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Miller, Shope grab first-team honors

Wellsville’s Justin Miller (18) and Michael Shope (21) celebrate a touchdown against East Palestine during the 2016 season. (Photo by Joe Catullo)

COLUMBUS — It was an encore performance for some of the area’s top football players.

Nineteen area players, nine of them returning to the first team, highlight the Associated Press 2016 Northeast Inland All-District football team released Thursday.

Columbiana senior quarterback Mitch Davidson, Columbiana senior defensive lineman Keenan Green, Crestview senior defensive lineman Jordan Murphy, East Palestine senior defensive lineman Trevor Kimmel, Lisbon senior linebacker Jason Thompson, Salem senior receiver Jake Humeniuk, South Range senior defensive lineman Nathan Daniszewski and Western Reserve senior offensive lineman Cody Hilles all were named to the district first team for the second year in a row.

Sebring senior running back Nate Martin also returns after being a first-team selection in 2014.

Division IV

Joining Humeniuk on the Division IV first team are West Branch senior offensive lineman Ian Sharp and West Branch junior linebacker Cole Pittman.

Humeniuk set all the school receiving records with 77 catches this season for 1,122 yards (14.6) and 12 touchdowns.

Pittman topped the Warriors with 158 tackles and two sacks, while Sharp guided a West Branch offense that averaged 331 total yards a game, including 216 on the ground.

Division V

Along with Murphy, Kimmel and Daniszewski, South Range junior linebacker Peyton Remish is a Division V first-team honoree.

Jordan Murphy collected 36 solo tackles, including 15 for losses with three sacks and two fumble recoveries.

Kimmel totaled 65 tackles with 14 for losses, seven sacks and two fumble recoveries.

Daniszewski and Remish sparked a South Range defense that was tops in the area, giving up an average of 12.2 points a game in the regular season.

Division VI

Thompson, Davidson, Green, Hilles are on the Division VI first team along with Lisbon senior defensive back Colin Sweeney, Springfield senior linebacker Ethan Nezbeth, Springfield sophomore linebacker Zack Stouffer, Western Reserve senior receiver Wyatt Larimer and Western Reserve junior running back Jack Cappabianca.

Thompson collected 58 tackles, including 33 solos, and eight sacks.

Sweeney made four interceptions and 13 solo tackles.

Davidson, Columbiana County’s career passing leader, completed 117 of 196 passes for 1,636 yards and 19 touchdowns and ran for 875 yards and four touchdowns on 145 carries (6.0).

Green made team-high 106 tackles, including 20 for losses, with 8 1/2 sacks and three fumble recoveries.

Nezbeth and Stouffer were among Springfield’s leading tacklers. Nezbeth had 96 tackles, 10 for losses and five fumble recoveries, while Stouffer made 93 tackles and one interception.

Hilles paved the way up front for a Western Reserve offense that averaged 38.5 points and 435 total yards a game.

Larimer had 25 catches for 537 yards (21.4) and 11 touchdowns while running for 305 yards and six touchdowns and passing for 405 yards and three touchdowns.

Cappabianca ran for 1,068 yards and 13 touchdowns on 111 carries (9.6).

Division VII

Wellsville senior quarterback Justin Miller and Wellsville senior defensive back Michael Shope join Martin on the Division VII first team.

Miller set single-season school records for yards passing (1,852), touchdown passes (20) and completions (112).

Shope had 65 tackles with three interceptions, returning one for a touchdown, and had two more touchdowns off fumble recoveries.

Martin, Sebring’s career rushing leader more than 4,000 yards, ran for 1,478  yards and 13 touchdowns on 177 carries (8.1).

More honorees

Receiving honorable mention were Salem’s Ethan Bailey and Cooper Bezeredi and West Branch’s Rob Lozier in Division IV; East Palestine’s Parker Sherry, Vinny Delaroza and Branden Kemp, Crestview’s Dominic Perry and Jacob Scheller and South Range’s Taymer Graham and Mathias Combs in Division V; United’s Colton Bowen, Lisbon’s Jake Liberati, Bailey McCullough, Cam Summers and Dougie Minor, Columbiana’s Sean Congemi, Connor Stacey and Caleb Rupert, Southern Local’s Zack Almy and Will Grodaus, Springfield’s Frank Centofanti and Russell Seymour and Western Reserve’s Dom Velasquez in Division VI; and Wellsville’s Hayden Dalrymple and Sebring’s Robbie Rouse in Division VII.

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