The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Wilhelm Award finalists revealed
Five area standouts up for award; winner announced Nov. 12
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 12 players.
Now, with the award being presented during a ceremony at 7 p.m. Nov. 12 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 their accomplishments this season:
Leighton Banjoff, Elyria Catholic
The Panthers’ offense had been stagnant in previous years. Under a new coach, not many knew exactly what to expect from Elyria Catholic. However, one thing was known: the offense would surely use the talents of Banjoff, and boy has it ever. While the Panthers have developed a strong passing attack, Banjoff’s numbers have not faltered. Why? Because the senior standout adjusted his skillset with the team to become a multi-dimensional threat, securing Elyria Catholic not only a playoff berth in the process, but a first-round home game, a first-round victory and a share of the Great Lakes Conference title, too. Banjoff had over 1,900 yards of offense this season, making his presence felt at all times. He rushed for 1,571 yards on 192 carries and caught 17 passes for 275 yards. He even threw for a 70-yard touchdown. In other words, he had 1,916 yards on 210 touches — or an average of 9.1 yards per touch. He also has 22 touchdowns — 19 rushing, two receiving and one passing. But that was only one prong of Banjoff’s skill. Defensively, he had 114 tackles (52 solo) as a linebacker, with four tackles for a loss, two sacks, five forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two pick-sixes returned for a total of 115 yards — bringing his total to 2,031 yards on 212 touches for an average of 9.6 yards per touch and 24 touchdowns.
Brandon Coleman, Columbia
The secret to Columbia’s success over the past four years is one of the worst guarded secrets in Lorain County: Brandon Coleman. The senior running back has been the heart of the Raiders’ offense in his time in green and white. And it’s not hard to see why. Coleman is one of the best ever to come through Lorain County, and ends his high school career as the all-time leading rusher with 5,140 yards — the only player in county history to cross the 5,000 threshold. Still, it was Coleman’s senior year that showed what he could do. For the entire season, Coleman averaged over 10 yards per carry, ending the season at 11.5. In other words, the odds were that whenever Coleman ran the ball, it would result in a Columbia first down. But it may be Coleman’s ability as a leader that is his best quality. He is not the most vocal of leaders, but his relentless effort and willingness to help his teammates at times made Columbia a better team than their skill indicated. But offense is just one facet of Coleman’s abilities. He was also one of the top linebackers in the Patriot Athletic Conference and his ability to play at a high level while virtually never leaving the field made Coleman an incredible player. For the season, Coleman had 1,698 yards, 23 touchdowns and a two-point conversion on 148 carries, caught 11 passes for 102 yards and added a passing touchdown. Defensively, Coleman had 74 tackles (48 solo) with 12.5 for a loss, a sack and two interceptions.
Ryan Maloy, Avon
The secret was out after last year: Ryan Maloy is the real deal. The 2017 Matt Wilhelm Award winner was a player opposing defenses keyed in on, knowing that Maloy could hurt them with both his arm and his legs. And defenses were still by and large unsuccessful. 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. The senior passing for 20 touchdowns during the regular season while rushing for seven more. Maloy has found the end zone in every game this year, passing for a touchdown in all of the regular season games. In a regional quarterfinal win against Holland Springfield, Maloy showed that he was playing his best at the right time, completing 12 of 23 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns, adding three rushing touchdowns on six carries. For the season Maloy is 129-for-212 for 1,740 yards, 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions, adding 10 touchdowns and 709 yards on 90 carries.
Khennedy Scagliozzo, Amherst
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 senior’s skills, there is no way that Amherst would have been in contention for a playoff spot down the final week. Nor would the Comets have back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2009-10. But why is Scagliozzo such an effective running back? It’s because he is well-rounded. The senior 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 those skills translate into kick returns, where he averaged 35.1 yards per return and scored three times. Add that to his rushing line of an arealeading 1,854 yards and 28 touchdowns on 251 carries, and you have an all-around threat.
Jack Spellacy, Olmsted Falls
It seems that every year, Olmsted Falls graduates a lot of talent and there are questions as to if the Bulldogs will fall off. Spellacy made sure to stop those questions. The senior running back was a rock for Olmsted Falls all season. And what could be the most impressive facet of his game is his confidence and ability to dominate in big games. Consider Spellacy’s stats against top-Southwestern Conference teams down the stretch as the Bulldogs were fighting for a playoff spot: 148 yards and two touchdowns vs. Amherst, 402 yards and five touchdowns vs. Berea-Midpark and 332 yards and four touchdowns vs. Avon Lake. Spellacy was not the type of player to disappear in the key moments when his team needed him the most, and that is reflected in his final season statline: 204 carries for 1,728 yards (8.5 yards per carry) and 25 touchdowns, along with eight receptions for 233 years and three touchdowns.