Garrettsville – On Friday, June 24th, the Record Courier hosted its annual High School Sports Awards at the Akron Civic Center. The ceremony included athletes from schools around Portage County, big and small. Finalists for the awards were named beforehand, and the winners were named the night of the 24th. Individual awards for every sport were handed out, as well as coach awards, and the broader team awards. James A. Garfield was well represented at the event, as they had multiple winners, and many finalists.
To kick things off, G-Men football was named Boys Team of the Year in Portage County across all sports. The G-Men broke a multitude of records and made history on their way to a 12-1 season. This included an undefeated regular season, an MVAC championship, numerous all conference athletes, and a few All-Ohioans.
League offensive player of the year and First Team All-Ohioan Anthony Demma was named Portage County football offensive player of the year, as well as male athlete of the year. Demma averaged almost 10 yards per carry, and totaled over 2,000 rushing yards. He also played a crucial role on the basketball, baseball, and track and field teams for the G-Men.
Junior Max May received a special award during the ceremony. He was awarded the Portage County Courage Award. Max has failed to let his difficult fight with brain cancer get in the way of him being a three sport athlete. He enjoys running cross country, as well as playing basketball and baseball. Max’s story should be an inspiration for us all on how to persevere through even the most difficult circumstances to achieve your goals and keep doing what you love.
Senior Jenna Smith was awarded Portage County Girls Basketball Player of the Year. Smith averaged 20 points and 12 rebounds per game and reached over 1,500 career points for the Lady G-Men. She led her team to regionals for the second consecutive year and was named a First Team All-Ohioan. Smith was also part of the Lady G-Men volleyball team that finished second in the district.
Riley LaPorte, another senior for the G-Men, was named the Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year. LaPorte finished second in the state in the shot put and sixth in the state in the discus this past season. He now holds the school record in the shot put at over 59 feet, a mark previously held by coach Matt Pfleger. LaPorte was also a two time First Team All-Ohioan in football, and played a crucial role on the offensive line for four years.
G-Men football head coach Mike Moser was named boys coach of the year. He was the coach behind a historic season for the G-Men, who keep improving their record with every passing year.
Overall, it was a tremendous year for all the G-Men, and that was put on full display on June 24th. From district championships to undefeated seasons, it takes a lot to be G-Men, but the results are phenomenal. This speaks to the courage and competence of G-Men across the board, as well as their coaches, families and supporters.
Upcoming events include the National Honor Society from James A. Garfield High School hosting a car wash at Charles Auto Family on Saturday, July 9th. The car wash will be from 10 AM to 2 PM, so come out and get your car looking as good as new.
The fall sports season is just around the corner, so stay tuned for more updates.
