Davis, Nauman, Reid earned highest All-Ohio football honors

Rob McCurdy, Marion Star
·4 min read
North Union's Owen Davis runs the football against Indian Lake last season. He was named Ohio's Division V Defensive Player of the Year by the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association.
North Union's Owen Davis runs the football against Indian Lake last season. He was named Ohio's Division V Defensive Player of the Year by the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association.

COLUMBUS — Before he enrolls early at Purdue to join the football team this winter, North Union's Owen Davis earned one last high school award.

The senior linebacker and running back was named the state's Division V Defensive Player of the Year by the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association this week.

"He’s a big-time competitor and that goes a long way," North Union football coach Nick Hajjar said earlier this season. "That drives him in all facets, weight room and on the field. I’d say that’s one of the big things. He loves to compete."

He wasn't the only Marion-area football personality to win a major award. Highland running back Dane Nauman was picked as Division V Offensive Player of the Year, while Mount Gilead's Mike Reid was Division VI Co-Coach of the Year, sharing it with Columbia's Jason Ward.

In all, there were 26 players from the area that earned All-Ohio honors with seven first-teamers, two second-team selections, six third-team honorees and 11 honorable mention picks.

As for Davis, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound early graduating senior produced 87 tackles with 68 solos, 14 tackles for loss, five sacks, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and an interception. On offense, he led the team with 1,098 rushing yards on 150 carries, scoring 20 touchdowns, plus adding 13 catches for 199 yards.

Nauman, a 6-1, 215-pounder, was one of the state's more prolific runners, accumulating 2,380 yards on 295 carries with 28 touchdowns. He caught 10 passes for 114 yards and a score, plus on defense and special teams led the Scots with 61 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions, five forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and two blocked kicks.

Just a few days after the Scots were eliminated from the playoffs, head coach Ty Stover said Nauman was in his office asking when they can begin getting ready for next season.

"We will get in the weight room and work on speed and agility and strength and all those great things you need to do take another step forward as a player," Stover said. "He’s going to be playing basketball and running track, so we’re going to be mixing all that with all those other sports."

Highland running back Dane Nauman runs for yards at River Valley this season. The junior was named Ohio's Division V Offensive Player of the Year.
Highland running back Dane Nauman runs for yards at River Valley this season. The junior was named Ohio's Division V Offensive Player of the Year.

Reid, a longtime assistant coach at Highland and Ridgedale, took over as a head coach for the first time in 2021, returning to his alma mater of Mount Gilead. In his second season with the Indians, they produced their first winning season since 2004 and earned the schools's first-ever playoff appearance.

"It’s a dream to be able to be involved in such a great game," Reid said earlier this year. "I do know this, football helped me grow up, and I’m blessed to still be part of the game."

After the season ended with six wins, Reid and the returnees were already looking forward to 2023 during exit meetings.

"They’re excited to see how we build on this, and that’s exactly what we needed," he said. "I’m very happy. I’m not satisfied. We want to keep advancing. I got a couple of questions about how I’m going to maintain this. My answer is I’m not interested in maintaining. We want to keep moving forward."

Joining Davis and Nauman as first-team All-Ohio selections were River Valley senior quarterback Cayden Shidone (6-0, 185) and senior teammate and wide receiver Grant Butler (6-4, 170) in Division IV. A pair of Mount Gilead performers — senior quarterback Matthew Bland (6-1, 175) and senior defensive lineman Judah Reid (6-2, 260) ― also made first team in Division VI, while Ridgedale junior linebacker Nathan Thiel (6-3, 185) was first team in Division VII.

Also from Ridgedale, sophomore Brayden Townsend (6-2, 185) was second-team in Division VII as was North Union senior defensive lineman Dalton Wilson (6-2, 236) in Division V.

Making third team All-Ohio were RV senior linebacker Will Garrison (6-1, 215) in Division IV, Highland senior kicker Caleb Hunter (5-11, 150) in Division V, and in Division VI, Elgin senior running back Breckin Dugan (5-8, 140), Mount Gilead junior offensive lineman Hayden Krinn (6-0, 240), Northmor junior defensive lineman Charles Naylor (6-0, 200) and Northmor junior defensive back Hunter Fulk (5-10, 150).

Taking honorable mention were Marion Harding sophomore linebacker Justin Long (6-0, 195), RV junior wide receiver Keyan Shidone (5-9, 145) in Division IV; Highland's senior offensive lineman Landon Pedigo (6-0, 260), senior defensive lineman Chandler Stevens (5-10, 190) and junior defensive back Hayden Kline (5-8, 140) in D-V; North Union's senior receiver Trey Bossaller (5-11, 160) and senior offensive lineman Drue Duncan (6-2, 270) in D-V; Pleasant senior receiver Cadence Varner (5-10, 155) in D-V; Northmor sophomore quarterback A.J. Bowe (6-0, 175)r, Mount Gilead senior running back Garrett George (5-11, 185) and Cardington senior offensive lineman Colin McAvoy (6-0, 205) in D-VI.

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This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Davis, Nauman, Reid earned highest All-Ohio football honors