High school football: Avon quartet flies high

Avon and Firelands put up a lot of offense in 2022, and that did not go unnoticed around the state. The teams combined for five All-Ohio first-team selections on offense — and one on defense — and 15 total area players earned spots on the Divisions II and III teams released Wednesday. "I'm really proud I was able to get this done," said Avon senior quarterback Sam DeTillio, one of four Avon first-team selections. "I wouldn't have been able to do it without the teammates and coaches who put so much time into supporting me and helping me achieve that goal. It was really special to be on such a dynamic team. Defenses really struggled to stop us, we have some really special players on our team with threats all over in the skill positions and the offensive line." DeTillio, who is orally committed to Case Western, completed 151 of his 245 passes for 2,807 yards and 30 touchdowns with only five interceptions. He also was Avon's second-leading rusher with 616 yards and eight touchdowns on 81 carries. Eagles top target Ethan Holbrook also earned a spot on the first team after leading Avon with 1,177 yards and 16 touchdowns on 50 catches. The pair's signature performance came in a Week 7 showdown with Olmsted Falls — a game that ultimately decided the Southwestern Conference championship. Holbrook caught 10 passes for 209 yards and five touchdowns with DeTillio completing 72 percent of his passes for 370 yards and six touchdowns. "It was definitely a goal I was working toward," Holbrook said of Wednesday's honor. "A goal on the side with the main goal for our team to win the last one. Unfortunately that didn't work out, but that's all right because we play as a team, win as a team and lose as a team. To get first team All-Ohio is amazing. That's an honor that not many people get." Anchoring it all was 6-foot-6, 295-pound junior left tackle Luke Hamilton, who recently orally committed to Michigan. A third-team selection last season, Hamilton was elevated to the first team after Avon's offense piled up 6,045 yards, including 2,902 on the ground. Fellow junior Jakorion Caffey was the focal point of that rushing attack, accounting for 1,421 yards and 19 touchdowns as a third-team selection. "Of course this wouldn't happen without God and I have to thank my teammates and coaches because without them I wouldn't be anywhere near where I would be right now," Hamilton said. "All of our coaches and players really pushed me to my max level. Without them, I definitely would not have gotten this award. It's a really big accomplishment and I'm just striving to get better now." Firelands running back Weston Strader had a season for the ages as he ran for 2,009 yards and 33 touchdowns in 11 games — averaging 8 yards per carry for a spot on the first team in Division III. The senior accounted for 68 percent of the Falcons' total offense. "It's awesome to be put in that bracket with all these other amazing guys," Strader said. "It's all the people pushing me along and then my linemen. Those yards wouldn't be possible without them. I know I say that a lot, but it's true. It's amazing to have such a good line." The cornerstone of the Falcons line was 6-3, 275-pound tackle Shane Stitchick, who joined Strader on the first team. The senior also added 14 tackles on defense. Firelands had one other selection — defensive tackle Logan Galligan — who was named to the third team after leading the Falcons with 82 tackles, 9.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception. "Honestly I was a little bit shocked because I thought I was only going to make second team," Stitchick said. "I was overall just shocked. There's definitely a lot of work, all offseason with my fellow lineman. I've definitely got to thank our coaches who coached us the extra mile with all of our drills, conditioning and lifting." Avon senior Gavin Ehrhardt was the only defensive player to garner first-team honors after leading the team with 82.5 tackles, including 5.5 for a loss and two sacks. He also served as the Eagles power back, rushing for 467 yards and 10 touchdowns on 59 carries. Two others from the Eagles defense were honored as senior defensive tackle Austin Mitchell picked up a spot on the second team and defensive back Matt Fischer was an honorable mention. "All growing up this is what I looked to, getting first team All-Ohio," said Ehrhardt, who is committed to play baseball at the University of Cincinnati. "For it to actually happen is pretty awesome. Having guys like Matt Fischer, Austin Mitchell, Amin Abdul, Cam Santee and all those guys make it so much easier for me to just play football. We had a great team this year." Avon Lake was the only other area team represented with five selections, led by senior defensive end Avery Viancourt on the second team after piling up 59 tackles, 18 for a loss and a team-high 12 sacks. He added two blocked kicks, five pass breakups and five forced fumbles. Joining him were wide receiver Matthew Stuewe, offensive tackle Clay Broadhurst, defensive back Keegan Rudduck and punter Ian Walsh — all third-team selections. Contact Chris Sweeney at (440) 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com. Follow him @CSweeney1686 on Twitter.