Akron Hoban RB Sperling wins 2022 Ohio Mr. Football | Local Sports

On Dec 2, 2022

COLUMBUS – Akron Archbishop Hoban senior running back Lamar Sperling was named Ohio Mr. Football by the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association on Thursday afternoon. He is the 36th winner of the award and earned the honor hours before leading his team into the Division II state championship game against Toledo Central Catholic at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

The senior running back and University of Buffalo commit, broke the D-II state title game rushing record with 365 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-21 loss to Toledo Central Catholic, capping his senior season with school-record totals of 3,876 rushing yards and 58 touchdowns on 417 carries.

Sperling, 5-foot-10-inches and 190 pounds, totaled 141 points in the statewide voting by OPSWA members. Cincinnati Wyoming senior running back/defensive back CJ Hester was the runner-up with 101 points. He will play in the Division IV state championship game Saturday night.

Sperling’s 58 rushing TDs is a new single-season OHSAA record while the rushing yardage total is the second-most in state history behind the 4,128 of Daniel Bangura of Canal Winchester Harvest Prep.

Sperling finishes his career having passed multiple state record-holders at running back from Hoban, including 2004 Mr. Football Tyrell Sutton. In the Knights’ six playoff games, Sperling rushed for an outstanding season’s worth of yards with 1,790 yards and 26 touchdowns in the postseason alone, including 308 yards vs. Willoughby South, 293 against Hudson and 357 against Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit in the regional finals.

In the last two seasons since becoming the full-time starter at running back, Sperling has 802 carries for 6,869 yards and 99 touchdowns. Those totals alone place Sperling third all-time behind Bangura and Sutton in career rushing yards and tied with Edgerton’s Hunter Prince and Gnadenhutten Indian Valley’s Jake Davis for 10th all-time in career rushing TDs.

Other Mr. Football finalists included Darreon Fair of Cleveland Heights; Diore Hubbard of Gahanna Lincoln; Jordan Marshall of Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller; Connor Walendzak of Perrysburg; and Mason Wolfe of Millersburg West Holmes.

The Ohio Mr. Football Award was given by the Associated Press from 1987-2016. It has been given by the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association since 2017.

The All-Ohio teams will be announced beginning Monday.

The OPSWA was created in 1972 to support, promote and recognize coverage of high school sports across Ohio and is endorsed by the Ohio High School Athletic Association.

Ohio Mr. Football Winners (including college choice):

1987: Buster Howe, RB-DB-K-P, Zanesville, Ohio State

1988: Robert Smith, RB, Euclid, Ohio State

1989: Robert Smith, RB, Euclid, Ohio State

1990: Bobby Hoying, QB, St. Henry, Ohio State

1991: Derek Kidwell, QB-DE, Fostoria, Bowling Green

1992: Marc Edwards, RB-LB, Norwood, Notre Dame

1993: Curtis Enis, RB-LB, Mississinawa Valley, Penn State

1994: Charles Woodson, DB-RB, Fremont Ross, Michigan

1995: Andy Katzenmoyer, LB, Westerville South, Ohio State

1996: Derek Combs, RB-DB-KR, Grove City, Ohio State

1997: Tony Fisher, RB, Euclid, Notre Dame

1998: Ryan Brewer, RB, Troy, South Carolina

1999: Bam Childress, DB-WR-KR, Bedford St. Peter Chanel, Ohio State

2000: Jeff Backes, RB-DB, Upper Arlington, Northwestern

2001: Maurice Clarett, RB, Warren G. Harding, Ohio State

2002: Ben Mauk, QB, Kenton, Wake Forest/Cincinnati

2003: Ray Williams, RB, Cleveland Benedictine, West Virginia

2004: Tyrell Sutton, RB, Archbishop Hoban, Northwestern

2005: Delone Carter, RB, Copley, Syracuse

2006: Brandon Saine, RB, Piqua, Ohio State

2007: Bart Tanski, QB, Mentor, Bowling Green

2008: Erick Howard, RB, North Canton Hoover, Akron

2009: Erick Howard, RB, North Canton Hoover, Akron

2010: Akise Teague, RB-DB-KR, Youngstown Ursuline, Cincinnati

2011: Maty Mauk, QB, Kenton, Missouri/Eastern Kentucky

2012: Mitch Trubisky, QB, Mentor, North Carolina

2013: Dante Booker Jr., LB, Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary, Ohio State

2014: Joe Burrow, QB, Athens, Ohio State, Louisiana State

2015: Keishaun Sims, RB-DB, Massillon Perry, Ashland University

2016: Michael Warren, RB, Toledo Central Catholic, University of Cincinnati

2017: Joey Baughman, QB, Wadsworth, Elon University

2018: Cade Stover, SS-RB, Lexington, Ohio State University

2019: Evan Prater, QB, Cincinnati Wyoming, University of Cincinnati

2020: Corey Kiner, RB, Cincinnati Roger Bacon, Louisiana State

2021: Drew Allar, QB, Medina Penn State

2022: Lamar Sperling, RB, Akron Archbishop Hoban

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