Crawford 100: Crestline's young talent look to turn the tide

Editor's Note: This is the fourth installment of a series.

Crestline is a school that has taken its lumps over the years, but has a very promising group of underclassmen determined to make the Bulldogs contenders in all sports.

We'll take a look at 10 featured returners, along with a handful of honorable mentions, ranging from sophomores to seniors in just about every sport. Being a small school, most play sports in all three seasons — some even double up in a season.

And in case you missed the first three installments featuring Buckeye Central, Bucyrus, and Colonel Crawford, they can be found in the links below.

Crawford 100: Buckeye Central's bunch look to build on last year's successes

Crawford 100: Bucyrus boasts slew of talented underclassmen

Crawford 100: Colonel Crawford brimming with talented multi-sport athletes

Let's get started!

Parker Bowman, sr.

Bowman has done it all for Crestline on the gridiron the past few years as a kicker, receiver and defensive back — he rarely comes off the field. He was one of three Bulldogs named honorable mention Northwest Central Conference, and earned an honorable mention nod in the Northwest District at the Division VII level. As a sophomore, he ran just about anything asked of him in the spring competing in 100-, 200-, and 400-meter dashes, along with the 800-meter run, 4x100 relay and long jump. Entering his final year at Crestline, he'll be a standout on the football team again and could make a return to track after not competing as a junior.

Brett Cheney, jr.

A standout on the football team since his freshman year, Cheney is a 6-foot-6 menace on the line. He was honorable mention Northwest Central Conference and Northwest District in Division VII with 29 tackles, seven of which were solo. Basketball season he's a force to be reckoned with in the paint leading the team in rebounding most nights, and in scoring a handful of times, including a 24-point performance against MBC foe Loudonville. Look for him to be a leader by example in both sports these next two years.

LaVanna Sanders, sr.

A staple in the rotation for the volleyball team, Sanders had seven kills, two aces, 40 digs and 92 receptions. With four seniors now gone, she should be in the conversation for a starting spot and see her role increase dramatically this fall. In the spring, she's a reliable hitter for the Bulldogs. And she'll be one of only a handful of bats back with quality varsity experience.

Kody Lawhorn, so.

After a breakout freshman year, Lawhorn is looking to keep building upon the foundation laid. In the fall, he primarily saw time as a wideout and safety for the Bulldogs on the gridiron, but he's athletic enough to play just about anywhere. Basketball season is where he really shined becoming a reliable scorer for a young team, and also capable of scoring in bunches. In the team's sectional at Lucas, he had a trio of 3s to put the higher-seeded Cubs on upset alert before a comeback ended Crestline's season. Lawhorn is destined to have a phenomenal sophomore campaign.

Austin Henson, jr.

Part of a stellar junior class at Crestline, Henson has been a standout on the baseball team each of the past two seasons, earning All-Mid-Buckeye Conference honors as a freshman and sophomore and first team this spring. He's a talented infielder who batted .400 with 18 hits, two home runs, 11 runs and seven RBIs while leading the team with a .689 slugging. Henson will be one player the Bulldogs' new coach can look to for consistency.

Quentin Kapp, so.

A linebacker and fullback in the fall, Kapp will be one of several sophomores coming back with a full season of varsity experience under their belt for new head coach Hastings Robinette. In the spring, though, he led the Bulldogs with a .469 batting average, 23 hits, 11 runs and eight RBIs while being the team's ace on the mound, too. It's never ideal when you have to start freshmen in key positions, but it can pay dividends in the future and Kapp's experience will be invaluable.

Kieran Barnett, jr.

After a promising freshman year, Barnett developed into the Bulldogs' leading scorer on the court last winter, averaging 12.4 points per game and is seen as the team's engine on the court getting the offense and defense running. Foul trouble was a bit of a concern last season, but that's an easy fix and he'll know how valuable he is to the team on the court. Barnett could compete for the county scoring title this coming winter.

Finn Belcik, sr.

A three-sport athlete, Belcik is capable of playing on either side of the line in football and lining up as a tight end if needed. In basketball, he's a forward or center depending on what lineup is on the court, and his experience was huge last season. In baseball, he was the go-to choice at first base and brought leadership to a young team. In his final year as a Bulldog, Belcik will bring a balance of experience and leadership to all three teams — two of which are featuring new head coaches.

Kori Nechovski, jr.

She was key to the volleyball and basketball teams as a freshman. As a sophomore, Nechovski was one of the secondary options in the rotation but still appeared in 46 sets totaling 17 kills, 19 digs and 16 receptions. In the winter, she averaged 2.1 points and should see that increase with second-leading scorer Kennedi Sipes now graduated. She is poised for a great junior year with her role increasing in both sports.

Colten Keller, so.

Another young talent thrust into action as a freshman, Keller was mostly a slot receiver and cornerback in the fall and should remain in those positions again because of his athleticism. Speaking of, he was third in qualifying for the 800-meter run at districts before missing a spot at regionals by mere seconds, finishing fifth in the finals. Unofficially per Athletic.net he already had the school's fastest mile time at 4:58.03 and is second in the half-mile at 2:11.99. Keller has a very bright future ahead in track and that should directly translate onto to gridiron.

Honorable Mentions

Brysen Winemiller (jr.) & Brayden Winemiller (jr.) : The twins have been instrumental in the baseball team's rebuild after losing so much two years ago. They'll be even more important this spring, helping lead new faces and a new head coach. Lilliauna Bayes (sr.): She will be the team's returning leader in almost every category in volleyball with 36 kills, eight blocks and 31 digs. Ky Taylor (so.) : He was honorable mention NWCC as a defensive back totaling 36 tackles, 19 solo, and three interceptions. He'll be key to the team's success this season. Kensie Pitt (sr.): Pitt one of a handful of leaders back in volleyball. She had 32 kills and five blocks and was in 68 of 70 sets. Bridget Belick (so.): She was used sparingly in volleyball, appearing in just 13 sets before featuring in almost every game for the basketball team. In the spring, she was key in the Bulldogs' batting lineup and could have a breakout sophomore year coming up.

zholden@gannett.com

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This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Crawford 100: Crestline's young talent look to turn the tide