CLEVELAND, Ohio — Game balls go out to the following players for their Week 1 performances of the high school football season.
Check them out and vote for who you think is the player of the week:
⦁ Zach Barnhart, North Ridgeville: A freshman running back, Barnhart burst onto the scene Friday night with 101 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries in the Rangers’ 34-21 road upset of North Olmsted.
⦁ Noah Butcher, Hudson: Without the senior linebacker’s hit on Solon’s EJ Taylor in front of the goal line, Hudson did not hold on for a 14-13 win with that thwarted two-point conversion in the fourth quarter.
⦁ Tommy Benn, Garfield Heights: A senior, Benn scored twice in a 16-15 win against Eastlake North that required a two-point conversion for the Bulldogs to pull out the victory.
⦁ Frankie Boscarello W, Valley Forge: The Patriots ran behind their powerful left tackle for 397 yards rushing Thursday in their 44-15 win against Amherst, paced by Warden’s 113 yards on 14 carries. Six players ran for TDs with Boscarello providing the path of choice on most plays.
⦁ Andrew Bruce, Chardon: A junior cornerback and running back, Bruce accounted for more than half of the Hilltoppers’ yards and both of their scores in a 14-7 win Friday against Olmsted Falls. Bruce rushed for 158 yards and two TDs on just six carries, using two jet sweeps for 60-plus-yard scores.
⦁ Marco Cirigliano, Columbia: Now a junior, Cirigliano picked up where he left off last year by rushing for 245 yards and four TDs in the Raiders’ 56-7 win at Independence.
⦁ Cody Coontz, Rootstown: A senior running back, Coontz rushed for 318 yards and four TDs on 21 carries in a 33-0 win against Crestwood. All four of Coontz’s scores came in the first half.
⦁ Rocco Courtad, Aurora: The junior defensive tackle had three tackles for loss with seven total hits, including three solo tackles and four assists, before leaving in the third quarter of Aurora’s 38-6 win at Euclid.
⦁ Donovan Daetwyler, Kent Roosevelt: The Rough Riders’ do-it-all senior scored four times in Roosevelt’s 35-6 win against Firestone. He ran for two TDs and 60 yards, added a receiving touchdown and a pick-six on defense. Daetwyler’s defensive performance included two interceptions, nine tackles and one for a loss.
⦁ Levi Ellis, Elyria Catholic: Ellis rushed for 153 yards on 31 carries and scored the winning touchdown in Elyria Catholic’s 14-6 upset of Elyria. Ellis also led the Panthers in tackles.
⦁ Jake Elly, Riverside: Elly sparked Riverside on both sides of the ball, including 119 yards and a TD on four receptions in the Beavers’ 35-7 win against Perry.
⦁ Darreon Fair, Cleveland Heights: The senior quarterback rushed for 122 yards with two TDs and threw for another 118 yards with a score on 5-of-7 passing in the Tigers’ 43-13 win against Brunswick.
⦁ Heath Fetchik, Chardonnay: With yardage and points at a premium against Olmsted Falls, Fetchik paced the Hilltoppers’ defense in their 14-7 win with 13 tackles and a forced fumble. Nine of his tackles were solo hits with one tackle for a loss.
⦁ Wyatt Gedeon, St. Edward: The Eagles’ senior pass rusher got to the quarterback for 3.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss, turning up his play in the fourth quarter of their 23-20 win against Toledo Central Catholic in Lakewood.
⦁ Matt Geier, Aurora: Before leaving midway through the third quarter of a 38-6 victory at Euclid, Geier rushed for 82 yards and two TDs on 10 carries while throwing for another 108 yards and a score on 6-of-8 passing.
⦁ Nikko Georgiou, Kenston: The senior quarterback threw for 231 yards and two TDs on 14-of-20 passing in Kenston’s 45-20 win against Chagrin Falls. Sophomore Tymir Cardona caught both of Georgiou’s TD passes and finished with 126 yards on six receptions.
⦁ Di’Marrion Gill, Lutheran West: A sophomore, Gill paced Lutheran West with four sacks and five tackles for loss in a 34-0 win at Fairview. He also forced a fumble, as the defense held Fairview to 13 yards.
⦁ Isaiah Hampton, Lincoln-West: A sophomore running back, Hampton rushed for 133 yards and two TDs on 12 carries Thursday as the Wolverines snapped a 35-game losing streak and beat Sebring McKinley, 34-16.
⦁ Ty Hurst, Tallmadge: The senior quarterback threw for 261 yards and four TDs on 19-of-28 passing Friday in the Blue Devils’ 42-7 win at Brecksville-Broadview Heights.
⦁ D’Shawntae Jones, Glenville: With uncle and former Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones watching from the sideline, the bruising junior running back paced Glenville with 140 yards and three TDs on 15 carries in a 25-0 win Thursday at St. Vincent-St. Mary.
⦁ John Keough, Walsh Jesuit: A junior safety, Keough preserved Walsh Jesuit’s chances Saturday in overtime by breaking up three passes. He stopped both fourth-down attempts by the Bengals and made that possible with his blocked punt in the fourth quarter that set up Walsh Jesuit for the tying score. He also scooped up a fumble and raced 20 yards to the end zone in the third quarter of Walsh’s 38-32 double overtime win.
⦁ Robby Klockner, Green: Klockner debuted as the Bulldogs’ quarterback and threw five TD passes with 250 yards in the first half of a 55-8 win Friday against Ellet.
⦁ Charlie Lambes, Woodridge: Lambes threw five TD passes and finished with 290 yards on 15-of-27 passing in Woodridge’s 41-14 win against Revere.
⦁ Ian Ludewig, Hudson: In his first start at running back, Ludewig rushed for 125 yards and a score in Hudson’s win Friday against Solon.
⦁ Mike Maloney, Riverside: A junior quarterback, Maloney engineered a statement of efficiency against Perry with 9-of-11 passing for 186 yards and two TDs.
⦁ Jack McAlea, Bay: In Bay’s 27-21 overtime win against West Geauga, McAlea stuffed two straight runs on third and fourth down from the 2-yard line. The junior linebacker’s play led to Brendan Spellman’s winning TD run on the Rockets’ possession. McAlea also hauled in a heavily covered 12-yard TD pass earlier in the game. He finished with 14 tackles, including seven solo.
⦁ Quincy Newsom, Twinsburg: Newsome rushed for 204 yards and three TDs to pace the Tigers’ 45-43 comeback win against Copley. Twinsburg won it on Tyler Seegert’s 30-yard field goal with 19 seconds left to give coach Charles Saulter a victory in his debut. The Tigers’ comeback also overcame 290 yards passing, four TDs and 107 yards rushing from Copley’s DaOne Owens.
⦁ Mar’Quis Pinkney, Beachwood: Pinkney ran for two scores and threw for another TD in Beachwood’s 43-8 win at Orange.
⦁ Kevin Pivonka, Holy Name: His interception set up Austin Wondolowski for a TD reception, and Pivonka added his own fireworks on offense with an 80-yard TD reception from Jayvon Williams in the fourth quarter of Holy Name’s 21-16 win at Padua.
⦁ John Salaman, Lorain: A junior, Salaman rushed for 120 yards and a TD on 18 carries in the Titans’ 16-8 win against Ravenna.
⦁ Kyle Snider, Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy: Snider rushed for 146 yards on 19 carries in CVCA’s 7-2 loss at New Philadelphia.
⦁ Brendan Spellman, Bay: Spellman’s 4-yard run in overtime propelled Bay to a 27-21 win against West Geauga, spoiling coach Matt Rosati’s first game back with the Wolverines. Spellman scored twice, as he and Tony Buttari built a 21-0 lead for the Rockets. Buttari threw two TD passes, while Spellman paced the offense with 143 yards on 29 carries.
⦁ Lamar Sperling, Archbishop Hoban: A Buffalo commit, Sperling rushed for 401 yards and five TDs in Hoban’s 44-20 win against Clarkson Football North. The Knights gained 443 yards on the ground as a team.
⦁ Danny Stoddard, Medina: An August injury did not slow Stoddard, as the junior quarterback stepped in for his first start and delivered 325 yards passing with four TDs in a 33-10 win against Warren Harding. Two of them went to senior receiver Brennen Schramm, who finished with 104 yards.
⦁ Angelo Tamburrino, Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin: A sophomore, Tamburrino rushed for 100 yards and two TDs in the NDCL’s 35-21 win against Willoughby South.
⦁ Andrew Tatulinski, Highland: The Hornets’ senior edge rusher sacked Berea-Midpark’s quarterback three times in a four-play stretch to help seal their 39-20 road win in the fourth quarter. He led a defense that held the Titans to just 47 yards rushing.
⦁ Marc Reed, Midview: Reed threw for 141 yards on 10-of-15 passing and rushed for 78 yards in a 21-0 win against Rocky River.
⦁ Arvell Reese, Glenville: Just two weeks after his commitment to Ohio State, Reese led the Tarblooders in tackling as the defense stifled St. Vincent-St. Mary in their season opener. The Fighting Irish managed just 53 yards rushing and 73 total yards against Glenville.
⦁ Avery Viancourt, Avon Lake: Back with a vengeance, healthier and bigger after missing some time last season, Viancourt led Avon Lake’s defense to a shutout of Strongsville with a scoop and score off a blocked punt in their 38-0 road win. The Shoremen held Strongsville to 68 yards passing and its leading rushers to a combined 58 yards.
Game Ball submissions are welcome through Sunday. Coaches and statisticians are encouraged to share team and individual stats. Contact sports reporter Matt Gaul on Twitter (@mgoul) or email (mgoul@cleveland.com).