Danbury's Dean stepping up to 11-man football at Walsh

Tommy Dean has never played 11-man tackle football. The Danbury senior is so good that it didn't matter to Walsh University when he recently signed to play NCAA Division II college football for the Cavaliers. "I'm sure there will be an adjustment, but I'm not worried with the strong coaching staff at Walsh," Dean said. "That helped me make my decision." Dean has been a cornerstone of the Lakers' 8-man football team the past few seasons. In 2025, the quarterback completed 59 of 89 passes for 1,201 yards, 16 touchdowns and just three interceptions. On the ground, he ran 98 times for 540 yards and 10 touchdowns. He added 39 tackles and one sack defensively for Danbury, which finished 7-4, qualifying for the Northern 8 playoffs. "Tommy has been a true asset for the Lakers' football program the last three seasons," Lakers coach Brett Sykes said. "Watching him grow as a football player and leader was fun and a blessing. He was a team captain, broke just about every quarterback record and turned himself into a fantastic defensive football player." In 2024, Dean was 67 of 118 for 1,156 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions. He added 81 carries for 218 yards rushing. "The moment I stepped on campus at Walsh, the vibe felt right for me," Dean said. "I went on a few other visits, but no other school felt like home. Aside from athletics, the academic side of Walsh caught my eye and the atmosphere in general was what I wanted." Walsh was 6-5 last season. The Cavaliers compete in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, facing the likes of Findlay, Tiffin and Ashland. "He needs to buy in to the weight room and focus on building his speed and strength," Sykes said. "Becoming a student of the game is something he will need to adjust to as he transitions to a college program. "In my opinion, football is football. Transitioning to 11-man shouldn't be a problem." Dean plays to major in business management, hoping to find himself in the career path of construction or sports management. He said he wants to get bigger, faster and stronger before his time at Walsh begins. "I think a lot of people think they have to transfer out of smaller schools to find college exposure," Dean said. "I want to be an example for kids at smaller schools that they can play at the next level with hard work and dedication." PC's Pinkelton headed to ODU Port Clinton senior Malakii Pinkelton has been a household name on the football field and wrestling mats for years. He will continue his football career at Ohio Dominican University, a NCAA Division II program that finished 5-5 last season. "I believe ODU was the right place because I just felt loved," Pinkelton said. "They have some really amazing coaches and I'm friends with a few commits, so it just felt like a place I could thrive." Pinkelton tallied 185 carries for 1,137 yards and 13 touchdowns last season for the Redskins. Port Clinton was 7-5, winning a home playoff game over Edison. "His freshman year was my first year as the football coach at Port Clinton," said Eric Leuthold, who coached Pinkelton in high school before accepting the Clyde head coaching job earlier this year. "When I first started, his name was tossed around his class as a leader. He lived up to that in our time together. "He is very invested into the sport. He was consistently running hill sprints after practice hours. He was doing things on the field after practice. He did the hard things." Like all athletes making the jump from high school to college, things will be difficult for Pinkelton. He understands that the game is different in college. "That is why I think I'll be perfectly fine going into college," Pinkelton said. "I've been preparing every day this offseason for a bigger and faster game of football. I've been working hard though, so I know I'll be all good." As a junior, Pinkelton ran 106 times for 574 yards and seven touchdowns. He added 50 tackles, three sacks and two fumble recoveries on defense. Pinkelton intends to major in either criminal justice or exercise science. "I want to go to the NFL or any league that I can make a living and support my family in," Pinkelton said. "That's the goal. I love football. My life revolves around the game and I want to play as long as possible. After my whole football career is over, I want to be a college football coach or an officer." Dean and Pinkelton are two of many area athletes who plan to play NCAA Division I, Division II, Division III, NAIA or junior college sports next season. Here's a look at the rest of the area, sorted by school: Bellevue Reid Claus — Kent State, football Drew Dennings — Bluffton, baseball Nolan Hartman — Heidelberg, football Caden Lindsey — Terra State, baseball Hallie McCarthy — Findlay, track and field Lilly Sosa — Tiffin, track and field Kaitlyn Turinsky — Youngstown State, basketball Amerie Wagner — Tiffin, track and field Clyde Brady Dukeshire — Morehead State, football Avery Gaskalla — Tiffin, wrestling Whitney Long — Terra, volleyball Danbury Tommy Dean — Walsh, football Ellie Colon — Heidelberg, cross country/track Edison Alex Davidson — Findlay, soccer Xander Gfell-King — Baldwin Wallace, wrestling Coltyn Meagrow — Heidelberg, basketball Kellyn Ritchie — Ohio Northern, soccer Chaz Smith — Defiance, baseball Bryson Wittmer — Louisville, baseball Huron Sage Edgerly-Bork — Toledo, cross country Liz Heidl — Tiffin, cross country/track Landon Hohler — Walsh, football Margaretta Jake Bouy — Capital, football Zack Bouy — Capital, football Jenae Farrell — Bluffton, golf Judah Keller — Findlay, football Cassidy Lane — Gardner-Webb, basketball Brett Miller — Heidelberg, football Keiygan Morris — Bluffton, golf Kenadie Saylor — Mount Vernon Nazarene, basketball Ellyse Schaefer — Southeastern, basketball Julian Washington — Dayton, basketball Colt Watson — Tiffin, pole vault Monroeville Brycen Dunlap — Heidelberg, footballNorwalk Dylan Eggleston — Findlay, track Elliot Gahring — Ashland, track Trinity Lazzara — John Carroll, basketball Aldynn Metzger — Trine, wrestling Tommy Vanderpool — Walsh, football Perkins Anthony Bonica — Baldwin Wallace, soccer Kaden Camp — Mount Union, soccer Deshaun Harper — Bluffton, football Grant Hickman — Findlay, football Olivia Lizzi — Wichita State, bowling Blake Parker — Ohio, football Eli Sanchez — UNLV, football Gabby Schirg — Akron, track and field Ryan Wells — Capital, soccer Ella West — Findlay, swimming Port Clinton Grace Arnold — Tiffin, tennis Marissa Frohne — Terra State, volleyball Anastasia Hughes — Tiffin, tennis Malakii Pinkelton — Ohio Dominican, football Nora Pixler — Otterbein, tennis Morgan Wiechman — Bowling Green, cross country/track Sandusky Taliyah Farris — Ohio Northern, track Donovan Gant — Ohio Dominican, football Dale Johnson — Wayne State, football St. Mary Central Catholic Blake Finneran — John Carroll, golf St. Paul Peyton Barman — Terra State, basketball Vermilion Joscelyn Alvarado — Bethany, basketball Adam Gerber — Alma, golf Brock Meyers — John Carroll, football Bella Phillips — Mercyhurst, bowling Brooke Whisenant — John Hopkins, track