Over the past three weeks, we have spotlighted 40 Mount Vernon News female Athletes of the Week and 49 male Athletes of the Week recognized for their performances in 2021-2022. Last week, we presented the top-three females and the Athlete of the Year. Today, we narrow it down to the top three male athletes for the school year and announce the MVN Male Athlete of the Year.
So, who gets our call as athlete of the year finalists?
Is a one-sport beast more notable than an athlete who performs above others in multiple sports? Does a student-athlete who leads his team to a championship receive higher consideration than a teammate who inspires and delivers even though his team did not bring home a crown? Does a player who makes the big, clutch plays carry more weight than a player does with more imposing stats? We listened to the community for obvious contribution and behind-the-obvious intangibles.
First, we want to congratulate all student-athletes who earned Mount Vernon News Athlete of the Week honors and those who worked just as hard on and off the field, and performed brilliantly, but were not mentioned this year. We rely on coaches and the community to partner with us in making the nominations and we hope you community members, coaches and ADs will be proactive next year in making sure your children and relatives, community youths, student-athletes and school programs receive the recognition they deserve.
Moving forward to this year’s top male athlete, we will first announce the finalists, followed by the winner, though all three of these young men are winners.
MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR FINALISTS
Once again, the choices are not easy or quantitative. This is a difficult decision and many athletes deserved the honors, but based on community feedback we have selected three finalists. These three all deserved multiple additional nominations for their domination on the field of play. They were team leaders and all deserve the top spot, but there can be only one. These student athletes showed consistent high-skill and performance levels, team leadership, team camaraderie and dominance on the field and courts of play.
Division and conference play come into consideration and some athletes named player or runner of the year were deliberated upon whether they earned nominations here or not. Our three finalists all received nominations here.
Dane Nauman
Highland sophomore running back Dane Nauman won three nominations and easily could have been mentioned another three times. Nauman gained a school-record 2,532 yards rushing and was named to the OHSAA all-Ohio first team. Nauman and Northmor’s Max Lower were named KMAC co-Players of the Year, and Nauman led the KMAC in rushing, scoring and TDs.
His first nomination could have been for gaining 366 yards vs. Mount Gilead, but he got one two weeks later for a 252-yard game on 16 carries with four touchdowns vs. Danville. His second honoring was for 265 yards on 19 carries vs. Cardington-Lincoln. His third nomination was for a 304-yard game vs. Columbus Linden-McKinley in a Division IV regional first-round game.
Scots head coach Ty Stover praised his all-star on and off the field. “Dane is a two-way player for us but shines as a tailback on the offensive side of the ball. Dane is a wonderful teammate. He’s more of a leader, not because of his ability to carry a football, but his willingness to work and his ability to lead everybody,” Stover said. The coach added, “In our program, we preach our student-athletes to be better than a rating of 10; when being ranked we want to be an '11,' and Dane Nauman is an '11.'"
Caylan LeMaster
Centerburg two-sport star Caylan LeMaster shined in football and baseball. He received two football nominations, and the timing of several big weeks was overshadowed in baseball, but he could have earned several nods there as well.
In football, LeMaster tied for fourth in KMAC TDs and scoring and was fourth in kickoff return yardage to earn second-team status. In baseball, he was a two-way star and was fifth in the KMAC in slugging, 10th in hits, first in triples and seventh in RBIs on offense. On the mound, LeMaster led the conference in wins and was fifth in ERA and sixth in strikeouts.
His first nomination was for a four-touchdown game vs. Mount Gilead. LeMaster scored twice in the first 6 1/2 minutes, running to score from 32 yards out and from 64 yards away. He later caught a 19-yard TD pass, and on the ensuing kickoff he recovered a fumble for another score. On defense, he had four assisted tackles and the fumble-recovery score.
His second nomination was earned in leading his team, even through defeat. The sophomore scored all three of Centerburg’s touchdowns in a 28-25 loss to Fredericktown. Late in the game, LeMaster scored on an 86-yard kickoff return to close the Freddies’ lead to a field goal. For the game, LeMaster carried 13 times for 70 of the team’s 117 yards on the ground. He also caught two passes for 17 yards and on defense had two solo tackles and 11 assists, with three tackles for loss.
Centerburg coach Andrew Colella said, “Caylan is an explosive football player who can take it the distance any time he touches the ball."
Shane Knepp
East Knox Bulldog senior Shane Knepp is a three-sport star who won a record five Athlete of the Week nominations in 2021-2022. In football, he received KMAC and Divisional first-team honors for his play at defensive back, having recorded 81.5 tackles (42 solo) and two interceptions. He finished fifth in KMAC interceptions and sixth in tackles. On offense, Knepp led the conference in punt returns and yardage and was No. 1 in touchdown receptions, third in total receptions, fourth in scoring and sixth in kickoff return yardage.
Knepp also made first-team KMAC in basketball, leading the conference in scoring and steals. He was second in assists and ninth in blocks.
Nomination No.1 was for last-minute heroics. The East Knox senior had just finished completing a 49-yard catch-and-run inside the red zone. On the next play, he took a handoff and zigzagged past defenders for the game-winning TD vs. Highland. Knepp caught two passes for 63 yards and rushed 10 times for 34 yards and two TDs.
No. 2 was for nine receptions for 183 yards and four touchdowns vs. Glouster Trimble. He leaped high to bring down three jump-ball catches for touchdowns and caught a strike for a touchdown on an inside slant pattern. Knepp also made one solo tackle and assisted on three others on defense.
No. 3 was for basketball, with a run of 18 points vs. Mount Gilead, 25 points, five boards and four steals vs. Northmor and 19 points, four rebounds and two steals vs. Fredericktown.
No. 4, also for basketball, was for a three-game binge in a week of performances that saw 62 points, 14 rebounds and 13 steals, and three big fourth quarters.
Knepp’s fifth nomination was for spearheading EK’s basketball playoff run. In the Division IV Central District semis against Berne Union, Knepp scored 14 of EK’s 17 fourth-quarter points, including 8-for-9 at the line, to ensure a Bulldog victory. Three nights later, against Grove City, Knepp started the third with seven straight points and scored all 13 Bulldog tallies in the quarter, adding eight more in the fourth to cement EK’s 51-36 win and the District championship.
Bulldogs head coach Ryan Powell said, “Big time players play biggest in big games. Shane is the most skilled player I have ever coached, and he is a better leader than he is a player. He is the most coachable player I have ever been around; he is all-Ohio in multiple sports and a great student.”
The Mount Vernon News Male Athlete of the Year
As stated, the decision is a difficult one to reach. All three student-athletes deserve to be awarded the honor and many others who excelled in multiple sports in the area deserved to be considered. By a slim margin, due to his five nominations and multiple clutch heroics, the Mount Vernon News Male Athlete of the Year is Shane Knepp.
To coaches and community members, join us next fall as we resume our award process. Send us your choices for MVN ATHLETE of the WEEK, a recap of their prowess in competition and a photo of them and give them the community recognition they deserve. Encourage your community members and coaches to contact us each week. Send your selections to: mike.blake@mountvernonnews.com
