Richland 25: District titles could be futures for Nos. 20-22

The goal every year is to win a district championship.

While that goal fell a bit short in 2021-22 for the Richland 25 teams ranked Nos. 20-22, it might not fall short during the upcoming athletic season.

Let's check out the next three teams finding their ways on the Richland 25 and if a district championship just might be in their futures.

22. Ontario Boys Soccer

The Warriors enter the 2022 season needing to replace 14 seniors from last year's 13-6-1 team that ended as the Division II district runner-up. That is going to be far from easy.

But the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference champions have the program and the tradition in place to reload and not rebuild. It will also help that the Warriors return the most prolific goal scorer in Richland County last season.

Gage Weaver returns for his senior season after scoring 37 goals and adding eight assists a year ago. His 37 goals are a new single-season program record. He has 62 career goals and still has an entire season to go. With another huge year, Weaver could flirt with 100 career goals.

Zain Fulmer will be the No. 2 forward after scoring six goals and adding four assists last season and will be alongside Weaver on the offensive attack. Brandon Litteral is back for his senior season after spending his junior year handing out 10 assists and scoring three goals. With Litteral in the facilitator role, Weaver and Fulmer should get plenty of open-field opportunities.

James Stewart returns to the midfield after scoring two goals and adding four assists as a junior last season. With the 14 seniors departing, Stewart is about to see his role increase in a major way and will be able to showcase his skills to the fullest.

Omar Abdelaziz returns in goal after collecting 61 saves a year ago. It is his senior season so he will be looking to become a district championship keeper in 2022. Defenders Carter Weaver, Caden Boebel, Will Saltzgiver and midfielder Andrew Stephens along with back-up keeper Dante McGinty bring back experience and leadership to the defensive side of the pitch.

So, yes, the Warriors lost a ton from last year's team, but they also have guys who have been sitting back and waiting for their chance to make an impact and a district championship would be quite a legacy to leave.

21. Shelby Boys Basketball

The most recent Division II Richland County boys basketball team to win a district championship returns as a favorite to make it back to the title game. 

The Shelby Whippets bring back possibly the most dynamic player in the county and a young core of players who have huge upsides. 

Junior Alex Bruskotter is back after leading the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference in scoring last season at 19.6 points a game. He also averaged 7.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and two steals a night earning third team All-Ohio honors in the process. He is the clear preseason favorite for the MOAC Player of the Year and the Mansfield News Journal Player of the Year.

From there, the Whippets bring back some talented young guys like Issaiah Ramsey who burst onto the scenes late in the season last year. He averaged 8.5 points and 5.2 rebounds as a sophomore. Bryson Baker will likely slide into the starting lineup after being the sixth man last year scoring 4.4 points last year. The Whippets also bring back Carson Burbaker, Max Hess and Gavin Bishop.

But the most intriguing returning player might be Casey Lantz who played in 10 varsity games last year but spent the majority of his sophomore season putting on a highlight reel during the junior varsity games with impressive dunks and nice mid-range jumpers. He could be the x-factor in 2022-23.

20. Lexington Boys Basketball

And then there is the most recent Division II Richland County boys basketball team to play for a district title. 

The Lexington Minutemen nearly upset the No. 1 overall seed last season in the district championship game last season falling to Huron 46-39.

And when you look at who the Minutemen bring back in 2022-23, it is hard to not see them getting back. Baden Forup returns for his senior year after earning special mention All-Ohio honors by scoring 15 points and pulling down eight rebounds a game as a junior. 

He is joined by fellow big man Hudson Moore who scored 10.6 points and added 6.6 rebounds a night as a junior. AJ Young will likely be the starting point guard after leading the team in assists with 45.

Elijah Hudson also returns and will see his role increase as he brings a different dynamic to the team while Alex Depperschmidt, Jaxx Lamp, Jamarrion Feagin, Gavin Husty, Carter Newman, Terrance Corbin, Jaxon Brown and Will Perkins add depth and defense to the lineup.

Lex will also see Brayden Fogle make the jump from middle school to high school. He possesses the skills to make a huge impact at the varsity level as the nationally-ranked eighth-grader has been turning heads all summer long and has already picked up two Division I offers from Youngstown State and Radford University.

The Minutemen have plenty of talent coming back and the all-time wins leader in coach Scott Hamilton. It might be district title of bust this season, but the future looks awfully bright, too.

On the cusp

Ontario Football

There may not be a Richland County football team with more upside than the Warriors in 2022. They return just about everyone including 1,000-yard back Chase Studer along with young quarterback prospects in Bodpegn Miller and Peyton Dzugan. The Warriors need to develop some receivers and some toughness on the defensive side of the ball, but a team that was mainly sophomores and freshmen last season, Ontario is continuing to grow and develop and that could be bad news for teams on their schedule.

Madison Girls Soccer

It is crazy to think the defending district champions aren't in the Top 25 and maybe they should be. The Rams lost just four seniors from last year's team but leading scorer Nevaeh Lewis also will not be returning due to a year-long suspension for violating athletic code of conduct rules.

But that could just light a fire in the young players on the roster like Natalee Back, Marisah Atterholt, Callie Cyrus and Taylor Tucker to name just a few.

jfurr@gannett.com

740-244-9934

Twitter: @JakeFurr11