As expected, Riverside senior running back Kale Long has been named the Northwest Central Conference offensive player of the year.
Long, who has rushed for a state-best 2,013 yards with one game still remaining, helped the Pirates to a second-place finish in the NWCC Lane Division this fall.
Perry won the Lane Division and Waynesfield-Goshen won the Dennis Division. Elgin’s Zach Winslow was the coach of the year and Perry’s Devares Glenn was the league’s defensive player of the year.
Long was a first-team selection to both the offensive and defensive all-league teams. He earned his defensive award after a stellar season at linebacker.
The Pirates’ Max Stephens was named to the first-team offense on the offensive line, while Riverside’s Deven Frilling earned first-team all-defense honors as a defensive back.
Earning second-team honors for the Pirates were Dylan Smith as an offensive lineman, Walker Whitaker as a defensive end and Kyle Robinson as a defensive end.
Collecting honorable mention awards for Riverside were Ethan Jackson, Landon Stewart and Warren Shockey.
Ridgemont had one first-team selection as running back Wade Gamble was named to the first-string offense.
Ridgemont’s Dylan Ward was selected to the second-team defense at linebacker, while honorable mention nods for the Gophers went to Austin Elsasser, Jayden Streets and Gabe Hamilton.
Along with Stephens, Long and Gamble on the NWCC first-team offense were Perry’s Ryan Yingst, Joseph Taviano, Jaquarius Austin, Hunter Klett and Demarion Gibson, Hardin Northern’s Owen Wetherill, Lance Good and Nevin Robson (at kicker), Waynesfield-Goshen’s Layton Campbell, Elgin’s Jacob Sheets and Lehman Catholic’s Conner Stewart.
The rest of the first-team defense was made up of Perry’s Gibson, Dyonte Parker, Klett and Devares Glenn, Upper Scioto Valley’s Connor Sanders, Elgin’s Nick Rivers and Carter Andrich, Crestline’s Ethan Clark, Lehman’s John Edwards and Michael McFarland and Hardin Northern’s Wetherill and Robson.
Joining Riverside’s Smith on the second-team offense were Hardin Northern’s Robson (at quarterback), Lehman’s Nathan Sollman, Elgin’s Kevin Kline, USV’s Jackson Rohrs and Tristan Fisher, Perry’s Terry Riley and Tim Hendley, Crestline’s Calvin Reed, Ridgedale’s Alec Gordon and W-Goshen’s Austin Birt and Ryder Siebeneck.
Filling out the second-team defense were Perry’s Javontae Cousey, Taviano, Riley and Yingst, Hardin Northern’s Mason Roby, USV’s Kadyn Hurley and Rohrs, Elgin’s Landon Mabe and W-Goshen’s Campbell.
The remaining honorable mention picks were Perry’s Elijah Caudill, Wyatt McElroy and Andre Clavell, Elgin’s Jordan McCormack, Jason Hines and Cy Starcher, Lehman’s A.J. Newson, Hayden Sever and Landon McIver, USV’s Blaine Castle, Kevin Smith and Jason Helton, Ridgedale’s Michael Burns, Adam Beard and Kyle Jolliff, W-Goshen’s Cooper Roberts, Blake Barnes and Jayden Elliott, Hardin Northern’s Wade Crooks, Brock Hipsher and Kobe Hooker and Crestline’s Brock Noblit, Austin Silverwood and Jake Bruce.