ASHLAND, Ohio — North central Ohio football fans will soon find out what Mansfield Senior coach Chioke Bradley learned last fall.
Keishaun Sims is every bit as good as advertised.
Ohio’s reigning Mr. Football, Sims has signed to play at Division II Ashland University in the fall. The Massillon Perry product rushed for 3,224 yards and 43 touchdowns during his senior season, leading the Panthers to the Division II state championship game. Perry fell to Cincinnati Lasalle in the title game.
Perry’s first-round opponent last fall was Mansfield Senior. The Panthers roared to a 35-0 win behind Sims’ 267 yards and five touchdowns.
“He’s arguably one of the best running backs in the state of Ohio,” Bradley said at the time. “We had them outnumbered on both sides with our defensive scheme and he still was able to get free.”
The 6-foot-1, 170-pound speedster was recruited by several Mid-American Conference schools but academic issues — Sims was a borderline academic qualifier — scared away some recruiters. In late February it was reported that Sims was headed to Iowa State as a preferred walk-on to play for Perry graduate and new Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell. Sims also had an offer from Division II Malone.
Instead, he chose Ashland and head coach Lee Owens. The Eagles were undefeated during the regular season last fall and hosted a Division II playoff game. AU, which will welcome back 10 starters on offense and seven on defense from the 2015 team, was eight in the 2016 Sporting News preseason poll.
“We have an exceptional recruiting class and it’s just the icing on the cake to sign a player of his profile,” Owens said. “He’s going to come in to challenge to play right away. We’ve got one back (senior Vance Settlemire) that’s proven himself. He could be right in the mix in a hurry, and I think he realizes that, too.”
Sims rewrote the Stark County record book last fall. His 3,224 yards and 43 touchdowns were both single-season records in a county renown for high school football.
“The other exciting thing about Keishaun is that he is every bit as good, if not better, on defense,” Owens said. “The other thing I’ve heard from just about everybody in the Stark County community is that he’s an outstanding young man.”
The Eagles open the season at home on Sept. 1, hosting Mercyhurst. AU’s first three games are at home.
“What’s happening more and more, because of our recent success, because of our past tradition, because of our facilities … Ashland is the only, or one of the very few, Division II schools that (Division I-caliber athletes) are considering attending,” Owens said. “It’s a compliment.”
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