The Matt Wilhelm Award goes to The Morning Journal’s football player of the year.
A watch list for the top players in the area will be published each week leading up to the presentation of the Matt Wilhelm Award.
This list is fluid and can change week to week. The opening list is a guideline for some of the area’s top returners and a benchmark to start the season.
* WR Alex Angle, Jr., Firelands: Angle finished as the second-best statistical receiver as a sophomore with 832 yards and seven touchdowns on 57 receptions and averaged 14.6 yards per catch. The junior will be tasked with much of the offensive load this season as the Falcons look to rebound from a sub-par 2018 season.
* RB Daylin Dower, Sr., Lorain: Dower was a top 10 rusher in 2018, finishing with 1,204 yards and 11 touchdowns on 107 carries, good for 11.3 yards per carry. The senior can do it all for the Titans and will likely have to catch passes as well as carry the ball this season.
* RB C.J. Fleming, Sr., Clearview: The graduation of starter Drew Engle places more offensive responsibility on Fleming this season, but the senior enters the season as one of the area’s leading tacklers, finishing with eight sacks in 2018.
* TB Joe Governale, Jr., Columbia: Governale arguably has the most pressure of any incoming offensive player in the area, taking over for 2018 Lorain County Mr. Football and All-Ohioan Brandon Coleman. But Coach Jason Ward has been encouraged by what he’s seen from the junior this preseason and has high expectations for Governale.
* RB Chris Jackson, Sr., Elyria Catholic: Jackson takes over for former Panthers running back Leighton Banjoff who led the high-powered Elyria Catholic offense last season, and according to Coach Brian Fox has made great strides in the preseason as a projected starter.
* QB Jordan Jackson, Sr., Lorain: Jackson finished among the top 10 area quarterbacks last season with a 19-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio, a 61 percent completion percentage and 1,572 yards. Coach Dave McFarland has said many times during the preseason that the Titans will go as Jackson goes in 2019.
* WR Tyshawn Lighty, Sr., Lorain: Lighty enters the season as one of the most dynamic receivers in Northeast Ohio and as a top playmaker on the Lorain roster. He finished in the top 10 of area receivers as a sophomore with 582 yards and eight touchdowns on 33 receptions, averaging 17.6 yards per catch.
* RB Nick Perusek, Sr., Avon: Injury kept Perusek from reaching his full potential last season but the senior is back and ready to power the Avon offense. He finished with 976 yards and 12 touchdowns on 98 attempts in 2018, averaging 10 yards per carry for the state-semifinalist Eagles.
* QB Jacob Shackelford, Sr., Keystone: Shackelford finished among the area’s best quarterbacks last season, completing 86 of 162 passes for 1,034 yards and five touchdowns. The senior will be leaned upon heavily in 2019 as the Wildcats look to improve upon a .500 season.
