MADISON TOWNSHIP — Tyrell Ajian will have some big decisions to make in the upcoming years, but for now Madison’s super sophomore is living in the moment.
And Friday night was a big moment.
The Richland Source Athlete of the Week, Ajian scored touchdowns on offense and defense — and had a special teams score nullified by penalty — as the Rams celebrated the opening of Ram Field at STARTEK Stadium with a 37-3 win over Galion.
In addition to his exploits on the football field, Ajian is a standout basketball player. He was Madison’s starting point guard as a freshman, averaging more than 10 points a game.
“I’m going to have to get in a fight with (Madison basketball coach) Tim Mergel because coach Mergel thinks this kid is a basketball player, but I think he showed he is a pretty darn good football player,” Madison coach Sean Conway joked. “I’m so proud of him because he came out and when we needed him, he stepped up.”
The 6-foot, 180-pound receiver and defensive back gave the Rams the lead in the second quarter when he outjumped a pair of Galion defenders for a 22 yard touchdown reception. On the ensuing kickoff, Ajian recovered a pooch kick to set up Madison’s second TD of the night.
“(Madison quarterback) Austin Finley just throws it up and he knows I’ll go up and get it,” Ajian said. “He put that ball in a place where only I could catch it.
“We’ve been working on the pooch kick in practice a lot. (Kicker) Logan Childers put it in a nice place and I don’t think Galion was expecting it. We were able to go down and score after that.”
Ajian was just getting started.
Early in the third quarter, he fielded a Galion punt at his own 25 yard line and ran virtually untouched for a 75 yard score. The TD was wiped out by a Madison penalty.
Later in the third, Ajian iced it when he stepped in front of a Jacob Fryer pass and raced 57 yards for a TD and a 30-3 Madison lead.
Injuries limited Ajian last fall, but he was healthy by the time basketball season rolled around. He earned a spot on the Ohio Cardinal Conference and District 6 first teams and was an honorable mention selection on the Northwest District team.
“Tyrell did a little bit of everything for us,” Mergel said. “From our first game against Galion to our last game in the sectional championship against Mansfield Senior, he gained a lot of experience in a short time.
“He does a lot of things instinctively that you can’t coach.”
Mergel wasn’t the least bit surprised by Ajian’s performance Friday night.
“I’ve heard some people say it was his coming out party, but I’ve seen what he can do,” Mergel said. “That wasn’t out of the ordinary.
“He’s a great basketball player and a great football player and I’m sure (baseball coach) Doug Rickert and (track coach) Andrew Saris are tugging at him, too. He was the quarterback in seventh and eighth grade. The kid has got a cannon for an arm,” Mergel continued.
Playing in an offense that boasts a wealth of talent at the skill positions (six different players have scored touchdowns in two games), Ajian has two catches for 35 yards and three carries for five yards. Defensively he has four tackles and a pair of interceptions.
The statistics only tell a fraction of his story, though.
“He’s a great kid and he’s a good person,” Conway said. “He’s got great character and he gives all of his heart.”
When asked Friday night which was his better sport, Ajian said football had a slight edge. No matter which sport Ajian chooses to pursue at the college level, Mergel had no doubt he will be successful.
“I’m the basketball coach so I’m a little partial,” Mergel said. “Whatever he chooses, basketball or football, his ceiling is very high as long as he continues to work hard.”
“He’s a great basketball player and a great football player and I’m sure (baseball coach) Doug Rickert and (track coach) Andrew Saris are tugging at him, too. He was the quarterback in seventh and eighth grade. The kid has got a cannon for an arm,” said Coach Tim Mergel.
