Matt Wilhelm Award watch list

As autumn sets in, football season heats up with playoff seeding and conference championships on the line. The latest Matt Wilhelm Award watch list shows how well the stars played with stakes on the line. The award is given to The Morning Journal’s football player of the year. It is named after the former star of the Elyria Catholic Panthers and Ohio State Buckeyes. He won a BCS national championship in college and the Super Bowl with the Packers during his seven-year NFL career. This list is fluid and can change from week to week. Players are listed in alphabetical order:

RB Jakorion Caffey, Sr., Avon:

Due to injury, Caffey did not play in Avon’s 63-28win at Amherst. The loss of him and backup running back Tyler Kaufmann resulted in a slow offensive start for the Eagles, but they recovered in the second quarter to score 35 points.

RB Marco Cirigliano, Sr., Columbia:

Cirigliano carried 11 times and accumulated 52 yards and two touchdowns. Despite the lack of a work load, he is still the area’s top leading rusher with 1,481 rushing yards.

QB Cy Christensen, So., Clearview:

The Clippers defeated Black River, 2619. He threw for 209 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 29 yards. He has 1,768 yards and 17 touchdowns, as Clearview is still alive in the Lorain County League title race.

RB Nick DiSalvo, Sr., Rocky River:

DiSalvo rushed for 84 yards and a touchdown, to defeat Bay, 28-21. He also caught two passes for 18yards against Bay (7-2). He has over 1,100 rushing yards, 500 receiving yards and scored 22 touchdowns.

RB Rocco Ereditario, So., Bay:

Following an exhilarating contest against Rocky River, Ereditario has accumulated an impressive 779 rushing yards this season, along with 12 touchdowns. Meanwhile, teammate Brendan Spellman has also excelled with over 769 yards and doubledigit touchdowns to his name.

QB Nolan Good, Jr., Avon:

Good was the catalyst for Avon’s offense against Amherst. Despite the slow offensive start, he threw for 351 yards for four touchdowns and rushed in a touchdown as well. He is the area’s second-leading passer, with 1,733 yards, for 19 touchdowns and three interceptions.

QB Cole Norris, Jr., Amherst:

Norris threw for three touchdowns and 245 yards against Avon, for a total of 1,872 yards and 17 touchdowns. He’s also scored six touchdowns on the ground.

QB Julian Patti, Sr., Rocky River:

Patti completed 73.3% of his passes for 158 yards a touchdown and interception. He ran in the go-ahead touchdown in overtime to defeat Bay, 28-21. He leads the area with 2,664 passing yards and 38 touchdowns.

RB Matthew Porcelli, Sr., Westlake:

In Westlake’s 54-49 shootout win over North Olmsted, Porcelli scored four touchdowns and rushed for 202 yards. He is at 928 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on the season.

RB John Salaman, Sr., Lorain:

The Titans lost to Bedford in a close game, but Salaman amassed over 100 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. He’s totaled 1,386 rushing yards and scored 21 touchdowns.

ATH Charlie Steinmetz, Jr., North Ridgeville:

The Rangers grabbed a big win over Avon Lake (23-17). Steinmetz played a key role to extend North Ridgeville’s lead with a 44-yard touchdown in the third quarter. He rushed for 99 yards and a touchdown. He also caught five passes for 47 yards.