All-TSF: Wide Receiver Primer

The spread offense has really changed things over the past decade in high school football. More players are getting the chance to touch the ball and make plays. The slot position has evolved to get the athletes the ball in open spaces and let them do their thing. A combination of size and speed has become a lethal tandem in passing attacks.

Cooper WR Dante Hendrix (photo by Mike Noyes/TriStateFootball.com)

Coaches have dared defenses to find enough depth in the secondary to keep up with an array of options for their quarterbacks to pick from. It is leading to some big numbers and amazing performances from receivers and in 2016 the bar was raised even higher by an outstanding cast at the position.

VOTE NOW for your pick at receiver and all of the other positions.

Here is a look at the receiver nominee’s for the 2016 postseason All-TriStateFootball.com team:

NOMINEES: WIDE RECEIVERS – Dawson Aichholz (Indian Hill); Bryce Ashley (Ryle); Gracen Barnhart (Fairborn); Dylan Beaugard (Wilmington); Mason Bernhardt (CHCA); Jordan Campbell (Lebanon); Cole Carmosino (McNicholas); Logan Castleman (Beechwood);Deedgar Cooks (Ponitz Tech); Mitchell Crawford (Harrison); Connor Dinkler (Oakwood); Rondell Douglas (Boone County); Eddie Driskell (Edgewood); Jake Edmonds (Wyoming); Danny Faillace (Elder); Wyatt Fischer (Western Brown); De’Quan Freeman (Aiken); Dante Hendrix (Cooper); Jordan Houze (Lawrenceburg); Greg Jackson (Northwest); Caleb Johnson (Trotwood-Madison); Xavier Johnson (Summit Country Day); Nick Kovacs (Springboro); Noah Kremer (Franklin); Cameron Naber (Oak Hills); Jake Newton (Anderson); Zach Pokrzywinski (Greensburg); Garyn Prater (Wyoming); Titus Ransom (Bourbon County); Quamonte Richardson (Purcell Marian); Zelwyn Robinson (Lakota West); Trey Sanders (Butler); Vince Sanford (Hamilton); Joseph Scates (Dunbar); Adam Schwallie (Elder); Matt Simpson (Conner); Gerald Smith (Harrison); L’Christian Smith (Wayne); Cameron Specht (St. Xavier); Chris’Seon Stringer (Taft); Luke Vance (Simon Kenton); Nick Venemann (Highlands); Cole Waugh (Benjamin Logan); Ghye Wilson (Eaton).

McNicholas WR/K Cole Carmosino (photo by Cathy Lachmann/TriStateFootball.com)

THREE’S A CHARM: This is the third nomination for Carmosino. The McNicholas star was nominated as a kicker in ‘14 and ’15. His 38 all-time field goals is second best in Ohio history. Carmosino was named the GCL Central Co-offensive player of the year last fall after catching 35 balls for 887 yard (25.3/catch) with 10 touchdowns, connecting on 11/17 field goals and 27/28 extra points for 120 total points.

ENCORE PERFORMANCE: L’Christian Smith and Dante Hendrix were postseason First Team All-TSF selections in ’15. Kovacs and Robinson were Honorable Mention choices a year ago. Also making their second straight nomination are – Beaugard, Carmosino, Driskell, Sanford, Gerald Smith and Scates (RS). Gerald Smith was a Second Team All-TSF pick as a return specialist, Sanford was an Honorable Mention selection at the athlete position and Carmosino was an Honorable Mention selection as a kicker in ’15.

ONLY A PAIR OF SOPHOMORES: Castleman and Stringer the only sophomores on our list of nominee’s. Both are two-year letter winners with Stringer having 17 career touchdown receptions while Castleman has 12 scoring catches.

1,000 YARD CLUB: There were 12 receiver nominee’s that had more than 1,000 yards receiving in ’16 – Hendrix (1,405), Waugh (1,336), Fischer (1,301), Gerald Smith (1,167), Kovacs, (1,159), Edmonds (1,139), Newton (1,114), Naber (1,093), Prater (1,093), Wilson (1,080), Crawford (1,033), Venemann (1,026) and Ashley (1,002). Hendrix, Kovacs and Fischer all topped 1,000 yards receiving as juniors in ’15. L’ Christian Smith hit the 1,000 yard mark as a sophomore in ’15.

Springboro WR Nick Kovacs (photo by Mike Noyes TriStateFootball.com)

IN THE RECORD BOOKS: According to the OHSAA records the 203 receptions by Kovacs at Springboro make him just the 16th player in Ohio history to eclipse the 200 catch mark. Western Brown’s Fischer will head into his senior year with 149 career catches. He had 29 receptions a year ago and 66 as a sophomore.

YARDAGE EATERS: Three of our nominee’s had more than 4,000 all-purpose yards during their careers – Hendrix (4,547) Gerald Smith (4,294) and Robinson (4,005). Hendix has 3,106 yards receiving. Robinson amassed 1,662 yards rushing and 1,596 receiving. Smith had 2,412 yards receiving and 1,382 total return yards. All three found the end zone at least 40 times – Robinson (46), Hendrix (45) and Smith (41).

THE BMOC’s IN ‘17: Of the 42 nominees 14 are juniors. The Class of 2018 – Beaugard, Bernhardt, Dinkler, Falliace, Fischer, Caleb Johnson, Xavier Johnson, Sanders, Scates, Simpson, Specht, L’Christian Smith, Veneman and Waugh.

COMMITTED: Four nominees have already made their verbal commitments to college: Kovacs – Toledo; Sanford – Air Force; Hendrix – Indiana State; Prater – Fordham.

UNDERCLASSMEN OFFERS: No less than three juniors have Division I FBS offers. Xavier Johnson – Ball State, Cincinnati and Toledo; Scates – Ball State, Cincinnati, Indiana, Iowa State, Kentucky, Michigan State, Toledo and Wake Forrest; L’Christian Smith – Alabama, Duke, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers and Tennessee.

Join us as we recognize Offensive & Defensive Player of the Year finalists and winners from Northern Kentucky, Indiana, Dayton and Cincinnati, Team of the year winners from all of those areas and members of the 2016 Postseason All-TSF squad at our upcoming TSF Year in Review Show on Monday, February 20th, 2017, 6:30 p.m. at the Holy Grail-Banks in Cincinnati.

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