The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Chardon players pick Youngstown State
Nathanael Sulka and Alex McDonald have led their football teams to greatness both at the youth league and high school levels.
The pair of standout athletes at Chardon will now be teaming up in an attempt to do the same thing on the college level.
Sulka and McDonald have both committed to play football at Youngstown State University next year. They will sign national letters of intent later this fall to cement their pledges.
Sulka is a 6-foot-4, 210-pound outside linebacker, while McDonald is a 6-foot-3, 205-pound tight end.
“I’m super excited about it,” said Sulka, who made his decision last week before the Hilltoppers broke fall camp for the 2021 season.
“So am I,” McDonald added. “We’ve been teammates for a long time. I can always count on him to push me harder.”
Sulka and McDonald pointed out they weren’t a package deal for Youngstown State. It just worked out that way. Sulka had feelers from many schools, including Iowa State, while McDonald said he had a couple of Division II opportunities in front of him.
Coach Doug Phillips’ Penguins were just the right fit for both of them.
“It just worked out that way,” said McDonald of he and Sulka choosing the same college destination.
McDonald said he and Sulka have been teammates for — well — forever.
They teamed up for a youth league Super Bowl championship when they were cutting their teeth in football. This past fall, Sulka was a starting safety and McDonald was a starting tight end for the Hilltoppers undefeated (12-0) Division III state championship squad.
Sulka was first team Division III All-Ohio at defensive back, while McDonald earned second team All-Ohio honors in the same poll.
Sulka is the first FBS level linebacker from Chardon since Chase Kline (2018) while McDonald is the first FBS-level tight end from Chardon since Andrew Gray (2016). Kline is projected as a starting linebacker at Michigan State this year, while Gray signed with Maryland out of high school.
Coach Mitch Hewitt said Sulka and McDonald are every bit in the conversation to be as good as — if not better — than Kline and Gray.
“These two are studs,” Hewitt said. “Two very talented kids. I think Youngstown State landed two really talented kids who, in my opinion, could have played at bigger schools. That’s no knock on Youngstown State. They got two great players.”
Both Sulka and McDonald are also fine multisport athletes. Sulka was an honorable mention Division II All-Ohioan in basketball last season after averaging 17.8 points per game, while McDonald went 25-5 in wrestling and placed sixth at the Division II district tournament at Perry.
With their college decisions having been made, Sulka and McDonald are now focusing their attention on their senior season. Chardon opens the regular season Aug. 20 against Glenville, a game that will be played at Riverside Stadium while Chardon’s Memorial Field is under construction.
“It’s going to be a very exciting season,” McDonald said. “We’ve got a new scoreboard and are getting a new field. Everyone is excited for the season.”