SHELBY — His future is on the baseball diamond, but the imprint Shelby quarterback Marshall Shepherd left on the football program won’t soon be forgotten.

The Richland Source Offensive Player of the Year, Shepherd broke every single-season passing record in leading the Whippets to a third straight Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference championship and the second round of the Division IV, Region 14 playoffs.

Shelby was 9-3, falling to Clyde 42-35 in double overtime in the Region 14 quarterfinals.

“He’s pretty special. We knew that and that’s why we went to the offense that we went to,” Shelby coach Rob Mahaney said. “I knew Marshall and I trusted Marshall.”

Operating out of an empty backfield, Shepherd completed 207 of 415 passes for 4,273 yards and 48 touchdowns in 12 games. He also rushed for 368 yards and 12 touchdowns on 79 carries and booted 54 extra points and a pair of field goals for good measure.

What’s more, Shepherd played a large portion of the regular season with a shoulder injury that didn’t fully heal until Week 9.

“In Week 4 and 5 it was like 40 or 50 percent,” Shepherd said. “Then it slowly increased as the weeks went on.”

Shepherd was selected the Northwest District Offensive Player of the Year in Division IV. He was also the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference Player of the Year.

Shepherd has verbally committed to play baseball for Division II Walsh University in North Canton. He was the MOAC’s Player of the Year last spring after batting .459 with 36 runs batted in while going 6-0 on the mound with 56 strikeouts and a 1.69 earned run average.

Will he miss football?

“It was a hard decision to make,” Shepherd said.

His playing days may be over, but his legacy is secure.

“People thought he was going to have a great year, but you’re talking about (60) total touchdowns,” Mahaney said. “That doesn’t happen very often.”

Shepherd is the centerpiece of an All-Richland Source offense that includes a trio of running backs who combined for more than 5,800 rushing yards and four receivers who accounted for 255 receptions.

Running Back

Connor Morse, Crestview: The senior was selected the Division VI Co-Defensive Player of the Year in the Northwest District, but it’s hard to overlook his contributions on the offensive side of the ball. Morse rushed for 1,949 yards and 32 touchdowns on 292 carries, averaging 6.7 yards per attempt. He was an All-Firelands Conference first team pick on offense and defense.

Karson Berry, Lexington: A 5-foot-10, 185-pound senior, Berry rushed for 1,413 yards and 24 touchdowns as the Minutemen reached the Division III, Region 10 playoffs. Berry was an Ohio Cardinal Conference first team pick and a Northwest District first-teamer in Division III.

Lincoln Mollenkopf, Colonel Crawford: A 5-foot-10, 180-pound senior, Mollenkopf was north central Ohio’s leading rusher. The Northwest District Co-Offensive Player of the Year in Division VI, Mollenkopf rumbled for 2,500 yards and 38 touchdowns on 263 carries as the Eagles reached the Division VI, Region 22 quarterfinals.

Wide Receiver

Myles Bradley, Mansfield Senior: The 6-foot-1, 215-pound senior was invaluable on both sides of the ball for the Tygers. He had a team-high 47 catches for 834 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging 17.7 yards per catch. Bradley was the Division III Offensive Player of the Year in the Northwest District.

Blaine Bowman, Shelby: The shifty senior caught 95 passes for 1,500 yards and 18 touchdowns as the Whippets reached the second round of the Division IV, Region 14 playoffs. Bowman was a Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference first team pick and a Northwest District first team selection in Division IV.

Jonathan Metzger, Ashland: A 5-foot-10, 175-pound junior, Metzger had 58 catches for 801 yards and five touchdowns despite playing part of the season with a cast on his arm. Metzger was an Ohio Cardinal Conference first team pick and a Northwest District second-teamer in Division III.

Jaron Filliater, Wynford: The 6-foot-4, 190-pound senior led the Northern 10 in receptions (55) and was second in receiving yards (966) and touchdowns (seven), averaging 17.6 yards per catch. Filliater was selected to the Northwest District first team in Division V.

Offensive Line

Kaden Riddle, Clear Fork: One of the area’s top two-way linemen, Riddle was the anchor of Clear Fork’s offensive line. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound junior was a Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference first team pick on defense and a Northwest District Division IV first team selection on offense.

Mason Ringler, Crestview: A 6-foot-2, 220-pound senior captain, Ringler was another of Crestview’s talented two-way linemen. He helped plow the road for Connor Morse from his guard spot on offense while making 66 tackles on defense. Ringler was a Firelands Conference first team pick and a Northwest District first-teamer in Division VI.

Collin Arnold, Lucas: The 6-foot, 220-pound senior helped make Lucas’ double-wing offense go. Arnold was a Northwest District first team pick in Division VII, helping the Cubs reach the regional semifinals.

Leyton Nossa, Lexington: The 6-foot-2, 235-pound senior helped clear the way for fellow first-team pick Karson Berry. Nossa was an Ohio Cardinal Conference first team selection and a Northwest District first team pick in Division III.

Camden Armstrong, Shelby: The powerful 5-foot-11, 290-pound senior helped protect Richland Source Offensive Player of the Year Marshall Shepherd as the Whippets won another Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference crown. Armstrong was a MOAC first team pick and a Northwest District first-teamer in Division IV.

Specialists

Aidan Culler, Lucas: Just a sophomore, Culler may have the strongest leg of any kicker in north central Ohio. He booted a 45 yard field goal to end the first half in a second-round playoff victory over Malvern and is ranked among the top kickers in Ohio in the Class of 2024. Culler, who also plays in the Lucas secondary and at tight end, was selected to the Northwest District first team in Division VII.

Amarr Davis, Mansfield Senior: The slippery sophomore kick returner averaged 20.7 yards on returns and was indispensable on both offense and defense. As a receiver, Davis caught 45 passes for 570 yards and three touchdowns. He also intercepted four passes and had 30 tackles from his safety spot,