Luke Fortner a Bright Spot in Tough Jaguars Season
Volume 1 Issue 20
No one said being a rookie would be easy, but Luke Fortner is sure making the most of it. The Sylvania Northview graduate is in his first year in the NFL and is showcasing his talent well with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The rookie from Kentucky has started all 10 games and has been one of the positive points in a medicore year for Jacksonville.
A top lineman coming out of high school, Fortner was part of a host of Northwest Ohio players being recruited by Kentucky. After redshirting his first year, Fortner became a mainstay at guard for the Wildcats and helped shape the program into a contender week-in and week-out. Fortner then decided to return for a sixth year and was named team captain and switched to the center position. He then earned First Team All-SEC honors and was a semifinalist for multiple national awards.
This past April Fortner was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the third round. Fortner quickly rose up the depth chart through training camp and was named the week one starter. Fortner has improved each game this season as he has taken more reps and become accustomed to the NFL. To manage an offensive line is a huge ask for a rookie but Fortner has met the challenge. It would be a surprise to no one if he ends up making the NFL All-Rookie Team at this rate.
With only seven game remaining, it seems unlikely the Jaguars will finish with a winning record. However, it will give Fortner plenty of opportunities to make his case for why he is the best rookie center in the league. Today Fortner will be going up against the other top rookie center, Tyler Linderbaum. Linderbaum has fit into the Baltimore Ravens set up well and has garnered high praise for his ability to adapt to the mobile Lamar Jackson offensive scheme. The matchup today will prove a pivotal one in the All-Rookie team race.
Fortner is the first Sylvania Northview graduate to play in one of the “big four” professional sports. He is also the first Northwest Ohio athlete to play for the Jacksonville Jaguars. If Fortner were to make the All-Rookie team, he would join Rick Upchurch (Springfield), Bob Brudzinski (Fremont Ross), Jim Lachey (St. Henry), Jeff Hartings (St. Henry), Charles Woodson (Fremont Ross) and Ben Roethlisberger (Findlay) as the only Northwest Ohio athletes to earn the honor.
Leading Updates
Grace VanSlooten (Toledo/Notre Dame) named PAC-12 Freshman of the Week.
Cole Mattin (Delta) named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week.
Vince Williams Jr. (Toledo/St. John’s) was transferred to the G-League by the Memphis Grizzlies.
Jase Bowen (Northwood/Toledo Central Catholic) is playing in Australia for the Sydney Blue Sox for the winter.
Notable Game Updates
On November 13th Trevor Harris (Waldo/Marion Pleasant) threw for 362 yards and 1 touchdown in a semifinal loss to the Toronto Argonauts.
On November 15th Thomas Zsiros (Maumee/Toledo St. John’s) had two catches for 53 yards in a Toledo loss to BGSU.
On November 16th Tahj Staveskie (Sandusky) had 14 points for Canisius in an overtime loss to Cleveland State.
On November 16th Sammi Mikonowicz (Rossford) had 16 points and 11 rebounds in Toledo overtime win over Cincinnati.
On November 17th Zeb Jackson (Toledo/Maumee Valley Country Day) had 16 points in a VCU win over Pitt.
On November 17th Zia Cooke (Toledo/Rogers) had 15 points in a South Carolina win over Clemson.
On November 18th Austin Rotroff (Wauseon) had 10 points and 6 rebounds in a Duquesne win over Colgate.
On November 19th Cli’Ron Hornbeak (Toledo/St. Francis) had 10 points and 7 rebounds in a Kent State win over Chicago State.
Interesting Reads
Gibsonburg's Smith finishes with 4th best season rushing total in Ohio prep history
High school basketball returns to Veterans Memorial Coliseum at Marion County Fairgrounds
'He's a renegade:' Clinard's aggressive play a catalyst for the Eagles
FHS hockey counting on depth and experience as season begins
TAAC girls basketball preview: Toledo Christian favored for 6th straight league title
Just For Fun
Which counties are the most dominant in High School Boys Basketball?
With basketball season right around the corner I thought it fitting to see which counties have historically been the best at basketball. I have decided to figure this out on a point based system:
State Title = 5 points
State Runners-up = 3 points
State Final Four = 1 point
(Note: Bellevue will count for both Huron and Sandusky county)
Below are the final results as well as a breakdown:
Allen
State Titles - Delphos St. John’s (1949, 83, 02) Lima Central Catholic (2010, 14, 16)
State Runners-up - Bluffton (1929) Delphos St. John’s (1954, 73, 98, 01) Elida (2012) Lima Central Catholic (1989, 94, 00, 15) Lima Senior (1992, 16) Lima St. John’s (1944) Lima St. Rose (1948)
State Final Four - Bluffton (1942) Delphos St. John’s (1924, 82, 90, 95, 17) Lima Central (1931, 35, 43) Lima Central Catholic (1992, 93) Lima Perry (2017) Lima Senior (1962, 68, 82) Lima Shawnee (1965, 00, 21)
Auglaize
State Titles - New Knoxville (2008)
State Runners-up - New Knoxville (1947)
State Final Four - Minster (1952, 65, 05) New Bremen (1960) St. Marys Memorial (1993)
Crawford
State Titles - None
State Runners-up - Buckeye Central (1983) Wynford (1987) Holmes-Liberty (1958)
State Final Four - None
Defiance
State Titles - Defiance (2015) Def. Ayersville (1957, 61) Farmer (1946)
State Runners-up - Def. Ayersville (1962) Def. Tinora (2009) Mark Center (1934)
State Final Four - Ney (1926)
Erie
State Titles - Margaretta (1932) Sandusky St. Mary’s (1936, 80)
State Runners-up - Sandusky St. Mary’s (1939)
State Final Four - Sandusky St. Mary’s (1945)
Fulton
State Titles - None
State Runners-up - Archbold (1924, 96) Pettisville (1976) Wauseon (1994, 17)
State Final Four - Archbold (1979, 03, 05, 06, 17)
Hancock
State Titles - Findlay (1948) Findlay Liberty-Benton (1995)
State Runners-up - Findlay (1936) Findlay Liberty-Benton (2007)
State Final Four - Arlington (2014) Findlay (1947) Riverdale (1974) Van Buren (1985, 86)
Hardin
State Titles - Upper Scioto Valley (1994)
State Runners-up - None
State Final Four - Ada (2009)
Henry
State Titles - Holgate (2004) Napoleon (1981) Patrick Henry (1997)
State Runners-up - Patrick Henry (1992)
State Final Four - Holgate (1953, 07)
Huron
State Titles - Bellevue (1945) Monroeville (1984) Norwalk (2014)
State Runners-up - Bellevue (1923)
State Final Four - Norwalk St. Paul (1997) Willard (1980, 82, 84, 01)
Lucas
State Titles - Toledo Macomber (1989) Toledo St. Francis (1983) Toledo Scott (1990)
State Runners-up - Toledo Central Catholic (1942, 49) Toledo Libbey (1966, 08) Toledo Rogers (2013) Toledo St. John’s (1993, 96, 04) Toledo Waite (1927) Toledo Woodward (1944) Whitmer (2012)
State Final Four - Cardinal Stritch (2019) Maumee (1935) Ottawa Hills (2010) Toledo Central Catholic (2011) Toledo Libbey (1969, 00) Toledo Macomber (1957) Toledo Rogers (2011) Toledo St. John’s (2003, 06, 09) Toledo Scott (1959, 60, 74, 76, 78, 82, 84) Toledo Woodward (1946) Whitmer (1987, 08)
Marion
State Titles - Marion Pleasant (1973)
State Runners-up - Marion Harding (1963) Marion Pleasant (1971) Ridgedale (1972)
State Final Four - None
Mercer
State Titles - Fort Recovery (1971) Maria Stein Marion Local (1975, 03, 18) St. Henry (1979, 90, 91, 03)
State Runners-up - Celina ICS (1964) Coldwater (1999) Maria Stein Marion Local (2004) St. Henry (2000)
State Final Four - Celina (1972) Coldwater (1993) Fort Recovery (1969) Maria Stein Marion Local (1984) St. Henry (2019)
Ottawa
State Titles - None
State Runners-up - Oak Harbor (1983) Port Clinton (2010)
State Final Four - Genoa (1974)
Paulding
State Titles - Haviland Wayne Trace (1991)
State Runners-up - None
State Final Four - Antwerp (2022) Haviland Wayne Trace (1987, 01, 08, 15)
Putnam
State Titles - Fort Jennings (2000) Kalida (1981) Miller City (1950) Ottawa-Glandorf (2004, 08, 13)
State Runners-up - Columbus Grove (2006, 21) Kalida (1988, 09) Leipsic (2013) Ottawa-Glandorf (1996, 22)
State Final Four - Continental (1972, 77, 05, 11) Kalida (1967, 80) Ottawa-Glandorf (1977, 78, 12, 21) Ottoville (1978) Pandora-Gilboa (2018)
Sandusky
State Titles - Bellevue (1945)
State Runners-up - Bellevue (1923)
State Final Four - Clyde (1995) Fremont Ross (1930) Fremont St. Joseph (1935) York (1963)
Seneca
State Titles - None
State Runners-up - New Riegel (1993)
State Final Four - Tiffin Columbian (1934)
Van Wert
State Titles - Convoy Crestview (2014, 19) Lincolnview (1997)
State Runners-up - Convoy Crestview (2003) Lincolnview (1996, 16) Willshire (1955)
State Final Four - Convoy Crestview (1971) Van Wert (1987, 90, 92) Willshire (1955)
Williams
State Titles - Edgerton (1959)
State Runners-up - None
State Final Four - Edgerton (1999) Stryker (1929) West Unity (1923)
Wood
State Titles - Grand Rapids (1951)
State Runners-up - Rossford (1966, 70)
State Final Four - Rossford (1975)
Wyandot
State Titles - Upper Sandusky (2005)
State Runners-up - Upper Sandusky (2007)
State Final Four - None