Archbishop Hoban’s Lamar Sperling is Ohio Mr. Football

Photo courtesy of OHSAA

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Akron Archbishop Hoban senior running back Lamar Sperling has been named Ohio Mr. Football by the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association. He is the 36th winner of the award and will lead his team into the OHSAA Division II state championship game Thursday night against Toledo Central Catholic.

Sperling, 5-foot-10-inches and 190 pounds, totaled 141 points in the statewide voting by OPSWA members. Cincinnati Wyoming senior running back/defensive back CJ Hester was the runner-up with 101 points. He will play in the Division IV state championship game Saturday night.

Other Mr. Football finalists included Darreon Fair, Cleveland Heights; Diore Hubbard, Gahanna Lincoln; Jordan Marshall, Moeller; Connor Walendzak, Perrysburg; and Mason Wolfe, Millersburg West Holmes.

Sperling enters Thursday with 3,511 rushing yards and 55 rushing touchdowns, both school records, on 377 carries in 15 games this season. Sperling, a University at Buffalo recruit, also has one receiving TD.

The Ohio Mr. Football Award was given by the Associated Press from 1987-2016. It has been given by the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association since 2017.

The All-Ohio teams will be announced beginning Monday.

The OPSWA was created in 1972 to support, promote and recognize coverage of high school sports across Ohio and is endorsed by the Ohio High School Athletic Association. More about the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association is posted at: https://www.ohsaa.org/news/OPSWA.

Ohio Mr. Football Winners (including college choice):

1987: Buster Howe, RB-DB-K-P, Zanesville, Ohio State

1988: Robert Smith, RB, Euclid, Ohio State

1989: Robert Smith, RB, Euclid, Ohio State

1990: Bobby Hoying, QB, St. Henry, Ohio State

1991: Derek Kidwell, QB-DE, Fostoria, Bowling Green

1992: Marc Edwards, RB-LB, Norwood, Notre Dame

1993: Curtis Enis, RB-LB, Mississinawa Valley, Penn State

1994: Charles Woodson, DB-RB, Fremont Ross, Michigan

1995: Andy Katzenmoyer, LB, Westerville South, Ohio State

1996: Derek Combs, RB-DB-KR, Grove City, Ohio State

1997: Tony Fisher, RB, Euclid, Notre Dame

1998: Ryan Brewer, RB, Troy, South Carolina

1999: Bam Childress, DB-WR-KR, Bedford St. Peter Chanel, Ohio State

2000: Jeff Backes, RB-DB, Upper Arlington, Northwestern

2001: Maurice Clarett, RB, Warren G. Harding, Ohio State

2002: Ben Mauk, QB, Kenton, Wake Forest/Cincinnati

2003: Ray Williams, RB, Cleveland Benedictine, West Virginia

2004: Tyrell Sutton, RB, Archbishop Hoban, Northwestern

2005: Delone Carter, RB, Copley, Syracuse

2006: Brandon Saine, RB, Piqua, Ohio State

2007: Bart Tanski, QB, Mentor, Bowling Green

2008: Erick Howard, RB, North Canton Hoover, Akron

2009: Erick Howard, RB, North Canton Hoover, Akron

2010: Akise Teague, RB-DB-KR, Youngstown Ursuline, Cincinnati

2011: Maty Mauk, QB, Kenton, Missouri/Eastern Kentucky

2012: Mitch Trubisky, QB, Mentor, North Carolina

2013: Dante Booker Jr., LB, Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary, Ohio State

2014: Joe Burrow, QB, Athens, Ohio State, Louisiana State

2015: Keishaun Sims, RB-DB, Massillon Perry, Ashland University

2016: Michael Warren, RB, Toledo Central Catholic, University of Cincinnati

2017: Joey Baughman, QB, Wadsworth, Elon University

2018: Cade Stover, SS-RB, Lexington, Ohio State University
2019: Evan Prater, QB, Cincinnati Wyoming, University of Cincinnati

2020: Corey Kiner, RB, Cincinnati Roger Bacon, Louisiana State

2021: Drew Allar, QB, Medina Penn State

2022: Lamar Sperling, RB, Akron Archbishop Hoban