SHELBY — The North Central Ohio Football Coaches Association is trending in the right direction.
More than 130 athletes from 25 area high schools made their way to Shelby’s Whippet Athletic Complex on Sunday for the showcase, now in its second year. The event drew coaches and recruiters from a dozen colleges from Division I to Division III.
“We had more colleges here today and we had more high school kids than last year,” Shelby coach Rob Mahaney said. “We want to give area kids an opportunity to come out and show what they have and I think we were able to do that.”
Athletes were timed in traditional combine drills before breaking into position groups for specialized workouts.
“I’m just here to compete and see some of the top guys from all the area schools,” said Hillsdale quarterback Kael Lewis, a rising senior who picked up an offer from Division II Ashland University earlier in the day. “It’s a chance to get better.”
Lewis, who led Hillsdale to the last two Division VII state championship games, turned in the top 40 yard dash time of the day — a blistering 4.37 seconds.
“It was definitely wind-aided,” he said, “but I’ll take it.”
Lewis was one of several talented quarterbacks on display Sunday. Ontario’s Trey Remy and Clear Fork’s Marcus Hoeflich both looked sharp in passing drills with receivers.
“This summer is very important for me in terms of recruiting,” said Remy, a rising junior. “I’m taking it very seriously.
“This is a chance to show (recruiters) what I’ve got.”
Several area coaches volunteered their time Sunday. Lexington coach Andrew Saris worked with defensive backs during position-specific drills.
“It’s just fun to be out on a field with this many kids and coaches,” Saris said. “I saw a lot of smiling faces out here today.”
