beat Prairie Ridge 43-21 to win the Illinois Class 6A state title. This was their 9th state championship overall and the Flyers first since 2016. QB Tyler Macon helped East St. Louis secure the win with a 29-point second-half surge. He completed 13-of-19 passes for 306 yards and 3 touchdowns. Macon finished the season with 4,235 passing yards, had a 70% completion rate, and threw 39 touchdowns. The Flyers’ roster was loaded with FBS talent. C Javontez Spraggins (Tennessee) was the anchor on the offensive line. Antonio Johnson (Texas A&M) was a 2-way superstar for the Flyers. Johnson caught 39 passes for 837 yards and had 98 tackles on defense. DaMonta Witherspoon (Murray State) racked up 1,726 rushing yards and scored 33 touchdowns. Lawaun Powell (Murray State) caught 50 balls and had 800 receiving yards. Dominic Lovett (2021) is another 2-way standout that had 1,549 receiving yards and 77 tackles on defense. The defense was led by Kendrick Scarbrough (Truman State) with 151 tackles and 16 sacks. Darius Walker (Illinois State) had 131 tackles and Kevon Billingsley had 129 tackles. The Flyers will look to repeat in 2020 with all the great talent returning.
#2
De Smet Jesuit (MO) 14-0
De Smet Jesuit overcame a 20-7 deficit in the first half to beat undefeated Joplin 35-20 in the Missouri Class 6A State Championship game. This was their second state championship in school history and the last one since 2005. Rico Barfield (2021) and Taj Butts (2021) combined for just over 200 yards rushing and Army All-American Jordan Johnson (Notre Dame) caught 5 balls for 84 yards and a touchdown. The Spartans defense had 4 shutouts on the season and held opponents to only 8.57 points per game. Head coach Robert Steeples was named the All-American Bowl Coach of the Year. DB Jakailin Johnson is the No. 1 recruit in Missouri in the class of 2021 and will play in next year’s Under Armour All-American game. Mehki Wingo (2021) was the St. Louis area Defensive Player of the Year. Lanell Carr (West Virginia) was 1st Team All-St. Louis area at linebacker. Darez Snyder (2021) had an outstanding season at running back. Brady Wisecarver (6’5 290) and Hutson Lilibridge (6’4 295) are two Division 1 prospects in the 2021 class that were key players on the offensive line. Armon Wallace (Missouri State) and Dakote Doyle (2021) provided the strength in the trenches on defense.
#3
Pickerington Central (OH) 14-1
Pickerington Central beat Cincinnati Elder 21-14 to win their second Division 1 state title in three years. QB Demeatric Crenshaw (Youngstown State) completed 14-of-16 passes for 197 yards and two scores and rushed for 62 yards in the victory. Crenshaw finished the season with 1,558 passing yards, 14 touchdown passes, 1,267 rushing yards, and 17 rushing touchdowns. Nick Mosley (2021) rushed for 1,427 yards and scored 23 touchdowns. Lorenzo Styles (2021) was the leading receiver with 43 catches for 585 yards and 6 touchdowns. Mosley and Styles earned All-Ohio and 1st Team All-District honors. DE Ty Hamilton (6-3, 250) was a force all season and is headed to Ohio State next year. DT Abraham Alabi (6’4 310) was a beast in the heart of the defense and is going to Eastern Kentucky. Dominic Marasco led the team in tackles with 175. The Tigers have a talented group of underclassmen; FS Garner Wallace (6’5 180), DT CJ Doggette (6’2 260), LB Tyler Gillison (6’3 240), RB Gio Thomas (5’11 185), DT Donovan McClendon (6’6 295), and OT Kyle Imboden (6’4 290) to name a few that played key roles this season.
#4
Lincoln-Way East (IL) 14-0
Lincoln-Way East won the Illinois Class 8A state championship with a 12-0 shutout victory over Gurnee. The defense dominated and held Gurnee to only 36 yards of total offense. University of Michigan signee A.J. Henning (5-10, 183) rushed for 125 yards and scored the only touchdown of the game on a 56-yard run. Dominic Dzioban (Miami OH) kicked two first-half field goals. One was from 46 yards out and the other was a 48 yarder. The defense was anchored by 6-7, 220-pound DE Sean McLaughlin (Northwestern), and 6’4 240-pound DE Adrian Wilson (Bowling Green). Larry Burks (University of Indianapolis) was a 1st Team All-Conference defensive back. The Griffins had big wins against Chicago Marist, Flossmoor Homewood, and Nile Notre Dame.
#5
Chicago Mt. Carmel (IL) 14-0
Chicago Mt. Carmel beat Nazareth Academy 37-13 to win the Illinois Class 7A state championship. This was their 13th state title in school history. Mt. Carmel ran for 316 yards in the state final anchored by three-star guard Jalen Grant (6-3, 297), who signed with Bowling Green. Grant was also the Chicago Catholic League’s Most Valuable Player. Justin Lynch (2021) rushed for 120 yards and scored 5 touchdowns in the state final. Kenna Odeluga (2021) had 29 carries for 176 rushing yards. Lynch and Odeluga were 1st Team All-Chicago Catholic League and both will return to try and repeat in 2020. Troy Livermore led the team with 52 catches and 590 receiving yards on the year. Jaali Parker (2021) caught 29 passes for 545 yards and scored 7 touchdowns. Austin Maciel-Haygood and Lance Swain both had over 100 tackles on the season and made 1st Team All-Chicago Catholic League. Marty O’Brien and Mario Davis were also key contributors on defense and earned postseason honors.
#6
Mentor (OH) 13-1
Mentor lost to Pickerington Central 28-21 in the Ohio Division 1 state semifinal. This was the same team they lost to in the 2017 Division 1 state finals. Head coach Steve Trivisonno announced earlier in the season this would be his last season coaching Mentor. He had a great run winning 209 games and were Division 1 finalists 5 times over 23 seasons. The Cardinals fell a little short this season but still had an amazing year. Mentor beat St. Edwards two times (29-28 and 36-35 in overtime) and they knocked of Cleveland St. Ignatius. Ian Kipp (6’2 205) was a 1st Team All-State quarterback and was also the Player of the Year in his district. Kipp’s main targets were Luke Floriea (Kent State) and Nyzier Fourqueen (Grand Valley State). Brian Trobel rushed for over 1,700 yards and scored 19 touchdowns. The Cardinals were strong on defense all season led by LB Kyle Bischof (6-0, 220) who will play at Akron next year. Marco Toth (Case Western Reserve), Jackson Paglio (Mt. Union), and Chris Hatcher (Baldwin Wallace) all earned All-State honors. Brenan Vernon (6’5 245) did well at defensive end and is considered one of the top prospects in the 2023 class.
#7
Cincinnati LaSalle (OH) 13-2
Cincinnati LaSalle beat Massillon Washington 34-17 in OHSAA Division 2 state finals. Outside of knocking off undefeated Washington, the Lancers won big games against Cincinnati St. Xavier, Cincinnati Elder, and Toledo Central Catholic. QB Zach Branam (2021) passed for 1,676 yards, ran for 1,394 more, and totaled 35 touchdowns. RB Cameron Porter (5-11, 210) ran for 905 yards and 18 TDs. Porter signed with Northwestern. Gi’Bran Payne (5’11 195) rushed for 133 yards in the state championship game and is considered one of the top prospects in the 2022 recruiting class. Paul Haywood (6’4 310) and Gavin Robbins (6’4 280) were the top offensive linemen on the team. Haywood earned All-State honors as a sophomore. Another key weapon on offense was kicker Jake Siebert (Ohio State). He kicked a 43-yard and a 38-yard field goal in the state finals. Luke Thiemann (Navy) was a leader at linebacker on defense and Ben Levins was an All-State defensive lineman. The secondary is arguably one of the best position groups in the country with Jaylen Johnson (2021), Devonta Smith (2021), Lesa Jarmon (2021), and Jaymar Mundy (2021). All 4 have Power 5 offers.
#8
New Palestine (IN) 14-0
New Palestine defeated Valparaiso 27-20 to win its second straight Indiana Class 5A state championship. The Dragons have won 28 games in a row and have a 47-2 overall record since 2016. DE Kyle King (6-4, 242) and S Maxen Hook (6-2, 185) led one of the best defenses in the state and both made 1st Team All-State honors in Class 5A. King signed with Michigan State and Hook with Toledo. Charlie Spegal, a 5-10, 220-pound RB, signed with Indiana. Spegal was the Class 5A Player of the Year after rushing for 3,168 yards and scoring 55 touchdowns. Matt Brown (6’4 235), Richard Clevenger (6’1 205), Aven Jones (6’1 208), and Blake Austin (6’1 185) were all selected to the Class 5A Honorable Mention All-State teams. Brown, Clevenger, and Austin are all juniors. Tucker Reeves (6’4 260) and Luke Burgess (6’8 230) are two more underclassmen to keep a close eye on in the fall.
#9
Warren Township (IL) 13-1
Warren Township lost 12-0 to Lincoln-Way East in the Illinois Class 8A state championship game. The defense recorded six shutouts and did not give more than seven points in a single regular-season game. Led by DT Willis Singleton (6-2, 301) who signed with Iowa State, 6’3 210-pound LB Juan Delacruz (Western Illinois), 2021 prospect LB Malachi McNeal (6-0, 215), DB Josh Turner (Northwest Missouri State), and 6’4 255-pound DE Tommy Matheson (2021). Offensively, Derrick McLaughlin (Indiana State) rushed for 1,600 yards on the season and scored 21 touchdowns. Christian Phillips (Robert Morris-IL) caught 36 passes for 722 yards, rushed for 531 yards, and scored 21 total touchdowns. Jaiden Lowery (Robert Morris-IL) helped lead the way up front on the offensive line. Adam Saul (Illinois State) was a special teams weapon as a kicker. The last two seasons Warren Township has a 23-3 overall record.
#10
Massillon Washington (OH) 14-1
Massillon Washington went into the Ohio Division 2 State Finals game undefeated but came up short against Cincinnati LaSalle 34-17. The Tigers completed their second straight 14-1 season. They had great wins against Archbishop Hoban (11-2), Penn-Trafford (PA/11-2), and Gateway (PA/12-3). The team was led by QB Aidan Longwell (2021), WR Jayden Ballard (2021), and RB Terrance Keys (Akron). Longwell was the Ohio Division 2 Offensive Player of the Year. Ballard is a 6-3, 175-pound junior and is verbally committed to Ohio State. Keys earned 2nd Team All-State and is headed to Akron. Andrew Wilson Lamp (2021) was a 2nd Team All-State wide receiver and he also has Power 5 offers. Cole Jones (Findlay), Terrence Rankl (6’5 290), and John Kouth (2021) were the keys bigs up front on offense. Rankl is a Power 5 prospect. Luke Murphy, Caiden Woullard (6’4 215), and Preston Hodges were 3 defensive players that all earned All-State honors.
#11
Nazareth Academy (IL) 13-1
Nazareth Academy lost to Chicago Mt. Carmel 37-13 in the Illinois Class 7A state final. Even though they didn’t play as well as they would like, Nazareth has still won three state titles in the past six years. QB J.J. McCarthy (6-2, 195) is already committed to Michigan. He passed for 2,920 yards and 34 touchdowns on the season. Derrick Strongs (Nebraska Kearney) rushed for just over 900 yards and scored 11 touchdowns, including a 62-yard touchdown run in the state finals. Tyler Morris (2022) caught 71 balls for 1,262 receiving yards and scored 17 touchdowns. Landon Morris (6’5 210) caught 32 passes for 522 yards and scored 5 touchdowns. Chaddrian “CJ” West (Kent State) led a talented defensive front four. Ryan Keeler (6’5 250), Drew Hughes (6’4 256), and Daine Hanson (6’7 235) all excelled on the defensive line and are high Division 1 prospects. Riley Theobald (Drake), Darnell Hanson (Upper Iowa), Marcus Griffin (Grand Valley State), Amarion Evans (6’2 230), Jailon Welch (Southern Illinois), and Robert Gurley (University of Indianapolis) were also standouts on defense.
#12
Lakewood St. Edward (OH) 11-2
St. Ed’s lost to Mentor 36-35 in overtime in the Ohio Division 1 state playoffs. Their only other loss was to Mentor 29-28 in Week 1. Outside of those 1-point losses, they were perfect on the year. The Eagles had big non-conference wins against National Christian Academy (MD), Detroit Cass Tech (MI), Cathedral Prep (PA), Cincinnati Elder, and Cleveland St. Ignatius. WR Montorie Foster (6-2, 175) and OLB/DE Jeff Pietrowski (6-1, 235) are both headed to Michigan State. Pietrowski was the Defensive Player of the Year in Ohio and in Greater Cleveland and led the Eagles in almost every defensive category. RB Joey Formani (5-11, 205) rushed for 1,694 yards, scored 24 touchdowns, and signed with Bowling Green. Offensive Center Brian Kilbane is also headed to Bowling Green. Ronan Chambers, a massive 6’6 270-pound offensive tackle was 3rd Team All-State and will play at Akron. WR Nate Simon and TE Nick Dottore will join Chambers at Akron. Logan Nash was a 1st Team All-State defensive back and signed with Princeton. Trey Bixby (6’4 235) had a nice sophomore season and is one of the top prospects in the 2022 recruiting class. Donovan Stanley (Duquesne), Alex Colangelo (Robert Morris), Lawson Nash (Princeton), Michael Lombardo (John Carroll), Richard Johnson (Seton Hill), and Nate Stuart (Kenyon) were other seniors that will play at the next level.
#13
Joplin (MO) 13-1
Joplin lost in the Missouri 6A state championship to #2 De Smet Jesuit 35-20. Isaiah Davis (South Dakota State) led the offensive rushing attack with 2,283 yards and scored 45 touchdowns. Blake Tash (Evangel University) completed 76% of his passes and threw for 2,787 yards and had a 31 to 3 touchdown to interception ratio. Zach Westmoreland (Southern Illinois) was a standout 2-way player that dominated all season. He caught 106 passes for 1,631 yards and scored 21 touchdowns. Nathan Glades (2021) rushed for 471 yards, caught 38 passes, and scored 8 total touchdowns. He led the team with 7 interceptions and had 44 tackles. Scott Lowe (140 tackles), Holden Ledford (135 tackles), and Eli Eminger (104 tackles) were the leaders on defense.
#14
River Rouge (MI) 13-1
River Rouge beat Muskegon 30-7 to win the Michigan Division 3 state title. Rouge had impressive wins in 2019 against Detroit Catholic Central, Harper Woods, Southfield, and Orchard Lake St Mary. The Panthers had one of the most talented teams in Michigan with a pair of Eastern Michigan commits – CB David Carter (6-0, 170) and WR Xavier Smith (5-10, 160) – and ILB Deshawn Walker (6-1, 210) who is headed to Toledo. De’Andre Bulley (Morgan State) rushed for 1,820 yards and scored 19 touchdowns. He had a huge offensive and defensive line that dominated the line of scrimmage. DeKare Spicer (6’1 250), Tyler McMillan (6’5 315), Davonte Miles (6’5 240), Chance Moore (6’4 288), Pius Odjugo (6’3 315), and Jalen Johnson (6’3 310) were all key players in the trenches. Joshua Wiley (JUCO) and Armorion Smith (2021) were two talented and hard-hitting safeties on defense. WR Chastin Cross had a good season and will attend Western Illinois.
#15
Cincinnati Elder (OH) 12-3
Elder lost to Pickerington Central 21-14 in OHSAA Division 1 state championship. This was their first state championship appearance since 2008 and 4th overall. The Panthers were led all season by a trio of the top 2020 recruits in Ohio – OG Jakob James (6-5, 285), TE Joe Royer (6-5, 225), and OG Luke Kandra (6-5, 305). Kandra is headed to Louisville and James and Royer both signed with Ohio State. QB Matthew Luebbe finished the season 2,285 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, 1,224 rushing yards, and 12 touchdowns. Luebbe earned 1st Team All-Ohio honors. Colton Sandhas earned 3rd Team All-Ohio as a defensive back. Some of their top underclassmen include TE David Larkins (6’5 225), OT Drew Beckenhaupt (6’4 290), LB Gaillin Mitchell (6’1 225), and LB Joseph Stemler (6’3 215).
#16
Toledo Central Catholic (OH) 13-1
Toledo Central Catholic lost in the Division 2 state semifinal to eventual state champion Cincinnati LaSalle, 35-21. This was their 6th state semifinal appearance in the last 8 years. They won state championships in 2005, 2012, 2014, and were runner-ups in 2015. Head coach Greg Dempsey was the Coach of the Year in Northwest Ohio. RB Jonzell Norrils (Akron) rushed 274 times for 1,864 yards (6.8 average) and scored 29 total TDs. He has 2,754 career yards on 417 carries. On the offensive line, Jamon Gibson (6’2 280) earned 2nd Team All-Ohio and Chris Sennett (6’5 285) was Honorable Mention All-State. Carter Fouty (Air Force Academy) is a 6’5 280-pound 2-way player that made 2nd Team All-Ohio on the defensive line. Semaj Cross (Lafayette College), Ja’Kobe Crowell (5’11 215), Kendal Marshall (6’2 230), and Jacob Jackson (6’0 280) were all selected to one of the All-Ohio teams for their performance on the defensive side of the ball.
#17
Archbishop Hoban (OH) 11-2
Hoban lost to Massillon Washington 17-14 in Ohio Division 2 state quarterfinal. This was a rematch of the 2018 Division 2 State Championship game when Hoban won 42-28. This year they were not as fortunate. Three-star TE Caden Clark (6’4 245) and four-star RB DeaMonte Trayanum (5-11, 220) were the keys for Archbishop Hoban’s successful 2019 campaign. Clark signed to play at Alabama next season while Trayanum is headed to Arizona State. Jake Burns (6’2 295) was 1st Team All-State and QB Shane Hamm (2021) earned 2nd Team All-State. Devin Hightower (Michigan State) was the Division 2 Defensive Player of the Year in Ohio. Darryl Peterson (2021) and Damon Ollison (2021) were impact players of defense and both made 1st Team All-State. Keep an eye on LB Chances Carter-Hill (6’3 215), CB Alvin Stallworth (6’0 190), and LB Luke Bauer (6’0 230) in the 2021 class.
#18
St. Xavier (OH) 9-3
St. Xavier lost to Cincinnati Elder 28-24 in the Ohio Division 1 state playoffs. The Bombers had big wins against Cleveland St. Ignatius, Cincinnati Colerain, Brownsburg (IN), Penn (IN), and Cathedral (IN). The offense was led by a pair of FBS recruits in 2020 pro-style QB Matthew Rueve (6-4, 185), who led the Cincinnati Greater Catholic League in passing completing 64 percent of his passes for 3,126 yards and 28 TDs. Rueve is headed to Boston College. One of his primary targets was 6-4, 225 TE Marshall Lang (86 receptions, 1,012 yards, 10 TDs) who signed with Northwestern. Liam Clifford (2021), a 2nd Team All-State performer, was another great target for Rueve in the passing game. Tucker Hundley was a 3rd Team All-State defensive back. Brian Parker (6’5 265) and Cameron Collins (6’4 260) are great offensive line prospects in the 2022 class.
#19
Colerain (OH) 11-2
Colerain lost to Cincinnati Elder 28-21 in the Ohio Division 1 state quarterfinal. Shawn Cutright was the Greater Miami Conference Coach of the Year. The Cardinals defense was outstanding led by three-star safety Deshawn Pace who had 67 tackles, 36 solo, three fumble recoveries, and two interceptions. Pace signed with Cincinnati and was the Ohio Division 1 Defensive Player of the Year. Dontay Corleone (2021) earned 2nd Team All-State as a defensive tackle and Ace Ehrenschwender (6’0 280) was Honorable Mention All-State. The Cardinals had 3 great linebackers with Elijah Ford (6’3 210), Xander Kendall (6’0 215), and 2-way star Jaylen Thomas (6’0 190). Ford is going to Eastern Kentucky, Kendall and Thomas are two of Colerain’s top prospects in the 2021 class. Thomas rushed for 962 yards, had 273 receiving yards, and scored 10 total touchdowns. DE Donvan Owens (6’2 230) and OG Cameron Carnes (6’2 265) made 1st Team All-Greater Miami Conference (GMC). CB Sean Williamson (6’0 165), OG Dalon Peart (5’11 285), DL LT Johnson (5’10 220), QB Freddie Johnson (5’10 170), RB Hamzah Abdul-Waheed (5’7 175) all made 2nd Team All-GMC.
#20
Carmel (IN) 11-3
The Greyhounds won the Indiana Class 6A state championship with a 20-17 win over conference rival Center Grove. The Greyhounds had one of the most talented rosters in the state with four FBS prospects. DT Cole Brevard (6-3, 305) was the state’s top player and signed with Penn State. LB Ty Wise (6-2, 225) is going to Indiana and finished the season with 112 tackles and earned All-State honors. RB Dylan Downing (5-11, 212) is headed to UNLV. He rushed for 1,092 yards, averaged 7.2 yards per carry, and scored 12 touchdowns. He was the workhorse in the state finals game, rushing for 104 yards. OG Thor Kracht (6-3, 270) is off to Kent State. DB Garrett Sharp was also 1st Team 6A All-State and had 107 total tackles. He is going to Harvard. Justin Pickett (6’7 310) was Honorable Mention All-State as an offensive lineman and is one of the top prospects in the Class of 2021. Dominic Padjen (2021) led the team in tackles with 125. Andrew Turvey (6’2 220) is another LB in the 2021 class that had 87 tackles during his junior season. Colton Parker (2021) caught 29 passes for 580 yards and scored 7 touchdowns.
#21
Muskegon (MI) 13-1
Muskegon lost 30-7 to River Rouge in the Michigan Division 2 state final. They were the #1 team in Michigan throughout the season. The team had big wins against Detroit King, Warren DeLaSalle, and beat East Grand Rapids twice. The Big Reds won 13 straight behind four-star dual-threat QB Cameron Martinez, an Ohio State commit. Martinez rushed for over 1,800 yards and scored 32 touchdowns. He was 1st Team All-State and was the Player of the Year in the Muskegon area. DE Jordan Porter (6-3, 245), a Bowling Green commit, led the Muskegon defense. Billie Roberts (6’5 275) was the anchor on the offensive line and he will also attend Bowling Green. Tommy Watts rushed for 852 yards and scored 17 touchdowns. Tarran Walker (5’10 215) was the Defensive Player of the Year in the Muskegon area. The Big Reds had one of the best secondaries in the state with Tyreese Oaks (2021), Julius Sims (2021), Kolbe Lewis, Amari Crowley (2021), and Myles Walton (2022). One of the Big Reds top underclassmen is Dametrius Walker, a 6’5 260-pound defensive end.
#22
Wayzata (MN) 13-0
Wayzata beat Champlin Park 35-20 to capture the Minnesota Class 6A state title. RB Christian Vasser (6-1, 210) ran 49 times for 285 yards and five touchdowns. On the season, he had 1,887 rushing yards and scored 21 touchdowns. Vasser signed with Division II Minnesota State. Joe Salonek (6’2 260), Tyler Magnuson (6’5 240), and Alec Rasmussen (6’6 255) led the way for the Knights on the offensive line. On defense, LB Loshiaka Roques (North Dakota State), DB Sam Robertson (North Dakota), DE Joe Demro (6’3 230), and FS Anthony Ukofia (6’1 190) all made All-State on the defense.
#23
Muskego (WI) 14-0
Muskego defeated Bay Port 21-10 to win the Wisconsin Division 1 state championship. Hunter Wohler (6-2, 190) is a four-star 2021 safety who helped Muskego hold Bay Port to just 195 yards of offense in the state final. Wohler is verbally committed to Wisconsin. Alex Current (2021) rushed for 1,540 yards and 22 touchdowns on 115 carries, averaging 13.4 yards per attempt. He also caught 11 passes for 238 yards and three scores in addition to returning a kickoff for a TD. Jacob Leszczynski (6’4 310) earned 1st Team All-State and All-Region honors. He along with Ethan Jauquet (6’3 245) and Terrin Hey (6’8 305) were the guys up front that led the way. LB Bryan Gruehn (6’0 200), LB Richard Wauer (6’1 185), and kicker Shane Dunning (5’11 170) all earned postseason honors.
#24
Davison (MI) 12-2
Davison beat Brighton 35-25 in the Michigan Division 1 state final. 2021 QB Brendan Sullivan (6-3, 185), who has 10-plus offers, completed 14-of-19 passes for 290 yards and a touchdown to lead Davison to its first-ever state championship. He has completed 151 of 228 passes (67%) for 2,754 yards and 32 touchdowns on the season. Sullivan rushed 77 times for 366 yards and 9 TDs. Caleb Smith led the ground attack with 961 rushing yards on 149 carries while scoring 16 TDs. He was also a key threat in the passing game catching 23 passes for 434 yards and another TD. Latrell Fordham was the team’s leading receiver with 45 catches for 866 yards and 11 TDs. Lucas Edgar (2021) and Isaac Norton (2022) were the top offensive linemen on the team and both earned postseason honors. Logan Pasco (Youngstown State) led the team in tackles with over 130 total on the season. He also made big plays with 20.5 tackles for loss, 5 interceptions, and 2 defensive touchdowns. Harry Unger (2021) was a force on the defensive line racking up 23.5 tackles for loss and 7 sacks. Pasco and Unger were on the Flint Area Dream Team.
#25
Dowling Catholic (IA) 12-1
Dowling Catholic won the Iowa 4A State Championship with a 21-16 victory over Valley. The Maroons lost 29-22 to Valley in week 1 of the season. Gavin Williams (6’0 210) was a 1st Team All-State RB and rushed for 141 yards and 2 touchdowns in the state finals. On the season, the Iowa commit rushed for 1,263 yards and scored 18 touchdowns. Charlie Nank (6’4 285) and Ryan Boles (6’4 300) were the top offensive linemen on the team. Nank was 1st Team All-State and is headed to Miami (OH). Boles will play for the University of Chicago. Andrew Lentsch is a 6’5 230-pound tight end and the best prospect in their 2021 recruiting class. On defense, Jackson Filer (6’3 210) was 1st Team All-State and had 19.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks. Michael Keough was a 1st Team All-State defensive back. He had 74 tackles on the season, 10.5 tackles for loss, and 5 interceptions. Michael had a pick-six in the 4A state semifinal game and had one interception in the championship game.
