MOUNT VERNON — Dustin Sheppard, Steve Payne, Joe Ulrey, Bryant Potter, Andrew Vogelsang, Lucas Maggard, Marcus Hendren, Taylor Smith, Taylor Harris, Wayne Lanum.
Those are just a few of the players who have earned the top area honor in high school football. Now, there is a new class of players who make up the area’s elite, and for their efforts, they have been named to the 2008 Mount Vernon News All-Area Football Teams.
Many players had seasons deserving of recognition in 2008, but one player stood out among the rest. For his accomplishments, Danville senior Gatlin Ridgway has been named the 2008 Player of the Year.
A player of many talents, Ridgway was forced to display them all throughout the Blue Devils’ season. A running back by trade, Ridgway also played some quarterback this season after the Blue Devils lost Marcus Magers in the opening game. From both spots, Ridgway combined for nearly 1,500 yards of offense and 102 points.
“Gatlin makes things easy,” said Danville head coach Charlie Duncan. “He can take the ball to the house anytime he touches it. It is fun to watch from the stands, and it is fun to watch from the sidelines as well. He is a leader out there. A lot of plays we ran were designed around him because of the athletic ability he brings to the table. ... He can make big plays when you need him to. He also can take a broken play the distance.”
On the ground, Ridgway picked up 1,109 yards on 176 carries, a 6.3 average. Through the air, he was 28-of-77 for 383 yards with five touchdowns and seven interceptions.
“When Marcus went down, (Gatlin’s) role changed a little bit,” said Duncan. “He is a tough runner as well as an elusive runner. He always wanted to make that big hit and run people over. We had to coach him up to get him to make guys miss. We encouraged him to do a little more juking, then hit the hole and outrun people. That was tough for him to grasp, but he could do both. It took a little bit of prying to get him to do that, but once he did, his instincts took over. When we put him back there at quarterback, he was definitely a run first type of quarterback, but there toward the end of the year, he showed he had a very strong arm as well. He made plays when we needed him to.”
Defensively, Ridgway was a force to be reckoned with. From his linebacker spot, he was intimidating. Opponents often tried to go away from him, but to no avail. Ridgway finished with 112 tackles, including 63 solo, five sacks and three interceptions.
“He’s got a nose for the football on defense,” Duncan said. “He flies around. If something doesn’t go right, he has the athletic ability to make up for that. ... He has an instinct for the ball. He pays attention in the film room. When we are going over plays, he sees the other team’s tendencies and it shows on Friday nights.”
Another impressive fact about Ridgway was that he played early the entire season hurt.
“In Week 3, he dislocated his shoulder and chipped his collarbone,” said Duncan. “He played the entire season with that, and at the end of the season, had surgery on that shoulder. It didn’t slow him down any. He really got after it.”
Joining Ridgway on the Offensive First Team were: QB — Tyler Clement, East Knox; RB — Brad Couts, Johnstown; WR — Tony Lybarger, Fredericktown; WR — Scott Cline, Utica; WR — C.J. Ruhl, Fredericktown; OL — Travis Fannin, Mount Vernon; OL — Tyler Busenburg, East Knox; OL — Zach Beacom, Johnstown; OL — Ben Durbin, Danville; OL — Joie Caplin, Utica; and K — Thad Snell, Clear Fork.
The Defensive First Team consists of: DL — Adam Wood, Danville; DL — B.J. Douglas, Utica; DL — John Davis, Fredericktown; DL — Devin Wears, East Knox; LB — Austin Hoeflich, Fredericktown; LB — Steven Stooksbury, Highland; LB — Brian Swank, Clear Fork; LB — Kurt Sammons, Johnstown; DB — Zech Shafer, East Knox; DB — Jason Hoar, Utica; DB — Zac Brewer, Danville; and P — Josh McClellan, Johnstown.
