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Toronto’s Max Tice Running Strong

Tailback racked up 151 yards in last outing

Photo by Mike Mathison Toronto tailback Max Tice runs the ball during a game against Edison. He rushed for 151 yards in the Red Knights’ victory.

TORONTO — The Toronto Red Knights have put together a stellar 2016 season as they currently secure a 7-2 record but a key part of their success on the gridiron comes from senior tailback, Max Tice.

Toronto delivered a 10-2 season last year and made it to the regional semifinals and as a junior, Tice led the Knights with 781 yards and nine touchdowns. He is on pace to improve those numbers during the current campaign.

The senior standout recorded his ninth touchdown of the year last week, which came on a 5-yard run during the third quarter of a 47-22 victory over Edison. He rushed for 151 yards on 17 carries to bring his season total to 656 yards on the ground, just 125 yards shy of last season’s total. He could eclipse that mark this week when the Red Knights travel to Madonna.

As much work as he puts in on the field, he works even harder on the practice field, in the weight room and in the classroom to prepare himself for the next game and the next step after he graduates high school.

“Max (Tice) is a great kid,” Toronto coach Eric Meek said. “He plays hard but is not only a leader on the field but in the classroom, as well.

“He does a good job in the weight room and is easy to coach. He has been a big part of the success we have had at Toronto.”

Tice is everything a coach and teammate could ask for as he puts the team before himself and always rises to the occasion when it is time to step up.

“He has bounced around to different positions on defense,” Meek said. “Wherever we need him to play, that is where he plays. He is an unselfish, reliable, dependable and consistent football player.

“Football is important to him. He is a smart kid who pays attention to detail and is always focused on the task at hand.”

Tice is averaging just over 72 yards per game and even this late in the season, still averages 9.2 yards per carry, which is an astonishing number considering the rugged season a running back must face.

“Its pretty impressive that he is able to average over nine yards per carry,” his coach said. “There is going to be a big void in our team next year after he graduates but he deserves anything and everything he gets. He is a good kid.”

Danny Zdinak also rushed for 70 yards on eight carries in the victory, while quarterback Nate Karaffa completed six of nine passes for 100 yards, while picking up 20 yards on the ground. Led by Tice, Toronto rushed for a total of 250 yards and generated 350 total yards of offense. Tice also hauled in one pass, which was good for a 10-yard gain.

Tice and the Knights wrap up their regular season on Friday with high hopes of a playoff game the following week, in which Tice could once again make a large impact.

Offensive Player of the Week

Lukas Isaly

River

Next year we might have to rename the Mr. Everything category after Isaly. The Pilots quarterback rushed 35 times for 150 yards and three scores. He also threw for 138 yards in leading River to a 9-0 record.

Defensive Player of the Week

Logan Wells

Bishop Donahue

Wells seemed to be in on every play of the game for Bishop Donahue as he accumulated 18 tackles and was a big reason why the Bishops held Paden City’s offense scoreless.

Ground Gainers

∫ Tyson Camsky, Bellaire: Big Reds tailback helped keep his team’s playoff hopes alive, rushing for 130 yards and three scores in a victory against Union Local.

∫ Cody Enrietti, Weir: Red Riders standout rushed for 106 yards in victory against East Liverpool.

∫ Connor Banco, Shadyside: Banco might not get the top headlines for the Tigers, but he is another valuable piece to the offense, evidenced by a solid out against Bridgeport with 91 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

∫ Jordan Page, Morgantown: Mohigans back continued his solid season, rushing for 161 yards and four scores in lopsided victory against John Marshall.

∫ JC Custer, Bishop Donahue: Bishops standout carried the ball 14 times for 138 yards and two scores in victory against Paden City.

∫ Max Tice, Toronto: Red Knights workhorse carried 17 times for 151 yards and a touchdown in a victory against rival Edison.

∫ Michael Starcher, Colby Brown, Cameron: Dragons clinched their first playoff berth in 13 years and Starcher was a big reason why, rushing 27 times for 129 yards and a touchdown against Van. Brown, who usually does his damage through the air, scored three rushing touchdowns.

∫ Jacob Johnson, Martins Ferry: Purple Riders junior garnered seven carries for 99 yards and a score on the ground in a victory over Beaver Local.

Aerial Attack

∫ Nick Priem, Magnolia: Blue Eagles quarterback passed for 172 yards in loss to rival Tyler Consolidated.

∫ Cross Wilkinson, Wheeling Park: Patriots QB threw for 101 yards in victory against Princeton.

∫ Nate Karaffa, Toronto: Red Knight threw for 100 yards against the Wildcats.

Good Hands Team

∫ Brooks Parsons, Magnolia: Parsons was Priem’s favorite target Friday night, catching five passes for 134 yards.

Mr. Everything

∫ Alex Krupa, Shadyside: When he is not excelling on offense (81 yards and a touchdown), he is doing his thing on defense, making a sack and a fumble recovery against the Bulldogs.

∫ Zach Torbett, Wheeling Park: Usually Torbett’s spot on this list is reserved for defense — and he did his part there with 10 tackles — but he filled in nicely at tailback for an injured Rennie Clark, rushing for 137 yards and a score.

∫ Bobby O’Donnell, Monroe Central: The Seminoles got in the win column for the first time and O’Donnell was a big part. He rushed for 96 yards and two touchdowns, then added another score on an 82-yard kickoff return.

∫ Dalton Hoover, Martins Ferry: Scoring two touchdowns and supplying 91 yards rushing is great, but Hoover made it a day to remember with nine tackles and a forced fumble on defense, as well.

Wrecking Crew

∫ Nick Coulter, John Marshall: Defender was the lone bright spot against Morgantown, combining for 14 tackles.

∫ Rander Amos, Paden City: Wildcats defender made 15 total tackles in a loss to Bishop Donahue.

∫ Luke Duplaga, Wheeling Central: Duplaga recovered a fumble for a touchdown and Manny Miller recovered a fumble and collected an interception as Wheeling Central made easy work of Beallsville.

∫ T.J. Kelley, Luke Menges, Austin Koscoe, Ben Howell, Union Local: Jets quartet had a busy day against the Bellaire offense, led by Kelley with 13.5 tackles, followed by Menges (12.5), Koscoe (12) and Howell (10).

∫ Vic Giovengo, Stephen Snyder, Jules Giovengo, Linsly: Vic Giovengo paced the Cadets defense 13 tackles, two for loss, while Snyder had 12 tackles, three for loss and a sack, and Jules Giovengo with 12 tackles and an interception.

∫ Sebastian Stickler, Drew Lemasters, Hunter Partridge, Leo Herrick, Magnolia: Stickler was a force for the Blue Eagles with 14 total tackles. Lemasters combined for 12 tackles, while Partridge and Herrick each combined for 11.

∫ Scotty Meaige, Wheeling Park: Patriots tied for the team lead with 10 tackles.

∫ Vinny Mangino, Bishop Donahue: Mangino recorded 12 tackles against the Wildcats.

∫ Alex Wells, Monroe Central: Seminole had 11 tackles, three for loss, in a victory against Frontier.

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