The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Finalists unveiled for Wilhelm Award
Five area standouts up for the award, winner announced Nov. 14
For 12 weeks, a watch list has been produced highlighting players to keep an eye on as candidates to claim the Matt Wilhelm Award.
When the playoffs began, that list was trimmed down to 10 players.
Now, with the award being presented during a ceremony at 7 p.m. Nov. 14 at the Hooley House in Westlake, the list has been trimmed to five finalists, selected from The Morning Journal’s 25-school coverage area spanning Lorain County and Western Cuyahoga County.
Here are the five finalists, in alphabetical order, with a brief biography of their accomplishments this season:
Nick Denney, Firelands
A traditional run-first team in years past, the Falcons adjusted into a balanced attack this year. Common sense would say that it would cause Denney’s numbers to falter, but that was not the case. Why? Because the senior standout adjusted his skillset with the team to become a multi-dimensional threat, nearly securing Firelands a playoff berth in the process. Denney had over 1,400 yards of offense this season, joining the 700-700 club with 738 rushing yards on 77 attempts (an average of 9.5 yards per carry) and 707 yards on 36 receptions. In other words, he had 1,442 yards on 113 touches — or an average of 12.8 yards per touch. Not many players are able to boast that kind of average with that many touches. He also has 19 touchdowns — eight rushing and 11 receiving — meaning he scored on 17 percent of his touches, another feat that is hard to achieve. But that was only one prong of Denney’s skill. Defensively, he had 39 tackles as a free safety, forcing a fumble and intercepting a pass. On special teams, he returned five kicks for 141 yards (28.2 average) and a touchdown, also blocking two field goals.
Ryan Maloy, Avon
It’s one thing to be the quarterback on the No. 1 ranked Division II team in Ohio. It’s another thing to be the quarterback who is a large reason that the team in ranked No. 1 in the state. Maloy is the latter. The Eagles have always boasted a relatively balanced offense between the pass and rush. And that did not change this year. However, that did not prevent Maloy from shining. Rather, it helped contribute to his success, giving him the chance to prove that he is a true dual-threat quarterback, passing for 20 touchdowns during the regular season while rushing for nine more. The junior has found the end zone in every game this year, passing for a touchdown in all of the regular season games. In the postseason, the playcalls in the red zone have had the Eagles relying more on the run, and he has adjusted as expected, rushing 19 times for 92 yards and two touchdowns. That is not to say that his passing numbers have faltered. Rather, he is just as deadly as he was during the regular season, completing 28 of 40 for 308 yards. That 70 percent completion clip is only a slight bit below his regular-season mark of 75 percent — yet another reason that he was one of the hardest quarterbacks to defend. For the season Maloy is 175-for-236 for an area leading 2,308 yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions, adding 11 touchdowns and 612 yards on 90 carries.
Trey Psota, Bay
The Rockets are one of three area teams still alive in the postseason, and Bay’s premier running back is the reason. He is also a large reason why the Rockets went undefeated in the regular season, became the first outright Great Lakes Conference champion and hosted a playoff game for the first time in program history. While Psota’s number in the regular season are nothing to shake your head at, the senior has turned his productivity up a notch in a pair of playoff victories. Against Mansfield, the senior rushed 21 times for 190 yards and four touchdowns. Against Padua, he had 26 carries for 145 yards and two touchdowns — adding a game-sealing interception for good measure — to bring his postseason numbers to 47 carries for 335 yards (7.1 yards per carry) and six touchdowns. For the season, Psota has 1,385 yards and 25 touchdowns on 169 carries, leads The Morning Journal area with 150 points and has 85 tackles, three interceptions and a forced fumble on defense.
Khennedy Scagliozzo, Amherst
Bursting onto the scene last year as a sophomore for 1,199 yards and 12 touchdowns, everyone knew Scagliozzo was going to be the heart and soul of the Amherst offense this year. They still could not stop him. And, without the junior’s skills, there is no way that Amherst would have been in contention for a playoff spot in the final week. Nor would the Comets have completed their first winning season since 2010. Scagliozzo is a well-rounded back. He can bully it up the middle to get the hard yards, cut it to the outside to dodge and weave around defenders and, should he get into the open field, he has the speed to burn defenders. Oh, and don’t forget that he can pass the ball. Occasionally lining up as the quarterback in Wildcat formations, Scagliozzo was 14-for-23 for 288 yards and four touchdowns. Add that to his rushing line of an area-leading 1,744 yards and 21 touchdowns on 268 carries, and you have an allaround threat.
Justin Sturgill, Lorain
There were a lot of questions surrounding the Titans after the graduation of a strong senior class last season. Sturgill made sure to stop those questions in Week 1. The senior quarterback was a rock for Lorain all season. However, more than that, he was a rock for the coaching staff. Sturgill’s coaches would have no problem letting the senior run the huddle and work, in essence, as an offensive coordinator. That’s a lot of trust to put in a senior, but Sturgill is no ordinary player. His football IQ is beyond that of a normal high school quarterback, and it seemed that he was always making the correct decision — a claim that is supported by his outstanding 22-to-3 touchdown to interception ratio during his 11 weeks of action. He was not simply smart with his passes, though, as he knows when to hold the ball and take it himself. For the season, Sturgill is 104for-175 for 1,424 yards, 22 touchdowns and three interceptions to go with six passes for two-point conversions, adding 70 carries for 293 yards and three touchdowns.