Football and volleyball rule the local sports world.
The Mount Vernon News sports department’s fifth group of ATHLETE OF THE WEEK nominations take up where the previous student-athletes left off … with talent and performance.
Based on performances, we ask ADs, coaches and the community to nominate one boy and one girl from their athletic programs to compete against other schools’ nominations. We ask for a recap of their worthy performances and a picture. Please send your nominations to me, Mike Blake, MVN Sports Editor, at mike.blake@mountvernonnews.com. Make sure YOUR school is represented.
This week’s nominees show six football stars from four schools vying for top male athlete and two volleyball teammates who displayed talent and leadership on the court,
MALE ATHLETE
Northmor’s senior quarterback Marcus Cortez was a perfect 7-for-7 passing and led the Golden Knights to score early and often in cruising to a 49-16 victory last week against Mount Gilead. The 5-foot-10-inch field leader threw for 120 yards and four touchdowns and ran for 155 yards and two TDs. He was in on five scores in the first 16:15 of the game, beginning with a 38-yard run to pay dirt less than 3 minutes in. Northmor head coach Scott Armrose said, “Marcus has worked hard to go from being an athlete playing quarterback, to becoming a good quarterback. He put in the time in the offseason working with his receivers on routes and timing and the time in studying the playbook to understand the things that we do on offense. He is also an excellent leader in our program on and off the field.”
Mount Vernon’s junior running back Evan Owens set the tone for the Yellow Jackets’ 21-13 Homecoming victory over Mansfield Madison. He rushed for 92 yards in the third quarter, setting up a pair of touchdowns, and finished with 171 yards on 27 carries, but it was his 10 carries in the third quarter that made the difference Friday, starting with a 16-yard bulldozer run in the second half to set up a touchdown. On their next drive, the Jackets gave Owens the ball for six straight plays, earning three first downs to set up another score. Mount Vernon head coach Mike Kerr said, “Evan is a tremendous young man. As a player, he is a coach's dream. He is willing to do whatever is needed and always puts the team first. In addition to his outstanding year as a running back, he has also played almost every position on defense and has spent the last few games as a very undersized nose guard. He attacks everything with a positive attitude and a smile. His teammates know that no matter the situation, Evan will give everything he has but find a way to do it with a smile. He is truly one of a kind.”
When there is a team effort on the field, sometimes a group of athletes deserve recognition. A trio of gridiron players from Danville has been nominated. Danville Bulldogs assistant coach Matthew Blum said, “We have three young men who all deserve Athlete of the Week honors for their efforts in the 46-16 win over Cardington-Lincoln."
Junior Quarterback Max Payne led the Blue Devils' offense to five touchdowns himself, completing 10 of 12 passes for 213 yards and four touchdowns, while carrying the ball eight times for 26 yards and a TD. Blum said, “Max was accurate throwing the ball and physically running the ball all night. He is now getting back into the groove playing quarterback after breaking his hand in our first game and playing running back for four games."
Danville junior wide receiver Kaiden Calopy earned his second nomination of the year with six acrobatic catches for 140 yards and two touchdowns. Blum said, “Kaiden put the game out of reach with his big plays throughout the first half. He is our team-leading wide receiver and is a constant force on defense from his safety position.”
Blue Devils sophomore defensive end Kendall Carter gets a nomination for his 14 tackles in attacking the Pirates. Blum said, “Kendall was a wrecking crew on the offensive and defensive lines. Kendall has started at three different positions on the offensive line and has excelled at all of them, while leading the defensive line in tackles”.
Highland sophomore running back Dane Nauman is also a second-time nominee. For the season, in eight games, he has gained a monster 1,797 yards on 162 carries, with 18 touchdowns. Scots head coach Ty Stover said, “Dane is a two way player for us but shines as a tailback on the offensive side of the ball.” Shine he did in Highland’s 45-26 victory over Cardington-Lincoln, as he carried 19 times for 265 yards and three touchdowns.
FEMALE ATHLETE
As with the boys above, sometimes a team gets its drive from one more than one athlete, and they all deserve to be honored. In a week for Centerburg’s volleyball team in which they played multiple matches, Trojan head volleyball coach Abigail Boudinot and Centerburg AD Rich Porter nominated a pair of volleyball players.
Junior Gwyn Sands played in 15 sets in one week and totaled 41 kills, 20 blocks and 6 aces. In the match against Fredericktown, she finished with 15 kills, four aces and 12 blocks. Porter, the Centerburg AD, said, “Gwyn is the engine of the team. She keeps them going with the energy that radiates off of her. She has been a powerhouse in the middle for us and is always encouraging the team.”
Also for Centerburg, sophomore Stella Weisbrod played in 15 sets and had 52 kills in 154 attempts and came up with 48 digs. AD Porter said, “Stella has contributed to the Centerburg volleyball program in many ways. She is an excellent athlete on the court, and has given the younger players someone to look up to. She is also an excellent student in the classroom. She competes very well in every position on the court and is a huge asset to the team.”
Congratulations to all of the nominees … you all deserves top honors.
This week’s MOUNT VERNON NEWS ATHLETES of the week are: Marcus Cortez for being perfect while accounting for five scores in 16:15, and Gwyn Sands for demonstrating offense – 41 kills and 6 aces – and net defense – 20 blocks, winning by an eyelash over her talented teammate.
