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Nine locals highlight Wittenberg football recruiting class
Tigers coach pleased with class, especially the offensive line, one of the more pressing concerns
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SPRINGFIELD — There’s a Box and a Stone, a Ring and a King, a Kelley, a Muncy and a Perry. All in all, there are 59 players in Wittenberg’s 2009 football recruiting class, and nine come from area schools.
Last year’s class numbered 40 players, but this class comes closer to Wittenberg’s usual haul.
“Thank God, it’s bigger than last year,” said Wittenberg coach Joe Fincham, whose Tigers went 6-4 last season, his 13th at the helm. “Last year, at least size-wise, hopefully that’s not something that becomes the norm.”
Despite its size, last year’s class contributed right away. Two Clark County graduates, Tecumseh’s Josh McKee and South’s Michael Cooper, finished as the team’s No. 2 and No. 3 wide receivers.
This year’s class includes the following local graduates: Jerell Ragland of Springfield; Ethan Sharpin of Kenton Ridge; Jeremy Perry and Garth Gilbert of Tecumseh; Josh Colbert of Urbana; Drew Clemons, Jimmy Muncy and Cole Sesslar of Southeastern; and Raphael Allen of Yellow Springs.
The strength of the class might be in the offensive linemen recruited, including Ragland, Ian McNeil of Chartiers Valley in Bridgeville, Pa., Jeremy Althouse of Columbus Whetstone and A.J. Owen of Vandalia Butler.
“You’re trying to improve yourself across the board,” Fincham said, “but we had a lot of concern about the offensive line. We need guys who are going to be able to play as sophomores.”
The Wittenberg coaching staff also targeted special-teams players, specifically kickers. Last year, the team found itself without an experienced place-kicker after Zack Harris hurt his knee in the second game of the season.
This year’s class includes four players listed as kickers — one of whom is Sean Williams, the younger brother of Wittenberg’s top receiver, Patrick Williams — and two more classified as wide receiver/kicker.
Some of the other top recruits are: running back Connor Warye, a transfer from Ohio Northern whose parents graduated from Wittenberg; Justin Bartlett, a defensive lineman from Washington, Pa.; Cory Cosby, a defensive lineman from Pickerington Central; Nick May, a defensive back from Bellefontaine; Jamal Everett, a wide receiver from Kettering Fairmont; and Matt Brustscher, a quarterback from St. Xavier in Louisville, Ky.
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0351 or djablonski@coxohio.com.
WITTENBERG FOOTBALL RECRUITING CLASS
Player High School Position Height Weight
Raphael Allen Yellow Springs DB 6-1 185
Jeremy Althouse Columbus Whetstone OL 6-2 235
Scott Anderson Kettering Alter DL 6-1 215
Billy Anglin Kettering Fairmont K 5-10 170
Justin Bartlett Washington McGuffey (Pa.) DL 6-3 240
Josh Bogan Wyoming RB 5-7 170
Thomas Bolton Ramstein, Germany QB 6-0 215
Mike Box Hyde School (Maine)/
Colorado College WR/DB 6-3 190
Deon Brooks Western Hills DL 6-0 215
Patrick Bruggeman Chaminade Julienne DB 5-11 185
Matt Brutscher Louisville St. Xavier (Ky.) QB 6-1 185
Tyler Busenburg Howard East Knox DL 6-0 215
Eric Carr Hebron Lakewood RB 5-9 170
Drew Clemons Southeastern LB 6-0 215
Josh Colbert Urbana DB/WR 6-0 195
Cory Cosby Pickerington Central DL 5-10 240
Christopher Dilger Lancaster WR/K 5-11 165
Garrett Edwards Cincinnati Reading QB 6-1 200
Jamal Everett Kettering Fairmont WR 5-10 180
Garth Gilbert Tecumseh WR 6-1 170
Ernie Heyder Marysville OL 6-6 285
Reed Kelley Williamsville South (N.Y.) 6-4 260
Jon King Milton Union LB 5-10 210
Nicholas Lowe Westlake WR 6-0 180
Thomas Marchese Dublin Coffman K 6-0 165
Nick May Bellefontaine DB 5-10 170
Kevin McCaffrey North Olmsted OL 6-1 260
Ian McNeil Bridgeville Chartiers Valley (Pa.) OL 6-6 260
Taylor McNeil Toledo St. John’s Jesuit WR 6-3 190
Jimmy Muncy Southeastern OL 6-3 225
Gabe Neff Dublin Coffman WR 5-7 160
Michael Ogburn Carman-Ainsworth (Mich.) DB 6-1 170
Caleb O’Hara Sheffield Village Lutheran West DL 6-2 190
A.J. Owen Vandalia Butler OL 6-3 260
Terry Perkins Piqua K/P 5-9 210
Jeremy Perry Tecumseh OL 6-2 245
Josh Radabaugh Williamstown (W.V.) LB 6-2 225
Jerell Ragland Springfield OL/DL 6-0 240
Johnathon Reynolds Elyria DL 6-2 215
Drew Ring Spencerville WR 6-4 190
Donovan Schwalbach Amelia RB 6-0 185
Andrew Senior Huntington (W.V.) OL 6-3 265
Cole Sesslar Southeastern/Purdue WR 6-0 150
Ethan Sharpin Kenton Ridge QB 6-0 170
Roland Sommer Indian Hill OL 6-1 220
Chris Stone Springboro DB 5-11 180
Patrick Tomko North Olmsted RB 5-8 175
Philip Tomko North Olmsted DB 5-9 155
Ben Waken North Olmsted DL 5-11 230
Connor Warye Kings/Ohio Northern RB 5-11 200
Raymond Watters Mifflin OL 6-1 245
Jarrett White Bridgton Academy (Maine) DB 5-9 180
Sean Williams Plainfield (Ind.) K 6-0 150
Matt Wirth Spencerville K 6-1 230
Logan Woloch Covington DB 5-11 170
Tyterieon Wright Youngstown Liberty WR 6-0 185
Taylor Young West Hartford St. James (Conn.) DL 5-11 250
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