Heintschel leads All-Press selections for football

Press Sports Editor
sports@presspublications.com

Area football players impressed yet again, and many, who were among the state’s finest, earned recognition for their efforts this past season.
Clay QB Mason Heintschel was one of the state’s best players, so it’s no surprise he would be named the Alan Miller Jewelers’ All-Press Offensive Player of the Year.
The senior, who is headed to the University of Pittsburgh to continue his career at the next level, completed 188-of-272 passes for 2,444 yards and 35 touchdowns and six interceptions while running 132 times for 770 yards and six scores.
Heintschel helped the Eagles get back to the playoffs and win their first league title in 42 years.
No other player received more than one vote for Offensive Player of the Year.
“He has been our guy the last three years, our leader. He was so consistently good; there are only a couple of games where he didn't play at a really high level,” said former Clay coach John Galyas, who resigned after leading the team for the last eight years. “When we needed to make a play, he made it. He holds just about every passing record we have. He was the best quarterback we have ever had at Clay High School.
“He is an extremely hard worker and a great player. When he would speak up, our guys listened. He was a really good teammate as well, always positive, which is another reason why our guys would listen and rally around him,” Galyas said. “He also never made it about himself, it was always about the team and his teammates.”
Genoa’s Dom Lindenberger received four votes for the Alan Miller Jewelers’ Defensive Player of the Year, giving him the nod.
Lindenberger, a linebacker, had 101 tackles and seven tackles for loss.
His coach, Bill Fisher, had high praise for him.
“His attention to detail was phenomenal. He was always asking questions, watching film; he was very much into making sure he knew exactly what he and the guys around him were supposed to do,” said Fisher. “He worked his tail off in the offseason leading up to this season, was in the best physical shape as far as strength and weight and gave track and field a shot to get faster. He fully committed to his training to become the player he is.
“He also played special teams and wanted to make the most tackles on kickoffs. That speaks volumes to the kind of player he was,” Fisher said.
Lindenberger’s career is only getting started.
“I know he wants to play college football,” Fisher said.
The Alan Miller Jewelers’ Lineman of the Year was Oak Harbor OT/DT Isaac Schulte, who earned All-Ohio honors as the offense’s right tackle. He was a force on both sides of the ball throughout the season for the Rockets. He broke his leg before the regional semifinal matchup with Liberty Center, which defeated the Rockets, 24-21. It certainly might have been a different story if Oak Harbor had the services of Schulte.
Schulte, a junior, received five votes while teammate Jacob Ridener got four. Ridener was also one vote short of being named the Defensive Player of the Year.
“Isaac comes from a football family. His dad, Scott, is our offensive line coach and his brother, Clay, was one of the best players that has ever come through this program,” said Oak Harbor coach Mike May. “Isaac has a tremendous work ethic and very high character. He is also an excellent leader for us up front on both sides of the ball. Isaac takes great pride in finishing blocks on offense and is a dominant force on defense. He was rewarded for his play by being named first team, All-Ohio this season. Isaac Schulte represents everything that we want in a student-athlete here at Oak Harbor.”
May, who has coached at Oak Harbor for 17 years, was named Alan Miller Jewelers’ Coach of the Year. He was quick to deflect praise and credited his loyal group of assistants for their efforts.
“I wish that Coach of the Year awards were renamed Coaching Staff of the Year awards because that is the case for us. I am very fortunate to have a great staff that truly cares about our players and are also great teachers of the game. We have seven coaches who are teachers at the high school and that is a huge advantage for our program,” May said. “It allows our coaches to build relationships with our kids, and that has been a major key to our success on the field. Our staff has been together for a long time and I feel very lucky to be able to work with my best friends every day. I can’t imagine having a better group of assistant coaches than we have here at Oak Harbor. They are more responsible for us winning games than I am.”
Last season was one of the finest in Rocket history as Oak Harbor proved itself to be one of the best teams in Division V while going 12-1 and winning its third consecutive league title, a first in program history.
“Our biggest victories came off the field. The team chemistry was the best of any team that I have ever coached and that was a reflection of our senior class,” said May. “The seniors were fully bought in and held their teammates accountable to the standards of our program. Our staff enjoyed every moment that we were able to invest with this group of young men. It was fun to go to practice every day. Our seniors left a tremendous legacy and have set us up for future success.”