With the Akron-area OHSAA 2024-25 sports season complete, we’re going to spend the next several months looking back at the best of high school sports during the school year.
Your votes will determine the Akron-Area Best of the School Year for teams, coaches and athletes.
This week we want to know who you think was the best high school boys sports team of 2024-25. Each team’s credentials are listed above the poll — which will be live until 5 p.m. June 26. The winners will be announced in the morning June 27 on BeaconJournal.com.
Now, let’s meet the candidates, who were selected by the Beacon Journal sports staff.
Here’s a look at the nominees for the Akron-Area Boys Team of the Year, in alphabetical order:
Archbishop Hoban football
Reached the Division II state semifinals before losing 35-10 to eventual champion Avon.
Archbishop Hoban golf
Won the Division I state championship, led by individual state medalist Chris Pollak.
Nordonia volleyball
Reached the Division II state semifinals before losing to eventual runner-up Mount Vernon.
St. Vincent-St. Mary volleyball
Reached the Division II state semifinals before losing to eventual champion Cincinnati McNicholas.
Twinsburg soccer
Finished as the Division III state runner-up, losing 1-0 to Cincinnati Indian Hill in the championship game.
Walsh Jesuit baseball
Reached the Division II state semifinals before losing to 1-0 to Whitehouse Anthony Wayne, which went on to win the state title.
Walsh Jesuit soccer
Finished as the Division II state runner-up, losing 5-3 on penalty kicks to New Albany in the championship game.
Woodridge cross country
Finished third at the Division II state meet, with six of seven runners recording personal bests.
Others considered: Archbishop Hoban basketball, Buchtel basketball, CVCA baseball, Firestone volleyball, Highland football, Hudson golf and Walsh Jesuit football.
A look at the 2024-25 Akron-Area High School Athlete of the Week winners
- Date – girls winner | boys winner
- Sept. 13 – Keira Lang, Revere cross country | Rowan Klein, Revere football
- Sept. 20 – Sarah Vojtko, Walsh Jesuit golf | Phil Partin, Manchester football
- Sept. 27 – Cassandra Komlanc, Copley tennis | Austin Wilhoit, Stow golf
- Oct. 4 – Emmy Burling, Hudson golf | Ian Katz, Hudson soccer
- Oct. 11 – Julia Gulla, Nordonia golf | Keller Moten, Walsh Jesuit football
- Oct. 18 – Makayla Martuccio, Tallmadge cross country | Ben LeBay, Woodridge cross country
- Oct. 25 – Emma Niemczura, Copley soccer | Donevan Noel, Tallmadge cross country
- Nov. 1 – Alyssa Maniar, Hudson soccer | Ben Chesser, Nordonia football
- Nov. 8 – Danzi Jones, Stow cross country | Luke Farris, Revere football
- Nov. 15 – Ava DeBolt, Walsh Jesuit soccer | Rocco DeLorenzo, Nordonia football
- Jan. 10 – Rylee Kulick, Copley swimming | Kaden Davis, Tallmadge basketball
- Jan. 17 – Meredith Viar, Green basketball | Jackson Phillips, Barberton wrestling
- Jan. 24 – Tatum Smith, St. Vincent-St. Mary basketball | Antonio Johnson, Cuyahoga Falls wrestling
- Jan. 31 – Allie Martin, Woodridge basketball | Sura Gurung, North wrestling
- Feb. 7 – Erin McCormick, Hudson basketball | Rayshawn Hamilton, Garfield basketball
- Feb. 14 – Dakota Graham, Norton basketball | Stevie Diamond, Buchtel basketball
- Feb. 21 – Kara Esterak, Walsh Jesuit basketball | Braden Dunlap, St. Vincent-St. Mary wrestling
- Feb. 28 – Rylee Jackson, Hoban swimming | George Marshall, St. Vincent-St. Mary swimming
- March 7 – Leannah Swiger, Springfield wrestling | Isaiah McCray, Buchtel basketball
- March 14 – Anne Ruble, North wrestling | Gavin Genovese, Woodridge wrestling
- March 21 – Kylee Zamecnik, CVCA track and field | Zach Stupczy, Revere track and field
- April 4 – Morgan Dobbins, Hoban lacrosse | Elijah Myers, Firestone volleyball
- April 11 – Gayle Mishic, Revere softball | Kyle Shaw, Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy baseball
- April 18 – Courtney Boggs, Northwest softball | Jordan Kievman, Norton baseball
- April 25 – Corinne Stearns, Hudson softball | Luke Mager, Hudson baseball
- May 2 – Chelsey Taylor, Woodridge softball | Michael Banks, Barberton baseball
- May 9 – Savannah Regan, Archbishop Hoban softball | Blake Harris, Firestone baseball
- May 16 – Larissa Taylor, Tallmadge softball | Nate McGuire, Firestone baseball
- May 23 – Caroline Deagan, Copley softball | Matt Engelhart, St. Vincent-St. Mary baseball
- May 30 – Annie Liszewski, Green softball | Connor Hons, Woodridge track and field
- June 6 – Allison Hay, Tallmadge track and field | Tyler Slone, St. Vincent-St. Mary baseball
- June 13 – Alli Hodgkinson, Manchester softball | Andrew Holcomb, Walsh Jesuit baseball
Editor’s note: Winners of the Akron-Area Athlete of the Week in the spring are not eligible to win it again until the fall sports season begins. Coaches and athletic directors: Submit nominees for Akron-Area High School Athlete of the Week at bjsports@thebeaconjournal.com
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