The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Avon’s Pappas commits to Baldwin Wallace
Niko Pappas made a name for himself at Avon and is now looking to do the same at the next level.
After completing a storied high school football career at Avon, the former Eagles quarterback announced Feb. 8 on Twitter that he committed to play football at Division III Baldwin Wallace of the Ohio Athletic Conference.
“I visited there and I loved the coaching staff and the campus,” said Pappas. “I felt like it was a great fit for me and my future.”
Avon coach Mike Elder was pleased to hear about his former player’s decision.
“I am really excited,” Elder said. “I think it’s a really good fit. It’s nice for his parents because it’s close enough to home where he is going to be able to play and his parents will be able to see him play all of his games. I’m excited for him.”
Pappas narrowed his list of potential schools down to four with the finalists being Akron, Valparaiso, Lake Erie College and BW. The senior liked what BW has to offer academically and athletically.
“Definitely the campus and the coaching staff,” said Pappas when asked why he chose BW. “The coaching staff and the culture is what drove me to the program. I love what they have going there and I love what they are building. I also love the career opportunities that the school offers.”
The senior quarterback led Avon to a 10-1 record en route their fourth straight Division II state semifinal appearance this season. He threw for 1,839 yards and 21 touchdowns, while also completing 66% of his passes. Pappas also utilized his legs often, rushing for 700 yards and nine scores.
The senior also appeared in the Eagles’ secondary in 2020. He played in five games, recording 19 tackles and one pass breakup.
“His performance speaks for itself,” Elder said. “I think anybody who watched him play understands that because of Niko Pappas, we had a chance against everybody on our schedule. We were able to win 10 of those games and only lose one. In that (loss), if it wasn’t for Niko, I don’t know that we would have been in the game tied up in the fourth quarter against Akron Hoban.”
Pappas racked up numerous accolades for his on-field performance in 2020. Most notably, the senior was awarded the 2020 Golden Helmet Award. The award is given annually to Lorain County’s top senior football player.
Pappas is the fourth player in Avon history to win the award. He joined Zack Mitchell in 1996, Ryan O’Rourke in 2008 and Matt Eckhardt in 2011.
Pappas was also a Division II Northeast Lakes District first team selection, the Northeast Lakes District offensive player of the year, the Southwestern Conference offensive player of the year and a first team Morning Journal all-star among others.
“What people don’t see outside of his athletic performance is his leadership abilities,” said Elder. “He’s quite honestly the best servant leader we’ve probably ever had here. He has a way of making everyone around him feel important, valued and respected. That’s adults and kids and to me, that’s what separates him. His leadership skills and his intangibles are off the charts.”
Pappas has his sights on becoming the Yellow Jackets’ starting quarterback and is looking forward to getting to campus in the fall.
“Every team only has one QB on the field at a time and one QB for most of the season,” Pappas said. “It definitely would be special to be able to play QB there.”
The humble Pappas had a lot of people to thank for helping him get to where he is now.
“I loved going through the (Avon) program,” said Pappas. “It was definitely my coaches, my teammates, past QBs, my brother and my parents who helped me get to where I have gotten to and helped me accomplish what I did.”