Check out the 2023 All-Advocate football team
FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
STEELE MEISTER, NEWARK
Position: QB
Grade: Senior
Notable: Threw for 1,853 yards, 23 TDs; Ran for 455 yards, 12 TDs.
BRAYDEN BAYLES, HEATH
Position: QB
Grade: Senior
Notable: Threw for 2,266 yards, 25 TDs; Ran for 986 yards, 23 TDs.
BECKETT LONG, GRANVILLE
Position: QB
Grade: Junior
Notable: Threw for 2,841 yards, 29 TDs; Ran for 780 yards, 13 TDs
HAYDEN RODGERS, LICKING VALLEY
Position: QB
Grade: Senior
Notable: Threw for 1,762 yards, 20 TDs; Ran for 537 yards, 8 TDs.
KAYNEN LINDSEY, JOHNSTOWN
Position: RB
Grade: Senior
Notable: Ran for 1,668 yards, 19 TDs.
CONNOR CORBETT, HEATH
Position: RB
Grade: Junior
Notable: Ran for 1,337 yards, 16 TDs.
DANTE VARRASSO, GRANVILLE
Position: WR
Grade: Senior
Notable: Caught 74 passes for 1,168 yards, 13 TDs.
DRAYSON PETERSON, NEWARK
Position: WR
Grade: Junior
Notable: Caught 57 passes for 981 yards, 12 TDs.
GAVIN CHINN, UTICA
Position: WR
Grade: Senior
Notable: Caught 65 passes for 739 yards, 9 TDs.
KEEGAN JACKS, LAKEWOOD
Position: OL
Grade: Senior
Notable: Graded out at 91%.
MATTHEW LEHMAN, LICKING VALLEY
Position: OL
Grade: Senior
Notable: Graded out at 89%.
NATE WILLIS, NEWARK CATHOLIC
Position: OL
Grade: Senior
Notable: Graded out at 90%.
JACKSON PELZER, GRANVILLE
Position: OL
Grade: Junior
Notable: Blocked for offense that averaged nearly 400 yards.
BEN RADER, Johnstown
Position: OL
Grade: Junior
Notable: Blocked for running game that gained nearly 2,700 yards.
JACOB WHEELER, LICKING VALLEY
Position: K
Grade: Senior
Notable: Made 9 of 12 FGs, long of 41 yards.
DEFENSE
DAYLEN MCINTYRE, HEATH
Position: DL
Grade: Senior
Notable: Made 75 tackles, 9 sacks; Forced 2 fumbles.
AUSTIN ROSE, NEWARK
Position: DL
Grade: Junior
Notable: Made 42 tackles, 5 sacks.
DYLAN COOPERIDER, UTICA
Position: DL
Grade: Senior
Notable: Made 40 tackles, 6 for loss.
TANNAR PATTERSON, HEATH
Position: LB
Grade: Junior
Notable: Made 143 tackles, 7 sacks.
KYLE KIRBY, GRANVILLE
Position: LB
Grade: Sophomore
Notable: Made 103 tackles; Forced 2 fumbles.
LUKE CONAWAY, LICKING VALLEY
Position: LB
Grade: Junior
Notable: Made 89½ tackles, 4 sacks.
DREW BINGHAM, NORTHRIDGE
Position: LB
Grade: Senior
Notable: Made 64 tackles, 9 for loss.
ROCCO PASCHAL, WATKINS MEMORIAL
Position: LB
Grade: Sophomore
Notable: Made 127 tackles, 4½ sacks.
JOHN BANKS JR., WATKINS MEMORIAL
Position: LB
Grade: Senior
Notable: Made 64 tackles, 14 sacks.
JAKE LOPINTO, LICKING HEIGHTS
Position: DB
Grade: Junior
Notable: Made 114 tackles, 2 INTs.
D'ANGELO GOODRICH, LICKING HEIGHTS
Position: DB
Grade: Senior
Notable: Made 51 tackles, 2 INTs.
ISAIAH MITCHELL, LAKEWOOD
Position: DB
Grade: Senior
Notable: Made 35 tackles, 1 INT.
JACOB HOCHANADEL, JOHNSTOWN
Position: DB
Grade: Junior
Notable: Made 68 tackles, 8 for loss.
BRAYDEN WINDNAGEL, WATKINS MEMORIAL
Position: P
Grade: Junior
Notable: Long of 59 yards, 15 inside 20
SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
QB Drew Samsal, So., Watkins Memorial
QB Hayden Piper, Jr., Utica
QB Sam Marasek, Jr., Johnstown
RB Trenton Markus, Jr., Licking Valley
RB Gerald Banks, Jr., Watkins Memorial
RB Mikey Hess, Jr., Newark Catholic
RB Justin Giffin, Sr., Utica
WR Jaeden Ricketts, So., Watkins Memorial
WR Conner Toomey, Sr., Heath
WR Jakob Culver, So., Granville
OL Ian Rutherford, Sr., Granville
OL Chase Armstead, Sr., Heath
OL Brody Thompson, Sr., Johnstown
OL Shane Seville, Sr., Newark
OL Jimmy Bogle, Jr., Watkins Memorial
DEFENSE
DL Kelly Wendt, Sr., Newark Catholic
DL Titan Priest, Sr., Licking Valley
DL Ethan Whitt, Sr., Licking Heights
DL Reggie Crawford, Sr., Licking Heights
LB Cooper Phillips, Jr., Granville
LB Kaden Green, Sr., Heath
LB Riley Wheeler, So., Northridge
LB Tyler Collura, Sr., Utica
LB Sean Sheehan, Sr., Watkins Memorial
DB Alex Irvin, So., Newark
DB Adam Crawford, Sr., Lakewood
DB Logan Workman, Sr., Licking Valley
DB Theo Talbott, Jr., Newark Catholic
DB Ben Aamodt, Jr., Northridge
HONORABLE MENTION
Reece Shriner, Sr., Heath
Jacob Myers, Sr., Johnstown
Nate Lee, Sr., Lakewood
Josiah Ayers, Jr., Licking Heights
Caden Rhodes, Sr., Licking Valley
Jack Kopachy, So., Newark
Joey Couzins, Jr., Newark Catholic
Dylan Chambers, Jr., Northridge
Logen Fisher, Sr., Utica
John Apel, Jr., Watkins Memorial
PAST OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
2022 Mason Hackett, Newark Catholic
2021 Devon Haley, Granville
2020 Keshawn Bonner, Granville
2019 Mitchell Ford, Licking Valley
PAST DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
2022 Jace Henry, Watkins Memorial
2021 Gavin Postelwaite, Heath
2020 Dane Hogue, Heath
2019 Hayden Hile, Licking Valley
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Check out the 2023 All-Advocate football team
