Richland 200: Future All-Ohioans make up Nos. 61-70 as countdown continues

MANSFIELD — They were all so close to earning All-Ohio honors in 2023-24.

Which makes 2024-25 very interesting for the athletes coming in at 61-70 in the Richland 200. The talent is undeniable and there is a lot of excitement surrounding our next batch of athletes. So much so that All-Ohio honors are definitely in their futures.

Let's meet them.

61. Tatum Stover, Lexington

Stover has to be looked at as one of the most athletic athletes in all of Richland County. As a sophomore last year, she earned first team All-District 6 and first team All-Ohio Cardinal Conference in volleyball when she piled up 302 kills, 56 aces, 14 blocks and 429 digs. In basketball, she earned honorable mention All-OCC after averaging 5.4 points and 8.4 rebounds. Back for her junior year, Stover is about to have a huge year setting the stage for what should be an All-Ohio caliber season.

62. Bella Temple, Lexington

Like Stover, Temple is going to have a big year. She already had one as a sophomore when she earned first team All-District 6 and second team All-OCC in volleyball when she handed out an incredible 749 assists giving her more than 1,000 for her career in just two years. She also added 124 kills, 60 aces, 39 blocks and 260 digs. Temple quite literally does it all on the volleyball court and will be a huge reason why Lex should be a district championship favorite heading into the 2024 season. After volleyball, she will take to the basketball court where she looks to build on a sophomore season where she averaged 4.8 points and 4.4 rebounds. Keep an eye on this kid.

63. Joe Caudill, Lexington

Caudill is a superstar in the making. He has already earned a Division I college football offer to play at Miami University and has taken several visits to some big college football programs to play quarterback. Last season, he was honorable mention All-Northwest District and second team All-OCC after he threw for 1,571 yards and nine touchdowns while also running for 651 yards and 10 scores. He also stood out on the basketball court averaging 8.8 points and 7.6 rebounds which helped him earn honorable mention All-Northwest District, honorable mention All-District 6 and second team All-OCC honors for the league champs. Caudill will be a junior this year and he is about to take off like a rocket and it will be one fun journey to see.

64. Joey Walker, Madison

Walker had a massive soccer season in 2023 scoring 22 goals and handing out eight assists to lead the Rams in points with 52. He was a first team All-District and first team All-OCC selection and deserved a long, hard look at All-Ohio honors. But that was just the beginning. Walker still has two years left to build a lasting legacy and that will start in 2024 as he leads a veteran Rams team on a quest for an OCC championship.

65. Anna Will, Shelby

Speaking of impressive freshmen years, Will broke onto the cross country scene last year for the Whippets and blossomed into one of the most consistent runners in Richland County. She made it to state where she finished 71st with a time of 20:07.30 in her very first Division II state meet. Like Halfhill, Will has an impressive athletic pedigree and a great head on her shoulders. Watch for her to become one of the best in Richland County over the next three years.

66. Griffin DeBolt, Mansfield Senior

DeBolt helped the Tygers do somethings the boys soccer program hasn't seen in a very long time. He scored 11 goals and handed out five assists earning first team All-District and first team All-OCC honors as he helped the Tygers win a tournament game for the first time in 10 years. It was just the start of something special and DeBolt will have a major hand in shifting the culture of the program for years to come.

67. Jenna Halfhill, Lexington

Halfhill burst onto the cross country scene as a freshman last year for Lady Lex. She took 48th in the Division II state meet with a time of 19:39.70 just narrowly missing out on All-Ohio honors. Halfhill had quite the running pedigree and has three years left to really build something special. She will be one of Lexington's top runners in 2024 and she could be the key to getting Lady Lex back to state championship glory.

68. Gavin Miller, Ontario

OK, one more wildcard never hurt anyone. Miller missed his entire freshman year with an ACL injury that kept him out of football and wrestling. But seeing him this summer and you can tell he is about to burst onto the Richland County sports scene. He has grown a ton and put on a boatload of muscle as he prepares for a big sophomore year. He debated on sitting out the football season so he can prepare for what is going to be a historic wrestling career, but it looks like he is going to stick with both sports. He made a run at a middle school state wrestling championship and has had quite the offseason. Expect a big year from this kid.

69. Garett Hotz, Clear Fork

Hotz had a breakout junior year in multiple sports. First, he earned third team All-Northwest District, second team All-District 6 and first team All-Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference honors in basketball when he averaged 17.8 points and 8.3 rebounds while leading the Colts to the first 10-win season since 2018-19. He was then sensational in baseball hitting .370 with 27 hits, two doubles, three triples, 11 RBIS and 20 runs scored while also serving as the pitching staff's No. 2 going 7-3 with two saves and a 1.43 earned run average. He collected 43 strikeouts in 54 innings of work which was enough to earn him honorable mention All-District 9 and second team All-MOAC honors. Hotz is a fun-loving kid, but is also an ultra competitor who will have a monster senior year that could bring in All-Ohio honors.

70. Annaleise Norris, Mansfield Senior

Speaking of fun-loving kids, there may not be a single athlete in Richland County who has more fun playing sports than Norris. But she is also very, very good. She was a first team All-District and first team All-OCC soccer player last season when she scored nine goals and handed out an amazing 17 assists proving her unselfishness. She proved it again in basketball when she led the Tygers to 20 wins earning honorable mention All-Northwest District, honorable mention All-District 6 and second team All-OCC honors as a double-double machine. She will be the focal point for both teams this year and now that the show is going to run through her, All-Ohio honors in both sports is almost a given.

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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Richland 200: Future All-Ohioans make up Nos. 61-70 as countdown continues