Richland 200: Nos. 6-10 will go down as generational talents in their respective programs

Generational talents are hard to come by.

And each athlete making up the Top 10 of the Richland 200 is just that — a generational talent.

Let's kick off the Top 10 by checking out the Nos. 6-10 athletes and what they each bring to the table.

10: Emma Wise, Lexington

As a junior, Wise was the top female cross country runner in Richland County. She ran an 18:36.0 to place 10th at the Division II state meet and really turned it on during the last two weeks of the season. After finishing second at the district meet, she won an individual regional championship with a time of 19:21.1 in less-than-ideal conditions. She was the No. 1 runner on the regional championship team and helped Lex place eighth in the state as a team. 

Wise is now back for her senior season and will be the leader of a squad full of potential. Last year, Lex was tripped up by a couple of nagging injuries but, with a clean bill of health that with luck will last all season, Wise and Lady Lex might be back atop the podium very soon.

9: Hunter Hutcheson, Madison

As a junior last year, Hutcheson was the No. 4 190-pound Division II wrestler in the state. He finished the year 39-6, falling in the third-place match at state, but earned very high All-Ohio honors in the process. The three wrestlers who finished ahead of him in the standings have all moved on, making Hutcheson a favorite to win a state title if he can get on a hot streak during the postseason again. Right now, he is ranked No. 2 by borofan.net in Division II. 

He is also in line for a great football season. Under a new head coach and possibly a new position, Hutcheson is due for a breakout year that could lead the Rams to turn things around in that program. Expect to see his name all over the place in 2022-23.

8: Mason Ringler, Crestview

Ringler paved the way for the Cougars to run for 3,087 yard on offense as the team's best offensive lineman. He helped the team go 10-0 and win the Firelands Conference championship for the second consecutive year. A first-team All-Ohioan in Division IV, Ringer also earned first-team All-Northwest District, Firelands Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year and first-team All-Firelands Conference honors. The Cougars scored 45 of their 67 touchdowns on the ground with Ringler leading the way.

Defensively, he was a game-changer. He collected 66 tackles, one for a loss, with five sacks, seven quarterback hurries and a blocked punt. Ringler headlines a loaded senior class returning for the Cougars, and the road to a Firelands Conference championship goes through Olivesburg thanks to players like Ringler.

7: Owen Barker, Crestview

Barker was one of the most versatile football players in Richland County in 2021. He was a standout defensive player for the Cougars, tallying 96 tackles, an incredible 18 for loss, 13.5 sacks, 25 quarterback pressures and five pass breakups. Offensively, he caught 14 passes for 311 yards and three touchdowns and also handled the punting duties, averaging 40.8 yards on 25 punts with 11 landing inside the 20. He uncorked a long of 70 yards and could have easily been an All-Ohio punter if it weren't for his defensive performances. 

Barker earned first team All-Ohio in Division VI to go with first team All-Northwest District, Northwest District Defensive Lineman of the Year, Firelands Conference Defensive Lineman of the Year and first team All-Firelands Conference. Not bad for his junior season. After the Cougars went 10-0 during their regular season and 12-1 overall, Barker comes back as a dominant force ready to build on that 11-game regular-season winning streak.

6: Alex Bruskotter, Shelby

Bruskotter was the team's most talented boys basketball player last season — and he was only a sophomore. Earning third-team All-Ohio honors in Division II, he was a first-team All-Northwest District, first-team All-District 6 and first-team All-Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference selection on top of it. He averaged 20.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists for the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference champion Whippets. 

Bruskotter earned an offer from Ashland University before his sophomore season and over the summer picked up a few Division I offers from schools like Akron and Toldeo. As a 6-foot-7 shooting guard, Bruskotter is poised to pick up even more offers over the next two years and is the front-runner for the 2022-23 Mansfield News Journal Player of the Year honor. 

jfurr@gannett.com

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Twitter: @JakeFurr11