The Big Walnut football team had a year it won’t soon forget, finishing 12-1 overall and 7-0 in league play.
The Golden Eagles cruised to an outright OCC-Capital Division championship and won a pair of playoff games before falling in the Division II, Region 7 semifinals Friday night in Mansfield.
The scariest part, though, is Big Walnut may have been just a bit ahead of schedule as some of its top players, including All-Delaware County Offensive Player of the Year Nate Severs and Defensive Player of the Year Garrett Stover, are just sophomores.
Severs was unstoppable at times, finishing with a school record 1,855 yards on the ground on 224 carries (8.2 yards/carry). He also collected 33 touchdowns, another school record. Stover, meanwhile, led a BW defense that posted two shutouts and allowed just 14.6 points per game. He finished with 68 tackles, nine tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble, seven pass break-ups and one blocked kick.
The Eagles, led by All-Delaware County Coach of the Year Rob Page, also finished with a school record turnover margin (+27).
Here’s a look at the complete teams:
2021 All-Delaware County football teams
First-team offense
Quarterback: Jake Nier (Big Walnut), sophomore. Backs: Nate Severs (Big Walnut), sophomore; Malik Wade (Olentangy), senior. Receivers: Chase Brecht (Olentangy Liberty), senior; Bennett Lawrence (Olentangy Berlin), senior; Nicky Pentello (Big Walnut), junior. Line: Carter Smith (Olentangy Liberty), senior; Connor Kemmerling (Olentangy Orange), senior; Jonathan Harder (Olentangy Berlin), senior; Aiden Hernandez (Big Walnut), senior; Bryce Young (Olentangy Berlin), senior. Kicker: Hayden Olcott (Olentangy), senior.
First-team defense
Backs: Jordan Rudolph (Olentangy Orange), senior; Garrett Stover (Big Walnut), sophomore; Harrison Brewster (Olentangy Berlin), sophomore; Evan Rindlaub (Olentangy), junior. Linebackers: Luke Houston (Olentangy Orange), senior; Erik Thompson (Olentangy Liberty), senior; Lawrence O’Malley (Big Walnut), senior; Kyle Jackowski (Olentangy Berlin), senior. Line: Dylan Graber (Olentangy Liberty), senior; Jeremy Callahan (Olentangy), senior; Rico Franklin-Davis (Olentangy Orange), senior. Punter: Cam Gladden (Big Walnut), junior.
Offensive Player of the Year: Nate Severs (Big Walnut)
Defensive Player of the Year: Garrett Stover (Big Walnut)
Coach of the Year: Rob Page (Big Walnut)
Second-team offense
Quarterback: Jake Werling (Olentangy Orange), senior. Backs: Sawyer Sand (Delaware Hayes), senior; Nick Tiberio (Olentangy Berlin), senior. Receivers: Alex Okuley (Olentangy Liberty), junior; Andre Robinson (Olentangy Orange), senior; Dubby Agudosi (Olentangy), senior. Line: Wyatt Lenz (Big Walnut), senior; Cole Krenek (Olentangy), senior; Ben Huefner (Olentangy Liberty), senior. Kicker: Jack Behre (Olentangy Orange), senior.
Second-team defense
Backs: Nick Johnson (Olentangy Liberty), senior; Armon Weaver (Delaware Hayes), senior; Jake Smothers (Buckeye Valley), senior; Ryan Petrone (Olentangy), senior. Linebackers: Andrew Stamp (Olentangy Liberty), senior; Brandon Fedio (Olentangy Orange), senior; JT Thompkins (Olentangy Berlin), junior; Carson Vaulx (Buckeye Valley), senior. Line: Landon DeWitt (Buckeye Valley), senior; Dalton Allen (Delaware Hayes), junior; Christian Takatch (Big Walnut), senior; Austin Burchinal (Olentangy Berlin), senior. Punter: Alex Contreras (Buckeye Valley), senior.
Honorable Mention
Shane Flanagan (Olentangy Liberty), Charlie Cole (Olentangy Liberty), Meba Wondwossen (Olentangy Liberty), Freddy Noday (Olentangy Liberty), Collin Mulder (Olentangy Liberty), Bobby Ogles (Olentangy Orange), Tanner Domyanich (Buckeye Valley), Sam Jones (Buckeye Valley), Gavin Angell (Olentangy Berlin), Connor Gavin (Olentangy Berlin), Jason Harris (Olentangy Berlin), Ethan Grunkemeyer (Olentangy), Gavin Grover (Olentangy), Ethan Clawson (Big Walnut), Lucas Tindall (Big Walnut), Lane Pritchard (Big Walnut), Dom Salazar (Big Walnut), Aidan Pili (Delaware Hayes), Kaden Gannon (Delaware Hayes).
