Richland 200: No. 3 Ontario's Gage Weaver and the All-America moment that nearly never happened
ONTARIO — Gage Weaver opened his phone and noticed a little red notification bubble above his email app.
Most of the time, his email is full of spam or things he simply deletes right away and moves on with his day. Luckily, that day, he finally had something important.
It was an email from the United Soccer Coaches Association informing him he had made the 2021 High School All-America team for his junior soccer season. As he read on, he still wasn't sure to believe it or not. Would the link in the email take him to some website that would hack his phone? Would all of his information get stolen?
Weaver's paranoia quickly left his body when he called his mom and coach. The email that congratulated him for becoming an All-American was almost deleted and the moment of finding out nearly didn't happen.
"It was in an email," Weaver said when recalling the moment he learned he was an All-American. "I opened my email at school one day and it was from the United Soccer Coaches Association and it had a congratulatory letter attached, and I thought it was spam. I literally thought it was junk mail. I read it and thought there was no way. So, I called my mom and my coach and they told me it was true. It was unreal."
The only problem was, he still had half of the school day to get through. He could barely contain his excitement. All of the hard work he put in was finally paying off.
A few months prior, Weaver cleaned up the postseason awards. He was a first-team All-Ohioan in Division II, the district player of the year, first team all-district, Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference Player of the Year and first team All-MOAC. Now, he got to add All-America to that list.
It was a surreal moment for Weaver. To be an All-Ohioan was a huge honor in itself, but All-American? Now that was on a different level.
"My head got pretty big, I'll be honest," Weaver said with a laugh. "But it boosted my confidence big time. But it also added a lot of pressure for this upcoming season. I am ready for it. All-American is a huge accolade, but I am trying to live up to that this year and I am ready for it."
Ontario coach Chris McClenathan recalled the moment he found out Weaver was an All-American very clearly. It was a huge honor for his player and his program as a whole.
"It is huge," McClenathan said. "It puts a stamp on what we have been working on for the last nine years. You have staple programs like Bay Village up north and Lexington here in town, and those are the programs we have been working to be like. To have Gage recognized as an All-American, it is an incredible individual honor, but I think it also says a lot about the team as well that he gets that much respect playing at Ontario."
McClenathan also learned of Weaver's All-America honor through an email. He knew Weaver had a chance after representing him at the All-Ohio coaches meeting and learning of his all-region honor.
"I received an email about all-region and then got one about All-American so I forwarded it to him," McClenathan said. "He probably got one around the same time. It was a shock because it wasn't expected. We had a great season and got him the district player of the year and knew that would put him up there to be considered. It was really cool to learn he got All-American honors."
What could, or couldn't, have been
Weaver scored 37 goals and handed out eight assists last season, breaking the single-season goals record at Ontario. For his career, he has 62 goals and 13 assists.
But his All-America career as a prolific goal-scorer almost never happened. Weaver started his career as a goalkeeper, and was pretty darn good at that, too. He recorded 40 saves as a freshman and 27 more as a sophomore before being moved out to help out the offense.
Back then, if he had it his way, he would have spent his entire career in goal. But the thought of being the one scoring goals instead of saving them slowly grew on him. As a sophomore, he was asked to move out of goal and into the field, and that idea was met was a bit of hesitation until he got a taste of the action, and the rest is history.
Had he stuck with his keeper position, the All-America moment would likely never have happened.
"It is so weird to think about how I started my soccer career as a goalie," Weaver said. "I broke my arm coming into my freshman season, so I knew I was going to have to start in the field, but all I wanted to do was play goal. Sophomore season, I started in goal and my interest just switched to wanting to play in the field. I did it one game, was pretty good and I have been there ever since. It is an interesting story."
New year, new role
Now, Weaver takes on an unfamiliar role — leader. The Warriors lost 14 seniors from last year's 13-6-1 MOAC championship team, so they are desperate for a leader, and Weaver is ready to take that head on.
"Being a senior, I have to take on that leadership role," he said. "Ontario soccer is all about winning, so it is my job to make sure we continue that tradition. This year, we will be without 14 seniors from last year, so there will be some ups and downs, but we will be fine. We bring in young talent every year, and it is my time to lead them."
McClenathan said he is confident Weaver will excel in his new role just as he has with every position change and role he has ever been asked to fill.
"The way he works and how humble he is, I don't know if we have ever had anyone with the combination of athleticism, work ethic, humbleness and respect," McClenathan said. "He is truly unique. We have had some great players in the past on that 2017 team, but nothing like Gage."
And there hasn't been anyone like him in the history of Ontario athletics. Weaver is the first male Ontario High School athlete to ever earn All-America honors in a sport. He is also an honorable mention all-district and first team All-MOAC baseball player. He likely would have earned postseason honors in basketball had a broken wrist not kept him out the entire year.
But All-America honors are the pinnacle of high school athletics, and Weaver can always say he earned those honors.
"It meant a lot to me as a coach and our entire coaching staff," McClenathan said. "We are so proud of him and his accomplishments."
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2022 Richland 200 Athletes
200: Natalie Grove, Shelby
199: Trenton Weaver, Crestview
198: Oliver Cramer, Mansfield Christian
197: Trynity Wolfe, Lexington
196: Annie Mahek, Shelby
195: Leyna Gerich, Crestview
194: Alex Rose, Ontario
193: Vivian Lampert, Madison
192: Brooklyn Gwirtz, Shelby
191: Will Magers, Shelby
190: Channon Cundiff, Shelby
189: Andre Harrison, Mansfield Christian
188: Colin Cordrey, Ontario
187: Isaac Hillman, Mansfield Christian
186: Olivia Kreger, Ontario
185: Hunter Petit, Ontario
184: Drew Yetter, Ontario
183: Jaden Jones, Mansfield Senior
182: Caleb Porter, Plymouth
181: Ally Wigton, Madison
180: Cole Everrand, Mansfield Christian
179: Tristan Johnson, Mansfield Christian
178: Gracie Dinsmore, Crestview
177: Brody Miller, Shelby
176: Evie Hostetler, Lexington
175: Kyleah Jones, Mansfield Christian
174: Cameron Kuhn, Madison
173: Chesnie Patton, Crestview
172: Zach Hamman, Plymouth
171: Annaleise Norris, Mansfield Senior
170: Braxton Hall, Ontario
169: Anna Blackstone, Lexington
168: Jade Adkins, Lexington
167: Carson Brubaker, Shelby
166: Trevin Smith, Lexington
165: Hannah Smith, Lexington
164: Mary Wilkins, Shelby
163: Calah Rader, Mansfield Christian
162: Quinten DeBolt, Mansfield Senior
161: Jayden Goad, Madison
160: Trace McVey, Plymouth
159: Caden Cunningham, Crestview;
158: Carter Newman, Lexington;
157: Jace Hill, Crestview
156: Griffin Baker, Mansfield Christian
155: Egan Cavanaugh, St. Peter’s
154: Luke Zerby, Mansfield Christian
153: Camden DeBolt, Mansfield Senior
152: Nathan Haney, Mansfield Senior
151: Juleah Windham, Mansfield Senior
150: Marissa Caugherty, Lucas
149: Brayden Spitler, Lucas
148: Bobby Grover, Lucas
147: Alyssa Shay, Lucas
146: Terrance Corbin, Lexington
145: Skyler Winters, Shelby;
144: Bralen Boone, Ontario;
143: Gavin Cains, Crestview;
142: Luke Roberts, Lexington
141: Renee Anders, Clear Fork
140: Gavin Barker, Crestview;
139: Callie Cyrus, Madison
138: Jaylin Branham, Plymouth
137: Zian Rhodes, Lexington
136: Eden Howard, Ontario
135: Chloe Trine, Plymouth
134: Gavin Cates, Madison
133: Jaxson Husty, Lexington
132: Natalee Back, Madison
131: Chance Basilone, Lexington
130: Marshall Moore, Shelby
129: Trista Jewell, Ontario
128: Braden Mumaw, Lexington
127: Caleb Cunningham, Ashland Crestview;
126: Devin Holloway, Ashland Crestview;
125: Jaden Beachy, Clear Fork
124: Mylah Davis, Madison
123: Taylor Tucker, Madison
122: Brooklynn Adkins, Ontario
121: Maddie Haring, Lexington
120: Baylee Black, Ontario
119: Ethan Slone, Lexington
118: Ty Lehnhart, Lucas
117: Monetta Hilory, Mansfield Senior
116: Trey Nickoli, Lexington
115: Mitch Riegel, Lexington
114: Fred Proto, Clear Fork
113: Micheal Thomas, Madison
112: Landon Kennard, Shelby
111: Kendall Windsor, Clear Fork
110: Alyssa Carroll, St. Peter’s
109: Anna Sparks, Mansfield Christian
108: Noelle Beare, Mansfield Christian
107: Kenley Miller, Lexington
106: Chloe Sturts, Lucas
105: Feree Kent, St. Peter’s
104: Carter Weaver, Ontario
103: Kiyah Wentz, Mansfield Senior
102: Rachel Kocher, Lexington
101: Will Jamieson, Madison
100: Peyton Dzugan, Ontario
99: Demi Hipp, Shelby
98: Brayden Fogle, Lexington
97: Hope Barrett, Madison
96: Lilly Wortman, Clear Fork
95: Natalie Hunter, Lexington
94: Isaac Vance, Lexington
93: Joey Aquino, Lexington
92: Jarek Ringler, Crestview
91: Cameron Wagers, Plymouth
90: Justin Crall, Mansfield Senior
89: Marisah Atterholt, Madison
88: Kyleigh Rieter, Madison
87: Heath Kash, Crestview
86: Adison Reymer, Crestview;
85: James Stewart, Ontario
84: Kylie Snow, Ontario
83: Pacey Chrastina, Clear Fork
82: Davis Washinske, Mansfield Christian
81: Carmelo Smith, Mansfield Senior;
80: Mason Turnbaugh, Ontario
79: Noah Stuart, Ashland Crestview;
78: Connor Hauger, Clear Fork
77: Emily Nolan, Madison
76: Victor Skoog, Clear Fork;
75: Madi Basilone, Lexington
74: Owen Roth Lexington
73: Jordan Beireis, Lexington
72: Emma Aumend, Crestview
71: Makenzie Back, Plymouth
70: Alexis Rippel, Mansfield Christian
69: Hunter Church, Lucas
68: Troy Chapman, Lexington
67: Issaiah Ramsey, Shelby;
66: Luke Schlosser, Clear Fork
65: Mallary Gundrum, Shelby
64: Andrew Fanello, Lucas;
63: Marleigh Albert, Shelby
62: Dylan Catanese, Lexington
61: Jake Chilcote, Lexington
60: Ethan Remy, Lexington
59: Karl Etzel, Lexington
58: Taylor Mullins, Ontario
57: Annika Labaki, Clear Fork
56: Olivia Schulz, Madison
55: Kylie Galownia, Lexington
54: Elias Owens, Mansfield Senior
53: Sophie Durbin, Crestview
52: Joslynne Frazier, Ontario
51: Audi Albert, Shelby
50: Ricky Mills, Mansfield Senior
49: Alex Depperschmidt, Lexington
48: Leo Hess, Mansfield Senior
47: Kiersten Bradley, Mansfield Senior
46: Wade Bolin, Crestview
45: Corbin Toms, Lucas
44: Hudson Moore, Lexington
43: Kaylie Eichorn, Lexington
42: Bri Bowles, Madison
41: Chase Studer, Ontario
40: Andrew Smollen, Lucas;
39: Luke Dininger, Shelby
38: Huck Finnegan, Shelby
37: Peyton Bodnar, St. Peter’s
36: Emma Montgomery, Shelby
35: Elli Mayer, Shelby
34: Isaac McFadden, Lexington
33: Ivan Prykhodko, Lexington
32: Abby Little, Mansfield Christian
31: Matt Dwyer, Lexington
30: Sean Putt, Mansfield Senior
29: Shae Sparks, Plymouth
28: Aidan Culler, Lucas
27: Ahmaan Thomas, Mansfield Senior
26: Jayden Jeffries, Madison
25: Shawn Bailey, Crestview
24: Miles Miesse, Ontario
23: Kaden Riddle, Clear Fork
22: Caiden Allen, Plymouth
21: Keontez Bradley, Mansfield Senior;
20: Ja’Ontay O’Bryant, Mansfield Senior
19: Elyana Weaver, Lexington
18: Amarr Davis, Mansfield Christian
17: Autumn Taylor, Ontario
16: Jillian Morr, Lexington
15: Brie Trumpower, Ontario
14: Baden Forup, Lexington
13: Logan Toms, Lucas
12: Adi Turnbaugh, Ontario
11: Kayla Gonzales, Shelby
10: Emma Wise, Lexington
9: Hunter Hutcheson, Madison
8: Owen Barker, Crestview
7: Mason Ringler, Crestview
6: Alex Bruskotter, Shelby
5: Jacob Ohl, Ontario
4: Hayden Kuhn, Crestview
3: Gage Weaver, Ontario
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Richland 200: Ontario's Gage Weaver, an All-American soccer player is No. 3