In the final Coaches Confidential for the 2024 season, The Enquirer asked coaches to pick their high school football dream teams using current and former Cincinnati standouts.
Here’s what they decided.
For fun, scroll to the end to vote on which team you think would have won a state championship. Voting will end at 5 p.m. next Friday, Oct. 11.
Dream team No. 1
Quarterback: Bryan Cupito, McNicholas ‒ After playing for the Rockets, he starred at the University of Minnesota from 2002 to 2006. He left the Gophers ranked in the top five in school history in passing touchdowns and top 10 in passing. He’s currently ranked 24th in the state of Ohio for passing touchdowns in a season (43) and 15th in career passing touchdowns (92).
Running back: Kyle Slater, Anderson ‒ As a senior, he had 2,223 rushing yards and 31 TDs for the DII state runner-up Anderson in the 2009-2010 season
Running back: Deshawn Wynn, Reading ‒ He was a member of the 2006 National Champion University of Florida Gators team. The Green Bay Packers selected him in the 2007 NFL Draft, second round. He also played for the New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers.
Wide receiver: Nick Truesdell, Anderson ‒ In his senior season, he was named Anderson’s offensive MVP as he registered 17 catches for 264 yards (including a season-long 55-yard catch and run) and six touchdowns. He played for the University of Cincinnati and Grand Rapids Community College before playing on several indoor football, arena football and NFL teams.
Offensive line: Andrew Norwell, Anderson ‒ He played for Ohio State as a guard. He was an undrafted free agent picked up by the Carolina Panthers in 2014, later playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Washington Commanders.
Defensive back: Jermaine Mathews Jr., Winton Woods ‒ He played 12 games for Ohio State as a freshman in 2023. The four-star prospect was the second-highest-rated high school player in Ohio after helping the Warriors win a state title in 2021, his junior year.
Defensive back: E.J. Underwood, Hamilton ‒ He was a four-star prospect who played for 2002 National Champion Ohio State University. He transferred to Pikeville in his senior year. He signed with the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2006, later playing for the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills and a variety of Arena Football League teams.
Defensive secondary: Amir Riep, Colerain ‒ The four-star prospect helped the Cardinals to its 17th consecutive Greater Miami Conference championship and a No. 1 ranking before finishing 11-1 in 2016. He went on to play for Ohio State University.
Linebacker: Lang Evans, Turpin ‒ He was the defensive player of the year for the Eastern Cincinnati Conference in his senior year, 2016.
Linebacker: Chris Oats, Winton Woods ‒ He was a four-star linebacker and all-state player who helped Winton Woods win a state championship. He played for the University of Kentucky in 2018 before he suffered a career-ending stroke in 2020.
Dream team No. 2
Quarterback: Reed Aichholz, Indian Hill ‒ He was a rare combination of size and athleticism. He could throw the ball a mile, and when he ran, it was hard to stop him. He was the leader for some really good Indian Hill teams.
Running back: Jordan Marshall, Moeller ‒ The 2023 Ohio Mr. Football is a guy who always played hard! He shouldered one of the heaviest year after year and always produced. On top of that, the way he ran was great. He had vision and balance that couldn’t be taught.
Wide receiver: Donte Ferrell, Woodward ‒ The season he had a few years ago was insane. Posting over 1,700 yards in a season is an incredible feat. He had the size and speed to be a matchup nightmare. He’s a player I would love to coach due to the versatility he brings.
Offensive line: Prince Sammons, Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy ‒ He was a mountain of a man. The size at tackle would be a dream for anyone needing blindside protection. He was extremely athletic, too, which made him great against athletic rushers.
Defensive line: Adolphus Washington, Taft ‒ Anytime you see a player going to one of the biggest schools and succeeding you wish to add talent like that to your ball club. Power, size, and speed were all brought to the table by Washington. This would make any coach not worry about the middle of their defense.
Linebacker: Camden O’Gara, Wyoming ‒ The definition of a linebacker. He always played with his hair on fire and was the leader for some great Cowboy defenses. Wherever the ball was, Camden was right next to it, looking to make plays.
Defensive back: Jayonn Saunders, Anderson ‒ A guy that takes away half of the field. He fits well into any scheme or any coverage. You could put him on the opposing team’s No. 1 receiver and not worry about him the rest of the game.
Kicker: Alex Grace, Indian Hill ‒ He could kick and punt better than anyone I have seen in warmups. The way the ball keeps carrying off his foot is incredible. On top of that, he is a great athlete. He is someone who makes it easy to win the field position battle.
Dream team No. 3
Quarterback: Justin Ray, Oak Hills ‒ The 2004 graduate broke 13 career, single-season, and single-game school records as a quarterback including attempts, completions, yardage and completion percentage. From 2002-2003, he was a two-time All-GMC quarterback. He was also recognized as an all-city punter and a two-time team MVP. Presently he’s the head basketball coach at Thomas More University.
Quarterback: Evan Prater, Wyoming ‒ When he became Ohio Mr. Football in 2019, he was the first from Cincinnati since Marc Edwards in 1992. The four-star recruit who went on to play for the University of Cincinnati finished his high school football career throwing for 5,699 yards and 72 TDs and running for 4,124 yards and 73 scores
Running back: Corey Kiner, Roger Bacon ‒ Ohio’s Mr. Football in 2020, Kiner was a four-star prospect who finished his high school career ranked 10th in Ohio High School Athletic Association history in rushing yards (7,130) and No. 3 all-time in scoring (772), rushing touchdowns (116) and total touchdowns (125). The senior currently plays for the University of Cincinnati after transferring from LSU ahead of the 2022 season.
Running back: Marc Edwards, Norwood ‒ Ohio’s Mr. Football in 1992, Edwards went on to play for Notre Dame, where he was the first player to be carried off the field since Daniel E. “Rudy” Ruettiger after his team’s Oct. 21, 1995, upset win over the No. 5 USC Trojans. The San Francisco 49ers selected him in the second round of the 1997 NFL draft, kicking off a professional career that lasted until 2005 with the Chicago Bears.
Receivers/tight end: Milt Stegall, Roger Bacon ‒ The 1988 graduate was an all-state football player who lettered four years at Miami University, finishing with 106 receptions for 1,581 yards and eight touchdowns. He was known for his speed and picked up a career record of 1,377 kick-return yards. He played for three seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals before playing in Canada for 14 years.
Receiver/tight end: Joe Sander, Roger Bacon ‒ The 1989 graduate currently ranks first all-time for career receiving touchdowns (14) at Roger Bacon and is in top five for career receptions and receiving yards.
Offensive line: Luke Kandra, Elder ‒ Ranked as one of the state’s and nation’s top offensive linemen while he was in high school, the current UC Bearcat was an All-Ohio offensive lineman for Elder, helping them finish 12-3 as Ohio Division I state runner-up in 2019. The three-star recruit started at the University of Louisville before transferring to UC for his redshirt senior year.
Offensive line: Jakob James, Elder ‒ The left tackle was a first-team All-Ohio at Elder who helped the Panthers to a state championship game as a senior. He was ranked the No. 55 guard in the 2020 recruiting class and the No. 852 player overall. He’s a senior at the University of Toledo after four years at Ohio State, pursuing his MBA.
Special teams: B.J. Sander, Roger Bacon ‒ The 1999 graduate was an All-Ohio punter who played for Ohio State in college, eventually punting for NFL Europe and the Green Bay Packers. He’s currently third all-time for Roger Bacon in kicking points with 135.
Defensive back: Barry Larkin, Moeller ‒ While he’s most known as a Cincinnati Reds shortstop, Larkin was a pretty darn good football safety, playing from 1979-1981. He originally accepted a football scholarship to play at the University of Michigan but decided to play baseball exclusively.
Defensive back: Ryan Blaut, Roger Bacon ‒ The 2020 Spartans graduate earned league, regional and Ohio honors at defensive back.
Defensive back: E.J. Underwood, Hamilton ‒ He was a four-star prospect who played for 2002 National Champion Ohio State University. He transferred to Pikeville in his senior year. He signed with the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2006, later playing for the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills and various Arena Football League teams.
Defensive back: Vinnie Clark, CAPE – Clark was key to the Cincinnati Academy of Physical Education’s 1985 and 1986 state titles. He played cornerback for Ohio State University before the Green Bay Packers selected him in the first round of the 1991 NFL draft at 19. From 1991-1996 he played for the Packers, Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Defensive back: Amir Riep, Colerain ‒ The four-star prospect helped the Cardinals to its 17th consecutive Greater Miami Conference championship and a No. 1 ranking before finishing 11-1 in 2016. He went on to play for Ohio State University.
Linebacker: Luke Kuechly, St Xavier ‒ The former Bomber is a highly decorated college and professional linebacker. Playing for the Carolina Panthers from 2012 to 2019, he was 2012 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and 2013 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, a member of the 2010s all-decade team, a seven-time Pro Bowl player and three-time Butkus Award winner. His college resume at Boston College mirrors his pro career – All-American, ACC Defensive POY and ROY, Butkus Award and much more.
Linebacker: Bob Crable, Moeller ‒ After a prestigious high school career, Crable was a two-time All-American for Notre Dame. At the time of his induction into the 2017 National Football Foundation Hall of Fame, he held Notre Dame’s career (521), single-season (187) and single-game (26) tackling records. The New York Jets drafted him with the 23rd overall pick in the 1982 NFL draft and later served as Moeller’s head coach from 2001-2007.
Dream team No. 4
Quarterback: Jake Weber, Harrison ‒ Jake was a great passer. He could make throws a lot of high school quarterbacks couldn’t make.
Quarterback: David Montgomery, Mt. Healthy ‒ David led his team on and off the field. He ran very well but wasn’t given credit for the way he could pass when needed. He was a tremendous leader as well.
Quarterback: Kelvin Cook, Colerain ‒ Kelvin was electrifying! Kelvin had big-play ability every snap! He could make anyone miss in a phone booth!
Running back: Kinxton Hill, Northwest ‒ Kinxton has great vision. He has the ability to make plays out of nothing.
Receiver/tight end: JayJay Etheridge, Mt. Healthy ‒ JayJay had blazing speed and could just run past guys! But Jayjay created great separation when running routes.
Offensive line: Jibril Benford, Northwest ‒ He finished blocks somewhat undersized but finishes d-lineman every play,
Offensive line: Nick Moore, Northwest ‒ Nick dominated the run game effortlessly. Nick made the other four linemen around him better daily.
Defensive back: Bryan Cook, Mt. Healthy ‒ Bryan in my opinion did not get the credit for how good he was in high school. He was able to play any and every coverage with ease. He was also a great tackler.
Defensive line: Jay’ron Gibson, Winton Woods ‒ He dominated every snap when rushing the passer. He had a great get-off and good hands.
Linebacker: Diego Neri, Northwest ‒ Diego was able to make plays sideline to sideline, and was great at reading the play before it happened.
Dream team No. 5
Quarterbacks: Jared Lorenzen, Highlands ‒ For the 1998 Highlands state championship team, Kentucky’s Mr. Football led the most prolific offense in Kentucky history at the time, throwing for 3,392 yards and 45 touchdowns and running for 904 yards and 15 scores as Highlands scored a state-record 801 points. At his death in 2019, the University of Kentucky Hall of Famer held UK records for completions, attempts and passing yards. He earned a Super Bowl ring with the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII.
Quarterback: Roger Staubach, Purcell ‒ The 1960 graduate of then-Purcell High School was the 1963 Heisman Trophy winner for the U.S. Naval Academy. He served in the Navy, including a tour in Vietnam, before joining the Dallas Cowboys in 1969. The quarterback led the Cowboys to victories in Super Bowl VI and XII. He was the first player to earn a Heisman and Super Bowl MVP (VI). He was named to the Pro Bowl six times in his 11-year NFL career, all with Dallas.
Running backs: David Montgomery, Mount Healthy ‒ The Eagle Scout finished high school as a dual-threat quarterback, rushing for 6,666 yards and 91 touchdowns, and earning Division III Ohio Player of the Year. He’s still 11th in the state in rushing touchdowns (41). Announcing he’d forgo his senior year to declare for the NFL draft, he finished his three-year college career at Iowa State with 2,926 yards on 624 attempts and 26 touchdowns. The Chicago Bears drafted him in the third round in 2019. He stayed with the Bears until he signed a three-year deal with the Detroit Lions, where he’s currently enjoying a successful run.
Receivers/tight ends: Cris Carter, Middletown ‒ After a successful career at Middletown, he played football at Ohio State, where he held the school record for receptions (168), gaining 2,725 yards and 27 touchdowns. In 2000, he was selected as a member of the Ohio State Football All-Century Team. The Philadelphia Eagles chose him in the 1987 supplemental draft. starting a decorated pro career from 1987 to 2002 with the Eagles, Minnesota and Miami. He ended with 1,101 receptions, 13,899 receiving yards and 130 touchdowns.
Receivers/tight ends: Kyle Rudolph, Elder ‒ For Elder, he was a first-team USA Today All-American who played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl among other accolades. He was considered one of the top tight ends in the nation while playing for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish from 2008 to 2010. Know for his philanthropy as well as his skills on the field, he was the Minnesota Vikings nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award three times in his nine years there. He then played two more years for the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Receivers/tight ends: Garrett Celek, La Salle ‒ The tight end had been selected to PrepStar’s All-Midwest Team for La Salle. He played four seasons (2007-2011) at Michigan State, recording 14 receptions, 135 receiving yards and three touchdowns. The San Francisco 49ers signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2012 and played with that team until his retirement in February 2020.
Receivers/tight ends: Michael Mayer, Covington Catholic ‒ The 2019 Gatorade Kentucky Football Player of the Year and Kentucky Football Coaches Association’s Mr. Football was selected to the 2020 U.S. Army All-American Bowl after helping Covington Catholic to a 5A state title as the title game MVP. After a successful college career at Notre Dame, he’s currently playing for the Las Vegas Raiders after he was selected in the second round (35th overall) in the 2023 NFL draft.
Offensive line: Tommy Kraemer, Elder ‒ The U.S. Army All-American won the 2015 Gatorade Player of the Year as an offensive lineman protecting QB Peyton Ramsey. In 2015, Kraemer had 156 blocks and anchored a team offense that racked up 5,064 yards of total offense and averaged 390.3 yards per game this past season for the Panthers (9-4), who were a Division I regional semifinalist. Following his graduate year at Notre Dame, he was named an All-American third-team player and later played two NFL seasons with the Detroit Lions and New Orleans Saints.
Offensive line: Andrew Norwell, Anderson ‒ He played for Ohio State as a guard. He was an undrafted free agent picked up by the Carolina Panthers in 2014, later playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Washington Commanders.
Offensive line: Ryan Kelly, Lakota West ‒ The three-star recruit had been selected to play at the Under Armour All-American game until an injury sidelined him. In college, he was a member of Alabama’s BCS National Championships in 2011 and 2012 and the College Football Playoff National Championship in 2015. The Indianapolis Colts selected him in the first round (18th) in the 2016 NFL draft and he’s played in 112 games for them since.
Linebacker: Lemar Marshall, St. Xavier ‒ The 1995 graduate was an All-Ohio selection who played for Michigan State University, lettering all four years and compiling 261 tackles and 27 defended passes. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed him as an undrafted free agent in 1999. After playing for Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, Denver and Washington, he finished his NFL career with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2007.
Linebacker: Luke Kuechly, St Xavier ‒ The former Bomber is a highly decorated college and professional linebacker. Playing for the Carolina Panthers from 2012 to 2019, he was 2012 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and 2013 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, a member of the 2010s all-decade team, a seven-time Pro Bowl player and three-time Butkus Award winner. His college resume at Boston College mirrors his pro career – All-American, ACC Defensive POY and ROY, Butkus Award and much more.
Linebacker: Bob Crable, Moeller ‒ After a prestigious high school career, Crable was a two-time All-American for Notre Dame. At the time of his induction into the 2017 National Football Foundation Hall of Fame, he held Notre Dame’s career (521), single-season (187) and single-game (26) tackling records. The New York Jets drafted him with the 23rd overall pick in the 1982 NFL draft and later served as Moeller’s head coach from 2001-2007.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Coaches Confidential: Cincinnati high school football dream teams
