by In 2003 Avon Lake Head Coach Matt Kostelnik was an influential member of the Avon Lake State Championship team. Most of his current roster was in diapers and barely knew what a football, or any sports ball was at that time.
My oh my have the times changed, as his current roster is senior heavy, and ready to make a serious run at the Division II State Championship. This team is loaded folks, absolutely loaded! Don’t get me wrong, they have some serious underclassmen talent as well.
Juniors who can and have been making an impact are Sam Fedders, Hunter McHugh, Brady Shildwachter, Joe Lubertozzi, Nathan Schillinger, Julia Hurd and Owen Wiley. But don’t kid yourself folks, this team is Senior heavy and they are dying for another crack at State Championship weekend. Last year, they got tripped up in round three, and have vowed not to let it happen again. These seniors know it is their last shot and they want it badly.
Let’s take a look at this years senior class.
2: Michael Corbo – A kid who can do it all. He has an incredible line in front of him and rarely makes a mistake. He will beat you with his arms and his legs. He is a leader out there as well as his teammates love him. He runs the RPO about as good as anyone else out there. He is humble & hungry.
5: Gage Duesler – Gage is one of the most unselfish young men I have ever met. That trait alone will get him far off the field as it will on the field. He is also very fast and can blow through a hole before you can blink. Ball security will be a key for Gage if the Shoremen want to finish this run on top.
6: Mitchell Fedders – He is always around the ball on both sides of the field. Like his older brother Luke, he is a threat in the corner of the endzone on offense, and he is a bigger threat on defense as well. He has great hands.
7: Sean Summers – There are very few comeback stories as good as this one. He had the maturity, the drive, and the God given talent to switch from Linebacker to DB, and he is excelling because of it. A very humble young man, and a leader!
9: Jared Krukowski – He has jumped off the page this season. I’ll be the first one to admit I didn’t know much about him coming into this season, but he has made me a believer fast. He can flat out catch the ball and seems to find a way to get open.
10: Nathan Cikalo – Not only was he one of the more entertaining guests we’ve ever had on the show, but he’s an even better player than he is talker. Cikalo is a ball hawk out there, as I don’t have any other way to put it.
He has already shown numerous times this season he can score from both sides of the ball. He has two pick sixes and I wouldn’t be shocked if he grabs another one soon.
11: Ryan Kemer – He reminds me A LOT of Jared Krukowski. A sure handed wideout who waited his turn to play. After several great receivers in front of him graduated, Kremer stepped into that starting role with ease.
12: Billy Simpson – This young man is really good. If the 3-interception night against Wadsworth didn’t already prove that, just keep watching. Simpson has great vision for where the opposing quarterback is going to put the ball. He is also very mature; I was blown away by the passion and also maturity he showed in his interview. Again, one of the better ones we have ever had on the show. Go back and listen, OUTSTANDING!
13: Sam Mikolich – This young man went from being “Jack’s younger brother” last year, to a serious threat on the roster this year. He is my pick along with Ryan Kemer and Jared Krukowski for most improved offensive player. The three of them have really stepped up big time to help Fedders and Cikalo as senior wideout threats.
15: Griffin Lidyard – This student athlete is the heart and soul of this program. One of the most unselfish human beings I have ever met and just a great kid! He is quick and powerful and plays both sides of the ball getting the grunt work done. Fourth and 1, or goal to goal from the 2, give this man the ball and watch out because he is coming full steam ahead.
17: Aidan Grabowski – This multi-sport athlete screams athletic ability and intelligence. His big frame is hard to miss out there as he plays well above his 5’11 stature. Personally, I think that may be a misprint on the roster. Every championship team needs a good slot guy, and the Shoremen have theirs in Grabowski.
18: Michael Stuewe – This young man has football in his blood as his father Michael played at Virginia Tech. Not only he is good on the field, but he is great in the classroom as well with a 4.5 GPA. He is a student of the game, but what else would you expect for a kid who’s favorite subject in school is history.
23 : Mason Wheeler – There was a wrestler once called “The Total Package” Lex Luger. That same nickname can be given to Wheeler. He can lay you out on defense as a linebacker, and then 5 minutes later, he is taking one to the house from 65 yards out in the backfield as a tailback.
Not that I want to see his high school career end, but I’m very curious and eager to watch him play in college when he only has one position to focus on. He is quick, agile and powerful, Wheeler really is the total package.
54: Kevin McKinley – He is one of the big men upfront that Corbo, Wheeler and Duesler get the luck of playing behind. I mentioned the big holes earlier, McKinley is a big reason why they are being created! Very seldom do you see false start or holding calls on this line, and McKinley is a big reason why.
57 : Alex Padgett – He is headed to BGSU next year to run and pass block in the MAC. At 6’5, 300 LBS and growing, he is a force out there. Another young man who came across very focused and very driven during his interview.
64: Jacob Sintic – He plays like someone twice his size. Sintic is all over the ball on defense and has also proven he can be a force on special teams! He showed that again last week with a blocked punt of Wadsworth punter / quarterback Mitch Evans.
He is one of the quickest defensive players I have seen at the D2 level. I’ll say it again, D2 size, D1 skill. Like Jimmy Johns, he is freaky fast but with less bread and more substance.
69: Griffin Romes – At 6-foot-tall and 300 pounds, he is a bus with legs. A staple of this line, Romes has been clearing the way for tailbacks behind him for years. A smart player who knows how to use his size.
83: Kadyn Viancourt – No matter what he goes on to do on and off the field, he will forever be known for two words, “strip six”. You can pack a stadium and Momma Bear Viancourt will still be the loudest. We at Kee on Sports, love it!
