All-Daily Record 2023-24: Player of the Year Greyson Siders leads the way in football

The 2023 football season was one to remember again for the Wayne/Holmes area.

It's not every year a local team plays for a state championship like Dalton did, finishing as the state runner-up to powerhouse Marion Local. Norwayne and West Holmes continued their recent runs of success, eclipsing 10 wins each once again. Some of the area's best rivalry games — Dalton-Norwayne, West Holmes-Wooster and Triway-Orrville — produced the most memorable moments of the year.

Other programs experienced some of their best moments in years too, highlighted by Rittman breaking through for its first winning year in almost two decades.

Special Season:Greyson Siders helps make Dalton a contender

Player of the Year: Greyson Siders, Dalton

Dalton made its mark on the 2023 football season, and Siders was the biggest reason why, wearing teams down with his relentless running style when he wasn't running away from them for long touchdown runs. The Division VII Offensive Player of the Year had several games that would have made for season-long highlight tapes for other good running backs, including 312 rushing yards and three total TDs in a playoff win over St. Paul and a 51-yard TD run against Norwayne that put the Bulldogs ahead in the final minutes. He finished with 1,916 rushing yards and 32 total TDs.

Siders was the kind of football player a state runner-up like Dalton is built around — relentless on the field and in the weight room, leading by example and with his voice. With a senior year like he had in 2023, along with Dalton's team success, Siders will go down as one of the best to wear the Bulldog uniform.

Coach of the Year: Broc Dial, Dalton

In his final year as Dalton's coach, Dial led the Bulldogs to their best season ever — an undefeated conference record, a dominant playoff run and the program's first state title game appearance. Coaches can't make plays on the field, but rather they're tasked with doing everything they can to make sure their team is prepared. The Bulldogs were always prepared, never getting caught off guard strategically and always playing to their strengths. Scheduling perennial winners like Kirtland (the eventual Division VI state champ) and Mogadore only further prepared Dalton for winning big when it mattered most.

THE ALL-DAILY RECORD 22

Luke Belcher, Triway, sr. (OL/LB)

The undisputed leader of the Titans, Belcher played through injury to lead Triway's offensive line at center and defense at linebacker. Belcher played a huge part in leading Triway to three straight wins to end the regular season to qualify for the playoffs.

Lynn Cline, West Holmes, so. (WR/LB)

Cline's talent was obvious heading into his sophomore year, and he thrived at linebacker for a West Holmes defense that improved leaps and bounds as the season progressed, earning first-team All-Ohio honors in Div. IV. On a team stocked with playmakers, Cline proved himself a valuable receiver as well — where he should only make a bigger impact over the next few years.

Lucas Dudte, Norwayne, sr. (WR/DB)

A leader on both sides of the ball, Dudte helped Norwayne to another 10-win season, including a dominant 8-0 start. Dudte returned three of his four interceptions for touchdowns and proved himself a reliable target in the passing game when the Bobcats needed a play to keep a drive alive.

Morgan Eastep, West Holmes, jr. (OL/DL)

The leader up front for a West Holmes offense that scored 38.8 points per game. He earned second-team All-Ohio honors for his efforts while also providing size and toughness in the middle of the Knights defense.

Julian Franklin, Wooster, jr. (RB/LB)

Quickly emerged as Wooster's go-to option in the running game, eclipsing 1,000 yards and scoring 15 TDs on the ground. He did all of it while playing exceptional defense at linebacker, leading the Generals in tackles for loss.

Sawyer Hamsher, Orrville, sr. (QB)

Orrville asked a lot of the dual-threat Hamsher at QB, and he delivered more often than not. Hamsher passed for 21 TDs and had 400 more rushing yards than the next Red Rider while leading an offense that scored 31.9 points per game.

Braylen Jarvis, Hillsdale, sr. (RB/LB)

One of the cornerstones of the Hillsdale program for several years, Jarvis did whatever the Falcons needed during his final season. One of the top defenders in WCAL also played multiple roles offensively, playing a big part in both the running and passing games.

Collin Jones, Dalton, sr. (OL/DL)

One of the strongest, most physical players in the area made his presence felt on both lines, helping Dalton dominate teams up front whether they were on offense or defense. His scoop and score against St. Paul in the regional semifinals was one of the most memorable plays during a Dalton season full of them.

Grayson Lehman, Dalton, sr. (OL/DL)

Paired with Jones to form guard-tackle combo on the offensive line and paving the way for a rushing attack that totaled more than 4,000 yards and 62 touchdowns. Lehman's leadership on and off the field helped elevate Dalton from a very good team to a great one.

Kyle Maltarich, West Holmes, sr. (WR/DB)

The Yale recruit finished his career as one of the best receivers in area history, presenting every opponent with a choice — doubling him and opening the field for the rest of West Holmes playmakers or single-covering and almost surely letting up a few game-changing plays. Usually, it didn't matter what kind of scheme he faced, Maltarich found ways to impact the game and lead the Knights to another 10-win season.

Hayden Meese, Wooster, jr. (WR/DB)

Meese brought a burst of speed and athleticism to a Wooster team that was searching for playmakers, scoring almost half of the Generals receiving TDs and putting together one of the most impressive individual receiving performances of the season (190 yards, 3 TDs) in a win over Orrville to kick off the season, despite exiting the game early with an injury. He also led the Generals in tackles and intercepted two passes.

Dillon Morlock, Norwayne, sr. (RB/LB)

Very few players — if any — combined strength and athleticism like Morlock on the football field. The All-Ohio linebacker helped hold the Norwayne defense together while rushing for 1,170 yards and 15 TDs to lead the Bobcats' high-powered offense.

Alex Hess, Dalton, jr. (FB/LB)

The unsung hero of Dalton's state runner-up, Hess helped pave the way for Dalton's running backs as a fullback and helped hold the defense together at linebacker, including making the biggest play of the Bulldogs' regular season, tackling Dillon Morlock in the backfield with no time remaining near the goal line to beat Norwayne.

Cade Mullet, Dalton, sr. (WR/DB)

Dalton's best ball hawk also doubled as its Swiss Army Knife offensively. Mullet intercepted eight passes to lead Dalton's opportunistic defense and gained 16.6 yards per touch while moving all over the field on the other side of the ball.

Greyson Siders, Dalton, sr. (RB/LB)

The best high school running backs make playing a hard position look easy, and Siders made a habit of that all year. He averaged 10.3 yards when he carried the ball, routinely busting big plays, either outrunning would-be tacklers or making them pay with his physical style of running.

Greg Smiley, Orrville, sr. (WR/DB)

When Orrville needed a big play, it was a safe bet Smiley was the one they wanted to go to. Smiley lined up all over the field, scoring 16 total touchdowns — 10 more than the next closest Red Rider.

Morgan Smith, West Holmes, jr. (QB)

Great quarterback play has become the standard at West Holmes and Smith secured his spot as the next in line for the Knights. He made plays with his arm (set the single-game passing record against Licking Valley) and legs (rushing for 290 yards in a win over Wooster), doing whatever it took to give West Holmes a chance on his way to a first-team All-Ohio selection.

Dylan Smith, Norwayne, jr. (WR/DB)

It didn't matter if Norwayne was on offense or defense, Smith was always a threat to make a huge play. At receiver, Smith averaged nearly 20 yards per catch and scored 13 offensive touchdowns. But his playmaking at safety was one of the most impressive things of the entire season — 11 interceptions, including three returned for TDs.

Artie Sonego, Rittman, jr. (RB/DB)

Rittman football experienced its biggest breakthrough in more than a decade and Sonego was front and center. A starter since his freshman year, Sonego set new school records for rushing yards (2,001) and rushing TDs (27) on his way to proving himself as one of the area's best all-around players.

Cade St. Clair, Northwestern, sr. (WR)

One of the few key contributors from Northwestern's 2022 WCAL champion team, St. Clair was a bright spot for a team that went through some growing pains in 2023. He set school records for receptions (72) and receiving yards (1,102) with every opponent knowing he was the No. 1 option for the Huskies.

Baylor Weiser, Loudonville, sr. (RB/WR/LB)

Versatility. Weiser did a little bit of everything for Loudonville's offense but his impact was felt even more defensively. The linebacker was everywhere for the Redbirds from his linebacker spot, including making 21 tackles for loss.

Sammy Tomlinson, Dalton, jr. (RB/DB)

For most other schools in the WCAL, Tomlinson would have been the clear No. 1 option out of the backfield. Still, Tomlinson nearly rushed for 1,000 yards playing alongside Greyson Siders, scoring 18 rushing TDs and showed toughness while playing through pain during Dalton's playoff run.

HONORABLE MENTION

Grayson Allis, Hillsdale

Brody Balyer, Norwayne

Drew Bishko, Triway

Ashton Brummage, Smithville

Cale Drown, Triway

Nate Fair, West Holmes

Brady Hignight, Dalton

Jack Marmet, West Holmes

Justin Matheney, Rittman

Colin Pearson, Dalton

Alex Shearer, Triway

Anthony Sines, Wooster

Owen Sloan, Hillsdale

Nathaniel Troup, Norwayne

Kaleb Wayt, Orrville

Elijah Williams-Dixon, West Holmes

Logan Zollars, West Holmes

Jaden Zuercher, Waynedale

Editor's note: The Daily Record is spending the rest of July honoring the best of the best of the Wayne/Holmes area from the 2023-24 high school sports seasons, concluding with The Daily Record Male Athlete of the Year and Female Athlete of the Year, before launching into comprehensive 2024 fall season previews.