Can one among us win Mr. Football? Early returns reveal some promising candidates.
Lake Catholic's Richie Sanders has been overpowering in the first month of the season and is deserving of Mr. Football consideration, says Tim Warsinskey.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The calendar never flips faster than during high school football season. Week 5 already is upon us and even though temperatures Tuesday could be in the 80s, before we know it, we'll be fighting through holiday shopping traffic around Byers Field during the playoffs.
So, let's stop and think. We've seen some amazing performances from outstanding players. Can one of them win Mr. Football?
Before the season, The Plain Dealer ranked the top 40 players in our coverage area, and 10 of the top 15 were linemen or linebackers. Sadly, a linemen has never won Mr. Football and only one linebacker has.
It's is a flaw in the system. One can easily argue, for example, that Lake Catholic tackle Chase Hounshell, St. Edward linebacker Deonte Gibson, or Glenville linebacker Andre Sturdivant are the area's most dominant players. But the award almost always goes to a running back, sometimes a quarterback and occasionally a wideout.
So, with that in mind, here are Greater Cleveland and Akron's most intriguing potential nominees:
Doran Grant, St Vincent-St. Mary: He's too talented to win. Because of team needs, he has been spread thin at running back, quarterback and wideout and has 274 total yards and five TDs. A lockdown corner, he has two interceptions. His odds: Long.
Chris Humphrey, Solon: The quarterback/safety/return man is a big reason Solon is 4-0 and ranked second in The Plain Dealer Top 25. But his 470 yards and four touchdowns total offense aren't enough at the moment. Odds: Long.
DeVonte Ransom, Maple Heights: My preseason Mr. Football pick was Maple QB Shaq Washington, who hasn't played since the opener because of a knee injury. Tailback Ransom has responded with 777 yards on 71 carries (10.9-yard average) and 10 TDs on a team that could return to the Division II state final. Odds: Even.
Richie Sanders, Lake Catholic: A missile on both sides of the ball at tailback and linebacker, he has 758 yards on 85 carries (8.9 average) and seven TDs -- including 239 yards against St. Ignatius and 290 against Walsh. He has two interceptions for touchdowns and one forced fumble. Odds: Excellent.
Ray Russ, Willoughby South: It doesn't get much better than his 17 touchdowns and zero interceptions. Russ has completed 63 percent of his passes for 1,114 yards. South has played one strong defense -- Euclid, which Russ shredded. How he fares against Mentor on Friday will be telling. Odds: Even.
Shane Wynn and Cardale Jones, Glenville: Jones has passed for 617 yards and five TDs with two interceptions, and he has shown great poise on the field. Wynn has 367 all-purpose yards and five TDs on offense and special teams. Glenville has too many weapons for either player to compile huge numbers. Also, Wynn and Jones were among 17 players benched Week 3 against Rhodes because they were late for practice. By week 10, that may be forgotten, but it sticks out today. Odds: Long.
Many more roam football fields statewide, and there's a chance Mr. Football will reside in Stark County for the third straight year. GlenOak junior tailback Bri'onte Dunn, who last week received an offer from Ohio State, has rushed for 1,088 yards and 12 TDs. The 2008 and 2009 Mr. Football winner, Erick Howard, was from North Canton Hoover.
If I were to vote from that group today, I'd pick Sanders for major contributions on both sides of the ball against a challenging schedule while playing for a state contender. But there's much football remaining, even if it will be over before we know it.