Divisions I and II All-Ohio: Football all-state AP awards

  Jack Johnson, Pickerington's coach for 30 years, was named one of three Division I Ohio coaches of the year yesterday by The Associated Press.

   Johnson, who guided the Tigers to a 9-1 regular-season record and a regional final berth, shared the honor with Doug Ramsey of Cincinnati Elder and Tom Narducci of Hudson.

   Ramsey has led Elder (13-1) to a berth in the state final against top-ranked Warren Harding (14-0) at 7 p.m. Saturday in Canton's Fawcett Stadium. Narducci guided Hudson to its first unbeaten season since 1949.

   Strongsville tailback Brandon Murphy was named the division's offensive player of the year after rushing for 1,907 yards and 27 touchdowns in just eight games, missing the final two because of a broken hand.

   Sharing the defensive honor were Cincinnati Elder lineman Tony Carvitti, North Canton Hoover linebacker Curt Lukens and Cleveland St. Ignatius back Tony Gonzalez.

   Carvitti had 18 sacks. Lukens, who has committed to Ohio State, had 15 tackles for losses, including eight sacks. Gonzalez, another who has said he intends to attend OSU, had four interceptions, 43 tackles and broke up 13 passes.

   In Division II, first-year Watkins Memorial coach Jeff Buchanan was one of three coaches honored.

   Buchanan, who was pressured to resign from Newark Catholic last spring, led a team that was winless in 2001 and 7-43 since 1997 to a 6-4 record and a share of the Ohio Capital Conference Capital Division championship.

   He shared the award with Maurice Douglass of Trotwood-Madison and Jeff Rotsky of Maple Heights. Douglass, a defensive back in the NFL for nine seasons, helped his team turn a 2-8 record in 2001 to 8-2. Rotsky coached Maple Heights to a 7-3 record and a playoff berth, in the process snapping a 22-game losing streak.

   Quarterbacks Brad Maurer of Kings Mills Kings and Gary Whaley of Louisville shared the state's offensive player of the year honor, and Louisville linebacker Curtis Elsass was the defensive choice.

   Maurer passed for 1,658 yards and 25 touchdowns and ran for 674 yards and 13 more scores as Kings went 10-0.

   Whaley helped Louisville to a 10-0 mark by passing for 1,766 yards and 20 touchdowns.

   Elsass had 15 tackles for negative yardage and three sacks before his season ended with a knee injury in week nine. He also rushed for 943 yards and 16 touchdowns as a tailback.

State Finals

Division I

Cincinnati Elder (14-1) 21, Warren G. Harding (14-1) 19

Division II

Dayton Chaminade-Julienne (14-1) 41, Macedonia Nordonia (13-2) 26

Division III

Cols. Bishop Watterson (11-4) 28, Cleveland Benedictine (12-3) 7

Division IV

Kenton (13-2) 45, Portsmouth West (12-3) 13

Division V

Marion Pleasant (15-0) 33, Smithville (14-1) 18

Division VI

Mogadore (14-1) 27, Dola Hardin Northern (14-1) 7

Reilly, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound senior who rushed for 2,000 yards and a school-record 25 touchdowns in helping the Johnnies to their first playoff berth, also led the team in tackles at linebacker.

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