Super 24: central Ohio’s best football players
Canal Winchester senior running back Stephan Byrd heads into the year looking to become a three-time honoree on the Super 24 preseason team, which honors the top players in the area regardless of position.
Also on the preseason team after making the Super 24 last year are Hilliard Darby's Blake Horvath, Harvest Prep's Jaylen Jennings, Westerville South's Kaden Saunders and Hartley's Daniel Tooson.
Desales' Jonathan Thompson, who was the district's Division III Defensive Player of the Year last season, would have been listed had he not gotten injured Aug. 13 during a scrimmage. He's expected to miss at least half of the regular season.
Here is the Super 24 preseason team: •Brandon Armstrong, Westerville South (RB/DB) – While his team averaged 46.7 points and finished 7-1 a year ago, this senior rushed for 741 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also was a standout on defense, earning first-team all-district honors.
•Stephan Byrd, Canal Winchester (RB/LB) – Byrd, a senior, is coming off a season in which he finished with 1,363 yards and 19 scores and led the team in receptions (11), receiving yards (262) and touchdown catches (4).
•Eli Coppess, Pickerington North (DB) – Coppess is a senior defensive back and Miami University commit, finished with 39 tackles and returned two punts for touchdowns.
•Correy Craddolph, Northland (DL/ OL) – Craddolph had 50 tackles and 18 tackles for loss. He is also a starter on the offensive line.
•C.J. Doggette, Pickerington Central (DL) – While helping Central to a Division I state runner-up finish, Doggette, a senior who has committed to Cincinnati, had 73 tackles, five sacks and four tackles for loss.
•Tyler Gillison, Pickerington Central (DL) – Gillison is a senior who has committed to Cincinnati. Last season, he had 69 tackles, four sacks and six tackles for loss.
•Carson Gresock, Upper Arlington (RB) – A first-team All-occ-central and all-district honoree, Gresock ran for 1,301 yards and scored 11 touchdowns.
•Blake Horvath, Hilliard Darby (QB) – Horvath heads into his senior season after rushing for 1,186 yards and 20 touchdowns and throwing for 416 yards and three scores.
•Amare Jenkins, Dublin Scioto (QB) – Jenkins completed 122 of 228 passes for 1,871 yards with 16 touchdowns and five interceptions last season.
•Dijon Jennings, Reynoldsburg (QB) – Jennings completed 80 of 150 passes for 1,394 yards with 18 touchdowns while also rushing for 220 yards last fall.
•Jaylen Jennings, Harvest Prep (RB) – Jennings rushed for 1,623 yards and 22 touchdowns on 163 carries as the Warriors went 7-2.
•Brock Kidwell, New Albany (RB/ QB/DB) – After rushing 85 times for 449 yards and four touchdowns at running back, Kidwell headed into the offseason as a potential candidate to start at quarterback. On defense, he had 82 tackles.
•Diante Latham, Beechcroft (RB/ DB) – Latham had nine interceptions while earning first-team all-district and all-state honors. He had 580 yards rushing, 336 yards on 12 receptions, 422 yards in kickoff returns and seven touchdowns.
•Bennett Lawrence, Olentangy Berlin (WR/LB) – Lawrence had 52 receptions for 1,061 yards and seven touchdowns and made a team-high 58 tackles with two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble.
•Max Martin-lee, Dublin Scioto (OL/DL) – Martin-lee had 52 tackles, four sacks and five tackles for loss.
•Gyvnn Mendenhall, Columbus Academy (OL/DL) – Mendenhall had 76 tackles, four sacks, 12 tackles for loss and two fumble recoveries and also started on the offensive line.
•Gabe Powers, Marysville (RB/LB) – A five-star recruit who has committed to Ohio State, Powers was named the Division I state Defensive Player of the
Year after recording 61 tackles and six tackles for loss. He also rushed for 604 yards and six scores last season.
•Michael Ross, Westerville Central (RB/DB) – Ross rushed for 924 yards and 13 touchdowns on 137 carries and started in the defensive backfield.
•Kaden Saunders, Westerville South (WR/DB) – The Penn State commit finished with 45 receptions, 1,063 all-purpose yards and 15 touchdowns.
•Trey Saunders, Hartley (RB/WR/ DB) – Saunders rushed 56 times for 572 yards and six touchdowns and had 21 receptions for 408 yards and four scores.
•Carter Smith, Olentangy Liberty (OL) – Smith, who started at right tackle last season, has 25 college scholarship offers and has committed to Indiana.
•Sonny Styles, Pickerington Central (DB) – Styles finished with 50 tackles, four interceptions and scored a touchdown on a fumble recovery. He has offers from a list of schools that includes Alabama, Notre Dame and Ohio State.
•Daniel Tooson, Hartley (DL/OL) – Tooson finished with 15 tackles for loss, eight sacks and two fumble recoveries last fall and was a starter on the offensive line.
•Caden Vanvorhis, Hilliard Bradley (LB) – Vanvorhis had 82 tackles, three tackles for loss, three interceptions and three forced fumbles.