3 Pirates bound for D-II football programs

The class of 2023's top football players have their collegiate destinations locked in. Perkins graduate Jayden Rowe announced his commitment to NCAA Division II Tiffin University earlier this month, putting a bow on the recruiting season for outgoing seniors. "It's pretty cool," said Perkins coach Jalen Santoro, who also played receiver at Tiffin. "Tiffin came in late, it wasn't really until school was almost over. They see a value in our program and kids from our program and I think it's pretty awesome." Rowe is one of three Pirates who will join Division II programs in the fall. Drake Venerucci and Lamar Everett are both heading to Ashland University. Another graduate, Ben Meggitt, was initially committed to Ohio Dominican but has since reclassified to 2024 and will first attend prep school. "It's gonna be cool if all these guys pan out and we've got guys at Ashland, Tiffin and ODU playing each other," Santoro said. "... Every year you see a bunch of good football players that don't go play at the next level. That just speaks for how tough it is, whether it's Division I, II or III." It'll be a special tenure in Ashland for Venerucci, whose maternal grandfather Jeff Printy played there in the 1970s. "He's got the size and the frame to walk in and (fit their system)," Santoro said. "He'll go there, gain some weight real quick, catch the ball, and put his hand in the dirt and play a little tight end." Everett will play cornerback at the next level. "Lamar's got a super high ceiling as far as corner goes," Santoro said. "He's one of those guys that went underrecruited a little bit just because he didn't go to tons of camps. The Ashland coaches are super excited they got Lamar. For a Division II corner, he's got a lot of size, 6-1, he runs a 4.4, 4.5 40. He's got the measurables as far as what that position needs." The Purple Eagles also get another SBC talent — that's where Bellevue's Deegan Horn is going after serving as a multi-purpose talent in high school. Meggitt really only got one season of varsity action for Perkins but proved himself for the SBC Lake Division champions as a pass rusher. "Ben's got a lot of potential technique and skill-wise to bring to the table," Santoro said. "When he goes to school, he'll work on his size. They know what he does in utilizing him in pass rush and I think that's why they were attracted to him." That 2022 Perkins division championship team will send more players to scholarship-level football in the next couple seasons. Quarterback Logan Lesch, a rising senior, was recently offered by Tiffin University. He threw for 3,158 yards and 34 touchdowns as a junior. Rising junior Mikey Young has an offer from Miami (Ohio) and has attended multiple D-I camps this summer, as have classmates Weston Sturzinger and Braylon Collier and rising sophomore lineman Eli Sanchez. "It's nice to have someone playing on Saturdays in the fall, you can go watch some games," Santoro said. The SBC Lake Division will have at least one player locked into a Division I spot when the 2023 season starts. Tiffin Columbian quarterback Brayden Roggow committed to the University of Akron earlier in June. The 6-foot-4 passer threw 25 touchdowns as a junior in 2022. One of the SBC's top graduated talents, Connor Smith of Gibsonburg, will also play scholarship football in college. Smith is heading to the University of Findlay. He ran for 3,432 yards and 48 touchdowns as a senior for the Golden Bears to earn Division VII Offensive Player of the Year honors. Other football commitments that have been lined up in recent months include: Huron's Dylan Hohler to University of Toledo (preferred walk-on) Port Clinton's Adam Thorbahn to Findlay Clyde's Abe Morrison to Walsh University Clyde's Jay Plummer to Walsh University Monroeville's Peyton Barnhart to Ashland Oak Harbor's Lukas Lieske to Tiffin