The Mount Vernon News sports department’s MVN ATHLETE of the WEEK is a weekly feature that spotlights local student-athletes and their schools. Based on their performances, we have asked coaches, ADs and community members to nominate worthy student-athletes. We select an ATHLETE of the WEEK and recognize other outstanding athletic accomplishments.
As the school year and local spring sports have ended, we recap the 2022-23 sports seasons and the student-athletes who have shown they stood above the competition. We take this time to honor the student-athletes who have been recognized here.
If you feel that an athlete has not been duly honored, please be proactive next school year and either nominate the athlete yourself (as a community member) or encourage your coaches to nominate a team member. Please send us your nominations, why they are deserving and a picture of them. Let’s give these student-athletes the recognition they deserve.
Last week, we presented 30 different females who were chosen ATHLETE of the WEEK, and this week, the spotlight is on the 27 males who were selected. Next week (June 17), we will present our female ATHLETE of the YEAR from three finalists, and June 24 will showcase the male ATHLETE of the YEAR from among three finalists.
Of the 27 males who were chosen ATHLETE of the WEEK for 2022-23, we had 11 multiple winners.
Our first Athlete of the Week was Dane Nauman (Highland football). Nauman started the season in a 17-14 win over Fredericktown, gaining 300 yards on 31 carries for a 9.7 ypc average, and on defense, he amassed eight tackles, six solos, 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack.
Teegan Ruhl (Fredericktown football). Ruhl led the Freddies to a win over Northridge, standing out on both sides of the ball. Ruhl carried the ball 18 times for 198 yards and two touchdowns, and had two receptions for 11 yards and a touchdown. He also returned two punts for 16 yards. On defense, he had four tackles, one tackle-for-loss and an interception.
Tyler Johnson (Centerburg football). In the Trojans’ 34-28 win over Worthington Christian, Johnson’s 15-yard touchdown pass to Jesse Rings was the game-winner with 2:56 left. It was his third TD pass to go with two TD runs, and he totaled 170 yards passing and 118 yards rushing in the game.
Nathan Streby (East Knox cross-country). At Seneca East's Stars, Stripes and Lights night cross-country run, Streby won the D-III event by nearly 15 seconds. He also won the Newcomerstown Invitational a week earlier.
Zane Sheets (Highland soccer). Sheets scored four goals and had a near-miss in Highland’s 6-0 win over Marian Harding. He had 14 goals and one assist through the Fighting Scots’ first nine games this season.
Dane Nauman (Highland football – his second). Nauman dominated Marion Harding with 336 yards rushing, scored four touchdowns and had 65 kickoff-return yards, giving him 401 all-purpose yards. Defensively, Nauman was the Scots’ leading force with 12 tackles, of which 4.5 were tackles-for-loss. He also had 1.5 sacks.
Levi Lyons (Danville football). At middle linebacker, Lyons, a two-time All-Ohio LB, led the Blue Devils’ 28-20 win over Cardington-Lincoln with 15 tackles – 12 solos, one tackle-for-loss, one sack and a hurry.
Matthew Bland (Mount Gilead football). In their 36-9 win over Northmor, Bland went over the 1,000-yard mark (1,035 yards) with 22 carries for 198 yards and three touchdowns (including a 77-yarder). He also rushed for two 2-point conversions and completed three of four passes for 28 yards.
Tyler Johnson (Centerburg football – his second). In the Trojans’ victory over Northmor, Johnson went 10-for-17 passing for 162 yards, rushed for 162 yards on 24 carries and scored six touchdowns.
Max Payne (Danville football). Payne led the Blue Devils to their first Devil-Dog Trophy win in five years. Against East Knox, Payne carried the ball 21 times for 186 yards with two touchdowns, gained 20 yards passing and threw a TD pass, caught two receptions for 18 yards, sprinted on a 75-yard kickoff return and kicked a punt that was downed at the 1-yard line.
Walker Weckesser (Danville football). In Danville’s 41-18 win over Windham in the first round of the OHSAA Division VII, Region 25 playoffs, Weckesser went 9-for-11 passing with five touchdowns and carried three times for 37 yards.
Kaiden Colopy (Danville football). The Blue Devils moved on to the OHSAA football District VII, Region 25 semifinals with a thrilling 42-41 win over Hillsdale. Colopy made an athletic grab as he fell out of bounds for a crucial first down, zig-zagged an end-around run for a TD, threw his body into a crushing block that freed teammate Max Payne for a 50-yard run and followed that with another TD run. To cap the performance, Colopy’s last-minute pass breakup preserved the win.
Levi Lyons (Danville football – his second). Danville moved on to the OHSAA football District VII, Region 25 finals with a 27-20 win over Lucas, spirited on by Lyons leading the “D” by racking up 21 tackles, including 11 solos and 10 assists.
Max Payne (Danville football – his second). In the District VII, Region 25 finals that ended in a nail-biting 22-21 loss to No. 1 Warren JFK, Payne went 3-for-5 passing for 20 yards and a touchdown and was the top Blue Devils’ rusher, gaining 100 yards on 20 carries and a TD. On defense, Payne had four solo tackles and eight assists.
Hudson Rohler (Mount Vernon basketball). In a season-opening 57-39 win over Centerburg, Rohler led all scorers in the game with 21 points.
Trenton Collins (Utica basketball). Collins scored 36 points in the Redskins’ season-opening 70-49 win over Mount Gilead. He finished with seven rebounds, three assists and three steals and came within five points of George Nash’s 41-point school record set in 1977.
Grant Bentley (Northmor basketball). Bentley put on a historic show with a school-record 45-point night as Northmor crushed Danville, 74-40. Bentley broke Jack Kegley’s record of 43 points, which was set in 1989. Bentley’s all-around night included nine defensive boards, four steals, an assist and a block.
Brady Lester (Fredericktown basketball). In Fredericktown’s 66-55 win over Lucas in the Fifth Annual Wendy’s MVNUnited Holiday HOOPLA, Lester poured in 18 points and grabbed six rebounds. One day earlier, the Freddies beat Northmor 55-47 led by Lester’s 13 markers and five boards.
Cael Gilmore (Highland wrestling). At the Marion Harding Classic wrestling invitational, Gilmore won gold at 138 pounds, and at the Tom Ellis Invitational, he moved up a weight class to win the title at 144 pounds.
Trenton Collins (Utica basketball – his second). Collins scored 26 points, grabbed nine rebounds, dished out seven assists, and had two blocks and two steals to lead the Redskins to a 64-50 win over Licking Valley. Collins followed that with a 20-point performance in Utica’s 55-34 win over Lakewood.
Matthew Bland (Mount Gilead basketball – his second). In a fight-to-the-finish basketball game between Mount Gilead and Northmor, won by the Indians 65-63, Bland sank 35 points, including six 3-pointers, grabbed seven rebounds and swiped three steals in the win.
Kaid Carpenter (Fredericktown basketball). In the Freddies’ 79-70 win over Danville, Carpenter netted 35 points, dished out three assists, and was a force on defense with six blocks and two steals.
Matthew Bland (Mount Gilead basketball – his third). Bland scored 21 points in a win over East Knox, knocking down three from beyond the arc and contributing five rebounds, four assists and one steal. With the effort, he surpassed 1,000 points for his career.
Trenton Collins (Utica basketball – his third). Collins scored 26 points and had five rebounds, five assists and three steals for the Redskins in their 64-44 win over Lakewood, and put on a show with some acrobatic dunks.
Austin Anderson (Mount Vernon swimming). Anderson won the 100-meter backstroke for the Jackets against Big Walnut and took four seconds off his best time.
Hudson Rohler (Mount Vernon basketball – his second). Rohler netted a 28-point performance in the Yellow Jackets’ 69-63 overtime victory over Northridge. In the season-ender vs. Watkins Memorial, Rohler followed up with 23 points.
Grant Bentley (Northmor basketball – his second). Bentley led the Golden Knights to a 62-44 OHSAA tournament semifinal victory over Delaware Christian, with 27 points on a night in which he hit five threes.
Cowin Becker (Northmor wrestling). At the Division-III District Tournament at Harrison Central in Cadiz, Becker was the only Knox County grappler to bring home gold, winning the 120-pound championship. The win brought Becker’s season record to 42-4.
Cooper Carpenter (Mount Vernon volleyball). In two winning matches the same day, Carpenter amassed 50 assists to go with seven kills, two blocks and eight digs vs. St. Vincent-St. Mary, and later that day, finished with 24 assists, six digs, two blocks and a pair of kills against St. Charles.
Jack Craigo (Mount Vernon track). At the Black Bear Relays, Craigo won the triple jump at 38-3, and he was third in the high jump at 5-10.
Grant Bentley (Northmor baseball – his third). Bentley pitched a no-hitter, walking one, hitting two batters and striking out five in a 2-0 win over Mount Gilead. At the plate, Bentley drove in the game’s first run with a third-inning single.
Bryar Householder (East Knox baseball). In EK’s 12-2 victory over Northmor, Householder went 3-for-3, with one walk, a double, three runs scored and one RBI. Toeing the slab, he pitched six innings without allowing an earned run. He struck out 10 and did not walk a batter.
Bryar Householder (East Knox baseball – his second). Winning back-to-back honors, Householder won with perfection. In the Bulldogs’ 10-0 win over Centerburg, Householder completed a perfect game with 14 strikeouts. He was also 2-for-5 at the dish, with the game’s only extra-base hit, a double, and two RBIs.
Grant Bentley (Northmor baseball – his fourth). In the Golden Knights’ 8-0 win over Danville, Bentley threw a complete game shutout, scattering four hits, all singles, while striking out seven and walking one batter. Bentley also went 2-for-4 with a walk and a run scored.
Landon Spearman (East Knox baseball). Spearman tossed a complete game one-hitter to lead EK to a 3-0 win. He struck out five, did not walk a batter and connected for a hit at the plate.
Jack Craigo (Mount Vernon track – his second). Craigo won a track event and a field event at the Jackets Invitational Track Meet at Mount Vernon High School. Craigo won the 110-meter hurdles and the high jump.
Kaid Carpenter (Fredericktown baseball – his second). In four games – all wins – Carpenter went 7-for-13 with five walks, to reach base 12 times in 18 at-bats, had 10 runs scored, three RBIs, three doubles and four stolen bases.
Grant Bentley (Northmor baseball – his fifth). Bentley stepped up again to lead the Golden Knights over No. 2 Fairfield Christian 6-1 in the district semifinal of the Division IV, Region 16 OHSAA state tournament. Bentley fired a two-hitter, going the full seven innings, allowing two walks and an unearned run.
We congratulate all of these winners and we will print the three finalists and female ATHLETE of the YEAR, June 17, and the male ATHLETE of the YEAR, June 24.
